Monday Update

Well......the rest of my day didn't get any better. Had I known how this Monday would turn out as I was writing last night's post, I might have curbed the sarcasm just a bit as I seem to have jinxed myself. I might have also stayed in bed this morning.

So for those of you who commented on the post from this morning inquiring as to the nature of my "Other Hazardous Violations" warning ticket....

I was almost to work this morning, coming up the four-lane about a mile from work when I had to stop at a red light. So I stopped and b/c it had just turned red, I decided to pick up the foster parent newsletter (just a two page little brochure) and glance at it while I was waiting. So I'm glancing and the light turns green so I go, but a couple of things that were in the brochure had caught my attention, so I continued to skim the article, glancing up frequently as I drove. Apparently I got a little too far over the white line before I realized it and straightened up....then continued skimming. Apparently I didn't notice the cop behind me when I did that. Apparently I didn't notice the cop until he had pulled even in the lane next to me and out of the corner of my eye I realize that there is a car that is not passing me. So I glance over to figure out why and I realize it's a cop....as he's dropping back behind me and flipping on his lights. Fiddlesticks and snapdragons. I drop the newsletter like I've been burnt as I promptly flip on my signal and pull over.

He comes up to the window and let me tell you, as my friend/coworker who was with me said, he sure had HIS underwear all bunched up in a wad. Man, was he HOT. And I'm not talking about goodlooking kind of hot. I'm talking I got a lecture!

My side of the converstation consisted of me saying very timidly:
Yes, sir.
No, sir.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.....
.....well you get the picture.

He informed me of the reason he pulled me (the white line issue and then he saw me reading).
He let me know that driving consisted of both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road. Complete with hand gestures to help him make his point.
He lectured me on the reasons reading while driving was a bad idea (b/c I had a passenger. b/c I had a passenger who could read to me while I drove if neccessary, b/c if he'd had someone pulled and I swerved like that over the white line then I would put his life in "peril".....and so on)

Then he wanted to know what I was reading. So I said in a very small voice, the foster parent newsletter, and then he said, the what? And I said it again and then I just handed it to him. He looked over it and asked if I was going to class for it, and I said no, I'm a foster mom.

What was really funny here is that as he's looking over the newsletter, he is visibly cooling down. So when he asked me why I was reading it in the car, I said b/c I didn't have time at home and he didn't respond so I added, "but I'll make time." Then he handed it back to me and said in a much calmer voice, "I'm going back to my car, and I'm going to write you a warning ticket, but you need to pay attention when you drive. It's not going to cost you anything, and it won't make you do anything except be more careful when you're driving. So I said, yes, sir! And when he brought back the warning ticket, I said THANK YOU! And I very carefully drove between the white lines five miles below the speed limit for the last mile into work.

And don't you know that after we turned into the road for work and he went on down the road, me and CV looked at each other and busted out laughing?!? Mine was more out of nerves than anything. Oh my heavens. That was not exactly how I wanted to start my morning. I was just glad that I was able to contain my nerves until after he was out of sight. I don't think it would have gone over very well if I'd laughed when he said "you could put my life in peril" and believe me, I had to control myself on that one!!!! PERIL. Who says peril in normal conversations? ROFL!

But seriously, he was a very nice cop and I was super thankful that he was nice enough to just give me a warning cuz he definitely had me red-handed. But I told CV, if I'd been reading anything besides that foster parent newsletter, I can almost guarantee you that I'd have been scraping up some money to pay a ticket right about now, b/c you could see his attitude change as he took a look at what I was reading. I'm sure being in his line of duty, he knows a little about the whole foster parent thing and decided that deserved a favor. And I'm also sure that I'm very grateful for that huge favor. Whew.

Now the fact that I only got a warning was about the one good thing that happened all day. I got to work, started checking my mail and stuff and then called to check on the things that need to be wrapped up for tomorrow's contest to run smoothly. Could everything work out right? NOOOOooooo. The phones were messed up and off schedule, due to a misunderstanding/miscommunication, so I spent a good hour or so back and forth on the phone trying to get that straightened out. At the same time, another coworker and I were trying to get the computers updated and set up for each of the phone stations, only they were having serious issues due to the antivirus program which kept trying to update and locking the system down. Finally I deleted the program and went back in to download it fresh, only the antivirus download site wouldn't let me. Then we called IT (who I'd already called several times and couldn't get anyone) so they came up and gave me a blessing out for removing a program without asking their permission. They worked on them for a few minutes and we got the program re-installed, which solved one of the problems, but they were still crashing and locking down for whatever other reasons. I ran out and grabbed lunch and got back just in time for the meeting which lasted two hours and accomplished little more than officially announce things that we already knew. Then tried to work on the computers some more before giving up. Had to give up on the phone thing, too....also had another e-blast that needed to be posted before I left and I couldn't reach KC to get him to leave early to get the munchkin since it wasn't looking like I was going to be able to make it. Ended up calling my friend "Nik-ni" to take her home and having KC pick her up from there since we couldn't make it to the daycare before they closed. Then found out that BioM didn't show up for her visit with munchkin again. This is the second one she's missed, and this time she didn't call, so they picked up munchkin and mom never showed, so they took her back. When KC picked her up tonight, she was apparently telling him that her mommy was gone. And I'm just thinking she might have been referring to hearing the SW's say that her mommy didn't make it and being confused about that. Which really is sad. Although it makes me hope that somehow it will work out that I'll get to keep her. And that makes me feel a little sad about the situation, too. It's just sad.

Oh, and to top it all off......I had the luvly bellyache that comes with being a girl. YUCK. Like I needed anything else. Sorry, I know, TMI, but I'm having a pity party here, so get over it. LOL!

The evening has been good though. When I got home, KC was oh, so sympathetic, and said we could go out and grab fast food for supper, then when we got back, he worked in the garage and I worked on cleaning up the jogging stroller while munchkin played and then while I was getting her bath and ready for bed, he tidied up the house and did the dishes and all sorts of nice things like that. It was lovely. And he wasn't mad after he saw my warning ticket posted on my blog this morning either. *grin* That was lovely, too. =)

So all in all, at the end of the day, things did look up a bit. Now tomorrow will be interesting. I have to be at work at six. So KC is getting the munchkin dressed and to daycare before he goes to work. This is a first for him. I hope the munchkin doesn't give him too hard of a time. But then again, I hope she's not too easy on him either, so he'll understand a little of what I have gone through almost every morning for the last 2 months. *grin* Love you, honey! =)

Okay. So that's it for now. 5:05 is going to come awfully early in the am and I want to take my shower and lay out my clothes tonight so all I have to do is roll out of bed and hop in the car by 5:15 in the morn. *huge sigh*

Later!