Department of Motor Vehicles

I spent the morning at the DMV, trying to get my California drivers' license.

The first thing that happened was that I got lost. The highways in California still scare me, and the DMV was so close to the exit that I didn't see it when I left the highway and drove on for several miles trying to find a place where I could legally U-turn and finally executed one that was probably illegal, but the road lines weren't marked yet so I didn't care. They can't cite me for illegally crossing a double yellow line when there IS no double yellow line, now can they?

I get to the DMV and into the parking lot, and there is no parking! I manage to hail a police officer and he tells me to park in the street somewhere. So I drive a quarter of a mile away, park on the side of the road, utter a prayer to the road gods that I don't get towed - I carefully checked to make sure it was an unmarked curb, far away from a fire hydrant, and with no signs banning parking at certain hours.

I left my apartment at 10 am, for a 10:50 am appointment, at a DMV 8.3 miles away from my place. By the time I parked my car it was 10:45 and I had to rush a quarter of a mile in my bronze wedge sandals to the DMV. I don't know how it's done in South Africa, but in the US if you want to take your driving test (the one where you actually drive, not the written test) you have to get there before the place opens and wait in a line that wraps around the building several times. You can't make appointments for it unless you have some sort of special circumstances.
I had to weave through this line, find the Appointments Only line, and then wait there till I got to go to the counter. I managed to get to the counter at 10:55 so I wasn't too late, but I was definitely sweating bullets.

Once I got my paperwork to fill out and my ticket, I got to wait in a lovely hard plastic chair till my number got called (although I was glad for the seat, some people were standing). I filled out my paperwork in a minute or two and spent the remaining forty-five minutes of my wait playing Bejeweled on my phone. That game was the best $4.99 investment I ever made.

Their system was actually pretty interesting: when a number was up they would announce it over the loudspeaker and there were tv screens everywhere showing the number (mine was F041) and the counter you were to go to. My number finally got called and I went up and handed over my Florida drivers' license, my Social Security card and my greencard. I had one really nervous moment when the lady went to photocopy them...I couldn't see her and my heart was seriously in my throat till she came back and handed all three back to me.
She had some pretty negative comments about immigrants, but I think they were directed towards Mexicans in general - although she did make a nasty comment about the federal government taking her house from her and giving it to me (an immigrant). I wonder how bad things really are in California, if all the Mexicans are really causing problems, or if they're just a useful scapegoat.

Finally I got some new papers and went to a different desk to get my picture taken. I guess the flash is an afterthought, because my photo shows me grimacing rather than smiling, but it's a drivers' license photo, no one expects much.

Then I went to another room and waited in line for far too long waiting to a) get my test, b) a booth to open so I could fill it in, c) back in line to turn my test in. Then I watched as the guy graded my test and I only got TWO wrong out of THIRTY-FIVE!! Booyah! I was so relieved when he wrote "PASS" on it - I'd been torturing myself with the thought of having to come back again - and was told to go wait in another line to get processed.

This last line was mercifully short, and I only had to stand at the counter for fifteen minutes or so before everything was in order and the lady told me to expect my card in the mail between 3 to 6 weeks.

I then rushed out to make sure my car was still where I'd parked it, saw that it was, and drove home feeling better than I had all week.
When I got home I had a quick lunch of eggrolls, then put my shoes back on and walked to the campus ID office to get my ID card. I had to fill out a sheet of paper, show them my drivers' license (my Florida one), smile for a picture (I looked MUCH better in this picture) and then wait for literally 60 seconds and my card was printed and ready.

I walked home and my feet hurt so much I went down to the pool in flip-flops and dangled my feet in the cold water. Then I came up and as it was 5 pm so I started dinner.

I had dinner, watched the French 24 news, and then called Mom and Dad. It's now late at night and I'm relaxing with a glass of wine. Tomorrow I'm going shopping for sandals I can wear and run all over campus and not get blisters in. And I'm thinking about stopping at this Portuguese deli I found online - I need to get a good source for chorizo so I can make myself real Thanksgiving stuffing. Distance and money are NOT going to do me out of all my family traditions!!!