Okay, so while I was waiting for the doctor, I called the helpline and told them my predicament. They told me that I had everything I needed except for something from column B. What the lady at the post office didn't explain, and why I didn't want to keep giving her more stuff, was that since I had to use the marriage certificate WITH my passport to confirm the name, it was no longer able to be used as something from column B. And the reason my visa wasn't accepted was that it had to be an Australian visa or one from the accepted list, which it wasn't. So I looked at the list a bit closer while I talked to the VERY HELP FULL person on the phone and saw that I could used my Australian Visa (which is IN my passport) as another form of ID.
I really wanted to get this thing over with, so AFTER my doctors appointment, I was already going back near the post office to by some yarn for my new hobby (!!) so I decided to go in ONE MORE TIME!
I didn't want to get the same lady, but I did want to get her in trouble, so I went to the same post office but to the other side (there are two queues) and went up to the lady, told her that this was my third time trying for this thing, that I had called the helpline and was told I had everything I needed. I told her my main problem was that my passport was in my maiden name and she asked if I had a marriage certificate, so I handed it to her. She asked "weren't you in this morning?" (At that point I though, BINGO! I got the other ladies supervisor! haha) I said yes and she asked me why the lady in the morning didn't complete it for me...and I told her that she never told me WHY she needed something else from Column B and that after I gave her my credit card (which wasn't accepted) I just didn't have any more time to waste on it.
She apologized and seemed really angry that the lady in the morning hadn't been more helpful. The guy working next to her also commiserated with me, as he had been there that morning and knew I must have waited a half hour for nothing. As the lady was in the back photocopying my things, the man and his customer (and old lady) were still talking about it and the old lady was saying how she couldn't believe that lady from the morning was still working at the post office. She obviously had dealt with her before...and the man was griping about how she's always trying to pass off work to someone else if she doesn't feel like dealing with it, and how he can't believe they got the same training and are getting the same pay while he was doing more work!
I totally understood where he was coming from...it's hard as a CUSTOMER to have an incompetent person serve you, but imagine having to work with that person and pick up their slack and bad attitude.
Anyways, the lady finished off my stuff again and apologized saying the she had spoken to the manager and the other lady with "cop it" the next day! I feel a little bad for her...but not really!
So yay, all done! Now we just have to do Conor's which will HOPEFULLY be no problem!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Incompetence Part II
So she comes back shuffles around the paper a bit, I give her the rest of what I needed (one thing from from columns A, B and C). She keeps mumbling that she doesn't know what shes supposed to do, and that I'm confusing her. UGH! Anyways, so I just tell her "there's my passport for column A, there's my marriage certificate to show the name change for column B, and there's my utility notice for column C". Then she takes it all again and leaves. 10 minutes later she comes back, shuffles it all around, keeps mumbling...then takes it all to the back again.
I seriously wanted to explode! She comes back and asks for my birth certificate, I said "why do you need that, it isn't on the list for any acceptable ID?" but I had it with my just in case, so I gave it to her, and she leaves again. THEN she comes and tells me I need something else from column B, I ask why and she just says to give her something else from column be, so I look at the list quickly and give her my credit card. She leaves with it all and comes back another 10 minutes later and says that they can't accept that. It's a credit card, why can't they accept it, it's on the list?!?! She doesn't give me any reason, just says I need to give her something else from column B. At this point I had been there for over half an hour and I had a doctors appointment to get to.
So I snapped at her and just told her to give me everything back. So she did...still no real offer of HELP, it was like I was putting HER out by making her do HER job!
So I left, very angry...called Conor, hoped he had some good news on his end from meeting with someone from his school (he did, I'll tell you that later) and went on my way to meet him for the doctors appointment.
I seriously wanted to explode! She comes back and asks for my birth certificate, I said "why do you need that, it isn't on the list for any acceptable ID?" but I had it with my just in case, so I gave it to her, and she leaves again. THEN she comes and tells me I need something else from column B, I ask why and she just says to give her something else from column be, so I look at the list quickly and give her my credit card. She leaves with it all and comes back another 10 minutes later and says that they can't accept that. It's a credit card, why can't they accept it, it's on the list?!?! She doesn't give me any reason, just says I need to give her something else from column B. At this point I had been there for over half an hour and I had a doctors appointment to get to.
