A good deed comes full circle.....

My daughter and I both believe in random acts of kindness and in doing good deeds if we possibly can manage them. She will help when she's in need of help herself because she believes that we should care about one another. God, I'm proud of her.

Anyway, a good deed has come full circle in our little family.

She took her son to the dentist to see about his broken tooth. The dentist has been treating her and her family for several years now and knows her situation. Well, are you all sitting down because you're not going to believe this one! But this is the truth. He fixed that front tooth....thank goodness there was no nerve damage. It had to be capped. My grandson's smile is as good as new now and you could never tell that anything was ever wrong. The price? Well....an unbelievable $100 out the door.

May this good man (the dentist) be forever blessed for his kindness and compassion. He knows their situation and gave them a deal of a lifetime. A beautiful smile on a young man....priceless.
Prayers answered and an act of kindness comes full circle....unforgettable.

I'm slowly going insane.....

THAT'S what I'm doin'! My daughter just got her son's (my grandson) braces off after years of him wearing them and her paying for them on the installment plan. HA.

He went to a party last night and during this so called get together where half of the people seem to be unknown to the hosts of the party, my grandson got hit in the MOUTH by some crazed kid that "no one knows". He hit him (for NO reason) and then took off running with one of my grandson's friends in hot pursuit. He jumped the fence in the backyard and was gone. Poof! Ever try to get a logical true story out of teenagers? It's like driving into the Twilight Zone ....into madness......where nothing makes any sense or has the same meaning.

My grandson (17 yrs old) is now sporting HALF of a front tooth. That's right peeps....this idiot broke his tooth and it sure looks to me like he smacked the other teeth crooked again...if that's possible. My grandson thinks it MAY have been over a girl. Sigh (rolling my eyes)

So if you hear reports on CNN of two women (that would be me and my daughter) running around in a yard, screaming and pulling their hair out.... Well, now you will know the reason for it.

I'm thinking that the homeowner's could be held responsible seeing as though it happened inside their house. What do you think? It was a witnessed unprovoked attack and my daughter does not have dental insurance.

Another recipe.....

I sure do wish I could take credit for this recipe because it is terrific. A girl that I work with and have known for about 25 years gave it to me and since her name is Sandy, I will call this

SANDY'S TEXAS CAVIAR

1 15/16 oz can of pinto beans
1 15/16 oz can of black eyed peas
1 15/16 oz can of whole kernel WHITE corn
1 small green pepper, cleaned and finely chopped
1 cup of finely chopped red onion
4 stalks of finely chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Drain the beans, peas and corn. Add the green pepper, red onion, salt and pepper.

SAUCE

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of vegetable/canola oil
1/2 cup of Splenda/sugar mix (if you choose not to use Splenda mixture, use 3/4 cup sugar instead)

Bring to a boil the vinegar, oil and sugar. Let cool in the refrigerator and pour over the above vegetables. Serve with Tostitos scoop chips. Enjoy!

This recipe is absolutely wonderful and very addicting. One of the best things about it is that it's good for you! How about that!

Our forefathers never planned all this.....

I hope everyone had a safe Fourth...but its not over yet. It won't be over around here until September.

I have great memories of when I was a kid and ONCE a year my family and I went to see the fireworks, which were put on ONCE in a park with free admission. It was thrilling and an event we all looked forward to. I don't know when the transformation happened. Somewhere along the line fireworks and the displays got totally out of hand.

Needless to say they are more powerful now. The sonic booms actually rock my knick-knacks on their shelves. I can imagine 90% of the canine population are under the beds if they fit or else behind the couch, resembling quivering pools of jello, absolutely out of their minds with fear. What a time for a break-in.....most dogs are either petrified or else tranquilized so they can live through the weekend. Been there, done that. My dog I now have, however, could care less. For that I am extremely grateful because it will be a nightly ordeal until September or so.

