So much for deadlines.

The term ends this Friday anyway, and there will not be any school until next term which starts in two weeks time. We have been asked to pick up school reports for the semester and worksheets from the school before the end of the week. Pity these worksheets could not have been made available over the last three weeks. Now we have school holidays upon us and the kids will have work to do.

I had an incredibly sore throat for about a week which almost drove me over the edge - keep-you-awake, require-paracetamol, agony-to-swallow, swollen-stuck-together-throat sort of sore throat. Gave up on Monday and saw my GP and was prescribed an antibiotic. Didn't like the idea of this (with the baby) but apparently some antibiotics, including penicillin, are safe at this stage of pregnancy. Throat is much better now.

About three months ago my driver's license was due for renewal (it needs to be renewed every five years - no actual driving test but new photos, fingerprinting, eye tests, and fee to pay). I was determined not to be one of those whingers who moan incessantly about the process, the queues, the grim and grimy licensing department, yadda, yadda, yadda. Was going to be good, cheerful example-setting citizen instead.

Well.

The process of submitting my application went smoothly enough. I was probably done in about 45 minutes and told to come back in six weeks. As per the normal procedure, I was issued a three month extension on my license while the renewal was being processed.

Six weeks duly came and went and back I went to pick up my card. Stood happily in line in the (very short) pick-up queue, went happily to the counter. Long, worrying wait followed while drawers were rummaged through. No card yet, and I should come back later. This was due to 'computer problems'. Never a good thing to tell an IT person.

So I was a bit annoyed at the wasted journey but not too concerned. Another six weeks went by and now my temporary extension had expired. There still had not been notification in the post to collect my card but I couldn't drive around unlicensed so back I went.

Stood much less happily this time in the (much longer this time) pick-up queue, went eventually to the counter. Familiar long, worrying wait followed while drawers were rummaged through. No card. This time, just for variety, the lack of card was due to the fact that my fingerprints had been rejected 'by Pretoria'.

!&@#^$^%$^%$^!&@#&^$^%$^%$^!&@#&^$^%$

Threw a few toys (after all, they took the damn fingerprints!). Asked to see a supervisor or at least a written record of this problem. Clerk disappeared into the back and returned with supervisor. No, story not quite right, fingerprints were ok but photos were rejected 'by Pretoria'. Supervisor looked expertly at photos (I had the remainder of the set still in my bag) and airily proclaimed my head to be 'clearly too big'.

Actually I don't think it was intended to be taken personally but rather that the photographs were taken from too close, or too zoomed, or whatever, so the scanner 'in Pretoria' rejected them on grounds of insufficient contrast.

!&@#;^$^%$^%$^!&@#&^$^%$^%$^!&@#&^$^%$

They were the ones who accepted the damn photos in the first place!

So now I have no license and an expired extension and a wasted trip and I am pissed off in the extreme. But not to worry, the obvious thing to do is for them to extend my temporary extension, for me to supply some more photos, and for the application to be re-processed.

Ha.

The temporary extension can not be extended. I need to apply for a temporary license. I need to get two new photos for the new renewal application (locate photographers outside, wait for someone else to arrive so we can share the photo set as I have R27.45 and a set of four costs R40 or you can share with someone and each have two for R20 each), get my fingerprints redone, and fill out 'the green form'.

Swear my way through this lot and return to counter. Ah no. I also need R53 to apply for the temporary license! I also need an additional two photos for the temporary license! The two I just went outside to have done were for the new renewal application!

!&@#^$^%$^%$^!&@#&^$^%$^%$^!&@#&^$^%$

EXCEPT I DON'T HAVE R53 ON ME! I HAVE ONLY R7.45 ON ME!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

Get in car. Phone Peter to vent rage. Curse spectacularly. Peter, atypically and fortuitously, does not attempt conciliatory and reasonable comments. Shame. I think he was pretty scared. Drive (unlicensed, but very, very fast) all the way back home (good 10 km) to draw money. Have no idea where closer ATM is. Licensing department far away from anything familiar.

Draw money. Return to licensing department. Pay R53, hand over green form, photos for temporary license (draw modicum of comfort by using remains of photo set that were rejected 'by Pretoria'), fingerprints for new renewal application, and photos for renewal application.

Next time, will not bother to be good, cheerful example-setting citizen in first place.