Quite possibly the least exciting part of my day {accurately represented by the scintillating color scheme, ahem}…
Quite possibly the most exciting part of my day…
My husband unleashed me on the lawn. On the Snapper, none the less.
I know, isn’t he sweet?
Having never mowed a lawn with anything other than a little push mower {but being a mom, I of course declared: “you watch the kids and I get alone time…? Seriously? Bring it on, baby!!}….let’s just say…the lawn looked like an inebriated Edward Scissorhands had spent the afternoon practicing cartwheels. No wonder he had me practice in the back yard. He informed me afterwards that he was less embarrassed of the crop circles and more concerned that my shrieking was heard miles away {while small, helpless shrubbery that happened to be in my path of destruction, um…mowing…died a brutal, silent death}.
But it got sweeter.
We made mint thins…1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar + 1 egg white {oh, hush} + a few drops of peppermint extract = your very own peppermint patties!
Dip in melted chocolate and you’re good to go!
I unleashed my phenomenal creativity {ahem} on a pile of duplo blocks. See it?
Today’s creation brought to you by the letter ‘P’.
We then hopped in the hot tub while the clouds poured chilly rain on our heads…such fun! {Bug chickened out early}…
And then for the most life-changing part of my day:
I started the long {5-6 months} and expensive {$675, to be exact} process to becoming a United States citizen…motivated by my embarrassing {and frustrating} discovery yesterday*.
Yes, did you know I’m an alien? {wheep wheep}
*Nutshell version: my driver’s license expired in the midst of moving/unpacking {gulp}…and when my {State Police} husband firmly reminded me that driving with an expired license is a misdemeanor {double gulp}, I hustled myself into the Secretary of State. After waiting and waiting and waiting, I was informed that – with the tightening of national security – they have implemented a new system that cross-checks every representation of identity and they have to line up, no questions. Well, I never registered my name change with the social security administration when I got married almost 7 years ago. {I know, I know…it all seems ridiculous now…but it just didn’t seem necessary then, and it has never been a problem. Until now. Now it’s a huge problem}. Driving 40 minutes up to the social security administration to change my name revealed that, thanks to this wonderful new system in place, they will not change my name until the name on my green card has been updated. This is {horribly} distressing partly because it took 4 long years to procure my green card, and partly because the thought of not being able to drive gives me hives. When I called the US office that deals with this, they informed me it will take 5-6 months to officially change my name. {Feel free to reread that last sentence if the enormity of the situation hasn’t quite hit you yet}.
Read: It will take 5-6 months to renew my driver license.
So I’m in shock and not quite sure what to do {but peppermint patties and hot tubbing sure did help}.
In the mean time – highly motivated by this palaver I suddenly find myself in – I enquired about citizenship. I’ve been dragging my feet on this decision for years now as I still have a few years left on my green card and I’m somewhat attached to my little green passport that says, “Namibia” on it in shiny, gold letters.
I guess I feel it is a part of what makes me different. A significant part of my identity.
I think it’s time to let that go {sniff, sniff} and move on.
The 10 page application is partially finished.
I am finally taking my first step to becoming an American girl and I’m more than uber delighted at the thought of it. Well, I guess I’d be more of an African-American girl {having been born in Africa}, but that’s a whole ‘notha bag of apples {I have absolutely no idea what that means. I just made it up. It’s late…}
Good night.
{o-oh, say can you see…by the dawn’s early light…?}
