How About That?

A driver's license in Tennessee is $19.00 for five years. It cost me $23 for six years. I guess we were so far along in this calendar year until it made sense. I don't know but I am thankful. Something must be wrong with it, however, because the ones issued in DC, MD, and VA cost an arm and a leg in comparison. Let me see. Holograms? Check. Birth, Issue, and Expiration Dates? Check. Name, Address, Personal Identifiers? Check. DL Number? Check. Laminated? Check. Photo? Two, check. Signature? Check. State Identifiers? Flag, Motto, State Seal, State Name, check. Color? Check. So why does it cost more up north? And why was I able to get the license, after it was processed, within minutes as opposed to an hour? Isn't it the same equipment? Anybody with answers?

Where's the drama, missy? Now you and I both know that I didn't breeze in and breeze out. Every city, county, etc., in this state does not issue a driver's license. You must drive to the nearest DMV. In my case, I could choose between Covington, in Tipton County, south of Ripley, or Dyersburg, Dyer County, north of Ripley. Six in one hand; half a dozen in another. About the same amount of mileage. I chose Covington because I knew where the center was located. Driving slowly; don't want to get stopped. DC tags long expired.

Quite a few people on hand but they use the familiar ticket system, once you've identified your need. Step up calm as you please. I've been on-line, know what I need to bring to get a license. At least I thought I did. A birth certificate, passport, or government ID? Get out of here. I've got my proof of residency, SS card, yada yada, but the birth certificate is home and the passport is null and void. Nothing to do but turn around, drive back to Ripley and get the birth certificate. You can do it now or you can do it later. Now is the order of the day.

On the way back, I stopped at my old friend's shop, Ted's Glass. No I haven't broken anything but I want to put glass inserts into the cabinet doors in the dining room. They don't carry any decorative glass. Well, I didn't go out of my way so nothing lost. My good friends, the Harpers, are closed, again. Today is Tuesday so I guess they are at the auction in Mississippi. They did send my glass shelves, yesterday, and I returned the ones for the china cabinet. Now, if they could just get those items sold!

I stopped at the motor parts shop on the way out of Ripley to see if they did lawn mower repair. They do. Got the birth certificate and loaded the mower in the trunk. If I thought it was heavy when it was delivered in the box, I shouldn't have been surprised to find that it was still heavy and hard to handle. Dropped it off and back to Covington. Isn't that a lot of driving? Not really, when you put it in perspective. 30 miles. Arundel Mills Shopping Center. Lake Forest Mall. Potomac Mills, Annapolis, Baltimore, Dulles or BWI. Of course, you're not making two trips in the same day but you get my point.

Ah, only one person ahead of me. Well, goldarnit, they've never seen a birth certificate like that before. And, ooh, this driver's license is so pretty. Not my picture, folks; the scenery on the license. Can we take this birth certificate? Oh, which address is correct--121 or 122? Explanation given. Short process. Back to Ripley.

Stopped at my favorite shopping center--Cole's. They are taking the place of Home Depot only because the nearest one is an hour away. Order electrical wiring, joint compound, more wood. Putting up shelves. Cheaper to buy plywood and get it cut into the widths I want. My friend, Terry, is manning one register and my friend, Mary, the other. She told me that she had really worked hard today because she had to restock the candy. Such hard work. She comments on the fact that I have on clothes today so I must have been out. Yes, boys and girls, I had on street clothes. Eyebrows. No baseball cap. Showing off my perm. No curls, though, just slicked back. Got to keep them on their toes. I can clean up, every now and then.

Can't do a lot of wishing and planning in Cole's. Too small and the stock is not diverse enough. Really miss Home Depot and Lowe's. But I still managed to waste time. Realized that I needed to get to the court house. I am finally getting tags and don't want them to close up. Now tags you can get in your county but you have to have your title and a TN license. I couldn't get them the first time I tried because the title was in storage. I finally got to the box with personal papers a week or so ago.

On the way into the court house, I see what appears to be a statue of a squirrel on a perch in a tree. Not. It was live as it wanted to be. He was perched on a feeder filled with ears of corn. I guess he just snags a kernel and nibbles away. I didn't have time to watch. Don't know when places open and close around here. Some places close early on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Some are closed on Monday; the state DMV office, for example.

No waiting but the person taking care of me was slow as molasses. Poor computer skills and an avid listener. She had to keep stopping my process to listen to the conversation going on around her. I don't know what the topic was; it sounded as though the fellow was giving detailed directions to somewhere in Jackson. She acted as though he was imparting state secrets. Did you move here from Columbia? The District of Columbia. Uh, oh. Hasn't she heard of the place? You bought this in 2005? Yes. I've lost track of time; thought I'd had it 3 years already. What color is it? Is this the correct address for the registration? Yes, Yes, and Yes. I'm handed one tag; they only use it on the rear down here. She didn't even ask me if I wanted a special one. The one supporting art had a rainbow and was pretty. Doesn't matter. I wasn't paying extra for one anyway. And the cost? $89.00!!! A far cry from what I've paid in DC. AND, NO INSPECTION! How about that?

Get home to find a call from the lawn mower people. "Your lawnmower is fixed." Oh, thank you! What was the problem? "The gas tank was full of water." WATER!!! Now, how about that? I'm not making any accusations, friends, but will someone tell me how the tank got full of water when it was capped tightly and under cover. Wondering minds want to know. I remember a threat made a little over a week ago about $40 dollars. The cost to repair the machine is a little over that. Hmmm. How ABOUT that?

Now that the good deacon and I have parted ways, it will be interesting to see what else happens. No, I am not down here starting trouble. I am, however, making my point when necessary. No man on the scene 24/7 doesn't mean I'm a patsy. Inappropriate comments and spending the money while laughing doesn't cut it with the kid. Left me high and dry, he did. Real Christian. Or so he thought. The kid doesn't have all this equipment (which he used liberally) for their looks. I do know how to use them. The finished product won't look like Wonder Mike's but it will get done. HOW ABOUT THAT!