Because of the urban nature of my neighborhood, I don't have a personalized driveway or a designated parking lot. I have to park in the lot for the post office which is about half a block down and across the street from my building. In the mornings and on Saturdays, the lot is very busy - people pull into handicap spots and wait in their cars for someone to pull out of a regular spot. It doesn't help when the theater on the other side of the lot from the post office, blocks off half of the lot because they're having a play or something. Needless to say I do not have an ideal parking situation. You try carrying a car-full of groceries across a busy street and down half a block in the driving rain or the blustery cold. There have even been rare occasions when I felt reluctant to leave my apartment for fear of losing my parking spot.

This morning, running late for work, I hurried outside and half-ran to the lot, only to find an unoccupied car parked exactly dead center behind mine. Talk about frustration. There's not much I could do in that situation. I looked around frantically for the offender but saw no one. As it was chilly, I got in my car and turned it on, contemplating calling work to explain why I would be late. As I sat there I became more and more angry, wondering when someone would come and move the car. I rolled my window down in anticipation of saying something nasty to the person about how rude that was of them and how I was going to be late for work. I was really gearing up for an all out venting.

About two minutes later a woman came rushing out of the post office. She was all sweet and apologetic, "Oh my gosh, I am sooooo sorry!! I'll move right away!", blah, blah, blah. I lost my nerve. She was too nice about it, I couldn't turn in to one of those grumpy mean people who yells at strangers in parking lots. I managed half of a smile with which I hoped to convey, "o.k. fine, but don't do that again, now get the hell out of my way." Grrrrrrrr.  ¶ 10:10 AM