Changing my Name

I really like being married.  I mean it.  Being married is basically the same as when we were dating (since we already lived together and had joint accounts almost as soon as we got engaged), only now I get to say "my husband" and we have the same last night.

But let me just say, changing your name is the biggest pain in the ass!  Nobody ever tells you that.  Of course, if you're like me, you don't think it's going to be a walk in the park, but no one tells you exactly how much of a pain it's going to be. 



I've been married since October.  I started going through the process to change my name in November...as of right now, my name is only changed at the DMV and the social security office.  I still need to go to my bank, my work, my credit cards, and all my utility bills.

Let's travel back in time to November.  Come with me on this lovely journey.

Towards the end of November I ventured to the social security office on my own during my lunch break since that's the only time the place is open.  Oh the joys.  So you walk in the door and you're presented with a lovely little waiting room with a nice gun toting security officer.  The people watching was fantastic too, which was good since you can't use your phone in the office and I forgot to bring my book.  I finally got called up to the window and had the lady process all my stuff.  Quick and painless.

Too painless.  Two weeks later I get my new card and instead of saying Gina Maiden Name New Last Name, it says Gina Middle Name New Last Name.  Um..no.  So I get to venture back, this time on a day off.  I go in and the lovely lady informs me that no, she can't change my name.  It'll be at least a few weeks until she can otherwise I won't actually get another social security card in the mail.  I throw a fit since the original mistake was their fault.  She finally volunteers to keep my paperwork and just send it in the following week.  A month goes by.  I still don't have a new social security card.

Visit #3.  I start out by waiting about 30 minutes next to a family with a lovely (ironically stated) little girl who points to the picture of President Obama and asks her mom who it is.  Mom says that's the first black president honey.  Little girl says I hope he's the last.  Yes.  A+ parenting.  Then I finally get called to the window and it's the lady who caused all of the problems in the first places.  At this point I've decided I want two middle names (my original and my maiden).  She says she can't do that because my middle name isn't listed on my marriage certificate.  I remind her that when the mistake was made that name was concluded.  She looks stunned, reboots, and continues saying it doesn't match.  I throw up my hands and say just make sure it has my name, maiden and new last and we'll call it good.   I now have my lovely new card.

I go to the DMV at the crack of dawn the other day.  Pretty uneventful other than the fact that a creepy man pretends to take a picture of me on his iphone.  No sir, that's not funny.  No matter how funny you think it is.  Now I just get to wait 2 months for my new license since California just changed their DL and it takes FOREVER to get the new one since they still have kinks to work out.

At least the hard parts are done :/

P.S.  The lady from the second visit who said she'd submit my paperwork for me, she ended up calling me about a week ago asking if everything worked out.  I informed her, not so politely I'm afraid, that it worked out no thanks to her.  Thank goodness I'm only getting married once.