Another moment in time.

As of noon yesterday - I had faxed my numbers to the government. Closing the book with a resounding "bang" on the September deadlines. Done done and done !!! And as it happens every year, I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.. .DONE !!

Except for one small snag (I have been informed that the measures I took to ensure I have a full staff will probably be overturned) ...... everything was looking pretty damn rosy when I left school yesterday afternoon. I even had rock music on in the car, and I was "bopping" my way home in the pouring - monsoon-like rains.

When I arrived home there was a police car with flashing lights blocking my entrance to the driveway. I thought 'silly damn fool - traffic stop in my driveway??!! WTF??" I sat for a couple of minutes on the street with my flashers going showing I wanted to drive in. I was ignored.

Finally I squeezed my car into a parking spot - half in half out of a no parking zone - and got out of my car. There was a nice cup of steaming hot coffee in my future - just at the end of this driveway... and no one was gonna stop me getting to it.

I climbed out of my car, juggling my book bag, my purse, my car keys, and the umbrella. Under my bright yellow sunflower umbrella I made my way past the police cruiser that blocked the entrance to the driveway. That was when I noticed a second (unmarked) car off to the side. There was a man standing behind a young female. She was looking over her shoulder..... and I realized that the "man" was a policeman and he was handcuffing her hands behind her back.

I think I was a little bit in awe of the scene in front of me, and I wasn't really paying attention to anything else going on around me, as I stepped forward - a woman on a mission - and nearly collided with another policeman holding a gun. Then the whole scene unfolded in front of me... There was yet another unmarked car parked right behind a green car, there was a young man being frisked over the trunk of that green car by a policeman in uniform (this time) and the cop holding the gun was 'covering' the two of them. And here I was the dipstick teacher walking boldly right into the middle of the whole thing !!!

All 3 men turned to look at me. Can you picture this??? Here was a police operation underway, and here I was ... this silly old lady with a huge book bag, purse, keys still jangling in her hand, and a bright yellow sunflower umbrella picking her way past them all. The scene was frozen in time for a brief second.

Finally the cop holding the gun motioned for me to get out of the way, which I did in record speed.

Once I got past the scene - I stood in the pouring rain with some neighbours standing a safe distance down the driveway - watching the TV like police operation take place in front of my eyes.

After a short time - not so short when one is standing in torrential rains getting soaked despite the bright yellow sunflower umbrella - some big wig showed up and the cars were moved to the side. I went back out onto the street and retrieved my lil car and eased it past the commotion and safely into my parking spot. Scooted inside and had my steaming cup of coffee.

Which is when the foolishness of what I had just done finally sank in. Who in god's name walks into the very middle of a police operation - where there are guns drawn??? Who?? ME.

Yup another moment in time... only this one wasn't a sexy daydream.