(no subject)
Well, good morning gentle readers!!
That link I mentioned yesterday was http://www.bettydylan.com (as if it wasn't obvious enough, but I couldn't do the link from my phone...well...I didn't feel like it. :-P Their motto is "Rednecks and Hippies Unite!" and it really is a nice blend of the two. Really unique, cool sound. Sounds like Crazy Horse of the 70's in a way, at times like Tom Petty or the 'Stones...just really different. Each song is like 10+ minutes long, too. LOL. Click the link (after reading the remainder of this post, of course, lest you forget to come back)...you know you want to.
This user pic (self-portrait) looks kind of like a mugshot...that's why I like it. LOL. ;-)
I have been pulled over 3 times now (well, technically I was never pulled over Saturday, I was just followed to my doorstep and then when the cop sat there I decided to engage him) in the past 4 months. That's a lot for me. Once I was coming into Williamston or one of those dinky towns east of Lansing on Grand River when I was headed back to LNS from LEx to get dropsofblood, Ally cat, and our stuff. Well downtown came up much more quickly than I remembered, and I apparently missed the part where it went from 55 to 45 to 35. Long story short I knew it should have been slowing down but I never saw the signs. I was at about 42 in a 25 and of course there was a cop sitting in front of the fire station. We talked for about 5 minutes, I was honest, respectful, answered his questions completely, and he let me go.
Then last week I was pulled over doing 48 in a 35, this time through a residential area. To be fair, the SUV ahead of me was actually pulling away from me at the time the cop clocked me. My guess? He saw the car in front tearing a** toward him and by the time he got the radar ready he missed the SUV and got me. He pulled me over, we talked for a while, and he said he wasn't sure he could let me go after clocking me going that fast in a residential area. I explained about traffic, the SUV ahead of me, the car riding my a** who wanted to be going faster than we were. But I casually threw out threw out that my step-brother had warned me about that area and that I should have been more careful. I was trying not to sound like I was dropping names, and I tried to sound sincere. Well, he asked who my step brother was, went back to his car, came back a few minutes later, and sent me on my way. But first he warned me where the rest of the speed traps would be between there and home, and where they "might" be setting up this week. A) He didn't have to be nice to me. B) He didn't have to let me go. C) He certainly didn't need to warn me about other cops. But he did.
Granted Saturday night, I was driving 5-10 below the speed limit. Granted, I was probably not keeping my lane as well as I normally would. Granted, I was probably not holding one speed. And I'll even give you that I was probably even slower and more cautious once he got behind me. But we were in the middle of a thunderstorm with an absolute downpour. So much water on the roads you couldn't see the lines, brakes never had time to dry (so they weren't working all that well), and traction was horrible. Of course I'm going to be slow and cautious, it's better than being careless and dead. But I can see where he may have thought I was drunk. Riding or crossing lane lines, going too slow, using turn signals too early. I know I was just being careful but I can see how it looked to him. But if that's the case, then pull me over and let's do this right. Maybe I shouldn't complain. But the fact that he didn't initiate a stop tells me that he didn't have enough probable cause to even justify a stop. My car is completely legal right now, so he had no other grounds (broken taillights, too low, windows too dark, etc.) And without enough probable cause to initiate the DUI stop he was stuck. I wasn't even speeding. Nothing he could use to stop me and check my eyes, my speech, my reaction time, smell for liquor, etc. Well, if you can't make enough to do the DUI stop on the first couple of miles, then you really don't need to continue following someone. The standards for those are fairly lenient to the cop. But he followed me for 6 miles. Not only that I turned off the main road onto the side street that leads back to my complex. He followed. Once I made that turn I knew he'd either light 'em up or move on because he normally won't initiate a stop after I'm off public roads. Well, nothing happened. But he did follow me off that road and into the apartment complex. It was then that he hung back. I parked in front of my apartment and sat there for a minute. He circled my part of the complex a few times and then parked right behind my car. Now I knew what he was up to. He wanted to see if I left the main road to lose him. I'll leave out the details of the conversation. I'm babbling, but that just got to me. I mean, do it right or go around me and find someone else who's really doing something wrong and who's really endangering themself and others, please.
Anyway, life's ok. Work is busy but wonderful. I love it here. I'm getting out, meeting people, learning to have a good time again. Not just meeting people, but good, quality people. Young professionals with good jobs, a good sense of humor, well dressed, intelligent, hardworking but fun-loving. Networking...we'll start there. Money's not quite so tight as I was afraid it would be. I miss droposofblood, but I need this time to be alone, reflect, all that happy touchy-feely stuff. I need this time to grow and develop myself. I never really got any alone time between Miss Sandy and dropsofblood. It may sound selfish, but I really think we both needed some "me time."
