“Your car failed the MOT Madam” …… a reminder of what needs doing after the wedding

I took my car to be MOT’d this morning – the car tax runs out at the end of April and in the UK you have to have a valid MOT certificate (along with proof of ownership and insurance) to tax the car. I’d left it too late as per usual and wasn’t able to go my usual garage, so off I went to the garage 10.30 this morning.

“Good morning Madam, how can I help” says the little man at the counter. Biting my lip in an effort not to snarl “you can stop f*&@ing calling me Madam if you want to live! Do I look like I run a brothel?” I calmly informed him I had an appointment for the car to be MOT’d and was shown to the waiting room. When I had rung to book the car in, they had said it would take an hour, so I had come prepared [book, bottle of water, lipsalve & a Cadbury Chomp in my handbag!] and I settled down to wait. God the waiting room was cold. So cold, my book wasn’t holding my attention.

Tried January’s heat magazine on table – nope, still too cold.
Ate chomp – 2 mins attention!
Had free cup of hot choc from machine – another 2 mins!

What next? And then I see the poster on the wall from the DVLA and I have to add 3 more things to the list of jobs I have to do after the wedding. Not only do I have to change the details on my passport*, all my bank accounts / credit cards, my union membership, my Teaching Council registration details, all the household bills (they're in my name) - I now have to remember to change the name on my driving licence* and the car registration documents.

"That's not so bad!" I hear you cry. Well this is where I have to let you in on the truth. Simon and I met in September 1999, he moved in to my studio flat in March 2000, got a bigger house togther in July 2000 and moved to our current house in July 2001. Until last September my driving licence and car registration documents still showed the address of the bedsit! And (and you thought I was bad!!) Simon's driving licence showed the address of the house he lived in with his ex-wife 14 years ago! And I thought .... why am I changing my name - think of all the work involved. Simon can change his name instead! He won't have to change it in as many places as me and all the kids in school can carry on with my name as it is instead of having to learn a new name!!

And then suddenly I realised that my car was no longer in the MOT testing bay and they had just finished testing another car! I had been at the garage for 2 hours 10 mins - they forgot I was in the waiting room where they told me to sit! But at least the car passed the MOT - wrong, I can pick it up on Tuesday, by then it will have a new brake hose, exhaust and headlight and I'll be £286 poorer ..... which, I could have spent on shoes for the wedding!!

[*There is a light at the end of the tunnel ......... there are at least 10 teachers coming to the reception who can witness my passport form / driving licence!]