Annoyed... Annoyed... ANNOYED!!

I haven't posted about this topic before because I guess I thought it would all work out and I could avoid some aggravation. Well, I'm totally ANNOYED! I'm so tired of people that show for work and then don't do their jobs. Last summer we reapplied to UCIS for the immigration approval for Lexi. The paperwork was lost and after months of first waiting for the new approval, we began the process of trying to find it. It was never to be found and we were due for a new home study so we began that process. It has taken FOREVER to get things done with the new home study! It took forever to get the appointment (every time you called, someone was always "out of the office" and then took forever to get back to us). We finally had the home study visit in April (and at that time were told that they had all the paperwork they needed from us) and within a few weeks approved the document, sent out our check for UCIS for the new application and for new fingerprints since ours will expire before we get the chance to go to China. So then we began the wait for the new approval letter. I wasn't really worried because I felt that we had plenty of time.

This is where I get CRAZY! Sometime since Geoff mailed them our check, he realized that the check had never been cashed so he began calling the home study agency. He called every day for over a week and FINALLY last Thursday got a call from them. At this time, he was told that they were missing the local DFACS clearance form. I hit the roof because we were told earlier that they had EVERYTHING. I could have done as I have done the previous 2 times and hand carried the document to them. I've even become quite friendly with the lady who does it. I called her in tears on Friday but she was out of the office and I just cried through my whole message. Part of my tears was frustration and the other was not feeling so well (I've been fighting some kind of virus I think). But persistence paid off and late Friday we hand carried the form and another supervisor filled out the form for us.

Now today, Geoff goes to work and faxes in the form to the agency in Atlanta. I went to work and on the way got a terrible case of chills and became so sick to my stomach I just couldn't stand up straight. So came back home, took Tylenol and went to bed. Then guess who calls????? The HS agency! Then she proceeds to tell me that they are now missing the I800 form from us. Our paperwork that we began for this update began in the winter and since then the Hague Convention has taken effect which meant a whole new set of forms. You know, you would THINK last Thursday as the woman goes through our information that had been sitting ON HER DESK for over a MONTH would have noticed!!!!!!! But no, the only thing missing then was the DFACS forms. Ugh!!!! And besides that don't you think that in April when they were drawing up the new homestudy report and looking over our paperwork they would have noticed that the once 2 page application that is now about 12 was the wrong one?? But you can bet they have cashed our check for their services a LONG time ago!

So I call Geoff and drag my sickly self out of bed and meet him half-way from his office to sign the papers so that he can now overnight them to Atlanta. I told her that we would be overnighting it because it is possible that by late summer we will have a referral. (The crazy lady just says "oh, that's really good"... as if she has no idea that we won't be ready if the paperwork issues aren't settled!) The Atlanta website says the processing time is 90 days. So let's do the math... if we were to be utterly surprised with an August referral, we won't have our paperwork at that time. If we get a Sept. referral and actually get to travel in October the ink will barely be dry on the document. This is a nightmare! After all this waiting, to be delayed going because of other people's inability to do their jobs is just like pouring salt in the wounds. We've been too patient in dealing with this agency. We accepted their excuses and just thought that time was on our side. I don't necessarily feel like we have a lot of time at this point. I'm VERY hopeful for a September referral... and of course would feel as if a miracle had occurred if it came in August. This is stressing me out and I'm very angry with all of these people (whoever they are) that have done their jobs half-way! We are checking to see if there is any way to expedite the paperwork in Atlanta but I'm not counting on it. I guess it is a good thing I did get sick this morning because otherwise I wouldn't have gotten a message from her until late this afternoon. I was planning on working in the school garden after work today. And that's another thing... she was supposed to be calling Geoff at work because he is more reachable than I am. He says she never calls the same number twice.

Okay, I guess I'm done venting... but you know you can't make this kind of crap up and I think I'm going back to bed.