and it's one more day up in the canyons
hmm. I've been listening to the Counting Crows lately. I do enjoy them quite a bit, and I have one album (Recovering the Satellites) and actually burned Films About Ghosts, a best-of album from Erin shortly before I left Utah. ahh.. they are quite good. and it's cool cuz I'm going to see them (and the Goo Goo Dolls, YAY!) with 'Nee and Dani in VA Beach on our trip. that show is on the 28th. coming right up! fun fun fun! (okay and I'll be honest, the counting crows always make me think of Izey, cuz he says they are his favorite band... and I can see it, maybe because I know that, but still, they "feel" like songs that he would like, if that makes any sense. gah, still not over THAT BOY, even after almost 4 years *sigh*)
at this time next week, I'll be in OHIO! :) yay time with my fam and friends. :) I am excited. then off on a crazy fun road trip with 'Nee and Dani.
I'm so glad I get along with my fam. I have always liked hanging out with them, it's hard for me to imagine NOT being friends with my sibs. It's just so natural, they are like built-in best friends. I am quite lucky, I know, but sometimes it helps to remind myself just HOW lucky and cool it is. I <3 my fam! Oh and have I mentioned lately that Renee' is HOME!? Cuz yeah, she is. Hehe she called me yesterday and it was so great.. cuz ya know, she was gone for a year and she COULDN'T CALL ME. And now she can! Happiness abounds.
I've decided to re-read They Don't PLay Hockey in Heaven by Ken Baker, cuz it's an AWSOME book, and I have only read itonce. and I miss hockey so I need something to tide me over 'till Octobr. I should get myself a Buffalo library card (I lost my old one a few weeks before I moved) but it's cool cuz I'm "officially" working in erie county now (at least I'm being paid from a company that's in Eric County) so I don't have to pay the bullshit $18/per 6 month out-of-county fee. New York is so dumb sometimes-
Oh and speaking of.. are you ready for this saga? So this time around I'm trying to (well I Have to) become a legal resident of New York state.. I don't have a choice since my current reguistration is Utah and I don't live there anymore, nor is my Utah address valid at all, unlike my ohio one which was my parents- and my plates expire at the end of the month.. so yeah it is what it is. So I get all my shit together-download an application to get a drivers license, change my insurance, (that was actually way easier (and CHEAPER!) than I was expecting, WOOHOO for almost being 25), and head to the DMV. Now, coolness of coolness, there is one down the street- literally. that's rockin, cuz there is only one line (not the old Ohio thing of wait in the line for an hour to get your license, then wait in THIS OTHER line for your plates, another hour or so) or in Utah, when it was 2 separate buildings! so I'm thinking.. yeah this is way too easy, I live in NEW YORK, where NOTHING is simple! I'm helped seconds after walking the door- so I explain what I need and we start working on the drivers license. I didn't even have to take a written test or anything. the visiaon test was a "stand on the line and read the chart on the wall" thing- I could read every line! (*yay for good eyes, though I'm pretty sure that one day that will no longet be the case, genetics are HIGHLY against me here, ON BOTH sides of the fam) and I had the form ready so that was good.. then of course we get to the establishing identity part. I have my birth certificate and Social Security Card, plus my Utah DL, you would THINK that would be enough, right? (especially considering that your Birth Certificate and SSCard are the only proofs that YOU are YOU, ya know?!)
Ha, think again! I forgot to check the stupid NY "point" system for proving identity- and an out of state DL isonly worth 2 pts, SSCard is 1, birth cerificate is 1 I think or maybe 2 anyway I was a couple of points short- I had a few credit cards, and she ended up taking those (I could have come home and grabbed a check stub or passport or whatever) but for crying out loud IF MY BIRTH CERIFICATE AND SOCIAL SECURITY CARD AND DRIVERS LICENSE FROM ANOTHER STATE SAY THE SAME THING THEN DON'T YOU THINK I'M LEGIT?!!! Holy Hell man, it was dumb. So we sort it all out, and I was determined to actually be Samantha A Michel (imagine that?!) so I got my pic taken (it's kinda lame but okay) and I received a lovely PIECE of PAPER! for my temporary license. LMAO. If not for my passport, I'd have no picture ID at present. I love how ghetto this state is. But wait, all that, not before paying $43 for the pleasure of having to multiply prove my identity and fill out some paperwork. WOW. Stupid. It cost me $6.25 in Ohio, and $20 in Utah. MADNESSSSS! (I was half afraid she wasn't going to accept my Utah license, she was looking at it like it was fake. NOT MY FAULT!)
