SSA and DMV aggravation!!!

Jon took off work today so we could go get the girls' SS# and get our cars and ourselves Virginia-fied. We arrived at the SSA office at 9:15, and ended up waiting over an hour to be told that we couldn't get Chipmunk's SS# without her birth cert (even though the website said that a final adoption decree may be used--an adoption decree with all the information that is to be included on her ammended birth cert.) Apparently, when applying for a card the first time they have to input a birth cert #. Then why put that an adoption decree may be used on the website b/c an adoption decree will never have a birth cert #??? GRRRR! The second frustration was that Little Bit's birth cert was issued by the state of TX, and they were going to have to verify that the birth cert we had was a legitimate certificate of live birth. WHAT??? Seriously??? It has all these pretty colors on it along with a raised seal and a bar code, and you can't tell if it's a legitimate cert? Why isn't this FEDERAL AGENCY linked up state to state so each state can view records from all other states??? And then, the guy asked if Little Bit was adopted. I told him she was, and he said, "Where's her adoption decree?" HUH? It isn't needed b/c our names are on her birth cert. His response..."Oh." What a doof! So we have to wait until the TX vital statistics office verifies her certificate before they'll issue a SS#. And we'll have to go back and wait another hour+ to do this all over again for Chipmunk. Oh yea!! (please note there is a GREAT DEAL of sarcasm in that statement!) The whole point of waiting so long to get Little Bit's SS card was b/c I didn't want to do this twice. If I had known it was going to be this much of a hassle I would have gotten Little Bit's card a long time ago so there would be a LONG time between visits. lol

Our day gets ever worse!!!! OK, well, the SSA deal wasn't all THAT bad, but it was frustrating that we couldn't use Chipmunk's adoption decree when the website says that we could.

Next, we headed to the DMV to get our VA driver's licenses and plates. But since it was close to lunch time/nap time we decided to only do our DL this trip and Jon would handle the plates while the girls' napped. We took our current LA licenses along with a proof of residence thinking that was all we needed. We waited 50+ minutes (which felt like hours b/c we were entertaining 2 very tired and busy toddlers) only to be told that we needed our SS card. But here's the kicker...we also had to have another form of photo ID (passport, military ID, etc...), and a proof of legal presence (birth cert). Now, had the woman at the check-in desk told us that we needed our SS card and all this other crap Jon could have gone home and gotten back by the time our number had been called. And really, if we already had a license in another state, why is it necessary to have all these other forms of "proof"? We didn't have to have all that when we got our licenses in Lousiana. All we had to have was our TX license, a proof of residence and our SS card. Again, it's another thing that needs to be consistent state to state. So frustrating!!!

So we headed home to get our SS cards, our passports as our second form of ID, and our birth certs (and the marriage license for me to show that I am a "Haik"...it wasn't necessarily needed, but I wasn't taking any chances lol). But by this time we had to get lunch and get the girls down for their naps, so after the girls were down I went back by myself to get my DL. If only it had been that easy!!! Once I got there I was greeted by a security officer who told me the DL system was down and I couldn't get one. I seriously looked around for cameras thinking I was being punked!! GRRRR!!!!! So I asked where the nearest DMV office was and was told it was a state-wide outage. Double GRRRR!!!! I went home to tell Jon to head to the inspection place to get my car inspected, and maybe by the time he was finished the system would be back up so he could get his DL along with the plates. So basically, me doing my hair and make-up this morning for my beautiful DL pic was for naught.

Jon was able to get his DL and the plates for his car, but not for mine b/c I wasn't there to sign the form. I signed the form for his car, but I forgot to sign the one for my car. But then again it really wouldn't have mattered if my signature was on it b/c my name isn't on the title to my car (which was a major goof by the dealership at the time of purchase b/c we asked for both names on the title). But we want my name on the VA title, so in order for my name to be on the it I needed to be there to sign the back of the LA title. All this wouldn't have been an issue if we could have gotten this all done when we were noth there the first time! I guess it's really our fault by not reading the website, but we honestly thought things were consistent state to state. We won't make that mistake again!!! I really did want to tell the person at the DMV, "Do you know how much I hate your state right now???" Not that I really needed another excuse. lol

Yippy, Skippy I get to do it again tomorrow! BLECH!!! Where's my straight jacket??? lol