life and laughter

today...is...crazy.....

i hardly slept at all last night cuz i kept having bad dreams that i would be late to the courthouse...a lot of different scenarios plagued my dreams last night...i had to wake up at 6:15 in order to be there at 8am sharp...i left a half hour to make time for getting lost (i always schedule time for that since it happens so ridiculously often)

i was on my way and felt pretty good about the direction i was heading...everything seemed familiar UNTIL i went too far...then i started hitting a whole bunch of one way streets and i got nervous...so i called nate and he was no help...told me to call my mom....she told me that i abruptly woke her up and now i'm stressing her out...not to mention, my dad in the back ground...

anyways, i was so stressed! now. where to park? aha! an empty parking lot! i'll park here.

i go inside and stand in line to talk to the clerk...long line...she then tells me to sit in the court room

so there i was...mixed in with hardened criminals...some having spent time at the ACI....one that got arrested several times for firearms and disorderly conduct...one that had over 60 arrests since 1968...oh, the streets of providence!

then, there's me...a white girl with a GAP collared shirt and loafers....there to debate a $100 parking ticket i received by innocently parking too close to the sidewalk at work (i was in the parking lot, but just was pushed over too far onto the sidewalk.....i never even knew that was the sidewalk!)

i felt $100 was a really big punishment for something i did out of mere ignorance...not like i have a criminal mind...so, pleaded not-guilty with an explanation...

they called my name and took off my cuffs...(haha...did i catch you? no, of course i didn't have cuffs on, but some did) and here's how it went:

Judge: Nathaniel Wasson?

Me: Good Morning, Your Honor! My name is Jaclyn. I'm his wife, the one who actually got the ticket.

Judge: You pleaded not-guilty in a timely fashion...what is your explanation?

Me: WELL....I actually DID park on the sidewalk, but my explanation is that I didn't know that was even a sidewalk until after i got the ticket! I think $100 is a lot for something i didn't intentionally do.

Judge: $20

Me: Thank you, Your Honor

something to that effect....

i was elated to only have to pay $20!! i mean, of course it would have been better if it was completely dismissed, but i was already planning on spending around $25 for court fees...now i only have to pay $20!

YEEHAW! IT'S MY LUCKY DAY!!

i was walking back to my car in a pretty happy mood....everyone at the courthouse was pretty friendly and actually enjoyed my experience watching other people's victories...the defeats were also pretty funny!

i now refer to the parking lot where i parked my vehicle as "the scene of the crime".....MY CAR WAS MISSING!! i stood there....dumbfounded. seriously, did my car just get stolen? is this the right parking lot? and then, my answer...clear as stinkin' day!!! glancing over at the chainlink fence i saw what i should have seen earlier that morning...i would have seen it if i wasn't so flustered about running slightly late...a warning "Do Not Park. All Unauthorized Vehicles Will Be Towed At Owner's Expense"...there may have been 10 signs just like this one bordering the entire parking lot...makes me wonder how i could be so blind.

so there i was....white girl with a GAP collared shirt and loafers abandoned in what isn't really the safest city in the world...

i had to ruin my mom's day a little further by notifying her of my (eh, hem) predicament...and that she had to pick me up and bring me to the tow lot in south providence...

luckily, while waiting, i was able to laugh it off with the police officer posted for security....he helped me with getting in touch with the tow company etc...i was pacing outside and he told me i was making him nervous so i should come inside and sit down at the tables and relax. i said, "actually, i was just thinking that i'll probably get a ticket for loiterring so...yeah, i'll come in"

the tow lot was nothing but intimidatingly filthy...seriously, felt like i could have been in danger if my mom wasn't present...luckily, we made it out...alive...and i don't think we got infected with any strange disease or anything.

i can't help but wonder...why didn't i just pay the ticket?

this is one of those days that people would say, "someday you will look back at today and think it was funny"...truth is, i'm already laughing...this isn't the worst day i've ever had...and i will have many more "bad" days....take it in stride...and laugh along the way!

p.s. thanks, mom, for my rescue!