The following story was going to be part of my upcoming-when-I-actually-have-time-to-finish-writing-it-book, but I've decided to share it for the first time on here.
Our story begins after Christmas festivities in 2013. Chad and I were newlyweds and we were returning home from my parents' house. I think it was snowing. Not that it matters to the story, I'm just trying to set the mood.
When we were just outside the city of Carmel Indiana, we suddenly saw the flickering lights of a cop car in our rearview mirror. Being the lawful and upright citizens we are, we pulled over and waited for the cop to come over and tell us why he pulled us over.
From the outside of our rear car window, you could still see the "Just Married" sign, hugging the cold, icy, glass.
As the cop approached, Chad rolled down the window and placed his hands on the steering wheel.
"Evening. Do you know why I pulled you over?"
"No, sir."
"The tags on your car are expired."
"Oh. I'm so sorry sir. We were just coming back from out of town and we've been super busy. We're actually still newlyweds."
"I understand. It says here your tags expired October 27th."
This is where I stepped in and very confidently declared, "Actually officer, that is the day we got married."
"Oh my! I see. Well, just get to it as soon as you can. Congratulations!"
After giving us no ticket, just a verbal warning, the cop got back into his car and drove away. Meanwhile, in our car, the tension was building and I had NO idea.
Until Chad turned to me with the STRANGEST look on his face that I can only describe as utter shock and amazement. Sort of like he was watching a unicorn and a leprechaun serenading a mermaid with a Taylor Swift ballad and he was trying to process that concept in his brain.
"What? Why does your face look like that?"
"Really?"
"Yeah," I said, still really confused. "What?"
"Why did you say that?"
"Say what?" At this point I was getting more than a little annoyed.
"Why did you tell him that's when we got married?"
In the next moment, I realized what I had done. "HOLY CRAP I LIED TO THE COP!!"
Yep. Probably the worst moment in life to forget your wedding date. (Probably not but I'm being overly dramatic)
The only thing in my defense was that TECHNICALLY on October 27th of that year we WERE wearing our wedding outfits because my mother in law threw us a reception in our town a few months after we were married.
Which I realize is the world's thinnest argument.
So the moral to this story? I'm not really sure except to make sure to have your plates up to date and maybe when you are planning your wedding, have two receptions spaced out over months because it may get you out of a ticket later down the road. ;-)
