3.24.2008

Easter Weekend

My weekend started out shitty. Why did it start out shitty? Because Friday evening Dan and I had to be in our seats for the play Doubt by 7:30 p.m. (otherwise they make you watch it on a television screen out in the lobby) and I still needed to go home, shower, and dress before we could leave and on top of that I was running late. As I drove home in the nearly insurmountable traffic congestion, I was getting nervous about our time constraint.

I finally made it to the lightly traveled secondary road which leads to my even less traveled road. My road is about 200 yards down and off to the right of this secondary road. Picture a road that is narrowish with trees and railroad tracks on one side, and more trees and fenced back yards on the other side. It is, by all definitions, a back road. The speed limit is 30 mph. Sitting at the intersection to my road in the opposite lane was a police car. You can see where this is going…

I really thought nothing of the police car. First of all, it looked like he was simply turning from my road onto the 30 mph secondary road that I was on. Second of all, a near complete stop is required to turn successfully onto my road so I couldn’t imagine that I had been speeding. Next thing I know, I was pulling into my garage when suddenly there was a cop knocking on my car window. After nearly jumping out of my skin, I swore loudly (probably too loudly in retrospect). The officer informed me that I had been going 44 mph in a 30 mph zone and he needed to see my drivers license and proof of insurance. Fuh-uck.

I have serious doubts as to the 44 mph accusation. I really do. Yes I was in a hurry, but the cop was sitting at the stop sign where I have to nearly stop to turn! And, again, I only had about 200 yards to pick up speed before I had to nearly stop to turn onto my road. But, let’s say for argument’s sake that he did in fact clock me at 44 mph, that’s ONLY 14 miles over the posted speed limit. It’s not like it’s a school zone or a neighborhood street. AND, further considering I have NEVER had a speeding violation (car accidents, yes…speeding tickets, no), I think it was totally unreasonable for him to issue a ticket. A warning would’ve sufficed. A “drive safe” lecture would’ve chagrined me sufficiently. Honest.

So then, not only was I REALLY running late and still had to shower and stuff, but had an expensive speeding ticket clutched in my steaming fist. Grrrrrrrh!

I could’ve let this incident ruin my night. Instead, Daniel and I made it to the theater with 3 minutes to spare, had really great seats and enjoyed a fantastic play. Afterwards we went to Agave so I could drown my sorrows in three shots of tequila and one glass of sangria. Despite the speeding ticket, it turned out to be a fun Friday night. And really, it only got better from there…

Saturday included a little shopping, a little lunch and a little tennis. And even though neither one of us celebrates or acknowledges Easter in any meaningful way, we did give Easter “baskets” to each other on Sunday. Daniel’s Easter “basket” was a stoneware baking dish containing rice, salt, oil and vinegar. Yes I know it sounds dreadful, but he liked it. Really. And my Easter “basket” was the Second Season of LOST. Woo hoo! Yay for Easter!

So, all in all it was a good weekend…even though I was wrongfully accused and punished for speeding! Hmmph!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL...you need to work on your authority charm! But good you didn't have to watch your play on a little screen!! :-) I received no Easter presents...so I drown my sorrow in self purchased creme eggs (yes yes I know it's cream, but creme looks so much better).

Terah Lynn said...

Try being pulled over for "following too close"...tickets are a bunch of BS...seriously! Glad the rest of your weekend was good! AND at least you have LOST to watch while we wait for April 24th!

Anonymous said...

what, no chocolate bunny? you are now tied with me for speeding tickets. course i probably wouldn't have gotten one had i pretended not to see the cop waving me to the side of the road. DUMB, DUMB. DUMB !!!

Anonymous said...

You've never gotten pulled over before??? Really??? That amazes me (not that I'm doubting your impeccable driving ability...no, that's not it at all...) Although...you generally drive like an old polish guy - gawking at all the scenery and veering off the road toward the ditch, so I guess you'd more likely be pulled over for that than speeding.

I still remember when your dad pulled me over in Lpk...I rolled the window down and said, "hey there, did you need something??"

Anonymous said...

LMFAO "Hey there, did you need something"!!!

cathryn said...

terah - even with previous seasons of LOST at my fingertips, I'm still going through mild withdrawal symptoms!

mom - weren't we on our way to Volga when that happened?

jennifer - LMAO...and what did my dad say?

Anonymous said...

Cathryn, actually the ticket happened on our way home from Hershey Park. The Volga thing was when our eyes turned to raisins, GOOD TIME !!

Anonymous said...

I believe your dad said something about me going too fast through Lawrence Park (he must have been mistaken...me?? go fast?? never!!!) I think I told him that I was late for work (I was new at the driving & lying to get out of tickets thing) and figured that "honesty was the best policy" (isn't that what they tell us??) Thankfully, he chuckled a bit (but I think I wasn't supposed to notice) and told me to "slow down young lady" and let me go (because, as I told him, I was already late -- he was making me even later!!)

Anonymous said...

Remember when I got out of my ticket with a warning because the cop, who had set up a speed trap, conveniently "ran out of tickets?" I'm sure it had nothing to do with the extremely short skirt that I was wearing as I was zipping around in the little red sports car....

The other speeding ticket i got was for going 9 miles over the limit through a scary part of Pittsburgh. On my birthday!!!!