Sheesh...

So Florida operates on the points system, which is a huge disappointment to anyone that wants to put his or her foot down a little bit. I was zoning out in traffic a few weeks ago and got busted driving 70 in a 55-mph zone.

In a construction area.

There were two cars in front of me and one behind me. We were all in the right lane. We were travelling safely in traffic. When the tricky bastard in the unmarked Impala put his lights on, the sucker behind me moved into the left lane. I pulled over (in Oregon, those lights mean you need to pull over/get out of the way).

I asked the officer (actually a nice guy, I strike the "bastard" reference above) why I got the ticket when there were four of us all travelling at that speed.

"Because you were the one that pulled over," he replied, simply.

Hmmm....

So now I'm doing traffic school so I don't accumulate points on my license. I wouldn't sweat it if I hadn't gotten a ticket last year too. It's four hours of learning little facts like this:

Large vehicles tend to be heavy, while smaller vehicles are not as heavy. Heavier vehicles require more room to brake in adverse weather conditions.

Hmmm....

So I have to sit at the computer for four hours and pay $35.00 dollars and take a stupid test to finish this up. The driving course runs on a timer and I'm prompted to frequently answer random questions to ensure that I'm staying at the keyboard. More sneaky bastards.

So I added a trio of markets and a host of photographs to my website. Oregon was great, but it's hard to argue with the type of weather we're having in Florida today. It's a beautiful 75 degrees with bright sunshine and low humidity. I'll be on the beach here when this unique form of torture is over.

One more rant, and further evidence that Wal-Mart is run by the Goat with a Thousand Young. I love Latin culture. I adore the Spanish Language (beautiful and fun to speak), the rich tradition of Latin literature, the music and forms of celebration. If I didn't live in the States, I'd live in Mexico over most other countries. That said, we don't need another damned holiday in this country, Three Kings Day! Of course the stores are into this, but it's just another consumption-motivated endeavor on their part.

Any excuse to celebrate friends and family and expand my culinary horizons is welcome in my book (and I have to say Mexican is my favorite ethnic cuisine), but enough is enough already. I'm keeping my money in the bank, bitches.

What to do next? I think I'll organize my favorites.

Here's another thing I just learned: Always adjust your head rest so that the center of the padded section is directly in the middle of the head. If you are a taller driver, keep your head rest in the “up” position. Many drivers leave them in the “down” position. This does not allow the restraint to properly cushion the violent backward movement of the head in a whiplash situation.