The second annual “A Day in the Life” Blogger Event is hosted by Trish at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity. I wrote about a workday for last year’s Day in the Life. This year, I’m looking back at a midweek day off from work.
This photo collage is from the night before this year’s Day in the Life, at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara where Paul and I saw Loreena McKennitt on her Trio Tour. Because we didn’t get home until nearly midnight and we are old, we also took the following day off to recover. The recovery day is this year’s Day in the Life.
A Day In the Life: Wednesday, March 16, 2016
6 AM: I’m waking up. I remind myself I’m not going to work and Winchester isn’t home, so I don’t have to get up yet. I doze for another 45 minutes or so.
6:50 AM: I linger in bed. I read emails. I remember that March 16th is my 9th blogiversary and compose social-media updates to announce it since I don’t actually have a post scheduled to publish today. I decide I should probably get out of bed soon since I have a 9 AM appointment at the DMV.
8:35 AM: After showering, dressing, and breakfasting (but not caffeinating yet), I leave for the DMV. I have to renew my license in person this time, after doing my last two renewals by mail. I’m not too bothered about having to get a new photo, but I’m a little concerned about the vision test.
9:45 AM: Done at the DMV. Having an appointment doesn’t seem to save that much time because the signage wasn’t terribly clear and I go to two wrong lines, but I pass the vision test–it explains a lot about traffic if California lets half-blind people drive!– update my organ-donor registration, pay my fees, and hav my mug shot taken. My reward: a Grande Cold Brew iced coffee–caffeinating, at last! Off to Starbucks.
10:15 AM: We boarded Winchester for a sleepover at his daycare yesterday since we knew we’d be home very late, and Paul has already picked him up by the time I get home. Poor pup–back from a sleepover needing more sleep! Paul and I spend the next few hours doing homework for the trip we’re planning to Italy next year.
Without the Paris itinerary we’ll fly into and out of Rome, and being able to buy round-trip plane tickets is improving the budget projections substantially. A few of the hotels we’re considering are already accepting reservations for May 2017, and we’d like to score whatever advance-purchase, online-booking discounts we can, so we’ll both be requesting vacation time (for 14 months from now!) as soon as we can.
2:00 PM: After getting to a stopping point with all the vacation planning we intended to do today, I start drafting this post.
3:00 PM: I take a break from the computer to join Paul on the couch and watch the last two nights of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert episodes on the DVR.
4:30 PM: Caught up on Colbert and back from a walk with Winchester. Paul will be having dinner with Spencer (his son) tonight; I’m opting to stay home, forage in the fridge, get caught up on some random online stuff and work on a Bloggiesta to-do list/sign-up post (it’s going on all this week!).
6:30 PM: I’m almost finished with the Bloggiesta sign-up post when a text comes in from Paul to say he’s on his way home. I got too involved in blogging to do any foraging! I warm up some leftover pasta to eat while we catch up on other shows on the DVR.
8:30 PM: After watching Monday night’s recordings, Winchester gets his final outing of the day. (Full disclosure: Winchester didn’t actually watch TV.) Once we’re all ready for bed, I play some Words With Friends and take a spin through Mr. Reader before winding up the night and winding down to sleep with my current book. 5 AM, and the wake-up call to go back to work tomorrow, is just a few hours away.
We’ve rarely renewed our driver’s licenses in the past because we would move before they expired. I think we’re here to stay, though, and will need to renew them next year. I wonder if I can make an appointment.
The online-appointment option is one of the (few) things the DMV gets right, but I really like that California also offers license renewals by mail–this was the first time in almost 10 years I actually had to go there!
I weekday off – that sounded like a nice little luxury until you said you had to go to the DMV. Lol.
My advice on the Italy trip – maximize your time in Florence and Rome and don’t worry about spending a lot of time in Venice. 🙂
Honestly, I’m the least excited about Venice and wouldn’t mind swapping a day there for one more in Florence. Once we start making lists of what we want to see and do, we’ll if things shift!
