Intro to Parking 101

So I have lived in the Seattle Eastlake neighborhood since late September, almost three months. Eastlake is one of the many zoned parking neighborhoods in the Seattle metropolitan area. Zoned parking is designed to help residents by discouraging long-term non-resident parking, making more parking available for residents of the area. So in my neighborhood, cars without the particular zone permit are allowed to park for only two hours during most times, and not at all from 6 PM to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

I have a permit for my neighborhood, so zoned parking doesn't make a big difference, except that it means the Seattle Department of Transportation patrols our neighborhood for parking offenders, including those with zone permits parked illegally to varying degrees. I have learned over the past few weeks that I basically suck at following parking regulations. I'm racking up the parking tickets - one for not being 15 feet from a fire hydrant (when I was about eight feet from the hydrant) and another for parking in an area with no parking 7 to 9 AM (I parked down the hill when it was icy). Not to mention friends and family have been ticketed for parking without a permit since each household is only allowed one guest parking permit.

I understand that zoned parking is in place to help residents - but I'm learning that I am just not used to this downtown parking deal being a North Seattle gal most of my life. Any suggestions for dealing with the parking issue around Seattle or elsewhere? Any complaints?