I didn’t go to work today. But I felt like I might as well have done it and I wouldn’t be as tired!
This morning I had my physical. I wrote the time down wrong, so I unknowingly showed up 30 minutes after my appointment. So, here I was, sitting in the cold room in paper gown waiting for good 20 minutes when someone came in to tell me about my mistake and that I would have to wait for my doctor to finish with other patients. At least she had a decency to turn on a space heater for me.
A physical that shouldn’t take all that long took an hour and a half. And I fasted since midnight last night so I was completely famished.
Brandon and his mom were waiting for me at home to go get lunch and go up to LA. Since I already had to go to the Royal Thai Consulate, we figured we all hung out up there. Mom wanted to go to the Natural History Museum by USC. So, after I got done with the Consulate, we’d hit the museum on the way home.
Fantastic plan!
Just a little bit past 1 p.m., they dropped me off at the Consulate on Larchmont and Melrose and headed down to the Larchmont strip to wait for me. I suspected I’d be here for an hour.
Things went downhill from this point.
5 minutes after I got dropped off, I found out that although I had most of the paperworks ready (plus 5 copies for my passports, marriage certificates and green cards just in case), I still had to get the marriage certificate translated. And that can be done at the full service Thai legal center across the street.
“Is that all I need?” I asked. And he said yes.
Off I went across the street. And another 5 minutes later I found out that translation would take an hour and $40. Fine. I called Brandon to come get me. Another 5 minutes later, we got in the car again.
One hour is not enough time to go to the museum and come back to finish the paperwork. Everything had to be back to the consulate by 4 p.m. when they closed. So, we took mom to the Grove.
We got out of the car and the phone rang. You betcha! The translation was finished already after 15 minutes.
So, we putted around the Grove for a while and got back on the road. It was a GORGEOUS day though. The Grove was just a fantastic place to be at that time. We saw this cute doggy and the owner let me take pictures of him.
We got a little lost heading back to the consulate. Around 3 p.m. I picked up the paperwork asked if I should get a copy of this. The lady at the shop said no. So I went back to the Consulate and made sure Brandon and mom were comfortable just hanging out at the tourism authority downstairs.
“I need a copy of this translation. And you and your husband have to fill out this form here. If he’s an American, you’ll need to have his signature notarized,” said the lady at the Legalization window.
“Um. Okay. How come I didn’t see this on your website with all the forms?”
ETA: I did find the form in the download section but hell I wouldn’t have seen it sitting over there! Who could make such a connection!
“It’s our new form. Oh and I also need 2 copies of his passport.”
“What? He doesn’t have his passport but he has his ID. And he’s just downstairs. Can I have him come up to sign this in front of you?”
“We can’t notarize English signatures. You have to go back across the street. But tell you what, turn in his passport copies when you pick up the paperwork so at least you don’t have to waste all these times.”
Thank you for that little piece of kindness there, you paperwork nazi! And here I thought I may only need to submit only one form for $15. But, like all the other extra copies, I bought two $15 money orders this morning. Just in case.
“And you have $45 payment in money order?”
“$45? I brought only $30 for the 2 forms.”
“Well, this new form here is another $15. They sell money order across the street too. And hurry back. We close at 4.”
It was 3:30 p.m. I swear to god the people across the street are paying the Consulate to fuck with people so they can make more money across the street. I mumbled obscenities in English all the way into the elevator to get Brandon. We went across the street again and finished up the paperwork.
Oh, to top the cake off, this was when I realized that I dropped one of my $15 money order at home. So, I we bought $30 money order instead. All said and done, we dropped another $45 at this place.
At 3:50, I finally turned everything in and got my receipts to pick up the paperwork anytime after Monday.
I so am going to post this little lesson on Thai-Blogs.
ETA: It’s posted on Thai-Blogs as an advice to other Thai wives. I’ll keep my bitching over here. 
At 4:30, we finally got to the parking entrance of Natural History Museum.
“You take the right and you’ll take another right into their parking lot,” said parking attendance. “But you have half and hour before they close so you’d better hurry.”
We made a u-turn and came home.
After a long day for driving all over Los Angeles, we did virtually bupkis. And I felt horrible about it. And here mom went, treating us to Japanese food. She had a glass of plum wine and I unfiltered sake. Brandon had a headache.
After dinner, we took mom to Trader Joe’s, Bristol Farms and Ralphs Marketplace to get items she can’t find in New Mexico. The mission was accomplished.
Well, on the bright side, at least somethings got done even though nothing really worked according to plan.
Another LONG day and a lot of driving awaits me. Pasadena, here I come for my annual visit!