Ever heard the term, "less is more"? Of course you have. Well, its true. When we just get a little of something, we can't wait for it to happen again. Fireworks and the displays of them are on overkill. I don't care much about them anymore and have learned to put the earbuds of my mp3 player in my ears so to drown out the booms. I had to go to sleep like that last night because some simpleton or maybe more than one simpleton thought it would be clever to continue shooting them off until 4:30 a.m. Yes, you read right. I can't understand why the neighbors of these idiots don't turn them in or shoot them. I can't tell where they are coming from but its relatively close-by. Where's the police you say? Well, since I used to work for them, I know exactly what they are doing....breaking up drunken brawls, domestic fights and rushing people to E.R. with blown off fingers. An afternoon shift dispatch log in our small town will have at least a hundred fireworks complaint type calls. Tis not a happy time for police and fire/EMS workers.

So, I've put my two cents in about the fireworks. I certainly wish someone would wise up before the whole celebration is ruined and people are immune to the beauty of a well-planned fireworks display and the meaning that goes along with it. Bet hardly anyone thinks about THAT as they are watching.

Sigh.....I guess maybe I'm showing my age....dagnabbit. Oh yeah....and one of these days I'll tell you about the neighbor kid that has gotten NEW speakers for his vehicle....I think the speakers are bigger than the car. I can hear this little jerk coming from a mile away and when he drives by you just have to pause your conversation or your fillings may vibrate out. Gee, I bet his folks are proud.

My take on some movies.....

Ok, as promised, I am going to delight you with MY TAKE on three movies that I recently viewed. These aren't brand new, just released ones, as I wait for them to come out on DVD before I view, in the comfort of my own home so I can watch in jammies and pause for bathroom breaks if I so desire....not to mention a dish of ice cream.

First up is American Gangster. I put off looking at this one because I am a Denzel Washington fan and I WANT him to be the GOOD guy. He is such an excellent actor, however, that he can take on whatever is thrown at him and portrays the bad guy just as well as the good one.

American Gangster is based on the true story of a real gangster. Most people think that gangsters were either Irish or Italian, but this one (Lucas) was black, which enabled him to fly under the radar. He was very good at what he did. The movie had predictable violence and he shows himself to have about as much concern shooting a guy in the head as he would have stomping on an ant. He deals in the drug trade and the movie takes place during the Vietnam war era. Lets just say that our military covertly played a part in supplying illegal drugs to thousands. Lucas was from a large family and gave them all jobs helping him out. He put the hurt on the business dealings of other, more established gangsters, causing them to attempt to get rid of him, using different methods. The soft side of Lucas is shown too by his purchase of a large mansion for his mother to live in. The other side of the coin shows a police officer (played by Russell Crowe) being punished by his own kind because he's too honest and his personal life suffers due to his dedication on getting to the "big guy" doing all these drug imports. The movie is good but its LONG. The ending has a nice little twist that will put a grin on your face. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this one a 4.5. I've only seen it once and I'm sure if I look at it again, I will notice much more that I missed the first time around. If you like these types of movies, I don't think you will be disappointed. However, this is obviously not for the younger set.

Fool's Gold with Kate Hudson is the next movie. I just love her and had heard (from someone I'm going to bitch slap) that this was a good movie. I don't know....maybe its just me....but I found this movie to be horribly BORING. I was dismayed that Kate would make a movie so boring because she's so.....GOOD. But boring it was. Its supposed to be a romantic comedy and it was SORT of romantic but I didn't laugh anywhere that I can recall. I'm not a fan of Matthew McConaughey either, so that didn't help. The daughter of the rich guy just wanted to make me smack her into next week.....she was so stuuuuupid. Although I guess I can call her a good actress then because she did pull off her character very well. I would have been really REALLY upset if I had paid $8 or more at a movie theater for this waste of time. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 2 and that's only because of the scenery. I can't think of any reason why, other than they would probably fall asleep due to boredom, a kid 10 and up couldn't watch this. I don't think they will like it though. There is a little violence over the finding of the gold.

