Just the employees?
Is this primarily a Washington thing (I refuse to add of state, I think D.C. should go by just that to reduce confusion) or do other states have different offices for licensing and vehicles? I don’t know if it’s better or worse as a system, but I was sure confused when I got to Seattle and DMV is not listed anywhere, and I didn’t know the story, so I wasn’t sure where to go for what. . .
This morning while I was cleaning work at 4-ish it just occurred to me my license might be expiring on my birthday next week. Sure enough when I checked that was the case. Usually, having Independance day so close to my birthday is a good thing–especially when it falls on a weekend. In this case it gave me just today, Saturday AM (NO, NO WAY), Tuesday (which is out because of my TBA time on the presentation), and Wednesday morning. Because of course the DoL is closed on Mondays. So despite wanting to really stay home to buckle down on my projects/essays/notes–and because it’s pouring rain and I’ve already been drenched twice in the last 24 hrs.
You can renew online though, so I happily, with much gratitude, started filling out the form. Only to realize Auntie’s Seattle address was still on my card. And you can’t change your address online. Which I don’t know why, because they didn’t have me show them any proof of address or sign anything. But it meant I had to go, and I had to go today. Friday, when 3/4 of the city seem to get the afternoon off.
Hate!
I brought the book I’m trying to finish, trying to be thankful for uninterrupted, guilt-free reading time, but it’s super-hard not to get impatient. First the old dude in the chair behind me was really shifty in his seat, and it made my seat move everytime he did. So eventually I got up and moved to a chair without someone behind it. But people started pouring in the door around noon, and soon every chair was filled. Even though I was only 12 numbers from the current number when I arrived it still took about an hour to get up to the line. And that took 2 minutes. Pointless. I really don’t understand why the government can’t utilize the internet more for these things!
Finally my number was called and the guy said “How are you?” Then immediately regretting that said you have to be careful asking that in this place–true, for sure! The whole thing (once I got out of line) took 2 minutes, and required no verifications. Then I had to wait in a new line to get my pic snapped.
As I was waiting some Spokompton-typical gal sat next to me. 45+, tired and bitter looking, unshowered, smelled of 
cigarette smoke and unwashed (uncombed) hair. Maybe she thought she was at the DSHS. I ignored her–same way I ignored the guy moving my chair, the people who thought it was a good idea to bring 5 screaming, running toddlers, and the sorostitutes talking loudly on their Apple devices.
The dude called “Lavrel Lay” which sounds close enough to my name. There are not a lot of people with my first name, and many butcher my last name so I answer to approximations. I stood up, and 2 minutes later the scrubbin gal confrontationally got in my face and was all, “Is YOUR name Lavrel Lay?” And I was like, “umm, kinda.” The guy looked at his list and said, “Lavrel?” You’re next, I have Laura Lay up first, but wait here. He had combined my first name with her last and our names were fairly close to begin with. It would have been funny if she weren’t icky and a D-bag.
I had actually fixed my hair, worn my beautiful beadwork barette, and curled my eyelashes so 
I think my picture will look a lot better then the tired version on my Seattle card. I had to run all over the city (not easy with that traffic), fight to collect the proper documents, and wait in 4+ hour lines so I looked worn down. But today looked better. It’s just too bad I have to start the process all over in one year when I move to a new state :-{
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Catty Remarks