For a long time I've toyed with the idea of creating a blog focused on how to...well, be an adult. Sounds kinda silly, but I've realized that most "adult" things (like paying taxes and officially changing your last name on legal documents) are not exactly straightforward/intuitive and require quite a bit of research to figure out just how to get it done. If I were to start this "How to be an adult" blog, I would regularly tackle such painful processes and organize them in a way that would prove useful to anyone else who needs to learn how to get things done. However, my time is currently being used up on learning how to effectively clean the litter box, organize my office, plan our weekly meals, and be a good wife. The idea is still there, though...
For today, I figured I'd give it a go. So, how does one change her last name on her passport?
First, if you received your passport within one calendar year, congratulations! You get to skip the fee and go straight to filling out DS-5504 found here.
If it has been over a year but you were at least 16 when you got your first passport (but not over 15 years ago), you get to fill out DS-82 (also found here) and submit it along with a new picture (that meets requirements), your current passport, a certified copy of your marriage license, and $110 check made out to the Department of State. You will then mail this to the National Passport Processing Center at PO Box 90155 Philadelphia, PA 19190-0155.
Now, where does one get a certified copy of your marriage license? Great question! You need to return to the county that issued your marriage license, and request a certified copy from them. For us, we got ours from Dallas County. If that's the case for you, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page. You can download the form and fill it out, then print it before mailing it along with a $10 Money Order made out to the Dallas County Clerk. Send it off to Dallas County Clerk's Office ATTN: Marriage License 509 Main St Suite #200 Dallas, TX 75202.
If, like me, you have a Southwest Rapid Rewards membership, they also require a written letter with proof of your name change (a copy of your marriage certificate) mailed to them at PO Box 36657 Dallas, TX 75235.
Why am I just now making all of these changes after having been married almost two years? Well, that brings me to the real point of this blog post. Darren and I are excited to announce that we plan to travel to GERMANY this year (along with Darren's brother, Chris, and his lovely wife Krista) to visit some of Darren's side of the family. EEEK! We are just so excited about this!!!!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
The Polar Vortex
Well, Darren and I survived our first "polar vortex!" If you haven't heard that term, it's what they called the storm of sub-zero temperatures and almost foot of snow that was dumped on us a couple of weekends ago. Fortunately, the snow came over the weekend (when I was not on call and Darren was not at work), so we were able to snuggle up inside playing Ticket to Ride and watching Redbox movies.
When we finally did step outside, we spent about an hour digging my car out from the snow so I could drive to work on Monday, but other than that couldn't really play in the snow because it was just too cold... You only have to warn me once that -30 degree windchills can cause frostbite in 10 minutes!
As a whole, Missouri is better prepared for winter than Texas... which makes sense. When the threat of snow/ice comes (and it comes frequently), there is an army of salt trucks that prepares the roads and another army of snow plows that follow the fluffy white stuff around, clearing necessary paths. Unfortunately, the chemistry of the salt mix has no effect on ice/snow below 0 degrees & the amount of plowing that needed to be done following Sunday's snow fall was overwhelming for the city. Plenty of neighborhoods were left unplowed and people were stuck at home. I knew I didn't have a choice and would have to find some way to get to work, so I am very grateful that our streets were plowed.
Usually it's not that cold here. We hover in the 20's on average, with overnight lows dipping into single digits and daily highs sometimes coming up to 40's or even 50's (on a good day). That's probably why bald eagles come here to winter, which is pretty cool. If you take the scenic drive north to Alton, IL (about 30 minutes away) and drive along the well-known Great River Road, you can spot the bald eagles resting on the ice that is the Mississippi River. Last weekend we went with some friends up to Pere Marquette State Park, which is known for its beautiful views, to attempt to see some of these eagles. While we were up there, we also made an unplanned stop at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam and explored the museum there (you know we're suckers for small museums of any kind).
Following all of this wintery fun, we ate at Fast Eddie's. This place has a huge reputation for cheap, greasy food and a one-of-a-kind experience. I would say they nailed it right on the head. First of all, you have to be 21 to go to the restaurant... which seems odd at first but once you get inside you realize, it's like one big bar. Each customer is required to make at least one drink purchase (it can be soda), probably to offset the extremely cheap prices on their food (1/2 pound hamburgers for 99 cents, etc). The pavilion has a live band performing (when we went they played Zach Brown Band covers!) and the chairs and tables are what you'd expect at a cheap bar. There are slot machines and free popcorn all over the place. Darren and I got burgers while also sampling the Elwood on a Stick and bratwurst (the menu has literally like 6 things on it). It was great fun to finally eat at a place we'd always heard about but never been to!
