Headphones

Because I don't want to lug around more than I have to at school, I choose to leave my laptop at home. The library has a million computers and there are several labs around campus, so I just go there during my mid-day hour and a half break. It works.

I sat down about 20 minutes ago to start on some homework that's due at 4:30 today. The guy sitting to the right of me is finished with what he's doing, so another guy sits down there. After starting what he needed to do, he turns his ipod on.

I get the whole ipod thing... I get that people want to listen to their music 24/7. I like to do it sometimes, too. BUT I don't like to listen to OTHER people's music - especially when I can't hear all parts of the song. I only hear a section of the back beat which makes it highly annoying for me.

So I get up and move to another computer... and it's all better.

It reminds me of last week when my group was rushing to complete our project before class. We'd all arrived around 10:30 in order to get it all together for our noon class. But sitting right next to me, this girl was listening to Beyonce. LOUDLY on her headphones.

I cannot stand Beyonce's voice. I never have been able to - and probably never will. She's a whiner, just like Rhianna. Anyway, that was a painstakingly long hour and a half.

Ok, enough ranting for right now. The point is - I just wish people were more respectful of others around them - especially if they're there before them.

Maybe I'm just annoyed today. This old guy DID mess up my drive this morning. Driving 10 mph in a 35... needless to say, I just barely missed the train and had to drive to school (pay $5 for parking nonetheless)

Ugh. Who knows?

Yes, officer...

Two months ago, I got a speeding ticket. Yah, yah... whatever. It was 81 in a 65 (and the speed limit sign changed about a mile down the road to 70, so I wouldn't have even been pulled over if that were the case) and I had my court case today.

For those of you who don't know me that well... know that I can pretty much talk my way out of anything. I've never been able to do this with police, however, but when I get to court, something always happens to where it gets thrown out. If the officer who wrote the citation doesn't show up, it gets thrown out and you go on your way like it never happened. I've used that tactic several times in my defense. I've gotten in a fender bender at the time I was supposed to be in court - which threw it out as well. I went to court on the day they assigned, which happened to be the incorrect day - which threw it out. Overall, I'm pretty smart about the traffic system and know how to manipulate it in my favor.

So, today was fate day. I had this speeding ticket. I didn't know how much they were going to charge me because (let's make this problem number 1) the phone number posted on my ticket was a disconnected number. So I did a little research online to find the city I was pulled over in and was supposed to appear in court to... to find (problem number 2) THREE other phone numbers that were either incorrect or disconnected. I finally found a number that worked... but (problem number 3) they were closed for the day and there's no answering service. You have to call during business hours.

This morning, I plugged the address I found online in my GPS (problem number 4)... apparently the building no longer exists there and it's across the street and around the corner. Had I not been the intelligent person that I am... I would have never found it. I walk through the building and get that "look" from all three of the deputies running the metal detectors (problem number 5). They were flirting with me and wanted to "make sure" I got to where I needed to go alright. Hah!

I walk over to the line where everyone is grabbing their tickets, etc. and get handed a number on a piece of paper. Apparently, this is my number in line. (problem, well, funny thing number 6) The number is 69. Haha. (maybe I'm the only one who thinks that's funny... or somewhat a cap on things that have happened thus far)

I ended up talking to the solicitor and getting the speed reduced to 79 in a 65 (only 14 over) so it wouldn't go on my driving record. I paid the fine and left... on my way to school and other things. :)

That, my friends, is how you keep a clean driving record. COUNTLESS tickets have been handed to me... yet the slate is still clean. Gotta love this court system!!

Row-add... Roouuood... Road... ;)

"Don't hit my car. I'm not 100% sure about my coverage"

Abso-fuckin-lutely hilarious bumper sticker I saw today on a little Toyota Camry.

I also encountered a little bit of road rage this afternoon. Check it out...

I was headed back to work from my lunch break and this lady was pushing 25 on a two lane road (that also had a center 'turn' lane, if you will) with a posted speed limit of 40. The road is at least 3 miles long and I certainly didn't feel like enduring the pain... so I went around her. Probably not the smartest thing to do but I was SO over it and didn't feel like driving 24 miles an hour for the next few miles (to me, a teeth-clenching experience to say the least).

Anywhoo... I get further down the road, almost to the stoplight... and there she is. Riding my ass like there's no tomorrow (what happened to the 25 mile an hour creep-along she'd mastered?) staring at me like I'd just used the last sheet of toilet paper and she was out to get me for it. At her first opportunity, she veers to the RIGHT of me.

Now, let's talk scenery.

NOT a very wide road... 2 lanes in most places (without the center 'turn' lane), woods all around, a few developments (townhouses and shops), and that's about it. [keep in mind, this is still the city].

Yes, she passes to the RIGHT of me... where there's a TEEEEEENY bike lane that's about to end. Now, I'm no genious, but I do have a little bit of common sense... enough to know that if you want to pass someone on a road (and yah, maybe you've still got the double solid yellow lines and it's breaking the law) - you should PROBABLY do it where there's still ROAD left. That's just me anyway.

Stupid road rage that caused me to snap into the left lane - thank GOD there was a turn lane in the next 100 feet - and barely avoid a major catastrophe.

So what if I started it? I didn't put her in harms way whatsoever... What she did was ridiculous and put my life (and hers) in jeopardy. I could have hit another car head on... she could have lost control with her tire going off the pavement and slammed into a tree... too many variables for her little smirk of victory.

Oh, but no, her 'justice' prevailed and she "showed me"!!

Biatch!