Last week, we got notices in the mail that both our car registrations were coming up due. My Toyota, due end of August, and the Honda due... end of JULY? B...but, it IS the end of July.
In our county, we're required to pass an emissions test every two years, and this year is one of those years. So I couldn't just go online and pay the registrations, I had to take the cars in for testing.
I'd gone to the DMV website and learned that there's a one-month grace period from the expiration date, so no big deal. But compliant person I am, I wanted to check these tasks off the list. Visiting emission testing websites wasn't promising - long waits because of understaffing, etc. It's hot out, blah blah.
I was off from work yesterday and had one tutor session scheduled for the afternoon. I went to the gym in the morning, came home and walked a dog. I checked the emission tester website, and it didn't look too busy, so I quick jumped in the Honda to get while the getting was good.
I hadn't showered and my hair looked it. I was wearing an old t-shirt and dog walking shorts. I basically rolled into the emissions place looking like I'd just rolled out of bed, but maybe slightly worse. And I was fine with that, I wasn't there to do a runway show, the employees there process several cars a day and certainly don't pay attention to the drivers, whom they will likely not see again.
It was quick and efficient, I paid the man then went home and got the Honda registered anew. BAM!
I met a tutor student later in the afternoon. Our session was on the way to the emission place, so afterwards, I decided to take the Toyota. If the line was horribly long, I'd turn around and save it for another day.
The line wasn't bad at all. The place really does do an impressive job of maximizing throughput - a reason I wasn't concerned about my slovenly appearance earlier in the day. No one pays attention to the drivers.
But this time, I was cleaned up, dressed for public consumption, and my hair was as good as it was gonna get; thus I was completely transformed from my early morning rollout version. I pulled in, and the initial screener was the same from the morning and gave no indication of recognizing me. Same with the emissions attendant who directed me to the waiting area.
After my car's test was completed, the cashier hailed me over, and I approached like any other anonymous driver in a full day of anonymous drivers.
"Hey, you're back!", he welcomed.
Well, shoot. So much for primping.
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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:
4. Share something you learned in July.
9 comments:
ooh been there and then I think, gee why did I bother. then even worse once I went back to a business who said they needed the actual receipt not the one on my phone. So as long as I was home I got myself cleaned up. Even make up. When I went back I got the same person at the same window. He said, "my goodness you look so different with makeup on. You look nice." I knew he meant it in a good way but geez it didn't feel good. I guess I should not go out w/o makeup unless I wish to hide from others because I won't ever be known.
Margaret, "different with makeup on" = "nice"? Oof. I'm sure he meant it as a compliment too, but ha!
He remembered you, so you must have made an impression on him, disheveled though you might have appeared. That counts for something...
Perhaps it was your smile that he recognized? Glad you got the registration completed with the emissions tests. We have to have it done every 2 years here too. The way the cars were bought, we are now in a rotating pattern that only one car needs to have the testing every year. That is nice, but then it is super cheap to get tested; nothing like they charge in California :)
betty
John, yes I guess my "makeover" was not as transformative as I'd hoped.
Betty, emission tests are $25 here. I don't know about California, but it's probably a lot.
Well at least you got it done. We don't have to have emission tests here anymore. That's a good thing because it's expensive enough just to get the registration renewed for the year!
Jeanette, we do it every two years. Good to be done with it for now.
The hoops we have to jump through for these vehicles! I think I want to go electric for my next one and hopefully bypass multiple trips with multiple cars in multiple states of disarray. ;)
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