The wind helped push the snow up against the back door
This is what we had to dig my car out of
We took this picture a couple of hours before the snow finally stopped
Darren's car and our bushes (close to the window)
I bought these snow boots during my first winter here and HIGHLY recommend them (they are Keens and they ROCK)
When we finally did step outside, we spent about an hour digging my car out from the snow so I could drive to work on Monday, but other than that couldn't really play in the snow because it was just too cold... You only have to warn me once that -30 degree windchills can cause frostbite in 10 minutes!
As a whole, Missouri is better prepared for winter than Texas... which makes sense. When the threat of snow/ice comes (and it comes frequently), there is an army of salt trucks that prepares the roads and another army of snow plows that follow the fluffy white stuff around, clearing necessary paths. Unfortunately, the chemistry of the salt mix has no effect on ice/snow below 0 degrees & the amount of plowing that needed to be done following Sunday's snow fall was overwhelming for the city. Plenty of neighborhoods were left unplowed and people were stuck at home. I knew I didn't have a choice and would have to find some way to get to work, so I am very grateful that our streets were plowed.
Usually it's not that cold here. We hover in the 20's on average, with overnight lows dipping into single digits and daily highs sometimes coming up to 40's or even 50's (on a good day). That's probably why bald eagles come here to winter, which is pretty cool. If you take the scenic drive north to Alton, IL (about 30 minutes away) and drive along the well-known Great River Road, you can spot the bald eagles resting on the ice that is the Mississippi River. Last weekend we went with some friends up to Pere Marquette State Park, which is known for its beautiful views, to attempt to see some of these eagles. While we were up there, we also made an unplanned stop at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam and explored the museum there (you know we're suckers for small museums of any kind).
A view of the lock
The barge
Charity with a long-nosed Gar in the museum
Following all of this wintery fun, we ate at Fast Eddie's. This place has a huge reputation for cheap, greasy food and a one-of-a-kind experience. I would say they nailed it right on the head. First of all, you have to be 21 to go to the restaurant... which seems odd at first but once you get inside you realize, it's like one big bar. Each customer is required to make at least one drink purchase (it can be soda), probably to offset the extremely cheap prices on their food (1/2 pound hamburgers for 99 cents, etc). The pavilion has a live band performing (when we went they played Zach Brown Band covers!) and the chairs and tables are what you'd expect at a cheap bar. There are slot machines and free popcorn all over the place. Darren and I got burgers while also sampling the Elwood on a Stick and bratwurst (the menu has literally like 6 things on it). It was great fun to finally eat at a place we'd always heard about but never been to!
Photo credit: Charity Queen
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Holidays in Review
What's not to love about the magical month and a half between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day? Everybody you meet seems to be excited about something- whether a child anticipating a visit from Santa, young parents ready to show off their baby to extended family, or grandparents excited at the thought of their offspring gathering together to visit them... The whole world is seen through holly lenses with tinkling jingle bell background sounds, even down to the commercials on TV.
I enjoy this time of year immensely, especially since Darren and I are figuring out our own traditions. Since attending Texas A&M, we haven't made it a ritual to go home for Thanksgiving only because we often spent the Friday after screaming our hearts out and freezing our fingers off at the A&M-tu rivalry game. When we moved up to STL, the cost of the plane ticket solidified the fact that we would be spending Christmas' stepchild of a holiday in Missouri. Fortunately, we have been lucky enough to either have friends come visit (last Thanksgiving), or another family to join (this Thanksgiving). There was enough turkey, football, and dominoes to go around...twice!
I was on call for Christmas this year, which opened my eyes to a whole other dimension of the holiday. Suddenly I found myself being thankful to every person who has ever had to spend Christmas morning apart from his or her own family in order to service someone else. That could be your friendly Starbucks barista, Walmart cashier, local policeman, news anchor, soldier abroad, or medical personnel. There are thousands of people every year who wake up and go to work on Christmas, just like every other ordinary day. I didn't realize it until it was me, which just speaks to how self-centered my world can be sometimes. To each and every person who has ever worked on Christmas, no matter the job and no matter the circumstance, thank you!!!
