I finally went to get a Colorado drivers license today. An eleven month delay isn’t that bad, right? I read online that going between eight and nine thirty would result in the shortest lines. They did recommend avoiding Monday and Friday, but I decided to push my luck anyway, and showed up at eight thirty this morning. The guy at the desk that gives you a number said the wait would be forty-five minutes, but he quickly said that was a good amount to wait. I guess typically it is longer than that.

So I sat down in a chair and waited. I held ticket number seventy-six. The counter said thirty-three. I watched for the next ten minutes or so as it changed to thirty-four and then thirty-five. I figured that this was going to take forever, so I got up and headed for the door. I decided that I could take the quick eight minute drive back home and do some more work before returning. And that’s what I did. After working for awhile, I returned to the license office at nine thirty. If I remember correctly, the counter said fifty something, but there was no one operating any of the computers. I later learned that there was a computer problem that last fifteen minutes, I’m told.

Shortly after arriving, the computers came back up and again they slowly started going through the numbers. I patiently waited for my turn for another half hour or so. I finally get up to the counter, tell the woman that I need a Colorado license. I hand over my Missouri license and my birth certificate. After a quick vision test and a few questions, the paperwork was done. I was directed toward a cash register where I went to pay my $21 fee. Once that was finished I was told to have a seat and wait for my name to be called for my picture.

So this takes us up to around ten in the morning. I stood around the photo area and waited for my name, but I soon realized that they weren’t calling on anyone and it appeared that the computers had gone down once again. Crap! I was so close to being out of here, but now I had to wait again. So we waited. And waited. Finally as it approached eleven, the computers came back online. After a few others got their picture taken, I was called up to the desk. I quickly signed my name, got my fingerprint scanned, and my picture taken. The guy then handed me a piece of paper that is now my temporary license. I guess they don’t print them up on the spot, and I will eventually get my new license in the mail. So much for my morning.