Wednesday Woes

It was cold (32 degrees F.) and windy when I woke up on Wednesday and didn’t improve much throughout the day (the high was still only in the 30’s). The garbage cans were still out by the road and I decided I would roll them back across the street (just to the other side) if they were still there tonight.

It was difficult to stand up straight on my morning walk. Because of the cold and wind, I instinctively wanted to hunch over.

I worked through lunch, snacking on an apple. I need to renew my driver’s license in person this year so I thought I’d go when it “wasn’t” busy around 2:00 PM. So, at 1:30, I left and went to the Secretary of State office in Westland (Jake’s suggestion, because the “super center” one by me is always packed).

I was very confused when I got there. There was a line of maybe 10-15 people standing against the right side wall and two sets of chairs with people sitting here and there. I asked the first woman behind the counter where to go to get my driver’s license renewed and she told me to take a number and sit down. So, I did. I got number 75 and they were on number 45.

I was sitting next to a young mother with a baby asleep in a carrier. “Looks like he has the right idea,” I remarked. She said, “As long as he stays asleep until they call me.” She said she was number 70.

I noticed they would call out a number, nobody would move, then call out the next and so on, sometimes up to five numbers in a row. Hmmm... wonder where those folks went?

Meanwhile, people keep coming in, taking a ticket and standing in that line. I noticed people who I saw come in after me go through that line and get taken care of and leave! Maybe its just for people getting new tabs? No, I see her having people take the vision test and then their photos. So, I asked the mother if she knew what that line was and she said no. Finally, I decided this was stupid, got up, walked over and stood in line.

There was just one lady, but she was working through people like butter. The other six women were going over title transfers with four or five people and so on. I was three away from being served when they finally called my number. So, I left the line and went to take care of business.

I decided that the line was for people with simple things, like tabs or license renewals. But, there was no signs or even directions from the staff. Stupid.

I was there an hour and 15 minutes, but I could have been in and out in less than a half hour had I known!

The rest of the day was pretty normal. The garbage cans were gone when I got home. I talked with B___, who called just to check in.

I warmed up two brats (that I ate with Dijon mustard), the last baked potato and the last acorn squash for my dinner. I watched a little TV and looked at a magazine that came in the mail until an early bedtime.