I have needed to go to the DMV for a while. I want to apply for my California driver’s license, but also want to get a California ID, in case I cannot get the driving test in a timely fashion.

Yesterday at my oncologist appointment, I asked about getting a disabled parking permit (which allows us to book special campsites at the campgrounds – useful when the campsites are otherwise full). This actually turned out to be rather fortuitous, as the application for the permit (also done at the DMV) meant that I was in a slighter faster line up. It was still a 2.5 hour adventure, but at the end of the day, I now have a temporary California drivers license (still need to book and do the road test), a temporary California ID (which will come in the mail), and a disable parking permit. I actually found myself using the permit today, as it saved me a lot of energy when running errands – errands I likely otherwise would not have completed.

A couple of side benefits to the card is that we don’t need to pay at parking meters and we can park for more than the length of time specified in a parking zone – so when it is 2hr parking, we can stay as long as we need. That is particularly useful for when we go sailing, and tend to park in a 2hr zone and worry about getting a ticket as we are usually there for 3 hours.