There
are many thing you aren't told about getting older such as you get
clumsier and dumber--yes, it will happen to you, too. Don't say I
didn't warn you!

About
25 years ago I received a gift--it was a plate dedicated to "A Chorus
Line" that came mounted of a music stand that played the song "One"
from the show. I have carefully wrapped it and moved it from apartment
to apartment--at least 6 of them--without anything happening. Last week
I was watering my plants on the window sill and I hit the plateaccidentally causing it to fall on the floor and shatter to pieces. It was a special plate issue by Avon in a limited number.

For
my last Leap Year birthday, in 2004, Gino gave me a plate with
chocolate sayings on it, among other things. I decided to replace the
broken A Chorus Line plate with Gino's chocolate plate. This morning,
while watering the plants, I did it AGAIN!! I knocked the plate to the
ground and it smashed to pieces. (Sorry Gino!) Now I am left with a
music stand playing One.

That's
nothing compared to the dumb thing I did yesterday! I had Jill's car
and since she was returning last night I wanted to take advantage ofhaving
a  car and not staying indoors. I decided to go downtown to the
Riverfront to people watch, see the boats and enjoy the beautiful,
sunny breezy day.The past two days had been cold--oh, okay, cool--going
into the high 50s at night in the morning and only hitting the mid 70s
during the day--so I wanted to feel the sun on me.

I
parked in the garage about 2 blocks from the riverfront in a handicap
spot as I carried my handicap placard in Jill's car. I spent around 2
hours walking around this 'white elephant'--more about the riverfront
complex in another blog--and then left. I saw it as soon as I got back to the garage and knew what it was. There was an envelope under the windshield wiper--I had forgotten to hang the handicap placard and got a ticket for $250.

Today
I called the number on the back of the ticket to see about appealing it
and I was told I would need a few things such as a copy of my license,
a letter from Jill that I had her permission to use her car, a copy of
the placard, a copy of the registration, etc. When I got to the ticket
place it seems two things were wrong--first I had thought they wanted a
copy of Jill's car registration but it turns out they wanted a copy of
the handicap placard registration--which I had kept which, in turn,
boggled the clerk's mind as she said no one kept that paper--I did!!!
The other 'mistake' was that Jill had to get HER permission letter
notarized.

After
running around all day and bothering Jill a few times I was told by the
clerk that if I got all the papers together I could either mail them
into her or bring them in--she suggested the latter saying 'things'
would go faster and smoother. She as much as said that in all
probability the ticket would be dismissed. In order to give Jill time
to get the letternotarized I asked Allen if he would mind if we went
back to the clerk's office next Wednesday and then, hopefully, this
dumb, stupid thing I did will be all over. I had nightmares last night
of having to pay $10 a month for 25 months but then someone asked,
"Will you be alive that long?"

Say what you will about people who work for the MVD I found them all to be great and understanding. I don't know if Fort Lauderdale is the only city that has a separate department for these kind of
tickets but the whole thing took 5 minutes and when I go there next
Wednesday it will not take any longer.

I just hope that as I get older I don't get any more clumsier (is that a word?) or dumber but I wouldn't bet against it! LOL