Sixfoot6.com - Putting Stuff Away.

I try to work 7 - 3 here at my home office, keeping the same basic company schedule as my east coast peeps. It's great. I've always said that 9 to Noon are the best hours of the day, and now I feel like my whole work day builds up to free time (instead of whittling away at my evening). Important, sunshine after work.

I hit up the Santa Barbara DMV yesterday to renew my Cali license. It felt like a luxury cruise compared to some experiences I've had (talk to me after you've spent 3 hours at the Van Nuys DMV) but I still had to wait for the usual red tape - numbers to be called, people exasperated at rules that can't be bent, English mixing with Spanish.

I stood in the "Start Here" line, form in hand, and looked over at the wall. There, staring sternly down at all of the dozens of people waiting to get out of there, was this portrait of Arnold Shwarzenegger. I actually laughed out loud. In a split second my mind ran threw every possible reason why a portrait of Arnold might be hung in a DMV (a symbol of strength and efficiency; whining will not be tolerated; an inside joke; one of the counter ladies is a huge fan; someone found it in the parking lot; pure irony). Then I remembered the real reason: he watches over this bureaucracy.

Picture it. Two dozen people sitting in blue chairs, standing at brown counters. After everything he's accomplished, Arnold hangs on the wall of the DMV.