This is the DMV?

I went to our local driver license & tag office last week, to renew my car tag and my license, which I'd been renewing by mail for so long, it had a layer of renewal stickers holding it together. The original issue date was 1989, when I moved to Florida, and the picture was from when I updated it in 1992 - I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, who is now 15 and a half! So yeah, it was time...

Our County Tax Collectors Office handles everything - taxes, tags, titles, permits, & licensing, so it's all in one building, and you can renew the tags & license at the same window, which is nice.

Anyway, my last visit to the DMV having been in 1992, when it was a separate building, and so slow they made the post office look fast, I went in the morning so the lines wouldn't be as bad, and brought a book, figuring I was going to be there a while. You go in, take a number, and wait to be called to a window. So I got my number, timestamped 9:22am, and was directed to a service window - with no waiting! Told the lady what I needed, she took my paperwork, asked me some questions, and had me walk over to stand in front of the blue-screen so she could take my license photo, which she could do right from her window. Cool! When I went back to her window, she told me to have a seat while my license was processing. I sat, read about half a page, and she called me back up - all done! I took my brand new license & tag sticker, paid the fees, and headed back out to my car. Looked at the car clock, and it was not yet 9:45am...

Wow! So the entire operation took less than 20 minutes! This was so much better than the DMV I remember! So whoever reorganized it, thanks! And hey, if you're looking for a new challenge, give the post office a call - they could really use your help...

What Part of No...?

The other day, the girls' father called - NOT to tell his daughter happy birthday, because apparently he didn't remember that detail until she told him it was her birthday - but to make arrangements for the next weekend they'll spend time with him. (And before that part, told me he had thought about coming to pick up the last of his stuff - finally - but saw that we had company [?! - stalker much?], so he wasn't going to. The "company" was my daughter and her friend, but when I told him that, he still wouldn't pick up his stuff. Assclown.)

A little background here:
The girls don't actually like to spend time with him, but they're not quite ready to tell him to his face (or in court) that they don't want to. Well, the younger one isn't - the older one says she is. Also, he doesn't bother to see them nearly as often as he is allowed...

But when they "have to" see him, I drive them to meet him wherever (used to be his house - ack!), and then pick them up after (no overnights), because part of the visitation order specifically states that he is not allowed to drive them anywhere, ever, due to a history of drinking, and of DUI. This has not changed in the 3 years we've been divorced, and I didn't let him drive them before that, either. So.

After chatting me up (most likely to see if I was in a good mood, and (in his mind) more likely to give in, he casually says, "I'll pick them up and we'll go to the zoo.".

Uh, no.

So now the conversation went like this:
"No you won't."
"Yes, I will."
"No. You won't."
"Yes, I will"
"I will drive them to meet you anywhere you want to take them, but you can't drive them and you know it."
"I'm going to."
"No. You're really not. There is a legal agreement that says you are not allowed to drive them, ever, for a very valid reason."
"I know. But I'm still going to."
(WTF?)
"Then why are you trying to get around it? You will not drive them. Anywhere. Ever."
"Maybe I'll get a lawyer then."
(Oh, PLEASE do - I'd like to see how you'll explain why your drunk ass driving your children around is good for their well-being... and you will lose more than you bargain for - the girls are old enough to have a say in this now).
"That's fine, but you're still not driving them."
"Yes, I am."
"Maybe I'm not being clear here. You are not allowed to drive them, and until that is legally changed, which isn't going to happen, there is no way you are driving them anywhere, at any time, for any reason."

And I'm still not sure he gets it. Guess I need to learn not to be so vague, huh? Sheesh.

Checking In

Just in case anyone thought I might have fallen off the planet. ;-)

I'm still around, still enjoying life with my kids & critters,

still very much in love, and still playing Guild Wars.

You know - all the important stuff. :-D