Sammamish

Two things about Sammamish -

1. Their Police Department is located in a Community Center and not very easy to find once you walk in the door.
2. Don’t get a DUI or have your car involved in a DUI. The City of Sammamish has a law that they will not allow the tow company to release your vehicle until you go to the Police Department and show them a valid driver’s license, insurance, and pay them $100 cash. I understand the thinking behind this; don’t want drunks able to get their cars back easily. But when you’re the owner of the car and not the DUI Driver, it’s a little frustrating.

So my experience in trying to get my car released was interesting. When I first walked into the Community Center I saw a sign that said Police – I turned into that little alcove. There was no one at the window, you can’t go through the doors, and the desk area at the window was dark – no lights on. I saw a sign that said to go to the 2nd Floor King County Sheriffs office. So off I went to the 2nd floor.

The lady at the desk for the Sheriff’s Department was very rude! I walked up and said I was here to pay the money to get my car. She gave me this dirty look and said I don’t know what you’re talking about you’re in the wrong place. I again said that I was told I had to pay $100 to get my car released. She said that’s not here it’s on the 1st Floor. I told her that it didn’t look like anyone was there and I had seen a sign that said to come up to the 2nd floor. She then rudely says that she was just down there and unless the girl ran out the door someone is in the 1st floor office and that the sign I saw was only for gun permits. Not sure if she was having a bad day, if she is always like that, or if she just wanted to be pissy because she knew I was trying to get a car released that had been towed for DUI. Either way – King County Sheriff you might want to get a new front desk person at your Sammamish office.

I went back to the 1st Floor, looked around, and finally found a small doorbell so I rang it. The gal that came to the window was so friendly and helpful – quite the change from the gal on the 2nd floor. She copied what she needed, pointed me to the clerk that would take my cash, and sent me on my way.

Oh yeah, they won’t fax the release form to the tow company, you have to go there and actually hand it to them. So I got to drive back to Ken’s Towing in Redmond to let them know they could release my car to the insurance company.

While there I decided to take one last look through the car to make sure I had gotten everything out of it. Sadly, there was something missing. I had a Buffy Cross necklace and a Criss Angel necklace hanging from the rearview mirror – The Buffy Cross has hung in all my cars since I got from the WB Store in Seattle it about 10+ years ago. Recently L hung her Bluetooth device from the chain so she could talk hands free in the car. Well someone, either at the accident scene or with the tow company, decided that they wanted the Bluetooth and instead of unhooking it they just grabbed all the chains and pulled. Yup, all that was left were broken chains hanging. Couldn’t care less about L’s Bluetooth but I really liked my Buffy Cross.

De

Drama Drama

Since my last post I have become the Grammy to Little Baby C!  She is 3 months old now and the joy of my  life.  She is one of the few things right now that is good in my life.  Wish I could say the same thing about her mother.  :(

There has been so much Mama Drama!  The first few weeks after Baby C was born I thought L had grown up and was making strides towards being a responsible grown-up.  Then her friends started coming around and bringing bottles of alcohol.  Then she went back to smoking cigarettes.  Then, even though she had stated she was going to quit so she could get a better job, she went back to smoking marijuana.  Just because it's legal now in WA State doesn't mean employers are going to look the other way if you pop positive. 

Then she started asking me to babysit on Friday nights - I didn't have a problem with that because I liked having some one on one time with my grand-baby without her mother looking over my shoulder making me feel like I didn't know what I was doing.  Then that turned into Friday overnights - and eventually I turned into the weekend Nanny.

The major drama happened last weekend though.  L went to a friends house to hang out - I was taking care of Baby C.  Phone rings at 1:30 am - those calls are never good and this one held to that.  L had been in an accident with my car.  She first started out saying someone hit her and drove away.  The police showed up and she said she would call back to let me know what was going on.  Next call came from a witness - she told me that L had been arrested and that there was no other car involved in the accident.  Next call was from a Detective with the Sammamish Police Department to let me know that L was being processed for DUI and would be transferred to the Issaquah Jail, my car was being towed to Redmond and it was probably totaled. 

