Spinning Out of Control

Whatever Yahoo decided 24 hours was enough time for one day obviously required no sleep.

Not being one of those rare few who could get by on 4 hours of sleep, I have been finding myself without the necessary time in my day to get everything done that needs doing. Not to mention not getting the necessary sleep my body needs. My awareness of this situation arrived front and center when I was pulled over in my truck by a motorcycle cop.

2 blocks from my house.

Before I had breakfast.

With a hot attic job ahead.

He pulled me over because I wasn’t wearing my seat belt. That’s not really a surprise, because, for some reason, I never wear my seat belt in my truck. I always wear it in my car, but never in my truck. I can’t explain. I wear my seat belt when others are driving, as long as they put their seat belt on which reminds me my belt has not yet been secured.

He sneaks up alongside my truck with his hand on his gun. I can be scary first thing in the morning but I don’t think the gun is required. He explains to me why he pulled me over, which is my aforementioned failure to wear my seat belt. And here is our conversation.

“Good morning. Do you know why I pulled you over?” he asks.

“I could guess”, I say.

“You are not wearing your seat belt. Is there any legal reason why you’re not wearing your seat belt?” he questions.

“Is there a legal reason to not wear a seat belt?” I answer with my own question.

“Can I see your license, registration and insurance card? Did you also know that 2 of your 3 brake lights are not working?”

This is around the time I realize that while I seem to be working nonstop on one thing or another, trying to get ahead (or at least even!) important parts of my life are spinning out of my control.

For those with short attention spans, I’ll recap the story so far: I’m wearing no seat belt, I do not have enough brake lights, I have yet to eat breakfast and I’m looking at a hot day in an attic.

My day gets worse when he returns to my window with my EXPIRED registration card and EXPIRED insurance card. Now mind you, only the cards were expired, not the actual services. I know that, the DMV knows that, my insurance company knows that, but the cop doesn’t know that. While I was only ticketed for the seat belt violation, I now have to appear in court with proof I am insured and registered. AND, I have to figure out why my brake lights keep going out.

After returning home from what turned out to be a relatively nice, short day in an attic, I looked around for my truck’s important paperwork. I was sure all that I needed was right there in the stacks of paper waiting patiently in my office (and kitchen and living room and dining room and bathroom) to be filed or thrown away. Gathering all scattered papers and bringing them into my office, I looked through them all yet never found the up-to-date auto paperwork.

Logging on to the DMV website, I discovered I had to pay $18 for a duplicate card to be sent to me. I don’t know why I need a registration card, when I have a registration tag, and I especially don’t know why I have to pay $18 for a duplicate piece of paper. Fortunately, my insurance company can send me duplicate insurance cards free of charge.

Unfortunately, during the call to the insurance company,  I found my auto insurance premiums had increased. Arguing with them over the reasons why and not satisfied with their reasons for the rate increase, I hung up on them and immediately searched for a new insurance company.

Because I have nothing else to do.

Again, to recap – I am wearing no seat belt, I do not have enough brake lights, I have yet to eat breakfast and I’m looking at a hot day in an attic, I have no registration card, I have no insurance card, I live in a disaster area, DMV sucks, Insurance companies are pirates.

Realizing around 7pm that I was just plumb tuckered out from working 3 weeks without a day off, I decided to take a day off. Once I made the decision, I took a look around at all that work that needed doing around my house and almost decided going to work would be easier. In my 6 room house, not ONE room was clean. Not ONE was clutter free. Shoes, clothes, papers, magazines, dust, oh so much dust, covered every surface. My kitchen had become my junk drawer. The bathroom had 3 days of clothes on the floor. The living room had multiple pairs of shoes kicked off willy nilly. In an attempt to escape, I went to my bedroom only to realize I couldn’t remember the last time I changed the sheets or had the bedspread cleaned. That’s just gross.

It was looking like I’d need more than a day off to get a grip.

What I needed was a list. Lists make the world go round in a nice orderly fashion. I made a list. My list had 7 things on it which looked reasonable. Change my sheets and bedding was the 1^st on the list and finished before I went to bed. 6 things remaining. The morning bode well.

With a new day, a new mood. Not only did I accomplish everything on my list, but I was able to add two others to it and had it all finished by noon.

Just in time for a well deserved nap.

Obstruction

Obstruction is the act of:

1. A defensive player or team member that hinders or prevents a batter from striking or hitting a pitched ball.
   
2. A fielder who impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner who is legally running bases while:
   
   1. not in possession of the ball, or
      
   2. not in the act of fielding a batted ball, or
      
   3. Making a fake tag without the ball, or
      
   4. In possession of the ball and who pushes a runner off a base, or
      
   5. In possession of the ball, but not in the act of making a play on the runner which intentionally impedes the progress of that runner, while he is legally running the bases.
      

For those of you who’ve been asking why I was ejected and suspended for one game in my co-ed softball, here’s the skinny…as only I can tell it .

Only our second game of the 2009 spring season, and we were playing with eight players. A strategy in place, we had a “roving” second baseman, who was playing a deep 2^nd, or a shallow right field. Other players filled in at whatever position they felt comfortable. There wasn’t much chance of winning the game, or even a chance it would be a close game, but the eight that were there were there already and we wanted to play.

It’s frustrating to play shorthanded not only because there’s more territory and position to cover, but also because any mistake made is amplified. And if the other team is worth their salt, they’re going to take advantage of every opportunity.

