Regulations

Today dawned bright and crisp, with a northerly breeze........okay, it was downright nippy with a biting north wind. We had errands to run this morning, and we both pulled out our winter coats. We're looking forward to the weekend with a forecast in the 70's.

After yesterday's marathon of updating addresses via computer and phone, we did the local ones today. Naturally, we had to go in person to update our drivers licenses. The bank wanted to see us in person, and we needed to update our voter registration cards.

The last time I changed the address on my driver's license, I only remember going in and telling them I'd moved. The fact that I worked in the same building and the employees knew I had moved may have had something to do with the ease of doing that update. And, sadly, times have changed since then.

We walked in to do a simple change of address, get a new sticker on the back of our licenses at no charge, and be on our way. Not any longer. The State Department of Revenue now requires proof of the new mailing address. They have a list of appropriate documents, which they handed me. Naturally, I didn't have anything with me. As I scanned the list, I realized we didn't have anything that was approved. I asked if the printed rent receipt would work – nope, sorry.

So, we made a quick trip home. I stopped at the office and asked the Office Manager for a signed copy of our lease, showing our name and the address. The financial year for HUD either just ended or is just about to – the Office Manager is up to her eyeballs in year-end work.......and that translates to her not having finished up our paperwork. We aren't currently at the top of her priority list. She found our file, signed the lease and made me a copy.

So back to the License Bureau we went. The one worker who had talked to us was again (still??) on the phone, holding for the State Office. This time she was happy with our lease copy and it didn't take long to get the updated stickers on our licenses. She was even nice enough to offer to do our voter registrations for us. So scratch a trip to the Courthouse off our list.

We went to the bank and had much better luck with handling things. Even though we had to go in person, they were friendly and efficient. They updated our account information and even ordered us a new batch of checks with the updated information so we wouldn't have to remember to do that down the road. They had a big container of peanut butter in the lobby, and hubby got excited that we might get a free jar of peanut butter. I think he may have been a little disappointed to discover they were collecting peanut butter to help feed the hungry. :)

After we got that done, hubby decided he should do more calling to update the mailing info on his credit cards. He called one and gave the live person on the other end of the phone the information on what he needed. They started asking all sorts of odd questions, then finally told him the account didn't exist. He repeated the number on the card, and they told him again there was no such account. Evidently if you haven't used your card for a year, it's automatically canceled. This was the first we'd heard of that policy. When hubby asked for some kind of verification the account was canceled, he was refused.

Needless to say, he waited about five minutes and then called another phone number where he got a bit more help. He also got verification that they cancel cards after a year of being dormant – no explanation on why they don't let account holders know that. That card's been properly disposed of. There are just some days that nothing is easy!

It's warmed up outside and the wind has died down. I think it's a good afternoon to walk up to the Library. It's nice to be able to do that.