So... (yeah, I'm not done yet) I did all that, then, in the same line (woohoo! for efficient local DMVs) I tell her that I need to register my car.. expecting to have to show my Utah registration and Insurance, pay some money, let her do a visual inspection/VIN# verification and then go about my merry way, right? WRONG! Hahaha was I wrong. She tells me (well shows me this lovely piece of paper) that in New York (who comes up with this idiotic laws anyway?!) when registering a vehicle from out-of-state, you need an original out of state title (that makes sense and would be easy, EXCEPT) I don't OWN my car yet, I'm financing it (December 31, 2007, baby! She will be mine in less than a year and a half!) and since the title is held by an out-of-state lienholder (what a weird word, eh?) I must obtain a copy of the title (or a memorandum title) CERTIFIED by the lienholder (which means it can't be faxed, bastards), AND a letter of permission from the liendholder to register this car in New York. WHAT THE FUCK?! BIggest piece of idiocy I have ever heard! (okay well maybe not ever, but still, you get the point.) So.. I leave... oh and when I go back to do all this, if I don't have my real license yet (which I prolly wont have, unfortunately), then I must provide 12897345786 proofs of Identity AGAIN because, get this, a temporary NY license isn't good enougH! It;s only worth 2 pts, whereas a NYS LIcense is worth all 6. WHAT THE FUCK?! You can't even get a temporary license without all the rigamorale so HUH?! Oh well, this time I'll be sure to bring my passport and Health Card and check stubs just to be sure. It keeps getting stupider and stupider. ANd the real problem ist aht I Have to get my plates this week (or Monday) because I'm going to be gone for the rest of the month, and they expire at the end of the month. I don't want to get in trouble for having expired plates! URGH. Right, so I called Mazda yesterday (after obtaining the phone number from my dad, cuz while I have everything else of relevance about my car adn the purchase thereof, I don't have a phone number for them, WTF?!) and I was told that I Had to send a letter or request for this transfer letter madess.. so I did. I asked them to fax me the info (the lady said I could, but I htink she was wrong) but I hadn't heard anything or received any faxes by noon, so I called back, the lady I talked to today said she'd put the order through and mail it today, so it should get here within 4 mailing days, which means friday, which means I *should* be able to get it done then! yay. (I think)
phew. I also have to get an inspection, cuz ya know, New York law requires it yearly, but oh well, I'd have to do E-check or whatnot anyway this year, and the Kless Boys can do it for like $20 or so so I'll do that before friday so taht's done and they won't give me crap about it either. and then I will be officially a resident of New York state. but I hope I get my real license before I leave on my trip with 'Nee and Dani, cuz it woudl be dumb trying to getinto bars with a piece of paper or a passport LMAO.
so now you know why it's stupid to live in New York. yeah. but hey, here's some consolation, I live in the cheapest county in the state! and we live barely in Cattaraugus County.. so that is nice (it helps with insurance rates, I guess) cool.
okay I'm out for real. I'm going to try to write something, then hit the sack. I'm driving the boys to music in buffalo tomorrow and it's fairly early.
peace out homeys!
at this time next week, I'll be in OHIO! :) yay time with my fam and friends. :) I am excited. then off on a crazy fun road trip with 'Nee and Dani.
I'm so glad I get along with my fam. I have always liked hanging out with them, it's hard for me to imagine NOT being friends with my sibs. It's just so natural, they are like built-in best friends. I am quite lucky, I know, but sometimes it helps to remind myself just HOW lucky and cool it is. I <3 my fam! Oh and have I mentioned lately that Renee' is HOME!? Cuz yeah, she is. Hehe she called me yesterday and it was so great.. cuz ya know, she was gone for a year and she COULDN'T CALL ME. And now she can! Happiness abounds.
I've decided to re-read They Don't PLay Hockey in Heaven by Ken Baker, cuz it's an AWSOME book, and I have only read itonce. and I miss hockey so I need something to tide me over 'till Octobr. I should get myself a Buffalo library card (I lost my old one a few weeks before I moved) but it's cool cuz I'm "officially" working in erie county now (at least I'm being paid from a company that's in Eric County) so I don't have to pay the bullshit $18/per 6 month out-of-county fee. New York is so dumb sometimes-
Oh and speaking of.. are you ready for this saga? So this time around I'm trying to (well I Have to) become a legal resident of New York state.. I don't have a choice since my current reguistration is Utah and I don't live there anymore, nor is my Utah address valid at all, unlike my ohio one which was my parents- and my plates expire at the end of the month.. so yeah it is what it is. So I get all my shit together-download an application to get a drivers license, change my insurance, (that was actually way easier (and CHEAPER!) than I was expecting, WOOHOO for almost being 25), and head to the DMV. Now, coolness of coolness, there is one down the street- literally. that's rockin, cuz there is only one line (not the old Ohio thing of wait in the line for an hour to get your license, then wait in THIS OTHER line for your plates, another hour or so) or in Utah, when it was 2 separate buildings! so I'm thinking.. yeah this is way too easy, I live in NEW YORK, where NOTHING is simple! I'm helped seconds after walking the door- so I explain what I need and we start working on the drivers license. I didn't even have to take a written test or anything. the visiaon test was a "stand on the line and read the chart on the wall" thing- I could read every line! (*yay for good eyes, though I'm pretty sure that one day that will no longet be the case, genetics are HIGHLY against me here, ON BOTH sides of the fam) and I had the form ready so that was good.. then of course we get to the establishing identity part. I have my birth certificate and Social Security Card, plus my Utah DL, you would THINK that would be enough, right? (especially considering that your Birth Certificate and SSCard are the only proofs that YOU are YOU, ya know?!)
