Seeking the formula for parenting

Flexible Links

My Blogging Inspiration
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants

Skiplovey

Slouching Past 40

Flexible Affiliations

- Crazy/Hip Blog-Mamas +
(Random Site)

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

PTO Mom by Day Criminal by Night

A couple days ago Sally HP asked me if I would like to come over and make raspberry jam. After my success with the strawberry jam I had taken the boys raspberry picking, by which I mean that they filled their bellies with raspberries while I ended up filling their containers. In the end ~~they~~ I had picked 3 quarts of raspberries and I paid a dollar extra a container to get two additional quarts of berries the farm had picked. Two extra dollars or kids with belly aches? You tell me.

Last night I carefully packed my eight jam jars, my box of low sugar pectin, my bag of sugar and of course my frozen raspberries. I was looking forward to a fun evening. When I stopped at a red light I had visions of my jam with pretty red and green bows tied festively around each jar. The light turned green. I didn't even make it through the intersection before I saw the blue lights flashing in my review mirror. That's right I got pulled over!

There was a police car right behind me at the red light and while we were stopped he noticed the my registration sticker had expired...in June. Yeah I know! We'll leave the Big Giraffe out of this. Let's just say that I was under the impression that it had been renewed and leave it at that.

The policeman wanted to know where I was going. I said that I was going to make jam. He looked confused. "Jam? You mean like jelly?" I said yes and pointed to my carefully packed jelly jars. My friend and I had been planning this for a couple days. I swear he looked like he felt sorry for me. He then told me that usually he gives a $100 ticket and has the car towed on the spot. If I had a clean record, he would let me off with a warning. I swore I had a clean record. I had one ticket about 10 years ago that was thrown out. Ironically it was because I was driving my parents' car and the registration was expired!

The policeman expressed doubt that my record was really that clean. I pointed out that I was on my way to make jam for my big night out. He looked sympathetic. He wanted to know what type I was making. Have you ever seen The Breakfast Club? You know the part where Anthony Michael Hall starts talking about how he's in the physics club, the math club etc etc and everyone just looks at him like he's a pathetic loser and wishes he would stop talking? I am not proud to say that was me! I started mumbling how I picked the berries myself, but then they kids wouldn't stop eating them so I ended up picking theirs and then paying the extra two dollars to have a couple quarts more so I would have the berries I needed for the jam plus a quart to eat, and really freshly picked berries were freshly picked berries so I didn't think it mattered that technically I hadn't picked the final two quarts and the highlight of my day was finding the low sugar pectin at the grocery store because that's really hard to find around here....He gave me the same look that Anthony Michael Hall was given!

He received word that really my record was clean. He looked surprised but agreed with my comment about jam being my big night out. He told me that I can't drive my car until I register my car. I'm off to do it first thing this morning, right before I go to my PTO meeting. Really I'm not making that up either! PTO mom by day criminal by night! Let's hope there's no more problems because I have my dog's urine sample in the fridge and I need to get to the vet today.

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Being boring can save you money. In my case $600!

Labels: Humor (at least Attempted)

posted by Alex Elliot @ 7:08 AM 4 comments

4 Comments:

At 9/09/2009 10:52 AM, Goofball said…

at least you didn't try to bribe him with a future jar of self-made jam if he pitied you :D
At 9/09/2009 11:14 AM, Heather said…

I am boring too. nice to know it could be a benefit.
At 9/09/2009 2:05 PM, Jen of A2eatwrite said…

See... being a clean, jam-maker saved you from an entire life of crime.
At 9/22/2009 5:48 PM, Suzanne said…

Love the parallel to the Breakfast Club.

My Profile

Name:	Alex Elliot
Home:	MA, United States
About Me:	Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 5 year old and a 3 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe.
See my complete profile