I’m driving home the other night around 12:30 AM when I get stopped for weaving… excuse me… “Invalid Lane Change” is what the ticket says. (Personally, I think the cop was just bored and decided to do a random DUI check. Anyway, I had a speeding ticket in Oklahoma from last November THAT I PAID! Well, here in Georgia it was marked as a FAILURE TO APPEAR. So I got arrested. Bond was set at $3,250. In the town I got stopped in, the bond for DUI is $1,000, but the bond for driving on a suspended license is $3,000! (For you mathematicians out there, the bond for the invalid lane change is $250.) Plus there’s the indignity of my son seeing his father get arrested. The next day I had to take a day off work. I brought my paperwork down to the DMV in down town Atlanta (read: stand in line over four hours!) to prove that I had paid that ticket in Oklahoma. I had to pay a reinstatement fee, but at least I’m legal to drive now. I still have to pay for the two tickets. “Invalid Lane Change” and “Driving on a suspended license” (It was suspended because of the bogus Failure To Appear).
Fast forward to yesterday. I leave work early to officiate two High School Fast Pitch Playoff games. I worked the first one on bases, no problem. I’m supposed to work the second game behind the plate. I go out to my car to get my plate gear on, and what do I discover? Stupid GMCs! I had the ignition key in my pocket, but I had locked the door key in my Jimmy. (Obviously I meant for it to be the other way around.) So I had to work the next game on bases again. I missed the opportunity to umpire last years STATE CHAMPIONS on the plate. I had really been looking forward to that. They were on a 42 game winning streak prior to that game. Why do I say PRIOR to that game? Well, I’ll begin this by saying, I study my rules books religiously. People come to all the time an ask for rules clarifications. I umpire under ASA, NFHA (High School), NAIA (collegiate), and NCAA (duh… collegiate also). Yep, you know where this is heading… I called a player out on a rule that is interpreted differently in High School than anywhere else. Against the defending State Champs who, again, were 42-0 heading into that game. They were behind 2-1. Had I not called the player out, they would have had runners on 2nd and 3rd. They ended up losing the game. I didn’t know I’d blown the rule until I got home that night.
Back to the Jimmy… After nearly needing an escort by the police to get out of the park, my partner drove me home (about 10-20 miles out of his way). I couldn’t find my spare keys. I took my other car to work this morning. I don’t know what it’s going to cost me to get my Jimmy unlocked. Not only that I parked right in front of the field. I wouldn’t be surprised if my tires are flat, or my windows are busted out. (Hey at least I could get in my car! 
) Thank GOD the playoffs are double elimination, so they were not eliminated. I also keep trying to tell myself, you don’t know for sure that the runners from 2nd and 3rd would have scored. Regardless, it was a HUGE mistake.
Finally, today at work, I’m expected to be in training most of the day. So I still can’t get my car. Boy, have things been really crappy lately!
Thanks for letting me vent.