I think this is the year I have to actually go to the Drivers License office to renew instead of doing it by mail. I hate that. I ought to see if they have some kind of appointment thing, but they probably don’t. Ah well. It won’t be until September. A trip to Italy – hope you guys have a wonderful time! Enjoy this, Florinda!
This will be the first trip to Europe for both of us, and we like planning things well in advance, so we get to be excited about this for months :-D!
How fun to be planning such a great trip! I don’t know if we ever have to actually appear in person for our new licenses as long as we haven’t had any traffic infractions. I’m sure I’ll need to get new glasses before I do if they require it – like you, I’m always worried about passing that vision part!
I think the rule here is two renewals by mail and then you have to show up, probably just so they can check your vision and take new photos periodically. Fortunately, the vision test is the only one they do…and for better or worse, California is the only state where I’ve ever passed that without a note from my eye doctor!
We skipped Venice AND Florence and spent our whole ten days in Rome this past October! Lovely trip, and I would go back in a heartbeat! Have fun planning!
I’m sure we will–we’re big advance planners! The main recommendations we’ve gotten about Rome have been “don’t miss the Vatican Museum” and “eat gelato every day.” Any tips or suggestions from your visit last fall?
Yes, Vatican Museum is a must and the weekly audience with the Pope was quite a spectacle. Also, plan your gelateria visits ahead of time and know the best places! All gelato is not created equal! I liked the book Eating Rome and there’s an app, too, which I couldn’t use, because we didn’t pay to have our phones working.
I had to renew my driver’s license in person this last time, too (2013), and I saw an elderly man there, with a cane, who had to do the driving test. I don’t know if he passed, but I’m dreading that day. LOL. I had an appointment, too, but I know what you mean about the confusing signs!
Hate the DMV! Your pictures really show us what all DMVs look like here.
Winchester looks comfy on that sofa.
Your trip sounds wonderful…enjoy! Thanks for sharing your day.
I support the *idea* of drivers over a certain age needing to take a road test to renew their licenses, but I don’t look forward to when it’ll be my turn to do that! Winchester has a knack for making himself comfortable almost anywhere, but his favorite places are where he can keep track of us :-).
I love Loreena McKennitt’s music. Cool that you actually met her.
I’m jealous of your trip to Italy. I spent a semester there when I was in college and would love to return.
We got to the theatre very early while they were still setting up the refreshment carts and the merch table out in front–she was right there! My husband has been a fan of hers for over 20 years and he babbled a little when he chatted with her, but it was very cute and she was very nice.
I just checked and I am good for another few years before I have to renew mine. Thank goodness. We have to go in person to do it no matter one. Thankfully, it is only every ten years. I can handle that.
California licenses have to be renewed every five years, but if you’re in good standing (and under 70 years old) you can renew by mail twice before you have to do it in person…so hopefully, I won’t have to show up at the DMV again for 15 more years!
We can usually get away with not having to renew our license in person for eight years, unless there is an accident or ticket. I loved my picture on my previous license, but they would not let me keep it. They did however give it back to me cut in half since I liked the picture so much. Love the name of the place your board your dog!
It’s a clever name, isn’t it? He goes to daycare there twice a week, and they’re great with him. I had a drivers license picture once that I wanted to keep forever… but since I’ve lived in two different states since then, no luck :-).
I need to update my license this year and I’m not sure if it’s one of those years I have to go in. An hour in and out doesn’t seem bad–I didn’t know that some DMVs took appointments. Wonder if ours does? Your trip sounds fun! I went to Italy 16 years ago and would love to go back. Florence is amazing. Plus OMG the food!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your day Florinda! And it’s amazing how easy it is to get sucked into blogging stuff, huh?
It is WAY too easy to get sucked into blog stuff…except for the reading part, where I’m always behind! Thanks for another fun round of Day in the Life, Trish–I look forward to doing it again soon :-).
Ack! I don’t know if I can read any further! I am soooooo jealous that you heard Loreena McKennitt live! Lucky lucky you! My husband and I both love her! I imagine she is amazing! Congrats on a day off and a live concert…and the upcoming trip next year! Cool!
I love seeing Winchester pictures!