Lessons Learned...

Non Adoption:
Today was my first day at the new office. Being such, the firm provided breakfast and lunch. I had a mug of coffee on my way into work. Once there, we were told that there were doughnuts. So I go in the break room and there are yeast and chocolate glazed. I should have known better, but I went ahead and got a chocolate glazed. I little while later me and some others make our way to the break room again because we are bored (computers weren't working). THERE ARE DOZENS MORE DOUGHNUTS! They had my most favorite ever: chocolate glazed with custard in the middle. This time I should have REALLY known better, but I'm like, "I have to have one!" Mind you, I can't remember the last time I've even had a doughnut. After eating it, I did not feel good at all. Then I am sitting at my desk while someone had remotely accessed my computer trying to fix it. I get kind of dizzy watching all the random movement around my screen, so I try to distract myself. I accomplish this by spinning around in my chair. What was so amazing about it was that I was spinning SO SLOWLY, yet still made it around like 10 times! It's 5:00 now and I STILL feel sick!!!! Guess I'll know better next time~

Adoption related:

I had a major freak out moment today.

We have all these documents that we have to gather as part of our dossier. They have to be filled out EXACTLY that way that it explains or they will be rejected. Most of you can remember the drama we went through with our medical forms. Well each form has to be notarized. After they are notarized, we have to take them to the secretary of state to have the state seal affixed to them. THEN we have to send them to the Vietamese Consulate to be authenticated (at $50/document). Basically, you get to the point where you are guarding these documents with your life!

Most people who I have talked to say they've been able to get the forms authenticated by the Vietnamese government in less than a week.

I mailed a batch of my documents along with a certified check for $350 on October 16th. Now they stress to you to include a postage paid return envelope and to send it in a way that you can track it. So I get to the post office and I am told that I can't get tracking both ways, only the way there. She tells me that I am better off just sending first class mail instead of priority because I can't send a postage paid priority for some reason. (I think she was wrong) But anyway, to make a long story short, I ended up sending it regular mail with no tracking or delivery confirmation.

As I am at the post office writing the address in, I realize that I wrote one suite number (340) on the mailing envelope and a different one (430) on the return envelope. I wasn't absolutely sure which was right, and I had left my cell phone in my car, so I got a little nervous there. Then I start thinking that I remember thinking as I was writing the address down earlier in the day that it was interesting that the suite number is the opposite of what my work suite number was (340), so that point I was FAIRLY certain that 430 was right, and so that was what I used. After leaving the post office, I confirmed with Mark, and I was indeed correct.

So as each day passes and I still don't have the documents back, I am getting REALLY nervous. And I start kicking myself for not doing the tracking or delivery confirmation. And then I start worrying that maybe I screwed up the addresses, because at the same time I wrote down the address for the Vietnamese Consulate, as well as the Vietnamese Embassy, as you can send your documents to either place. (One is in San Francisco while the other is in Washington DC).

So while at work today I called my bank to see whether they could tell me whether the certified check had cleared yet. After going around and around with different people, they finally put someone on that knew how to check. She tells me that the check has NOT cleared yet.

So at this point I am really freaking out and kicking myself, as I will have to redo the documents as well as resubmit the fee. And all this could have been somewhat prevented if I had gotten delivery confirmation...

However, to my utter amazement, I get home today, check the mail, and there is the enevelope with my authenticated documents!!! So I guess all's well that ends well.

Although on our last batch, we will definitely send them fed ex or UPS...