expiration dates

Lots of things come with expiration dates. 

Food has an expiration date. It's good to pay attention to these dates to keep from wasting food or getting sick from eating something that has gone bad. But we also know that lots of food is good long after it has expired with no ill effects.

Coupons have an expiration date. Past the date, a coupon isn't going to save you money unless you run in to a really, really generous cashier. 

Medications have expiration dates. I have no idea what happens after the expiration date... whether the meds are no longer effective or if it is just a ploy to get you to throw away old pills and buy new ones. But I definitely have expired meds in my cabinet and I'm not afraid to take them. 

Drivers licenses have expiration dates. And this is one thing you don't want to let expire. Because if you do let it expire, "even by one day if it is an out-of-state license" according to the State Highway Patrol officer this morning, you have to apply for a permit and retake the drivers exam. Which is how I ended up driving said officer around in the rain this morning. 

Back to living in one of those states
with required front license plates!

She told me most people who fail the test who already have their license fail because they don't stop. I am extremely guilty of this. I lost points on it when I took the test at age 16. "Rolling stops" apparently aren't real stops. So I made real stops today. And people pulled out in front of me left and right because they couldn't figure out why I was taking so long at stop signs.

I'm also guilty of not using my turn signal. Ever. Turn signals are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. But I used them today.

I make sharp left turns and wide right turns. Which is how I lost two points while driving today. 

I avoid parallel parking at all costs. So I practiced near the college before taking my test and discovered that I am actually extremely competent at parallel parking, which is why I had no problem pulling forward and back between five cones during my exam without kissing a one (I kissed two or three when I was 16!). 

I read through the booklet which was extremely helpful in passing the written portion of the test. The only one I missed was "what is the appropriate tire tread depth in the state of Ohio" because "who cares" wasn't an option. 

All in all it was a good experience. A reminder that I am safe to be on the roads, and could be even safer if I chose to use my turn signals and come to a complete stop every now and then. But I think I'll EMBRACE EXPIRATION DATES in the future to avoid this "good experience" for another 50 years or so. 

Listening to Drive by Incubus.