I Had to Cry to Get it

JR got his learner's permit yesterday.

I have been ridden with anxiety over this for a month.  Not because he'll be able to drive a car, but the actual going to the DPS office to get the permit.

I'm not sure if I ever blogged about it, but it took me 3 trips to the DPS to change my Texas drivers license back from a Colorado one.  On trip 2 I almost got arrested.  Granny Sherry was there, it was a total scene.

I made Jason check over the 9 pieces (yes, 9) of documentation I had to see if he could poke holes in anything I had.  The only thing I was worried about was that our 2 proofs of residency had his name on them and not mine.

I made the appointment online and we headed out.  (I was trying to do lots of self talk about how it was going to be okay when they told me something wasn't right, and we had all day to get this done.)

We arrived and this is the line to get IN the DPS.  You aren't checked in at this point, you are just waiting to go inside and check in to wait. 

Since I had made an appointment, we only had to wait in the "appointment line" to go inside.

I made friends with the blonde lady in front of me who was there for her 2nd try to get her 15 year old son his permit.  It didn't help my nerves that she was on her 2nd try.

We waited outside about 10 minutes and then we got to go inside and check in so we could wait to be called.  This is one section of the waiting room, there's another section behind that wall, plus people in rows behind me.

While we were waiting they came over the loudspeaker and said to stop coming up and asking when you would be called  because the wait was 3 hours for people without an appointment. 

They called our number after about 20 minutes, and I was in total panic mode.  Sure enough, they wouldn't except our proof of residency because it had Jason's name on it and not mine.  

 At this point I'd like to stop my story to interject how stupid it is that my own driver's license is not a proof of residency being that I'm standing in an office that gives out driver's licenses!

I started to tear up and get emotional which I guess is how to play the system because she told me to run out to my car and get my car insurance (it would have my name and address on it) and she would look up my voters registration for me...which also goes to show that these people have all the power in the world.  She could have sent me away...which is what I fully expected her to do.

I blessed her many times and Praise Jesus, JR walked out with this permit!

And FYI, my nerves still haven't fully recovered.