So it was worse when the frustration was caused not by fielding mistakes, nor a ruthless opponent, but by an umpire who played by his own rules.

The first incident was a force play at second. With the throw coming in to second base, our basemen lined up for the play at 2. Our player tagged the player as he reached the base, and turned to look for a possible throw to first, but the ump called the runner safe. When I mentioned to the umpire that we play with a slide or avoid rule, he told me that the player did not have to either slide or get out of the way, but instead the second baseman had to get out of the runners way. He called the runner safe due to obstruction.

The second incident was an attempted double play with another force play at second and a tag at home. Again, the second baseman was called for obstruction and the play at home denied. The second baseman had her foot on the bag long enough only to make the play, and then threw to the catcher. The catcher had her right foot on the left (3^rd base) side of the plate and she tagged the runners foot when he slid into her foot. The runner at home was called safe. When questioned about his calls, he stated that at no time, in softball, could a fielder obstruct a base.

We have some rules specifically geared towards safety. We’re not professional ball players after all. For instance, we have two first bases. One inside the line and white, and one outside the line and orange. Runners get orange, fielders get white. We also have to slide or get out of the way when running to second or third. Sometimes, we have an “in the neighborhood” rule if the bases are slick from the night dew.

But, if the baseman has to yield the base to the runner, then what is the sense of having basemen? Why have anyone play? Why not just flip a coin at the beginning of the game to determine the winner then all head out for pizza and beer?

Aggravated beyond my normal scope of fair play, feeling my sarcastic self gearing up for battle, we headed into the top of the last inning. With our first two batters out, down by enough for the mercy rule to kick in, just about out of time, our third batter was called out on a throw to first.

In an ordinary game, a completely legitimate play. An end to a game. Infield hit to 3^rd, throw to 1 for the out. If we had a score book, it would be written as 6-3 and have another 3 with a circle around it to indicate the out.

But of course…

“WHAT!!!???” I yelled from the coach’s box. “How can the runner be out?!!? The baseman’s foot was ON the bag! Isn’t that OBSTRUCTION?” For which I was ejected and suspended for one game.

From Across the Pond

Where was I?

In late January, I received an email from my friend Amanda asking if I could be a tour guide for her husband. Rob was travelling from their home in England to So Cal with his job and would be in my area.

After an exchange of emails, he decided on a route that would take us to some of LA’s more famous landmarks.

As with many of us, after living in an area for so long the “sights” blend into the background. I went to many of them when I first moved here, and maybe once or twice in the ensuing 16 years, but not in a while. I was actually looking forward to seeing some of these sites again.

He met me at my house early in the morning, a cold, rainy Saturday. Coming from England, I’m sure he was used to it, but for this sissy, all I wanted to do was climb back into my warm bed. Already up and dressed, and both starving, we went to a local restaurant, Johnny Rebs, for a big, warm, artery-clogging breakfast. We chatted over a most scrumptious Southern styled breakfast!

We left there quite full, and convinced we were not going to eat for the rest of the day! The skies were drizzly, but at least it wasn’t a downpour. After such a large meal, we thought a good walk around would be a way to work off some of that caloric intake!

We drove up to Griffith Observatory, (closed in January 2002, reopened in November 2006 after extensive renovations, almost burned to the ground in July 2007) to begin the second stop on our tour. Rob had goal of seeing the Hollywood sign, and it is visible from the Observatory. Tiny, but visible.

As I’ve written before of the Observatory, the park is lovely, but as for the Observatory proper, Sci-Fi imaginations are so much more entertaining! As we walked around the park grounds, we were greeted with that most amazing of LA miracles—a clear view of the vista after a substantial rain. Most of the time, there is that world famous haze that hangs over the LA basin. Part pollution, part dust from the deserts, it adds a brownish pall over the area.

But, not today! From the observation deck, we could see LA in all its sprawling glory. As the day went on it became warmer and dryer, a perfect So Cal day! Leaving the Observatory, I put the top down and gave Rob the full California “Winter” experience.

Moving along, we headed to Getty Center. Along the way, we drove found the road that let up to the closest vista point allowed of the Hollywood sign. I never realized there was a particular road that took you to the actual property that the sign is located. Rob couldn’t remember the street name, so we drove along a major thoroughfare and turned up side streets until we hit upon the right street. After a few minutes on this road, I realized I used it to drive to my former hairdressing appointments! Parking at the top, Rob finally got his picture!

No tour of LA would be complete without a stop in Hollywood to visit Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Center. We spent time looking at the hand and foot impressions of stars past and present. We took a short liquid refreshment break at the Kodak Center. Unfortunately, the red carpet had been rolled up because of the weather.

We continued on, driving through Rodeo Drive were it was evident that the economic downturn had yet to effect! Beverly Hills was also along the route, where we ogled at the mansions along the roadway—those that weren’t enclosed in a fortress of fencing, that is.

The Getty Center is large and really needs a day all its own to view properly. We were able to see two of the many exhibits and Rob was able to enjoy a taste of the museum.

It was a great day, where we were treated to clear, warm skies, and minimal crowds. It was getting dark, and the rain was threatening again, so we decided to finish our tour with a stroll along the 3^rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. We watched a few street performers, then had a dinner of sushi at a restaurant that overlooked the street.

The only way it could have been a better day is if Mandy was able to join us!