Driving lessons 101

I realize its been a few years since I've driven a car.  But I had driven for 22 years prior so I CAN still remember (senility hasn't taken THAT much of a foothold...yet) certain rules.  When I was taught in drivers ed (and by the way as of the last time speaking to anyone from Exeter Area High School's drivers ed class...I'm still used as an example of how NOT to drive) of what to do when coming to an intersection (with a stop sign) you were to stop ON THE WHITE LINE and look BOTH ways before proceeding.  And in the absence of a white line you were to use the position of the stop sign as your INVISIBLE white line.  Well APPARENTLY the rules and laws of driving (not to mention caution and common decency) are somewhat more stringent in New England because, as I see it down here you MUST be taught that the white line signifies when you are supposed to BEGIN to slow down, and to not come to a full stop until the front end of your car touches on THRU traffic (or until it strikes down pedestrians, or bike riders) at which point you MUST tell the person on the other end of the cell phone line to "hold On" because you have to back up to see if what you HIT is still moving!  As far as looking both ways apparently it is very difficult as some of you must find it entirely to much of an inconvenience and unnecessary waste of precious seconds (not to mention a hindrance to your texting) to look in any other direction then LEFT!

AS you may have guessed this mornings ride had to be somewhat waylaid, as I had FORGOTTEN to pay our water bill!  With the ensuing morning chaos, complicated by a monumental lack of sleep (I've been married to the same wonderful woman for 18 years and hardly spent a night apart) I had all but blown it off.  SOOO with my wife's erstwhile friend caring for Izy. I set out for downtown to feed more money into the voracious maw of the municipal utilities (may they all feel the icy cold hand of death grip around their scrawny throats(just kidding)(OK kidding a little)(more like may they suffer festering gangrenous puss ridden sores)(sorry if you were eating))

Whoa got WAY off track there! And of course look death in the eyes twice there and thrice back!  Hence my incessant morning tirade!  BUT in somewhat defence of the drivers; at some intersection, even though this city is ultra strict about some stupid sh...stuff, they seem to have NO problem with various obstructions to the drivers line of sight.  At times making so they HAVE to pull out almost into traffic to see whats coming.  Hey I LOVE trees and "SHRUBBERIES!" (but make this one slightly smaller then the first to create a nice tapering effect!) but you really need to trim them back so they can see what they're about to hit!

Well anyWHO!  We, needless to say have a LONG day ahead of us filling up the barren floor of our store, so I better end this conversation. Truth is you could talk my ear off!

See.  Pretty WHITE lines !  (no, no stop rolling up that $100 dollar bill) this line means STOP, but notice the lovely green obstructions (ahhhhh.....SHRUBBERY!)