So I snapped at her and just told her to give me everything back. So she did...still no real offer of HELP, it was like I was putting HER out by making her do HER job!
So I left, very angry...called Conor, hoped he had some good news on his end from meeting with someone from his school (he did, I'll tell you that later) and went on my way to meet him for the doctors appointment.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Incompetence Part I
I'm realizing more and more that I have no patience for incompetent people. Well let me rephrase that - I can't handle people who are incompetent at their jobs and won't admit it, and continue to tell you, the customer, that you are wrong!
Okay, so this rant is all because we have maybe 3 under 18s coming with our group to world youth day, so all of us "leaders" have to get a working with children's check done. Anyways, I knew I might have a bit of a hassle with it, because my passport is still in my maiden name...but I have my marriage certificate, which the forms said I would need, and I should have been good to go.
The first post office we went to (which is the agency that accepts the forms, but they aren't the agency the processes them, confusing) So we go there, I go up to do mine first and the girl tells me that I need an Australian issued 'registry only' marriage certificate...and gives me the details of where to go to get this. But I told her that that doesn't sound right, as I wasn't married in Australia...she assures me her supervisor advised her of this and that is what I need to do.
That was frustrating...I just wanted to get this thing over with. It was too late that day to go to this registry place, so I decided to go another day. I went to the place, not really know what kind of lines to expect....but I was certainly NOT expecting to wait over an HOUR!! I took my number, and took a form to fill out and went and sat down. As soon as I saw the form, I should have just left right then and there. When it asks for you place of marriage there was no place to put CANADA. But whatever, so my turn was FINALLY called and I went up, I told the guy straight off that I was probably wasting my time and asked "Does this place apply to people married in Canada". To which he replied "No" I told him the situation and he said that the post office person was wrong, and that I should call the working with children hotline before I go back to make sure I have everything that they advise me to have (which I already know was what I bought in the first place)
Anyways, I decided not to call, and just go to a different post office and try my luck. So I got in line, gave the stuff to the lady and she said "your passport is in a different name, you'll have to come back with ID all in the same name". And before I could say anything she starting handing me everything back, I decided I needed to be forceful with this lady so I handed it all back and said "That's why I have my marriage certificate right there"
Thinking about it, I still can't believe how rude she was...not in the LEAST bit helpful. So then she took the form, my passport and marriage certificate, mumbled something and left. I assumed she was going to a supervisor to ask advice, at least I hoped so.
Okay, so this rant is all because we have maybe 3 under 18s coming with our group to world youth day, so all of us "leaders" have to get a working with children's check done. Anyways, I knew I might have a bit of a hassle with it, because my passport is still in my maiden name...but I have my marriage certificate, which the forms said I would need, and I should have been good to go.
The first post office we went to (which is the agency that accepts the forms, but they aren't the agency the processes them, confusing) So we go there, I go up to do mine first and the girl tells me that I need an Australian issued 'registry only' marriage certificate...and gives me the details of where to go to get this. But I told her that that doesn't sound right, as I wasn't married in Australia...she assures me her supervisor advised her of this and that is what I need to do.
That was frustrating...I just wanted to get this thing over with. It was too late that day to go to this registry place, so I decided to go another day. I went to the place, not really know what kind of lines to expect....but I was certainly NOT expecting to wait over an HOUR!! I took my number, and took a form to fill out and went and sat down. As soon as I saw the form, I should have just left right then and there. When it asks for you place of marriage there was no place to put CANADA. But whatever, so my turn was FINALLY called and I went up, I told the guy straight off that I was probably wasting my time and asked "Does this place apply to people married in Canada". To which he replied "No" I told him the situation and he said that the post office person was wrong, and that I should call the working with children hotline before I go back to make sure I have everything that they advise me to have (which I already know was what I bought in the first place)
Anyways, I decided not to call, and just go to a different post office and try my luck. So I got in line, gave the stuff to the lady and she said "your passport is in a different name, you'll have to come back with ID all in the same name". And before I could say anything she starting handing me everything back, I decided I needed to be forceful with this lady so I handed it all back and said "That's why I have my marriage certificate right there"
Thinking about it, I still can't believe how rude she was...not in the LEAST bit helpful. So then she took the form, my passport and marriage certificate, mumbled something and left. I assumed she was going to a supervisor to ask advice, at least I hoped so.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I blame it on pregnancy!
