Palms sweating, heart beating fast, stomach doing flips......

Yes it is that time again......time to get cars inspected for registration! We had to do this in Alaska too at the cost of $50 for each vehicle. Here in Germany it is free, but that does not make the experience any better. Zach's car has failed for something every year and of course I have had to do the inspections with three kids every year. He has been telling me the past week the tires are going to fail it. So close to selling it I don't want to spend the money on tires! He's home this year so why am I doing this? If I don't it won't get done that's why. So the other day we switched cars and I geared the boys up for the long wait. Last year we waited in line for an hour! And then it failed so we had to fix the problem then do the inspection over so the boys groaned and whined. This time as I pulled in there were no cars! At first I thought maybe they were closed. I have never seen no cars in line, very odd. I slowly pull in and as you pull to the front of the line they have signs that say what is required. You must have a warning triangle, good spare tire, renewal form, current registration, valid ID, first aid kit......oh no! We had taken the first aid kit out for something. I quickly call Zach and ask if he put it back in. Phew....he had put it back in.

So I pull to the front and get my papers in order and wait to be waved to the garage area. There were a few locals and a few military and I always prefer the military to do the inspection. They are much nicer from my past experiences. Finally they wave to me and I drive to the garage. I first have to show my paper work, then my first aid kit, spare tire and warning triangle. I then pile the kids out of the car so the guy can do the test drive. We sit in the waiting area nervously another guy shows up watching us. Guess the three kids had him nervous. Soon my palms are sweating. What is it going to fail for this year? Is the guy going to be nice about it? The first time it failed back in 2007 the local national was not very nice about it and when I asked if he knew where I could get it fixed becuase Zach was deployed he was even less nice.....if that was possible.

Soon the car pulls into the garage and the local goes under it to check all the things he is looking for while the military guy does the lights and such. My heart is beating faster as I have been to this point before and failed....two years in a row. Soon they are both at the little window....no not the window so soon, what did it fail for? The military guy walks off so it's me and the local. My stomaching starts doing flips. He waves me over and I prepare myself for the bad news to come.

"It's good, I am just waiting for him to stamp your paper." I could have hugged the guy right there! Yay it passed, it passed! I took my stamped paper proudly to the sub station to pay my $30 and got out of there as fast I as could before they changed their minds!