DMV

One of the things we've been putting off was getting our Oregon Driver's licenses and registering our cars. We are originally from Eastern LI and anyone from that area will tell you a visit to DMV for ANYTHING will leave you with PTSD. Every morning people show up well before it opens, by the time it does open it looks like the line to a Springsteen Farewell tour. It doesn't matter in the end, you'll be there for half a day no matter what you do,even if you somehow managed to bring all the required paperwork (you didn't. Even if you did they have a secret list of Things To Ask For If They Have All The Paperwork) - it is always multiple trips. But since I have to start work on Monday we figured we'd better get it done. On Wednesday I had to be re-fingerprinted for my RN license in Washington and then we decided to try DMV then. We found it and stuck our heads in - a huge line! Eek! Since the dogs were still pretty sick we didn't want to leave them for an extended time, we left which turned out to be a good decision as it was actually the wrong state. We live in Oregon, not Washington. 

Friday was the day. We took our proof of address, insurance and registration cards and went to Astoria to the correct DMV.  We got there a few minutes before it opened with about 4 other people - we were seen in under 10 minutes!! And got nothing accomplished. To get our driver's license in Oregon we needed to produce our ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE  and take a 35 question written test. I couldn't register my car because they need to physically see it, arrgh. David got the van registered and then back home we went. Believe it or not the birth certificate thing was not a big, since we move around so much we have everything including our social security cards, my original nursing license, etc...every place wants something different. We fed the dogs a small meal and walked them a lot as by then they were better but not great, then back to Astoria we went. I found practice tests on line and since it's an hour drive we could review. If you think it's that easy - it is sort of. But some of the questions - how many classes of Mopeds are there, if you stop to let a train pass on a crossing that has no flashing lights how many feet away from the tracks do you stop, If you come to a four way stop, does the car on the right or the left have the right of way - were not things you think about. 

The tests are online and on the bottom it keeps score of how many you've missed - in case you're wondering you can miss 8. I finished in about 10 minutes with an 85, my objective is to finish and pass, not impress anyone. David took For-ev-er because he views it as a competition and got a 90. We got our temporary ones and on the upside my picture came out very nice, on the downside they put your weight on it. Yup. You read that right - incentive to never get pulled over. I got my Subaru registered and by the time all was said and done we walked out of there about $600 poorer. It was not a cheap day, but it's done and over with. I have only today to enjoy my freedom - after 7 weeks I will be returning to the salt mines tomorrow. Oh well, it had to end sometime.