DMV Ordeal

I got the notification in the mail that I needed to renew my driver's license. Previously (in another state) all I had to do was go into the small branch office of the DMV, get a new picture and sometimes take an eye exam. Done

However this notice mentioned that I'd have to take the written exam as well. (gulp) So I spent some time studying the Driver's Handbook, took a deep breath and went to the California DMV. The line was out the door and down the street. So, I went to Costco, instead.
A few days later, I went to a different (larger) DMV and was happy to see that there were only 4 people ahead of me in line. Goodie. So, I got my number -- G-93 -- and went to sit down. The sitting area was only half full, so I assumed that I'd be called pretty soon.  
Nope.

G-54 was being called. And then for a long time other numbers with other parts of the alphabet were called. I got up, walked around, went outside for a while, came back in, sat down, and discovered that they had gotten up to the G-70s.

After two and a half hours, they got to the G-90s. YAY!
Finally my number was called.
Are you living in the same place as on your license? Yes.
Is your weight the same? Yes. (I didn't go into the fact that I had actually gained 10-15 pounds and then lost them again and was finally back to the same weight.)
Then over to get my picture taken. Luckily, I had washed my hair. Unluckily, they had to keep taking my picture over and over again. At last the photographer asked me to take off my glasses. By that time she had me giggling so much that it's probably the best driver's license picture I've ever had.
Finally came the test.
Not a written test, but on the computer. Touch screen. Three strikes and you've failed.
Instantly, I got TWO WRONG! Yikes!
Boy was I petrified throughout the rest of the test. One more wrong and...
But they were all right.
And I was all right. Done. Certified to drive for 5 more years.
I can't wait until my actual driver's license is mailed to me so I can see what my giggling picture looks like.

Writer's Qotes

From  M.T. Anderson   --  A reflection on books and writing.  (click for more)

Two pieces of advice for the aspiring writer:

"First, actually write, however seductive it might be to just sit around pouting in a special hat. Even if you end up hating the things you write, you’re getting incredibly valuable experience. And as soon as you actually write, you’re a writer.

Second, the thing we want to hear from you is what makes you unlike any of the rest of us. 

Lean toward your own eccentricities. 

Be aware of how they might strike your readers – but remember that it is the very thing that makes you different that will make you stand out and be heard."

Writer's Quotes

G.K. Chesterton quote featured in The Writer's Almanac today:

"Fairy tales do not give a child his first idea of bogey. 

What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon." 

(Tremendous Trifles, 1909)

Writing on a computer

I wrote my first stuff on paper, then revised as I put it into the computer. It was a scary day when I sat down to put original thoughts directly into the computer.
My husband said to save everything on the computer. Why are you printing out paper copies?
Now I'm sad, because so much of my earlier writing is lost. On 5 inch floppies. On 3 inch floppies. On files in my computer that no longer can be read by any word processing programing on my current computer. (I lost some of my favorite recipes that way as well.)
Yes, we've had computers in our family ever since 1989. It was a big deal in 2009 when we bought computers for each and everyone in our family. Now I worry that they'll die and I'll lose everything that I've saved on them.

Writer's Quotes

"The writer has the gift of time and the plasticity of her tools. 
Hate a sentence, a character, a plot device? The delete button is your friend!

There's great joy in being able to erase/delete mistakes in a piece of writing. 
Aren't we writers lucky to have such a malleable art form!"
                           Jane Yolen

It's like knitting. 
You have to go back and forth, building the thing up. 
But if you don't like it, it's easy enough to drop down and fix something, or even disassemble the whole thing and reuse the parts.
                             Brenda Clough

When you first retire

My husband retired September 2010, before I did. (I retired January 2012)
But his first month was a bit difficult:

Here's what I wrote to a friend a few weeks later:

His record so far this month --

2 broken lawn mowers  (actually the attachments , grass cutter and the bricks sweeper)

1 computer e-mail system wrecked and rebuilt

1 eye stopped working, which meant he needed lasor eye surgery a couple of days ago.

1 idiot at Social Security who went on vacation for a month (we thought she was fired for giving everyone a 'blessed day' right as she hung up after calling the caller an idiot, didn't move his case file to anyone else, which means that his social security won't begin on time, will be about a month late in beginning.  irk.

1 week of total joy and rubbing it in that HE didn't have to get to work

and 1 week of semi-depression.  

(we'll see what next week brings)

Plus several times of him being a jerk and being surprised when I didn't quietly take it, but told him I didn't like him treating me like an idiot.  

Tonight he called my working at the computer a computer addiction.  I was so flabergasted that It was only later that I realized I should have pointed out that HE spends twice the time on the computer than I do.

We'll see how he is when he finally gets adjusted.

So - how did YOUR husband take retirement?

It's May!

May - the time of flowers and sun.

It's also time for housecleaning.  If your house is okay, then computer files cleaning up is also good.

Here's one of my favorite flowers - that shows up in MAY!