Friday, June 23, 2006

What is this? Mayberry? Or, a knitter learns the true meaning of "Jaywalker"

Does my pride show even when I'm innocently walking down the street? Could that be it? I'm not sure how he found out, but the policeman must have known that I finally did it. Right before I left for DC, I finished the first sock in my pair of Jaywalkers:


It's a little tight (no, I didn't swatch), but I can
get it on my foot (with a minor struggle) and I
far prefer snug to slouchy when it comes to socks.


Next thing I know, I'm coming out of my second job interview in two days (more on that later), walking through the stifling heat near Dupont Circle, looking desperately for a coffee shop where I can get some iced tea and air conditioning while I wait for the informational interview I had scheduled, and I see some movement out of the corner of my eye. I glance over, and realize there's a police car parked on the side of the street, and the policeman inside it is gesturing for me to come over. I can't imagine what on earth he could want, but I figure he must be bored and wants to chat up my gorgeous young self (don't laugh, it really was the only thing I could think he might want). So I saunter over to the car, and he rolls down the window. The following conversation ensues:

Me: "Yes?"
Policeman: "I'm going to have to write you a citation."
Me: "What for? I don't understand."
PM: "You just crossed S Street, against the Don't Walk signal."
Me: "I'm sorry, Officer, I honestly didn't notice that I did that. I didn't see any cars coming, so I crossed."
PM: "Well, you did, so I'm going to have to write you a citation. Please spell your last name for me."
Me: [goody-two-shoes that I am, spelling my real name for him] "I can't believe this is happening!"
PM: [with a threatening glance] "What's that?"
Me: "I'm sorry, it's just that I've had a really tough day."
PM: "Here's your ticket. Payment instructions are on the back."
Me: [still incredulous] "Uh, thank you?"

You think I'm joking, don't you? In weather as hot as we're having, I'm sorry, but my creativity is just not that good. You can't make this up (incidentally, that phrase is the name of a hilarious blog). As proof, I offer you:


Official District of Columbia Notice of Infraction

Where it should have my driver's license number, he wrote "pedestrian," and filled in the blank for "other" under the category for Moving Violation. Now I know I'd better not loiter around that corner either, or I might get a Parking Violation, too. Two whole days have passed and I still cannot get over the ridiculousness of this episode. I mean, since when did DC turn into Mayberry?

On the train ride home yesterday, I had the good fortune of sitting next to a fellow knitter (who, alas, had not brought her knitting with her). We chatted almost all the way to NYC, and I managed to make really good progress on the Hanging Vines Stole that I'm knitting for this summer's Amazing Lace. The color's not so great in this shot, but I don't have the energy to look for my real camera:


Nine out of 34 pattern repeats completed.
Yay! I'm more than a quarter of the way there!


I'm quite proud of my first real attempt at lace. It's a gorgeous pattern, and as long as I don't try to work on it in places or situations when concentration is a challenge, I haven't had to rip out too many rows. Still feels good to know I have that lifeline in there, though.

And now, a quick list of reasons that I have not blogged in more than a month:

1. Job interviews, informational interviews, and lots of traveling to and from them. It never rains but it pours. After more than two months without a peep from anyone, I suddenly got three job interviews in two weeks, and scheduled a bunch of informational interviews around them. I am going to be superstitious and avoid going into detail until I actually get an offer (or two), but I would rate my mood on this front as "cautiously optimistic."

2. The FIFA World Cup. If you have never played soccer or lived in a soccer-loving country (i.e., anywhere outside the US), you might not understand. Imagine that you could only go to the yarn store once every four years, and in between you could only read about knitting online, but not buy anything. It's like that. I don't even care that the US has played like a bunch of crap-eating zombies (OK, so maybe I care a teensy bit), or that Chile didn't even qualify this year. I can still root for Brazil (since I speak Portuguese and have friends from there and can't help but love a team with a player who can dribble a ball with his head), or I can show the love to the underdogs and root for Ghana. Anyway, just ask Taz. I have entered every single match into my google calendar, and I have watched or recorded most of them. Even when I'm sitting alone in my living room at 11am, I cheer out loud and complain to the cats about the stupid referees.

