Strange on New Years Eve: The Things I Saw...

I hope you made it through New Years Eve without incident or hangover and I thank you for starting off 2010 with a visit to Silver Creek 78250! Yesterday, was just full of weird. Thankfully, I had my camera.
First, I pulled out of the parking lot of work yesterday only to have a coyote run directly in front of me. I knew it was a coyote because it didn't have mange, it wasn't malnourished, and nobody was calling the Express-News to report la Chupacabras.
Then, I stopped into the HEB at 1604 & Culebra near Alamo Ranch and I saw this lady coming out of the store in her pajamas. Is this just the new thing? I know you can consider New Years Eve to be sort of like casual Friday, but not even slippers?

I got home and my wife told me that the registration for her truck was due. One of the things I like about the HEB near our house is, you can go in there and take care of all sorts of administrative things like registrations, garage sale permits, and that sort of thing. So, I drove down to the HEB and when I got in the parking lot, I pulled out my insurance paperwork to show proof of insurance. I looked, and for some reason, the paper I had only showed my vehicle, and not hers. WTH? So, saving myself the embarrassment of standing in line like an idiot, I turned around and drove home.

I jumped out of my truck and into her truck and drove back down to HEB. Now, standing in line like an idiot, I started to review the registration info and I saw a small little statement that tells me the truck needs new plates this year, and those plates can only be done by mail or in person at the Tax Collector's office. On New Years Eve.

I ran back home to consult the Internet and found there is a Tax office just up the road from us on Bandera and Guilbeau. I called to check the hours and in fact, they were open until 4:45PM on New Years Eve. I actually had a full hour!
I drove to the place, parked, walked up to the door and saw a sign telling me that they are not able to accept credit cards at this time. I take that to include my bank card, so I turned around and drove to the first ATM I saw. Hear is a little note for readers and muggers alike. I never carry cash. I never have more than $5 or $10 on me at any time because I use my debit card for everything (though I never use it as a debit card, always as credit - I mention this just to avoid the e-mails from people warning me about fees). I go to a drive-up ATM and of course, it wouldn't accept my brand of card. WTH?

I found a nearby Iranian convenience store and used the ATM in there - of course for a $2.00 fee, and pulled out cash for the registration. I drove back to the tax office and got in line. It was a long line but it was moving remarkably quick for a governmental agency.

As I was standing in line, a woman behind me who had that Nancy Pelosi, a little too many face-lifts look to her tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to two black ladies at a counter. She asked me in a really thick German accent, if I noticed that they just walked in and skipped the line and went directly to the counter. I hadn't but suggested that perhaps there was some explanation that we in the line were not privy to. Did I mention that the line was moving remarkably fast? A minute later, she tapped me on the shoulder again and pointed to the tax guy at a counter sitting there without a customer. "Look at that fat guy with a huge gold medallion just sitting there. Don't these people realize we pay their salary? You could never get away with this in private industry." Just as I started to tell her that I thought the customer he was with had run out to his car to grab his checkbook or something (remember the no credit card thing?) the customer walked up with his check book.

Thankfully, the line was moving quickly and I was able to leave the whiner and get the new plates for my wife's truck in less than probably 10 minutes total.
On the way home, I was driving down Tezel when something on the back of a motorcycle caught my eye. I could see it bobbing back and forth so I zoomed in on the camera to get a better look.
How safety conscious is that? The little doggy has his own helmet and his own goggles!

And with that, here is too a safe and enjoyable, and strange 2010.