A Pleasant Surprise

Last Saturday, when we were driving home from our place in Maine, we stopped in Portland. We parked on the main street in a spot with a parking meter. We didn't think we'd be long, and there was some time on the meter, so none of us bothered to put any more money in the meter. Scott wanted to go to a certain store, and Cindy, Jean and I found a really neat kitchen supply place. We all took our time and just wandered around for a while.

You probably know where this is going. When we got back to the car, sure enough, there was a ticket on the windshield because the meter time had run out. Sigh... I hate having to pay money for something that's my fault that could have been prevented. Anyway, I just stuck the ticket in my purse and didn't think about it until today.

When I was getting ready to pay it online, I read it first (always a good idea), and discovered that Portland, Maine is an AWESOME place. You can read it for yourself, maybe, but it says "The city of Portland values your visit. The city will automatically void your first ticket" every six months and it requires no action on your part. How amazing is that? Can you imagine seeing that anywhere in NY????

So, if you ever get to Maine, be sure and stop off at Portland and spend some money there. It won't be difficult to do that because it's a nice city--the main street has a lot of great shops, and it's just a nice place to be.

Thought for the day, from Andy Rooney:

I've learned---that you should never say no to a gift from a child.