Park Like an Idiot Day

I got all the Christmas cards done yesterday morning and took them to the post office along with the Mom boxes, so if you're expecting something, it should be there soon.  (There's always one or two I forget, so I have a couple more to send, but those'll go out as soon as I buy more stamps.)

While I was out, I discovered it was Park Like an Idiot Day and I didn't get the memo.  Our tiny post office has parking for maybe five cars and a handicapped spot.  It's a dirt parking lot, so of course, there are no lines (except for the handicapped spot which is paved and well marked).  When I got to the post office, there was a farm truck with two round bails on the back, parked stupid and taking up enough space for two cars.  Next to him was a sheriff's SUV parked stupid and taking up enough space for two cars.  The one space left was occupied and farmer dude and deputy were chatting.  I went into a holding pattern, waiting for the one space left to open up.  He left and I slid my little Cavalier into the space.  As I was getting out of my car, a lady pulled up behind me.  "I'll be quick," she said.  "Promise."  And she was.  While I was inside, mailing my packages and cards, another lady pulled up behind me.  The second lady was old and not quick. 

Meanwhile, the two dudes were still chatting.  Between the old gal and the dudes, I couldn't leave without risk of car injury and trust me, if I'd scraped the sheriff SUV while trying to avoid the old lady's car, it would've been my fault even though he was parked stupid and she had to park stupid because of him and his friend. 

I eventually made it out of the post office.  (So irritated that I forgot to buy stamps, so I'll be back there today.)  Then I went to the bank.  It's not a big bank, but it has a lot of parking spots along the side if you're willing to walk.  Some numbnuts in a truck with a trailer had parked in front of the bank in the space between the parking spaces - you know, the space for driving - instead of the long row of parking spots no one ever uses.  I think he was there applying for a loan, for pitysakes.  Anyway, I dillydallied around long enough chatting with my bank friends that he left before I did, thereby making it easier for me to pull out of the space I'd wedged myself into.  Lucky I dillydallied, too, because irritation almost made me forget to get some cash while I was there.  Derp.

Then, I get back to the road that leads back to my neighborhood.  People are always parking around there for one reason or another.  There are places you can pull off onto the grass, so it's usually not a big deal.  Yesterday, there was a dude parked in the road, talking on his cell phone.  Anywhere else, it wouldn't be a problem, but here you turn off the highway and then turn to go uphill to turn and go toward the neighborhood.  He was stopped on the uphill between the two turns.  Good thing no one was coming from the other direction or POW. 

Today is Wallyworld.  Here's hoping Park Like an Idiot Day is over or it may turn into Go Postal on Stupid People Day. 

:sings:  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Every where I go. 

Not sure what it is about the holidays that makes people loose all sense of reason, decorum, and courtesy, but it does.  Be careful out there, folks.

(Yes, I could've politely asked the dudes to move their chat to the empty parking lot up the road a bit, but I didn't want risk pissing a sheriff's deputy off.  I'm pretty law-abiding, but I do have a tendency to speed a wee bit.  I so do not need a Barney Fife busting me for doing 3 mph over somewhere down the road because he's got a bug up his butt.)