I ask your indulgence... I feel a need to get something off my chest.

Something that's been weighing on me now for the past week.  Keeping me awake at night.  Unable to feel at ease in my own skin.

I got a traffic ticket....

Yeah... that's right.  Mike Mckay got a traffic ticket!  Mister "Davis County Bog-down"... Mister drive-times... Mister green cars on the Live-Drive big map got a traffic ticket.  A moving violation.  Can you stand the irony?

All I did was make a right hand turn at an intersection.  Usually, after coming to a complete stop... you can do that on a red light.  Not anymore at the intersection of Main street and 3rd north.... up by the state capitol building.  Signs are posted now.... "No Turn On Red".  I ignored them... or rather, was oblivious to them.  A pair of Salt Lake City's finest waved me over to the side of the road a few feet away.  Then, I'm signing on the dotted line... not admitting guilt... and facing a $92 citation.

92 bucks!  That buys a few pocket squares...

Now, I had heard that if you take the time to contest the citation... they sometimes take pity on you... and after a good flogging with one of those orange crosswalk flags... they will waive the penalty.  I had to give it a try.

So, at the end of my work day, I showed up at the courthouse... took a number and waited for my turn to talk to a "hearing officer".  No judge... a hearing officer.  You would have been so proud of me.  I was calm... collected... confident and passionate in my own defense.  But the more I talked... the more the hearing officer just shook her head.  And the more frustrated I became.  Then the bombshell... I was informed that she couldn't waive the citation.  The best she could do was reduce the fine by $20.  Dead silence from mister traffic guy.  I could feel my blood pressure rising.  Just when I was about to open my mouth and let loose with something totally uncalled-for... a voice... a bright, perky voice from the hearing officer at the next window...

"You're Mike Mckay!"

My first reaction... in my mind... was "So what?  I have to shell out 72 bucks now, thank you very much!".  Then, I realized i had been outed.  I had no anonymity to hide behind.  I forced a smile... asked the two hearing officers if we could just keep this whole thing between us... they agreed and I grudgingly paid my fine.

So, I'm Mike Mckay.  That... and $3.25 will get you a mocha latte at Starbucks.  I'll bet if I were an Erika Edberg... or a Todd Gross.. or even a Christiana Brady, I would  have gotten off scott-free.  Or Mike free.

Until next time...

MM

Yeah... this is my first attempt at blogging as well. 

You'll probably figure that out soon enough.  I'm 40 something... and although I'm no techno-phobe... I sometimes feel uneasy about all this new technology.  I'm old school.  I don't own an I-Pod yet... and I don't wear a BlueTooth ear-peice.

Having said that... I'm extending an invitation to you.  This is your opportunity to give some feedback.  Make it constructive... make it petty... whatever.  My goal is to give you an insider's view of what goes on behind the scenes of a local, morning news program.  It's definately not all glitz and glamour.

Take this morning, for example...

The gremilins were out and about in the news-room.  My co-anchor, Erika Edberg couldn't get her curling iron to work because there was no electricity in the make-up room!  An extension cord plugged into the next-door, green room took care of that emergency.

Meantime... I have to run to Nordstrom's for more make-up.  (Yes, Mike Mckay wears make-up!.... just a little bit, anyway).  Apparently, Nordstom's is the only place in town that sells this particular brand of foundation.... gasp.

And don't even get me started on Todd Gross's shoes!  That's an entire chapter in itself.

Until next time....

MM