Yesterday morning, I set out bright and early/at 10:45 after sleeping in and went to get my Jeep inspected because the Massachusetts sticker on my windshield indicated that my inspection was due by the end of August and it was now September 4^th.  I drove straight to the emissions test facility, skipping a desperately needed medium hazelnut iced coffee from McDonald’s for fear of a curious cop being behind me in line at the drive-thru.  

Apparently I wasn’t alone in being delinquent with my car inspection as the line to drive through the emissions test station was the longest I’ve ever seen it in the two times I’ve been.   I waited a good 30 minutes or so in line.  When it was my turn, I pulled into the station, hopped out of the car for the 3 minute emissions test and then got back into my car.  As the nice lady was printing out my certificate to prove that my vehicle had passed, I casually asked her where might be a good place to now take my car for the inspection.   She said this was the only facility nearby.  I said, oh yes, for the emissions test, but where do you take the car for inspection around here?  She said right here.  I was a little bit confused so I explained that I was wondering about the sticker.  She said that this was all I needed as far as an inspection and that I should just take my certificate and go to the county clerk for my renewal.  Oh.  Ok then.  Easy enough.   Still getting used to these Tennessee vehicular processes. 

(In Massachusetts, one has to take one’s vehicle to a garage, where it is then inspected for 15 minutes, and then upon passing the test, one receives an inspection sticker for one’s windshield, which indicates the month in which the vehcile passed and in which it must be re-inspected the following year.)

So I drove on down to the county clerk and waited in line for 20 minutes to get my renewal.  I walked up to the counter when I was called and explained that my vehicle had passed the emissions test and I just needed the sticker for my windshield.  The clerk unfolded my registration and informed me that I was good until April of next year because I had already completed this process when I moved here in April.  Oh.  But what about the sticker?  There is no sticker.  Just this piece of paper called your registration.  

Right.

So, basically, I wasted an hour of my life, ten dollars for the emissions test and the chance for an iced coffee right when I needed it because I did not understand that the emissions drive-thru was all I needed for an inspection and that there is no sticker involved in the inspection process in Tennessee, but rather a registration that is renewed annually by going to the emissions drive thru within 90 days of renewing one’s registration.

Got it.

Dangit.

Come to think of it, I believe I remember Wilma telling me that I could go ahead and remove the sticker from my windshield when I registered my vehicle in Tennessee in April.  I sort of remember thinking that I should do that so as not to confuse myself come August.  If only I would listen to myself.

Feeling a whole mix of emotions, I continued on with my errands for the day.  I drove across town to the recycling center, where I then saw the SAME LADY who conducted my emissions test just an hour earlier. I didn’t know what to make of the situation and neither did she so we kind of just smirked at each other.  It was bizarre.  I still feel silly.  At least I knew how to go about recycling at the recycling facility and didn’t embarrass myself twice in front of that lady.

In other news, I found 5 pairs of dress pants that I desperately needed for work and that fit me quite well (not an easy thing to find).  AND they were drastically on sale.  I scooped up five pairs of nice pants for $140. 

I guess my luck turned around after my self-inflicted misfortune earlier in the day.

Like me yesterday, the sky was quite confused when I took these photos last week.

Just thought I would throw these in for fun.

Y’all please send coffee,

Sugarlump