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View Full Version : This Has Certainly Been One Heck of A Strange Day!



Persephone
04-01-2011, 07:19 PM
This is NOT an April Fool's post. Honest. Every word of it is true and it happened as I'm about to describe.

I had my standing nail appointment set for noon today and got a text from my manicurist moving it to 12:15 so I left the house 15 minutes later than usual, wearing a V-neck pink top, black capris, and sandals.

As I was starting my car I noticed a line of traffic moving past my house. Odd since I live on a short residential street with only two cross-streets.

"Oh well," I figured, "something must have blocked the main street a block away and they're routing traffic through here."

That seemed particularly plausible when the last car was a police car.

But something else seemed odd. Although the vehicles were different colors, they were all large SUV's and now there were two police cars.

While I was mulling this over, all of the cars suddenly pulled over on the far side of the street, right in front of me. The doors started to open and guys wearing bulletproof vests and heavily armed with rifles and shotguns started to emerge.

I swear to you, my first thought was, "That is one hell of a force to arrest someone for crossdressing!"

As they milled around for a few moments I saw letters on the backs of the vests. Letters like ATF and DEA.

"Holy crap!" I thought, "which of my neighbors is really a drug dealer???"

Suddenly, on some kind of signal, they jumped back into the cars and roared down the street about four houses, quickly turning into a long driveway on the opposite side of the street.

I called my spouse and told her to stay in the house and not to open the door for anyone without absolute proof they were a police officer.

Then I decided that today might be a good day to take the longer route, heading out in the opposite direction from the way they had just gone.

I had a perfectly fine nail appointment. We chatted about this and that as she worked on my nails.

Then she had a little surprise for me. The next client was a lady who is one of my best friends, the mother of a boy who went to school with my son, and the wife of a guy friend of my boy self. My spouse and my boy self are scheduled to get together with them for dinner early next week.

Fortunately, the lady is someone takes everything in stride, and she's seen me before, so we sat and chatted about the new gel-coat polishes and life in general.

After I left the shop, I called my spouse to tell her that I was on the way home and she started to make lunch.

As I drove up to my house, there was the gardener's truck parked in front of it.

Maybe someone can explain why I totally dread being seen by my gardener and his son? Here I am, out and about, don't give a darn about my neighbors seeing me, but the gardener scares me.

Is it because he and my boy self both seem to enjoy chatting with each other and I don't want that to change?

Or is it because I don't want to be seen by his 13-year old son?

Or perhaps it is because he is huge, with that unique build of an ex-con who worked out and bulked up while in prison? (He has the tats to show for it).

Whatever, I kept driving, even though he looked up from where he was sitting on my front lawn.

I called my spouse and told her he was out there and she put lunch on hold. Then, for the next 1-1/2 hours, I drove around and shopped (lots of the local Blockbusters are closing and have DVD's really cheap), getting periodic updates from her.

Eventually, he and his son finished their work and took off. I came home and we started to sit down to lunch immediately.

At which moment a friend called to ask if she could come by to borrow my pickup truck and she's one my spouse would prefer to keep in the dark.

So off to change and then finally, finally, around 3:30 p.m. we had lunch.

For someone who is as out and about as I am, why are there some people I'm still afraid of?

Hugs,
Persephone

Rogina B
04-01-2011, 08:15 PM
You aren't alone on this! I think many of us "like to keep our distance" from some people..It seems avoiding someone feels better than just keeping it secret..."what they don't see,they don't know". "Can't put it back in the bag once it's out" LOL

Janine cd
04-01-2011, 08:47 PM
I've had a similar experience. Last month, I was totally dressed and planning to go out to shop for a new pair of heels when a neighbor and his daughter came to the door selling girl scout cookies. I was certain that they saw movement in our living room, but they left after ringing the door bell and not getting an answer. It would have been very embarassing if they had seen who was dressed in a very feminine outfit.

Bethany38
04-01-2011, 08:49 PM
Persephone you did have an odd day did'nt you.

t-girlxsophie
04-01-2011, 09:36 PM
All those men in uniform LOL even though you are out and about a lot,am sure there are some who wouldnt see you for the person you are,I applaud you for getting out there and being you.
Its only an elevator stopping me from showing my Sophie side to more ppl,maybe one day I will be braver,though did have nice chat with my Avon lady tonight:)

Sophie

Kathi Lake
04-01-2011, 10:39 PM
Barbara, thanks for making me laugh. I needed it today. I know many of my friends are off to Las Vegas, and I am stuck on base in Kevlar and a helmet. Sigh. :)

I do understand how with some people, it's a 'sliding scale' on who you want to be out to. Me, I don't mind being out to every stranger in the world. Make it a little closer to home, and even I get a little skittish. Plus, I'm sure you were a bit rattled by the TV-style action going down in your 'hood!

So, who was the druggie?

Kathi

PretzelGirl
04-01-2011, 10:47 PM
I think we start with a mindset of those we aren't going to let know and then once they do, it is hard to change our behaviour around them. I ducked around with one of my daughter's best friends for a while and then she told him. I still haven't been out in front of him and it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but it is habit.

darla_g
04-01-2011, 11:32 PM
But you left out the juciest part? What happened with all that commotion down the street? and why was the gardener parked in front of your house? You need better intel my friend!

Tina B.
04-02-2011, 08:03 AM
Wow, heck of a way to spend the day, I had the DEA experience once in my neighborhood, just a couple doors down, they do put on a show. As far as the Gardner, after years Reading about the out and about group on here, I think most everyone has someone they are not ready to come out to, be it boss, neighbor, or minister, there is always someone that can bring on the old insecurities.
Tina B.

Persephone
04-02-2011, 12:53 PM
But you left out the juciest part? What happened with all that commotion down the street? and why was the gardener parked in front of your house? You need better intel my friend!

To tell the truth, I don't know what happened once they pulled into the driveway! You'll have to forgive me but I had a nail appointment. So, perhaps for a moment I tried to weigh the choices -- go watch the huge federal bust or get my nails done. A split second later I headed out of the driveway and turned right, toward my nail appointment. A girl has got to have priorities!

Maybe later this week I'll ask a couple of the neighbors if they saw what happened after I left.

The gardener and his son were there to do the gardening! But apparently they decided to spend their lunch break reclining on my lawn. Actually, they were lying on the parkway (the grassy area between the sidewalk and the street). Which, by the way, put them just out of sight of two of the front yard video cameras, thereby reducing my intel.


Wow, heck of a way to spend the day, I had the DEA experience once in my neighborhood, just a couple doors down, they do put on a show. As far as the Gardner, after years Reading about the out and about group on here, I think most everyone has someone they are not ready to come out to, be it boss, neighbor, or minister, there is always someone that can bring on the old insecurities.
Tina B.

"Old insecurities." Well said, Tina! The list of people and places I feel insecure around has grown much smaller over the past couple of years, but it is still there.

Hugs,
Persephone.