What a way to start the new year

After a nice visit with Jean's family for New Years, all that was left to do was to pick up my car that I had left at my sister in-law's, hop on the freeway back to Columbus in time to set the DVR to record that movie about Dynasty (OK, I'll fess to my boyhood crush on Joan Collins), maybe play some X-box and then get to bed. For tomorrow, the new Trane furnace was going to be installed.

This was not to be...

Just after picking up my car which has been in Cleveland since Thanksgiving being worked on by a friend of the family with Jean driving the van with John just ahead of me. On Ledge Rd just before RT 8, I was pulled over by the Northfield Village Police. Your's truly had forgotten to renew the license plate...in April. I could have sworn I did it but the OBMV computer showed I hadn't.

So my sled got impounded.

To add insult to this, the citing department couldn't give me a ride across a major intersection (RT 8) since he would be out of jurisdiction.

Now I've got to pay

1. The plates with any fines (you would think the OBMV would send you a reminder if you forgot to get the plates.. I mean the library starts mailing me after I'm a week late for a $4 book)
2. The ticket (guessing about $90)
3. $10 for the impound release
4. The tow and storage fee ($128.52 with tax)

Needless to say I was beating myself up pretty good. I mean, my only other ticket was for failure to display the front licence plate. Written by my Dad's own department. I had an FOP card but I didn't pull it out. That card would have gotten me at worse, a written warning. My Dad let into me about not pulling that card but I didn't think I would be cited and, well, I didn't have my front plate. It was in my back seat because I hadn't picked up the new bolts I needed. So I was guilty.

Just like I'm gulity now. Mistake or no mistake, I didn't get this done. This is so embarasing for me because I know better. Plus I hate that skepital tone law enforcement takes.. It's not personal but still, I hate that for this contact I was viewed as someone who was trying to get away with not paying my share. So now we have to pay the above when things are already tight with the new furance going in.

Plus I was also afrade that Jean would go off on me but she was pretty supportive given everything. She noted that Levi (who fixed the car) could have gotten stopped and been without wheels (since his truck got totaled). Jay or even I could have gotten nailed heading to work and stuck. So if anything, the timing was about as good as it could be for something like this.. But still..rather than enjoy my day off, I've got to run around then head back to Columbus.. So far, 05 isn't starting out so well