It's 3:53pm ...and All is [fairly] well!

The citationary situation is now unequivocally^{(1st def.)}, and reparationally ^(4th) resolved. The ticket was already dismissed when I went in Monday to check on whether the papers I gave to the JOP [Justice Of the Peace] on Fri. got filed of lost in transit [so to speak].

Friday morning I went to the Hallsville office to turn in my "proof" of getting my inspection done. As I walk into the foyer I notice things and boxes lying around, and the inside of the building seemed to be in various states of dishevelment.^(2nd) So I ask the older woman near the door if this is "where I can take care of a ticket?" And roughly the following exchange ensued.

She responded politely "Yes, ...but I don't think they'll be ready for you yet. Hold on let me see -[name of JOP] are you ready to handle tickets yet?" "Probably... not..." the JOP said, -his words conspicuously marked with hesitaion. "But lemme see whatchya got." As I tentitavely began to hand my citation towards him, he approached, even before it was in his hands, he said in a manner much akin to a man who has great knowlege, and who takes tremendous pride in doing well the job at hand, "...It's just a city ticket." Which was like so much music to my ears, reminiscent of the 40's type Bigband era!

Anyway, he asked if I had taken care of it, and I told him yes, and he said Lemme have the receipt and I'll get it dismissed. So I went out to my car and got the receipt, I didn't have to sign anything, he didn't even take my info sheet that said I was supposed to sign and date it.

I came to find out later that the whole office had had to take "all the stuff in here, and put it out there" (in the foyer I guess). "And now we can't find half of the stuff we put out there." This was hardly encouraging now that I think about it, and should have sent up some immediate red flags, as well as when [the JOP] took my papers, he laid them neatly on a chair near his desk. Had either one of those two sheets of imprinted paper been lost [being one receipt, and one pink official State of Texas copy de carbon] I could have conceivably been looking at a warrant for arrest that I would have no defense against. But these are the reasons I went by on Monday. And everything did turn out for the good.

Thanks to all for the support.
-JK

Ow, hre's aa linnk ot az splling errer om Dictyionry.ccom!! What in the Wordl War I?! (linnk) Go to the last entry on the page and look at the #3 definition.

UN-REEEAAAL! (The Prequel)

    Well, by God's Grace, I did have a bright spot in my day to hang onto. I get a call at work, from a voice on the other end who knows my first and last name. Now, I have no idea who this is, and with all that's happened ...who knows, right? Turns out, it's none other than Army Specialist, Marcus Hurd calling all the way from Bamberg Germany!! I haven't heard one word from this guy in over Two Years! We just lost contact after he and his family (a wife and a 6mo. old baby boy (my Godson)) were deployed. And he calls me at my part-time job, in Marshall TX., at like 10:30 in the morning! "Unreal... You're Kiddin' Me?!!" was the first inescapable phrase of the day. Wow.

Un-REEEAAAL!

So, this MCCC thing must be a week long affair. 'Cause when I got to the Hallsville office to take care of my ticket, at 4:50pm. I notice a sign on the door -that wasn't there Monday- notifying any persons wishing to do business after 4:40pm Wednesday, or ALL DAY Thursday, that this would be quite impossible. Thankyouverymuch.

Synopsis

For those short on time and/or patience. Full unedited version following...

-Monday X-phy's Eve. (Re: Full version 1st & 2nd paragraph) Pulled over for left lane driving. (link to TxDPS Law) Citaion for out of date inspection. No one open for inspection business after 6:00pm.

-Tuesday- X-phy's Multi-Centennial Convergence Celebration Day.

~8:30am -Leave for Firestone Tire Center
~11:00am -Car needs 2 new tires for inspection, right rear tire has a nail. Approve rear brake work to be done. Walk to Bank 1 for First ATM use.


-Awareness of my situation. Things could be much worse. Thank the Lord for easy breath.

~11:30am Brakes done, drive to Lobo Tire to check 195/60r14 availability. Affirmative
-Drive to Todd Malone's for lunch, negative -didn't 'spect so, just checking.
-Stop at Longview Bank & Trust ATM -No card, left it in Bank 1's ATM.
-Drive to Bank 1 (second time) to get card, -Negative, can't get it. Cancelled by machine upon ingestion.
-inescapable "Sheesh!" uttered as I walk away from Bank 1.
-Drive (still getting used to no sound when brake pedal is pressed) to ETP Credit Union to get Check Card instead of ATM card (it works more places) 7-10 business days, withdrawal for tires (the old fashioned way).
-Back to Lobo Tire (second time).
-Back to Firestone (also second time)
~2:00pm Lunch to go at KFC.
~2:30pm Arrive at TECH
-2:43pm started Blog
-8:13pm Finished Synopsis.

Happy Birthday Murphy!!

Well, the week of July 20, 2004 must be some sort of Multi-Centennial Convergence Celebration on the invocation of Murphy's Law... )

...So it all started yesterday, which had me puzzled as to the correlation with today's events. All I can figure is that this year must have been something special, out of the ordinary, 'cause this year there was a Murphy's Eve. Kinda like Christmas Eve, you only get to open one present... 'the biggest one', why wait till tommorrow when you open the huge one tonight. That leaves the plethora of little ones for Murphy's Day proper.

Anyway. On my way home from work in Marshall ~ 5:00pm Monday (X-phy's Eve) driving west-bound on HWY-80 between the two lights in Hallsville, when I was haplessly pulled over by a police officer who said, (roughly) "the reason I stopped you is because in the state of Texas it's illegal to be driving in the left lane and not passing anyone"(link to TxDPS Law)... and politely issued me a warning for the left hand lane thing, and a citation for my inspection being out of date. My first ever. I've been driving now for almost 10 years... quite a blow. And of course the Judge's office hours are only from "3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday" & "12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fridays" So I can't even find out what exactly I'm supposed to do about this whole thing I have to wait at least two days, if not until Fri. I don't like that, I like to have things resolved as quick as possible, especially when the law is concerned.

