I got the Secretary of State's invitation to renew my license plate last month. I'd held off figuring I might make the hundred-plus dollar expense after I got a job but since that's never going to happen, decided to do it ahead of my birthday (the deadline) for once. At the automated booth, I scanned my renewal form and the screen told me my plate could not be renewed and they would send me a new one. While I cancelled that out it left me with the question: the heck is going on?
So, when I had the time, I made an appointment and went in-person. A person was able to explain the matter: my plate --- which I'd gotten back in August 2012, for my now-dead Scion --- was now too old to remain on the road, and I had to replace it. It used to be plates could stay on a car, or sequence of cars, until they were too rusted or illegible. Now the rule is ten years, turns out.
Since I had to get a new plate anyway I asked if I could get one of the Water - Winter - Wonderland plates. These are nice blue plates with a style evocative of Michigan's 1970s plates. That is not specifically nostalgic for me, but I like the classic, simple look of them. (And New Jersey plates of the 1980s were yellow text on blue backgrounds, so that does have a bit of nostalgia.) The annual renewal tags go on the lower right side of the plate, something the Secretary of State person warned me about.
There's a small issue getting it on that I'm resolved not to worry too much about. The Prius has two holes for the plate, of course. But for one of them the ... core ... that the licence plate screw goes into isn't secure. It spins around freely meaning, among other things, it's impossible to take the current screw off. This was something mentioned when the dealer transferred my plate from the Scion to the Prius last year and that I wasn't hyperfocusing on. But now ... you know, I don't like that there's just the one screw holding my plate on, even if that should be sufficient. And that panel of my car isn't metal, so I can't, like, use a strip of magnetic tape to give the plate a better hold. I'm not sure if there is a good solution that doesn't involve taking apart the hatch panels, which I'm not going to pay for before I have a job and restore my savings.
Now for a touch more of Sylvan Beach Amusement Park. Night has fallen so you know there must be an end to these pictures sometime soon!
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bunnyhugger wondering how I suddenly got to be twelve feet tall to take this picture. It's a secret!
Crazy Dazy, the teacup-like ride that's a great spinning ride.
Snap of the Himalaya ride in motion, at night. It gives a slightly okay view of the dated art package, which looks so very 70s Ski Lodge. And, of course, features the Powerful H.
Not quite sure what's going on but it looks like crew cleaning up something around the Tip-Top ride, which you can see is adjacent to Crazy Dazy.
And now we're back to Galaxi for our last ride of the night! The ride operator was getting to know us by now.
Sylvan Beach's carousel, and the ride operator looking to see if there's any last riders coming.
Trivia: Before the 1st of January, 1950, Japanese people respected the custom of declaring children to be one year old at birth, and increasing their age with the New Year's, rather than the anniversary of their birth. Source: Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers, Simon Winchester. (So, like, people with late-December birthdays would have nearly two full years at the same 'age'.)
Currently Reading: A Mathematical Tapestry: Demonstration the Beautiful Unity of Mathematics, Peter Hilton, Jean Pedersen, Sylvia Donmoyer.
