Nearly Arrested?

We were nearly arrested today. Or at least detained. Perhaps questioned. But certainly fined. Almost. By the pure fault of our own and drawing unnecessary attention to our questionable activities brought us, an average middle class, country loving, God fearing, American family, caste into the criminal element and brought under the spotlight of the authorities.

Where do I begin to explain how we could have become such vagrants?

I am now running nearly 4.5 miles per day. My pace is horrible due to running intervals and the inability to breath in the hot humid summer air, but I don't care. I return home drenched and dripping and gasping for air yet unable to breath as I drown in the humidity and I love it.

I wanted to capture a video of the path I use so that in the cold upstate winter, I could use the video while on the treadmill or elliptical to keep me motivated. While on the treadmill I can either look out the window at falling snow, or look at blue skies as palm trees pass by. I'd rather have the later - even if the palm trees only exist on a TV screen.

The plan was simple: hang a camera out the passenger van window while driving the van through the neighborhood at 5-10 mph. A last change of plans had Linda driving the van (even though he didn't have her license with her and was wearing flip flops) while I hung my arm out the window.

And off we went... Creeping down each neighborhood road. No one would think it odd that someone with New York plates were scoping out a neighborhood with mostly vacant vacation villas.

Someone did think it was odd... A member of the Sherif's department! He rocked through the neighborhood to find us, then pulled up behind our slow moving van. I didn't notice him because I was concentrating on the video camera, and Linda didn't notice him because it is difficult to make a van drive so slow.

When Linda did notice, she said "Oh my God! There is a cop car behind us!" I quickly pulled my arm inside the van, shut off the camera, and threw it under my seat. Linda, in a sense of panic, flipped on her left turn signal an veered left, then flipped on her right turn signal and veered right, pulling the van to the curb. What was she going to do? No license! And driving with flip flops! And now erratic driving!

The sherif slowly pulled along side of us, checking what we were doing. What would we say? What would he do? I wasn't really doing anything wrong by making a video of the neighborhood, but Linda, on the other hand, was a complete criminal! After slowly passing by, the sherif then drove up the road and out of sight.

Were we safe? Was he simply running out plates and then he would return? Did someone call us in? Was the cop really checking us out? I don't know. But what I did know? I wanted my jogging video! Undeterred by our close brush with the law, we drove around the block and then picked up filming where we left off.

The outlaw video is completed (minus the brush with the Police). You can see the video with this link:
http://youtu.be/8yaynfRn204