Me, Toyota, and the DMV

      It all started on Sunday.

      I got the information that my trademark was not challenged so WhitePubs ™ is mine. And now, I have to beat myself to death getting the ½ done website up  - but first I have to mount a book at Lulu.com with the trademark on it – but first I need to get the ISBN numbers.  (Book is otherwise ready to go as far as I know.)

      I put off going to San Diego AGAIN (well, the Grapevine keeps closing anyway) and I am really behind in pulling all the tax crap together. But, onward we go.

      Walking the puppies is all messed up with the weather, which means I am not walking either, although both me and the puppies are eating as if we were.

      My high blood pressure medication takes the doctor’s OK so I can’t get it but I ordered everything else – except it is too early to order the thyroid stuff. Wait a week. I am trying to get things so I am not running to Long’s – now CVS – every five minutes! And, of course, when these bottles (5 I think) came back filled, they didn’t have the plain caps – they had child-proof. I am 68 with arthritis in my hands. The counter clerk said she could switch them. I told her I could get them open since I had a hammer. She switched them.

      I have so far given out 3 packets of information about the fence that fell over (my entire yard has to be refenced.) This project is using the money for an eye-lift! I’d rather have an eye-lift!

      Then came Monday.

      Monday I was headed to the bank (never made it) to deposit my paycheck, when I opened it to pre-prepare the deposit slip and discovered – I was short nearly $3,000! That will wreck your mood. I know they paid invoice 51 and 52, this is 54 only and where in Hades is 53? So, bank forgotten, I ran to work. Did they forget to process it? (Has happened – actually – it never reached them.) No. Seems, since last quarter was the last quarter where my PO was divided among a bunch of projects, done by guessing what I would be doing, never a sane thing with a technical writer, well, one project was swamped and the others lean. A new person in Accounts Payable decided not to do what they have been doing, pay out of the lean account when the fat one ran out of funds, since we track the actual project work monthly by other means anyway. (Oh, don’t ask. I have and there has never been a good answer.) (We do bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly, and then end of year tracking. What happens when the bean counters try to run an engineering company. How can you know what will come up that needs tending to?)

      My admin (the one who handles all the problems in the department I work for) blew a gasket and sent an email to the recalcitrant person who wouldn’t pay without “written” authorization. Mind you, they didn’t contact me to get it nor the admin. Stickler for common sense this person is not.) I will get the check 7 days late.

      But I will get it.

      OK. Calm down.

      Then came Tuesday.

      Tuesday, I decided enough was enough as the passenger well of the Tacoma was still sopping wet and I had gone through four towels. This is NOT a backed-up air conditioner! Something is wrong. My carpet is being damaged and I KNOW I am rusting the floorboards. (Well, we still call them that don’t we? Even know we no longer have cars made out of wood. And we no longer are driving a horse-drawn carriage.)

      I went to Pierce Toyota, since it is spitting distance from SanDisk where I work. They took it in and took me to work in a shuttle, promising to pick me up before 4PM on the last shuttle run. I have a book. Turns out, by 2PM we found out, that a gasket body seal for the passenger side of the truck was cracked and water was running right through it and observable. This repair is $540 estimated ($491 actual) and will take 4-5 hours so ---- I would be given a rental. Prius? (I love them.) Camery. (oh well, driven one of those too.) They have to take off the fender and who knows what else to fix it.

      So the shuttle picks me up. I go in. I hand over the credit card and driver’s license. They ask if I have a newer one.

      WHAT?

      Oh God. I had a birthday in January I didn’t celebrate (my son was sick). Who looks at their driver’s license? Did I miss a renewal notice? (Nope. Read on.)

      I am now stranded. So I whip out the hated cell phone and call my son. He had just had a shot with his partner and can’t drive!

      So--- I get Toyota to take me to his apartment – which is literally blocks from the garage, and I get out. I will drive his car home. His truck is due for smog check and new tags. Oh Good Lord! You have to open the passenger door because the driver’s door lock doesn’t work with a key. The ignition sticks – has to be tried a few times.  Clutch in to start.

      I am, at this point a wreck.

      Oh yes, all the way to his apartment, the shuttle driver was busy writing his cell on a card and missing green lights because at the last moment he hit on me! (I don’t date. I am not used to this!) So I was doubly flustered! (My son threatened to stab him if he sees him. My son is a bit possessive. I am his. Think what is was like with two of them! The boys would watch at windows, charge doors, and generally go crazy if I went to dinner with ANYONE. Didn’t I write about this in the Adventures of Stalking Fabio?)

      So I illegally drive home (if you ask I will deny and claim writer’s license.) I planted his truck in my driveway off road and safe. (It is only 2 days off its sticker anyway.) (I am 22 days over for my license.)

      But first, I actually drive to the DMV by (near) my house and get the driver’s handbook because my son, the wit, smirked and asked me how long since I had read one? Wink wink nudge nudge. Oh God.

      It is a MOB scene and I was dodging cops et al in a parade of people trying to park. Round and round I went and I got a space! I ran in, found someone in uniform, saw the book, mumbled at him and pointed, grabbed the book and fled.
      There goes my night.

      So I fed, play with and eventually settle the puppies, who are running out of potty pads. And God Bless Bully Sticks.

      I watched NCIS while reading. Then settled in to read (backwards forward) the book, which I had read when Johnathan was trying to get his license.

      I took 7 sample tests.

      It is decided by my son that I will NOT drive his truck to the DMV. I will walk.

