Albanian Rescue from the Ticket Department

Today was laundry day. So carried 3 very large bags down the stairs and huffed and puffed them into the double stroller and then navigated carefully across the street to the laundromat. This is one of the times I smugly think to myself, "I am so proud of me."

About an hour later someone told me they had to haul their kids out of their house to move their car---and it struck me that I needed to move my car as well. So I ran to the car, passing ticketed vehicles on the way hoping that my car would somehow remain unticketed. I got to the car by which two men were standing. One said to me, referring to the other, "This man saved you from getting a ticket. You owe him $22." Thinking of the price of the ticket (normally $45) I figured this was a fair trade so I said, "I don't have $22 with me right this minute, but I do have $20." The second guy laughed and said not to worry about it.

Then the man that originally spoke said, "Come over here and we'll rinse your car off. He had a pressure washer so that was pretty cool. Then he said, "Are you Albanian?"

Where we live it is most usual to be an immigrant or the son or daughter of an immigrant. It is unusual to be from anywhere other than Brooklyn in the USA. I am asked quite often if I am from Poland or Albania and I always reply that I think my ancestors were, but I am not sure they understand what an ancestor is. So they usual look a little confused and taken aback. Maybe I need to learn how to do speak with a good Brooklyn accent. I have also considered learning the different Russian, Albanian, Arabic, etc. accents so I can act like I blend in and they won't ask where I am from.

Anyway, it was really nice of these people to save us from getting a ticket and to give my car a shower. I was very thankful.

Oh, and my laundry is all clean. . . now to get it all completely folded and put away (the last half of the monumental task).