I'm going to get back into photography. I'm going to try to hang out more with some of these people I've been meeting. I'm going to try to improve my social and professional networks. I'm going to get in better shape. I got a head start on that at the market this weekend. Little changes...baby steps. I bought whole grain bread instead of white (less empty carbs), fat-free hot dogs, light bologna, vegetables and rice for side dishes, fruits for snacks, Silk instead of dairy milk (everyone was right about that, Silk is very, very tasty), things like that. Instead of a sausage biscuit or bowl of grits I'm having Special K with Silk for breakfast. Turkey sandwich or salad instead of meatloaf or lasagna for lunch. Normal dinners (but smaller portions and veggies for sides). More time to exercise. I'll be happier, healthier, and more confident. I'll look better and feel better.
I'm trying to make this a part of a whole transformation of myself. I've moved 400 miles from what I had grown to know as home, which has given me a fresh start. I've gotten my debt paid off. I'm building up savings (albeit slowly now that I'm covering everything). I'm about to get that new car (which I'm getting excited about...lol). And I'm getting in shape. I'm absolutely going to make the best of this and take everything I can away from this chance to recreate myself. That's a rare and wonderful thing. And I'm grateful for the chance. Here's to hoping I don't waste it!!
I hope you all are doing well. I needed to vent a little today and then turn it all around with some positives. I feel a lot better now.
All you can do is smile. It will either get better or get worse, but no matter what you can be sure it won't stay the same for too long. (Song lyrics behind the cut. Yeah...that works...)
Gary Allen
Life Ain't Always Beautiful
Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart
Life ain't always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day
But the struggle makes you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time
[chorus]
No,life aint always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life aint always beautiful
But it's a beautiful ride
Life aint always beautiful
Some days I miss your smile
I get tired of walkin' all these lonely miles
And I wish for just one minute
I could see your pretty face
Guess I can dream, but life dont work that way
But the struggles makes me stronger
And the changes make me wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' its sweet time
No, life aint always beautiful
But I know I'll be fine
Hey, life aint always beautiful
But its a beautiful ride
What a beautiful ride"
Take care!!
That link I mentioned yesterday was http://www.bettydylan.com (as if it wasn't obvious enough, but I couldn't do the link from my phone...well...I didn't feel like it. :-P Their motto is "Rednecks and Hippies Unite!" and it really is a nice blend of the two. Really unique, cool sound. Sounds like Crazy Horse of the 70's in a way, at times like Tom Petty or the 'Stones...just really different. Each song is like 10+ minutes long, too. LOL. Click the link (after reading the remainder of this post, of course, lest you forget to come back)...you know you want to.
This user pic (self-portrait) looks kind of like a mugshot...that's why I like it. LOL. ;-)
I have been pulled over 3 times now (well, technically I was never pulled over Saturday, I was just followed to my doorstep and then when the cop sat there I decided to engage him) in the past 4 months. That's a lot for me. Once I was coming into Williamston or one of those dinky towns east of Lansing on Grand River when I was headed back to LNS from LEx to get dropsofblood, Ally cat, and our stuff. Well downtown came up much more quickly than I remembered, and I apparently missed the part where it went from 55 to 45 to 35. Long story short I knew it should have been slowing down but I never saw the signs. I was at about 42 in a 25 and of course there was a cop sitting in front of the fire station. We talked for about 5 minutes, I was honest, respectful, answered his questions completely, and he let me go.
Then last week I was pulled over doing 48 in a 35, this time through a residential area. To be fair, the SUV ahead of me was actually pulling away from me at the time the cop clocked me. My guess? He saw the car in front tearing a** toward him and by the time he got the radar ready he missed the SUV and got me. He pulled me over, we talked for a while, and he said he wasn't sure he could let me go after clocking me going that fast in a residential area. I explained about traffic, the SUV ahead of me, the car riding my a** who wanted to be going faster than we were. But I casually threw out threw out that my step-brother had warned me about that area and that I should have been more careful. I was trying not to sound like I was dropping names, and I tried to sound sincere. Well, he asked who my step brother was, went back to his car, came back a few minutes later, and sent me on my way. But first he warned me where the rest of the speed traps would be between there and home, and where they "might" be setting up this week. A) He didn't have to be nice to me. B) He didn't have to let me go. C) He certainly didn't need to warn me about other cops. But he did.
