Police State

I am a law abiding citizen. I believe in the rule of law. I believe no one is, or should be, above the law. I do everything in my power to know what is legal and to follow the law. I believe most laws are good, and necessary. I believe that if a law is bad, we should still obey the law until we can get it changed.
Having said that, I still think some policeman are bully's. I think some of them take up that profession because they like to push people around.
One of my sons was walking home from Junior High when a policeman going the opposite direction down the road made an illegal u-turn and came careening around to pull up next to my son and his friends. He demanded to know what my son did with the cigarette. My son was confused, as he doesn't smoke. The policeman was yelling at him, "I saw you smoking, I saw the cigarette in your mouth, what did you do with it!" apparently rather out of control. My son finally figured out that he had had a pen in his mouth while he reached in his pocket for something, but by the time the policeman pulled around he had put the pen in the pocket. I would never have known about the incident except that one of the friends reported it to her father, who reported it to the chief of police. They called me to say the officer was under investigation for the incident.
One night another son was driving home with a group of friends when a policeman pulled them over and made them all get out of the car. The driver wanted to know what they had been pulled over for and was told there were deer out that night and the policeman wanted to warn them to drive carefully. Okay. The policeman then made them stick out their tongues and proceeded to tell them that their tongues were green so he knew they had been smoking marijuana. He kept talking to them, harassing them about all sorts of things they had not done until one of them said that they were going to be late for curfew (their family, curfew, not the town curfew). The policeman asked what their curfew was and said he was going to keep them until they were late. At that point, one of the boys whose parents are political activists asked the man's name and badge number. He finally let them go then, without giving his name or badge number.
One evening we (sweet C and I) were sitting on the front porch listening to his ham radio when we heard about a riot at a youth dance at the next town. The police were asking for backup from the closest towns. Our three youngest boys were all at that dance so we went up to get them. When we got there young people were streaming down to the closest store to try and call home, wandering everywhere while they waited for their parents to pick them up. We walked into the crowd to try to find our boys. We found one, and he was steps behind us when a policeman started yelling at him to get out of there, go home, he'd been told to disperse, why was he still there?!!! He replied that he was looking for his little brother, which got more yelling, and then said he was with his parents, and pointed to us. The policeman calmed right down but we had already heard him, all of them, screaming at these kids as if they were criminals. We later heard what had started the riot. Someone in a house nearby had set out a chair for the parade the next day, and one of the kids had picked it up and brought it to the dance to sit on. The woman called the police and they came to find a young man sitting in it. They immediately started bullying him about taking the chair, only, this young man hadn't brought the chair over, he was just sitting in it. He also happened to be a young man with mental problems, he is rather slow, though probably not retarded. When the policeman got into his face and was yelling at him, another boy stepped in and tried to protect the first boy. The policeman yelled at and shoved the second boy, so the kid shoved back. The policeman was twisted around at that point and he went down, twisting his ankle. He came up spraying mace everywhere, and all the kids who got hit started yelling, which made the other two police at the scene jump in and start with the night sticks, as well as call for backup. This was an outdoor dance held in the parking lot of a church. No seating provided, no access to restrooms, or phones. Kids had been dropped of by their parents with instructions that they would be picked up at a certain hour, and after the first few kids came to the only store nearby , the store owners wouldn't let anyone else borrow their telephone. The kids had no way to reach their parents (cell phones were just coming in to fashion, only one or two kids had them) and no way to get home.
One day we got a call from the school. Our son was with the police. He was suspected of stealing a stereo out of a car in the auto shop. When we got down there we found that the police had been questioning him for hours, telling him that the other kids all said he had done it, and that they, (the police) knew he had, as they had proof. They showed us the tape from the shop camera, and sure enough, you can see my son get into the car. And you can see him get right back out again. He was in there all of 3 seconds, not time enough to steal anything. I pointed that out to the police, as well as the fact that he had not left the shop before they arrived, where would he have the stereo? Turns out the kid who fingered my son was the one who took the stereo.
One of my sons got a ticket for obstruction of vision. Since there was nothing obstructing his vision except a little tree shaped piece of cardboard hanging from the mirror, he went to court to talk to the judge. Turned out the policeman was driving past and saw my son flip him the bird. Now, I am ashamed that my son did that, but it isn't against the law. The judge told him so and let him off.
My boys don't think much of policemen.
Yesterday one of my sons came out to find his car had been booted. This car is new, only four months old. Right after he bought the car he got two tickets for parking in front of his house, (no off street parking at his place of residence so he has to park on the street) without a permit. Only, you can't get the permit without proof of registration and it hadn't come yet. When the license came he went to get a permit, but needed the paperwork. They hadn't sent paperwork, only a license. He went to the DMV to get paperwork, but they had suspended his license since they didn't get proof of insurance. When he called the insurance company it turned out that they had sent paperwork, but one number or letter on the VIN didn't match what the DMV had so it was ignored. He got that straightened out, but before the paperwork came he had received two more tickets. Revenue is down so the city has doubled the price of tickets. This young man has been out of work for three months and doesn't have the money to pay the tickets so hadn't done so. Now he has had to pay the last of his savings to pay 4 tickets he never should have gotten and the boot removal fee. $530, but you can't find a job if you don't have a car. Besides, they would have towed the car if he didn't pay it, they have done it before, and then he would have owed even more.
Ever think the government is just out to get you?

