Yesterday started out great, actually. Then I got a parking ticket. I filled up the meter with quarters (.25 per 20 minutes, 2 hour limit). The problem is, I am at a volunteer meeting and sometimes I am there *just* over 2 hours because I set up and clean up. I have Sophia with me. I can see the meter woman doing the ticket and I cry out "Wait!" She said that she would have let me off but she had already entered it into her little machine. She said she could see I had my hands full (one with Sophia, one with papers, folder, books). Being a meter maid must really suck or it must be really satisfying. It probably depends on your temperment.
The best part of this, before you feel sorry for little me, is that a parking ticket in Montpelier is a whopping 6 bucks.
It's just the principle of the matter.
I was in a Funk. All. Day. Long. I got annoyed with myself for being in a Funk, which only made the Funk deeper. My daughters were total angels that day, which made me feel even sillier for being in a Funk. I just could not snap out of it. Maybe this is PMS.
I called Doug, who was nothing but sympathetic and sweet. After work, I was sent to the bath to listen to The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (which I've read, but the audio version is very good). He made fried chicken with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and biscuits.
All is now right with the world.
7 comments:
SIX. BUCKS.
This has just blown my mind. I know, I know, "principle of the thing," etc, but still. SIX. BUCKS.
I honestly don't know what you could get for six dollars in Dallas. You'd be lucky if someone blew you a kiss. *UNT* has more expensive parking tickets.
So glad everyone did their bit to help cheer you up!
Aw...I hate the little things that you know shouldn't get to you but for some reason just send you over the edge. "Entered it into her machine" ...pbbbblt we say to her.
But hey if being in a funk gets me a bath and fried chicken, then hey, I'm in a funk!
I know, I got a parking ticket at UNT back in (I can say that now, I'm old) '92. I think it was twenty something dollars. I was pissed off, then, too (and I had used considerably more quarters, as well!)
People actually get pretty steamed you even have to pay to park in Montpelier, and in fact, they raised the price of parking from .25 for a half hour to .25 for twenty minutes (at least for most locations). I don't think the downtown merchants like it, either, b/c I've heard the rent is pretty high and they want all the shoppers they can get. Parking is free in December before Christmas, at least. Much of downtown Barre (sort of the blue collar twin city...ahem..town?..of Montpelier) is free parking, but Montpelier, after all, is the Capitol.
Maybe the fine is more steep in the big city of Burlington.
It sure ain't Dallas, that's for certain. I'm sure a blown kiss is at least double that, and that's before taxes.
Doug is very good at vaquishing The Funk.
if you did not already come across it yet, check out a comment concerning your post, here [via Montpelier Matters blog; Parking Ticket Funk post, here].
Hey, thanks! It's great to see a Montpelier blog, I've bookmarked it and will visit often.
You're welcome. Great. Thank you.
Hmph to the parking meter lady! Yay for Doug! And how cool that your post is being spread around VT!
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