What is even going on right now?

Right now I want to complain about the horribleness one has to endure when moving to a new state while simultaneously acquring a new last name. Should I refrain? Yes. Will I? Heck no. I'm overly worn out!!!

The rehearsal, ceremony, reception, honeymoon was all seriously picture perfect. And maybe once all the moving boxes are unpacked and put away I'll find the camera to upload cute little married pictures and gush all about it. But here's the deal--real life is not the ceremony or the honeymoon. Real life is really kicking my booty right now.

Once we got back from the honeymoon, we started the next morning loading the U-Haul and traveling to Midland. Since then it has been non-stop (except last Friday when my husband said we had to take a night off because the stress level was way too high) unpacking, washing, putting things away. I found time to cook a corn dish on Saturday, but I didn't even get to make my baked beans for dinner Sunday night because Bequette got into rat poison while we were gone to the grocery store.

What the heck, Bequette?

So after making both dogs vomit (btw, they are finally getting along), we realized Jett had not eaten any poison since he just threw up peroxide. Bequette had because he threw up peroxide and rat poison. So off to the ER vet we were. Darn you stinkin' ER places for costing so dang much.

By the time we got Bequette home it was time to go to the in-laws for supper. I was so embarrassed carrying in my 2 cans of baked beans after saying I was going to cook my firehouse baked bean recipe. Luckily, they understood. But seriously, Avery, how ridiculous do you look carrying in cans of baked beans? ha.

Last week I stood in line at the DPS to get my driver's license. I had our marriage license, my new social, my birth certificate, my AR dl, my TX license plates, my TX car insurance, my TX inspection. Not enough. "Come back when you have your insurance policy, not your insurance card." Dang.

I finally got my new hire paperwork filled out and submitted. My start date is Aug 20--thank goodness for some time off. I have to have  my background check before I start, so I signed up to get fingerprinted at the local jail. I call to schedule an appointment. "You can come by any time. We are always here." I call again because I'm lost in this new town and tell them I'm new here and lost. They said, "Oh, well, we are on the corner of Main and Industrial." Great. Thanks. Now where the heck is Main? And where is Industrial??? Thankfully, Cash got me there. Online it said they only take checks.

I get there, finally, and they say to come back in an hour. They can't process me right then. And they don't take checks. Only cash. Crud.

Go back to the insurace company. They can't print our policy because my name won't be added for a week. Ugh. They print out 3 other documents. Together State Farm and I are going to stick it to the man.

Stand in line at the DPS. Again. I had all the paperwork I needed this time! I even had all the right paperwork last time come to find out. I stand in the next line. She won't let me fix my hair for my picture--c'mon. Then she handed me a piece of paper with my no-fixed hair picture, and she says thanks. I asked for my DL, but apparently in TX they are mailed to you. I couldn't help it. I said, "In Arkansas, they can print them out for you right then." And I walked off.

As I do I hear a worker tell her the family wanting IDs does not have social security cards. In return she says they do not need SS cards to get a driver's license or gov't issued ID. Excuse me? I had to jump through hoops, but you don't have to have a social security card? UGH!!!

Go to the ATM. Get fast cash 20 bucks plus my $5 fee for using a different bank's atm, because Bank of the Ozarks is not in Midland, Texas. Back to the jail. Get out, walk past the inmate lingering around outside, stand at the window for 5 minutes looking at the guy working. He finally asks what he can help me with. When I say I need fingerprinted, he said, "We don't take 20s. Do you have a 10?"

"No. I went to the ATM to get this. This is what I have."

"We only take 10s."

"Do you have change? I only have a 20."

"No, we only take 10s."

I proceed to glare, roll my eyes, and walk out. Then I marched up to my husband's office to tell him my sob story, and he says one of our wedding gifts is being taxed. C'mon!

So while it may be a lot sweeter for me to write love notes about how being married is awesome...okay, it is awesome. I'm just saying this whole moving to a new state business is hard! Thank goodness for Santa Fe this weekend and the adult snow cone stand down the road. I'm going to order five.

By the way, I love being married. I do love being with my husband everyday and being in Midland. I just have a few bones to pick with the government agencies in this country. That and a lot of boxes left to unpack.

Avery