[note: this was written at noon on the train today but TYPEPAD has been down since last night]

No practice today. Had to go to get a non drivers iid card to replace my expired dr licens so iwould have a current idto travel next week. I had been told that I could get one made with the photo while I waited but of course that was incorrect.  I couldn’t start the process for a new license because I have to start from scratch and this branch didn’t do those. Argh. So now I have. Current non photo I’d with no photo and an expired passport only july. Look I had a lot going on with a move and surgery and a new job and katrina.  So I get to go to another "lovely" branch and start over from scratch.

The worst is the way the personnel there make you feel. I have had a drivers license since I was 15 and yet I was treated as if I was some idiot alien. Of course I can’t talk about the R factor but I sure felt it.  Attitude up the wazoo and yet if I had to work in as depressing environment as this one, I don’t know.  But when I walked up to the first of many counters and greeted the woman behind with a cheery good morning how are you. She stared blankly at me. I repeated my greeting and she kinda coughed and spit out her reply.   She seemed to be a bit more pleasant after I came back with my form and I had the required identification – you would not believe the things you need to bring. Go and look it up you will be amazed. Of course the photo taking lady just wandered off as I eas next in line. And yet another clerk took pity and took my photo but it is so dreadful.  Unbelievably bad. Then I had to wait to see another clerk. She was quite a character. While all the other clerk’s windows were open so that you could hand your documentation and forms and paperwork and communicate thru the opening – not window 7. Her window was closed when I walked over it. And she didn’t look up. So I apologized and then she held out her hand.  I started to openm the window. But found it blocked by all of her stiuff.  So the rest of the proceeding was handled with short me peering over the top of the window.   Suffice it to say there was quioe a passive aggressive attitude emanating from across that window.  I repeated my request regarding expediting the photo card and she at first told me no way. And then when I pressed to speak to a manager when we were done she called him over.

Here at last was a reasonable person.  He at least had a pleasant attitude and was attentive to my queries. It still isn’t that good a prospect for getting thhoto card in time to travel but he suggested I call the airline and talk to them about it.

Oi vey.   And then I had fun finding the train station.  Walking around in a city that was clearly built for cars (not manhattan).

The worst part is this feeling that I have to prove my identity. Born and raised in america and just because my license expired I am being treated as if I never existed or had an identity.

I want a nice long hot shower. Sigh. But now onward to work.  And then to make all these calls to deal with expediting this which I am growinmore doubtful of all the time.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld