Thursday, December 1, 2011

A day in the life

The first of December and the blogosphere is full of posts about decorating and recipes and holiday plans. You might be expecting to find a post related to the season of Christmas here too. Sigh.

Today I give you a peek inside my logistically complicated world. I am doing my absolute best to drive our investment advisor bonkers all because daughter2 turned 21 in September. When your baby turns 21 all sorts of paperwork needs to change in order to keep things legal like. Essentially 'her' account can no longer include 'our' name even though it is 'our' money going in. And coming out...mustn't forget that! Pesky tuition.

I have exchanged no less than ten phone calls and fifteen emails with the investment people trying to get the new account set up correctly. They need a letter stating blah blah blah. They need eighteen forms signed. They need a copy of our utility bill. They need they need they need. They need her SS card. That one seems like no biggie, right? Ha! In our house that's a biggie. Where is that darn card? Daughter2 thought she had a copy but alas, she kept the receipt end and tossed the actual card. Learning curve people. I thought I had a copy so yesterday I trekked to the safety deposit box with my fingers and toes crossed but no luck. She could go get a new card in between student teaching, studying for exams, and completing end of semester projects and papers, except she is in South Carolina and her birth certificate is in NJ and her passport is in DC. Plus, she's under a lot of pressure at the moment and it's highly unlikely spending an entire day in the SS office will do anything to make that better.

Investment people say they can accept a couple of other docs in place of the SS card but do we have those docs? No sirree. Daughter2 can also fax a pay stub to them but daughter2 is in class and can't be given this piece of information. And does she have a window in her day today to do this? And do I have a bajillion other things to be doing besides going thru tax returns and file cabinets in an attempt to find something suitable? Do other people with young adult kids have the same issues? I feel like a part of ours is due to the fact that we are spread out into three different states. I think my girls should just move closer to home, what do y'all think?

I know we'll get it sorted eventually. I also know there will be a few more phone calls and emails exchanged before we do but its December and I am determined to capture a bit of the Christmas spirit around here today. Susan is hosting a little December photo project and I am going to join in on the fun when I can. The idea is to take one photo a day for the next 25 days and post it on your blog. She has a prompt for each day which you'll find here. I may not get to all of them but today's prompt is something red and I think I can manage that one.


It seems only appropriate to include this sweet little ornament Daughter2 made for me when she was in kindergarten. Which was yesterday. Makes me forget my aggravation and remember all that is precious in this world.

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:26-27 (NIV)

24 comments:

  1. You SERIOUSLY need to write a handbook with instructions for all of this stuff. I'd buy it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I never thought of this problem but I guess I'll have it in a couple of years. I'll add it to my list to worry about then.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hand made ornaments are the best! Such a precious gift. Thanks for sharing and playing along. And thanks for the linky information. I signed up, now to get it up and working. Hope you get the account problem resolved soon. Blessings, SusanD

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bleh. I feel your pain. Well except that I did know where all the pesky documents were. And here I thought I was being too controlling by keeping all their "stuff" for safe keeping. Whew. I'll give myself points for that one!
    That said, yes of course they should live closer, duh. :)
    Susan's photo project sounds fun maybe even I could manage that one. But you know how I well I take pictures. Not. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. So sorry for everything you're having to deal with...my mind is boggled just thinking about it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yikes! I'm speechless at all you have to accomplish! AND you still found time to post something red. Which, by the way, is adorable! I still have ornaments the boys made me too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Holy Cow! Government red tape is enough to make you want to become a hermit in a cave. Perhaps we should all revolt and refuse - but there's probably forms to fill out to stage a revolution.

    Good luck! Hope you find some holiday spirit in their somewhere. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wonder how much those bureaucrats are making per hour in order to make your life miserable. They do seem to be earning their pay.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Reminds me of my experiences with the DMV that you had to deal with not that long ago. Sister and I are so lucky to have a mom like you who'll put up with this stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah, hoop jumping. We know it well. Too well. And I hate it.

    But those little daughter made ornaments do melt us, don't they? Even when people are making us jump through those blasted hoops!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Should they live closer? Well, of course they should. ;-)

    I just love that ornament!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Finding important documents??? Somehow, some where the kids' immunization records have disappeared. Totally. (And I kept careful records.) Not a big deal if one kid is in Journalism, but a big deal if one kid wants to be a Pharmacist. Sigh. I came close to going to their pediatrician -- in Missouri -- (3 moves ago). Oh the things us moms do to help those "kids" grow up, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a nightmare!! I hope it all works out! Love the idea of the photo challenge! First one is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love that you're playing along with Susan's photo challenge and I think yours is absolutely perfect! Check mine out when you get the chance too!

    Hopefully things will get sorted soon with all your paperwork, and before you know it, it will all be resolved. Sometimes you just wish there were better ways.

    Love and Hugs ~ Kat

    ReplyDelete
  15. I work in a brokerage, so I am at the other end of all you are trying to do. I would think a copy of her drivers license would work if you are converting a custodial account to a single account. If it is a 529, it is going to be whatever the company where it is held requires, but that is usually a copy of the drivers license also. Be patient with them....I'm sure they are really trying to help you. Regulations have caused things to get so complex that I want to pull my hair out some days.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hope y'all get the paperwork all figured out! Like your red item today!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, and I thought I was having a bad day...I hope you get things squared away soon!

    I love your "something red". Those were the days, weren't they?

    ReplyDelete
  18. I know how you feel. I can't Amanda's appointment scheduled with her cardiologist because of age--she is too busy with pharmacy school and I can't even talk to her doctor now!! Give me a break! What world have we created?

    ReplyDelete
  19. I feel your pain.
    I absolutely hate doing anything having to do with documentation.
    Hope you can get this all resolved soon so you can enjoy the
    Christmas season. . .BTW, we were IRS audited 5 yrs after our son was out of college, in regards to some expenses regarding college. It all worked out fine but I had to dig up all sorts of old records. Beware!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, my word, this sounds like all the mess I've been going through with my Dad's finances and investments. I have almost screamed some days. I have had to fax my POA to more places that the law allows and then they don't like to accept them. I have had to keep reminding myself that these folks are just doing their job but they really make me want to scream. It has been so all consuming! Bless you!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sounds like fun :) I hope you get it all sorted out soon! Cute ornament!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Aw! What a cute ornament. Oh, I hate sorting out things like that. You've just reminded me I have some paperwork of my own to take care of!

    ReplyDelete
  23. How sweet. And you're right - it WAS just yesterday!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I hate those kind of things. I hated doing my aunt & uncles estate after they passed!! I haven't done the house yet or touched the tree. It will be done by the 24th and that's all that matter to me!!

    ReplyDelete