When a Stranger Calls is my third review. Now I had seen the original Carol Kane version way back when and it was a heart-stopper that you just can never seem to forget about. This is a remake of that movie. They have updated it to modern times. Of COURSE our heroine has to babysit at a house that is something out of Science Fiction Plus in the middle of BFE....with NO neighbors and the nearest town 20 minutes away. She's been grounded and one of the things she's lost is her cell phone so that's not with her. The movie follows the plot of the original pretty much and it still makes you stop breathing, even though you basically know the storyline. One impressive thing is that this movie actually proves that you can be scared and not have to deal with copious amounts of blood. It was really a nice detour for a thriller movie, I might add. Note to film-makers: We don't always have to be subjected to blood and gore to be scared. Of course, movie makers still have a hard time dealing with reality here. There is just NO effin' way a teenaged girl, alone in the middle of BFE, is going to unlock the door of the house and go outside in the dark, in the middle of a storm with winds of nearly gale force, and run probably the length of a football field to go inside a "supposedly" rented guest house to ask for help.....only to have to run all the way back again. Tree limbs breaking all around her and....oh yeah....the power is out too. Get real here folks! But then, they've always had a hard time keeping heroines out of basements during a power outage, wearing nothing more than shorty pj's. At least this heroine is dressed. It was a good movie; it was scary and it kept you on the edge of your seat. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.5 also. (I rarely give a perfect score, as you can see.....well, there WERE mistakes in the movie) It was, however, good entertainment. I would say that it would be ok for ages11 and up, depending on the maturity of the child.

I hope you've enjoyed MY TAKE on these three movies. Have a great holiday weekend...and BE SAFE.

People watching at Wacky-mart.....

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and my daughter, granddaughter and I decided to go out for some breakfast and then hit Wacky-mart....my nickname for you-know-who.

A booster seat law passed yesterday and my daughter found out that the one she's been using is now obsolete and has to be replaced. The ticket for not having the right seat is $165. So that was the impetus for shopping yesterday.

Our breakfast was great. I'm an avid people-watcher and there wasn't much to offer at the restaurant. They were not crowded at all. So I figured my trip to Wacky-mart would prove to be much more abundant....it did not disappoint.

She dropped me off at the door and went out to park. I find it very painful to walk very far, unless I can rest here and there and get off of that pesky knee of mine. So I went inside in hopes of getting a rider cart but they were all in use. That's the first time that's happened to me. I told my daughter to go ahead and start shopping and I'd catch up with her. I sat on the bench to wait for one and people-watched while I was at it.

So many interesting people, so many interesting outfits! I can't believe people go out in public like some of them do. I was rewarded by the mother-lode when a family who looked like extras from the Deliverence set came in. I was in people watcher heaven! You have to be cool when you're doing this....you have to pretend you're reading a circular or better yet, a book. If you get caught looking at them, you immediately blank out your face and smile a sweeeet smile...nothing judgemental or threatening. I could not believe these people. They were fascinating and scary to boot. I sure would hate living next door to them.....but had to stop and think...that somebody probably does. Unless they live in the woods and they just may.

I finally got my rider cart and came across these people several times in the store. The only one who seemed to notice me.....or should I say notice my purse...was the male teenager of the group. I could almost read his mind.......If I grab that purse and take off running, that old bag would never catch me. After he eyed it enough it dawned on him that THIS old bag has been around the block. I always loop my purse handle around my wrist and then grab hold of the cart handles. No way anyone can grab and run. The last time he looked at my purse he looked up from it to me and we had eye contact.....I did not look away first.

Its a scary world out there, Peeps.

