Album Update - Pressing On

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The CD has gone to press!!!!!

I gave final approval today for the inside booklet, inside cover, back cover and disc art.

YIPPEEEEEEE!

God is good!

(I think I am going to sell tickets!!! -- The good ones, of course.)

There's a new drama in town...

... and I'm talking about tickets. Not the good kind of tickets ... you know, the tickets I got to the Travis Cottrell, Cindy Morgan, Shawn Groves concert on Thursday night are called the good kind of tickets. The Carrie Underwood tickets that I had on hold and forgot to purchase until I wanted to check my seats and realized my seats were now out in the parking lot of the Sommet Center on the night of the concert. Those would have been the good kind of tickets. The tickets to see Dorothy Hamill and her wedge haircut at the Ice Capades back in '77, those are good tickets (back in '77).

No, that's not the kind of tickets I am talking about.

You know...

Yeah.

Let me backtrack... as the two of you know who read this blog (or at least admit to reading this blog), I have moved in the last several weeks to some new diggs. They are great. I seriously am enjoying the roommate thing, the condo thing, even the downsizing thing. I am NOT digging the parking thing. And, because of the parking thing, I am not digging the neighbor thing either unfortunately.

I live in a three bedroom condo. There is one driveway and one car garage. It is not my condo and therefore, not my garage to park in which I am totally down with. Totally. I've never had a garage so this is normal to me. So, I park on the street. Along with MANY other people. The street is full of parked cars. I work late a lot and I got home around 8:30 a couple of weeks ago. Parked across the street fairly close to a stop sign but probably at least half a car length away from it. Maybe it was too close but the next morning, I get a piece of notebook paper on my car that says...

DO NOT PARK YOU CAR HERE.

YOU ARE BLOCKING THE EGRESS OF TRAFFIC!!

OK. Pretty much I've got two comments for that.

1) SO sorry for blocking the egress of traffic! Truly, I am.

2) What in the lulu is egress of traffic?

I know, I know... egress and ingress. I asked around. Anyway, so someone feels pretty solidly about the egress of traffic and I clearly am oblivious. For this, I am truly sorry and would love to apologize in person but, shockingly, they didn't leave their name on my sweet note.

So, I get home two nights ago and there were no places available in front of my condo. No biggie. I figure that the motto is "First Come, First Served" sorta like "Luby's Cafeteria" and I am also down with that. I go find another parking place and park about three doors dawn in the street. I get my things, walk to my condo and go upstairs to change. My roommate calls me after 3 minutes and says, "You have to go move your car."

"Why?"

"Because that girl just car down here and fussed about you having your car parked in front of her condo."

"Wait... what? She doesn't want me parking in front of her condo? It is a public street. Where am I supposed to park?"

I was told to go park in front of our driveway of which I was not going to do because of the pain it would cause in the morning. I did go move my car but I was scratching my head the whole time wondering how someone can actually expect on a public street for no one to park in front of their condo. Please help with this... seriously.

I come home last night at around 10:36. I used my good tickets and went with my good friend to see Travis, Cindy and Shawn who were really good! When I got back, of course, it was late on Thursday night. There was no place in front of my condo and I knew that I couldn't park in front of that lady's condo three doors down. So, I parked two doors down on the opposite side of the street.

I left my house this morning to go to work and when I got to my car, TWO pieces of paper. First paper said,

Please do not park you car here!

If you park here again, your car will be towed!

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What is up with the peeps on my street? The street is lined with cars bumper to bumper and they will tow my car if I park in front of their condo? Totally don't get that.

Second piece of paper said,

PARKING CITATION

DOUBLE WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What in the world am I getting a parking ticket for? I can vaguely read the offense - "...car ... more than 12".... curb".

I immediately called the police station (No, not 911 - I know you are wondering given my history with the rat) and spoke with multiple cops (one who sounded VERY similar to a good "law enforcement" officer in Alabama). Basically, the Bama cop told me that if I got a ticket in a residential area, it was 99% probability that someone had called them out to the car and asked them to write a ticket because they RARELY write a ticket in residential areas for parking unless it is a blatant error.

But, I got one and my sweet neighbor decided it was not enough that he call the cops and have them write a ticket but he needed to write his little love note about towing my car next time as well. Thanks for the heads up, Buddy.

Anyway, it is only $10 so it is not a big deal really but just in case you haven't heard, we are in a recession and that is $10 I could put towards... well anything I want. It's the principle

I need comments, ideas, validation... Am I crazy or what? How do they have any leg to stand on? Can he really have my car towed? I am I supposed to park in Kentucky and walk in or what? There is no designated parking. No painted parking spots, assigned or otherwise. Everyone lines the streets. I don't know...

And another question... the cop was clearly tired or hadn't had his doughnut and coffee last night at 11:56 PM when he wrote the ticket because the date on the ticket was December 12, 2008. When I told the Lt. I talked to today on the phone the date on the ticket, he said, "So, I guess he was predicting that you will be breaking the law on December the 12 at 11:56 PM, huh?" Is this ticket even valid if the info is wrong?

Am I in some twilight universe where Thursdays are actually Tuesdays and "public" means "get off" and neighbors are not neighborly? I feel like a little frog who all of a sudden feels like my backside is starting to bubble.... and I can't feel my legs...

Seriously, Daron... I know you have thoughts on this if you still read this blog? Amy, ask Jim. Alicen, have Scott crunch numbers. Mandy, have Mark build me a carport with his new designer brinks please. Charles... get the phone.

P.S. Travis was fantastic last night. His "Jesus Saves" live was UNBELIEVABLE! Go see the concert if they come to your area. Just watch where you park. :)