All excuses aside, my inspection was nearly a month out of date, and I was indisputably in the wrong there. As far as the left lane thing goes, there is nearly always someone to be passed on that stretch of road, or else someone wants to pull out from one of the many entrances onto said highway, which I believe was the case. I tend to be polite in this regard and give the drivers entering the roadway an empty lane to get into. This time, there just happened to be a Marshall police officer who wanted to pull out accross east-bound traffic -I guess shortly after I entered the left lane. I noticed him pulling out, and applied the brakes accordingly, to give him the right of way, but by that time he had stopped in the middle of the east-bound lanes (thankfully with no on-comming traffic).

So I suspect I made the lane change in that split second of time when he was looking the other way, and caught him by surprise when I showed up in the lane he was going to pull into. As far as I know, this stretch of road is not marked as the above law states (re:link) , which is IMO (In My Opinion) why I was not cited for the violation. It is marked however, only after the second light on the way out of Hallsville heading west, where the speed limit changes to 65mph.


That was the big present for yesterday... now, for today.

-This morning ~8:30 I head straight for Firestone Tire Center (FTC) for my corrective inspection -because, as it turns out, there are no inspection places open after 6:00pm! -anywhere! *quietly suppresses urge to thrash about in aggrivation* *substitutes large sigh or two* Anyway... From the time I bought the car, the rear brakes have been steadily eminating more loud and annoying noises from the rear wheels, so since I had the chance, and it was cheap ($9.99), and since it won't pass inspection if the brakes are shot, I had them do a check.

Come to find out, all brakes need attn. soon but aren't severe, just noisy. But I needed to have atleast 2 new front tires for inspection, and I had a nail in the right rear, the one I just replaced (w/ a $15 used tire from Lobo Tire) not three weeks ago. So I let them do the brake thing on the rear, but had a place to get cheaper tires.

-After watching the Morman Jeopardy Wizard win his 35th consecutive day ($1.1million +), and a couple guests into the Wayne Brady show... so about 10:15am... I then realize I need money. I cross Judson Rd. to Bank One, to use thier ATM and check my balance, and w/draw $160 in American currency.

-I head back to FTC. A distinct awareness of my situation ensues as I walk back towards FTC. I thank the Lord for easy breath. Finish the Wayne Brady show with Chaka Kahn as the Star Guest. I think they were promptly done w/ the brakes after that. I then tendered them $140.92 for their service and inspection stickerage (not applied yet but paid for, as I found out later).

~11:30am Leave FTC. Headed for Lobo Tire for my cheaper tires, and to check if they had 4 used 195/60r14's in stock, they did. $100 mounting, balancing & all. Told them I'd be back after lunch.

-Went to Todd Malone's house to see if the guys had our every other Tues. lunch together. Nope, didn't 'spect so.

-So I went to Longview Bank & Trust downtown, to use their ATM. I Don't Have My ATM Card!! In my rush to get out of the way of the driver waiting for me at Bank One's ATM, I had inadvertantly left my card in the machine, which I assume it promply ate. So, I head back to Bank One to find out if I can get my card back -nope. Can't get it back. They have it, but the machine cancels it upon ingestion, and "no bank can give back [another bank]s card" (my bank is East Tx Professional Credit Union).

-I utter the inescapable "Sheesh!" as I walk away from the Bank One building.

-I drive (Oh... no more noise from the brakes! Yay!!) over to ETPCU to apply for a check card (works more places than ATM card) which will arrive in "7-10 buisness days". And withdraw $100 the old fashioned way, for tires.

-Go back downtown to Lobo Tire. Get tires. $100.11

-Back to Firestone TC for proper inspection. Passed.

~2:00pm Lunch. KFC Roasted Chicken Strips Meal.

~2:43pm start writing this blog. It is now 7:23pm.

Suffering at TAMHWTS...

I would describe Suffering, as one of the most multidimensional experiences that is certain to befall any given individual. I often view it as specifically relative to each individual personality. That is to say, one person may struggle profoundly to wade through a certain bog, while another may seem to expend little or no energy across the same terrain. It could be said that one person may have more knowledge of what it takes to overcome specific obstacles placed in their path. While it may only be a matter of storing the right equipment for the trip, -at the risk of over-simplification... a pair of waterproof boots will hardly do as good a job, as comfortably as a 500hp airboat. Though to watch the struggle, evokes at some level a juxtapositioning of emotion -pity, for the soul who is stuck with only a pair of boots, yet at the same time, (with all due respect) a subdued glee... for being somehow cosmically spared from the situation.

Though to classify suffering only as a problem to be solved is probably somewhat of a social misconception. I can only speak from my own background, but it seems that we (in the Church for the most part) are taught to endure suffering for a time, until it passes. While perfectly understandable from a finite human standpoint, would hardly be classified as core doctrine. As a quick example, Jesus said Himself that "...you always have the poor, and whenever you wish can do good to them; but you do not always have Me (context implies here on earth)." (Mark 14:7) And "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their sorrows." (Ps. 147:3) That doesn't sound like a utopian life to me.

So much of the Father's character would be lost without the chance to give strength, and endurance, and hope to those who struggle... who should by all rights, be the ones least strengthened, least able to endure and resurrect hope from the depths of sorrow. And what of the people who witness the joyful during times of pain, how is it explained other than to the glory of God?

I guess if I gather it all together, what should be more often asked for is help... during the suffering and presence of mind to hope in what is yet to unfold, rather than to pray for everything to be taken away, -which might not be all of what the Lord has in mind.


Feel free to add your side...