Anyway, I spent more than I intended ..... Cha Ching .... but most of what I bought I really did need. Replenishing supplies, so to speak. The only extravagance were some DVD's. They are on sale for $5. and I came across some good ones. Ack (hitting my head with hand) It dawned on me later, after we were home, that I should have additionally gotten the cheaper booster seat for MY car, since the car seat I have is now obsolete as well. The seat I got for my daughter's every day use was $50 and the cheaper one, which just consists of a seat (no back) is $19.00. I'll have to send her back to get that one for me today or tomorrow. I'm expecting them to be sold out, if things go as usual. From what I understand, the idea behind these new seats and the new law is that a child over 40 lbs needs to be constrained by the VEHICLE'S chest seat belts and not the car seat's. So these are designed to do that. I guess they have to sit in these until they weigh 100 lbs. Sigh.....money money. $$$ But if it saves the life of just one child, its worth it.

Future builder?.....

We wanted to have family night last night and what do you do if you want to look at a movie not suitable for the younger set? Well, you find an alternative for them, that's what. We had decided that we wanted to watch American Gangster with Denzil Washington (review of this on another post) and figured it would be violent and also figured that my granddaughter, age almost 6, would not cooperate by going to bed so we could watch it. I remembered something that I hadn't thought of in 3 years. The old laptop!

Three years ago, I attempted to introduce this same granddaughter, at the tender age of 3, to computing. I loaded some very simple educational type games on an old laptop that had been given to me, took a deep breath to give me patience, and started my endeavor. She, being an extremely curious child, wanted to push every button on the laptop but was especially enchanted with the on/off button. No matter how many times I tried to discourage her from pushing that button, she would do it anyway and then the whole boot-up process would have to start over. After many times of this and after a failed attempt of hiding the button under duct tape, my patience packed its bags and left town on the first bus headed anywhere. I took the laptop and put in on the shelf in my closet and forgot about it.....until Saturday. Well, its worth a try, I surmised. Its been three years and she's matured a lot in that time. So I took the trusty laptop down, dusted it off and proceeded to the kitchen table.

Begging patience to stick around for a while, I booted up this lowly laptop and started to refresh my memory about just what was on it. Oh yes...now I remember. These are pretty lame games now. She already knows all this stuff. So I went to the shelf where I keep all my old computer programs and games. Searching through them I find some old games that I had purchased for her older brother when he was her age, kicking myself because I had given a lot of them away. This granddaughter, needless to say, was a "surprise" addition to our family.

I find an old game that my grandson dearly loved, Tonka Construction. He loved it so much he wanted to sleep with it. It revolved around Tonka trucks and how to build things. It was definitely something a boy would love and a girl would probably be bored to tears with, but I was desperate. So I loaded this game into the laptop, which took FOREVER. Remember, this machine is OLD. I introduced my granddaughter to the game, gave her minimal instruction and she set out. At first she wasn't too enthused (What? No Barbies, no Bratz?) but when she found out she could build a castle.....well, it was heaven-sent. She played with that game and laptop for four hours and this, my friends, is a RECORD for her to be involved with ANYTHING. She is my hyper, busy, always moving, always talking grandchild. She only screwed it up once by opening the tray which holds the CD Rom in the middle of the game and the computer went....ACK..what happened, where do I get my info from...where did it go....ACK, EEK...Blue Screen. Amazingly, after shutting the tray, everything came back like nothing had happened. Impressive for an old laptop using Win98.

She loves this building game and is basically teaching herself how to use the game and which trucks or equipment to use to do specific things. I'm not too sure what sort of educational help this can be.....maybe following instructions....but she's so into it right now, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't, one day, build her own house. Hey....stranger things have happened!

Why I color my hair.....

Sheesh….when is this garbage going to STOP. Yesterday was a bear of a day. It was just one thing after another at work. I was so glad when the day finally ended and it was time to lock up and come home. All I wanted to do was get in my jammies and relax with a pot of fresh, steaming coffee.

