I have documents, therefore I am: May 22

I renewed my driver’s license, ensuring that I can drive legally for the next five years and avoiding a potential awkward travel moment.

It was easy enough. I have no idea where the nearest Registry of Motor Vehicles office is, but the AAA in town also handles license renewals and is open on the weekend, so I made the first appointment and was in and out in less than 15 minutes.

It didn’t hurt that I had come prepared. I printed out the application and filled it out before I left home, and made sure I had all the proper documentation: my current license (to show that I am someone who is currently allowed to drive), my passport (to show that the U.S. government is willing to let me leave the country), my Social Security card (to show that at some point in the future I’ll receive money from the government toward my retirement) and our sewer bill (to show that … the town I live in sends charges related to toilet use to me?).

Had those not been available, I also have my birth certificate, but for those who aren’t fortunate enough to have those documents at hand, other options include a current firearms card, a jury duty summons, property or excise tax records, credit card statements, cellphone bills, lease/mortgage records, pay stubs and school transcripts, enrollment letters or tuition bills (for students).

Furthermore, I wasn’t getting a license, I was getting a “cool” license … a Real ID. It’ll have a little star and everything that says “Yes, this person is safe to fly domestically and go into federal buildings.”

As I thought about it, the government really wants to make sure we are who we say we are, doesn’t it?

Programming note

My parents are going to be in town next weekend for pre-birthday festivities, so there’s a pretty good chance this bit of Sunday reading won’t be happening.

What I wrote

No matter how late I stay up, it feels like the day is ending when the clock strikes 10.

It finally got warm. Time for a wardrobe adjustment.

Was “The Bridges of Madison County” funny at all? I don’t know, since I’ve never seen it or read it. But it still made me laugh. (Here’s what got me thinking about it from Joanne C. Gerstner.)

This just in … time flies.

I do not like when strange lights come on in my car.

Yes, this was the most writing I’ve done in a long time. Reading this essay from Summer Brennan had a lot to do with it. I didn’t follow the recommendations exactly, but even just the idea of finding something to write one sentence about and then riffing off it really helped.

Stuff I read

Renata wants to know if you blog here often. (I’m assuming she’s not nearly that cheesy.)

Savannah finally learned her problem, and got some help.

Kat has bird issues.

Rosie starts the last year of her 20s the day after I start the first year of my 50s.

LA knows that everything has to start somewhere, even if it’s children playing bad music on recorders. (I had one, and played lots of terrible music with it.)

I see nothing wrong with what Jeff did.

Fran wants us guys to know something.

Paul has one of the better ways of describing his team losing that I’ve seen.

Aaron now knows that he’s old.

Pea Green’s younger son is taking tests.

Austin got some well-deserved good news.

Giggles realized she has been sabotaging herself.

Becky’s getting ready to go to Cooperstown. (Once you get to roughly Central Bridge or Duanesburg, it’s fairly close to where I grew up, so say hi for me.)

Vee had enough of her job, so she quit.

Michelle has examples of ignorance being bliss.

River would like her husband to just finish a project.

Tweets I liked

“Such a cute puppy! Let me pet it.”

Oh darn, it’s muffins. Sorry about that.

Well, since I touched them, I might as well eat them. You know, germs and all.”

I saw my neighbor walking home with a puppy, so I ran over to ask her if I could pet it. The puppy was actually a fresh batch of muffins.

I have to find another place to live now…#hotmess pic.twitter.com/SieQBscCDy

— Kristian Weigman (@KristianWeigman) May 20, 2022

No kidding.

always being right is exhausting..

but,

someone has to do it..

— Joseph Alexander (@YourMomsHouse_0) May 18, 2022

This is excellent advice. Nice if I could actually follow it.

Tip for your brain, if anyone ever sends you a really lovely message online about your content or how you’ve made them feel, screenshot it, save it to a folder on your phone and if you ever feel down or demotivated, go take a look in the folder.

— Beth, BooksNest (@BooksNest) May 21, 2022

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