Last night was fun… and interesting.
I had plans to meet up with my best friend and former college roommate (and bridesmaid!), Laurel, between our two homes in Tavares, Florida for dinner.
We met up around 7 p.m. and had a great time catching up and chatting away as always. There’s just something so fabulous about friends you’ve had for years!
Though we finished eating within an hour, we ended up hanging out and talking until around 10 p.m. when we said our goodbyes and I hopped in my car for the hour-long drive home.
The towns between Tavares and Ocala are quite small (Tavares and Ocala are quite small themselves) and the drive had me on a lot of very dark, rural roads which was kind of creepy. My mind started to think about what I would do if I got a flat tire and had to pull over which naturally freaked me out.
When I was about 20 minutes from home, a car drove up really fast behind me. I naturally changed lanes to let the car pass, but it changed lanes, too, staying right behind me. I switched lanes again and it switched lanes along with me.
And then it put on its lights.
It was a cop!
Duh.
A cop who looked exactly like James Marsden.
For real.
I pulled over and the officer asked for my driver’s license as I blurted out that he totally freaked me out! I told him that he had me convinced he was a drunk driver harassing me on the road!
Apparently I was going 15 miles an hour over the speed limit, but the friendly officer let me go with a warning, at which point I said, “You’re really not giving me a ticket?” (Gosh, shut up, Julie.)
“No. Just remember to keep an eye on your speed.”
“Okay. Thank you so much,” I said.
And then, in true over-sharing fashion, I asked him whether or not anyone has ever told him that he looks exactly like the guy from the movie 27 Dresses, which surely he has seen, right?
Someone put a muzzle on me, please.
For the record, the officer said he gets the James Marsden thing all the time. Just probably not from people he pulls over after 11 p.m. on a random Wednesday night.
So, we learned two things from my experience last night:
- Drive slow and obey the speed limit
- If you’re single and looking for a James Marsden look-alike boyfriend, speed through Ocala at 11 p.m. on a Wednesday night
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning is quickly becoming a new favorite.
I enjoyed a plate of two toasted whole wheat waffles topped with a mixture of ricotta cheese and cottage cheese, a chopped nectarine and cinnamon.
I’ve never been a huge syrup lover, so I am a big fan of topping my waffles with something a little different – something packed with protein!
I’ve also noticed that eating waffles topped with ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese really helps me feel satisfied for much longer than eating waffles simply topped with syrup. The extra protein punch really helps with satiety.
Time to finish up one freelance project and brainstorm article ideas for my next contribution to What’s Up Ocala magazine. I have a few pitches in my mind and need to type them up and send them out for approval.
Wishing you a day free of run-ins with the law! 
Question of the Morning
- Do you have any interesting stories that involve being pulled over by a police officer?
Perhaps my most interesting incident happened in college when I got pulled over for rolling a stop sign on the UCF campus. The officer pulled me over in the parking lot of my sorority house, at which point another cop joined him with his lights flashing and parked me in, drawing an excessive amount of attention to the incident.
When I went to get the officer my driver’s license, I realized I didn’t have it on me (I left it in a different purse) and instead gave him my student ID. The officer then lectured me about the importance of having my driver’s license in the car with me at all times as my sorority sisters all gathered at the window to catch a glimpse of the convict in the driveway.
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when my hubs was a beat cop, he pulled me over to screw with me and then stole my iced tea. LAME. I really like iced tea.
so the state of Nevada makes large amount of income through it’s DMV…never have I met MORE informed highway patrol men, sheriff’s dept and city police…I got pulled 25 times in 1.75 years .. only 3 times was I ticketed (expired tags, speeding once, pulling through a stop sign)..but they’d tell me ” stay in this line ” “pull this way ” ” do this ” , etc seriously, they were on the ball…living in Durham I feel like a saint!
Hahahaha!!!!! A friend of mine and I got pulled over the other day because she pulled an illegal U turn. The very friendly cop said she didn’t want to give us a ticket … just wanted an excuse to tell someone a story! She had had a deer run in front of her without hitting it, and then a coyote ran in front of her police cruiser ten minutes later! Hahaha we listened with as much enthusiasm as possible so she didn’t change her mind on that ticket 🙂
LOL! i can just picture you nodding enthusiastically. 🙂
As I was going through the tunnels of Boston one night, I was in the right lane, and saw a police officer (out of his vehicle) in the shoulder. I pulled to the left lane, but then I saw him waving his arms attempting to pull me over. I didn’t know what to do, especially in the tunnel, so he “pursued” me and then yelled at me fo not pulling over and for finally pulling over in a more dangerous spot! I got a ticket for speeding and for “failure to obey”. I was so upset. Luckily, when I went to go fight the “failure to obey” portion, the moderator dismissed BOTH tickets. YAY!
