Sticker Insanity

When my kind friend helped me brush the snow off my car the other day, he mentioned that he discovered when he brushed off his own car that his inspection sticker was about to expire. I jokingly asked him to check mine, and he did. Ack! It ran out last July!!! How could that happen? I had her in to the garage and worked on and nobody caught it there either.

Well, good thing he helped me and we uncovered that little kerflaffel. I promptly made an appointment with my repair guy, but he was unable to take care of it as he was out of stickers. He gave me several other places to call. Same story at each place. We aren't doing inspections now because we are out of stickers and the new ones come in January. You will have to wait.

But I don't want to risk it. After all, I am planning to drive to North Carolina to see my kids, and I want to make sure everything is kosher for the trip. I begin stopping at every place that sports a yellow "We do inspections here" sign. Same story everywhere. Yikes! A crisis. One guy had the audacity to tell me that I had waited this long and two weeks wouldn't make any difference.

I understood his point, but I didn't know before and I do now. Somehow in my mind that makes it unacceptable. I ask him what people do who buy new cars. Surely they have to get stickers. He just shrugged, mumbled something about good luck finding anyone with stickers at this late date and turned back to his work.

In one last ditch effort, I stop at the little repair shop just around the corner from my house. Hallelujah! They not only have stickers, they are happy to do the inspection right away. I wait in their office for about ten minutes, then drive off with my all legal just attached updated sticker and a huge smile on my face. Thank God somebody has a half an ounce of sensible planning.