Granted Saturday night, I was driving 5-10 below the speed limit. Granted, I was probably not keeping my lane as well as I normally would. Granted, I was probably not holding one speed. And I'll even give you that I was probably even slower and more cautious once he got behind me. But we were in the middle of a thunderstorm with an absolute downpour. So much water on the roads you couldn't see the lines, brakes never had time to dry (so they weren't working all that well), and traction was horrible. Of course I'm going to be slow and cautious, it's better than being careless and dead. But I can see where he may have thought I was drunk. Riding or crossing lane lines, going too slow, using turn signals too early. I know I was just being careful but I can see how it looked to him. But if that's the case, then pull me over and let's do this right. Maybe I shouldn't complain. But the fact that he didn't initiate a stop tells me that he didn't have enough probable cause to even justify a stop. My car is completely legal right now, so he had no other grounds (broken taillights, too low, windows too dark, etc.) And without enough probable cause to initiate the DUI stop he was stuck. I wasn't even speeding. Nothing he could use to stop me and check my eyes, my speech, my reaction time, smell for liquor, etc. Well, if you can't make enough to do the DUI stop on the first couple of miles, then you really don't need to continue following someone. The standards for those are fairly lenient to the cop. But he followed me for 6 miles. Not only that I turned off the main road onto the side street that leads back to my complex. He followed. Once I made that turn I knew he'd either light 'em up or move on because he normally won't initiate a stop after I'm off public roads. Well, nothing happened. But he did follow me off that road and into the apartment complex. It was then that he hung back. I parked in front of my apartment and sat there for a minute. He circled my part of the complex a few times and then parked right behind my car. Now I knew what he was up to. He wanted to see if I left the main road to lose him. I'll leave out the details of the conversation. I'm babbling, but that just got to me. I mean, do it right or go around me and find someone else who's really doing something wrong and who's really endangering themself and others, please.
Anyway, life's ok. Work is busy but wonderful. I love it here. I'm getting out, meeting people, learning to have a good time again. Not just meeting people, but good, quality people. Young professionals with good jobs, a good sense of humor, well dressed, intelligent, hardworking but fun-loving. Networking...we'll start there. Money's not quite so tight as I was afraid it would be. I miss droposofblood, but I need this time to be alone, reflect, all that happy touchy-feely stuff. I need this time to grow and develop myself. I never really got any alone time between Miss Sandy and dropsofblood. It may sound selfish, but I really think we both needed some "me time."
I'm going to get back into photography. I'm going to try to hang out more with some of these people I've been meeting. I'm going to try to improve my social and professional networks. I'm going to get in better shape. I got a head start on that at the market this weekend. Little changes...baby steps. I bought whole grain bread instead of white (less empty carbs), fat-free hot dogs, light bologna, vegetables and rice for side dishes, fruits for snacks, Silk instead of dairy milk (everyone was right about that, Silk is very, very tasty), things like that. Instead of a sausage biscuit or bowl of grits I'm having Special K with Silk for breakfast. Turkey sandwich or salad instead of meatloaf or lasagna for lunch. Normal dinners (but smaller portions and veggies for sides). More time to exercise. I'll be happier, healthier, and more confident. I'll look better and feel better.
I'm trying to make this a part of a whole transformation of myself. I've moved 400 miles from what I had grown to know as home, which has given me a fresh start. I've gotten my debt paid off. I'm building up savings (albeit slowly now that I'm covering everything). I'm about to get that new car (which I'm getting excited about...lol). And I'm getting in shape. I'm absolutely going to make the best of this and take everything I can away from this chance to recreate myself. That's a rare and wonderful thing. And I'm grateful for the chance. Here's to hoping I don't waste it!!
I hope you all are doing well. I needed to vent a little today and then turn it all around with some positives. I feel a lot better now.
All you can do is smile. It will either get better or get worse, but no matter what you can be sure it won't stay the same for too long. (Song lyrics behind the cut. Yeah...that works...)
Gary Allen
Life Ain't Always Beautiful
Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart
Life ain't always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day
But the struggle makes you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time
[chorus]
No,life aint always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life aint always beautiful
But it's a beautiful ride
Life aint always beautiful
Some days I miss your smile
I get tired of walkin' all these lonely miles
And I wish for just one minute
I could see your pretty face
Guess I can dream, but life dont work that way
But the struggles makes me stronger
And the changes make me wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' its sweet time
No, life aint always beautiful
But I know I'll be fine
Hey, life aint always beautiful
But its a beautiful ride
What a beautiful ride"
Take care!!