Plates and vacation

We've been together for eight years. We've seen changes together and yesterday I had to let you go. You're not where I want you to be, but your still with me. I should be able to let things go, but I didn't want to part with you. The state told me otherwise. Goodbye friend......

When I bought my own car in college, I was given a Michigan blue license plate (blue background, white letters). I liked the plate because it was mine. It was registered under my name and not my dad's, like all of my previous cars. The letters were memorized by me and others and it has been with me through three different car changes. In 2006, the state of Michigan passed an act saying all blue plates had to be replaced in 2007. Since my birthday is in July, I waited patiently at the Secretary of State Friday morning for 45 minutes to get my new plate.

When my number was called, I handed my info to the SOS worker. She said the blue plates were being eliminated and I had to choose a new plate. My choices were the standard plate of a white reflective background and blue lettering or the Spectacular Peninsula plate. The spectacular plate features cityscape's, forests, the Mackinac Bridge and the Great Lakes. The plate also costs five dollars more. Since I was spending $95 to renew my tags, I passed on the spectacular.

Now 'ol blue is gone and replaced with clean white. I'm still not fond of it, but I shouldn't be. It is a only just a license plate.

July is a good month. It has the 4th of July and my birthday. Besides those, this year it also contains my vacation. My last vacation was the first week of August 2006. It has been 11 months since my last vacation and do I ever need one.

Besides my full-time job at the newspaper, I own my own business. I've been working non-stop and I need a break. That break comes on July 13. My husband and I are going to take some day trips closer to home. One day we will be going to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio and another day to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. My husband and I haven't been there since we were both in elementary. The last stop on our vacation is going to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. It should be fun.

The official countdown has begun. My vacation starts in 12 days.

Photo Illustration credit: www.michigan.gov/sos/