Alex and I spent an incredibly dull hour at the DMV on Saturday renewing my driver's license (thank god for that $113.00 speeding ticket, or I'd never have realized my license had expired ;-) The Dept. of Licensing offers Tips for Your Trip to the DMV, but not the tips you REALLY need:

1. 1. Bring something to read, unless you are prepared to fight the other 75 people for the single magazine available in the waiting room:Bowhunters and Other Killers of Innocent Animals, dated 1983.
2. Bring cash. This is the only place left in the civilized world that doesn't take a debit or credit card (they do take checks though, go figure)
3. Your waiting time is not made any shorter if you bring a small child with you. Even if it is a screaming, crying, wriggling or smelly small child. (Note: Alex was extremely well-behaved, probably better behaved than I was)
4. Your number will always be at least 15 away from the next number being served, no matter how long you have been waiting.
5. You can while away some time trying to figure out how the majority of the people there managed to get a driver's license (and they can wonder the same thing about you)
6. You will always look, stupid, fat and slightly crazy in your driver's license picture.

That said, the employees were very nice, friendly and efficient, even though the place was super crowded cuz no one comes any time except Saturday afternoon at their lunch hour. They do need to get some stickers for the kids though; all our guy could offer Alex was a little return address label printed "new address", not too exciting.