Sometimes making the hard parenting decisions really sucks!

       On Brenna's last trip down to Radford to go batting - she got another freaking speeding ticket, actually reckless driving again!  For going 88mph!  What the hell - even John and I don't go that fast.  Even worse, she was driving James and Charlotte's truck.  The day before her truck broke down on the highway and to save me from having to drive her down to Radford and then driving back and heading to Buffalo, the Price's graciously offered their Durango.  Even more worse... as she drove out of the driveway, I said "Here's the cruise control, make sure you use it." and John said, "How do you drive in someone else's car?" to which Brenna replied... "Like a Grandma."  And then.... she gets a freaking reckless driving ticket....AGAIN.

     What a total cluster this has turned out to be.  We decided we needed to hire a lawyer, because there is a small chance this could be ruled a felony or she could have her license suspended.  Either way she's definitely getting 6 points on her license and a hefty fine.  The lawyer doesn't think it will be a felony, since no other lives were put in danger, but it's 50/50 on the license suspension.

Our main problem is that in the last 2 years she's had 2 reckless driving tickets and 2 accidents both her fault including one that resulted in her totalling her car!  As sad as it makes me to say, she is not a safe driver and we are both worried that she is going to kill herself or someone else while she's driving.  She's just not getting it.  She's such a good girl, I just don't get why she can't understand how dangerous this is.  88 freaking miles per hour.... I don't even like to drive 75, it makes me feel out of control.

So, we had a long talk with her and tried to make her aware of just how completely she could have fucked her life up.  If she had been going 2 mph more or if the radar gun had clocked her at 90mph - that is a mandatory felony conviction and 2 weeks IN JAIL!  MANDATORY!  If she's convicted of a felony - no federal jobs (no park ranger), no federal grants, no graduate school, no passport, no voting... I mean...fucked up!  Fortunately, that has not happened and it doesn't look like it will.  Her court date is Sept 10th.
Anyway, we talked to her for quite awhile and I think she understands how much trouble she is and could be in.  She seemed receptive to all that we said.
Bottom line, we decided to take her car away from her for a semester in the hopes that she will understand the driving is a privilege and not a right.  And that she'll also understand, what would happen if she didn't have a car.  She'll have a semester to ride the bus, bum rides from friends and experience the inconvenience of living without a car.
Hopefully it will make an impression and get her back on the right track.  She's such a good girl in all other aspects of her life, we just need to help her get control here.

I'm alive...We're all alive...technically...just poor!

It's okay we're all fine, it's just been a crazy, busy, weird week or so!

#1 - Brenna totalled her car!  I know right?  She was delivering flowers for a flower shop over Mother's Day weekend.  Sitting at a 4 way stop, looked down to check her GPS, because she thought she missed her turn and accelerated into the intersection.  It wasn't her turn, someone was turning left in front of her and **Bam*&! right into the passenger side door of the other car.  She was fine, the other lady told the police she was fine, but then complained to John that her shoulder hurt.  Whatever..people suck and she'll probably sue our asses off!  Anyway, USAA declared the car a total loss, so now we're waiting to see what comes next.  Hoping we get at least enough to pay off the loan on the totaled car.  Brenna is stuck at home with no car and no money and pretty unhappy with her summer thus far.  I feel bad for her, but not bad enough to let her drive my car!  2 accidents and one reckless driving/speeding ticket in 2 years... yeah not so much.  John has started looking for another car for her, but we're not in too big a hurry.  Think she needs to "feel the pain" a little to understand that she needs to be much more attentive and careful when she drives.

#2 - John racked up a $764 cell phone bill with his new job!  WTF???  My little Chatty Cathy!  Of course I called Verizon and they could give a rat's ass that it was an accident and we didn't realize it was happening.  But they were perfectly happy to help me "adjust" my calling plan so it didn't happen again and I could pay them an extra $100 a month to insure that.   F*****S!

#3 - I spent 3 days with the Crew team at the Stotesbury Regatta in Philly as Lead chaperone and had a FABULOUS time!  The team did awesome, the parents are great and it was tons of fun.  There is something to be said for attending sporting events when you don't have a kid participating.  I get nervous and anxious because I love all those kids, but it's a general anxiety.  It's not the gut-wrenching frantic-ness when it's your kid in the boat.  So, I'm looking forward and not looking forward to Zack rowing next year.   But by attending and "checking out" of my life for 3 days, my To Do list is now 2 pages long most of which needs to be done either "yesterday" or "tomorrow."  So I'm not sleeping and compulsively making and remaking lists, which doesn't seem to help my stress level.

It doesn't help that John is virtually a ghost in the house with this new job.  He's working hellish, stressful hours and not enjoying it very much.  I think (and so does he) if he can just survive until July 4th it will settle down and all will be better.
Zack has totally checked out of school (haven't we all!).  Brought home a decent report card but got a U - unsatisfactory in behavior!?  He went from a O-outstanding to a U-unsatifactory in a few weeks.  No contact from the teacher...WTF???
And Brenna is mopey...see #1 and still totally on college time.  She went out at 1100pm last night and got home about 230am.  And frankly, I'm too tired and worn down to even care!  :o)

Otherwise Mrs. Lincoln...How did you like the play?