It is just after 4:30a.m., officially Sunday morning. While in Arizona, I was pulled over (here) for the first time in eight years. Well, that was until about 20 minutes ago.
I met a friend at a comedy club tonight for a 10p.m. show. I have met him a few times and we decided since I owe him for fixing my computer that we would get together. I am at my parents celebrating my mom's birthday and he lives on the east side of the state. Surprisingly, unlike other friends or guys, although I "owe" him, he wouldn't let me repay him.
BW and I had some time to kill before the comedy club and he ordered a bottle of "Zifendel" as he pronounces it! Surprisingly the bottle was a red Zinfandel, much more like a merlot that neither of us cared for, but for $45 we managed to finish throughout the comedy show. The show was great and I found myself laughing more than anyone in the show, really of no surprise. We decided to stay at the bar and had a few drinks and closed the bar down. We sat in the parking lot for a while talking and deciding which month we may see each other again, possibly Cedar Point for Halloweekends. Who knows. It was close to 4a.m. when we parted.
Granted, I drank. I was not drunk and I was not tipsy. If anything, I was tired and my contacts were beyond dry. As I got on the highway and headed to my parents, TS had texted me about 20 minutes earlier to see if I was still up. I called her back and laughed and chatted with her as I drove.
About five miles from my parents house and a mile from my elementary school, I realized that a car all of a sudden was on my ass. I knew that I wasn't speeding. I hadn't swerved, but I did realize that I had been hovering around the white line of the shoulder while I chatted away. I wasn't for sure if it was a cop or not, so I decided to take the first street to the right, which was at a 7 eleven party store, or what used to be a Hop 'n Go. The car followed me. I noticed when I turned that it was a cop car. Shhhiiiiittttt.
I continued to drive, following the 35mph speed limit with the cop barely backing off my back bumper. Finally, I told TS I had to go. I had to concentrate and not swerve to give a reason for being pulled over. I grabbed a piece of gum. I approached the next stop sign and signaled to turn left. I drove a few more miles, 5 miles under the speed limit now beginning to fear that I would be pulled over for driving too slow, and just wondering when the hell I was going to get pulled over already!
Then, it happened. The lights came on and I pulled into the church parking lot where I spent a great deal of my life. How fitting.
I turned on my interior light to grab my license. The cop approached my lowered window and shined in his flashlight. He asked for license and registration. I grabbed my registration and handed it to him with my license.
He asked if I was from the city on my license. I tell him, "Yes, I am. I am on my way back to my parents." He didn't leave my window. He didn't run anything. He had a smile and was quite personable. He told me that gunshots at a nearby trailer park were heard and reported to come from a small black car. Lucky me. He said that he had run my plate and it came back with a different car. He said he ran a G instead of a Q...which I have one of the crazy self-decomposing plates that my Q doesn't really look like a Q. I told him I was just chatting with a friend on the phone on the way home when I noticed a car up my rear. He apologized.
He said that he would wait until I gathered up my things and left the parking lot. I was glad that I wasn't given a ticket for something I didn't do or worse yet arrested. Mainly for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was thankful that the cop seemed pleasant, somewhat young and not like he had something to prove. He in turn was glad that I was friendly and clearly not someone shooting a gun in a trailer park at 4:15a.m.!
Win-Win.
So how was your Saturday night? Anything exciting you care to share?
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