Cause two is not a winner and three nobody remembers*

It's February!! As Ryan put it, it's the month of loooove and important people's birthdays (like...Abraham Lincoln and George Washington...and Ryan...)

It's kind of strange but February feels more like my new year than January did. Maybe because I spent most of January sick and feeling not so productive. But who said you had to start over on January 1st? February 1st is my new new year! So far I am on top of my budget (as in I am actually recording my expenses), I'm simplifying my life (my weekend plans seem very - simplified and to be honest, I'm very excited about it). And I've done some sort of work-out everyday this month! Man February is awesome! I'm glad it's short so I have less time to screw it up.

So - I wanted to tell you a story that changed my life and helped me to bring in my "new year". Have you ever had one of those moments at a stop light where you see a light turn green and you think it's yours? Say, you are in the left turn lane and you, as well as the traffic going straight, have a red light. Then the traffic going straight gets a green and for some odd reason your brain is like, "That's yours! Take it!"? Ever have that? I never had - normally I see people do it and chuckle about it or ask them what they think they are doing (you now, not directly ask them, just ask the air around myself pretending that the person in the other car can hear me). Well, this happened to me Tuesday. I saw the green and started to go and then realized that the oncoming traffic was COMING! So I hit my brakes and look at the light again and sure enough, I have a red. How embarrassing! I'm one of THOSE people! But it doesn't end there...right behind me, ready to take a left turn too, was a cop.

Oh Nelly.

So when my light DID turn green, I took the turn slowly and waited for the familiar lights (is it sad to you that I just said "familiar lights"? Cause it's sad to me). Sure enough, they came on. There was a gas station there, so I pulled in to make things safer for him. Then I rolled down my window and put my hands on my wheel (this is what they told me to do in driving improvement school....all four times). Then I wait.

"Hello," a voice says, but the voice is not right by my window which throws me off. So I turn slightly to see behind me, he seemed almost nervous to approach. "Hello," I say back. He takes enough steps forward so I can hand him my license, he explains why he is pulling me over (as if I didn't realize my blunder) he asks me if I am from around there (not really to be honest), he gives me a hard time about my license not having the address I just stated but I was ready with my DMV card they send when you move, and then he walks away to check things. I wait patiently, wondering how to work into my budget a speeding ticket and the subsequent rise in my car insurance. Then he comes back, to his original spot of 'off to the side'. He asked me how to pronounce my last name and I tell him and he hands me back my license. Then he says something completely unexpected.

"You have a pretty good driving record, so I don't want to give you a ticket. Just be careful."

Wha??? I'm elated! I mean, no simpler words could possibly describe this feeling. I thanked him and ensured him I would and he went back to his car and left and I went on my way, a new person. You see, in all my years of driving I have never been pulled over and NOT received a ticket. I've had some tell me they understand how I could have made that mistake, but none have ever said that they won't give me a ticket. I was also amazed that he said I have a pretty good driving record. I guess driving improvement school really does remove that stuff from your record!

So I think it fits in well, having that happen on my new new year's eve. The evening before I start to buckle down and work on my resolutions is the same evening the impossible happens. It's going to be a good 11-month year.