I received notice in the mail a few days ago indicating that my current Oregon state ID card is to expire on my forthcoming birthday. Having means, motive and opportunity now, I figured not to wait until late February to do anything about it.

So I gathered all of the bits and bobs needed. Social Security card? Check! State-issued, non-laminated birth certificate? Check! (Hospital-issued certs won’t cut it. No, I don’t know why.) Checkbook? Check! (They don’t take plastic.) Off I went, to the Oregon DMV “Express” over at Lloyd Mall.

The mall’s a much nicer place in the middle of a sunny school day, by the by.

The process itself went quickly, smoothly, painlessly (unless you count the $40 spent). On the other hand, two of my favorite things ever took place during my brief sojourn:

1. “Are you waiting in line, ma’am?” “…No.” “Oh! Sorry about that…” I must have that kind of face. Or something. Last time I got the “ma’am” treatment was at a Starbucks near work. Sigh.
2. “Carol?” “…Not quite.” It’s like being back in school all over again, when each new teacher (and there were many thanks to all of those address changes) couldn’t get my name right.

But hey, I’ll have a shiny new ID soon, and I won’t have to worry about this again until who-knows-when down the road…

Wow. I haven’t posted since December 1.

That pretty much sums up my year, here, doesn’t it? I most certainly did not start posting more often in 2010 like I originally intended. I didn’t make more stories, I didn’t chronicle my journey through the year, I didn’t do much of anything.

Gotta do something about that.

Also, the anime forum pretty much shriveled up and died. I tried to carry the whole thing myself for a while, but it’s one thing to talk to yourself on a journal site, something else entirely to shout into the echo chamber of an empty multi-user forum. Sigh.

On the other hand, I cranked out another massive slew of webcomics without missing a scheduled update.. I’m rather pleased about that. And let’s not get into how many posts I made to Twitter. Again.

My goals for the year, Internet-wise: Get this site back up in the priority chain. Redesign & improve Quacked Panes. Gripe less, snark more. Keep building relationships with other webcomic-y types like the nifty folks behind Marlowe and Tree Lobsters. Improve my writing skills by actually writing more.

Let’s meet again a year from now and see how well I performed, shall we?

I hope for a 2011 filled with love, laughter, shiny toys, tasty treats, and prosperity for you all. Thank you.

So, at about one-thirty in the morning, a couple of cars pulled up right outside my window. One of them made a loud noise, and they were putting on an obnoxious light show complete with blinding white strobes. They were camped out on the street for a solid hour, blocking the driveway (to the chagrin of one of our neighbors who keep strange hours) and generally keeping me awake.

I should’ve called the cops… OH WAIT.

(Two Portland Police cars, one white Mustang, and eventually a tow truck for the Mustang since its driver was eventually stuffed into the back of a police car. If the one cruiser had simply toned down the rock-concert lighting effects I might’ve been able to get back to sleep. Argh.)

So, if my daughter’s school choir performance hadn’t been scheduled for tonight…

And, if the #9 Broadway TriMet driver hadn’t gotten lost for a few minutes on the way home…

…I’d have missed some guy totalling his Volvo because he was in a hurry to race the yellow light. (more…)