Virginia Drivers License, Vehicle Registration and Plates

It looks like it’s going to take a few times to get this right. We moved to Virginia from DC this month and needed to change our drivers license and license plates. I guess you have thirty days to get it done. So we went last week to the DMV in Tyson’s to find out what paperwork we needed to bring. I hadn’t had a chance to look it up online. Nevermind that we just renewed both of our drivers licenses to Real IDs in DC within the last few months. Unfortunately all of the mail coming to our new address has my name on it, so my husband was out of luck when the post office change of address letter only had the last name on it. After waiting in line, we were told he didn’t have enough proof of Virginia residence - the deed for the new property wasn’t enough. So we decided that I should go ahead and get my license exchanged, and get the car registered along with license plates. The whole thing took three hours and the place was packed. I can’t believe I’m going to say that the experience was much worse at this station in Virginia than it was on Capitol Hill. The sad thing is we have to come back - again - for my husband’s license! We also need to get emission testing and register the car for stickers. What a racket this all is. So it was great sadness when we removed our DC plates that we’ve had for thirteen years and replaced them with Virginia. I suppose it’s just another phase. I’m sure I’ll get over it soon. 

First Walk in the New Neighborhood

It’s been about two weeks since our last morning walk. We moved from DC to Virginia about ten days ago and have finally settled down enough to begin our familiar routine. We are just ten miles away from Capitol Hill, but our neighborhood is so very different - in a good way! So this morning we decided to try the north route that brings us to a small park with a walking path. It reminded us of a tiny version of Grant Park in Milwaukee on Lake Michigan. Since it’s still spring the flowering trees looked lovely. What we immediately noticed that anyone we passed by enthusiastically exchanged greetings or waved - so very different than the “cold” DC personalities and much more like what we were used to in the friendly Midwest. The trail took us in to a residential neighborhood and we were able to stay on a sidewalk all the way back home. So many new areas don’t believe in sidewalks. Then we walked around our building where there are a few exercise machines on the trail, but there is also a fitness room in the building that we need to learn more about. We are still trying to figure out all the entrances and exits of our new building and each day becomes a little more familiar. So far so good - the neighborhood and the routine. 

Container Store Shoe Rack

We had a California closet in our Midwest bedroom. We also had a tiny version of California closets installed in our tiny condo on Capitol Hill. We just moved to a really nice - and new - condo in Virginia. It’s just 1000 square feet so we still need to maximize space. Luckily our bedroom closet is quite large. We need to use it for our clothes, but also for laundry shelves, and all other storage. I managed to figure out how to organize it using a rolling cart I used for an additional clothes rack, and two other rolling carts we used in our storage closet. But what I didn’t have was a shoe rack. We stored our shoes in the shoe bag that was nailed to the back of a door as well as inside the entryway hall closet enclosed bench. So yesterday we went to the container store to pick up a couple of three tier shoe racks - one for each of us. They were easy to assemble and worked very nicely as they can expand to the desired width. Although nothing is covered at least everything looks relatively neat. We are also trying to make a habit of walking only with slippers in the house to keep things clean. That may be more of a challenge. 

Embassy Auto wash

It’s been a long time since we had our car washed. The car has been parked outside since we bought it in 2015 because we only had street parking. We used to take the car to Splash car wash on Capitol Hill. We just moved last week to a brand new condo building in Virginia that has underground parking! It’s one of the nicest things that could happen for so many reasons. So we went to Embassy Auto Wash just a few blocks away and picked the cheapest available wash option - which was enough for the time being. Unfortunately the windshield is still covered in white dots and smudges that came from tuckpointing work done on a very windy day. I’m not sure if that mess will ever come off. So we watched as the inside of the car was vacuumed and then as the Subaru made its way down the conveyor belt getting the bath it so deserved. Now the car looks at least reasonably clean. Hopefully it will stay that way much longer now that it has a place to park under cover. 

Town and Country Boxes Everywhere

I’ve taken a few days off from blogging because we moved from DC to Virginia last Friday. It took several weeks to prepare all the belongings. Luckily when we moved from Milwaukee to DC thirteen years ago we had seriously downsized from 2500 to 480 square feet, and then added another 450 square feet when we bought the second unit across the hall three years later. Our new condo is a little over 1000 square feet, so it was just a matter of consolidating the two spaces and getting rid of the black leather loveseat that I never liked. We enlisted the help of Town and Country movers to pack on the day before we moved, move us the next day, and unpack the furniture and boxes that same afternoon. It went incredibly smooth - things seem so different now than in the “old days.” So on the last night of our stay on Capitol Hill we were surrounded by boxes. The whole experience feels surreal- and we are so happy we finally made the decision. Time for a fresh start in a neighborhood we already know very well. 

A Final Walk in the Neighborhood?

We usually walk over to Coldwell Banker to see the charming Christmas window display. But today we stopped in to close on the selling of one of our units here on Capitol Hill. But, we were supposed to be at Logan Title just down the street! So our real estate agent came to find us and the proceedings started. After several years of searching many places and contemplating a more conducive lifestyle, we are making a move to Virginia. I’ve been retired for three years from the Library of Congress and have now just “lived” in the city without having to go to work. We just finally grew out of our space here and feel it’s the right time to move on. And, our family moved from just down the street four years ago. So after the signing, we ambled on over to the bank to get a cashiers check for the exact amount to put down on our new home for a settlement tomorrow. The last time we did that was ten years ago when we bought our second condo unit across the hall from the one we just sold. At the end of the month we hopefully will have another settlement to attend for our second unit and that will close the chapter and book on our Capitol Hill lifestyle. We will still be close enough to visit as much as we like - and in the interim that includes doctor, dentist, and hairdresser visits. It’s been a great thirteen years here. The moving company comes tomorrow to pack up our stuff. 

Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms

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I didn’t think we would get there this year, but yesterday we decided to drive around the Tidal Basin to see the almost peak bloom cherry blossoms. It was definitely sunny, but it was freezing cold and VERY windy. So I was glad to be inside of a car and watched everyone else pretend to enjoy the walk with frozen faces. I didn’t mind so much because we have ambled this way most every year of the thirteen we have lived in the city, and a few times before that. Saturday would have been much more pleasant, as it was in the seventies and actually felt like spring. But we didn’t feel like dealing with the traffic. It only took us TWO hours to get through it yesterday. For whatever reason I wasn’t able to capture the best photos - the lighting wasn’t quite right, people were in every scene, and the fencing erected around the perimeter was in every shot. But I have tons of cherry blossom pictures from years past in my archives. They really are a sight to see especially given the location, but probably because they just don’t last very long. Some of the best images I have were on a rainy overcast day by the FDR Memorial. When you live here long enough you can decide which days seem the best. And if you live close by it may take a little longer, but the option to see them is the same.