and they didn’t even grade my test

October 20, 2009

and they didn’t even grade my test

Today I went to renew my driver’s license.  I’ve only known it was going to expire this week for, uh, the 6 years that I’ve been licensed to drive by this state.  They only sent me the booklet and open-booklet-test two months ago.  I only left said materials laying (lying?) out on my kitchen counter for all of those two months.  I mean, clearly this renewal thing snuck right up on me.

Since we moved, we live closer to a dmv other than the one I had been to previously, so I spent some leisure time on various government webpages the other day finding the correct address and plugged said address into Google Maps on my phone, so that I’d be all ready to go.

The rumors on facebook were that the wait time was sometimes hours, so I had mentally prepared myself for a long wait with a squirmy baby, but hey – this is probably the one and only time that I’ll need to go to the dmv with an infant, right?

I decided in my head (a great place to decide things, by the way) that going first thing in the morning would yield the highest probability of the shortest wait time because people don’t like to get up early, right?

Baby Swiss and I headed out the door – fully dressed and coiffed from head to toe and not wearing ten year old slippers like someone almost did the other day when she left to run errands.  (Let’s keep in mind that only one of us was around ten years ago to acquire said slippers and that person’s name is not Baby Swiss.)

With Google Maps at the ready, we were off in our trusty minivan.  We ran into school traffic and slow downs at several schools along the way, but we were not deterred.

Well, not deterred until we couldn’t find the dmv.

After driving in circles, stopping to ask a friendly crossing guard for directions and checking the address on the south end of the street and the north end of the street, Baby Swiss had finished her breakfast of champions (formula) and I wanted to throw in the towel and head home.

Unfortunately, home didn’t have any grumpy government employees who wanted a check for $26, so instead I opted to head north to the dmv I have frequented too many times before (three times in six years is kind of a lot, no?).

We headed for the highway to find ourselves to be the newest participants in rush hour traffic.

It was fun.

Well, if you’re idea of fun is sitting still in a minivan on a highway with an increasingly displeased, but really cute baby.

We fine-a-lee made it to ye old trusty dmv way up north and as I was getting out of the van, I said a silent prayer – or was it out loud – begging for there to be a short line.

I grabbed the stroller, unbuckled the baby and found a diaper needing some immediate attention.

So, we (and by we, I mean Baby Swiss and me minus Baby Swiss) changed the diaper, loaded said baby into the stroller and head inside.  You’ll never guess what I happened upon when I went inside.

The angels were singing and the bring light from heaven was shining down because there were only three people in line.  Hallelujah – I won’t have to drive off a bridge with my new driver’s license after all.

The guy in front of me was a dollar short on what he needed and was digging through his pockets for change.  I was just standing there waiting and overhead, so I gave him the quarter that he needed to save him from a trip to the atm for twenty cents.  Sometimes, it’s okay to be nosy.  Besides, I don’t think atms dispense dimes.

Then I was called, paid my $26, took my eye test, lied about my weight, told the truth about my address, remained an organ donor  and took a brand spanking new picture with my current hair color – which happens to be quite a change from my former hair color.   And that, my friends, is change you can believe in.

All of that to say: today I renewed my driver’s license.

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