Pulled Over Again

Oklahoma Highway Patrol likes me. Actually, they like to pull me over and give me warnings on yellow paper that I stuff into my glove box.

About 10 days ago I was pulled over driving from my store in Rogers, Arkansas home to Dallas. This drive takes about 5 1/2 hours, and a huge portion of it is through Oklahoma on I-40 and US 69.

I was cruising along, dancing to Michael Buble's latest CD, Crazy Love, when the trooper pulled me over. I was perplexed, I was astounded, I, for once, wasn't speeding, not one iota. I had no idea why I was being pulled over. The trooper came to the passenger side, and I lowered that window.

"I just wanted to see if you were tired or getting sleepy," he said, "Maybe texting even. You crossed the center line a couple of times a ways back." This was news to me, considering I was alert and fine, just driving along. I told him my company had just instituted a policy against distracted driving and showed him that my cell phones were in their cases and not in my hands. He saw my bluetooth device and believed me. I told him I felt fine and wasn't aware of crossing the center line. He asked to see my driver's license, then gave it back to me and walked back to his car. He wrote me a warning, and let me go. He was very friendly to me, apologetic even.

I still don't think I had crossed the center line, but was pulled over because of the color of my car, which everyone in Oklahoma thinks is pro-UT (University of Texas), when the state is very much an OU (University of Oklahoma) territory. I bought the tangerine metallic car because it was bright and vital and different. Ultimately, it doesn't matter why I bought it. If someone doesn't like the color of my car, they can just be glad they don't have an orange car and shut up about it.

I can't wait for my company car to be built and delivered. It's a black Ford Fusion and won't draw any attention to itself in Oklahoma or anywhere else. It will also be more difficult to find in a parking lot, but I think I can live with that.

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Today I took a 4 hour nap, and I'm about to go to sleep again. I don't get enough rest during the week, and today I had no planned obligations, so I did nothing whatsoever but eat, sleep, play on the computer, and watch part of Texas Ranch House on DVD again. I haven't had a day like that in a long time, and I sorely needed it.

I'm tired and going to bed now. Goodnight.