Always an Adventure


 When I was getting ready to leave work yesterday, I was paged to the front desk for something about my car.  I figured they needed me to move it, which would be easy, since I was about to leave.  

I was wrong.  

One of my coworkers had been in his car, getting ready to go out for lunch when a big painting van pulled into the street where I was parked.  The van tried to turn around, backed into a pole, drove up the road, turned around over the sidewalk, through someone’s lawn, then started back down the hill.  He stopped his van in the middle of the road, reached down for a cigarette, and started drifting.  

Guess where he drifted.  If you guessed right into my car, give yourself a pat on the back.  The damage isn’t bad–my front bumper took a bit of a beating and my driver’s side window fell out (I never realized just HOW MUCH I check my driver’s side window till I didn’t have one) but since my coworker had the guy’s license plate number and figured he might be a danger to others, we called the police.  

It took them about 45 minutes to arrive.  While we waited (he was nice enough to wait with me, which I really appreciated), I called my insurance company.  I don’t have collision, so they won’t cover anything.  So, I’m lucky it’s not bad.  Plus, the other driver’s insurance might cover something.  If they catch him.  

When the officer arrived, she was very pleasant and professional.  She took any information we had and assured me that they would probably catch the guy.  

Then, I got to drive the the DMV (short a side mirror, argh) to get my driver’s license renewed.  It has my married name on it!  That means that I could make a copy to send in to the passport agency, because I want my married name on my passport and they wanted a photo I.D. My social security card and a copy of my marriage certificate weren’t enough proof that I go by my married name, I guess.  O_o 

I also finally remembered (and paid for, of course) the national massage testing people to send my scores to the state for my massage license.  And I figured out how to print my criminal history check (which I’d already paid for) so I could mail that to them, too.

Soon, I will have all the licenses.  And a passport.  

And the government will have all my money.   


About Jamie

Jamie Lackey lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and their cats. She has over 160 short fiction credits, and has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Escape Pod. She has a novella and two short story collections available from Air and Nothingness Press. In addition to writing, she spends her time reading, playing tabletop RPGs, baking, and hiking. You can find her online at www.jamielackey.com.

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