Worst Birthday Ever... But a GREAT Birthday Week!

So, I suppose it's not unusual at this point that I'm writing on a Friday night. That seems to be what my Fridays have turned into. The evening is the only opportunity I have to relax, and kind of think about my week. This week was CRAZY.  And when I say crazy, I mean crazy. I really didn't have a chance to slow down at all. That's not a bad thing! But now, I'm tired. 

Monday was Labor Day, so I really did take the day off. I went to my friends' house and grilled out. It was nice to hang out with some friends, and take a few minutes to socialize. God knows I need socialization! Outside of two-year-olds, that is! Anyway, it was a nice day, and after grilling, I went over to my dad's house for a few minutes where I got my birthday present (Apple TV= AMAZING gift!). Charley was super-tired and crabby though, so the visit was short-lived. Then came Tuesday…..

Tuesday was my actual birthday. I'm usually not one of those people to celebrate my birthday for weeks. I know some people have birthday-weeks/months, but ever since I was a kid and my dad told me I had to wait until his birthday passed (August 22), before talking about mine, I really haven't been that type. This year I feel like it's been my birthday FOREVER. Anyway, Tuesday actually WAS my birthday. And the majority of the day was a train-wreck. Last week, I began my quest to get my MN driver's license. I've had my NV license since moving back, because I absolutely hate the DMV, so I put it off. When my birthday rolled around, I got up bright and early, and got to the DMV with my license, looking to officially be a MN driver again. And, more importantly, to officially return to my maiden name. The lady at the DMV informed me that because my MN license is more than a year expired, I'd have to take the written exam, which that location didn't offer. Seriously? I've been driving for 15 years. I never imagined I'd have to take the written exam again! So, I went to DMV location number two, where they offer the written exam. At that DMV, they informed me that I needed my original marriage certificate, issued by the state with a raised seal, to take the test. I had my marriage certificate. But a copy apparently isn't good enough. They also told me I needed another form of ID, such as a passport. Seriously? First of all, I didn't need the original marriage certificate to get my divorce, so the fact that I need it for my license is ridiculous. Secondly, how many hoops were they expecting me to jump through, all in the name of getting a license? The second location's staff was incredibly rude, as well. Ugh. So, I went home, dug through my paperwork, found my passport, found a copy of the marriage certificate signed by the pastor, and went to yet ANOTHER location, Eagan, which is nowhere near my house, and finally took the written test.  I passed. Phew! But they still wouldn't give me my license without a specific version of my marriage certificate. So, I had to overnight the stupid document, just to return and get my license the next day. At the Eagan location, of course. Needless to say, spending my birthday in 3 different DMVs was not exactly how I'd intended to spend the day. It's okay, though. I was born after 11 pm on the 3rd, so I decided that for this year, I would think of Wednesday as the first day of my thirties. And Wednesday was a much better day! On Wednesday, I didn't have that much to do, other than go to the gym and work in the evening. I was pleasantly surprised when I got  text from one of my girlfriends, asking me to walk around the lake with her. I left the gym instantly, and headed to the lake. I'd much rather walk three miles, than ride a stationary bike for 45 minutes. It was a super hot day, but we had a great conversation and got some exercise in at the same time. Definitely an improvement over Tuesday. 

I love this picture. My hair is ridiculous, but I don't care.  I'm making "pretty fingers." After 26+ years in gymnastics,  it's not even intentional anymore. You just can't take the gymnast out of me. Ha!

Thursday was a huge day for me. I got my bus! Blair and I drove out to Monticello, and picked up Gus, the Big Blue Bus! It kind of looks like a Smurf on steroids. It's awesome. I was so nervous! I was legitimately afraid, when I moved the gear into drive. But surprisingly, it's not that hard to drive. The mirrors are awesome! I felt like I could see everything! It is amusing that my feet don't touch the ground when I'm in the driver's seat, though. Ha! The rest of my day included going to the gym for a preschool open gym time (in the bus of course), then I waited for one of my friends to pick up Charley, so I could drive the bus to go pick up the mats. That was a trick! I drove the bus from St. Louis Park, to Coon Rapids, to do that, and I faced what I imagine will be everyday battles. Some side streets are impossible to drive down, when people are coming from the opposite directions, and I was slightly embarrassed when they looked at me like, "Who the heck is that chick driving a giant blue school bus?!" I'm sure I'll get a lot of that…. When I got to the loading dock area to get my mats, of course I had to go to customer service, before I could pick up all of my boxes. I surveyed the area, it looked like it circled around, so I just pulled that big bus right up to the front of the building…only to realize that the 'circle' ended up at a locked gate. Crap. In a car, I would've made an awkward u-turn and driven right out. But I was in a school bus. So, what'd I do? I backed Gus up, basically across an entire parking lot, praying that the mirrors worked, and I didn't forget to check EVERY angle. It was rough. But I did it, and then breathed a sigh of relief. After that debacle, I went to my friend's house, in the bus, to have a playdate with Charley, and I didn't get home until nearly 8:00. It was a LONG day. But a great day!

Today, I walked out of my house, and saw a giant bus parked there. It's a little intimidating! I found a place to park it, but I can't drop it off until tomorrow, so it'll be the neighborhood eyesore for one more day. A couple of my friends checked it out, and thought it looked great. One just looked at me and was like, "That thing is HUGE! I can't believe you actually own an enormous bus." Well, that makes two of us. I can't really believe it either. But it's true! I met a high school friend at the lake today, and went for a walk. Twice around the lake in one week is a lot for me! It's really a lot for Charley. But my friend has a son Charley's age, so they kept each other entertained, as we caught up. It was really nice to catch up and realize that we have a lot more in common than we probably ever thought. We gossiped, and chatted, and had a few laughs about life, relationships, even just what we were up to earlier in the day! While we walked, she mentioned my blog, said she reads regularly, and asks if it's therapeutic for me. My response? "Absolutely!" Honestly, as much as I like to entertain my friends and family, I write this for me. It's kind of a nice way for me to keep track of how my life has grown and changed over the last few months. And shoot, if people get a laugh out of my journaling, then great! All the better.

On that note, I'm sure everybody is tired of the marathon-blog, so have a good weekend! And to those of you who wished me a happy birthday, thank you! Your messages made the day a little more tolerable as I waited in line at the DMVs!