And You Are ... ?

[copied from dland]

The state of New Jersey wants to know who I am.

I got my driver's license renewal form in the mail today. We're a little behind in this state (due to the huge population, I would suppose), and this is actually the first time that I am required to renew my license in person. Up until now -- up until nearly three years ago, actually, just after my last renewal -- people over a certain age were not required to have photo licenses and could renew by mail. Over a certain age only meant all the people who had licenses before N.J. had photo licenses at all, which is about 15 years ago. Since then, I've been getting photo licenses, but I was never required to have one. It made renting a car in another state somewhat problematic, let me tell you.

Anyway, just after my last renewal, the state instituted this new license program whereby the licenses themselves are digital or something, and have all kinds of anti-copying watermarks and the like, but they also require real good proof of identity before they'll give you one. You've got to bring with you either a birth certificate -- I don't know how that proves an adult's identity -- or a passport or an expiring digital license (which no one has yet) or a military ID or the like. You also have to bring either your marriage license or proof of legal name change, or a school or government ID, or a combination of other things if you don't have those.

The Hubs and the girls have all renewed since the new licenses came out, so I'm prepared. I have a birth certificate and a passport, but apparently we were never given a copy of our marriage license. About a year or so, I called the town where we got married and had them issue me a copy, so I've got that. I don't have a social security card, I think; I memorized the number when I was 18 and haven't worried about the card since. Which is kind of funny, considering that I've got things and documents of all kind that go back generations. I also have to bring some kind of proof of residence, like a utility bill or a bank statement.

You know, I'd really love to say that this is all bullshit and it's not like terrorists are going to bomb New Jersey, but hey, we are a likely target, I suppose, at least some places are. (Elizabeth Seaport is the biggest seaport on the east coast, I believe.) I happened to catch a moment of the head of Homeland Security on TV last night saying that as far as they're concerned, the New York Metropolitan area includes North Jersey and we're all one location for them. Well, that tells me.

Thank you, boxx, for the picture of your feet! I'll show you mine after tomorrow's pedi!

I tried a free download from a website that sells a program that generates sound/music files to fall asleep to. The freebie was 15 minutes long, but the program lets you make them up to an hour long. I had trouble getting the file onto the iPod for some reason, but I worked around it, and I just took a nap with it, hearing aids and headphones on. All I can tell you is that I fell asleep, which is a good thing. (Even though when the track ended, it automatically played the next track, which was a random song, and it woke me up, but I fell right back to sleep.) So I may give the program a go. K says I can make a file or two for her, too, so I guess that makes it a bit more cost-effective.

Tonight, Chinese food. Tomorrow, Target!


WATCHING GILMORE GIRLS on DVD :: ENTRY #1341