      Then came Wednesday-----

      I got up at 6 and got the pups out and fed. I showered. I got them in at the last possible moment. I had taken another sample test – 100%. OK. I can do this. (Because if you fail you have to wait weeks to try again.) I load up with OJ and Water and a small candy bar because I did not have coffee and only ate oatmeal.

      I walked.

      It was a hike of 1 ½ miles and I got there at 8AM when the web said they would open.

      Now, I had looked on-line (sample tests are up there.) And I had even filled in the mail-in renewal form but – since I may have mailed it in twice---- I have to go in person. I am also carrying my birth certificate just in case. It may rain. I wore my rain jacket. It wasn’t, so I left the umbrella (a new one.) I have something to read for long lines.

      They don’t open at 8AM – they open at 9 and I am 5th in line. I stand.

      No drinks inside so I zipped the water and the OJ into my jacket pockets. They are not open but if I faint, I have them.  (Taking BP medication and not drinking is not wise----)

      Just before 9AM, they roll out a cart, and hand out sticky notes and forms and clipboards. I do the same form I did before on-line.

      Return the clipboard.

      We go in, I hand the sticky note over and get a number and I am G0002 and I head to the waiting area. I spy a rest room and head longingly for it. But wait, I hear, “G0002 now being served at window 14”.  Yikes. I have to cross the mass coming in and swim through to the other side. I do this (I haven’t been here in almost 10 years but it doesn’t change much.)

      I hand in the form and say “I didn’t get a renewal”. I hand in the expired license.

      “We sent it?”

      “Where?”

      “Did you ever live in San Diego?”

      “Oh my God I thought the address change didn’t go through because all the car registrations come to Fremont!”

      And I state – "Yes, the Fremont address is the right one".

      Evidently – they have TWO databases and the AAA address change only hit the one. And the forward on mail is well expired. And DMV forms cannot be forwarded anyway.

      Oh my God. Another case of somebody designed some really piss poor software!

      Anyway, she fixed the address (back to Fremont since I am stuck here) and took a check for $31 and sent me to the next station for a mug shot and said I’d get the new one in 2 weeks.

      They did the mug shot and then said I was done.

      NO TEST!

      All that reading and all that stress! (Since I did a PhD oral I am a basket case taking tests. Never recovered from that ordeal.)

      I fled home. Walking.

      I stayed home (1/2 day at work) until the truck was supposed to be ready (and let the puppies out for more playtime).

      I drove down to Chuck - he was on the street and drove me to Toyota - I set him free--- to go get smogged and new tags and I offer him a new ignition tumbler and a door lock for his birthday. I gave him a new windshield one year. Lasted two weeks.

      Toyota said paperwork right up. No, it wasn’t. The clerk called. Well, then they said 10 minutes to dry --- OK that's 1PM which is when they said it would be ready when I had called.

      At one - shift change - they have to start over - where's the truck? The paperwork? Another 10 minutes.

      OK -I am sipping decaf and STANDING - still dressed up in my purple tank-top (I had dressed for my mug shot)  - looking like I do NOT belong here. Here comes the shuttle driver and I am glad my son has left. I make nice and wait some more

      OK - now they have paper and will bring it right up – and now I have service managers hopping all over the place. Maybe I should reconsider getting BOTOXed again – I have this really angry look when I am off it. All by its little self.  (Actually, if not for this mess, I would be getting Botoxed today!)

      I pay and go wait -- no car.

      No car.

      No car.

      Shuttle driver.

      Finished my coffee.

      No car.

Finally someone asks to for the paper (tag number - their tag) - just as he walks off - here it is.

The body seal was cracked so water could come right in --- they say - think it is fixed ---- carpet is certainly DRY  (We think (Chuck and I) that this was a hidden result of being side-swiped by the 18 wheeler some time back----.) It took all this time to Diagnose!

      I hop in. The truck “feels” funny.  (Turns out, they had altered the tilt on the steering wheel! I didn’t even know I could do that!  It took 4 attempts but I think I have it back where it belongs.

      OK - I took off like a bat out of hell and ran to work.

      I had left the puppies all confused when I left home --- sunbeams --- and they are INSIDE?????

      I had also provided two new loffa dogs --- I toss two -- one comes back in two mouths --- hilarious. But they were running and playing fetch so ----  (Never leave beagles with toys they can destroy. Only under supervision.) Tonight I will cuddle and pet and let them have bully sticks (under supervision).

      I will walk Grace (put Suky in the car carrier with her bully stick - which she is possessive about) – maybe.  I could NOT do 4 miles this morning - I could not! I am very proud that I hiked to the DMV and back however.

      Now maybe I can calm down-----.

      Then Came Thursday

      Thursday, and I am out of potty pads.

      Thursday morning, I walked the big pup. The little one has puppy class tonight.

      I ran to the drug store (Long’s, now CVS) and got my medication for high BP. (Chortle.) I also wanted the REAL Sudafed. Behind the counter. Because honest people have had themselves inconvenienced by the meth-addict idiots of the world.

      Now, this takes your DRIVER’S LICENSE. So I whip it out, and I whip out the form that DMV gave me. They scan the license and the machine throws up, so they type in the new expiration date.

      I swipe my Visa. And then it spits back the Visa as invalid. Wait! I haven’t bought gas twice! I really haven’t! The clerk (who knows me) swiped my card on her side – it’s fine.)

      I am laughing hysterically by now.

      I do not want to get out of bed on Friday.