The Big DumpTruck

A woman committed suicide Tuesday by jumping from her 14th story apartment, which happens to be across the street from the YMCA. It is hard for me to explain just exactly how close this is to the front door of the Y, but just know that it’s a one-way street with parking on both sides, so that’s what, three cars wide? There are sidewalks on both sides, but the Y is right there are the edge of the sidewalk and the apartment building is not set back very far at all.

There’s a pre-school IN the Y building face out that way, and there’s a daycare behind and to the left of the apartment building, so lots of little kids coming and going at that time of day. If it had been Friday, we’d have been leaving Junior’s swimming lesson at almost the exact time she jumped. I can’t even imagine how I’d have handled it. Hell, if it had been Saturday my niece and nephew would have been in the Y having their lessons (they don’t end until 10). If I recall correctly, there might have actually been a class that ended at 9:30 that day. Oh God, I feel soooo badly for any child who happened to see this. Hell, any adult, either.

There’s a really nice guy who stands in the road at the edge of the Y parking lot who makes sure that it’s only used for YMCA business; I assume he would have been the first one there, if not SEEN the whole thing.

People, please, if you’re going to kill yourself, don’t do it in front of a bunch of pre-schoolers, for God’s sake.

Ahhhh. Sleep! That’s what I was missing! Even though it was fitful at times (Junior woke in the middle of the night to complain that something was banging on his bed…sigh) it was WAY better than the night before. I have zero voice, but I feel 100% better. In fact, I’m drinking some tea right now and that’s helping the voice thing too. Maybe today will be almost normal?

I hear there might be showers this afternoon so I’d better take some time to find an umbrella before I head out. I don’t handle being wet all that well.

p.s. My security badge? Horrible picture. Just horrible. But I wasn’t feeling well, so I don’t think taking another one would have helped.

I know you’ve all been watching your blogrolls to see if I’ve updated…so here I am to say that other than feeling like absolutely doo-doo (the post-nasal drip from all weekend is trying to burst out of my chest and I have laryngitis, a great way to make a good first impression) everything went really well.

Everyone I met with was great, the work seems very interesting, and hey, free coffee! And it’s the good kind, Winslow’s flavored! Or tea, or cocoa, or even iced coffee. Hey, they even provide honey and lemon to go with the tea (which you can image was a delightful sight for me today).

I’m utterly and completely wiped out though, from the combo of being sick and just learning lots of new stuff. So I’m turning in early tonight…or as early as Junior will let me get away with.

WARREN — Bones found in the woods in Palmer have been identified as belonging to missing Warren lifeguard Molly Ann Bish, who disappeared nearly three years ago from her post at a rural pond, authorities said this afternoon.

I hate confrontation, so in order for me to say something to a perfect stranger, I either have to be beyond normal ranges for annoyance, or on some mind-altering substance. Just wanted to state that up front.

I had to return a video to Blockbuster before noon today or pay a billion dollars in late fees. Our BB has a quick return slot on the outside of the building, so you can just drive up and put it through the slot from your car. Now normal people approach the building so the driver’s side is next to the slot…because obviously there will always be a driver who can handle putting it in. So I am behind an Expedition waiting for the slot, while some yahoo has pulled in from the other direction so his wife (in the passenger seat) can use the drop. Stupid of him, but he was there first. We could wait. Well, I could. The chick in the Expedition hopped out and dropped hers in. Okay, she’s pulling away and I’m next….and there’s a Jetta parked just close enough to the slot that I cannot pull up to use it without cruching up a foot of his hood. But here’s the kicker…the car is EMPTY and there’s a guy walking toward the store. I think for a moment that he’s just going to drop a box in the slot, but he walks by it. I roll down my window.

“Excuse me, but did you just park there?”

“Ya”

“You parked in front of the drop-off slot!”

He looks at me then walks back, noting that yes, there is a drop-off slot that he JUST WATCHED TWO CARS USE. So he pulls around me and leaves his car to go inside…in FRONT of another store in the fire lane! (I should note that the space in front of the slot is also a fire lane, but people aren’t really stopping there so it’s not a problem.

Can someone PLEASE tell me why a piece of dung like this “human” feels he can inconvenience the UNIVERSE and BREAK LAWS because he is too freaking important to find a parking space? This wasn’t a hop out and hop back in situation…he turned off the car and locked it before going in. And his hands were empty which leads me to believe he was going to actually shop for a movie. HELLO? WHO ARE YOU? I swear, I should have called the cops on him, I was so angry. By the time waited for the light and left the parking lot his car was STILL sitting there.

So be honest…if you are the kind of wanker who thinks the fire lane laws don’t apply to you and that you can abandon your car in front of a store because you’ll only be there a minute could you please defend your actions for me and the rest of the folks who actually use the parking spaces that are provided for PARKING.