Hide and Go Seek.....By-Law Office Style

I wasn't impressed. The hands on the clock were inching forward closer to piano class time. I however, was not. I could be found standing fully dressed for my outing in my new winter coat and gloves with music in hand. This was how Mr. P and 2 of 4 found me as I charged down the laneway to the awaiting vehicle. It had barely been shut down. Only 20 minutes left. I would be late because they were late first.

Upon arriving at my destination, I finally found parking after a brief search, right in front of the building I would go and butcher a piano at. I wasn't the only car parked here. There were many others who had also lucked out. I was greatful as it was an exceedingly chilly night with a windchill strong enough to freeze the skin and to make ones nipples stand up in a full salute. Across the street large machinery of varying types plowed and removed to snow. I did a thorough inspection of the snowbanks on my side of the street to assure myself that it was safe to park here. There were no warnings of impending snow removal. I was safe.

Shoot!!!!!!!! In my rush to get to my lesson I had left the house without my purse. No money, no id in case I got murdered, no cell phone to call 911 and report my murder. An uneasy feeling crept over me, further stimulating my nipples. I had to go home after class. No coffee, No Adventurer, No CU 4.....no fun! I couldn't go without my purse. After witnessing the mugging 2 weeks ago, I refuse to be out past 9pm without at least my phone.

My evening already ruined, I proceed to class grumbling all the way. I managed to pass onto a new piece of music, so apparently disappointment and annoyance work for me as a stimulus to adequate piano playing. I pack up and leave.

As I walk out the door, I notice something is not right! The snowbanks, formally up against the sidewalk on my side of the street, are now sitting out in the middle of the busy roadway. My car is nowhere to be seen. Ahhhh SH*&T! The game is afoot....and I'm not dressed for the weather!

Our fine city considers it an appropriate action to remove cars and deposit them wherever their little hearts desire if they are in the path of a plow. Before doing this though, they are generally post notice in the snowbanks, forewarning drivers to consider parking elsewhere. This was not done. I was now fuming mad. I return to the store.

"You're right! They didn't have signs posted in front!" Mr. G. a very talented guitar instructor informs me. (I especially like him because he agreed with me!)

"They generally park them around the corner or in a lot nearby when they remove them. That's what they did with Mr. L's last time." he correctly informed me. I know he was correct because I went marching up to a group of plow operators standing around chewing the fat and demanded to know the whereabouts of my car!

After much looking and much walking I was starting to think that this was some kind of bad joke. The heavy equipment operators must have hidden mine and been having a giggle at my expense watching me stomp up and down the street, nipples high and goose bumps out. Hatless, scarfless, long underwearless, talking to myself like some madwoman who just let herself loose from some institution.

I turn down yet another street and walk for some distance when I see it! Like a beautiful 17 year old rusting mirage in a frosty white desert. Beasty! Oh Beasty.....I've been looking all over for you! What have they done to you!

There sitting, not next to the curb, but a third of the way into the street was my car. Not just around the blog, but a good ways around the block all the way down to kingdom come.

Relief flooded over me. I wasn't going to get into trouble for loosing the car from Mr. P. I wasn't going to have to drag my family out into the cold night in our van, kids and all, to drive around and find my missing ride. Some of the anger started to melt away....well, not too much actually. When I looked up and saw the little love note the tow truck driver left me. A ticket.

Now luckily for them there wasn't any monetary value assigned to the ticket. BUT! the fact that they had the gall to post a ticked saying I had broken a by-law by parking where they were removing snow, as indicated by the SIGNS, I had gotten my car moved.

Let's just say that all driving regulations on the way home where optional where there was no chance of injuring anybody.

This means war.