Valentine's Day 2012

Today, since it is Valentine's Day, I decided to go to Boston and visit my husband

even though I still have a cold

and I'm coughing like a fiend

and I have a sinus headache

and I am probably still as germy as all get-out

I figured I would just stay outside of his room.

But geez I gotta see him in person on Valentine's don't I?

So, we finally reached the point that we are eligible for the lower parking rate.

You have to get this special form from the Social Worker and turn it in at the special window in the parking garage which is only open certain hours (of course).

So even though I got the form a couple of weeks ago, I still hadn't turned it in.

I've been busy coughing at home.

So today I parked like usual, took a ticket and found a spot

But then I went straight to the special window so I'd be sure to get my new discount rate card.

The guy gives me my new card and asks me if I am parked in the garage to which I say "yes".

He takes my ticket and stamps it and says he will give me the discounted rate for today too.

BONUS

and off I go happily to have my visit with my husband.

About an hour or so later I go to leave.

the girl in front of me is a dork and puts her ticket into the machine backwards or something and can't get it to work. 

 (You have to put your ticket in to get the arm to raise so you can leave the parking garage...proof that you paid at the cashier)

I'm sitting in my car thinking about how she is such a noob and why can't people just read directions already!

She finally figures it out and leaves (and makes a right hand turn from the left lane but whatever)

I pull up and put my ticket in correctly and pull up to leave

I don't even give it a thought.

I'm so cocky.

the arm doesn't go up.

I hear a beeping noise.

The guy in the car behind me has pulled up too and is right behind me.  I can't even back up to see what the heck is going on with my ticket which I can see in my side mirror has been spit back out by the machine.

OY!

That's what I get for thinking bad thoughts about the dumb girl before me, isn't it?

I have to get out of my car to walk back and try to re-insert my ticket.

There are like 5 cars behind me.

It gets spit back out.

A hospital police guy comes and tells all the other cars to go to another lane

-they all have to back up one by one-

 and puts an orange cone behind my car.

All those people are thinking I'm the noob now!

The guy from the parking cashier office saunters out and I tell him about the whole "discount card, stamping of the ticket" thing and he says "ok" and manually pushes some buttons to lift the gate.

Takes about 3 seconds.

And I'm on my way.

But feeling a little less cocky and like I should be a little less judgmental in the future.

but I did make a left turn from the left lane at least