So here it is… Note that as I’m writing this I have the very soothing sounds of Rage Against the Machine going in WMP, ahh how perfect.

1. I’m woken up at 9AM by the plumber after finally falling asleep on the couch at 4AM at my aunts house.
2. Grandma gives me wrong directions to get to the 57S so I take 210E for 20 minutes then finally turn around and drive 25 minutes on 210W to hit 57S only 3 exits from where I first got on.
3. Once I get on the 57S there’s a overturned 18 wheeler and stopped traffic for 2 hours.
4. Get to my uncles salon, he’s not there but his receptionist tells me how to quickly get to his house even though I know how to already from Chapman Ave. (apparently her back way avoids the school traffic). She gives me wrong directions.
5. Get to my uncles house, park on the other side of the road since both cars are in his driveway, walk in and he asks if he needs to move the car since I can’t park on the other side of the road apparently. So we go out after me only being in 10 minutes, there’s a $36 parking ticket.
6. So I discover his gf’s computer has Blaster AND two variations of Bugbear and to make matters worse, IE is infected.
7. So I leave at 11PM, half way home I have to stop for a leak and get gas. So I’m done pumping gas, get in, about to start the car, but then I forgot the receipt (which has my card number on it) so I must have dropped the keys on the passenger seat, quickly got out of the car and was not even 2′ from the door when it shuts and locks as soon as the door shuts.
8. So the guy in the gas station gives me the number for Cal’s Towing, I call for $.50, he says he can’t do 2002 Civics. So I’m like, crap, I ask the guy if he has any other numbers which he doesn’t, and I ask if he has AAA’s 800 number, he doesn’t. I ask for a phone book, I get the number for AAA. They say the guy will be there in 30. So I call my Mom, she starts yelling at me and so on, she says the AAA card isn’t in the car. So I try giving her the pay phone number so she can call me back and give me the AAA ID. But she keeps yelling so it disconnects me. So guess who shows up 40 minutes later! Cal from Cal’s towing.
9. After 15 minutes he finally uses an airbag to wedge the top of the rear left door open slightly to get a clothes hanger to open the lock. Then after I’ve searched for the AAA card in the glove box for like 15 minutes the guy just drives off. So in total I was at the gas station for about an hour. Maybe he just drove off because he sensed I was having a bad day. Or maybe because he was in bed seeing as how it was 1AM.
10. So I get back on freeway, and I’m starting to merge on but another 18 wheeler is cutting me off and probably doesn’t see me on the side of him. He’s merging right while I’m going left so I’m afraid he’s going to hit me. We’re both doing like 75MPH (in a 70 zone) at this point. I have to speed up to 80 – 85MPH, then I finally pass the guy, I stay at 85MPH for a minute just to get some distance. And boom, lights (at 1:15AM)! So the cop pulls me over, asks if I know the speed limit in the area, I say “yes sir, 70MPH” he asks if I know what I was doing. I say “yes, I was doing 82MPH when I passed that 18 wheeler which to be honest sir almost hit me”. He said “what 18 wheeler”… Then he just said “well let me see your license registration and proof of insurance” then he said “so what’s the real reason you were doing 85 – 95″? I think to myself WTF, I was NOT doing 95, as soon as I passed the truck I looked and I was only at 1 line passed 80 which is 82! So rather than argue I just say “well I’ve been having a horrible day, I’ve been given wrong directions, practically had a computer explode on me, and I just sat and waited for a guy to finally come unlock my car after the keys got stuck inside for an hour, and to top it all off I nearly get hit by this truck, which I’m afraid you didn’t see, and I’ve still got another hour and half to drive home. My Mom is probably going to be worried and mad at me”. So he goes back and talks to the other cop for a second, then they both get in their car and write me a ticket, he comes back and says “well since you’ve had a bad day I made the ticket out for your lower speed range which was 85MPH”. I just say thanks, and then he says “drive carefully as you pull out”. And then I do. And then I get home after a horrible day at 2AM.

So now you ask what two GOOD things happened yesterday?
Well, the day before the MCE 2004 Launch was pretty cool, and I met a MCE Dev named Ian Todd! Really cool guy, plus Mike Morrison who really likes digital photography and turned me on to the World-Wide Media eXchange (WWMX). When I got home and got my email I noticed the nice MVP Award Package, very very happy and honestly surprised. So lastly, I bought 1000′ of CAT5e, 50 RJ45 connectors, and a crimper so I can make my own cable, and I feel like I’m a true noble geek WOOHOO! But of course if I knew about the later parking and speeding ticket I wouldn’t have spent my money on that. I’ll now have to pay $36 for the speeding ticket and at least $29 to the county of Riverside and $24.95 to web traffic school (thanks to Justin *Mr. Lead Foot* for pointing me to this) to keep it off my record. Plus there is some sort of “bail” charge through Riverside Co., I’m not sure what that is just yet. But according to their *really great and helpful* “pay your ticket online” site, I can plead guilty to the infraction and pay $384 and have it appear on my record.

Now here’s the kicker! I wasn’t even going to drive home on the 1st! If I had stuck to my original plan and not gone to my aunts to see my grandma then down to my uncles to help him out on the computer I was just going to drive home right after the MCE Launch on the 30th. Sure it’s probably a good thing that I visited family, but in this case I wish I hadn’t! Sorry.

So, for your viewing pleasure, here’s the front and back of the infamous speeding ticket. As well as the front of the parking ticket. Which btw I could contest but would have to drive out to Fullerton to do! The same for the speeding ticket but I’ll be in England the day I could appear in court and I’d most likely lose anyway on this one.

If you have it in your heart, please use the PayPal button! And please oh please add comments about your day. I only hope yours was better than mine.

May your life be void of stress,
Corey

Tags: Rants