Put down that cat food, Eugene, and pass me the ammunition.

[kaigou]

1. Payroll calling me about filing insurance paperwork by EOD today. See #2.
2. The cable modem died last night in the wee hours.
3. Payroll calling to tell me to fax it, then. No landline. See also #2.
4. Two conference calls, and two deadlines tomorrow.
5. Coworker asking if I'll email the doc. See also #2.
6. Seventeen minutes and thirty-eight seconds on hold. See also #2.
7. I require chocolate. See all of the above.
8. An 18-yr old twit who not only said, "and that will open the black box," (to which I said, "ah, yes, more often known as the command line,") but also insisted on spelling out config and telling me what it meant. Listen, honey, I was fucking configging while your parents were still making eyes at each other in sophomore-year History class, got that?

Strangely, all that, before eleven in the morning..and I didn't even have a chance for caffeine before it'd all begun. So by the time I realized payroll's insurance form had squeaked in before the modem died last night, I was already beyond caring when I read through the one-page PDF. The usual, this info, that info, blah blah blah, until... If your last name is different from your spouse's, please explain.

Seriously, what the fuck?

I am sorely tempted to write, because we're not from Kentucky.

Comments

[branchandroot]

Or Ohio. I've had quite a few people refuse to believe Ken and I are married, because we have different last names. Troglodytes; they're everywhere.

[kaigou.livejournal.com]

I've had a few people call me by CP's last name, since that is -- like it or not -- the most common assumption. What cracks me up is when people call CP by my last name.

Hah.

[moffit.livejournal.com]

Don't you get a choice to keep you last name or take on your spouse's at marriage?

[kaigou.livejournal.com]

Depends on the state as to how much flex you have, but basically, yeah. Now -- in Virginia, each spouse could take the other's name (no difference), or hyphenate. Back when I got married the first time, it was me take his name, me hyphenate with his name, or me keep my name. For him to hyphenate (gawdz forbid even take my name, which he was rather inclined to do!), he'd have to pay the $200 and court whatnot to get a Very Legal Name Change.

It was pretty ridiculous.

[sihaya-chan.livejournal.com]

heh. i say do it.
*gives you chocolate*

[kaigou.livejournal.com]

I may possibly go with "My husband insisted on keeping his own name," but I may end up doing my (omg! very first!) first poll and asking for input. *snark*

[christeos-pir.livejournal.com]

I think you're being completely unfair...








... to West Virginians.

[dayglow-pirate.livejournal.com]

and Arkansasians

[elanivalae.livejournal.com]

And I would cheer mightily if you did, because I am so sick of that bullshit. Why the hell should we have to explain that?

[kaigou.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was pretty boggled when I saw it. Did more like a triple-take, really, because... wtf? I mean, seriously, whatthefuckover.

I don't think I've ever had anyone, for any reason, ask me to explain why I don't have the same name as a spouse. I've had plenty that's said, "if not the same as spouse's name, please list spouse's" and even more that don't even bother with the "if" -- it just requests both names.

Which is pretty ridiculous considering a) I don't even have any info on how much this insurance plan might/will cost me, b) I don't know if I'll bother depending on the contract's playout, and c) I bloody well wouldn't be insuring CP anyway -- he's got insurance through school!

[elanivalae.livejournal.com]

I think this is actually getting worse rather than better. I've been given the third degree by banks, insurance companies, leasing offices, and utility companies, among others. And you wouldn't believe the trouble we had with the gift checks from our wedding. You'd think it was 1965 or something.

[difrancis.livejournal.com]

"because we don't have the same last name" or "because our last names our different" or "because my last name is different than his."

Hey, circular logic is infuriating, but fun when you can use it back against them. Or . . . because my husband wanted to be independent and refused to change his name, or . . . because nafayah nitz lyctoz shuufel.

Di

[kaigou.livejournal.com]

bwaha, I wonder if I could fit that in the space... "my husband insisted on keeping his own name." That one might even lose 'em faster than the one about Kentucky.

[christeos-pir.livejournal.com]

The other question is why the only choice is your father's surname, or your husband's.

Uhh... not that I'm suggesting Lady Moonbeam Sycamore Unicorn-Pizzle, mind you.

[l-clausewitz.livejournal.com]

I would have written because we're not Egyptian royalty instead....

[kraehe.livejournal.com]

What elanivalae said -- I think there's a bit of a traditionalist backlash going on. The girls in my office who've gotten married have all taken their husband's names.

Well, of course, I did too, but then I didn't have a career established under my own name at the time, and -- the major factor in my decision -- I was going for a last name that strangers were less likely to mangle. I figured it was a tossup anyway; as CP said, it's either your dad's name or your husband's, so either way the patriarchy wins.

I'm very amused when people in reenacting circles refer to K. as "Mr. M___", since my book is pretty well-known.

My youngest sis kept hers. She and her now-hubby discussed combining their names, keeping the first letters of hers and the last of his, but didn't think the relatives would be that thrilled over "Satans". (g)

[meritjubet.livejournal.com]

Gah. Do they even have the right to ask that kind of silliness? Because it's your name and you like it that way, geez...

Though, generally people just ask me to repeat my name. 16 letters and a hyphen means I usually have trouble fitting it in some spaces.