Cousin ADOT

 There's not much worse in the entire world than going to a California Department of Motor Vehicles.  It seems they hire people who hate their job and I can totally see why.  It's rather like sitting down in a homeless camp for 40 hours a week.

My numerous trips to the Arizona Department of Transportation have fared a little better.  ADOT seems to be the cousin "IT" of CaDMV.

I was up to two trips by the time I made the THIRD to get my rig and Jeep registered.  I had a stack of papers like I was back in college.  When I arrived at the appointed time, the parking lot was full to the brim.  I got in the first line, then was ushered off to the second line to wait in front of six counters.  Only three were occupied by personnel.  

Let me just say that the first phone call I made said NO SMOG.  The next said smog on the Jeep only.  Wasn't I surprised when THIS trip found me lacking a smog on the RIG!!  Struck down again!  At least they went ahead and registered the Jeep.  

It is interesting to note that they TAKE your vehicle title and do NOT give you one in return.  That's scary.  It's all online now.  I have nothing in hand to prove I own the Jeep.

The good news is California wanted to charge me $214 for this year.  Arizona charged me $225.03 (what's the 3 cents for?) for TWO years.  Half price works for me.  Cousin It came through!  Now however, I have to drive the rig about an hour to a facility to get it smogged and return one again to ADOT to get it registered.  It's never simple.

LET'S GO CELEBRATE!!  Patty, Dan and I went to Divine Bovine, a nice little restaurant deep in the heart of Tucson.  They have the best burgers on the planet.  Even Cousin It would love them!  They cook every one to order!!

Apparently I thought I was VERY hungry.  Bacon cheeseburger please with some of their new homemade tater tots.  I could have eaten TWO servings of those tots they were so good.  While we ate, Dan explained to me where to take the rig for a smog certificate, since part of his temporary job at La Mesa was to drive rigs.

Full to the brim and miserable ... yes I ate WAY too much ... we headed back home where I had planned on making a Dutch apple pie.  I have one of those peeler, corer, slicer-dicer thingies that makes peeling apples FUN!  It also makes a really big mess on your "office" table when the thing won't fit on the edge of the counter.

Somehow I ended up with apple peels and juice everywhere.  No matter, look at the magnificent slices it makes with just the turn of a handle.  I smothered them in sugar and cinnamon, placing them in a frozen pie shell.  No use getting frustrated trying to MAKE a pie shell.

TA-DA!!  Apple pie.  I have to say it tasted pretty good for dinner.  That's it ... just the pie.  My timing was right since now I'm having company for a few days.  

Friend Cyndae will arrive by plane today.  It's pretty awesome when your daughter, former Air Force Pilot and then Pilot Trainer, is now a pilot for Southwest Airlines. Cyndae gets to fly for free!!  And so my journey to Tombstone has been put off for a couple days.  

This morning I'll be scrambling around trying to hide all the mess in the house.  Maybe I'll even run the vacuum cleaner one or twice.