Aren't those lovely words. Three words I have had personal experience with in the last 4 days. You read that right. I have always considered myself a law abiding citizen, done what I can to follow the most important rules, recognizing that some can be bent a bit. I am here to tell you rules don't bend in Virginia and there is a rule, multiple rules to everything. I am breaking rules I don't even know exist. The consequences are not small either we are talking to the tune of a $150 tow bill, TWICE!!! Now I know by posting this I am admitting to years of sheltered living, riding on the good name of my father and getting away with way too many stupids things in Rexburg but I am here to tell you Virginia is rediculous.
Since moving to the wonderful state of Virginia, which they claim was settled by Jamestown, so I am living in the oldest state in America, in case you were wondering; (i am not sure the punctuation on that sentence. A little help Chels?) I have had my car towed twice, sat at the DMV for 4+ hours and still have to go back, had a parking ticket in my own parking spot, replaced a muffler, been told my car was too noisy to pass a saftey inspection, my bank statement to a local bank with my address on it couldn't count as proof of residency, and on and on all so that I can pay a tax to drive my car in this wonderful state.
By moving to Virginia I have had to give up every outward appearance of Idahoness I have, my licsence, my plates, the title to my car, you name it. Of course all of this comes with a significant price tage attatched. I think I am just having a hard time being forced to pay money to become a resident of a state I don't care to be a resident of just yet. But I must or my car gets towed....
Allow me to explain, today I was having a great day. Getting the last boxes put away, fixing the stroller, cleaning out the car. I was checkin' off the list. At about 4 pm the girls and I headed to the gas station to vacumn out the car. On our way home I noticed a yellow/orange envelope under my windsheild. "That is not a ticket? How could I have a ticket? I have been in the house all day." Sure enough ticket for not having plates on my car and parking in unauthorized off street parking. This was in my complex parking lot!!! Apparently, the state was just kidding when it said you had 30 days to register your car in VA. To their credit the temporary registration we had expired on Friday. I was planning on putting our new plates (that took us three tries to get) on our cars tonight. Apparently I was too late.
After spotting my ticket I immediately looked around for Scott's car. It was gone!!! No where to be found. The car that still had a valid permit was towed because it didn't have the proper parking sticker in the window, because the 4 times we had attempted to get the temporary one, during office hours, the manager was not in the office. We couldn't get an acutal permit beacuse we have to have proof we paid the property tax on our car which we can't get until our cars were registered which we couldn't do because, both of us had to be there (1st attempt - no community property in VA) and we didn't have proper proof of residency (2nd attempt-see above) What do you about that. So, the first day, Scott doesn't have his car at work, it is gone.
Scott is in Chicago mind you, I have Kayt and Ella and know nobody within 20 minutes to help me out. Thank goodness, the tow company was only two miles away and I have a stroller.
I am so tired of all of the hoops you have to jump through out here. My only beef is this, if you are going to have a billion laws, make it possible to follow them!!!
I am at the laughing phase now because you can't be mad about it. It gets you no where and you have no way to stick it to them. You just have to take it up the tale pipe. It is a very helpless feeling to say the least.
Anyway, that was a sufficient rant. Stay tuned for mores tales of hard knocks by the country bumpkins. Until then love to all!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
We miss the Lowary's
These are just a few pics of our good friends from OSU. They now live in Sacramento and we live in D.C. but I came across these and it made me miss them. Our only regret with the Lowary is that we didn't hang out with them more.
They were ones who came to Kayt's birthday last minute because she wanted friends there, the ones we tricked the missionaries with multiple times, the ones we got addicted to Spirano's pizza with, the ones we stressed about school and CPA exams with, our secret high school musical buddies, Katie was my craft buddy and everything else buddy and on and on.
We miss the Lowary's!!
Settling In
Scott started work yesterday!!! How crazy, for the first time he is working for someone other than family. It is going to be interesing. He is very excited about it thought and is looking forward to really getting started. The commute is a little longer than we were expecting but still very managable, especially for D.C. There are people who commute a few hours each way. CRAZY!!! It was pretty easy to learn the traffic patterns as well. If you want to get anywhere in a decent time frame your have to be on the road after 9:30 and off before 4. That is your window. The metro is about the same way. The place runs like clockwork. We learned that to avoid massive amounts of people on the metro you have to be off by 2:30. 3 is when the early commuters start commuting. If you follow those basic guidelines it is not so bad. So far anyway?!
Tuesday before Scott started work we went to the D.C. Zoo. It was such a great time. However, Ella decided that for the first time in her life she should puke. As we were wheeling her off the metro, like the stroller doesn't draw enough attention, she throws up all over herself. I felt so bad for her. We were certainly a spectacle. I have decided however that most places we go out here we will be that way so I am getting used to it.
Our apartment is feeling more and more like home. We have things on the walls and everything is put away and it still feels roomy. We really like it. And those third floor stairs are going to be my new work out!!
Kayt and Ella are settling in as well. We have a little playground on the other side of the complex and they love it. We go there once a day at least. It is the perfect size and usually isn't crowded. Kayt has spent the last three days pretending to be the queen of Eypyt with Baby Moses. I am not sure where the fascination came from but there are worse things to pretend I guess. Ella's latest love is Elmo. I never thought I would have a child that loved the red furry guy but she does. She says it so cute, it comes out more as melmo which makes it that much better. Today while at the best thrift store in the world!!! she spotted a giant one on a shelf. She started yelling "melmo, melmo!" I let her play with it while we shopped, big mistake. We left the store with a "melmo" doll that is as big as Ella is. She has been dragging it around all afternoon.
