Small adventures.  A visit to Newton-Wellsley Hospital for help applying for Julia’s MassHealth insurance and then hours at my desk filling out the supplemental disability form.  Done and mailed and waiting.

A visit to the MA Registry of Motor Vehicles on Monday to get (1) my license, (2) MA plates and (3) a non-driver’s license ID for Julia.  I didn’t bring sufficient documentation for my license and I don’t yet have sufficient documentation for Julia’s ID.  And Oy, registration and plates.  I need my title to change registration and I don’t have one.

It’s a long story, a perfect example of the perils of procrastination. 

David and I bought my car in Indiana, months before we moved to Wisconsin.  When we registered it in Wisconsin, we did not change the title, so title remained in Indiana.  After David died when I was changing bills and ownerships to my name only, I could not find the Indiana title and Wisconsin would not change the registration to my name only without showing them the title.  It didn’t really matter as long as I owned the car and lived in Wisconsin.  I just renewed registration every year and no questions were asked.  I vaguely remember thinking that I needed to get a duplicate title; however, the task fell off my plate. Now, I need the title to register the car. 

So, I called Indiana and a very helpful DMV customer service employee found my title.  Because I no longer have a registration or license in Indiana and have not had either for 12 years, she had a bit of a challenge finding my title.  She tracked it down using my VIN number.  Then she noticed that the car loan lien on the title was never released and the lien on the title would prevent me from registering the car anywhere. 

David note: over the years since his death and especially in the first 6 months or so, I found out how much his heart condition stole from his daily living.  David, who loved the keeping of our accounts and records, slowly stopped being a good record keeper.  About a month after he died, I had to refile our tax return and found bills he had ignored in drawers. That was not David behavior.  I don’t know if he knew his capacity was diminishing.  If he did, would he have shared the work? I know that he desperately wanted to keep our lives much as they had always been.  Could I have been more attentive?  Noticed, offered, helped.  More.  Anyway, the lien removal information would have been sent to us a few months before his transplant and was probably lost in the intensity of the time. 

Whatever happened, the nice DMV employee, told me who held the lien and gave me their phone number.  I called Honda Financial Corp. who used my social security number to find my loan.  Again, a pleasant person promised that they will issue me a certified lien removal letter which I will send to Indiana, along with David’s death certificate and a request for a duplicate title in my name only.  Of course, this is what I should have done nine years ago.

With the title, I will register my car and get new plates.  At best, it all be weeks, months if anything gets delayed or lost. Never put off to tomorrow . . .

And another story.  The oops of yesterday exemplifying how my spacial planning is flawed.

I need bookshelves and the study, the third bedroom, has a perfect wall for them.  And 10 foot ceilings!  I wanted really tall book cases and I found some IKEA nine footers that I was considering when I found these two nine foot books cases for sale on Facebook Market place for a song.  They were even white.  I did think about putting them up, wondering if the extra foot was enough to stand them up in.  What I didn’t think about was if I could get 9 foot bookcases into the study.  You see, the halls and doorways are less than 10 feet and the short hall and sharp turn to get into the study would not allow the cases to enter sideways.  Julia helped me carry the bookcases from the truck to the house.  It was heavy for her but we managed it and she did not complain too much, but she is not up for trying to maneuver the bookcases one way and another.  I have one more idea that I want to try with Cheshire and Justin, but I am not very hopeful. I’ve always heard “measure twice, cut once,” I could have measured once and had a longer think before I brought two giant bookcases into the dining room.  Two giant bookcases that I will probably have to get rid of.  Oy!

Until I realized that getting the cases into the study was going to be impossible, I was rather proud of myself for managing to rent a short term van, pick up the cases and get them to my house.  I’ve imagined the process was out of my comfort zone but thanks to borrowing a friend’s small pickup a month ago, I was more confident and the rental and driving went off without a hitch.

Until I got home.  

So, bookcases, especially tall ones will have to be assembled in the study.  Ikea is sounding better all the time.  I have more respect for my movers who managed to get a few large pieces of furniture into both Julia’s bedroom and the study. And hopefully, I will learn from these adventures.

This afternoon, it is hot and sticky and raining off and on.  Our second air conditioner doesn’t get to the house until next Wednesday, and so, the library is very pleasant to sit in.  Julia wanted to go to her first Newton Library Anime Club meeting.  She brought the two graphic novels she is currently reading and her current sketch book.  I armed her with advice—don’t show off your drawings, listen to other people, ask questions, be kind.  I am hoping that she is appropriate and just a little shy.