Friday, April 25, 2008

Hockey, Sprinkles, and the Texas Dept of Transportation

Well, tonight starts the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and I am truly in Hockey Mode.  I have been in Hockey mode since the beginning of the season and will not have to wait long until the beginning of the next season considering the very brief off season that the NHL has.  9 pm local time will be the beginning of round 2 and the large noise from the N Texas part of the country will be from my humble dwelling.  Only thing better than watching the Stars in the second round is watching the second round in High Definition.

We were supposed to have rain today, and when we were projected to get a 40% chance of rain, I didn't know that they (the meteorologist) actually meant that there would only be 40 drops of rain.  Yes, I was bored, counted 40 drops of rain, I'll just wait for the next round of spring storms.

Now this next thing had to be the funniest thing that has happened to me in a while.   About this time of year I receive my registration from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDot) for my vehicle.  Last year, I had a different vehicle and since I bought it in Dallas County and not in Collin County (where I actually live) it was registered in Dallas county.  Now I do live in Dallas, but the really small part of Dallas that is in Collin County.  To be even more correct if I should move just three city blocks to the north I would no longer be in Dallas, but another adjoining municipality.   Now on the other end of the spectrum for me to actually be in Dallas County I would have to move 3 blocks south.  So let me get back to my registration.  About a month ago I received the "Dallas County" registration.  The same registration that was let's say $XX.xx amount.  So now today, just mear days from the month of May when my registration is due I receive another registration this one from "Collin County" that was in the amount of let's say $XX.xx +$1.50 for the extra Collin county tax.  So I'm trying to wrap the math around my head so here is how it would breakdown.  To save my extra $1.50 I would have to move to Dallas County thus incurring--- Moving expenses, an extra $250 a month rent, and extra gas to the tax assessor / Grocery store that would get me my registration paid and my little stick for the windshield (yes, we have window stickers).  I find the extra $1.50 that I pay will save me at least equal amount of gas to get my registration done a the local grocery and I find that it is valuable money spent in my county for roads.  I appreciate on the smoother roads the near bliss of the smooth glass like ride on my county roads, and on the other hand the random testing on my fillings on the other stretches of our road system.  I would like to publicly thank TxDot and the Collin County Tax Assessor for saving me more gas in this age of quickly approaching $4.25 / gallon gas (not including the state, federal, local taxes, and in addition to the probably newly formed finance charge for the gas, because we are no longer buying the gas but now leasing it) because I will now be able to take my chariot that I am purchasing and register it.  Registration that can go to keep the roads maintained.  Thank you Collin County.