Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A Parking Ticket and a Crashed Funeral

Yesterday was a not so good day for me and just as a method of therapy I am choosing to get it all out here. :) Read on if you like, if not that is okay too! I will be better once I get it all off my chest! :)

It had been a very tough weekend with Ben and his recovery. The catheter started bothering him a lot on Friday so I called the doctor and asked if she would see him Monday and take out the cath if he was healed enough. She agreed.

Howard decided to take the day off to help me with Ben and Hope and to take us to the doctor since we are a one car family. He worked most of the day on grad class stuff and I played with the kids. We left home at 2 to drop of library books, take a few groceries to my grandma, and get Luke from school.

We got to the doctor's office a few minutes early so we let the kids feed the parking meter with enough quarters to get us through an hour. I was meeting a woman who was buying our bassinet from Craigslist at 4:30 so I put enough quarters to get until then.

The doctor was running WAY behind so at 4:27 my phone vibrated and I headed down to the car to sell the bassinet and put more quarters in the meter. As I was coming down the stairs of the building I saw the meter man standing next to my car so I picked up speed. I then saw the woman who was buying the bassinet jump out of her car to go put a quarter in my meter for me. The meter man stopped her and told her it was not allowed. Apparently there is some law that prevents someone from putting a quarter in for someone else? So the man waited for the meter to zero out and then began writing the ticket. I was running (and if you know me, you know I don't run) and said, I am here I am here and I have quarters. He shook his head wrote the ticket anyway and went to the next car.

That is right ladies and gentlemen, the man STOOD at my car waiting for my meter to expire and would not allow a good Samaritan put a quarter in my meter. Merry Christmas! :) So I left the ticket on the window, saved my quarters, sold the bassinet and headed back up to hear Ben SCREAMING as the doctor removed his "pipe". He recovered quickly, picked his prizes and we headed out. The receptionist remarked that she has witnessed similar parking fiascoes a lot recently. UGH! So Howard and I decided to take our pocketful of quarters and put them in any one's meter that was about to expire (we are rebels like that). For some reason it made us feel better about getting a ticket to know a few others would not. :)

Then we went to meet another Craigslist buyer who did not show, so I called the next person on the list who showed up quickly, we made our transaction and we headed home so I could change and head in to the funeral home as a dear friend of our family had passed away Friday.

I called my grandma to see if she needed a ride and she didn't so I told her I would meet her there. I was having anxiety about going because it was the funeral home who handled Isaac's funeral plans and took advantage of us financially in a big way. I have yucky feelings about that place. So I pulled in, pulled up my big girl pants and walked in, only to find that I did not recognize anyone. I looked up at the photograph hanging on the wall and realized I had just crashed the funeral of someone I did not know. Seriously. Only me.

So I run to the car, call everyone I can think to call that would know where I was SUPPOSED to be. Of course everyone had their phone's off so no luck. I went to the only other funeral home in town and staked out in the parking lot until I saw someone I knew and then went in and thanked my grandma for sending me to the wrong funeral home. :) She realized what she had done and thought it was quite funny. Me, notsomuch.

Needless to say, I am glad that today is a new day, Howard is back at work, Luke is at school, Ben is feeling much better sans "pipe" and Hope, my friends, is sleeping in her big girl bed for the first time EVER! Me? I am PURGING this house. This tiny home is bursting at the seams.

SO anyway, if you are still reading this, that was my day...how was yours? :) Ever gotten a parking ticket? Crashed a Funeral?


21 comments:

R said...

Wow- I'm sorry you had such a rough day yesterday!! I hope today continues to go well.

Laurie in Ca. said...

I just love you Kristy!!:) You are a true survivor of life:) We have had our share of "parking ticket woes" over the years, believe me. But crash a funeral? Nope. Only you my friend.:) So glad Ben is doing better and Hope is enjoying her "styled-out" nursery and crib. Love you.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

PS. I have put quarters in other's meters too. We are rebels together:)

Becky said...

Not a parking ticket but....almost a speeding ticket. I think the officer took pity on me because I had my grandson in the car and I told the officer I was mortified because Edwin's daddy is a police officer. Of course Edwin had to tell everyone that grandma got stopped by a policeman. They couldn't believe it. I don't know why not - they rode with me enough!!

Penny said...

I've never had a parking ticket, but don't live where there are meters. I think there are parts of a nearby town that does have a limit and meter cops, but still have never gotten a ticket. Sorry about the one you got. That is ridiculous to have a law that someone can't help you out and this was in front of a doctor's office???!!! Dumb!
I HAVE also crashed a funeral, visitation, because someone sent me to the wrong funeral home. I didn't even know the deceased or her name, so the sign didn't help. It was the grandmother of a church member. Anyway, I called someone and finally got to the right place. Embarrassing part was running into people I DO know and then backing out. LOL

Penny said...

