I was halfway through my first blogging challenge and I was stuck on the letter “M.” I know what you are thinking, seems an odd place for a Mum (Mom) to get stuck, but I was. Then the phone rang, and my problem was solved. It was my Mother-in-law (M.I.L.), who retired to Florida a long time ago.
A bit of background – I am really lucky, my M.I.L. is a delightful women, but she is no spring chicken. Without giving away her age, let’s just say she hasn’t been around for part of three centuries. So, M.I.L. rang with a big announcement:
“Guess what, I am now officially a COP”
“You’re a cop?”
“No, it’s not called cop, it is the three letters, C. O. P.”
Going along with her excitement, I enthusiastically added, “Congratulations! What does a C.O. P. do?”
“We patrol the neighborhood. I have a partner and we drive around in an official C.O. P. sheriff’s car with our lights flashing. Our shift is for three hours once per week. We patrol the neighborhood and keep it safe.”
“So, you just drive around? Do you get paid?”
“No, I am a volunteer.”
“Do you get a gun?”
“No”
“Do you get a taser?”
“No”
“Do you get a flashlight?”
“No, but I get a shirt, dark pants and closed shoes.”
“If you stay in the car. Why do you need special shoes?”
“We don’t only stay in the car. There are lots of snowbirds in this neighborhood who want their house checked, so we take turns getting out and walking around the houses.”
(A snowbird is a term for those who live in Florida only during the winter to escape the snow where they live the rest of the year.)
“Is your partner a young guy?”
“No, she is older than me.”
“Ok, now don’t take offense here, but what are YOU and the other little old lady going to do if you find a bad guy?”
“You mean if we drive by and see someone breaking into the house? Well, I am going to get the hell out of there as fast as I can. Then I can call the real sheriff to deal with it.”
(Borrowing a line from Canny Granny): Go Granny!
Well after we hung up, I realized I forgot to ask M.I.L. what C.O.P. stands for, so I asked my girls instead:
Community Observation Patrol
Crazy old person
Cool old people
Cranky old person
Corpse on patrol
Add your best guess in the comments.
*Disclaimers, MIL is not really THAT old. T-shirt available from Zazzle, poster available at Allposters, just click on either for details.
I am taking the challenge in April.
If You are too, let me know in the comments so I can follow you.
This post is for the letter M.
M is for Mother-In-Law
Please Vote for Me (one click on the banner is all it takes!)
Travel with us as we laugh our way around the globe. I am Rhonda Albom, wife, mom, photographer and blogger, sharing the lighter side of our traveling family's life with two teens. 
courageous on-duty patrol
Yea for her!
Joyce
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
Good one. They would have to be pretty courageous.
What an awesome idea – I’m glad she’ll get out of there at any sign of trouble though
Louanne recently posted..L is for Leg Warmers
Yea, me too. I was a bit worried, until she said she would get away and then call it in.
That is a great idea and makes a person feel safer. Love the play on words for COPS.
Sandyspider recently posted..Vintage Easter White Rabbits and Chick Stamp
Thanks Sandy. Looks like my MIL is pretty cool.
Awesome post and my first smile of the day (it’s only 0811 hrs. here, that’s C.O.P. speak)
I don’t write much humor but I added a touch to my post for the day, Mystery Sub-Genre.
gail recently posted..MYSTERY SUB-GENRE
Yay! I love making people smile and laugh
Your posts always makes me smile…and I admire your MIL for what she’s doing.Enjoyed the post.
I am so happy that leave me comments like this. They make me smile. My MIL is pretty cool.
Glad your MIL is protected in her closed toe shoes! Very cute. BTW, I noticed that you have more comments on your “nothing” post than I do on my “something” posts. I guess less really is more. ha!
Julie recently posted..Never Say Never To Nudism
MIL does have safe feet.
Sounds like all those definitions for C-O-P fit pretty well.
I remember while living in Florida breathing a sigh of relief at this time of year knowing that many of the snowbirds had returned home, and the roads were safer to drive on.
Tony Payne recently posted..News From A Weird World- The Offbeat News for 14th April 2011
LOL – good point. I remember visiting my grandmother once when her friend gave me the keys and said, “Why don’t you drive, I am legally blind, but they let me drive here in the complex.”