DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN IDIOT!!!

Ok, now that I have your full attention, prepare to laugh your booty off!

Last night when Ben got home from work, I decided to surprise him by taking him to Starbucks for a Tiazzi. It's a wonderful icy tea drink. Peach is my favourite and he likes the Mango Citrus. The shopping center we went to is the same one that has the bagel shop and Food Lion. I needed to buy bananas for this morning's smoothies, so I stopped in there right fast and picked up a bunch.

I circle around to the exit to the street from the shopping plaza. Which, I might add is not easy to do when you're behind the wheel of a 1 ton, 7.3L F-350 Dually!!! I mananged, though.

So, I'm sitting in a line of traffic waiting to make my left turn onto the main road. There are about 4 cars ahead of me all with their left indicator blinking rapidly. The traffic kept coming and coming and coming. Looking like there wasn't going to be a break long enough for all of us cars to make it across to the other side of the divided highway, I decide to be "like an electron" (taking the path of least resistance) and get in the right turn lane instead. I immediately am able to scoot into traffic and merge into the left turn lane on the main drag. I have to go to the stoplight and wait at the signal to make a legit "u-ee". (wonder if that's how's it's really spelled?) Anyhow, there are 2 cars ahead of me waiting for the red arrow pointing left to metamorph itself into green.

I watch the traffic pattern closely. (I've been at this light before and this turn lane skips one cycle before turning green, so I am all prepared mentally to deal with this) The cars on my immediate right go straight on their green. The cars across from me on the left, go straight at the same time on their green. Then the cars that are 45 degrees to my right, make their left hand turn. The cars across the intersection make their left hand turn. The cars right beside me get to go again on their green. Damn. It skipped me. Oh, ok. It skips me. It'll be my turn the next go 'round. The two cars in front of me, obviously don't know about this glitch in the traffic pattern and take an open chance to turn left even though our arrow is still red.

I sit there. The time is 5:36pm. I watch the traffic pattern. Everyone is getting to go but me. I'm in front of the line now, still waiting to go left to make my "u-ee". I notice that I've sat through 4 cycles of traffic at this point. It's now 5:41pm. I am stuck at a moral crossroad in my mind. Do I do the right thing and sit there until the light changes to green, thereby being a law-abiding citizen? Or do I let the rebel in me sneak out and take the chance of being caught by a police officer and turn left on a red arrow?

I wait it out one more cycle. Ok, this light is obviously NOT going to change. It is obviously broken. So, I justify my turn by saying I waited an appropriate amount of time and gave the light a full opportunity to change. I breathe deep and am relieved as I make my turn. I also feel like an idiot!

I was also looking in my rearview while I was waiting for my light to turn and noticed that if I had just been a little more patient, I would have been able to make my first left turn at the other intersection. All the cars made the turn shortly after I left the line.

That figures!!! Sheesh!!!

Oh, well. At least I tried to do the right thing.

Thought Of The Day: "All commend patience, but none can endure to suffer." --Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Until next time... peace, love & HEALTH!!!

i finally got fresh bagels this morning!