Besides planning the wedding, picking out china, choosing bridesmaid dresses, finding shoes and all the other wonderful bride duties a girl has, she also has the daunting task of changing her name. This has by far been the most ridiculous process I have been through...probably ever.
Let's begin:
Since Mikell and I moved to Texas 2 weeks after being married, I had to wait until we got here to change my name. So, not a big deal right? That's what I thought too.
First up: Post Office
Post Office? Yes, post office. We have to get an address. I go to the post office, stand in line for 20 minutes to then be directed to another line which is a mile long. No thanks. I decide to go back a different day. So I make it back a week later. They give me an address, but no keys to the the box at the apartment complex. First of all, I think this is strange. Whenever I have had an apt, when I signed the lease, they would give me keys to the apt and keys to the mailbox. Not in Texas...you have to register with the Post Office. I now have to wait 2 weeks to get keys and have to go to the Post Office to get mail. Not too big of a deal, just kind of inconvenient.
Second: social security office. I stand in like for about 20 minutes (not too bad) then sit down at the window. I come prepared, with paperwork printed off and filled out, marriage license, license... The ss man hands me the 'proof' sheet to make sure all is correct. I look at it and it says 'Lindsay Hope West' Not what I wanted - I filled out my paperwork for my name to be Lindsay McGrail West. I kindly tell the guy no, this is wrong, I want to be Lindsay McGrail West, and he replies "why do you want to be hypenated?" Hyphenated? I don't want to be hyphenated. I explain to him that I don't want my middle name to be Hope that I want it to be McGrail then he tells me I can't do that. I asked him why and he said because on my birth certificate it says Hope as my middle name. Yes but also on my birth certificate it says McGrail as my last night? He says no, that he can't do that. Sadly I accept and am now Lindsay Hope West. Strange, but since losing McGrail, I feel like I have lost a part of me.
He informs me that it will be 2 weeks before I get my new social security card.
Step Three: Driver's License Office
I go stand in line for about 10 minutes to get a number to stand in another line. I come prepared with paper work filled out, birth certificate, social security card, GA driver's license... I sit and read my book for about 45 minutes before being called to the desk. I hand all my paperwork to the DLO lady and she goes and makes a copy of it, and another copy, and another copy. So now there are approximately 3 pages with ALL MY INFORMATION on them...UM HELLO! Identity theft much? She said the copies weren't coming out right - geez woman, you do this all day everyday. So i proceed to pay her $24, take my picture for my new license and she hands me back a piece of paper and says it's my temporary Texas driver's license. I should get mine in 8 weeks. 8 weeks? You mean 8 minutes right? Nope, 8 weeks she says. So I now have NO photo identification of any sort with my new name on it - for 2 months.
Place Four: Library
Mikell and my apartment is about 5 miles from the public library which I think is fantastic. I decide to go get a library card and book and enjoy the rest of my afternoon reading and drinking ice coffee from Starbucks. Easy enough right? WRONG! I had to argue with the librarian about giving me a freaking library card because I HAVE NO PHOTO IDENTIFICATION! A LIBRARY CARD! OMG!
I now am walking around with a) my stupid temporary worthless piece of Texas drivers license paper, b) my passport with my old name on it, c) my social security card, and d) my marriage license.
Seriously?! Texas - get it together!!
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