8.11.98

    A shout out to Phil R. It's been another one of those days. Thanks for the email -- it made me smile.

    I got my first traffic ticket today. My first damn ticket. I'm livid.

    Everyday I go the same way to work. I stop at a popular intersection and I wait for my safe green arrow to let me turn left. Then I turn and go on my merry way, down a few blocks and to the dismal, grey, utterly unsatisfying office job. During the last couple weeks massive construction has sprung up at this intersection. Traffic is being squished into single lanes and diverted in other "interesting" ways. I suspect that this isn't going away any time soon since, in addition to barriers and cones they have painted new directionals on the ground.

    My usual path narrows down to a single lane and it's been a pain to turn left since there is no longer a protected green. It's not safe and it's frustrating for people waiting behind the turner to go straight. Apparently, this is now against the law.

    This morning I got flagged down by a cop right after my turn. He questioned me about it and I said that I never saw a sign prohibiting left turns. He said that that's what a lot of people were saying. Then he wanted to see my driver's license. Oops - Oregon. How long have you been in California, little lady? Uhhhh... only a few months. And, may I see your registration. Let's see... sunglasses, Sears receipt, sour Warheads wrapper... no registration in the glovebox. That's okay, miss, I'll just check it on our computer. Now, why don't you sign here which is not an admission of guilt. Be sure to show up at the court listed. Oh, and don't forget that traffic fines double in construction zones.

    I can't believe that jerk didn't just give me a warning! How could he not give me a warning!? I have never had a moving violation and I've only had a few parking tickets and almost every single one of those were $5 campus parking tickets - pshaw. T. and I will be getting car insurance together and I'm sure this just makes things worse. The one thing we had going for us was a clean record on my part. T. has had speeding tickets and a few accidents. I've only had one accident and it was definitely the other person's fault. I didn't pay a penny. I just can't believe my rotten luck. I should have just stayed in bed this morning.

    All day, worked sucked. I just don't feel well right now. I'm pretty achey which usually means a cold is on the way and I was hungry all day. I guess my lunch just wasn't substatial enough.

    Anyway, traffic on the way home sucked and I just felt miserable thinking over my run-in with that rat-fink, dork cop. Why didn't I argue? Why was I so polite? Why was I surprised that I got the ticket? Why didn't I tell him I had never been cited before? Ugh. Just miserable, I was. I felt like everybody was out to get me on the 405. I got cutoff more than a few times and I kept having to fight back stupid tears. I guess the thing that burns me up the most is that this ticket could cost quite a bit of money, money that T. and I do not have.

    So, I finally pull off the 405 and head over to my doctor's office to pick up the results of the rubella test (negative in case the suspense was killing you). My doctor has a parking lot. A parking lot with a front gate and a fee for every 20 minutes that you are parked there. 20 minutes!!!! It's so ridiculous and it offends me greatly. How the hell can they justify charging their patients to park outside their offices? I guess they want to screw you coming and going. There is no other place to park by these offices, either.

    I run into the office, after getting my parking stub at the front gate, and asked for a copy of the test. The lady makes one, hands it to me and we're done. I jump back in my car with my stub and head for the exit and the guard. He puts it in the machine and as I'm putting it in gear to drive off he says, "$1.50, please."

    "What!!??" I screamed. "I was only in there for a minute. Goddamnit! That's ridiculous!"

    "It's the minimum amount."

    So, I look in my purse even though I know I have no money and ask him, "Do you take checks?!"

    "Uh... no. But... uh... you're going to be back, right? Why don't you pay next time."

    He lifted the gate and I roared out of there. I think he knew that I was a woman on the edge. I came home and I cried. I just cried. I told you I was needing to do that, didn't I? Well, I did. And, it felt good. And then, when I was done, I had cold, chocolate pudding. And, that was good, too.

    T. and I went to the jeweler and left our wedding bands to get engraved. I fawned over this giant diamond set in the magnificent platinum setting which was designed after ring designs of the 30s and 40s. It was gorgeous. Then we went to Barne's & Noble and picked up some books about our honeymoon destination and I choose a Raymond Chandler hardback containing the first two of his Philip Marlowe mysteries: The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely. They are set in Los Angeles of the 30s and 40s (seems to be a theme with this entry). I alse have a new featured link relating to this.

    Before that I went over to Victoria's Secret to exchange a gift a friend of mine got me for my bridal shower. It was this really gorgeous top with matching undies. I went in with only the top but they wouldn't let me exchange it without the bottoms because they are a set. It's a good thing I didn't go over there right after my ordeals of the day because I would have ripped this ladies head off. I guess in Vicki's world a big top means a big ass. I think Victoria's secret is that she's "tucking" or that she is the "ugly little sister." I just can't believe that women would do this to each other. This might just be the last time I ever step foot in that fascist, lace nightmare.