Well I'm 12 weeks pregnant today - yay me! Hehe, I'm thankful that I've made it this far, and excited for things to come.
So here's my silly story - which I blame on pregnancy!
A few weeks ago on facebook, I saw that an old high school friend had changed her status to say that she was coming to Australia! I was very excited, so I messaged her to see if she was coming to Melbourne and if she wanted to catch up while she was here. Then yesterday I got a message from her saying that she was in Melbourne and wondered if I was doing anything today, she left her mobile number. So I gave her a call, we chatted for a bit. I kept thinking "hmm, she sounds alot different" As we talked a bit more I kept listening to her voice very closely - at first I thought maybe it was one of her friends on the phone, but then I remember that I had asked if it was her when she picked up, so it had to be her...but WHY did she sound so different???
I was still on facebook at this point, so I went to her profile, and things started to make more sense! The person I was talking to, and the person I thought I was talking to, were definitely two different people. On facebook, neither of them has their last name listed, just their initial. And most of the time, I honestly don't look at the last name anyways, but while I was talking to this girl, and looking at her facebook...I saw her initial of her surname, and I was racking my brain trying to remember the surname of my high school friend...THEN I REMEMBERED!!
Earlier this year a co-worker of mine from the bank back home had messaged me on facebook to say that her daughter was coming to Australia, and asked if I could add her daughter to facebook so that if she had any questions I could answer them. So I did, and we messaged a little back and forth, but that was MONTHS ago! So when I saw that this other person (who I thought was another person at least) was coming to Australia, I had completely forgotten about my co-workers daughter!
I am such a doofuss!! Anyways, I'm meeting up with her in a couple hours...I'm just glad I figured it all out before I met up with her...because that would have been really embarrassing!!
Again - I blame it on the pregnancy! hehe.
So here's my silly story - which I blame on pregnancy!
A few weeks ago on facebook, I saw that an old high school friend had changed her status to say that she was coming to Australia! I was very excited, so I messaged her to see if she was coming to Melbourne and if she wanted to catch up while she was here. Then yesterday I got a message from her saying that she was in Melbourne and wondered if I was doing anything today, she left her mobile number. So I gave her a call, we chatted for a bit. I kept thinking "hmm, she sounds alot different" As we talked a bit more I kept listening to her voice very closely - at first I thought maybe it was one of her friends on the phone, but then I remember that I had asked if it was her when she picked up, so it had to be her...but WHY did she sound so different???
I was still on facebook at this point, so I went to her profile, and things started to make more sense! The person I was talking to, and the person I thought I was talking to, were definitely two different people. On facebook, neither of them has their last name listed, just their initial. And most of the time, I honestly don't look at the last name anyways, but while I was talking to this girl, and looking at her facebook...I saw her initial of her surname, and I was racking my brain trying to remember the surname of my high school friend...THEN I REMEMBERED!!
Earlier this year a co-worker of mine from the bank back home had messaged me on facebook to say that her daughter was coming to Australia, and asked if I could add her daughter to facebook so that if she had any questions I could answer them. So I did, and we messaged a little back and forth, but that was MONTHS ago! So when I saw that this other person (who I thought was another person at least) was coming to Australia, I had completely forgotten about my co-workers daughter!
I am such a doofuss!! Anyways, I'm meeting up with her in a couple hours...I'm just glad I figured it all out before I met up with her...because that would have been really embarrassing!!
Again - I blame it on the pregnancy! hehe.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
I want a baby bump!
I'm not showing at all yet - in fact, I think I weigh less now than I did when I first found out I was pregnant (and I haven't even been sick)
So I don't feel pregnant and I don't look pregnant - but I want to! haha, but I'm sure as soon as I start putting on the pounds I'll start wishing that I had my old/current body back! But anyways, once the bump starts forming I'll start doing those typical side profile pictures for you all...although I'll be back in Canada in 8 weeks, so most of you who read this will just see me then anyways!
So I don't feel pregnant and I don't look pregnant - but I want to! haha, but I'm sure as soon as I start putting on the pounds I'll start wishing that I had my old/current body back! But anyways, once the bump starts forming I'll start doing those typical side profile pictures for you all...although I'll be back in Canada in 8 weeks, so most of you who read this will just see me then anyways!
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