A bit of cheer

A quick update: I still don't know what exactly is causing my vertigo. The doctor just gave me motion sickness pills, and since they make one drowsy and so they shouldn't drive - I seldom take them. I am getting rather used to being dizzy though! Hah!
I really am posting just to bring a little spring into this very cold and snowy winter. I thought I should post some pictures I took at Thanksgiving Point Gardens last summer and saved purposely for mid-winter cheer. Hope you ENJOYED them!

All living things need WATER!

When I got up yesterday morning the room swayed, my head spun and I nearly fell. I had to grab the closest thing twice more before I made it to the bathroom! I didn't know what to think, it felt like when I was hypoglycemic and didn't eat. But I did eat and I no longer have low blood sugar. We had been working out with the trainer the day before and my legs were killing me. He had us do three different exercises that targeted the front of the thighs and believe me, I felt the burn. Could that be causing my vertigo? Was I having my blood blocked? I had just read about the symptoms of women having heart attacks (as opposed to men), and I think I have most of them all the time. That is the biggest problem with women's health. So many of the things that would be really dangerous if it happened to a man, we deal with every month. Could I be having a heart attack? We did our normal walk, and ran a few errands. I went fabric shopping with a friend. But through it all, every time I changed position I nearly passed out. I even sat in a recliner and tried to sleep. My head was spinning even more with my eyes closed. I saw weird colors and patterns behind my eyelids.
It felt like a bad reaction to a drug, or fainting when pregnant. Mostly it felt like when you were a little kid and spinning, spinning, spinning on a merry-go-round. Then when you get off your head still spins and you have to sit down until it passes. Only, this isn't passing!
This morning, still spinning, sweet C looked it up for me on the internet. There were three possibilities, low blood pressure, an inner ear infection, or dehydration.
Dehydration sort of feels right. I forget to drink. So I started guzzling water. So far, though I am hardly back to normal, it does feel a bit better. (If it isn't all the way better by tomorrow I will call the doctor, this is just weird!!!)
So now I have another thought. My mother suffered with vertigo for years. It seemed to start after a heart surgery when her eyesight never came back into focus. Now I have to wonder if she was simply dehydrated for years. She almost never drank anything. I always worried about that, but didn't think about it causing the dizzyness.
Oh, for the days when I didn't have just one medical concern after another!!!!