At home however, in my mailbox, I had received notification that my personal information, along with thousands of others, had been mishandled and lost. In other words, someone lost several boxes of tapes….or else they were stolen…who knows anymore. But they have to advise me that my info is out there for the picking …my name, address and the good old social security number. PEOPLE!!! Have you not ever heard of encryption???? This is a big investment company I’m talking about here. They have my info because I have a few shares of Disney stock.

And get THIS. To make it up to me for THEM being careless with my personal information that could allow thousands of dollars to be charged in my name, they are going to GIVE me…. ..Abolutely FREE of charge….(gasp) a whopping TWENTY-FOUR HOURS of credit monitoring. And to add insult to injury….they discovered the box was missing in FEBRUARY and its taken them all this time to figure out whose names were on the tapes that are now LORD KNOWS WHERE. My guess would be somewhere in BFE where the info is being sold to the highest bidder as I write. So, this kind of makes this 24-hour monitoring gift of theirs a bit ASSININE, doesn’t it. This is a laugh. It’s an embarrassment. If I wasn’t so mad right now I really would laugh.

The last time my identity was stolen it was used to create a fraudulent account in my name for a cell phone, I put a flag on my name with all three credit bureaus but I think it has expired by now. It took me months to sort all that out and I had intense hatred for the woman that used my name 1500 miles away from where I live. Thankfully, I did not have to pay any of it after proving that I was really me and that I live HERE and not THERE…..plus the signatures didn’t match. HA. So now what. I guess I will call all three credit bureaus and see if I can flag my name again.

We just have to come up with a better system. I say banks or any organization that requires your social security number for their files should be MANDATED, by law, to encrypt every single piece of data that they create and/or store that includes that information. And the government should assign watchdogs to make sure that it’s being carried out. That way if something is misplaced or stolen it would be useless. See? I’m just an average Jane and I figured that out….WHY CAN’T THEY?

*UPDATE – I tried to call the three credit bureaus this morning, using the 800 numbers given in my correspondence and all I got were computerized menus that send you in a frenzy of never-ending circles but no human. (don’t any of these companies employ humans anymore?) Something tells me that this is going to be a Catch-22 situation, but I will keep trying. After all, I wouldn’t want to be afflicted with mind-numbing boredom by having my days blend into a ho-hum cycle of everything going effing RIGHT for a while. Oh, how frightening that would be…..I always have been afraid of the unfamiliar and unknown! I need a drink.

*SECOND UPDATE - Upon reading Fiwa's comment, I decided to try what she suggested and ask for more credit protection. Well, I guess I was so upset when reading the letter, I mis-read what they had offered. It was 24 MONTH protection, not 24-hour, which makes a lot more sense. I also took Anonymous Boxer's advice and forgot about the 800 number and went to the Internet. I'm now enrolled. Thanks to both of you for the advice. However.....I'm still ticked off that they were careless....and I STILL need that drink! HA.

A new doll in town.....

I have two little granddaughters who will celebrate birthdays in August. They are not the same age but their birthdates are one day apart. They have already let it be known what they want for their birthdays.

This age group used to be Barbie’s domain. Barbie, you know, the great American girl-next-door, the Prom Queen, everybody’s sweetheart. Yes, totally out of proportion to say the least, but with a face just screaming goodness and light. Only problem…. after a few days in the hands of an anxious kid, Barbie’s hair makes her look like she’s had a rough night with the Notre Dame football team…..and there is NO FIXING IT. Yep, once its all frizzed, its frizzed to stay and our girl-next-door takes on the look of a quarter hooker slumped at the end of the bar, used and abused.

A few years ago a new doll arrived in town. I had serious issue with these dolls because they all looked like little sluts. And what’s with the feet? Removable feet? Who’s bright idea is that? It really did gross me out, to tell the truth. I still haven’t figured out the reason for it.

