{Small town living}

Life moves a little bit slower here.  No hustle or bustle.  There's a slow, comfortable pace to life that's at times very frustrating and other times, very refreshing.  I find, that coming from a large city, I tend to need instant gratification.  I'm working on dialing waaay back.  Simplifying. 

Simplifying didn't prepare me for how a rural DMV, dealing with state budget cuts, operates.  My drivers license expired on my birthday a couple days ago.  My options were to pull the mil wife card and renew my KS license (no, I never got a CO license) or to buck up and make the move to become a NC citizen.  I decided to embrace our new life and become a local. 

I called the local DMV (there are only two teeny offices in our county-they ONLY do license, not tags) and the sweetest little southern accent on the other end broke the dreaded news.  I'd have to take the written test and the drivers test at their discretion, I mean HER discretion.  Only one person mans (womans?) this office.  Fuck.  Its been 13 years. 

I spent the morning studying the North Carolina Drivers Handbook.  Surprisingly somewhat interesting.  I spent hours pouring over 52 pages of traffic laws and regulations.  When I felt ready, I showered and headed off to the DMV.  This town is also where the Post Office is, so we'd been here before. 

Finally find the place and scan the parking lot.  Not bad, definitely going to be in and out.  Wrong.  I step into the smallest public office I've ever seen and my jaw drops.  There must have been 35 people in this room sitting, standing, fidgeting, complaining.  You get the idea.  Disheartened, I grab a piece of wall and lean for the next 30 minutes or so.  Via the chatty chick sitting across from me, I gather this is the norm.  Thankfully, the people enduring this purgatory along with me were friendly and welcoming when they found out we were military and new to the area. 

I met the wife of a retiree, fresh off a PCS from Waikiki.  A WWII vet who was just so endearing.  He lost his wife and a great deal of his hearing.  After his test, we found out he was nearly blind as well.  I just wanted to take him home with me and love him.  :(  His license wasn't due to expire until October and he was just there because he didn't have much else to do.  Bless his heart. 

I passed the written test, eye exam and the signs/signals test and braced for the unforgiving driver's license picture.  That's when she told me "Cash or Check."  Fuck.  I asked where the nearest ATM was and I was told I had 15 minutes to drive across town to the Food Lion and get back.  I hauled ass only to find 2 people were in front of me.  I impatiently tapped my hand on the steering wheel and made it back with just a minute or two to spare. 

I sat for my picture, paid my $32 and got the bleep out of there.  On the ride home I was informed that the power was out.  The power was out in 95 degree heat with 80-something 5 humidity.  Small town living at its best!