Balance

 

                 

You may have noticed I have been "gone" for a couple of days.  Last Wednesday I had an emergency call from the police department that they needed help.  Not being one to ignore my civic duty I of course obliged.  This left me unable to post on Wednesday.  On Thursday I had an entry almost complete for Inspiration as well as an entry for Magic Smoke.  Just as I was about to click on "save" my computer froze.  This meant I would have to re-write both. I restarted the computer and went to sign on to AOL and I had completely lost Internet service.  So, I was unable to post on Thursday.  After that things got really crazy so the weekend was a total wash.  I took a bit of a break to balance out and re-group and here I am again!

Speaking of balance... Now I am sure you are wondering what could the police department possibly need me for?  This is special!  They needed me to get drunk.  Yup!  You read it right.  They needed four volunteers to come in and start drinking at nine in the morning so that by one in the afternoon the recruits could test their knowledge on field sobriety tests.  So, at 8am my bottle of champagne and I were picked up by a police officer and driven to the police academy.  I got to ride in the front seat and without handcuffs.  I got to ride home in the same manner! When I arrived an officer did a nystamus test and breathalyzer test.  This breathalyzer test was then repeated every hour.  After my second drink and before I blew into the machine I told the officer administering the test that at this point I would not drive.  Thatwas a good call on my part because I blew a .08 which is the legal limit in NY for arrest for DWI.   Apparently however, I am a very good drunk.  The poor recruits had a tough time with me.  Before I entered the room to be tested I blew a .15 which is well over the legal limit and had I been driving I would have been arrested. 

Here is how it works.  If  an officer pulls you over and believes that you may be intoxicated there are three tests that you will be asked to perform.  These three tests are (1) the walk and turn [WAT] test, (2) the one leg stand [OLS] test, and (3) the horizontal gaze nystagmus [HGN] test.  The officer will explain in detail and show you how to perform each test.  This is actaully the a test as well, to see if you can follow and remember the directions.  If you can't, then it is the first sign you may be intoxicated.  If you have been drinking the nystagmus test is almost fool proof and it is also the first test that will be preformed.  The officer asks you to follow a pen with your eyes.  If you have been drinking your eyes will begin to twitch.   Now I have a natural nystagmus which means that my eyes will twitch whether I have been drinking or not. This was a very happy thing for me to learn about myself.  My husband, who is a Highway Patrol Officer and highly trained in DWI has done this test on me a number of times.  On a number of occasions after only one glass of wine he would perform this test on me and say I was drunk.  I would then swear up and down I wasn't.  Turns out, I wasn't!  I have a natural twitch.    The next test is the walk and turn.  This is where you have to walk the line turn and walk back. You must walk nine steps one foot in front of the other with your hands at your side, turn taking a series of small steps and walk back in the same manner. The last test is the one leg stand.  You have to raise one leg, hold your foot level to the ground, look at your toe and count 1/1000 2/1000 and so on.  Apparently I am very good at the latter two tests no matter how much I have been drinking, because if those were the only two tests that were to be preformed then they would have let me go.  The nystagmus test was the only "solid" proof of my intoxication.  

 

 

Tags: DWI, Champagne, Police Officers