But these little Bratz dolls have won me over. As I watched my granddaughters lovingly clutch them in their arms, I knew there was a new kid in town to stay. Yep, these girls may come across as sluts in the beginning and the foot issue takes a while to get used to, but their HAIR. Their hair is to die for. It can be mangled, brushed, pulled, colored, yanked, washed, and curled and still manages to look halfway decent. None of this frizz crap. And lets face it….having a doll is all about changing the clothes and the HAIR. The Bratz girls have rooted hair that, so far, does not seem to frizz.

So I will be buying Bratz and Barbie will be shoved to the bottom of the toy chest, unused and unloved, contemplating Botox injections. I guess she’s lasted quite a while if you think about it. If her maker’s would just think about it, spend a few pennies and FIX HER HAIR, she would be back in full force again, I’m sure. In the meantime, I have a box full of Barbie clothes that just won’t fit Bratz….not that the little sluts would be caught dead in any of them anyway. And Ken…why Ken is just sittin’ back, not looking old, but merely distinguished. Ken’s fantasies will have just about all been realized if he gets thrown in the same toy chest as one of those HOT poofy lipped, sloe eyed Bratz girls. Sigh…….whatever happened to Betsy Wetsy.

R.I.P. You will be missed.....

One of my all time favorite comedians, George Carlin...God love him, is gone. This man has made me laugh so hard that I have found myself gasping for air, doubled over, red in the face, peeing my pants...totally out of control hysterically bellowing out screams of laughter. Is there anything in the world better for you?

I have played his tapes when I was blue, only to find myself with a silly grin on my face in no time and my blues flying out the window. I never tired of his stuff.

I have posted a couple clips of his below; one about embarrassing moments and the other one is about cats. No cat owner can listen to that one without an out-loud burst of laughter. I hope you can view them. If so, enjoy!

So, old friend, I hope that now you can find that huge pile of "lost stuff" you talked about in your "stuff" routine, which makes me grin even now. You did good....you did your job....you made us laugh....and now you can make the angels laugh...but just remember that now, even though God DOES have a sense of humor, you REALLY DO have to watch your language. Good-bye old friend.

Not that I love saying it.......but

You know in some cultures, babies are born and the mothers take to the fields to work and the grandmothers raise the young. Grandmothers are seen as sage residents of the village and are respected as such. What has happened? Not that I'd like to trek my hefty self to the fields to do some serious work, but what about this SAGE business. And no, I'm not talkin' seasoning here. My son thinks I talk just to hear myself, I guess. But, I have found, in all my years of clean living, that if one is patient enough, one gets the LAST LAUGH.

I said, "son, don't let her (meaning his 3.5 yr old daughter) play with your cell phone. she's liable to break it". He just lets my words travel in one ear and out the other, never taking a few seconds to let any of them absorb into brain matter. Sigh. After so many times of saying this to him, I finally gave up and didn't say anything anymore.

Then, there was, "son, you shouldn't be letting her play around your vehicle like that...going in and out of it, she's liable to slam her fingers in the door or pull your radio knobs off or something like that". Again, this fell on deaf ears.

So.......one day last week as he is driving down a five-lane highway in heavy traffic he hears something hit the side of his car, he glances in the rear view mirror in time to see something get run over by another car and then he glances back at his daughter who is now crying and saying that she has thrown his cell phone out the window. Lesson #1

A couple days ago, said granddaughter is in her father's car and he's right there in the yard and she not only pushes the back door window down, she puts all her weight on it and pushes it down even further into the door. Oh yes, we need to say here that the crank to roll the window UP no longer works and now she's pushed it so far down, you can't get ahold of it. He attempts to grasp it with needle nose pliers and the window SHATTERS into millions of pieces inside the door. Need I mention that we've had a lot of rain lately. Lesson #2

You know sometimes things just work out for the best all by themselves. Do I sound a tad bitter? Maybe I'm still holding a grudge from when he parked right behind me and disappeared for 6 hours. Shhhhh....don't tell anyone. Grandmas aren't supposed to behave that way. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I apologize.....

