Got Insurance?

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Freddy Mike today and Joel yesterday. I would have sent you a present dad but the money you sent me for my birthday was used towards the postage for your card I sent this morning. I feel bad because I really don't know everyone's birthdays aside from my brothers and sisters...but I don't feel so bad because you probably don't know mine, if you do then I am truly sorry for forgetting. One of my old high school buddies called me to wish me a happy birthday a couple of birthday's ago, and I felt cool that he remembered but then I felt bad that I didn't know his. But then again that was the only time he called in five years so maybe he has birthday touretts syndrome...that was mean.

I wanted to let everyone in on a secret...Utah drivers are no longer considered the worst drivers in history (by Joni and I anyways). Dallas drivers are by FAR the worst drivers I have EVER seen. Even the cops speed and swerve around without using their blinkers. In Utah a yellow light means speed up before it gets red, in Dallas a yellow light means, "oh pretty honey, the light is changing colors", and red means," is it already that close to Christmas?" I think if the language barrier is so bad that you can't read a stop sign then there is a huge problem...and a LARGE percentage of the population is not insured, nor has ever even heard of driver's ed. I think the general consensus here is that if you can reach the pedals, or have previous experience driving a tractor of some sort (including lawn mowers), then you are good for the road. I can't remember but don't you need a drivers license to get you car registered or have insurance? Well not here, I think drivers licenses here are so that when someone finds you on the side of the road, they know that it is truly YOUR wallet they have in thier hands and where to drop you off in case you are hurt. I don't want to share any personal experiences for fear of scaring any small children from coming here, but it is unbelievable how dangerous some people can be behind the wheel. Maybe I am getting old and cranky behind the wheel and I just never noticed it before...nope, thats not it. Speaking of stupid drivers, Joni's brother had someone crash a truck into thier family room a couple of months ago, so maybe I am not the one to complain about bad drivers.

I still remember the first time I drove, I was two or three years old. Somehow I got the car started and going backwards with the doors locked. I was having fun until I saw the look on my brother's face as he was banging on the window telling me to stop. I ended up driving through the garden right into the horse pasture fence. The best thing about the whole ordeal was that we had a perfect little hole in the fence afterwards that we could walk through without the horses getting out. I think I just figured out the whole bad driver thing here...Nascar is HUGE down here, and that explains everyone sitting on thier front porches. I can hear the guy in his rocking chair now, "look Clive, here comes that crazy lawyer in his fancy car again...woooooo!"

Aside from everything I seem to complain about and joke about all of the time, Dallas is a pretty fun place. There are no plans to stay here long term by any means, but I think I am feeling a bit more at home now instead of like I am on some extended vacation.