i have to go to the dmv today. i have been going to the dmb lately, and that is a hell of a lot more fun than the dmv, i tell ya. but, it's because (somewhat) of dmb that i'm going to the dmv. at shoreline, we parked on this street near the venue. when i returned to my car, i had a ticket on my window. what!? i looked around for illegal parking signs, not to mention that i am in a huge line of cars all parked along the same street as i, and none of them seem to have tickets...so i read the ticket.

expired registration.

i go and look at my license plates. sure enough, they expired in january 2002. how did i not notice that? why didn't the dmv send my renewal form? grr. it's a fix-it ticket, so the fine isn't huge, but obviously, i have to fix it.

call the dmv. they look at my records. the guy on the phone tells me 'well, there's no date showing when we went out your renewal form. that's likely why you didn't get one.'

well, duh. but it made me feel better that i didn't misplace the form or anything (i can't imagine me doing that...it's one of those things that i take care of AS SOON as it comes in the mail...so i *don't* forget) i also have $70 in late fines on top of the registration fee. fuck. he tells me i need to go to the dmv. oh joy. i make an appointment (this is supposed to mean i won't wait in line. we'll see about that one). i ask him if i will have problems proving that they didn't send it - could he somehow enter on my records that it wasn't sent? nope. it all depends on who's working at the dmv office. GRR. so, he can't help me.

now, my last two experiences at the dmv were good. (yes, you read that last sentence correctly. good dmv experience) the first time was to change my name/address/the fact that i don't need corrective lenses after LASIK surgery. figured i'd kill three birds with one stone. (some aim, eh?). didn't wait in line. had FRIENDLY, seemingly intelligent people helping me. it was quite the surreal experience. it was EASY. crazy, eh?

when i got the license, the picture was ok, and they got my name change and address right, just forgot to remove the 'needs corrective lenses'....guess two outta three isn't bad. hey, at least it was the two important ones.

(i don't know if other states are like this, but the CA dmv is infamous for nightmare experiences, idiotic employees, lots of lines, etc)

then, after i lost my driver's license in february, i had to run to the dmv and QUICKLY get a temporary license so that i could get on a plane later that afternoon - i had already missed my morning flight due to the lost driver's license. i walk in the dmv. there is NO LINE. the person helping me was friendly - she was even funny. we chatted while she did my paperwork...done in 5 minutes or so. go over to take a new picture. am on my way with a temporary license in 10 minutes. a 10 minute dmv experience! amazing, but true. then, when it came in the mail, it was actually a GOOD picture. crazy. just crazy. and they took off the corrective lenses this time.

so, now for dmv experience three. will it be a good one, too? or have i already used up my lifetime's worth of good dmv experiences? don't they happen in threes? oh, no wait. that's bad things. or celebrities dying, as my grandma would say. they always die in threes. (don't ask me where her theory comes from. i don't know, either. :) ) at 9am, i'm off to see (is it wrong to drive the car with the expired registration to the dmv? what if i get pulled over for an expired registration? ah, whatever. i think 'i'm on my way to the dmv' is a good excuse. :) ) wish me good dmv karma!

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addendum: in was in and out of the dmv in 15 minutes (it's all about making an appointment. if you make one, you get to bypass the HUGE line)...there was no problem waiving my late fees, and she signed of my fix-it ticket. talk about some good dmv karma! i had good dmb karma last month, too. :) but i think i have used up all my 'good dmv experiences' for the rest of my life! hee hee.