CHANGING THE NAME.... THE LONGEST ORDEAL

so yesterday, i took a day off to go to the social security office and yes... FINALLY change my name.  It's been 9 months since we got married.

the day started out great - woke up a lil later than usual and had a late breakfast then headed to the ss office in long island city.  we get there, get a number, sit and wait.  we get called pretty quickly and i'm all excited cuz this means i have the whole day to chill and catch up on stuff..  we get to the window and the guy's like - oh we don't do this at this office you have to go to jamaica, queens to do this. 

still not a big deal... so we hop on the train and head to jamaica.  we get there and it's a much larger, newer, and nicer building - so i'm like oh good, this should be a breeze.  again we get a number but this time we don't sit and wait we just get in line.  the line was SO FREAKING long but there's like 15 agents - so i'm thinking it can't take too long.  boy was i wrong... we waited over 3 hours!!  there goes my day of chilling and catching up on stuff.

the longer i waited the more annoyed and aggravated i got...  let me explain - im generally pretty patient BUT inefficient people and processes really make me mad.  seriously, there had to be a better way then what they were doing.  here's the thing... it takes about 5-10 minutes for someone with a ss # to change their information on their card (i.e. name change).  it takes over 30 minutes for someone who's getting a ss# for the first time.  there were about 15 tellers working.  they made everyone stand in one line.  they really could've had multiple lines.  a couple of lines for things that take 10 minutes or less and then the rest of the lines for the ones that take a lot longer.  in the end you'll get more people through the line and you won't have to deal with grouchy people who've been standing in line for hours..

SO we finally get to the window.  i had printed out the form, filled it out according to the directions, had my ss card, passport, and driver's license, and marriage certificate all ready.  i wanted to change my name from peggy pei ching tseng TO peggy tseng chen.  when we had gotten our marriage certificate, i had even asked if that had to be reflected on the paper work and was told NO - they had put that my new surname would be chen and i could make my maiden name my middle name when i got to the ss office. 

i'm standing there and the lady goes - no, you can only hyphenate your maiden name to your last name, you have to keep your middle name.  so remember - i'm already frustrated from standing in line for over 3 hours.  so i calmly say - but i asked the people at the marriage certificate place and they said you'd change it here.  she then says, well we may have changed the policy since then (sometime in the last 9 months) so they probably didn't know.  ?!@?!#> lots of horrible words were going through my mind!  if you change the policy like that why is it not listed in any of the sites i looked at (they all said that i could just change my name and replace my middle name with my maiden name)?!?!?  so i go, fine - what do i have to do to change it to what i want... she answers with: you need it on your license or id.  ?!@#?!@#?  again i'm thinking, are you serious?!?!  so i go, ummmm in order for me to get a new id with that name - they require it to be on ss card.  she just shrugs her shoulders...  what the heck?!?! 

so in the end, i'm now peggy pei ching chen and if i want to change it to peggy tseng chen i have to go to court to do it and then go back to the ss office for a new card.  i'm so beyond aggravated.  ALL my documents had the name peggy peiching tseng on it and my marrige certificate stated that i'd be changing the last name to chen.  i can understand them not doing it IF what i wanted wasn't listed anywhere but really i wasn't asking for anything crazy... UGH!  they're so inefficient, unhelpful, and seem so unhappy.

IT'S OFFICIAL...

bring on the country!!

We're going to the Tim McGraw/ Faith Hill Concert on June 23rd!  woohoo!!!  oh i've missed country music.  thank you, leo, for such a wonderful surprise!!

TEXAS: 41; USC: 38...

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!

what a sweet victory!!  woohooo!!  GO HORNS!

Just a nice lil' story for all of you to enjoy... GO HORNS!!

THE NIGHT OF THE ROSE BOWL
T'was the night of the Rose Bowl.and all through the land,
All the Longhorns were stirring, even the band.
The tickets were purchased for the game, room, and air.
In hopes that "Saint Vincent" would soon be there!!
The fans were tailgating from their truck beds,
While a vision of a championship danced in their heads.
And Bevo in his bridle, and me in my cap.
Had just popped a cold one before the first snap.
When out on the turf there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter!!

My eyes fixed on the tunnel, and the thundering herd;
The roar of the fight song; I sang every word!!
They ran to the end zone, and knelt to their maker.
Giving thanks for TEXAS, and the victory later!!

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear.
Coach Mack in his glory, "THE HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR"!
And our hero! from Houston that I haven't seen since;
I knew in a moment it must be "Saint Vince"!
More rapid than eagles his posse they came.
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name!

Now, THOMAS! Now, TAYLOR! Now, PITTMAN and SWEED!
On, CHARLES! On, GRIFFIN! ROSS, HUFF and McGEE!
To the top of the world for a championship crown!
Now dash away, dash away, to a TEXAS touchdown!

They fought with fury! They fought with might!
They fought like champions on this championship night!
Oh! The bombs they flew, and the holes blew open.
The Longhorns ran the ball just as we were hope'n.
The defense attacked, and oh, they played hard!
Stopping the Trojans, in their own back yard!

Mack's eyes how they twinkled, his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, the "crystal ball" he did carry!
He embraced his coaches, he embraced his team!
And "The Eyes of TEXAS" we all did sing
A season that will live forever in lore;

COME EARLY, WEAR ORANGE, STAY LATE, once more!