Standing in line

Today was a crazy day for us. We started with doing school and then had plans to go shopping for the month. We were going to start our shopping and be done in enough time to pick up our final official paper on the truck we imported. Just as we were leaving, one of the men in our church came by. We ended up taking him on an errand and then we went to pick up the paper that gives us permission to drive without plates for the next 90 days (we were told that there is a 2 year wait on license plates) at which time we will have to go in and have another renewal done.

As we got to the DEI (Department of something) to pick up our paper we were met with a huge line. I got in line while Jason went to see if he could find anyone official to ask if we were even in the right line. Just as he started looking someone came out the front door and announced that we were in the wrong line. We quickly moved to the right line and were lucky enough to be the first in line (after they let a bunch of people in front of us in). We discovered that first in line is not where you want to be unless you like to be pushed, shoved, and sandwiched in between people. Needless to say, the line was anything but orderly. Once the line was more than five people long, the people in the back decided that they didn't want to wait, but pushed ahead. I was literally sandwiched between Jason and someone I didn't know. Several times I had to tell someone to stop pushing me and wait in line. Finally Jason put me in front of him and then I was sandwiched in between the door, Jason and two other guys who saw me as an easier target to get in front of than Jason.

The guard who lets people in a little at a time kept opening the door and yelling at the people. I was just standing there and about 30 minutes into it he stuck his head out and said that he had been there for 9 hours, so everyone had just better get patient. I gave him an "I am so sorry that you have had to put up with this for so long" smile and he grabbed my purse and pulled me inside. Jason had a hold of my arm and so he got to come in too. I don't know if it was any better inside, but there was np pushing. Once people got inside they were more orderly. Probably for fear of getting thrown out again. We only had to stand in line for another 45 minutes in an non air-conditioned building (with all the doors closed) so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

It was very frustrating for me though when the lady in front of us kept going to the window and coming back with more peoples papers to do so they wouldn't have to wait in line. She even let a couple of people cut in front of us. I did feel slightly vindicated though when the woman that cut when there was only two people left in front of us was told that she couldn't get her papers today as someone had done something wrong when they photocopied her husband's license. It was a little scary when they couldn't find out paperwork though. We were wondering what would happen, but they found it in the papers that were approved yesterday.

After that we had to go home, pick up the kids, and go shopping. Thankfully there seemed to be no one in the stores and we got in and out in record time. We made it home just before 8:00 pm.

I had a huge blessing today. I had forgotten to go and order the favors for Adelaida's baby shower. I called the store where I am going to get pewter baby shoes made and they told me that they would start working on them and I could come in and pay tomorrow. Ordering something to be custom made without having it paid for us unheard of. I was amazed that they said they would do it for me. As it is customary here for the hostess to give everyone who attends a baby shower, bridal shower, graduation, ect, a "recuerdo" (which is basically a dust collector that says, "Remember my __________") I have to buy 24 for Adelaida's baby shower. Tomorrow I will go and pay for them and give them the ribbons to tie on the little baby shoes for added cuteness. I am glad that they allowed me to place the order today. That was s huge blessing for me.