L called me Sunday morning from the jail wanting me to bail her out.  Not gonna happen and I am proud to say it didn't happen!  She stayed in jail until Tuesday when she was arraigned at Issaquah Court.  She is now wearing a SCRAM Bracelet on her ankle to measure whether she has any alcohol at all.  If it goes off - she will owe big money that she can't afford and will probably end up back in jail.

I am now in the process of working with my insurance company to get my car replaced.  There have already been some interesting things with that which I will write about tomorrow.  In the meantime - I am going to go to bed and hope I am not woken up by another 1:30 am call.

D

Today's Sign . . . .

I sometimes listen to The Dori Monson Show while I am at work. He always ends his third hour with “Today’s Sign That The End Is Near”. This is when he will highlight a story that just shows how people are overly sensitive, PC, sue happy, etc. Today he had a story before this bit and then the story he had in the bit that just made me shake my head and wonder really!!


Story before the end - this was about an elderly gentleman in Texas who shot a man breaking into his home. The part of the story that had me shaking my head was that the burglar’s family members were outraged that this gentleman shot their family member. They were like – he should have given him a warning, let him know that he had a gun and was willing to use it – everyone has problems and he should have given the burglar a second chance. What!?!? Really!?!? This guy was breaking into an old man’s house! Whatever happened to putting the responsibility where it belongs? The guy shouldn’t have been breaking into houses.

Today’s sign was the following – A Mom back East has a 10 month old baby who has dwarfism. She was shopping at the grocery store and saw a jar of Midget Dill Pickles. This so outraged her that she started a petition online to get the company to change the name of the pickles because it was insensitive to use the word midget. The company gave in and is going to change the name because they didn’t want the media attention. Really – whatever happened to if you don’t like something then don’t buy it? The word midget has been around for a very long time and the Webster’s Dictionary definition is:

1. something (as an animal) much smaller than usual

2. sometimes offensive : a very small person; specifically : a person of unusually small size who is physically well-proportioned
See – the word is sometimes offensive if you use it to describe a person. Using it to describe a very small pickle is not offensive.

I just don’t get it. When did people become so overly sensitive?

De

New York

I’ve was in New York for a few days last week. I was there for work so I came a couple days early to see the town. When the trip was originally presented to me it was I and another girl from Finance going on this trip. I was excited – yay I’ll have someone to walk around with. This other person and I aren’t best friends but I didn’t think we were enemies either – and I still don’t think that. But what I do think is that she doesn’t really like me all that much. She made her flight and plane reservations without talking to me – so I tried to get myself on the same flight as her. Then I find out she’s actually bringing her husband along. I thought – that’s OK, maybe I can tag along on a few things just so I know someone.


I get to the airport and she’s like – Oh, are you on this flight too. I didn’t think you were on the non-stop flight. OK, weird, because I told her I was booking the same flight as her. We were staying at the same hotel so when we arrived in NY I asked if she wanted to share a cab. Oh, well you see, I thought you were on a different flight so I booked us a car and I don’t think there’s room for you. So here I am, all alone in a city I’ve never been to, not a person who has travelled much, and I have to get a taxi and find the hotel on my own. Before I left her to go get her car she asked for my cell so she could text me on Monday and we could share a cab to work. You see, this is really a vacation for her and her husband and they’re going to be busy doing all the touristy things together and don’t really want me along. I was bummed and a bit pissed. I thought this was a work trip and that we could get to know each other better but I guess not. Even if I had brought someone with me – if the other person from work I was travelling with was on their own – I would at least try to include them in dinner or something – just so that they weren’t all by themselves the whole time. That’s just me though; it’s a slight character flaw in that I always think about what the other person is thinking/feeling bad wouldn’t want them to be sad or alone.

Now – the trip was a nice perk from work and I don’t want anyone to think I am ungrateful – because I’m not. I just wish I had a different co-worker travelling with me. I’m not a very adventurous person so wandering around this big city on my own was a bit overwhelming.

D