THE SON'S HURRICANE VIDEOS

Um yes folks, while I was on the coast pet-sitting with no power and no shower for forty-eight (count em 48) hours my son was 120 miles away driving around taking videos.   Kids.   Huh?

http://www.youtube.com/user/wpockl

NEWPORT RHODE ISLAND STORM SURGE

Courtesy D. Hochberger

COMPASSION... CAN BE FOUND EVERYWHERE - ANYTIME

Today's FYI: German Officer Josef Schultz who refused to be part of a firing squad in 1941 and was killed along side 14 civilians.

WHY ARE THEY ALL SO ...... YOUNG?

Married to a Lunatic Look

Well if you ask me there were far too many GOLDEN HANDSHAKES goin' on at DMV these past years.  You know the routine, get the top of the step union people with the fat checks out, along with their burnt out attitudes which made them so easy to talk to on an almost human level...

Divorced from a Lunatic Look

I had driven the 50 miles  (yes folks, one way) to have my license renewed.  I should, at this point interject that I drive this far as it is the least busiest motor vehicle department in the state.  At 8 AM the parking lot was empty, which should have been a clue.  But no.  I had to park, march up to the door to find a sign announcing "CLOSED.  NEW HOURS NO LONGER INCLUDE WEDNESDAYS."    Wonderful, did anyone think to up-date the WEBSITE?  Nah.

Arrived at 8:15 AM the next morning to find at least 150 vehicles in the lot.  Joy just seems to follow me wherever I go these days.  More like clings to my butt for dear life.   Once inside, the normally non-existent line announcing RENEWALS ONLY was a good fifty people long.  People already looking tired and cranky, looking well, sort of postal.....

I got in line with my little leather envelope of paperwork when a collective groan crawled through the line and made it's way to my 'only had one coffee' consciousness.  An announcement had been made from behind the counter serving my line.  When it got to me I was advised by the worn out elderly woman in front of me that the laminator machine was broken and it 'would be a while.'


Another form of excitement was going on in the large part of the waiting area for registrations.  The part where you take a deli number, usually in the 300's, and discover your number is in the 700's.    A slightly hysterical motor vehicle employee was saying in a loud tone, obviously to ward off a few hundred inquiries, "I DON'T KNOW WHATS GOING ON. HOW WOULD I KNOW????"  Evidently there is one switch to unlock all the cash drawers, and said switch was malfunctioning.  My line heaved a heavy sigh of relief.  As long as they could take our money we would walk out of the place before the week-end. 

Like the Lorrie Morgan song says....

I'm Back Among The Living Again.....

It took a while, but the laminator machine was repaired and my line began moving, people getting pictures taken, names called to come and get the new license.  My turn.  "Sit in chair TWO please," says a little girl who should be in grade school.  I smiled and said, "OK, I'm old, give me a second to rearrange the wrinkles please...."    Before I had gotten halfway through my request I was hearing the snap of the camera lens and hearing, "Go take a seat and wait for your name to be called; NEXT."    That sick feeling was already a full blown acid bomb in the pit of my stomach as I began to imagine the movie star mug shots seen the the supermarket tabloids at the check out lines.

And soooooo, as my sister used to say, it was without trepidation I posted those past years photos, because the BLUE DRESS makes up for them all!

OKAY I CAN SEE THE HEADLINES NOW.....

WOMAN ARRESTED AT DMV

"Apparently a physical confrontation ensued after the woman in question was advised 're-dos' are no longer permitted on quite obviously unattractive new license photos.  As the back door of the interior handle-less rear seat of the state police vehicle was being slammed shut, she was heard whining, " But I have to live with this picture for SIX years ...."