I have to say- there are advantages of being a woman in the case of being pulled over by a cop. I’ve gotten out of many tickets just by putting on the charm a bit or being funny. Luckily, I have NEVER been pulled over by a female cop. They have ALWAYS been young men. I’ve used the “I’m a high school teacher, give me a break. I have dealt with teenagers all day” excuse twice- worked both times!
This story is too funny! I would’ve been nervous to ask the cop if he’d received the Marsden question ebfore- like I was trying to flatter him so I wouldnt get a ticket! But shame I live in Northern VA- I would def make a drive by in Ocala to see this man as a single gal on the prowl 🙂
PS- been reading your blog for months and I just love it! Thanks for all the inspiration and work-boredom relief!
thanks, krista! yeah, i didn’t ask him about the marsden thing until AFTER he said i wasn’t getting a ticket. 🙂 i worried about the same thing!
I’ll be speeding through Ocala to visit you tonight. See you around 11:15 pm? 🙂
bring mark consuelos!
I went to UCF also and the campus police there are so ridiculous! They always draw an unnecessary amount of attention to the situation at hand! Anyway, when I went to UCF I lived in the towers (I don’t think they were around yet when you went there) and was driving back when a cop pulled out and rode my tail all the way to my parking spot (we had assigned parking spots). Once I pulled in my spot he turned on his lights which scared me senseless (I had never been pulled over before) so I got out of my car and he’s like, “WHY ISN’T YOUR SEATBELT ON?” So I respond all timid, “…because I came out to meet you?” Keep in mind my car is PARKED in my spot. So he comes over to my car and shines his light in my car looking for who knows what making me feel like a criminal. Then runs my license and everything. He pulled me over because I had a temporary license plate and it was expired by ONE DAY! My parents were supposed to come to visit and bring my permanent tag but there was an emergency and couldn’t make it so I’m like rambling how they were supposed to come but couldn’t and he’s like “normally it’s a $xxxx fine but I’m going to let you go with a warning.”
I am still learning to drive but at the rate I’m gong, chances are I’ll get pulled over for being too slow ;)!
Hahaha I too talk to much when I get pulled over. It was the day of my 19th birthday and I had never been pulled over before. I was speeding to pick up a friend and was late (I was going way over the speed limit and knew it too!). The moment the lights went on I started crying, like crying so hard I was hyperventalating. To top it all off I could not find my registration so I gave the cop all the manuals and papers in my glove box hoping one of them would be the right document (he must have thought I was nuts). I just kept repeating how sorry I was and that it was my birthday. He ended up feeling so bad for me (after he finally believed it was my bday, he thought I was lying!) that he just gave me a verbal warning as a “birthday gift from the state police dept.”. You better believe I will never speed on that road again!
Also — my husband got pulled over my a cop on a bike once, he saw this biker racing to catch up with him in his rear view mirror and then when the biker started screaming and flashing a blue light did he realize that it was a cop trying to catch a moving car. wierd.
You’re lucky! Everytime I get pulled over, I get a ticket. Not once have I gotten out of ticket. And, I’ve been pulled over 4 times. My sister on the other hand has a 50% success rate. She’s been pulled over maybe 8 times and only gotten tickets for 4. One time her excuse for speeding was because she had to pee really bad. The cop let her go with a warning even though she’d had prior tickets.
The first time a cop pulled me over he gave me a $300 ticket! It was my first time driving by myself on the highway and I was “going with the flow” which was apparently speeding. You’re so lucky!
Your waffles look so good! I’ve been seeing toaster waffles all of the blog world lately and really need to hop on board!
And I can’t imagine being pulled over in the parking lot of you sorority house! No anonymity there!
Hey! I just wanted to chime in about your podcast post the other day. I really enjoy This American Life and Jillian Michaels, and my other favorites include
The Moth – Live storytellers
Nutrition Diva – Quick Tips
Focus on the Family
Family Life Today (These have great marriage-helping pocasts
The Because Show (these ladies are hilarious!)
