**Disclaimer: This is a really long post.**
Well I really wanted to be a Currin but I didn't know how hard it would be. (I thought the hard part was dating 5 1/2 years and waiting for a ring. Apparently, that was the easy part!)
So I stayed in Raleigh this week to take care of some appointments, go through gifts, and change my name. Well...I should have planned to stay for a month to do the latter.
I was feeling good and knocking things off my to-do list left and right.
Sort through all the presents...check
Return duplicate gifts to Bed, Bath, and Beyond...check
Return duplicate gifts to Macy's...check
Return DVD to redbox...check
Go to Belk to return and finish off the registry with the sale...check
Hair appointment...check
Go to the bank to deposit wedding checks...UNCHECKED and the train wreck begins.
I went to the bank to deposit all of our wedding checks that we had received. I get up to the counter and tell the lady that I would like to deposit these into my account. She looks at them and says, "We can't do that one because it is made out to Matt Currin and he isn't here or a member at this bank." Well darn. How about these that are made out to both of us. She smiles and replies, "We can't do that either because they say Mr. and Mrs. Currin and there is no one on the account with the last name Currin." Lovely...multiple checks are still in my wallet. (I am sorry to those of you kind souls that generously gave us money for our wedding. Please do not hate me and think that we are ungrateful and don't want to deposit them. We are very appreciative and trying to do that quickly so your check register will be balanced. Maybe I am the only one that still balances her checkbook, but oh well.)
I then begin the name changing process.
I look through my paperwork and try to figure it all out. I know that I have to go get a certified copy of my marriage license and then go to the social security office before I can do anything else.
So Tuesday morning, Frank and I head to downtown Raleigh to the Register of Deeds. Now some of you may be wondering why Frank needed to go. If you know my driving, you know there is no way I would survive a drive downtown on one way streets in the middle of the day. It is a good thing because as we get towards Fayetteville Street, we see hundreds of people on the sidewalk, dozens of ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and traffic stopped. I quickly jump on my blackberry to see if WRAL has posted something. Sure enough a government building was evacuated due to smoke. Glad I don't have to go to that building.
I get to the register of deeds office and go upstairs. I am a little upset about having to pay for a copy of this piece of paper considering Matt and I had to pay $60 CASH (yes it had to be cash only!) to get the thing in the first place. Let me tell you what the fine print said about the $60 CASH. "As required, the Register of Deeds Office remits $30 of the $60 fee to the North Carolina Department of Administration for use in domestic violence program." Now, don't get me wrong I have no problem helping domestic violence victims and their children. But, let me decide when and how much money I want to donate. They don't even give you a form for a tax write off for that donation that I just gave. They got the tax write off on my money!
Anyway, I walk up to the counter:
Lady at the counter: How may I help you?
Me: I would like to get a certified copy of my marriage license so I can change my name.
Lady: How many would you like?
Me: (looking puzzled) How many do I need?
Lady: You will need one for the social security office, one for the DMV, and one if you want to get a passport.
Me: So I need three copies and they are ten dollars each.
Lady: Well if you are going to change your name, all of those places will need to see one.
Me: (Something in my head questioned this.) Let me ask you this. Do all three of these places need to actually keep a certified copy of my marriage license?
Lady: No, they will give it right back to you.
Me: (Officially annoyed) Well, then I will take one. I wouldn't want to waste paper!
So I get my certified copy and Frank and I are on our way home. On the way home we get stopped by a three car wreck. Everyone was out walking around and no ambulances so I knew they were okay. Still glad I wasn't driving.
So now I head to the Social Security Office (by myself!) which should really be called Maximum Security Prison. I pull into the parking lot and drive around twice before finding a parking spot. I walk in the door behind a woman and her husband who is in a wheelchair. I hold the door for them and think everything is going to be fine. We walk in and the officer in a very officerish voice says to the couple in front of me, "Sign in on this computer, he can sit back here, and you may take the seat up front." This old lady says, "I'll just stand with him." Officer says, "No, you may not stand unless you stand outside." I'm thinking wow it is 95 degrees outside. Luckily a chair opened up near her husband so she got to sit down near him. I sign in on the computer, get my number, and she points to the spot up front and tells me I can sit there. I look and think "Awesome." I go up and sit in an open seat that is in between two "morbidly got to have health issues" large people. I couldn't even lean against the back of the chair. They were very nice and we chatted until officer lady yells, "Quiet, cell phones off, drinks are not allowed!" Not going to lie, I looked around and was a little scared for my life. I wait patiently reading my People magazine and people watching. 30 minutes goes by and it is still really crowded in this room. 20 more minutes go by. Then in walks a family of 12 (I'm not kidding.) trying to get social security numbers for the first time. Officer lady tells them to take one number for all of them. Now I am thinking that if all 12 of them are on one number and there are other groups like that ahead of me, I could be here all day. Fastforward to the time they call my number! Hallelujah!! I go up to the window and give the lady my certified marriage license and id. She gives them both right back (Take that register of deeds lady!) I sign a few forms, she asks me if everything I said was the truth and explains the penalty if it isn't. She says, "Great you will get your new social security card in two weeks." I ask her if I have to wait for that to go to the DMV. She says, "No, but you do have to wait 24 hours." By this time, I have walked through fire and ice and pretty sure I signed the rights to my first born child away so 24 hours sounds great!
DMV...I can only imagine how fun that will be.
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