December 11, 2007
Quick Update
Sorry, super tired, long day. No pictures. 😦 If you saw the “Resources” page and the new WA DOL stuff, you saw my morning. Sort version: No Same Day Service. Can take 10 days for them to generate a letter you can take to a licensing dept along with your $10 to go from M to F or F to M. That letter enables that. With Christmas coming, could be longer (but they will try not to have it be so). Each of those days will be stressful because with every day that passes, my license looks less like me today, and my legal name is wrong. What if I want to fly somewhere between now and then (or over the holidays)? Too much stress.
After some consideration, Anh and I decided two things. One – complex is bad. My letter was too complex – address, name, blah blah blah! Too hard to get right. Two – lets not make this any more stressful than we need it to be. I really want a license with my legal name. I really want a license with my new address. I really could care less about the “F”, esp in the short term. I’ve got bigger fish to fry. This is all easy stuff.
So, we got new licenses today. All that now needs to get cleaned-up for me is the F/M thing, but thats one letter on one piece of plastic. Ten Days, Ten Months, Ten Years – I’m not stressed. I just didn’t need more stress.
In the end, who cares? I don’t. I’m clearly speaking for just me and my situation and beliefs.….. (well, and Anh).
I DID get all stressed about this because I didn’t want anyone else to fall into this complexity trap… I feel blessed to have come after many folks who made this whole gig easier, a lot easier, and when I can trailblaze, I’ll take the machete, and give it a hack. Tonight, my arm is tired.
Anyway, I also mis-thought changing bank statement names, as well as credit cards. You need to do SS first, and let that update. I don’t know how long that takes – I haven’t done it yet. SS is a first thing, not a last thing. Here’s why.
1) Credit Card Companies Run Credit Checks. All the time. If your name on your account doesn’t match the name on your SS # acct – you are in big trouble – e.g. no credit.
2) Don’t get audited. A SS# Name mismatch between W2, 1099, etc is an audit or worse invitation. E.g., “You didn’t pay your taxes right”. Banks give you interest – even if you don’t have a lot of money. That gets reported… etc.
But, I don’t have faith that I can change this w/SSA on Dec 12, and have this all be super perky and done in all systems by Dec 31. All money reated name things are now Jan 2 problems. I have a whole year to fix all money related items then. That should be enough time!
SMRT! In the words of Homer J.
That’s really it today. I’m tired. Good night!
M( ) 
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