It was time to renew my driver’s license. Long gone were the days when the DMV would just send you your new license in the mail. Thank you to illegal immigrants, terrorists and identify thieves who have caused our government to deem it necessary to jump us through more hoops to prove our identity.

Knowing ahead of time this process can be complicated and time consuming, I went online to find out what the DMV requires. I found the application that I could fill out and print in advance to save time. I arrived to find out that the form had changed long ago and no one has bothered to update it. I had to go back, fill out the “new” form and get in line again.

Somehow I’ve lost my registered copy of my birth certificate. I’m not sure how since I’ve lugged that same envelope with the registered copy and a photocopy in it around for the last 27 years to wherever I’ve needed to show a birth certificate. It is possible that during other fruitless attempts to update/replace the social security cards of myself and my children that the registered copy was lost. Thankfully I was issued a temporary and thankfully the DMV guy either didn’t notice, or didn’t care that my SS card had my old name on it.

So, I get to show my driver’s license to a notary to swear to them that I am who I say I am so that I can order another birth certificate.  Yes, you read that correctly. Show my driver’s license.  What do people do if they have lost everything? The flood, hurricane, tornado victims…  It’s crazy in the making. And because there are some people out there that are not honest, we can’t take your word for it that you are who you say you are.

And a few days later when I finally make it to the bank…yep, no notary is in that day. Gah!

A few days after that I went to the bank again and this time there was notary available. My check and my letter to the Bureau of Vital Statistics in California will shortly be on its way and hopefully in FOURTEEN WEEKS I will have my replacement birth certificate.

Ditch wasn’t happy about it either.