Come to Montana and we'll put you on a REAL "high horse!" Ha, ha.

Here in the Wild West we have hardly any rules at all, it seems, judging by what I read in the paper and see in court anyway, so the not talking/texting while driving thing is still being debated. However, I just recently decided to stop talking on the phone while driving and it is HARD to break that habit! I hadn't realized that nearly every time I got in the car I'd be thinking -- oh, I can call so-and-so and get x or y dealt with while I'm not doing anything else. Um . . . geez, speaking to self in person & not on phone, do you think maybe DRIVING is doing something?!

On my way to work this morning I noticed the lady behind me was chatting animatedly on her cellphone AND drinking coffee. While it's not illegal here, it's still crazy! Fortunately I noticed this while we were stopped at a red light, and she did put down the coffee when we started up again. I was wondering if she had a third hand available somewhere for the steering wheel...

That looks like a perfect meal for me! I have hypoglycemia with insulin resistance and no carbs is pure hell.

I have no comment about LA and rain. Was looking at your blogads, and there are some punctuation problems in them. I am SO sorry...it's just a pet peeve of mine.

The salad looks delish. Why do salads always taste better when you get them at a restaurant? I can NEVER duplicate salads at home. They're always so tired and boring. I did manage one once. Greens, diced Granny Smith apple, bleu cheese crumbles, broken bagel chips (you know, the dried ones that are all hard and crispy), and poppyseed dressing. Not a lot of ingredients, but it was tasty. Had the original at a place called The Buddha Belly.

It was so great to see you on Saturday. Thanks again for the wonderful birthday celebration. It was wonderful to be with you and the other Refined Ladies!

BTW-I raced through the book, could not put it down. It was another great read.

About cell phones... it's amazing how blatant people are about using them while driving. And messaging! I think that is even worse. I see it all the time. Arghhhhhhh

That salad looks AWESOME!

Rats, now I'm hungry, and it's still a couple hours until lunch. *sigh*

Wow, you weren't kidding. That salad is Hyuuuge!

I don't normally like getting salads when I'm out. As a vegetarian, I'm constantly thinking about how little the base ingredients cost and how much I could make (when I am inclined) for the $10 or so that the salad costs. I mean, I could make pie or cupcakes, or heck pie and cupcakes!

The bumper sticker says 'stay away' =)

Ooh, that salad does look good! I just love your blog, Laurie - and your books. Do you ever think you'll head out to the New York City area? I so would love to meet you someday. You do feel like a friend, and I find myself everyday saying "I wonder what Laurie has to say today!" as I look up your blog.

Honestly, Kentucky Girl, the blogads could be all written in pig latin and I would be thrilled. They help pay for my server costs and I am SO THANKFUL for them!!!

Typos never bother me. Probably because I am Queen Typo. Or: Qweennn Tyiepo

Christine it was great seeing you and I am so glad you liked the book! Win big at the casino this week....

Helena ... I'm not sure when I'll be on the East coast next. But I'll be sure to let everyone know if I do head that way :)

I got cut off on my way in to work the other day by a guy on a cell phone driving a new Mustang with racing stripes and I kid you not - his vanity plate was IBAWSUM. So wish I had my camera with me that day and so thought of you! I do have a camera in my Crackberry but I would have managed to get in an accident if I had tried to take a photo with that.

The salad looked yummy! One of my favorites is lettuce, strawberries, goat cheese, pine nuts and raspberry vinagrette spray on dressing. Have it almost every day!

Read your second book in like a day - LOVED IT!

A few days ago DH saw two different women applying mascara WHILE DRIVING. He says we should outlaw mascara but we all know what will happen--pretty soon only the outlaws will have mascara.

Cops are exempt from the cellphone law... apparently they are trained to drive while distracted! (I learned all this from a vicious facebook-comments debate the other day - ha!)

I once got into a casual carpool with a driver who was eating a bowl of cereal - it was also a stick shift. Yikes!

I'll see your applying-mascara and raise you applying-nail-polish.

Yep, I've seen it...and I KNOW that car was a stickshift because I was driving the same model Civic.

What did I do? Well, I figured since I wasn't on a tight timeframe during a 3000-mile trip, I stopped to eat my sandwich and enjoy the scenery.

Clearly your doubting reader had never been on the 101 at any point in their life. That freeway is always a mess. I would avoid visiting a friend who lived up that way, it was that annoying. Take care!

Is it true that cops are exempt? That just seems so WRONG!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but cops are exempt from the "no handheld while driving" laws...(says the wife of a police officer). Many times officers are using their phones for work related purposes (stuff that they want to keep off of "radio chatter").

Shannon, if this guy I saw was talking for "work related purposes" then his job as a cop is way more fun than any job I have ever had.

You know how you can just tell when a guy is on the phone with a girl? All chatty and cutesy? That was him. Blabbering away. I drove beside him a good long while. I could have been on fire and he would never have noticed.

And of course since it's the LAPD we know they would never abuse the privilege...

Police officers are some of the most distracted drivers out there. In Florida they made it a law some time ago that you MUST signal when changing lanes within so much room of another car (basically if another car can see you... you better signal) and I have yet to see a cop use his turn signal here.

And I will add that while I still rode the school bus in my early wee days of high school, my bus driver was quite the driver. On his right hand all his fingers were nubs, so he only had a thumb. He would drive with coffee in the left hand and it scared the shit out of me because those nubs were not nearly enough for a steering wheel!

Actually, it's "keep close" or the like. Shamar is to keep, and m'ratek is an adjective form of to chain or fasten.

but depending on the different vowels, or if I'm misreading it, it could mean something else.

one of my absolute favorite songs. have you heard the version with mavis staples and aretha?

un be lievable.

off to listen to it while i knit ;-).

I love salads. You would never know this from looking at me, I am as big as a house. As for the police officer using the cell phone while driving, I am not surprised. I really have no problem with people using phones while they drive, texting is another matter. Just my opinion.

OMG! I met Ellen at Taos Wool Festival last October...she's a friend of a friend who used to live in LA and now lives in Taos. What a dynamite crocheter Ellen is(as well as being a really nice person)! BTW, I really admire what you are doing re diet and wellness. Best wishes!

Meredith

Ellen is THE crocheter!! She can make anything in crochet, it's quite amazing. She once made a crochet Jack-in-the-Box taco!!!!

I was almost hit while driving on the 405 by a guy eating noodles - one hand holding the container, the other holding chopsticks. What was he steering with I wonder?? He got close enough for me to see it was chicken chow mein - asshole!
I love chez nous! Their brioche are wonderful with coffee - yum!
Big Hugs,
Lisa

A local business has this up on their sign: "Honk if you love Jesus. Text if you want to meet him now." Now there's a message.

I can see cleeeeearly now the rain is gone...

Oops. Sorry. One of the worst things about my dietary restrictions is that vinegar is strictly verboten -- which means no salad dressing worth the name. Sometimes I just use a little oil, but it's not the same. (Hey, I'm a poet and I don't know it!) I could jazz it up with a little lemon or tomato juice... but those are verboten too.

I can see why a cop might have legitimate reasons to phone while driving or to break various traffic laws as they've always done, like weaving in and out at 90 down the highway, or just barreling down one lane flashing anyone who doesn't get out of the way fast enough. But I suspect that for a lot of cops flouting the law with impunity (and getting home after shift in half the legal time) is part of the fun of the job. I know I would be tempted.

Hah! I posted about our Chez Nous lunch today too!!! We did have fun!

Hi, Meredith in Taos!!

I called our local police department about the policemen speeding without lights and/or sirens on the freeway once. The chief or whoever that I talked to assured me more than once that they are on their way to something important and deem it safe enough to travel faster than the posted speed without notifying other motorists. I said it looks like they're hurrying home for breakfast. He didn't like that and continued assuring me they are going important place and safely so. They must also be more safe in chatting on their cell phones that we are. Love the LAW!

Besides potato salad, did you grow up eating that other ubiquitous salad of the south---the jello salad (or to be classy, the gelatin salad)? Just wondering.

Mmmm....salad.

I love California salads. I have family in LA, and every time I visit, I eat lovely salads for every meal (except breakfast -- for breakfast I eat tacos). Salads in my corner of the world are a sad, sad affair: wilted iceberg lettuce, mistreated tomatoes, and, if I'm lucky, a crouton or two. Heck, fresh produce of any quality is hard to come by up here where I'm living now (Montana -- waves hi to #1 commenter, Judy).

Great picture of the cop, Laurie! Yes, they might be exempt (somehow that seems unfair) but that doesn't make them less of a danger while driving then I would be if I were on the phone behind the wheel. A friend of mine's dad was a cop - when he retired he was the world's worst driver. He had never considered that regular citizens drive much more carefully around cops - he was shocked at how crazy the drivers had become when he was no longer in a black and white! And that salad looks so yummy!

Interesting that the police are exempt. I once got to go on a drive-along with the police, and, believe me, the amount of electronic and communications equipment in a police car is amazing, and more amazing is the way the cop could drive, listen to the radio transmission, look at the read-out on the screen between the seats, and plan his next move without crashing into a divider. Hard to believe that there aren't more accidents involving police cars. Multiplexing must be part of the police training.

I know that the word on the right is "watch or observe" so if the earlier poster said it meant stay away, it is probably more closely translated: Watch your distance!

The city of Dubuque recently made it against the law to text or talk on a handheld cell phone - except they made the police exempt. I can't figure out why they would need to be on a cell phone when they've got those radios in their cars, anyway. I mean -- are they calling the chief or something???

The bumper sticker says, "Shmor Merchak" - "Keep your distance!" There's an explanation of it here: http://www.learnhebrew.org.il/print/dec02d.htm .

What a yummy looking salad!

I could be wrong but I think on duty law enforcement peeps are exempt from the cell phone restriction. Has to do with being accessible while on duty.

Is the armpit of the a.m. close to the ass crack of dawn? If it is, I hate them both! Enjoy your blog more than I can say. Thank you for the enjoyment.

I loved it when I was IN A CROSSWALK and a police officer blasted past me while chatting on the phone. Truly delightful.

I got pulled over for eating a breakfast burrito on the way to class awhile back. I guess doing "anything" while driving is a big deal on the East Coast. However, I do see Police Officers never observing this rule. You know they are so busy, they must eat and talk on the cell phone in the car :P

OK, an Israeli checking in here. The bumper sticker says "Keep your distance". The first word can mean guard, or keep, the second is distance.

It's a common sticker on most Israeli vehicles.

Another Israeli checking in :0)

The 'Keep Your Distance" bumper sticker is required by law over here - you don't pass the annual vehicle check without it - because Israeli's treat tailgating as a national pass-time.

One of the strangest things to get used to in Israel is salad for breakfast!
We eat industrial quantities of salad here though the typical 'Israeli salad' involves only finely chopped cucumbers & tomatoes maybe onions but no lettuce.
I'm hopeless at making vinaigrette so as a dressing I use salt, olive oil and chopped cilantro leaf.

BTW I'm impressed you recognise Hebrew when you see it.

Here in Sask we just got the "handsfree cell" legislation. We were reading the new law online and it specifically states that "emergency personnel are exempt from this law in the performance of their duties". Maybe it's something like that for LA?

Comments closed on this topic now, thanks!!