I am SUCH a podcast fan…
Ahhh I need to get to Ocala at 11pm soon! haha. My only story is from my last night in charleston I borrowed my friend’s car to drive out to the beach (since I didn’t know when I’d see one again!) and a cop pulled me over for not having my headlights on (the street lights were so bright I didn’t notice!). He clearly thought I was high or drunk and kept asking me the same questions over and over to see if he could trip me up! It was obnoxious… but no ticket!
You were lucky to not only get pulled over by a celebrity look alike, but to get off! JEALOUS! I’ve NEVER gotten a warning. :/
In high school I was driving around with one of my super good looking guy friends (who I secretly was in love with) and we had a box of donuts to bring my dad. Well I get pulled over for my tags being expired (they do that?) and I got a ticket. As the cop is walking away my friend begs me to ask the cop if he wants a donut. So being the smitten teenager I am I do and instead of laughing, he looks at me with a deadpan face and warns me that bribing an officer has serious consequences. MORTIFYING experience then.
Funny now 🙂
hahaha! i once offered the people who helped repair a flat tire on my car a burrito from chipotle i had in the car. 🙂 i feel ya.
I’m always afraid it’s going to be a cop when someone speeds up behind my like that at night .. I would react the same way by telling the cop that he scared me that’s why I sped up!
*Knock on wood* I have never gotten a ticket, but my friends love my stories of getting pulled over because they have never been normal. The best was on my way to a Halloween party, my friend in the passenger seat in full playboy bunny costume while my costume? A cop. Only me. The funny thing was, I didn’t even get pulled over for a real reason. We were stopped at a light & the cop was parked right next to us so he could clearly see the costumes. He didn’t even give me a reason because he was struggling not to smile or laugh. Needless to say we provided his entertainment for the evening.
I was pulled over in a mall parking lot when I was 17—I was going 15 mph in a 10 mph zone. Yes, really. I had a friend in the car with me, and apparently I came off really snotty and obnoxious: lots of “YESSIRS” coming out of my mouth. Oops!
The cops at my school do that too if they’re in front of the sorority houses! They’ll pull someone over into the driveway of any given sorority house and like clockwork, a few more cop cars will join them, making it look like we have a bomb threat or drug bust at the house. Never fails!
My worst cop story ever! I got pulled over in my own driveway! Seriously. I was coming home from the gym early in the morning (it was like 6:00am) and I was drviing on MY street going 25 mph and apparently the speed limit is only 20. HE GAVE ME A TICKET. At 6:00am, in my own driveway. I was so pissed off.
are you kidding!? that seems a little “much.” gosh!
did you ask him to handcuff you? because if you didn’t, you should have. 🙂
Haha- I totally wish there was a ‘Like’ button for blog comments because I would definitely ‘Like’ this comment. Too funny 😀
I’ve been pulled over a few times but thank god, have never gotten a ticket! (knocks on wood) The first time was when I had just gotten a new car and was driving to work. I did not come to a full stop at a stop sign. Another time was when I was in FL with my mom and and the town sheriff of Punta Gorda pulled me over for going 10 miles over the speed limit. My mom and I played the lost tourist card (even though my mom lives in Englewood, FL) and he let us go. I might have flirted with him a little too! 😉
Um, I was driving back to CT from MA after watching my beloved Patriots lose the SuperBowl in 2008 – I was in RI and the cop pulled me over, seeing the Pats jersey I had on and Pats sticker on my car, and very quietly just said “I know it’s been a tough night…but you were speeding”. Looking back I was more upset about the Pats losing than getting a ticket.
So funny! My best friend just got pulled over for speeding this morning.. she wasn’t so lucky, she got a ticket 🙁
Knock on wood but I’ve only been pulled over three times? And I’ve only gotten warnings 🙂
I was pulled over recently by my ex boyfriend who is a MD state trooper while I was driving my current boyfriends truck. I thought I was only going 5mph over the limit on 95 but the lights came one and I pulled over. When my ex walked up to the car and I looked over I immediately began to laugh uncontrollably and i think i even snorted lol. My current boyfriend who was in the passenger seat had no idea what was going on until the trooper (my ex) reached acrossed and introduced himself to my boyfriend. I was then ‘instructed’ to get out of the vehicle, I protested slightly but got out of the truck anyway. Ends up my ex just wanted to say Hi and ask how I was (really???)… but what a awkward time and place to catch up right?!?!? I drove away with no ticket or warning. But my boyfriend had a ton of questions and it basically ruined our date day 🙁
that is SO crazy!!!
