Friday Fail: Made from vine-ripened 100% Organic Fail
Part One: Passport
Todays' main goal: go to the main Post Office branch at 7th and Hoyt and apply for a passport.
I purposely woke up at 5:45 a.m. on my day off so that I could take a shower and primp for the passport photo I assumed I'd be having taken today. I got in the car with J and we very purposefully made our way downtown to J's office, where I was set to depart from my beloved and hike the remaining few blocks to the Post Office (after a short detour by the bank to get cash for the fees, the damned fees!). I'd planned this in advance so that we'd get there at J's usual time of 8:30, which would give me time to stop by the bank and then walk over to the Post Office so I'd be first in line when the passport division opened at 9.
We got all the way down to the bottom of the parking garage when my hands flew into the air and I exclaimed, "I forgot my birth certificate!" And it was true, I had. I've been fighting with the DMV for two weeks to just get them to give me my new address sticker so I could apply for my passport, and now that I've gotten it, what do I do? I forget my damned birth certificate.
Defeated, I trudged all the way over to the streetcar stop and rode it to the train. I rode the train all the way home, an hour away, to get my birth certificate. Once home, I decided I didn't like my outfit and changed shirts. Then I rode the train all the way back downtown, for another hour, and then took the streetcar over to the vicinity of the Post Office.
The Post Office was in my sight, I was there, I'd made it, the race was won. I was looking at the main door from down the block when a thought occurred to me: while changing my shoes, hadn't I been thinking about how to keep my birth certificate flat? But I hadn't actually put it in my bag, because I was busy changing shoes. I called J and said, "You won't believe this, but I forgot it AGAIN!" And lo, there was much cursing.
Part Two: Rent
Today's minor goal: pay rent.
Since today was also rent day, I had to bug J to leave work (J normally doesn't take lunch) and get a money order from the bank, which I dutifully had to ferry home in my bag. On the train. For another hour. I get home, and find that the office people have arbitrarily changed their Friday hours. Instead of the office being open M-F 8:30-4:00, now it's open M-Th 8:30-4:00, F 8:30-varies, Sa 11:00-1:00. VARIES? What the fucking fuck is "varies"?So it could be open from 8:30 to 8:31 and they'd be able to say, "Yep, can't expect us to stay open all day. Want to pay your rent? Too bad, sucker! You weren't here in time!"
Fortunately, I called the "emergency" number on the door and it was just the number of the regular apartment manager. I told her I was completely freaked out because I didn't know the office hours had changed and I needed to pay rent. Today's the last day before it's late, and we didn't have the money until today - which shouldn't be an issue because I've paid rent several times on a Friday and had no idea the office had gone AWOL. She said to just put it in the mail slot, that that's what people usually do when it's closed. But, come on, really? Shouldn't they have sent something out to let us know? I'm not in the office every day, I only go there for packages and to pay rent. How in the hell would I know the hours had changed? The rent is cheap, but sometimes, so is the customer service.
Todays' main goal: go to the main Post Office branch at 7th and Hoyt and apply for a passport.
I purposely woke up at 5:45 a.m. on my day off so that I could take a shower and primp for the passport photo I assumed I'd be having taken today. I got in the car with J and we very purposefully made our way downtown to J's office, where I was set to depart from my beloved and hike the remaining few blocks to the Post Office (after a short detour by the bank to get cash for the fees, the damned fees!). I'd planned this in advance so that we'd get there at J's usual time of 8:30, which would give me time to stop by the bank and then walk over to the Post Office so I'd be first in line when the passport division opened at 9.
We got all the way down to the bottom of the parking garage when my hands flew into the air and I exclaimed, "I forgot my birth certificate!" And it was true, I had. I've been fighting with the DMV for two weeks to just get them to give me my new address sticker so I could apply for my passport, and now that I've gotten it, what do I do? I forget my damned birth certificate.
Defeated, I trudged all the way over to the streetcar stop and rode it to the train. I rode the train all the way home, an hour away, to get my birth certificate. Once home, I decided I didn't like my outfit and changed shirts. Then I rode the train all the way back downtown, for another hour, and then took the streetcar over to the vicinity of the Post Office.
The Post Office was in my sight, I was there, I'd made it, the race was won. I was looking at the main door from down the block when a thought occurred to me: while changing my shoes, hadn't I been thinking about how to keep my birth certificate flat? But I hadn't actually put it in my bag, because I was busy changing shoes. I called J and said, "You won't believe this, but I forgot it AGAIN!" And lo, there was much cursing.
Part Two: Rent
Today's minor goal: pay rent.
Since today was also rent day, I had to bug J to leave work (J normally doesn't take lunch) and get a money order from the bank, which I dutifully had to ferry home in my bag. On the train. For another hour. I get home, and find that the office people have arbitrarily changed their Friday hours. Instead of the office being open M-F 8:30-4:00, now it's open M-Th 8:30-4:00, F 8:30-varies, Sa 11:00-1:00. VARIES? What the fucking fuck is "varies"?So it could be open from 8:30 to 8:31 and they'd be able to say, "Yep, can't expect us to stay open all day. Want to pay your rent? Too bad, sucker! You weren't here in time!"
Fortunately, I called the "emergency" number on the door and it was just the number of the regular apartment manager. I told her I was completely freaked out because I didn't know the office hours had changed and I needed to pay rent. Today's the last day before it's late, and we didn't have the money until today - which shouldn't be an issue because I've paid rent several times on a Friday and had no idea the office had gone AWOL. She said to just put it in the mail slot, that that's what people usually do when it's closed. But, come on, really? Shouldn't they have sent something out to let us know? I'm not in the office every day, I only go there for packages and to pay rent. How in the hell would I know the hours had changed? The rent is cheap, but sometimes, so is the customer service.