Just my luck

Our weekend got off to quite the start Friday afternoon as I was driving on post to pick up Grace on my way home from work in Alexandria. To get on post, you drive through a big gate, get your I.D. scanned by a gate guard, and generally just get on your way. Not Friday.

I was selected for a "random vehicle check"- which seems to happen to me more often than what I would consider random, but truthfully, it's no big deal. You break out your license, registration, proof of insurance, sometimes have to open the hood, trunk, and car doors, but you get moving pretty quickly. On Friday I was in for a surprise.

My insurance papers that we always keep in the console on the dashboard? Not there.

My license? Oh, apparently it expired...and the cop who pulled me over a few months back (oops) and told me it was fine because I have a military ID? Incorrect. See, Virginia makes you come in, in person, to renew your license if it has expired and since we are not heading back home for another couple of months, I thought I was good to go as long as I had my military ID on me as well.

Not the case.

I got to sit at the gate, pulled over to the side, and watch other cars come in and go out for 40 minutes, while the gate guards called an MP (military police officer) to come cite me with a ticket. I was fuming and embarrassed. But you know what makes it worse? I got upset...like tears upset...you know, the kind where a young MP had to say, "Ma'am, please calm down, it's really not that big of a deal." I cried ugly crocodile tears...apparently the only kind I can cry. It was miserable. I just sat there thinking about Grace sitting at daycare and D, not able to get her because he still literally can't pick her up with his shoulder out of commission and felt so helpless. I tried to will myself not to cry, but I am not one of those people that can hold it back when I'm upset. I used to blame it on pregnancy hormones. Now? I don't even have an excuse.

Finally, I was told I could either have someone drive my husband to come pick me and the car up (on the total opposite side of post, which would have taken him about 20 minutes) or they could just give me a ticket and send me on my way. I opted for ticket. $25 fine? Whatever. I just wanted to get the heck out of there. In the meantime, D did have to pick up Grace and have someone bring her out to his car and put her in her car seat. We met at home, he was given strict orders not to say anything resembling an "I told you so" about the license ordeal and we immediately got back in the car to get some large margaritas at my go-to Mexican spot.

Margs helped me calm down, but the embarrassment...still stings. Ugh.

The rest of the weekend was not quite as exciting...thank goodness. We just hung out around the house, watched a lot of Entourage (we started from Season 1 after D's surgery and are sort of obsessed), cleaned house, and made our grocery run for the week.

Now it's Monday...and by tomorrow you will be able to officially see my new Louisiana license if you run into me at a random traffic stop or pull me over. Plus side? Maybe I won't look like a convict in my new license photo?

There's always that silver lining.

xo,
H