We Gonna Let It All Hang Down. Unless You're A Cop.

Here's us, driving home from swim lessons on a much-too-cold and darkened winter evening (yesterday).  Mae is in the back seat (behind me as I'm driving) playing video games.  Kyler has scored a card-collector's album from Shopko and is excitedly tearing into it with the dome light turned on just above his head.  And Eric Clapton's 'After Midnight' is on the radio.  This becomes more rare with each passing day, so I crank the radio up, grab my bottle-of-Aquafina microphone and sing my heart out.  We're happy as can be, just hip-hopping down the highway and having ourselves a rip-roaring time.  I notice a car to my left and am instantly annoyed because I can only assume that they are watching my singing performance and are, most likely, making fun of me.  I choose to ignore them as there is a pretty good chance that I don't know them and never will. 

The chorus ended right as Mae advanced to the next level in Mario Kart.  Taking a small break, Mae noticed something and blurted out loudly, "Uh oh.  Oh NO, Mom, look to your left!"  I turned my head to the annoying car in the next lane, still keeping pace with us, only to see a State Trooper beside us.  He, too, had his dome light on and I think it was on purpose just so I could see him give me his, "Really?" look.  In less than one second, the backseat light was flipped off, my hands went to 10 and 2 and my eyes were focused on the road.  I can't even say if I threw my microphone-bottle on the floor or put it back in the cup holder as I was in such a panic that I don't remember. 

Now that I was driving as safely as possible, the trooper stepped on his gas pedal and sped ahead of us.  The remaining fifteen miles it took to get home were the most boring miles I may have ever put in as far as driving time goes.  Still, paying a ticket for 'obnoxiously singing and dancing while driving' is not something I ever want to do.