Diary of a SubUrban Housewife

A Birth or Death Situation

In a few short days we Atkins' are off on a sea cruise. And while the whole cruise thing is fodder for another entry, one of the things we need for this cruise is a birth certificate for each member of the family.

As my passport is long expired, about three weeks ago I dutifully went on the web and went to the Department of Health Services for the State of New York and ordered my birth certificate. I was so freakin efficient, I didn't even need to pay for rush delivery. I had ordered it in ample time to receive it prior to our departure.

Chuck ordered a certified copy of his birth certificate prior to our honeymoon in 1995. I know we got Zoe's shortly after she was born.

We're good to go.

I mention the whole "need for birth certificates" thing to Chuck a few days ago as more of a reminder to dig them out. A vague look of panic crossed his face. Apparently I'd neglected to say anything to him before this and he hadn't read about it in any of the myriad cruise documents and websites he's been frequenting for the last week or so.

So last night he initiated his search. I was vaguely certain of where he'd put Zoe's. But alas, it wasn't there. I looked in the one place I would have put it if I had it. It wasn't there either.

Well, we're leaving for our trip a week from today and right now I'm the only one with any sort of documentation that I exist.

I spent the better part of an hour on hold this morning with the LA County Registrar/Recorders Office in beautiful downtown Norwalk. According to their website it takes approximately 20 working days to get a copy of your vital records. You can expedite this process for an exhorbitant fee, but that cuts it down to approximately five working days. We're leaving town in five working days. Would it be possible for me to go to their office and get a copy of Zoe's birth certificate the same day if I waited in line? I would hold for an eternity if whoever answered the phone would say yes to this question.

I've been to the Norwalk office once before. To get my marriage license. It took a full day of waiting in line. I was prepared to do this again if I had to.

Anyway, after waiting on hold for the aforementioned hour, I had to go to a meeting. I gave up and hung up the phone. Before running to my meeting I called my best friend to cry on her shoulder about my predicament. She informed me that I can get a copy of Zoe's birth certificate at the County office about five minutes from my house, and she'd even go so far as to go with me and drive around while I run in and get the birth certificate. She got her kids' last week. It took all of ten minutes.

As I finishing typing that last sentence Chuck called me. He was busily taking some kind of online quiz to prove his identity to the State of Illinois so he could get his birth certificate Federal Expressed to him in time for our trip.

All together now: a rousing rendition of The Love Boat.

Posted by beth at March 22, 2004 01:53 PM