Thursday, January 11, 2007

Scofflaw No More

A follow up to my last post, ScofflawDaddy :

I finally got someone to answer the phone this morning. Then they immediately put me on hold for 13 minutes. It was not going too well.

Once they came back to me, I told my sad story and the receptionist/phone answerer/secretary/clerk put me on hold again. Damn hold button.

She finally came back and said that the judge dismissed the $29 charge against me, since they have no idea how I would have ended up with a $29 charge anyways. And they took a little pity since I have a commercial driver's license, that I "must need for work".

No, I did not tell them that I have not used my commercial driver's license in years. But they did not ask. Whatever. $29 for less than a half hour of hassle this morning is a lot better money than I made at work, so I am HappyDaddy once more. Just please let me forget the other hour and a half I have invested in getting this taken care of.

Without getting Tasered.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

ScofflawDaddy!

That's right. I have run afoul of the law. Too bad it took 6 years and a couple of months for me to feel like a rebel.

I got a speeding ticket on November 14th, 1999. I remember it because later that same day, 11/14/1999, I got ANOTHER speeding ticket. I attended traffic school to keep the first one off of my driving record. And I could not do driving school for both tickets. I ended up paying the second.

Anyways, now Johnson County, Texas says that I still owe them $29 from that ticket. And if I don't pay up, they will send out a death squad. Or at least swear out a warrant and I could be arrested if I got pulled over again. Which I have not done since 11/14/1999. (Well there was that one time that The Boss Lady put her registration sticker in the glove box instead of ON THE windshield. She was in the car with me and showed the cop the sticker. He let me go with a laugh, since the wife had gotten me pulled over...)

Anyways, I have been trying to just pay the freaking thing. It just isn't worth the potential hassle over $29. But the one office that can take my payment by credit card by phone won't answer the damn phone. I called three times today and at least 10 times yesterday. Along with a few times the day I got a letter about this matter. And once or twice between then and now.

And answering the damn phone seems to be a pretty important first step to do any bidness by phone, dontchathink?

So Justice of the Peace Stiles, give me a call sometime. I am sure we can work this out without anyone getting Tasered.

Especially me.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Choking the chickens on Elvis' B-day

The center of downtown was shut down for half the day today. Thanks to a slew of dead flying rodents.

But you know Austin Bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World, right? Maybe this was simply a Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau PR stunt.

Happy birthday Elvis. Here is a 14 dozen dead bird salute for your 71st.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Wishes beyond his years

Took the kids to the Children's Musuem this morning. They had a wall half covered in hand written children's New Year resolutions. One of them made me laugh out loud. Either the kid didn't have enough paper to finish the resolution, or he is really thinking ahead (wink wink nudge nudge).

"This year I want to get more"

My dirty little mind decided that is my resolution, too. Yep, I want me some more.

All year long.

Monday, January 01, 2007

The waiver to end all waivers

Check out this waiver from back when Racecar Man and I went to watch the building of an Extreme Makeover House.

You can click on the pic for more detail.

The part about "...Throughout the universe, in perpetuity..." just cracks me up. If I had known how to write a waiver like that, I might still be in the business.

And I am REALLY glad that I don't live in that neighborhood...