USPS-Better in the 'Burbs

So I gave it another try at the passport name change.  I decided to go to the post office in the suburbs that Tim and I used to send our wedding invitations.  I checked the website for any special guidelines, felt good and left early this morning.  They opened at  9:00 and I arrived only 15 minutes after that.  Some really nice man came by to everyone in line to ask what they were doing to see if he could help make things faster (didn't have this in the city for sure!).  WELL...he told me they don't do passports until 10:00 and they couldn't process my passport because I needed an appointment but this was the last week for appointments, next week starts first come first serve (which is what the website said was in place now).  So I politely informed him what the website said, he went back asked his supervisor and PRESTO, I had an "appointment" for right after the first person at 10:00.  So I had to wait 45 minutes but I didn't care.  The nice man was entertaining.  He kept playing jokes on people and I was cracking up.   I noticed everyone else that showed up without an appointment was sent home.  Don't care why I was the chosen one but I was very happy!  Once my name was called everything went smoothly, took less than 5 minutes and now I just have to wait for it to arrive.  And no one spoke to me with a mouth full of corn nuts!

Passport

So I tried to send off my passport today to get my name changed on it.  I'm not spending 5 weeks in a  foreign country by myself with a passport that has my former name!  Anyway, it was  a horrible experience.  I'll spare you the details of the first place I went to and only discuss the Main Post Office.  The people at the post office were of no help and made me tear up because they kept sending me to a different line just for them to tell me I needed to be in either another line or the line I came from.  FINALLY some "kind" soul looked through my paperwork (even though she still stood by the fact I was in the wrong line) and told me my marriage license wouldn't work.  I read the instructions and she informed she knew it said I could send in what I had but she KNEW they would send it back (keep in mind, she is telling me all this with a mouthful of food).  That was it.  I was emotionally drained, left the post office, called Tim and cried.  I  don't know if the lady is right but we're going to trust her (just in case) and get a different copy of the license.  We'll send it off next week and have it expedited just in case...even though we are three months from leaving.  PLUS-I'm going back to the post office in the 'burbs next time.  They were so much more helpful last year.

Another Email

Wow-These guys are quick to respond.  So all I have to do is make my flights and give the final information to the school and it's a done deal.  We'll probably work on that when we get back from New Orleans.  We're going this weekend so Tim can run a 10K.

Email

I already got an email response from the school!  It was just welcoming me and telling me to email any questions.  Of course I have a question...what do I do to guarantee a spot???  This particular school keeps their ratio's very small and have only about 10 students at a time. I looked at their site all day yesterday.  Tim's not getting excited about the cooking classes quite yet.  He thinks I'll give up.  Whatever, it's homemade tortillas for all when I get back!  We can even use the fabulous tortilla warmer Ginny and Jeff gave us! 

School Search

I'm looking for a school right now.  Tim and I have looked through different books, such as two different editions of Lonely Planet Guatemala as well as Lonely Planet's Central America on a Shoestring.  After reading the descriptions, I looked up the websites and finally decided to put in an application to one of them.  I'm doing this pretty early so surely they will have availability.  I'll do 6 hours a day of instruction in a one-on-one format and stay with a local family.  6 days a week I'll eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the family.  I'm really excited to get to know them.  I'll also have the opportunity to do tons of different activities.  I can take salsa lessons, cooking lessons, watch movies in Spanish, tour museums, volunteer or many other things.  Here's the link to the school I'm looking into if you're interested: http://www.spanishacademyantiguena.com

If this school doesn't work out it'll be back to the drawing board but it's fun.