Requirements for Officiality

vehicle registration (check)
birth certificate (check)
copy of soul (pending)
social security card (check)
proof of being stung by no less than 25 NH mosquitoes (itching)
Maryland license (check)
picture of you on Jefferson’s nose at Mt. Rushmore (pending)
$480.00 (begrudgingly paid)
blood sample (given)
clay model of the old man in the mountain (baking)
passport (check)
proof that you’ve licked an iceberg (check)
NREMT-P card (check)
CPR card (check)

All this and a week later I’m a gamely employed, licensed, and registered New Hampshireite. Such excitement I have scarcely known! Actually, I’m secretly terrified, but don’t tell anyone.

On Tuesday I mowed the lawn, sort of. First, I used this crazy machine that was really a weed-wacker on wheels (complete with spinning strings of death) to cut a nice path in the tall grass, wildflowers, and berry plants in the front yard. Now we can walk amongst them and enjoy the wildlife (if it ever stops raining.)

I can happily report that later I only nearly destroyed the push mower. I was mowing along, minding my own business, when a large rock, (not unlike those evil rocks that pop up in shallow rivers) ran under the mower. Said rock displaced the blade so much that one end of it began cutting into the deck of the mower. Oops. Some dangerous hammering and cursing later, it’s all better, but shortly after, it ran out of gas, so I decided to quit.
Then, Andy and I decided to…wait, I mean Andy decided to, and I was somehow talked into helping to take apart the motor of the riding mower. This was pretty cool, I learned a bit about small engine repair, and after some dangerous hammering, a lot of cursing, and tons of dissecting, we found the problem, and have ordered new parts. How industrial of us!
Last but not least, after a long, beautiful day, I got my NH license plates. Longer story about that to follow.

Yesterday was orientation day 2: documentation, and driving safely, and I’m sure there was some other stuff, but I forget. Afterwards I drove around Manchester aimlessly, insured the truck in this state, deposited some checks, and got home without the use of highways.

Today was the last day of orientation: easy vent, IV pump, bone injection guns, and uniforms. I finally got my NH driver’s license with, you guessed it, the old man in the mountain on it.
Then, I went to get the truck inspected to complete the registration process. They began it, and after much discussion, they decided/discovered that my adorable, silly, one stop-light town gave me plates with two different numbers on them. How sweet! This meant that I had to go back to our town clerk, and clear it up before I could finish the inspection process. Also, e-z pass may be interested to know why I went through with the wrong plates on for the last two days. Everything gets so freaking complicated sometimes!
So, this evening I went to sort it all out but somehow the story didn’t end with the serendipitous meeting of a nice young man who mistakenly had my other plate, and a date, oh well. At least my plates match now.

Tomorrow is the first day of real work! I’m trying not to freak out. As long as I get my tea tomorrow morning, I should be successful in that aim.

Google search term of the week “believe, hon” just hit I’m feeling lucky, and there you go, number 1!