Up and Down........

It's been one of those weeks where your blood pressure goes on a roller coaster ride. For most people, that's OK, for me..I have to watch it.

It started Sunday night. I was checking my e-mails when my computer started alerting me to the fact that I now had 38 potentially dangerous viruses. 38! How that can happen that quickly, I don't know, but it did. Of course, all I'd have to do is activate my Virus Protection Program....which I never got around to getting.

Monday morning, I had to go in for blood work, so I had to let the computer problem sit until I got back. I won't bother detailing the stress I got when I took the laptop to my local P. C. Richards (where I bought it). Suffice it to say that I wound up downloading the anti-virus program and clearing up the 38 viruses (and 194 cookies as well).

Highlights from the rest of the week were better. I got a good report on the blood work and don't have to go back until July; I got to attend a Town Hall Meeting with the Governor; and Thursday was Paddy's Day. All of these good things should've reduced my stress level but my daughter is getting married a week from today so, as the Father of the Bride, I'm on high alert. (I haven't mentioned this before, as it had no bearing on these entries.)

This morning, I woke up at 6:30, feeling a little off, but decided to run some errands. You know, take a ride - it's almost Spring. I got out onto Rahway Avenue, intending to head to Wegman's and fell in behind a small, commercial truck belonging to a local exterminator. His right blinker was on. It was on all the way down Rahway to Main Street, and down Main. After about 15 minutes or so, he did turn right, into the shopping area where Wegman's was located. He finally turned off the blinker then abruptly turned left into the Wegman's lot- without a blinker. I turned right, into a different lot.

Now, one of the things that bothers me when I drive is a person who doesn't use his blinker. And another thing that bothers me is a person who doesn't turn off his blinker. Here was a guy who did both. I could feel my pressure going up.

I got out of my car and headed towards Wegman's. The small truck was in front of me, and the driver was still in it. As I got closer I could see that he was reading the paper. I took the Flasher out of my pocket. I looked around. No one around. Closer. Still no one.

Well, Whaddaya Know............

The snow is all gone, finally. The weather is still changeable, but there are enough sunny, warmish kinda days to make it all bearable. And Spring is coming in a few weeks. All in all, things are good. Today in fact turned out to be a good day for a drive. I headed down to Monmouth County.

I'm more cautious now, when I'm driving. More alert. I'm not worried, or scared necessarily. Just watchful. I'm more aware of black SUV's, for example, and any other vehicle that may be following me too closely. But I'm gonna try not to let it bother me. I've got faith in Doyle, Craig, and their team.

I had a few places I wanted to stop at, and a few things I wanted to pick up. For the most part, I was lucky. I considered it a good day as I headed back up Route 35. I had one more stop - the Middletown Library on New Monmouth Road.

I was about 20 or so feet away, with my blinker on, when some clown zooming from the opposite direction turned into the parking lot, cutting me off. I had to slam on the brakes, but I didn't think that bothered him - he was on the phone. As I turned in, I saw that he'd pulled up to the curb in front of the library, covering 3 parking spaces and scaring the crap out of a young woman and a child in a stroller. The music from the car drowned out the screams from the child.

I parked in the first spot I found, and headed toward the library. The punk got out, still on the phone, still ignoring the woman and child and left the car running and the music blaring. He went inside.

I had the Flasher in my pocket.

I walked around the front of his car, looking around, but all the people I could see - including the woman and child - where staring after the punk. I passed his car and...........

point, press, Flash..............

the music stopped. No one seemed to notice the flash of light. I was hoping everyone would chalk up the silence to a delayed timer on the car. I entered the library.

The punk was arguing with the librarian. From what I could gather, he was returning some DVD's for his girlfriend and there was some kind of  late fee due. He refused to pay it, laughed at the librarian, and stormed out. I waited by the shelves that held the Sale books. It didn't take long. Everyone around the front desk could hear the shouting from outside. I went out to see what all the fuss was about.

The punk was pacing back and forth, swearing up a storm, and practically strangling the remote locking device, trying to open the car.
"What the hell? Why won't this work? This is a brand new car! What the hell?"
"Don't you have a key?" I asked, calmly.
"What?.... A key?... Of course I have a Key!.... What are you, an idiot?"

I just looked at him, and grinned. Finally, it dawned on him. He did have a key.

"Oh........ Yeah." He opened the door.

I walked back to my car. And waited. Nothing happened. He must've been trying, but nothing happened. I could just make out his voice, screaming, as I drove away.I hadn't gone too far when my phone rang. The ID was "James". I put it on speaker.
"Hello."
""Mr. O'Neill, it's Craig."
"Ah. Craig. How are you? What can I do for you?"
"Well, Scanners indicate that you've used the Flasher, and since our Trackers on you are in tight, they were in the Middletown Library lot shortly after you pulled out. You don't get a "Confirm" credit for a car, you know?"
"HAH. I hadn't thought about it, but that's OK. The punk deserved it."
"That's what the Trackers reported, having spoken to several people in the area, and witnessing the car owners behavior."
"Doyle said that this new Flasher would take out a car engine, and it worked beautifully."
"Apparently so. The local police have arrived, and they're having the car towed, and have ticketed the driver for parking illegally, among other things. You really did a number on him."
"If you're asking me if I feel bad for him, I don't. I'm sure he's pissed off, and I'm sure he won't learn anything from the experience, but I feel good and I'm pretty sure that woman with the child - and maybe even the librarian - are having one of those "karma's a bitch" moments."

He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again - even though he couldn't condone what I'd done - I could almost hear the smile in his voice.
"I understand, Mr' O'Neill. Have a good day." He hung up.

I thought about that and, yes, I WAS having a good day.

 Whaddaya know about that.