Back in college, I was home over break and was hanging out with my high school ex (who is now my fiancee!) I ended up staying at his place until about 2am and we had probably 2 glasses of wine over the course of the night … I was 20 at the time. As I was driving the 5 minutes back to my house, I texted him to tell him what a great time I had – and apparently swerved a bit while doing this. I got pulled over and the cop and was SO terrified I would get an underage/DUI even though I wasn’t drunk at all. I was able to talk my way out of it, but that’s the most scared I’ve been in a looong time!
I have a pretty funny story…
The first ticked I ever got was in high school as I was driving my friends and I to school one morning. It was 7:30 am so the sun was providing quite the glare.
I illegally cut through the same neighborhood each morning to avoid making a left at a light. As I approached a stop sign and saw my light was green, I sped up and rolled through the stop and there was a cop blatantly in front of me, but I couldn’t see because of the glare of the sun! I didn’t even make the light because it turned red and he got me immediately. Oh did I mention we were blasting the “Thong Song” by Sisqo and none of us realized I got pulled over until the cop approached the car? The song was that loud and yes my windows were open. A million other students also did the illegal cut-through so I was the joke of the day when everyone had to go around me to get to school!
I am loving all these stories!!!!
The only time I was pulled over was when I was in college, and I was driving my boyfriend’s modified car. He had changed the blinker lights from standard yellow/orange to blue, which is illegal. I saw the blue and red lights in my rearview mirror and panicked! I pulled over and immediately started crying, even before the policeman came up to my window. I sobbed, “This is my boyfriend’s car, and I don’t know where his registration is, and I told him not to change the lights.” And it just kept going and going. Mind you, the cop hadn’t said anything to me! My boyfriend was driving in a van behind us, and he pulled over too, talked to the cop, and got the ticket. Needless to say, I was totally embarrassed and thankful that I hadn’t gotten the ticket.
Driving from Boise to Sacramento, the hubby gets pulled over- he asks the cop to show him the radar, he doesn’t have it so he didn’t get a ticket. No joke- about 10 minutes later he gets pulled over again, this time he was given a ticket!
We had a friend with us sleeping in the back seat, who was woken up 2 times to a cop at the window! “Really, again?” he said the second time- haha I’ll never forget it!
Haha!
I got pulled over in high school for running a red light and I was so nervous when he came to my window that I acted extremely ackward…
The cop proceeded to ask “You’re acting nervous…are you hiding a bag of hash in your backseat or a dead body in your trunk by chance?” With a big cop-like “haha” thrown in at the end.
A fantastic way to make it less ackward. NOT.
No ticket though!
mmm…. officer marsden… oh, wait. married. got it.
sometimes it pays not to pay attention to your speed 😉
Work thinks i’m crazy right now laughing at my computer screen!
I almost have the same story but my officer looked like stifler from american pie and i was in the city HAHA
Aw how fun that you got to meet up with your friend for dinner! And how scary that the cop pulled you over in a remote area like that! I’m glad everything turned out ok and that he ended up being a good looking one! I’ll take a James Marsden look alike any day!
My only cop story wasn’t from getting pulled over but from an accident where a cop had to help me at the scene. I drove in his car (rather than a tow truck) to a nearby hotel to stay for the night and he started hitting on me!! He was being all sorts of weird and saying that we should go out sometime– even at the hotel when I tried to get out he wanted me to stay in the car with him. Eek it was super weird and made me realize that just because they are officers doesn’t mean you should automatically trust them! Luckily I was able to finally disengage but it was freaky to say the least!
Ocala is not a city I would ever recommend speeding in especially on I-75 or highway 27 ;). I got stopped by FSU police twice for going the wrong way on a one-way. In my defense the second time I didn’t realize it. So awkward, but no tickets 🙂
I was really queasy (all-day morning sickness) and was driving tooooo slowly just trying to get home without vomitting into the grocery bag I had with me.
Apparantly I was weaving.
Pulled over, asked to get out.
Told him I thought I was going to be sick … Apparantly that is a very common excuse (along with “I gotta pee so was going faster to get home.) His partner, who I knew as a neighbour said “well, she is pregnant” … Nasty cop just scowled as if that was no excuse.
Couldn’t help it … He was wearing skanky cologne … I puked all over him.
Victory from ticket!!! (So worth the look on his face!)
(Aside story – the city where I live in has a parking enforcement cop names “Officer Meaney”!)
Ah!!! So crazy! At least he knew you weren’t lying!
