Need for Speed...

So I got my first speeding ticket a couple of weeks ago. Somehow I have avoided achieving this feat since I first earned my license at age 16 until now as I come to the twilight of my mid-twenties (I'm a young 28). I have found, in those 12+ years, a series of rules that coupled with a lot of luck have helped me avoid the trap of a speeding ticket.

1) Know the Speed Traps: As a teenager there was basically only one in-between Forest and pretty much anywhere you would ever want to go in the "city." This allowed me to do stupid teenager things like go 85 on the road on the way back to my house when I was going to miss curfew, but still slow down on the downhill section where the cop was always staked out.

2)The "9-over rule." We humans tend to really like round numbers. Why was it crowded with hikers on Sarah and I's 14er hike last year...mainly because America never adopted the metric system and a 14er sounds cooler than a 42.67er. In the mind of a cop with a radar gun in Lynchburg, Charlottesville, or even Denver going less than 10 over never seems to get a look. Notice that I didn't mention my other primary place of driving, Northern Virginia. In NoVa, the corollary to this rule is that if traffic is actually moving, the "14-over rule" and even occasionally the "19-over rule" applies. It all depends on how fast those few people in the left lane are leaving you in the dust.

3) Respect Greene County. The one source of revenue for the Greene County police force is speeding tickets on Route 29 (for those that don't know this is one of the big counties between the University of Virginia and the Washington DC area). Cops are out on nights, weekends, holidays, and all throughout May. Most of my friends have gotten busted on this popular route at one point in their lives. The only way to avoid it is DON'T SPEED IN GREENE COUNTY.

Unfortunately, my fail-safe system all came crashing to an end when I received this bad-boy:



If you look closely at the ticket you can see my violation: going 19 in a 10. Yes, my first speeding ticket was in my parking lot at work! They have temporarily closed the back entrance to the garage that is closest to my building (it's a three buidling complex), so I have to enter through the other garage and pass by this 1/4 mile stretch with VIP parking. Are their speed-bumps you ask? No, they actually have the guards hide behind a dumpster and use a radar gun to ticket violators. They actually pull you over in the parking lot, and give you the "talk." I had to use all my will power to stifle laughing out loud at the absurdity of the whole situation. The streak is finally over, so I've added another rule: pump the brake a little the next time you pass a dumpster in a parking lot (you never know who could be hiding back there).

Blades and Booze IX...

Another B&B Party is in the books. The costumes were great and after Sarah and I put probably the most work ever into a costume, at least two full weekends and several nights shopping for supplies and making most of our costumes, we scored with the 3rd place prize (if you're interested in the other winners you'll have to check the webpage once its updated)!

Sarah as the most dangerous woman in the world, with a dodgeball and myself as White Goodman, someone who always takes the bull by the horns, literally- two of the key members of the Globo Gym Purple Cobras
Last year I gave props to my favorite non-winners of the costume contest in my post-Halloween entry. This year I want to recognize three individuals who never have won any prize at the B&B party, although not because they didn't have some of the top costumes, only because they prefer to remove themselves from the contest and perform a sacred party tradition - drunk costume judging.

Rob as two-face from Batman (great makeup and effort to sew two suits together), Eric making a frightingly smooth transition to a red demon from Hell (easily his best costume to date) and Bruce with a solid Vampire costume that doesn't require any red-eye removal.




The party itself was a blast again, the post-party report indicated that we had just under 50 people despite the rather out of the way location. The ice luge was a big hit as always and there was plenty of rumple to be had by all.

My last post offered some advice for party goers, but nothing for party-hosters. After this party I have only one small piece to add for Meghann and Duncan (our gracious hosts), remember that you're risking the threat of red body/face paint on your wall, on your steps, in your tub, on your towels, on your sofa, on your sofa cushions, and probably on many other places that I didn't see.
Who was pouring ice luge shots all night?