“Lovely” is my Word of the Day

One day I will learn to always check for information on line FIRST!

Last night, after my running in circles and hair tearing subsided, my partner calmly asked if I had checked the INS page on line.

Errr…ummmm…oooops!

There is a lovely web page {our tax dollars at work here} which links to a lovely local area page which has absolutely ALL the information I need including the new address of the local office AND directions and a map of how to get there! Everything I could possibly need is there up to and including the names of the INS officials in charge of this station. There is even a note about not rushing to get the new dated green card {even though it may take officialdom “…between 10 to 12 months to get the new one issued”} because, apparently, I will be given a something which shows that I have applied for the new card AND the old one back with a “temporary” sticker on it. Of course, you could hardly say I had been rushing to get my new one since my paperwork has been sitting on my desk for a year; now I have a lovely new excuse. “No, I am not procrastinating. I was merely doing what the government suggested…”

Years ago I made a calligraphed,decorated and framed saying which I put on the shelf by my computer for contemplation. It said “When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout… and then sit down and make a list.” This was to help me remember that it was OK to panic as long as I didn’t let myself get paralysed by it and that once the panicking was over, it was time to be practical and solve the problem in an orderly fashion.

NOW I think I need one that says, “Check the Internet FIRST!” Lovely!