Oh, remember, remember

I am doing the same job that I did 10 years ago. Every day I am reminded of things I did before that I had forgotten. I do learn a few new things, as we are doing some things differently this time around, but mostly it is a matter of remembering.
It makes me think about how often the scriptures ask us to remember, remember - usually repeated twice. When one stops going to church, or stops living the gospel as they know it, for whatever reason - they quickly begin to forget those things they knew or believed. Very quickly after choosing to ignore God and His ways we no longer remember what those ways were and it becomes easier to ignore more, which makes us forget more. Eventually we can drown out even the basic conscience that belongs to all men. God will do for us those things that we cannot do for ourselves, but we must do those things that we can, such as be good, be kind, follow the commandments, obey God's law. He that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, it is sin. That's a misquote but I'm not looking in my scriptures right now. I feel like I am seeing so much more immorality in the world than I used to. Those of us trying to follow the teachings of Christ must become better in order to keep the balance in the world.
I propose an experiment. Look up in the scriptures how many things we are told to remember. Maybe we can learn something we need from these things?

Having a happy holiday

My daughter was able, at nearly the last minute, come with hubby and baby to visit us for Christmas. So brother from California and his girlfriend came to be sure to see the baby and the two boys in SLC made it down as well. They may be coming to see baby but I got to see them too!! We were rather snowed in, it has snowed many inches many times in the past few days, but we made a fire, shoveled snow and visited a lot. Drank a lot of hot chocolate. We should probably have played more games but talking seems to take up all our time. Watched a few movies, played with my grandpuppy and a grandkitty too. Mostly it was a quiet Christmas as I am toning down the santa stuff and putting up more nativities instead. We sang hymns and read scriptures and ate a lot. One son and his girlfriend made a huge snowman which then proceeded to tilt over the next few days till it finally hit the ground. Hilarious! It was a good time and the only thing that would have made it better would have been if my oldest son and his family could have come. Maybe next time?

Over veg-ing

I am so out of practice at working full time! I get the work done fine, maybe even a little too much (my tendency is to fill out my time card and then later study something I need to, do e-mail to my boss, sort things for the next day. I swore I wouldn't 'give' time away this time but I do that just the same), However, I am having trouble keeping up with my housework. I am tired when I get home. I don't want to start a new cleaning project or renovating project. I will get better as I get used to work (I keep promising myself!), but right now I just want to sit and knit - crochet, and watch Christmas specials. At least I don't have to worry about doing any chores outside. It is too cold, too snowy and I did most of what I needed to in the yard before it became too cold and snowy. I would have liked to move some strawberry plants, but they will wait til next year. No, it is the renovating that needs my time and attention and is just not getting it. I WILL DO BETTER, I WILL DO BETTER. Think affirmations really work?

My word is my bond!

I have gone back to work full time. I'm very torn between wanting to stay home and do all the work that I need to do around here, (I still have move in stuff to do, cleaning stuff to do, and renovating stuff to do) and wanting to work and get out of debt. Renovating was my idea, but my timing was awful. Now I worry every time I hear a new message about preparedness. We had a member of the stake presidency speak to us again last Sunday. I owe money and I want not to!
So, I am back working for the US Census Bureau. I'm recruiting for individuals to work on the 16 operations we will have leading up to and taking the decennial census. Anyone who is interested in temporary work, (some part time, some full time) please call 1-866-861-2010. They will tell you where to apply in your area.

Another reason that I am feeling especially the need to get out of debt is that I have just heard a story of the latest loss of integrity in the world. The newest thing is to buy a new house while you are still in the old one. Prices have fallen so you might find a bargain. Then, after having obtained the new house, you stop making payments on the old one. It is foreclosed upon, your credit is ruined, but you have a house already so you don't care. This is fraud! It is stealing! It is conspiracy to commit fraud! It is totally illegal and completely immoral, yet people are getting away with it. There are too many of these crimes for them to be prosecuted.
Guess who will end up paying for this crime? All of us who want to buy houses in the future. All of us whose hard earned money is going to bail out companies who borrowed their entire working capital. All of us who want to use a bank that used poor business sense and lent to people without checking to see if they would pay back.
Lack of integrity in the world affects all of us. Stealing effects us all. (Obviously I don't know which of those words is correct.) However, I, for one, will pay everything that I have contracted to pay! My integrity is more important to me than any loss of value. (Hey, if I thought it was worth what I paid for it why should what is going on in the market effect my belief?)