Who Steals Parking Tickets?

This weekend I went to this really interesting event on Creativity and Innovation. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, learning how to "fire up my brain" and also the history of creative theory.

Apparently drinking pure water (coffee/tea don't count) is the number one thing you can do to make your brain most effective. So if you're going into a big exam or meeting, have a big glass of H2O before you begin. I'm kicking this up and am going to try to drink 8 cups a day, which is equivalent to just under 2.5 times the stainless steel water-bottle I have.

I had 2 tickets to this event and invited a friend to come along with me. Then when I got there, I got asked for a $20 'donation' per ticket. Kind of embarrassing when I told my friend they were pro bono and I didn't have any cash. Anyway, no biggie, quick trip to the bank machine and I covered both tickets. I'll just expense them but I wasn't anticipating having that money out of my account so another area will have to be cut out this period.

Anyway, it got worse because I went out to feed my parking meter half way through and a shop keeper comes out and tells me that I got a parking ticket and a homeless person stole it!!  Only one question come to mind here... uh, why? Was he also going to pay it for me? Somehow I doubt it...  Why would someone steal a parking ticket? Was this person so vengeful towards others that he was hoping I'd get a second ticket?  If that's the case, peace be with him. What a way to live your life!

The parking signs are so confusing in this city, they might as well be in Swahili. The parking authority has paid at least one salary on my parking tickets alone since I arrived, I'm sure. Anyway, now I have to call them to see if they can find the ticket because of course, it triples in price if you don't pay it in the first week.

I hope no other unexpected expenses come up this week!