Fall\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waxing Autumn Moon<\/p>\n
Got up at 7:10.\u00a0 Left the house at 7:30 for Anoka County Driver’s License center to see if we could get Mark a spot for his driving test.\u00a0 When we reached the site at 7:45, there was already a line of waiters:\u00a0 teen-agers, Somalis, a couple of older, hard used men whom I imagined were back for a license test after a suspension for one reason or another, a housewife or two.<\/p>\n
Mark got in line and I went down two doors to the small diner that capitalizes on the License Department traffic.\u00a0 It has a large cookie jar collection.\u00a0 By large I mean a row the length of one wall and another and rows of them two deep over the counter area.\u00a0 We’re talking lots of cookie jars.\u00a0 None of them, I’m sorry to say, especially interesting to my eye, but you have to admire the determination.<\/p>\n
It also had a sign that only fishermen could love:\u00a0 Have a crappie day.<\/p>\n
While I ate eggs and bacon, a shortstack of pancakes,\u00a0 a young boy, maybe eleven, blond and the oldest of two others who looked much like him, spun a pancake his hands, flipped it in the air to his brothers’ obvious enjoyment.\u00a0 Mom didn’t blink an eye.<\/p>\n
I’d only just got started on breakfast when Mark came in to say that he hadn’t gotten a slot.<\/p>\n
Let’s back up\u00a0 a minute.\u00a0 In June Mark went in and tried to get a driver’s license with just a knowledge test.\u00a0 He could have done so if California didn’t purge its rolls every four years.\u00a0 He had no record of having had a driver’s license so he had to get a learner’s permit.\u00a0 At the end of the three month period, he could take a driving test.<\/p>\n
September 29th was the end of the three months, so, basically, he had yesterday and today.<\/p>\n
Not able to get a slot at Anoka we next went to Arden Hills, much larger facility off Highway 35 and very the exit for 610 we use to get home from downtown.<\/p>\n
Long story short.\u00a0 We sat from about 9 am until 1:30 p.m.\u00a0 Finally got a test.\u00a0 Mark failed.\u00a0 The examiner told him to come back in a week and he’d probably pass.\u00a0 No joy there.<\/p>\n
He got his flight information and he leaves tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m bound for Riyadh.\u00a0 Maybe next year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fall\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waxing Autumn Moon Got up at 7:10.\u00a0 Left the house at 7:30 for Anoka County Driver’s License center to see if we could get Mark a spot for his driving test.\u00a0 When we reached the site at 7:45, there was already a line of waiters:\u00a0 teen-agers, Somalis, a couple of older, hard used men … Continue reading A Day of License<\/span>