My wild trip to the DMV

My birthday is coming up soon. This year it means that I need to renew my driver’s license. I haven’t done it yet because I needed the DL for my recent travel for work. So yesterday I decided I’d better get it done.

That darn Department of Motor Vehicles office keeps moving around, I wasn’t sure exactly where it was located now. My son said it was near the Mall but we also had gone to the one in the western part of town when we transferred his car title and he renewed his driver’s license. A quick look through the phone book didn’t help, the listings were outdated, no addresses were listed and nobody answered the phone.

So after work I climbed the hill to where my car was parked and hurried out west. I didn’t have the exact closing time of the office but knew that they are NEVER open very late! I drove on the freeway towards home and took the proper exit. The parking lot was pretty full so I had to park and walk. As I approached the glass door I saw a sign and my heart sank. “Notice: We only handle titles here and no longer process driver’s licenses at this location. Please go to ____.” By this time it was 4:20 p.m. and while no times were listed, I was pretty sure this other location would not be open much longer, if it wasn’t closed already.

I pulled out of the parking lot and on to the main road. There was road construction most of the way, with one lane outlined by orange barrels (thinking of that Bob and Tom song "Orange Barrels") and city buses stopping at every block. It was a nightmare to navigate through it quickly! I darted around the buses, went through three red lights (were yellow when I started and I was not about to stop!) dipped into part of the construction and generally drove in a crazy and unsafe manner to try to reach the office in time. There has to be an irony there somewhere; driving like a maniac to renew my driver's license!

And it was in vain, of course. I arrived at 4:33 and the place closes at 4:30. A man was locking the door when I came running up. He very nicely got me an application so at least I can have a head start tomorrow after work! And knowing where to go will help too. I think I can make it in time next tonight.

I’ve seen this on a couple of blogs and decided to do it today:

Seven things that scare you:
1. What happens after we die
2. Random violence
3. Deliberate cruelty
4. The dark side
5. The thought of losing someone I love
6. Loved ones getting sick, hurt or dying
7. Extreme uncontrolled anger from others

Seven things you like the most:
1. The smell, taste and feel of fresh air
2. The lap of waves and the sun shining on the water
3. Laughing with a loved one or good friend
4. Lying down to rest after a really good day
5. Finding out something interesting and new
6. Checking out a new (to me) place
7. Talking or writing, and exchanging ideas

Seven important things in your bedroom:
1. My gorgeous and comfortable rattan antique couch (don’t have a bed)
2. A painting of water and boats done by my Mom
3. My beautiful striped comforter
4. Lamp with Hawaiian shawl wrapped around it
5. CD player, DVD and TV!
6. Lots of different size and color pillows
7. Wicker coffee table with round, glass-covered picture (NOT pitcher!) of water on top

Seven random facts about you:
1. I “wrote” and “illustrated” a book at six years old
2. I learned to read when I was four years old, it was Dr. Seuss
3. I really like and am interested in people, have been interested in psychology and sociology most of my life.
4. I also like lots of alone time to think, to feel and to dream!
5. I’m very easy going and easy to get along with, value working together and getting along.
6. I’m quiet in large groups or with people I don’t know well, tend to listen only.
7. I’m easily bored and need mental stimulation! A brisk walk is nice, too.

Seven things you plan to do before you die:
1. Travel to England and France
2. Start my own business
3. Start a salon (would need a decently large space for that) not the hair kind, the conversational type
4. Do some artsy stuff like learn to paint and make pottery
5. Learn to sail and get a boat!
6. Write and publish more
7. Find more friends and keep them, as well as my current friends

Seven things you can do:
1. Listen and calm people down
2. Figure out how to get almost anything done
3. Change, move and try new things
4. Persuade, in a very non-salesmanship-type way!
5. Find cool, interesting and beautiful things from rummage and garage sales
6. Dig out information, usually if it can be found, I can find it!
7. Encourage people and influence them to be their best selves

Seven things you can't do:
1. Ignore someone in pain
2. Sing on key or remember lyrics.
3. Speak another language; have tried to learn several different ones with no success.
4. Drive a manual shift car.
5. Be purposefully mean to anyone or anything
6. Throw away perfectly good items
7. Have people around me all of the time—I’d go nuts!

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:
1. Intelligent, but not boastful or boring (not someone who goes on and on about what he knows)

2. Witty, light-hearted and playful
3. A beautiful thick head of hair! (ideally, but am more interested in character)
4. Kind and considerate to everyone.
5. A good conversationalist and also a good listener
6. Generous and giving, not just a taker
7. Sensual, enjoys life

Seven things you say the most:
1. That would be a yes
2. Oh well
3. Fug it
4. All righty, then
5. uh huh
6. Ya think?
7. Yupper

Seven celeb crushes: (difficult to just pick seven!)
1 Matthew McConaughey
2 Lenny Kravitz
3. Robert Downey, Jr.
4 David Duchovny
5. Rob Lowe
6. Kurt Cobain
7. Johnny Depp

Seven people you want to see to take this quiz:
1. People on my Blogroll
2. People not on my Blogroll
3. People who don’t blog
4. People who can’t read
5. People who hate blogs
6. People who know me
7. People who don’t know me