3. The weather. Lately it has been too hot to do anything other than lie flat on my back on the coolest surface I can find, and dream of cool waterfalls and ice cream.

4. I am a bad person, or at least a bad, lazy blogger. At first I was going to wait until I uploaded the pictures from the Grand Canyon trip, but that is obviously going to take me a very very long time to get around to. Then I just kept putting it off. But I'm hoping you'll still love me anyway. *flashes winning smile and bats eyelashes* Right?

12 comments:

Joanne M said...

A pedestrian jaywalking ticket in Washington, D.C. Utterly ridiculous. I'm still aghast at the story.

Great update - I would have showed off Brendan's newspaper photo from his soccer days to you had I known you were a soccer fan. :-) Have fun watching and keep updating - I'll try and do the same on my end during this move and hellish hot weather.

jennsquared said...

You win! You are the first person I ever known to get a ticket for jaywalking! I can't believe he actually gave you a ticket!

glad your interviews went well and I will be crossing my fingers and toes for you! :)

Deenz said...

WHa? Who gives jaywalking tickets when there are no cars around? Jerk.

I wish the same policemen were as diligent with handicapped parking violators (I have an issue with this and it's been coming up a LOT lately).

Marla said...

Hum, because this happened in DC, I'm not shocked (and you have the proof). A few years ago my friend kept getting tickets on her car in DC for an expired inspection sticker. Yes the actual sticker on the car was past the date, but NJ changed their laws and she didn't need to have her car inspected (I guess similar to the CT change). It got to the point that the next ticket she got they were going to boot her car. It was taken care of, but after a lot of phone calls and complaining.

Very nice sock though.

Lía said...

Hola guapa,
cuanto tiempo, empezaba a preguntarme que era de tu vida ;)
Muy mal lo de la multa...increíble de hecho. Me alegro de que tengas varias opciones laborales, eso pasa siempre o no te llaman o te llaman todos a la vez. Ojalá salga todo lo mejor posible!
Ah! el chal está quedando espectacular, precioso patrón ;)
Un abrazo grande,
Lía

Jenn said...

Maybe he just wanted to get your name and number and was too shy to ask? Hmmm. Still, that's crazy. But your sock looks great! And it's so nice to have you back amongst the blogging! :) Good luck with all the interviews!

Jules said...

Great to hear from you again!

And my friends wouldn't believe me when I said that you COULD get ticketed for jaywalking.

Good luck with the interviews!

Rebecca said...

Crazy to get a jaywalking ticket!

I found your blog from Beth's and I stopped by to make a comment in solidarity of the foreign spouse/fiancé thing. (I'm doing it the other way, I'm doing the fiancé visa which is supposed to be faster since he's not actually here yet.) Anyway, if you need advice, there are forums at www.visajourney.com which are really great. I found it the other week (after my paperwork was submitted) and the people there are very helpful and friendly and are going through the same thing.

Oh, and I'm originally from New Haven. It's so funny to see New Haven things mentioned in your blog! :)

Beth S. said...

This is too funny. I mean, it's awful that you have to pay a fine for something people do every. single. freaking. day. But what were the odds of that happening? Chalk it up to end-of-the-month quotas, I guess. I hope it isn't a big fine, at least.

You have such excellent taste. I love the Hanging Vines pattern--been meaning to get my hands on a copy of it for ages. And the Jaywalker turned out beautifully (though it's hard to go wrong with a great pattern like that!)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Officer Fife was on duty that day. You'd think he had something better to do--like thwarting thugs or something. Sheesh!!!!! Well, I guess the streets of DC are safer now, right??? ;-)

cindy said...

Tough luck on the ticket....what a bummer....so your sock has a real life application LOL! The sock and the lace are lovely. Try not to let the ticket get you down.

Leah said...

Wow! Getting a ticket for jaywalking sucks!!

I see that you are working on the hanging vines stole for the AL KAL as well. I'm on repeat 17 of the "stole" version of the pattern.

Yours is looking fantastic! What yarn are you using?