Typical DMV Love Story

Well, it's Saturday. Normal people use Saturday as an opportunity to sleep-in and relax. But not those of us who recently moved to Virginia and need to get our car registered and a new driver's license. I tried going a few weeks ago. They open at 8:00am on Saturdays, so I woke up around 7:30, got all dolled up for the DL picture, and showed up a little after 8:00 to a ridiculous line out the door and not a single parking space in the lot. I got annoyed and left.

This morning was round 2. I got up at 6:30 and got all dolled up for the DL picture, and arrived around 7:40. So did about 70 other people. Oy. The line moved relatively quickly, though. And by 8:40, I was in the door....with my ticket to sit and wait some more.

They finally call #C210 and I go up to the counter. I get the most disgruntled DMV employee in the history of time. She HATES her job, I promise you that. I mean, she did us the favor of showing up to work...but didn't think we worth a shower. Or a change of clothes. Or a comb through the hair. And she actually stopped working on getting me logged into the computers on several occasions, so that she could pick up her cell phone and text message someone. Um, really? I was sugary sweet, since I was just desperate to get everything taken care of, but it took everything in me to maintain that compsure.

To top off the miserable woman helping me, I get over to the wall for the DL picture, apply a quick coat of pink gloss, adjust my hair, and bust out my best "natural" smile. And it's at that point that pleasant DMV lady informs me that they just just changed the law, and you can't show teeth in your DL picture -- they don't WANT you to smile! Ugh. Enter: awkward, closed-mouth smirk. I can't wait to see that awful picture when my DL arrives in 7-10 business days. :)

A New Chapter

I can finally talk about this, since it's been made official (aka I gave my notice at work). I have accepted a position with PETA!! I will be their new Advertising Manager. It's a new position, so I think it will be a great opportunity for me to help shape my role, but they of course also know where their needs are and what they'll need me to step in on.

I am SO excited about this. I can combine my knowledge and education in advertising with my absolute passion for animal advocacy. It's such a blessing. I also hope I can help some of my friends and family see that PETA is such a great organization that gives a voice to so many animals in need. Yes, they have some extreme viewpoints, but sometimes the quiet voice gets lost in the crowd.

It also means picking up my life in Minneapolis and moving it out to Washington DC! I am going to miss my friends and family here like crazy. (Although, I will be back for some weddings and the TLOV animal advocacy conference this summer!) But I am moving to a city that has plenty of other friends...and a little bit of family. A lot of my friends from Syracuse have settled in DC. And my brother and his fiance are living there, as well! I certainly won't be lonely. I've already gotten my friend Kristen to look at a few apartments for me...I'm hoping the place she's checking out today is the winner, as I'm running out of time!

I'm done at Carmichael Lynch (my current ad agency) on March 20th and am giving myself a week to move, then starting at PETA on March 30th. I will of course keep you up to date on the progress, but as of right now I have A LOT to get done. I'm still not over my illness, so it's been hard to get motivated. I'm hoping to make a lot of progress in the way of Salvation Army drop-offs this weekend. I want to use this opportunity as a chance to purge my life of some unnecessary belongings....especially clothes! And lighten my load for the drive across country. (Which reminds me, I still need to secure movers....ah!)

Anyhow, so that's my big news. Can't wait for all that is in store for me. :)