We are alive and well and happy. We miss family a lot but have plenty to try and distract us.
Love to all. More pictures are to come!
Tuesday before Scott started work we went to the D.C. Zoo. It was such a great time. However, Ella decided that for the first time in her life she should puke. As we were wheeling her off the metro, like the stroller doesn't draw enough attention, she throws up all over herself. I felt so bad for her. We were certainly a spectacle. I have decided however that most places we go out here we will be that way so I am getting used to it.
Our apartment is feeling more and more like home. We have things on the walls and everything is put away and it still feels roomy. We really like it. And those third floor stairs are going to be my new work out!!
Kayt and Ella are settling in as well. We have a little playground on the other side of the complex and they love it. We go there once a day at least. It is the perfect size and usually isn't crowded. Kayt has spent the last three days pretending to be the queen of Eypyt with Baby Moses. I am not sure where the fascination came from but there are worse things to pretend I guess. Ella's latest love is Elmo. I never thought I would have a child that loved the red furry guy but she does. She says it so cute, it comes out more as melmo which makes it that much better. Today while at the best thrift store in the world!!! she spotted a giant one on a shelf. She started yelling "melmo, melmo!" I let her play with it while we shopped, big mistake. We left the store with a "melmo" doll that is as big as Ella is. She has been dragging it around all afternoon.
We are alive and well and happy. We miss family a lot but have plenty to try and distract us.
Love to all. More pictures are to come!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
We made it!!
So this is my turning over a new blogging leaf. It is time to get started again. Although this won't even begin to skin the surface of futher makeup posts, it is a post!
After our five day cross country journey, we have landed in Virginia! We are living about 20 minutes outside of D.C. in Fairfax, VA. We spent 6 hours moving our stuff into our third floor apartment yesterday. Needless to say we were alittle too tired to do much of anything else last night. Scott and I even took the couch up all by ourselves. I wish I would have had a camera and a means of taking a pictures because I am sure it was pretty funny to watch my face get smashed between the wall and the couch as we were rounding the corner. It was an adventure but we did it.
Today, we start unpacking boxes. With each move it seems that we just want to get ride of more and more. After yesterday we have decided an IKEA home each time we move is the way to go. I am sure we will change our minds but not for awhile!.
Anyway we are settling in a bit. We give each other random updates on what we are thinking about this adventure throughout the day. They have gone from "what were we thinking?" to "we don't really belong here?" to "okay we got on the road outside the complex maybe we can do this?", "alright it is starting to feel a little better." And that's about as afar as we have gotten.
No, really we are excited just realy intimidated and really far from home. We will keep you posted.
In the mean time, love to you all.
After our five day cross country journey, we have landed in Virginia! We are living about 20 minutes outside of D.C. in Fairfax, VA. We spent 6 hours moving our stuff into our third floor apartment yesterday. Needless to say we were alittle too tired to do much of anything else last night. Scott and I even took the couch up all by ourselves. I wish I would have had a camera and a means of taking a pictures because I am sure it was pretty funny to watch my face get smashed between the wall and the couch as we were rounding the corner. It was an adventure but we did it.
Today, we start unpacking boxes. With each move it seems that we just want to get ride of more and more. After yesterday we have decided an IKEA home each time we move is the way to go. I am sure we will change our minds but not for awhile!.
Anyway we are settling in a bit. We give each other random updates on what we are thinking about this adventure throughout the day. They have gone from "what were we thinking?" to "we don't really belong here?" to "okay we got on the road outside the complex maybe we can do this?", "alright it is starting to feel a little better." And that's about as afar as we have gotten.
No, really we are excited just realy intimidated and really far from home. We will keep you posted.
In the mean time, love to you all.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Lost in Transition
Hello to all of you who like to keep up on the happenings of the Smith's. We are currently in the middle of the most crazy (only behind tax season 2008 I guess) of our lives to date. I am currently sitting in the Boise airpot waiting for my flight and wanted to let you all know there may be a slight Smith hietis. We are going touring with my family tomorrow and then will be packing up and moving back to Idaho for the summer. We should be landing in Rexburg in about 10 days. How CRAZY!!!
The following is for my purposes only but feel free to read on.
Barnum and Bailey Ringling Brothers Circus- Amazing, how a circus should be!!
Ella walking around with spoon on her nose- funny, funny girl
Zoo with the Crockets
Visit from the Smith's
Scott's graduation from The Ohio State University!!!!!
Kristen Ed conference in Boise
Monday, June 15, 2009
My AMAZING HUSBAND!!!
CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT!!!!!!!
The following post will be in honor of my smarty pants husband Scott and the beloved OSU!!
Sunday Scott joined 8,000 other graduates (the largest class in the nation) and graduated with his Masters in Accounting! I can't believe our five year education journey is over. Scott truly has a gifted mind and had done such an incredible job being a student, husband and father. He struck a balance that is truley admirable. Thank you all for your love support and prayers throuhgout this whole process.
Also, I want to give a happy anniversary shout out. What a way to celebrate five years. The day we got married Scott had 25 credits to his name. Now 5 years later he has a masters degree from one of the best accounting programs in the nation! Way to go Idaho boy!
I was recapping the major events of our last fives years and realized why it has been a little crazy. In five years we have moved 3 times gotten 3 bachelors degrees, 1 masters and had two beautiful daughters. Always on the move, just the way we like it.
Thanks also to Scott's fam for coming out to celebrate with us, it was so great to have you here.
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