Mistaken Identity

So last night, we decided to go to the drive-in movie, since it would most likely be the only time we'd be able to go this season. The movie which I refuse to give any credit to online was a HUGE disappointment. But the real excitement didn't start until the movie was over.

We needed some gas, so stopped at one of the few stations still open at that time of night. There were several other customers, including several law enforcement patrol cars. As I was finishing up with the gas, one of the patrol cars that had just left the premises turned back into the lot and directly behind us. 

I cheerfully greeted the officer, since I have many friends in law enforcement. He asked if we were coming from up north. I said, no, we lived in a more southern town and had come for the movie. I then asked if they'd had some problems. He replied that there had been an incident in a canyon to the north of us involving a vehicle closely resembling ours. We have stickers on the back of our car that indicate our school mascot, so the officer thanked me for my time and pulled to the side, where he opened his computer as he watched us drive away.

I didn't think much more about it until we got to the next town. We were in the middle of town when I saw a set of red and blue lights in my rear-view mirror. I pulled over, realizing what was happening. I had forgotten my license, but with my SSN and our vehicle registration the officer told us he just had to check, but that we would not be detained very long. A few minutes later, he came back and said the vehicle in question even had plate numbers similar to ours, and that the driver sort of matched my description! He said he was sure it wasn't us, but the Sheriff deputy would be there in a second and needed to talk to us.

  

Mere seconds later, the deputy pulled up. He walked to the window, peered in and with a half-grin, said, "No, I don't think you're guilty." He said the other vehicle was a darker color, but I think too, that I didn't fit the suspect's physical profile as much either. I said, "Well, if the other one is darker, could you radio ahead so we don't get stopped in the next three towns?" He replied that he would make sure they knew we were coming!

  

Our kids thought it would be cool to see just how many times we could be pulled over before we got home, but we felt we had already had a good enough laugh, and since it was late, we would prefer to just get home quickly.

  

On another subject, today we had our family pics with our three youngest, since #1 is in Canada right now, then we took #3 to her new apartment, with #2's help. He then left to go back to his apartment. #4 had top stay home because she worked today, so we went to a pizzeria for lunch (#4 hates pizza right now). So now we only have one left at home, for another two years. I'm sure we'll see the three oldest quite often (summers, laundry days, etc.), but we are almost in an empty nest. Of course if they'd pack up ALL their junk, it would be even emptier! Also if they'd quit using us as a storage shed...

The Beginning of the End

So tomorrow is Friday: the beginning of the weekend. The last weekend before our school year starts in full. We have had teacher prep days, including our annual turkey BBQ, complete with corn on the cob and watermelon. We have had our annual faculty meetings, and I am MOSTLY ready to start. The fact that I have Lunch Duty next week has not daunted me too greatly. The new elementary is very nice, and things are already running with my auditioned group.

Then, bright and early Monday morning (at the hour one of my former students would call "The Butt-Crack of Dawn"), we begin. I wish I had greater numbers (can you imagine TWO choirs of about 10 each?), and I still need to get a few things ready, but we will soon be at full boil. Oddly enough, I'm sure this year will go even faster than last. 

 

Wednesday, I even get to go to the local college for a meeting with all the students who will be music majors this year. I am hoping to get between 8 and 10 private students to fill in a few evenings for the next 9 months! I will once again be singing, singing, singing, all day long, every day of the week but Saturday (and sometimes even then), and loving the fact that I get PAID to do this!

The Good Crowd

This morning at the prison, we were finished with choir practice and waiting for the worship service to start. As we do this, we have the chance to visit with our guest speakers and the members of the bishopric. Our speakers today just returned from a mission to Brazil. They sang part of a song in Portuguese, so we did not need our choir to sing, which was good, because we didn't have a song prepared.

The inmates started filing in, and I noticed toward the end of the line that, like last week, we seemed to have a few more men attending than usual. I commented, "Wow, looks like a pretty good crowd."

Without missing a beat, the last inmate going through the door turned and said, "Actually, we're a very BAD crowd!" He turned and went into the chapel, accompanied by the chuckles from everyone still in the hall.