Beep Beep!

by Marinka on June 23, 2008

I have an announcement.

I know–what could top my weekend freezer cleaning adventure?

Well, this is life changing, and possibly life-ending. KNOCK WOOD.

At the ripe age of 40something, I decided to learn how to drive. I’ve lived in NYC all of my adult life, and it’s really easy to be here without a car. As a matter of fact, I secretly mock New Yorkers who do know how to drive as being not real New Yorkers. I never said that I win a lot of popularity contests!

But now we’re building a lake house in New Jersey and we go to upstate a lot, and despite my best efforts, the magic carpet technology is just not coming through. I’m worried that my poor husband is starting to feel like a chauffeur. Doesn’t “chauffeur” look like it’s misspelled? And yet it’s not. Weird. My husband has dropped hints the size of meteors about my learning how to drive. Such as “when you start driving and I hope that it is soon”. Up until recently, I ignored them entirely. But now I’m thinking that maybe I shouldn’t. I am an adult. When we are away in a non-urban area for vacation, and want a Starbucks, I should be able to drive myself, right? And if, heaven forbid, we are ever in the suburbs, I should be able to get to the grocery story, right?

Fortunately for everyone, this is going to be a long process. The Department of Motor Vehicles requires me to get a learner’s permit and there is no way to do that without a social security card. This doesn’t make sense to me, since I do not plan on collecting social security in the middle of a road trip, but I hear that not many people win arguments with the DMV.

The problem is that I haven’t seen my social security card since it was issued to me in the mid-70, and I was wearing a Donny & Marie t-shirt with pride. So I have to re-apply for a social security card. I am fairly certain that the process will render me absolutely insane and I don’t mind sharing right now that I am already emotionally pre-drained at the prospect.

I am going to break this up into as many steps as possible so as to make it failure-proof. Goal for the week: Prepare application for a new social security card.

I hope that I’m not rushing this too much. Maybe I should give myself the summer to do that?

One year ago ...

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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Jonathan June 23, 2008 at 4:48 pm

yay, how exciting! now you never have to worry about the bears catching you, you’ll be like “Eat my dust *&%#@#*@s!”

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Alex Elliot June 23, 2008 at 5:02 pm

My husband lived in NYC until he was almost 30 and didn’t get his license until he was 25. That’s pretty cool about a lake house! Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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sdl June 23, 2008 at 5:15 pm

What on earth do you use for ID now? Don’t places like the library want to extract your blood to make sure you’re who you say you are?

Anyway, if my son can learn to drive (and just today, he drove to Sam’s Club, so he IS learning to drive) then you can learn to drive too. I have complete confidence in both of you…and if that is not strictly true, then I at least really DO think that you both should be learning to drive. Yay for you!

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Wendy June 23, 2008 at 7:11 pm

I haven’t had a social security card since I was mugged in London in 1979 (sounds glamorous, eh?) and I haven’t needed once since. Of course, I’ve been driving since 1975…

I don’t think it’s tough to get a new card–my sister had to get one for her son to get his learner’s permit (he’s 15; yes, I’m rubbing it in!).

After you’ve learned to drive you’ll love it! It’s where I do my best thinking. Oh and as Jon says, I’ve never been caught by a bear!

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