Friday, August 12, 2011

HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED

When we arrived at the Buffalo airport after our trip to California I spotted a limo driver standing at the arrivals gate holding a sign for his customer.  Usually they will hold the sign at chest level where it is easy to spot but I guess this guy's arms were tired because he just held the sign with his arms hanging down which was unfortunate because the sign he held said "Johnson" and it looked more like he was naming a body part than looking for his fare.   All my party were ahead of me so I couldn't point him out and I was sorely tempted to stop and take a picture but it was kind of an awkward spot to just stop and hold up the foot traffic behind me so I opted to keep walking ( I am so disappointed in myself, it was such an awesome sight).  I came home and laughingly told Kere about it and she just gave me a blank stare wondering what the heck I was finding so funny.
"The sign said 'Johnson'...get it?"

"No, what's a Johnson?"

"Ummm... an outboard motor."  I replied not wanting to destroy her innocence.  

A commercial from the 1980's when the word "Johnson" was used in a very different manner and yes, I know I am immature.

MY DAY IN COURT




Way back in February, I returned to my car after having had lunch in town, to discover a parking ticket on my window.  I was not happy.  I had put money in the meter but it wasn't working properly so I couldn't tell exactly how much time I had on it.  The ticket fee? $5.00    I know it's not much but in principle I felt it was unfair to be ticketed when the meter clearly was not working.  I took a picture of the meter with my phone because I knew right then and there I was going to fight it.

Last week I finally got my day in court and so, it seemed, did a hundred other people. I was not thrilled to see that my name was last on the docket.  I sat through over an hour  of various traffic violation pleas and sentences.  It was kind of like watching Court TV, interesting for the first two minutes but then you just want to change the channel.  At a recess, the crown attorney asked if there were any in the courtroom that she had not spoken to yet in regards to parking infractions.  To make a long story short, I was directed to another room where I met with a by-law officer to show my picture as evidence.  I was surprised when he asked me to provide the date stamp on the photo.... did he think I took the time to wander all over town searching for a faulty meter just so I could beat a five dollar ticket?   Fortunately, I knew exactly how to do find the date stamp on the photo (I had my computer with me) and I really wished Ian was there to see me do it.  He would have been suitably impressed, the guy I showed wasn't.  I think he was a bit put out that I could prove I was wrongly accused.  I was directed to return to the courtroom and a short while later  was informed that the charges were withdrawn and I was free to leave.  I was a little disappointed.  Why?  Well there was an older lady sitting in front of me waiting for her turn and it wasn't until the recess that I realized that she was blind, like white cane kind of blind.  I was intrigued.  What kind of driving/parking violation was she guilty of? During the recess she used her cane to walk to the crown attorney and hand her a large envelope.  While she was away, a man came and sat in the seat she had occupied.  When she returned to her seat she almost sat on him, she was that blind.  I certainly couldn't even imagine her driving, okay maybe I could because my imagination is a bit over the top, but still...a blind lady driving?








Wednesday, August 3, 2011

I PITY THE FOOL

I am not American therefore I did not take part in the voting of the current President of the United States so can sit here smugly and chuckle over this.


Apparently this is not the only billboard these people have erected. 





To be fair, I should include a couple of billboards taking shots at the former President.





Quite frankly, the US seems to be in such a mess these days that I pity the next president.  Whoever it is, will have a daunting task in front of them. America's like a tinderbox and with one false move, poof! up it goes in flames.



It had better not spread northward.