No, you're not the only funeral crasher! A little girl in our youth group lost her grandma last year, so I decided to attend the visitation. The youth pastor's wife told me the name of the funeral home. The signs outside the parlors didn't help because I didn't know the grandmother's name so I wandered around speaking to a couple of people I knew, but never found the granddaughter. Finally, I went outside and called someone. It was at a church. The worst part was that I'd spoken to a few people at the first visitation that I recognized before I realized I was at the wrong place and slunk out. I wonder what they thought?
No parking tickets, though. No meters where I lived. That officer was rude. I know the law's the law--- but there needs to be a law that you can't stop someone doing a good deed. SAD!!! And this was outside a doctor's office?!

Rob and Amy said...

Oh my goodness woman! I cannot BELIEVE that scrooge of a meterman :( But good for you for helping out others :)

And as for the funeral crashing...i know I shouldn't have laughed, but I did girl, I did!!!

I hope sweet Ben is recovering quickly!!!!

asplashofsunshine said...

I'm wondering why I haven't seen you on television for being a crasher. I am sure you were doing it so you can get your own reality show, riiiiiight?! Yeah, that's what I thought. Geeze, next you'll be crashing a party at the White House. :)

Advice, watch PARKING WARS. I can't remember what channel it is on, but it will make you feel better about the parking ticket (or worse, depending on how irritated you are.) It is a totally trashy reality show, so beware, but it will make you laugh!

Erika said...

what a day! that is just weird about not allowing others to put a quarter in the meter. bah-humbug! i am so glad you were a rebel, but sorry you got a ticket.

blythe still won't sleep in her "big girl bed"-it's all set up and there, but nope! oh well. i am enjoying the babyhood and want to stretch it as lonnnng as possible.

I am so glad Ben is doing better. (((hugs)))

KK said...

Wow, we went to the wrong cemetery after a funeral once, but never the actual wrong funeral home. How funny (sorry but it is!).

I would have totally put in quarters in everyone else's meters, I love that!

Mommato4miracles said...

Oh geez! So sorry that your day was so rough. Glad to hear Ben is doing better. How did Hope sleep in her new big girl bed?:-)

Heather said...

What an awful day! I'm so glad it's over for you and that it's a new day. Glad to hear Ben is recovering well.

Ellen said...

Sorry about the rough day. I can't believe that you weren't allowed to add coins to the meter! Crazy.

Trisha Larson said...

I actually got my first ticket ever the day before Nate's 1st bday. I was a complete mess and was crying all day. I explained to the policeman that my son died and his bday was the next day but he didn't care at all. He just wrote me a ticket (which I fought and ended up winning). But it made me a complete mess. My dead son's birthday and my first ticket. It doesn't get much worse than that for me.

Hugs for your bad day,
Trisha

bri said...

OH HONEY! I thought we were friends from the beginning! NOW I KNOW! :)..
my days ALWAYS Sound like that! Therefore I don't leave my house! I'll show that bad luck! haha

That is crazy that you cannot "help another person out". I am so glad you all rebelled :).

Praying your days are much smoother!

Rooney's Little Musings said...

Wow! How awful. What is wrong with the world when they deny someone the ability to help someone else?

Sad!

Sorry you had a rough day!

asplashofsunshine said...

I got a parking ticket today and, thanks to you, I laughed about it! :) Thought you'd wanna know... or not! I can't say that I crashed a funeral today though.

Jessica said...

Did not crash a funeral but I had a cop FOLLOW my car to see where I parked (illegally along with 15 other cars) and make it a point to ONLY give ME a ticket. Oh, well.... Kudos on feeding the other meters: I would TOTALLY have done the same! Buck the system ; ) But hey! our God is bigger and better than ANY park meter guy's meaness... May your weekend redeem your atrocious week ; )
Hugs and kisses from Verona, Italy

Hilary said...

Oh man, can't say I've done any of those things before :) And talk about a scrooge of an officer! I have heard that they don't let people feed other people's meters, but that just doesn't make sense to me. Money is money, right? sheesh.
Anyways,I'm glad your new day was better and I'm so glad Ben has his "pipe" out. I bet he feels so much better!!

Mama E said...

So I know you have all these followers and probably have so many people to keep up with (not including all your kids! lol) but I wanted to drop a quick comment your way to tell you that stumbling across your blog was one of the best thing that has happened to me since the birth of my son in August. I just wanted you to know that your story is still impacting mothers everywhere. If you want to read how you impacted me, visit:

http://baileyonboard.blogspot.com/2009/12/time-for-update.html

Blessings and Peace being sent your way from Texas!

Geri Kelly said...

I confess- I once attended the wrong funeral mass- but that is what happens when you have 2 St. Patrick's in one small town.

BTW: DebRA's Patient Care Conference will be held on June 17-20, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More details to follow on the DebRA website...
Best regards,
Geri

Svetlana said...

What a day!!
I had once parking ticket, but it was not because my meter expired it was for my tire was over the line 4", but i drive BIG van and their tires are wide, so i took picture and send it with my ticket,ooo yea, the funny thing i took picture of the man who wrote me the ticket and send it all, but then i got my check back with thank you note in it. I was glad that it went better way.