Hortus Deliciarum

2009 has been a doozy of a year.  My grandfather’s death was probably the lowest point in terms of real tragedy but it’s just been a long, difficult year packed full of depression and struggle.

Christmas hasn’t been fun so far either.  My brother, darling family-oriented guy that he is, decided that instead of staying until the 29th, he’d leave the 26th instead (he can’t leave his girlfriend for more than five days, apparently).  This means that he’ll only see my little sister for just under 24 hours and throws off quite a lot of our post-Christmas planning, since my sister can only make it up on the evening of the 25th (she works at a fancy steakhouse in downtown Portland and has to work Christmas morning).  My family’s reluctance to make plans, combined with my own preference for plans has made this a particularly stressful run up to Christmas, although at least my shopping and such are done.

But 2009 still has it in for me, in a first-world problem sort of way.  I drive my sister’s car, which is registered in my father’s name.  By “drive” I mean “take out on occasional errands maybe twice a week.”  As I was driving up to the library to return some (overdue) books after buying my mom’s present for Ciaran, I saw flashing lights behind me.  I shrugged, figured some idiot behind me had been speeding, and continued up to the library.  As I slowed to turn in, the SUV with the flashing lights changed lanes behind me.  I turned into the library parking lot and lo and behold, so did the SUV.

See where this is going?  I started madly reviewing the last five minutes in my head.  I was sure I hadn’t run a red or done anything else noteworthy, so what in the world was going on?!  Well, as it turns out, either the registration renewal notice in my father’s name went astray or simply got overlooked, but the tabs expired in September.  The police officer asked to see my license, registration, and proof of insurance…and the newest insurance slip I could find?  Expired on the 18th of this month. I look at my driver’s license and oh, hurray, the brand new license that I thought I’d stuck in there after I renewed it on my birthday at the end of November?  At home.  The license in my wallet expired on my birthday this year.

He gives me the lecture about driving being a privilege, not a right.  I apologize.  I tell him that it’s my parents’ car and they’ve clearly forgotten the tabs and that I have renewed my license but the latest one is at home.

He goes to write me up for the expired tabs.  Thankfully he is also able to look me up in the computer and see that yes, indeed, my license is renewed until 2014 (of course, I cannot FIND it now at home and am wondering if I’ll get slammed with a replacement fee for that too).  He gives me a pass on the insurance, because it expired so recently, but lands me with a ticket for over $200 for the expired tabs.  His advice is to go to court after the tabs have been renewed and try to convince the magistrate to lessen the amount I owe for the ticket because it wasn’t my car.

Anyway, I have a nutritionist’s appointment tonight.  Because I can’t really drive the car until the tabs are renewed and my parents have a Christmas thing, I e-mailed her to cancel.  The one time I canceled a same-day appointment before, for illness, she didn’t charge me.  This time?  A $50 cancellation fee.

So, we’re talking nearly $300 for stuff that wasn’t my fault, that I couldn’t really have done anything about, and a traffic ticket that, even if the amount is lessened, is a black mark on my record PLUS a trip to court.  Maybe they’ll let me pay for traffic school to get it taken off my record…because, you know, it’s totally my BAD DRIVING that’s caused this mess.

Oh, 2009, I would shake my fist at you and dare you to do worse…but I’m afraid you’d take me up on the offer in the last few days that you have left.