The date itself is quite fitting for a title today. My heart and my prayers go out to and for the families affected by 9/11 – a date which needs no other explanation.

The date is significant to me in other ways, as well: my older son was confirmed in our faith on this day in 2005. I often wonder if he remembers that and thinks about the significance of the event – or if he merely is relieved that he passed the course!

Our family goes back many generations in a tradition of Lutheranism. Two of my kids used my mother’s Small Catechism for their confirmation classes, as did I. I understand there’s a new one now – so my youngest, starting instruction this fall, will mostly be using that one. Of course, we Lutherans love change so much, dontcha know?

He’s got a lot of work ahead of him – in fact, at one point I considered making my two older ones repeat it! Ha. Fat chance. At any rate, little Lutherans must all do this, the memorization, the questions, the sermon notes – and by gosh, they’ll like it too! Ha. Again.

Another important note of this date is that today, this morning, my youngest took his first flight. No, he’s not a pilot, but he wants to join the Air Force. He’s not quite twelve, but he decided this years ago and he’s sticking to it.

He’s not the kind of kid who jumps up and down in excitement; well, not more than once or twice at a time. If you ask if he’s excited, he’ll emphatically say, “YES!” but that’s about it.

A lot like his father. Remember, a couple days ago, when I told him the CT scan results and he said, “Well, good.” You know, like I’d just paid a bill or something. The youngest is exactly the same.

I asked how his first airplane ride was, and he said, “Good.” That was it. You’d think he’d be bubbling over with excitement and awe, telling me all the details. Nope. He did say he got to see inside the cockpit after they landed, and there were a lot of buttons and switches and lights. I asked what his favorite part was.

“Barrel rolls.”

Little smart-aleck.

These people are nuts. Yes, blanket statement, but true.

Brief recap:

In March, my dog slipped out, rounded up the neighbor’s dogs, and nipped one on the butt. No blood, about the size of a pencil eraser, tops. I found the phone number for their vet, held the dog and helped clean the wound, paid for the vet visit – which even the vet had said was unnecessary.

Two months later, Animal Control wrote me three tickets: loose dog, dangerous dog, and overdue shots. The cost was $25 each, or $75. I mailed the tickets to the court, you know, just like a traffic ticket.

The court mailed them back; apparently, they should have gone directly to Animal Control. A court date was set.

I spent two-and-a-half hours in a courtroom packed with over 100 people who’d been ticketed for speeding, lack of insurance, red-light violations, stealing, leaving the scene, etc. I received a fine of $800, including court costs; it was one of the top ten fines of the evening.

The judge didn’t care at all that it took two months to issue the tickets, that I’d paid and had my tickets and check returned to me, that I’d helped the neighbor or paid the vet bill. All he cared about was 1) my dog nipped another, and 2) I didn’t rush out the next day and have his shots taken care of.

So I called, a week later, to find out how to appeal. I called the West Division, and no one knew anything; in fact, they didn’t even know how to transfer a phone properly, I got disconnected THREE times – in a row. I was transferred three more times. Finally reached a guy who told me he thought it was $85 to appeal, but that was when he used to work there – who was this, the maintenance man?

So I called the Central Division, downtown. Reached a very nice woman who, while she didn’t know the answers to my questions, offered to call her boss and find out. Thank goodness!

Turns out, I had until Tuesday to file, and the cost would be $170. Wow. A lot more than $85, but still less than $800.

So I find the courthouse, find a parking spot, and go inside. Again, not too many people know how to answer my questions and the lady I spoke to previously had “stepped out”. Finally, I got some answers.

I did not like those answers.

Total cost, because it was three tickets – although treated as one case – was $510. To file an appeal. And, I was supposed to write separate checks for every charge, and for each ticket. Nine checks altogether.

I only had seven in the checkbook.

Seriously? That would have been $300 for transcripts for this “hearing” – I was in front of the judge for maybe five minutes! What was there to record (and I certainly wasn’t aware of any recording going on)?

Furthermore, there was no prosecutor, no witnesses.

Only a judge who, by the way, was presiding that day in mental health court. Although, smart alecky me, I did ask if perhaps he shouldn’t be the defendant….