My Speeding Ticket Rant - AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

There are many reasons I utilize this blog, mostly to record our life events, sometimes to journal for myself (occasionally forgetting others may be reading it), and rarely to vent - like today. Since I am the only adult in my little world right now until Mike arrives home for supper, and then there is no time for adult discussion for hours anyway, dear blog (and readers) today you are my outlet for frustration... you may wish to move on to another entry if at this point you don't wish to be privy to my keen irritability at this moment.

But, in hopes that I can "get it off my chest" and move on with my day and care for the kids without being a nasty beast.. here we go...

Reasons why my day was ALREADY rotten...

1) My two nephews spent the morning being cranky & testy towards each other during breakfast and down the driveway to the bus.... nice start to the day.

2) Spent the morning preparing for tribal court at the beginning of next week, a very pivotal hearing is planned. As always an emotional, stressful process.

3) Trying to get house clean, schoolwork done, and ready all for church social and supper I am helping organize for Saturday night before leaving late morning to take Justin to the dentist at 11:30am.

4) Receive a call from Justin's teacher that he has had a "meltdown" at school related to the upcoming visit with his mother this weekend. He is missing and cannot be located at present moment. All students are looking for him, and I need to come in. This is the first time this has ever happened since him coming to live with us, so I am surprised, concerned, and irritated all at once.

5) Yank Ruby out of her bath with wet hair and get she & Fawn ready to dart to the school, while assigning my three oldest children lessens and chores to do while I'm gone.

6) Trying to leave, and Fawn's preschool bus shows up, blocking me in the driveway and I need to get out and spend 10 minutes explaining that Fawn does not go to preschool on Fridays and correct all paperwork on the spot, standing in the cold (while the driver remains warm inside the bus and my two itty-bitty's wait in the van).

7) Arrive at the school and get debriefed by Justin's teacher as to the details of "the event". Am still being informed as I realize I am supposed to be standing in the dental clinic at that very moment and it's across town - which in Brainerd due to the stop lights set to keep the 87% elderly population that resides here driving at a comfortable pace equate to taking FOREVER to get there. I depart - driving the speed limit regardless, and arrive 20 minutes late.

8) I leave appointment with a boy who has a mouth full of gauze and is even more sullen than when I picked him up - still wondering what is up with him. Make 2 fast pit stops on the way home for items that were needed ASAP.

9) NOW... the clincher.. I am driving home (the legal speed limit) and am about 1 mile from my house. Ruby had mentioned a few times earlier she had to pee - now she really has to go. I speed up to just under 65 to get that extra mile home covered quick, and who turns the corner... yes... it's Robocop... with a short circuit, I kid you not. After he saunters back to his vehicle, takes a nap there and decides to finally return, he hands me a ticket for $117 and says "You're a really good driver, nothing on your record." I wanted to say... "Gee, thanks for the break, Merry Christmas and be sure to ask for a sense of humor from Santa", or "hey, maybe since you seem to have nothing better to do, maybe you'd like to clean the urine off my daughter's booster seat now before you head out?" All I could do was remain silent and look at the ticket in utter disbelief - I have not received one in over 11 years and was dazzled by the inflation in prices I was now subject to.

I returned home (about a 1 minute drive), slapped the ticket on the fridge with the rest of the papers and forms to be dealt with ASAP, put Ruby back in the tub and made lunch for the kids. I now need to close this rant session, do some deep breathing and have a counseling session with Justin in hopes of finding out what is in his head today.

Breathe in... breathe out....