Making it legal (or trying, at least)...

Picked up the wedding license this afternoon, which – incase you were wondering – takes much (much) longer than necessary.

There is a whole section of the 2nd floor of the Records Building downtown devoted to birth, death and marriage licenses. Once you exit the elevator, you’ll see it to your right. Since Trevor and I had already filled out the online portion of the application, the signs directed us to queue up in front of the desk. So we did.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

There were bunches of people working in the department, but only one seemed to be helping anybody. Finally, an employee in the back noticed the hordes of people waiting, and yelled, “Hey! The line’s long again.”

After thirty seconds or so (I think everyone was hoping someone else would get up so they wouldn’t have to), a single worker got up from her desk and slowly walked to the counter. After an audible sigh (followed by a visible eye roll) she said, “Next”.

Obviously, the people in line were only existed to annoy her.

Trevor: “Yes, we are here for a marriage…”

Lady Behind Counter: “[Interrupting] Marriage licenses to the counter to your left. Sign in at the clipboard and sit down.”

At first, we had no idea what she was talking about. But then we saw it. On the far side of the computer was a nondescript clipboard with a sign in sheet attached. There was zero signage to draw your attention to the sign in sheet or anything that gave any direction whatsoever to do anything other than stand in line with your application in hand. And since 90% of the line was made up of couples applying for a marriage license, there was a rush to add your name to the newly discovered marriage license waiting list.

Do you see a clipboard or sign in sheet?

And THESE signs direct you to stand in
line after filling out your application!
NOTHING about signing in and waiting!

Luckily (or so I thought), Trevor and I secured our names to the list near the top, and sat down to wait our turn. But when they started calling names, they skipped ours. Two couples went before us that had both added their names to the waiting list AFTER us and were BEHIND us in line. Very annoying. I’m convinced it was the universe’s way of screwing with us.

After more than an hour of waiting, we finally made it inside. Ten minutes and seventy dollars later, we had our license.

Oy, vey!