My call wasn't terrible, but I did have to go in. I decided to be as joyful as possible to every nurse I spoke with, patient I saw, and person I encountered. It made the experience a pleasant one, and I hope to approach every call weekend during this upcoming year with the same attitude.
Our sweet family and friends FaceTime'd us in to help us celebrate the holiday even while we were away from them. The Cannons have a tradition of reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, one page per person, before opening one gift each on Christmas Eve. Since they had given us our own copy of the book last year, we were able to participate! My family opened one gift each on Christmas day, saving the "Christmas experience" until the 26th (when we would arrive by plane). What a kind and selfless act for each of them to do, to sit on Christmas day and stare at the unopened gifts and wait patiently for a grown married couple to come home.
We spent our four days in Texas with so much joy and love that I almost felt as if I was in a dream. We had the pleasure of seeing my grandmother and cousins, Darren's aunt and cousins, our friends from college, and my best friend from my childhood. We ate Springcreek BBQ, Bluebell ice cream, and mom's homemade chicken spaghetti. We played a fierce number of board games, including multiple rounds of the Guess Who game I had put together for the Cannons. We went to a shooting range and tried out several guns and even made it a competition. We watched home videos of our first Christmases and snuggled up together outside a new fire pit.
Basically, we had a fantastic time. Living far away from home seems to have brought one huge blessing: when we do go home, it is such a cherished time that all of the small things that would usually cause us to quarrel or make someone upset just disappear. What we are left with is a condensed weekend of quality time making wonderful happy memories.
I enjoy this time of year immensely, especially since Darren and I are figuring out our own traditions. Since attending Texas A&M, we haven't made it a ritual to go home for Thanksgiving only because we often spent the Friday after screaming our hearts out and freezing our fingers off at the A&M-tu rivalry game. When we moved up to STL, the cost of the plane ticket solidified the fact that we would be spending Christmas' stepchild of a holiday in Missouri. Fortunately, we have been lucky enough to either have friends come visit (last Thanksgiving), or another family to join (this Thanksgiving). There was enough turkey, football, and dominoes to go around...twice!
I was on call for Christmas this year, which opened my eyes to a whole other dimension of the holiday. Suddenly I found myself being thankful to every person who has ever had to spend Christmas morning apart from his or her own family in order to service someone else. That could be your friendly Starbucks barista, Walmart cashier, local policeman, news anchor, soldier abroad, or medical personnel. There are thousands of people every year who wake up and go to work on Christmas, just like every other ordinary day. I didn't realize it until it was me, which just speaks to how self-centered my world can be sometimes. To each and every person who has ever worked on Christmas, no matter the job and no matter the circumstance, thank you!!!
My call wasn't terrible, but I did have to go in. I decided to be as joyful as possible to every nurse I spoke with, patient I saw, and person I encountered. It made the experience a pleasant one, and I hope to approach every call weekend during this upcoming year with the same attitude.
Our sweet family and friends FaceTime'd us in to help us celebrate the holiday even while we were away from them. The Cannons have a tradition of reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, one page per person, before opening one gift each on Christmas Eve. Since they had given us our own copy of the book last year, we were able to participate! My family opened one gift each on Christmas day, saving the "Christmas experience" until the 26th (when we would arrive by plane). What a kind and selfless act for each of them to do, to sit on Christmas day and stare at the unopened gifts and wait patiently for a grown married couple to come home.
We spent our four days in Texas with so much joy and love that I almost felt as if I was in a dream. We had the pleasure of seeing my grandmother and cousins, Darren's aunt and cousins, our friends from college, and my best friend from my childhood. We ate Springcreek BBQ, Bluebell ice cream, and mom's homemade chicken spaghetti. We played a fierce number of board games, including multiple rounds of the Guess Who game I had put together for the Cannons. We went to a shooting range and tried out several guns and even made it a competition. We watched home videos of our first Christmases and snuggled up together outside a new fire pit.
Basically, we had a fantastic time. Living far away from home seems to have brought one huge blessing: when we do go home, it is such a cherished time that all of the small things that would usually cause us to quarrel or make someone upset just disappear. What we are left with is a condensed weekend of quality time making wonderful happy memories.
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