A New Driver In My House

I have a new driver in my house. It's a scary thought.

In Hawaii, you have to be 15 1/2 to get your learner's permit. Unfortunately for Ben, he's been so busy with school and mission work, he didn't have time to study the driver's manual until this month. He finally squeezed in the time and I took him to the DMV to get his learner's permit.

It turned out to be just as difficult as getting my license. They don't like to make it easy for you.

Someone had warned me ahead of time that both parents have to be present in order for a teen to get his license. I checked the rule book (I never believe anything anyone tells me) and it turned out that is actually a rule. Both parents have to be there.

I called the DMV to double-check (I never believe the rule book either). Yes, both parents have to be there.

I asked Kerry if he could go with us.

"Not likely," he told me. "I'm crazy busy at work right now."

Humph.

I called the DMV again and pretended I was someone else.

"What if my son's father is......um........not involved........and is no longer on the island?"

I would have to bring in the divorce decree and legal documents showing I was the custodial parent. I told her we weren't divorced. She said I would have to have documents sent to him on the mainland and he would have to sign them, have them notarized, and overnight them back. I knew if I asked, "What if his dad is no longer alive?" they would just tell me to bring in the death certificate. Notarized of course.

I wondered what they would do if I said, "I don't know who is father is." I'm sure I would have to produce some sort of document.

So, we took the best solution we could think of, which was to wait in the DMV line (for an hour this time), let Ben take his test, and then call Kerry and see if he could drive over, sign the papers and leave.

It didn't work.

As soon as Ben passed the test (with flying colors, I might add), I called Kerry, and he was heading into a meeting.

I explained the situation to the lady behind the counter.

She gave me some papers, said that Kerry would have to sign them in front of a notary public, have it officially notarized and bring it back within forty-eight hours or Ben's test would be null and void.

So I called the bank on post and found out their notary services stop at 3:00 on the dot. I called Kerry and told him that if he had five minutes at any point in the day, to call me and we would meet there and Ben and I would still have time to make it back to the DMV before the day was up.

It didn't work.

Kerry did actually call me at 2:55 and we converged on the bank from different directions. I walked in the door, explained what I needed and the teller looked at me with wide eyes and said, "We stop notary services at 2:00."

"What?? I called this morning! I asked! I was told the notary person would be here until 3:00. Three o'clock! That's what I was told!"

I stomped out in a huff.

I realized later I was not at the bank I had called.

Sorry about that, bank teller. My bad.

Anyway, the next day, Kerry got the form notarized, Ben and I waited in the DMV line again, and he officially got his learner's permit.

You have been warned.