Monday was a Mexican holiday,so we were off work. We had a lovely, slow rain all day and we just stayed at home. I got Mom’s taxes done (thanks, free Turbo Tax on-line) and John worked on ours. We continued to put things away and tidy up the house. We went over out list of things in storage and decided to bring a few more things to post, like our reclining sofa and master bedroom furniture (can’t wait to get the king-sized bed back!). We topped off the day with an episode of “Justified,” and watched the last “Mad Men” episode to get ready for the new season.
Work was hectic when we got back on Tuesday – there never seems to be enough time in the day. I worked all day Saturday just to get some messy cases finally cleared off my desk. What makes a messy case? The ones I worked on yesterday were mostly about identity – adults who have never applied for a passport before, who show up with an old birth certificate and no ID, or ID that they just got recently. You have to figure out (or rather, they need to prove) that they really are the person named on the birth certificate. Sometimes they are, and sometimes they’re not. Sometimes the birth certificate belongs to a sibling or a cousin who has died, and this person is trying to take over their ID and American citizenship. We also see identify theft cases where someone else was issued a passport in “their” name, and we (with the help of our fraud department) have to figure out who’s who. It’s a bit like playing detective, and it’s fun!
Last night we went to a fun dance party that a co-worker threw – lots of fun – I hadn’t danced in a long time!
Mom seems to be doing OK when I’ve called this week, although it’s difficult to understand a lot over the phone. Several folks have gone by to visit her and I know she appreciated that (and the milkshakes and flowers!). The nurse called me to report she seems in good spirits and her general health is fine, so that’s welcome news.
I got a lovely Maira Kalman book in the mail this week – what a nice surprise from one of my favorite people!