I got crucified by a paper pusher - will I come back to life?

 

As I've written before, I applied for the foreign birth registry of a nation, so that my right to claim citizenship is recognized.  Although my brother hit a bump in the road with his paperwork, he is now a dual citizen of both the United States and of this country (which I will leave unnamed at the moment.)  I just hit another bump in the road, and I will need to resubmit my photographs (no big problem) and submit one extra piece of paperwork that I do not have access to - my grandmother's marriage certificate.  AARGH!

I do not know if my brother has the date and jurisdiction of my grandmother's marriage license, so that I can get a certified copy from the appropriate entity to file with the photographs requested by the foreign birth registry.   But you might be interested in the contents of the following letter, so that if you are going through this process, you can understand what I'm going through.

Dear applicant,

 

We are dealing with your application to obtain Citizenship through entry on the Foreign Births Register. Unfortunately we cannot proceed with your application without the following document/s:

 

For the applicant (yourself):

  

1.      A newly completed application form (pdf attached) and 4 new photographs, the witness to the application submitted is not the same witness that certified/witnessed your passport sized photos and your photo ID.  The same witness must certify/witness all your documents.  Please ensure the form is completed in full.  Please ensure that the back of 2 of the photographs submitted are stamped, signed, dated and the application number is entered on the back by your witness.  Please ensure that your witness stamps, signs and dates your application and submits a business card /letterhead if no stamp is available.

2.      A certified/witnessed photocopy of your current state-issued photographic ID document (i.e. passport, drivers licence, national identity card), certified/witnessed by the witness to your application form.  If you are sending a copy of your passport, please ensure that all the data on the photo page is fully visible.

 

For the grandparent (your grandmother):

 

1.      Original civil marriage certificate/s showing name change from birth surname  to current surname  - Church certificates, certificates of marriage registration, marriage licenses and/or photocopies are not acceptable.

 

Please ensure that your application number is clearly marked on the envelope.

 

When the documents are received and your application is reviewed, you may be contacted again for further clarification or documents if required.

 

As you can see, I have a bit of work before me.  My grandmother's history is a bit sketchy, as my dad preserved precious little documentation regarding her life.  Yet, my brother squeaked through this process, so I should do so as well.  But when?  I want to be able to leave the USA if the Orange Monster goes completely berserk.

 

 

PS: We found a photograph of the Marriage Certificate, but we need an official copy. Given that it is not digitally accessible in the NYC records database, it's going to be a bit more of a pain in the ass than I would like.

I finally got some papers notarized.

 

A few years ago, my friend Maria asked me to do a boudoir photo shoot so that she could print one of my pictures and give it to her husband as an anniversary gift.  In a way, this is my favorite shot, as shows a vulnerable side she rarely shows to people.  Of course, the picture shows that I am an amateur photographer, as no one should be consciously aware of how a scene is lit.

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Today, Maria and I finally had the chance to meet for a few minutes in person.  I needed her to notarize my signature on a form I need to send in, so that I can claim my share of the funds in my late father's IRA. So we scheduled an after work get together at a McDonald's near her house.

As usual, my work day was 8 hours of electronic "Whack-a-Mole",  Luckily, I had a good sleep the night before, and was able to get through the day without falling asleep at my desk too often.  This is a job that I go to for two reasons only: (1) Money and (2) Something to occupy my time during the day.  Do I enjoy the job?  Not really.  But I don't hate it either.  I should have looked for a part time job, so that I'd have more time in my life to schedule and do the things I want to do.

Luckily, I get out at 4:30, and can beat rush hour choke points on the way home, and on my way up North.  That is what I did, making it to Fishkill an hour before Maria and I were supposed to meet.  So I went shopping at the local Walmart to kill time, then I drove to the McDonald's to meet Maria.

This turned out to be a very quick meeting with Maria.  It was freezing outside, and we both had other things to do.  Her notary stamp was giving her trouble, so she had to stamp the form twice.  Hopefully, that won't be a problem when I send it in to the bank.  At least, I'm all done for now.

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Afterwards, I went looking for a place where a food truck is going to be next week.  Ever since I've heard of Cousins Maine Lobster before, and I wanted to try something from their food trucks.  Every time one is nearby, I'm scheduled to be elsewhere.  So I went to Hopewell, thinking that the truck was going to be there today.  And I was surprised to find another food truck there.  Since I was "in for a penny, in for a pound," I decided to try a grilled shrimp Po'Boy sandwich.  The sandwich was so messy, that I figured that it would be best eaten at home.  And 45 minutes later, that's just what I did.  It was yummy.  But the next time I order from this truck, I'll ask for a few less greens so that the sandwich is easier to eat.

On the way home, I talked with the woman who used to run a store I used to shop at.  We were getting along fine, but something she said was a hint that she couldn't deal with the Marian side of me.  Oh, well.  I haven't put a few years' investment into this relationship, so I'll have little to be upset about if she reacts negatively to my reveal.

Once I finished eating, I decided to make reservations for the dinner I plan to have with FH tomorrow.  She deserves to go to a nice place once in a while, and I'm glad I can take her there tomorrow.  FH may not be the one for me in the long term, but I like her - and that's what counts.