Decal Renewal

Hi, everyone! Good Wednesday to us all! Thank you, God, that we're alive and well. And thank you for today with lots of sunshine and summer-like weather, and the excellent customer service we received at Pass and Decal Office. Thank you, Jesus!

Guess, or can someone tell me, what time is it, my dear folks and friends? I know, it's already Wednesday afternoon (and past two) as I start creating this blog post. One more guess, please! Give up? Let me tell ya...It's time to go to the Pass and Decal Office in one of the nearest military installations in the area. But why, you query? The answer is the title of this post.Yes, I have to renew my military or DOD (Department of Defense) decal for this old (vintage?) Avalon that we have, otherwise I and my family won't be allowed to get in to any military base with my private vehicle, even if I have in my possession a valid military (retired) ID card. FYI, my decal expires at the end f this month of May. So, I need to take care of this ASAP.

That's right, folks and friends. It's decal renewal time! Thank God that we're able to go this morning at NNSY (Norfolk Naval Shipyard) in Portsmouth. That's where I went again last year for the same purpose. There was a slight change of venue this time, although it's still in the same building. Before, you have to go up the right side of the second floor of the building. This time, it's the left side, first floor of the same building. One thing that's obvious, too, was that the office to secure/obtain decal was too small to accommodate lots of customers to the point that the line of people extended down to the stairs. This time, their office is more spacious. Thirdly, waiting time to be/get serviced (customer-wise) last year was way beyond thirty minutes or maybe past an hour. This time, it takes you five-ten minutes. I'm so thrilled that I didn't have to wait that long for my number to be called. This is what I call efficient and effective (quality) customer service. I'm satisfied with what I encountered today at the Pass and decal Office. Kudos to the change and to the staff-personnel, specially to the woman employee in window 4 who assisted or helped me secure my new DOD decal that won't expire in three more years, unless worn out or unreadable.

After I've mounted the new decal, I drove to the NEX and had brunch at Subway. Then, after about an hour hanging in and out of NEX, I found my way to fill up my fuel tank at NEX's Gas Station/Package Store where you can purchase alcohol or wine, snacks, etc. From there, I proceeded to the new Commissary building where I bought a bag of rice, one 2-lbs. Old Fashioned, 100% whole grain, Quaker Oats, five piece of avocado, a bag of celery and a small bag of peeled mini carrots, two cases of Dasani bottled water, and those bags of rice cakes of different flavors. That's it. No meat, no juice, no dairy this time. (We still have some stuff in our ref/freezer. Plus, I did buy orange juice and other veggies at Kroger's yesterday. And at Food Lion organic milk, 2% reduced fat.) Surprisingly while at the new Commissary, I met my former command master chief who I learned, after informing him that I just renewed my DOD/base decal, that there won't be any more DOD/military decal for your vehicle needed to enter a military installation, effective June this year? But, of course, with an exception---one that involves something...Really? Does this means that it's cost-savings for the DOD, as a result of sequestration, cutting down (military) spending. That printing of those decal involves spending $$$. What about security? And what happens to those employees working in the Pas and Decal Office? Will they be furloughed or reassigned or not have employment or jobs? I don't know. If this is good news or not, it's unbelievable what master chief has mentioned really. Anyway, let's wait and see. Sign of the times, huh?

Personally, I don't like decals mounted on the windshield of my car. It just adds to the distraction of the driver, I guess. The view from the windshield should be free of any decorative stickers or whatever label or printed matter that's glued or stuck to the glass. I remember about those years when we have city decal that's renewable every year, and it's a pain in the head to be scraping off the old to place the new. That was phased out by the city because it's a waste of taxpayers money for printing those decals. But, the one thing that we didn't get away with? We still have to pay for that yearly city decal fee, sans the decal. Money revenue for the city, huh? On the other hand, if it's the regulation, nothing I can do. I welcome it if they phase out the decal, you know. I don't mind paying the whatever annual fee. Enough of ranting about this thing...What matters is I just got  a new DOD decal for my "oldie but goodie" Avalon today. Thank God.

Btw, I still need to obtain another DOD/military/basedecal for one of our cars. Actually, it's Andrew's because his has expired, I think so. Though he was here this past three-day Memorial Day holiday, there's no way I could renew the decal in his car because, as far as we know, the Pass and Decal Office doesn't open on weekends and holidays. That means that it has to be on a weekday for a new decal to be issued to us, with all the required paper work or documentation like, for example, car registration form, current State inspection form, proof of  auto insurance, and your driver's license, and valid military ID card to show or present to one of the window employees. That means that I have to have the above-mentioned requirements from Andrew to be able to have new DOD decal for his car. The reason why we have all the DOD decals on all of our four cars is that if in case there's an emergency and if Freny or myself needs to be seen in a military hospital, one of our kids, if s/he's available, s/he can drive us to the nearest military hospital/clinic in his or her car, or one of our cars. Does that make sense to you, guys? I hope so.  

Well, this is all for now. Until next time around. Thank you, my dear folks and friends, for your time. Take care and have a wonderful day, everyone! As always, I pray, "May God bless and keep us all safe from harm always!"-chris a. quilpa, 29 May 2013