Ha, think again! I forgot to check the stupid NY "point" system for proving identity- and an out of state DL isonly worth 2 pts, SSCard is 1, birth cerificate is 1 I think or maybe 2 anyway I was a couple of points short- I had a few credit cards, and she ended up taking those (I could have come home and grabbed a check stub or passport or whatever) but for crying out loud IF MY BIRTH CERIFICATE AND SOCIAL SECURITY CARD AND DRIVERS LICENSE FROM ANOTHER STATE SAY THE SAME THING THEN DON'T YOU THINK I'M LEGIT?!!! Holy Hell man, it was dumb. So we sort it all out, and I was determined to actually be Samantha A Michel (imagine that?!) so I got my pic taken (it's kinda lame but okay) and I received a lovely PIECE of PAPER! for my temporary license. LMAO. If not for my passport, I'd have no picture ID at present. I love how ghetto this state is. But wait, all that, not before paying $43 for the pleasure of having to multiply prove my identity and fill out some paperwork. WOW. Stupid. It cost me $6.25 in Ohio, and $20 in Utah. MADNESSSSS! (I was half afraid she wasn't going to accept my Utah license, she was looking at it like it was fake. NOT MY FAULT!)
So... (yeah, I'm not done yet) I did all that, then, in the same line (woohoo! for efficient local DMVs) I tell her that I need to register my car.. expecting to have to show my Utah registration and Insurance, pay some money, let her do a visual inspection/VIN# verification and then go about my merry way, right? WRONG! Hahaha was I wrong. She tells me (well shows me this lovely piece of paper) that in New York (who comes up with this idiotic laws anyway?!) when registering a vehicle from out-of-state, you need an original out of state title (that makes sense and would be easy, EXCEPT) I don't OWN my car yet, I'm financing it (December 31, 2007, baby! She will be mine in less than a year and a half!) and since the title is held by an out-of-state lienholder (what a weird word, eh?) I must obtain a copy of the title (or a memorandum title) CERTIFIED by the lienholder (which means it can't be faxed, bastards), AND a letter of permission from the liendholder to register this car in New York. WHAT THE FUCK?! BIggest piece of idiocy I have ever heard! (okay well maybe not ever, but still, you get the point.) So.. I leave... oh and when I go back to do all this, if I don't have my real license yet (which I prolly wont have, unfortunately), then I must provide 12897345786 proofs of Identity AGAIN because, get this, a temporary NY license isn't good enougH! It;s only worth 2 pts, whereas a NYS LIcense is worth all 6. WHAT THE FUCK?! You can't even get a temporary license without all the rigamorale so HUH?! Oh well, this time I'll be sure to bring my passport and Health Card and check stubs just to be sure. It keeps getting stupider and stupider. ANd the real problem ist aht I Have to get my plates this week (or Monday) because I'm going to be gone for the rest of the month, and they expire at the end of the month. I don't want to get in trouble for having expired plates! URGH. Right, so I called Mazda yesterday (after obtaining the phone number from my dad, cuz while I have everything else of relevance about my car adn the purchase thereof, I don't have a phone number for them, WTF?!) and I was told that I Had to send a letter or request for this transfer letter madess.. so I did. I asked them to fax me the info (the lady said I could, but I htink she was wrong) but I hadn't heard anything or received any faxes by noon, so I called back, the lady I talked to today said she'd put the order through and mail it today, so it should get here within 4 mailing days, which means friday, which means I *should* be able to get it done then! yay. (I think)
phew. I also have to get an inspection, cuz ya know, New York law requires it yearly, but oh well, I'd have to do E-check or whatnot anyway this year, and the Kless Boys can do it for like $20 or so so I'll do that before friday so taht's done and they won't give me crap about it either. and then I will be officially a resident of New York state. but I hope I get my real license before I leave on my trip with 'Nee and Dani, cuz it woudl be dumb trying to getinto bars with a piece of paper or a passport LMAO.
so now you know why it's stupid to live in New York. yeah. but hey, here's some consolation, I live in the cheapest county in the state! and we live barely in Cattaraugus County.. so that is nice (it helps with insurance rates, I guess) cool.
okay I'm out for real. I'm going to try to write something, then hit the sack. I'm driving the boys to music in buffalo tomorrow and it's fairly early.
peace out homeys!