little did she know...: life after dmv

(post written Saturday night but shall stand the test of time unlike Tad Hamilton)

Simon and Garfunkel are crooning at me from the shadowy coze of the McCabes’ kitchen as two little snuggles on the floor above dream of something, I imagine, that would favor a scene out of the Lisa Frank collection.

My day began a taaaaad noisier. In fact, if I had written this some 12 hours ago, it would have been very un-Lisa Franky.

To be completely fair, the first step out of my front door did welcome me with pink snow. So Lisa Frank points to my dream tree (that will get its’ own post) and the rainy Friday that brought this magical stuff that you might expect to happen only to Anne Shirley on PEI. But there it is. Smack dab in the middle of the cittyyyyy.

The morning was beautiful, I was in very confident spirits that this was my day. I was dressed for DMV success (the moccasins mean business).

The morning was crisp and the air ‘twas fresh with the potential of short lines and the hope of time for a post-dmv Dunkin Donuts victory lap and a couple of errands before Mass. Oh the innocent naivete of my bright-eyed Saturday morning self.

But then there was the DMV. I am pretty sure I said I liked the DMV, but I am going to have to caviat my claim: I like the DMV when it is not Saturday, and when, if I have to stand in a line out the door, it is not cold. There was not only a human line, there was also a car line. Double lines bode well for no man.

Standing outside in line turned the crisp air into the stuff of cold, and since you asked, my brain did decide to take a millisecond vacation and in that millisecond it forgot to tell my hand before it left for the beach, to keep holding on to that slightly important folder of information that it is currently holding.

Yes I dropped that folder. Yes it was windy. and NO I did not catch all of the papers before they began to frolic in their stolen freedom. When the folder dropped, there was a general outcry of dismay from everyone who witnessed it, because we all knew how completely horrendous the consequences of losing any cog obtaining papers would be. Solidarity, DMV sufferers!

Major points to humanity in the form of that kid in the high tops and that lady. Both of them risked the possible dire consequences of leaving their spot in that frigid line to help me save those rebellious papers. God bless you, Boy of the High Tops and Lady of the Line.

So things proceeded as they usually do. I waited in the busiest DMV waiting place I have ever been. The girl behind me in line told the phone person she was chatting up that the DMV looked like a prison. One way in, one way out. Straight up, girl behind me.

at this moment I was looking forward to being inside of that place because those people, they look warm

My number was finally called and then part 2 of the potential doom struck. The very nice woman looked at my insurance and said “Your insurance has to say D.C. on it”.

stunned silence while the reality banished all previous dunkin donut hopes of the future.

I did all I could to remember that this nice woman was not the DMV, nor was she the person to blame for yet another fiery hoop that I was supposed to jump through. She was just the one being paid to hold the hoop and tell me if I didn’t jump, I was going to have to come back again. Tears put up a good fight to make it to the surface, but she gave me the option of calling my insurance and have them fax the change to the DMV, so my will power told the tears to call back if the fax didn’t appease the powers that be. Two calls, 4 insurance agents, 2 faxes, and one very kind, patient fiery hoop holder later, and I had myself a force field that will defend my car against the fanged money eaters that lurk on every street in D.C.

sup now, d.c. parking ticketers?

So how did I recover from that harrowing experience, you appropriately wonder? I went where all that is bitter is rendered sweet. Jesus, Mass, the Eucharist, the Easter Candle lit and wreathed with a halo of gerber daisies. To which I say, Right On.

It was the only cure for a 2 1/2 hour stake out at the dmv complete with hoops on fire.

And bonus points for Bubba coming to Mass in his bright orange running shirt.

The rest of the day gloried in sunshine, trader joe’s and babysitting my peaches. My high-five-number-one-top-shelf brother-in-law, and his adorable side-kick, Sophitala, attached my spanking new force field for me, and we stuck a fork in the dmv for a while. Don’t want to over-do it on the fun times, after all.

The clamor of this morning’s trials have all been muted by the voice of Soph saying things like:

“Actually, we have another bathroom right there”

or, “Is your bladder full?”

or, after I made an architecturally brilliant lincoln log pad (that might be debatable) she said “That isn’t very good”. (probably true).

And if anyone out there remembers the Mary Kate and Ashely slumber party special circa 1994, (always fast forward the part where they paint their faces like ghosties and ghoulies and beasties in the night. because yikes. minus points. not child friendly, MK&A) there is a song about pizza in it. Sophia and I spent a lot of time harmonizing to that little number tonight.

The best, by far, were my peaches singing Alleluia at the dinner table (Madkins did a very close baby version of Alleluia, but sadly I did not get her in the video)

Alleluia, because it is Resurrection day. Alleluia, because He is RISEN. FOREVER. ALLELUIA! I remembered again that it is still the Easter season (how easily humans forget the glory for which we are destined!).

With all of the darkness that covers this earth full of suffering, there is a Light that has conquered it all. And the darkness will never overcome it. The much bigger than dmv trials will be all rendered so so sweet by Him Who is Life, Love, and Beauty.

Hope springs eternal, because our Hope is Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. Who transforms everything dark into light. He makes Life come out of death. Nothing is impossible with Him. Nothing. Beauty from ashes. Alleluia!

Happy Easter! happy Resurrection day!

Happy!

Le Chaim!

Bonus Sunday Evangelista moments woooot wooot