William's Places

Well, this is what I get for a little hubris on my part L

 

February 4 was a late opening for school, so I got out of my house at 8:20 and headed to work. It was only a five minute drive. I saw the cop car sitting on the opposite side of the road with no one in it and thought “who got in trouble now?”

 

I definitely didn’t think it would be me .

 

I stopped at the stop sign momentarily – it was still icy out and I couldn’t see oncoming traffic at that intersection where the stop sign was - and I stopped again momentarily to verify that there was no traffic coming from my right. I then headed down the hill towards the intersection…

 

Where the light had just turned yellow! I eased on through it right as it was about to turn red…

 

Only then did I notice the police cruiser barreling towards me like a pit bull, sirens and lights all ablaze…

 

 

I pulled over and got out, wondering, what is this all about?

 

Never should have done that. I was told to get back into my car, then after what seemed like an eternity, the officer came and stated that I had ran though a stop sign…

 

Of course I was heated! I was on my way to another great day with the cream of the crop of Waterbury’s best juveniles , and I was being given the business…after the usual procedures took place and I received my ticket, I answered the complaint “not guilty”, put it in my bag, and headed on my way to work.

I had the chance to avoid all of this unpleasantness by simply taking the plea deal for a mere $35.00. After all, I was only being charged with running a stop sign (at least that’s what I thought, as that was the only infraction noted on the ticket).

 

WRONG!!!!! When I got to the courthouse today, the prosecutor smugly informed me that I was being charged with 3 (yep, three) counts… failure to stop at a stop sign , twice, and failure to stop at a red light…

 

WHAT??? I quickly composed myself and replied, Ok. I went and took my seat and waited my turn before the judge.

 

It was the most ridiculous farce of a trial I could have ever been in.

 

The prosecutor had his intern conduct the case. She didn’t know what she wanted to ask…

 

Then the officer didn’t know what street he was on initially. He first stated that he was parked on one street, and when I cross examined him regarding that statement, I got cut off – by both the prosecution and the judge-because the officer later stated that he wasn’t on the first street that he mentioned, but did not know what street he was on…

 

I have to admit, the best part of this was when I questioned the officer about the location of the stop sign and the necessity of having to move beyond the sign in order to see the oncoming traffic. “Objection!” cried the prosecution. “Overruled!” stated the judge. The officer couldn’t even answer that question.

 

Then there was the fact that the officer didn’t even know what the conditions were that day. He said the road was dr y . Poppycock. There was still patches of ice on the road, and damper than hair fresh out of a shower.

 

The second charge got changed in mid-trial. The light was yellow when I went through it, and had just tuned red when the officer caught up with me, according to his testimony. But I thought I was being charged with running a red light!!!

 

The third charge involved him observing me turn into traffic at the top of the hill that he stopped me on – where, according to him, I ran another stop sign. Ridiculous! Have to stop in order to see about oncoming traffic…

 

Being caught in so many contradictions didn’t really matter. As the judge pointed out, ignorance of the law is not justification. He dismissed the first count, but nailed me on the second and third, to the tune of $289.00, including court costs.

 

 

I should have taken that plea deal! L

This was something that my mother sent me via e-mail. I found it both encouraging, enlightening, and entertaining.

This is something we should all read at least once a week
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio  

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me... It is the most-requested column I've ever written.   My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:  

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.  
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.  
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...  
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.  
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.  
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.  
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.  
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.  
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.  
10. When it comes to chocolate,   resistance is futile.  
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.  
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.  
13. Don't compare your life to others.   You have no idea what their journey is all about.  
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.  
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.  
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.  
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.  
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.  
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.  
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.  
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy ling erie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.  
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.  
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.  
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.  
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.  
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ’In five years, will this matter?'  
27. Always choose life.  
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.  
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.  
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.  
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.  
33. Believe in miracles.  
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.  
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.  
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.  
37. Your children get only one childhood.  
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.  
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.  
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.  
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.  
42. The best is yet to come.  
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.  
44. Yield.  
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.