I am going to be off soon for second Thanksgiving, with family. I made, FINALLY, a decent cauliflower stuffing and roasted Brussels Sprouts. The darn fire detectors going off the whole time!

I always start off vacations really bored and then don't want to go back.

I am also trying to think of things for Aidan to do tomorrow, because I have no more stuff to carry to the curb. Except the computers. Can I make him help me refinish she woodwork for an hour? That is what I am super obsessed with right now. I could also have him move the desk ai want to refinish on to the back porch so I have ventilation. With the woodwork it is mostly cleaning and polishing, but the desk really needs to be stripped and stained, since I stained it when ai was 14 and didn't know the meaning of patience.

I'm currently going down the rabbit hole of renewing my driver's license online.

It appears that I have some EZPass 'violations' that have to be paid -- from 2015 and 2016, and since I have automatic deductions made I have no idea how those are existing or why they took until now to show up. And of course, the relevant people to ask are not online on a Saturday holiday weekend.

Also if I want to renew my license for a Real ID, I need my birth certificate. Which is... somewhere.

Did I say this here? The woman at the RMV was super bitter about the Real ID, starting with the idea that a regular Mass license isn't "real."

That's really annoying about the EZPass, though.

I'm surprised there's not more Fundamentalist and Libertarian pushback against Real ID, which is pretty much an internal passport and is so very Big Gubmint.

It really is gross, and there should be more pushback! And yet, I submitted my pile of paperwork so the Feds can know who and where I am just for my own convenience.

Nothing quite like comfy shoes, Matt.

Sophia, can Aidan maybe do something like move the smoke detector so it doesn't go off every time you cook? He might enjoy the woodwork refinishing. I find that kind of work satisfying.

I did the ID business a while ago. Yes, annoying.

Aidan might also be able to swap out the smoke detector so you get one made for kitchens and bathrooms. It's got a 'panic button' that you can push to turn off -- I have them, and keep the kitchen broom handy when the exhaust fan isn't enough.

This being an apartment, the alarm may be wired in, in which case you'd want to talk to the landlord. Rules about smoke alarms and apartments may vary widely across states, but in MA you'd have to supply a certain number of smoke alarms in various places in any apartment.

Timelies all!

Mr. S has been a bit of a wild man today. Of course he woke up at 6:45. sigh...

I'm surprised there's not more Fundamentalist and Libertarian pushback against Real ID, which is pretty much an internal passport and is so very Big Gubmint.

That was part of the reason it was rejected here, especially among the representatives from the eastern part of the state. Another big one was that the Federal government couldn't guarantee the security of the personal information being collected, and wasn't willing to cough up any money to fund the process of collecting and storing the info. So Washington said "Yeah, no, we'll wait."

June of last year was the first time I'd flown anywhere since seeing my sister in Texas almost ten years ago; last February was the first time I'd been out of the country since 2002. For me personally, my passport card is enough: an EDL here is $107, and I'd have to drive to Bremerton, 30 miles away, as they're the only place in the county that issues them.

I'm surprised there's not more Fundamentalist and Libertarian pushback against Real ID

But illegals!