A lot has been going on lately in my life and with working more hours than I normally do I sometimes do not get the chance to read or comment on as many blogs as I'd like to. I'm able to read blogs at work, but cannot comment. As someone I have a lot of respect for once said, "real life trumps blog life" and that's true. It can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on circumstances.

I have neglected some of you lately and please accept my apology for that. At home I have suffered through hundreds of interruptions and sometimes would simply forget where I left off on my blog commenting when I did find the time to do it. You just can't even imagine the frustrations I'm going through right now......or maybe you can because I'm sure we all have them at one time or another. Life is like that.

I love every single one of you and if I don't comment for a while....YELL at me and remind me that I haven't said anything to you lately. Please don't think I singled anyone out purposely to ignore. I don't do stuff like that. Bear with me here.....I just need to get a few things in my life adjusted. Thank you, dear friends.

One more thing to tick me off.....

My driveway is wide enough for two cars to sit side by side. My son likes to park his vehicle directly in front of the garage door which houses MY car, leaving me no way to get out unless I ask him to move his car. I've told him about this on at least THREE other occasions and since he has done it again today....it leaves me with no other option but to think he's doing this ON PURPOSE.

To add insult to injury....he has not only parked his vehicle there, making me a prisoner in my own home....but he has left the premises. Whereabouts unknown. He did not say he was leaving...no goodbye, no nothin'. Someone had to come here and pick him up but I was told not a thing. This is beyond being inconsiderate. This is being just plain uncaring and STUPID. I swear, I did not raise him to be like this.

When he comes back I'm going to tell him that I had a phone call and was invited to meet Sean Connery at the local restaurant for a light supper but had to decline because I could not get out and I hope he's proud of himself that he made me miss this. Furthermore, I'm starving and there isn't anything here to cook and in addition to that I also had a chance to work this afternoon helping my boss with his election for TRIPLE time and had to decline all that too for the same reason. Mention martyr and I'm the queen of the hop.....nobody does it better when I put my mind to it.

Its supposed to thunder storm and his window is down. Ask me if I'm going to go out there and put it up. HA.

Just call me "Leadfoot".....

I feel like a criminal. In all my years of driving, my driving record is totally unblemished. The other morning as I was driving into work and, I might add, only a quarter mile from my house, I get pulled over. I was doing 13 over the speed limit. I was shocked. I really had no idea. I was just driving along, listening to the radio, minding my own business.

There was a time that I knew most of the officers and they were all older than me. Now they look like kids and our little police force has grown so much....I doubt that I know any of them anymore. The ones I knew have all retired by now. My home town police department is not to be confused with the one I worked for, which is the next township west of where I live. He took all my information and went back to his car to check me out. In a few minutes he returned and explained to me what had transpired.

First of all, he praised me for my excellent driving record and then said that he was not going to give me a speeding ticket but, instead, would be issuing me a Civil Infraction for Impeding Traffic. (which is a laugh cause I was just basically going with the flow). He said the Civil Infraction would not go on my driving record and I would not be given any points. BUT, I would have a fine to pay within 10 days.

He politely handed me my Civil Infraction, told me to have a nice day and went back to his partially unmarked traffic car. I was not happy, of course.....but I have to admit that I WAS speeding and when you do wrong, you have to deal with the consequences. And also....I reminded myself....I have driven this same stretch of road thousands of times and have probably been driving over the speed limit hundreds of times without even thinking about it.

I called the court to find out what my fine is and to confirm what the officer told me about it not being part of my driving record. The fine is a whopping $145. for the charge of Impeding Traffic. I was going 13 miles over the speed limit and if that had been the charge I think the fine would have been double that, plus 2 points on my record. So....I must look at the bright side of this. And, yes.....I have learned a lesson. Be more diligent of my driving speed. Nothing makes you sit up and take notice quicker than hitting you in the effing pocketbook. OUCH. I am NOT telling my son or my grandson about this. Matriarchs have a certain image to uphold, you know.