I got pulled over in Chicago (used to live there)…my dog had jumped up from the backseat of the car onto my lap so I didn’t see that the light was changing to red. The cop gave me a ticket and I went to court. I was so mad because on my way back home I passed the cop and he was asleep in his car! We both showed up at court (me and the cop – not me and the dog) and the judge dropped the ticket since it was my first one.
Man, the two times I’ve been pulled over the cop didn’t even give me a chance to say anything. It was license and proof of insurance and then they were immediately gone writing up tickets. Cops in Oregon apparently don’t mess around! The first cop didn’t even care that it turned out I didn’t have my license on me. He just asked if the car was in my name and said he’d look it up on his computer before going and writing the ticket.
Oh man, this made me laugh 🙂 I’ve actually never been pulled over for speeding but I did get in a minor fender bender once which was my fault. And then I didn’t have my license on me. And then I didn’t have my current insurance on me. Pretty sure I should be in jail, but I swear, I know how to drive! 🙂
Ha! I cannot believe you told him that 🙂 Too cute.
I’ve been pulled over several (ok, a lot) time. The first time was when I was 17 and had only had my license for about 6 months. I was with two other friends at about 11pm, driving home through a small town. There were two policeman and they decided to have a little fun with me (which was not fun at all). They said I was going 90 mph and had to drive 100 to catch me. That should have tipped me off because there was no way they could have caught me within a quarter mile from their dead stop if I was really going that fast. And it was a super windy day so I was actually driving slower than normal, which I was totally conscious of.
The first officer walked back to his car with my license and came back saying that I had a warrant out for my arrest. Um, what? I was naive, nervous, and not thinking straight. But I told him that was impossible since I’d never been pulled over, nor had any problems with the law. He said I needed to leave my keys with my friends and come back with him to the station. I got out of the car and he took my arm and was leading me back to his car. At the last minute, he said, “I’m in a good mood tonight, so I’m going to let you go.” I was so confused. Why would they let me go if I had a warrant out? Why would they let me go if I was going 50 mph over the speed limit, wasn’t that a felony? And what was the warrant for? I got back in my car quickly and left, but it rattled me. Apparently, the cops in that town did that a lot to young people since there wasn’t much crime in the area. Now every time I see a police car or get pulled over, I get really nervous and shaky and it takes a while to come down from that.
that is crazy!
I def got pulled over for speeding on the 4th of July several years ago and didn’t get a ticket, but the husband and I speculate that it is because I was wearing a itty bitty red bikini in my topless wrangler. Then one year later to the day my hubby was the one driving, got pulled over in the same town and HE got a ticket. I don’t think a bikini would have saved him!
that story is too funny, but I would have been freaked out, too!
I got pulled over after I was working in a hotel on New Year´s Eve and the cop didn´t believe me. He was “who is working on a NYE? Where exactly do you come from?” to which I replied “obviously you are working on a NYE and I was as well”. He didn´t even want to see my driving license, very weird.
I have yet to be pulled over – knock on wood!
Omg that is too funny, sounds like something I would do haha. About a year ago me and some friends went on a road trip to visit one of our friends at school in Maryland. On the way home I got pulled over and the cop asked me for my license and registration (typical). However, the cop had a little bit of an accent when he said it so stupid me asks “I’m sorry sir, did you say license AND registration, or license OR registration?” He looked at me for about 5 minutes before answering. We started dying laughing as soon as he left and my friends will never let me live it down to this day haha. Moral of the story, you are not alone! 🙂
your breakfast sounds delicious! And that is to funny about the cop! I always get really nervous when I get pulled over even if it was just for speeding! I have no idea why!
James marsden is BEAUTIFUL!!
Ever since the movie Gossip I have been a fan…and that scene in notebook when hes all dressed up in his uniform by his car. Oh. My. God.
You got the best look alike cop out there…I was once pulled over by a cop who sort of looked like Danny Devito…obviously not the same effect hahah
LOL!!!
glad you didn’t get ticketed.
I have been pulled over numerous times, but have never gotten a ticket. Thankfully, only warnings! lol
I’m on my way to Ocala right now!! Too bad he can’t be a PB Fingers giveaway….i’d tweet for an extra entry 🙂 haha
I once got pulled over after an evening Nutcracker performance in full makeup and hair. That year I was the doll and had on a ton of makeup, eyelashes and red doll cheeks. I was in a hurry to get home because I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was take a shower. I started to cry and a crap ton of makeup ran down my face. The officer laughed like crazy once he saw me and let me off for only doing 5 over the limit. Needless to say I always wash my face at the theater now before leaving.