I got up and walked Elsa. When I came home had my requisite two cups of water while I started investigating how I can get a copy of my marriage certificate. On the 23rd, I will be having a phone interview with the Social Security Department to confirm my relationship with Mike so I can claim his social security benefits, which are higher than the ones I get. Stupidly, I sent in a copy of our marriage certificate to another branch of the SS department that wanted evidence of our relationship so it can issue Mike’s March check to me. For March, we should both get our individual checks because Mike was alive on March 3. The SS department had issued the check, but our Raymond James sent it back because his account as already closed down. When the bank is informed of a death, they immediately shut down the account, so all incoming and outgoing transactions are canceled. I jumped right on this before I had considered the consequences. However, in our case, it wouldn’t have made much difference. Our financial advisor was well aware of Mike’s condition, and when he died. We were not anonymous in that organization.
I thought I was going to need another marriage certificate because I sent the first one without making a copy. Good work, girl. When I looked up the information on the Vital Records site, they wanted $100 for a marriage certificate. If I went directly to the Princeton Township site, it was only $25. I called the Princeton Health Department. The clerk guided me to the Princeton site so I could fill out their application. I had to provide proof of our marriage. Huh? Isn’t that what the marriage certificate does? What other proof do I have? The clerk asked if I had any documentation from the venue. I have the document we created that we had all the participants sign. It wasn’t a big group. But it says nothing about where we were married or for that matter that we were even married. It talks amount stepping into the stream of tradition, which we did after living together for 9 years. Will that do? I realize as I’m typing here, that we were also married in the Catholic church after I converted and before Mike was ordained. Maybe the church has some record of our marriage. I’ll check just to be aware of my options.
I cleared some items that Mike had lying around casually on top of his bureau. There was one of those travel purses. It was mostly empty but decided to look through it carefully. I found a certified copy of Mike’s birth certificate. I was going to order another one. That would have been a mere $125. I am expecting the SS to mail back the documentation I sent them, Mike’s birth certificate, death certificate, and our marriage certificate. But when?
I grabbed some pretzels as I headed out the door to Bikram. After yoga, I went to the bank to cash the remaining checks, one of which was a donation to Mike from a deacon. I dropped that off at the church and checked that the donations I gave were recorded as donations from me for tax purposes, and they were also credited as donations in Mike’s name. The total donations that had already come in were over $12,000. With what I brought in, it would be over $13,000. I’m invested in how much money is being collected in Mike’s name. What can I tell you?
Yesterday while I was at the parish office, I asked if Fr. Lio would be interested in having Mike’s framed diploma in Theology from Catholic University. Today, I got my answer, “Yes!” I had thought they could hang it in the room where he taught Bible study. The office staff told me he is planning to find a place for it in the new parish house they will be building. I was so excited, I called Damon right away to tell him. Mike was so proud of his accomplishment. I am glad that it will continue to receive recognition. Damon didn’t answer his phone, so I called Judy to share the good news. Later in the day, I called Fr. Lio to tell him how thrilled I was that his diploma was going to be hung on church property. I suppose sometime in the future, a new pastor will be assigned to the church who doesn’t have any idea who Mike was, and the parishioners who knew him will be dead or incapacitated, and the diploma will be taken down. But I will be one of the people who is gone. Hopefully, I won’t know anything about the final disposition of his diploma.
On my way home from church, I stopped at the vet to pick up food, pill pockets, and heartworm meds for Elsa. When I got home, showered, did MELT and used the Tiger Stick, washed my Bikram stuff, and hung it up on the line to dry. Then, I made my morning soup and worked on the blog while I drank it.
I called SS about the marriage certificate, asking them if they could tell me when they were going to send it back to me. I explained that I had this telephone interview on the 23rd and would need it then. The guy said he couldn’t tell me when they would send it back. It depended on when a clerk got around to entering my information into the computer. There must be piles and piles of comparable letters. He said once it was entered, the telephone interviewer would have access to the information. He said to keep the telephone appointment on the 23rd and figure it out from there if they didn’t have the information recorded, or I hadn’t gotten all the certificates back yet.
I was tired and wanted to take a nap. I did some ironing first, so it had time to dry, and I could get another one in after I got up and before the sun was too low for the solar panels to produce electricity. I love being retired, and at home, so I can go down for a nap whenever I feel tired. I don’t have to power through anymore. Napping and housekeeping are two new hobbies of mine now.
Yesterday a package arrived from Cylin with presents for Elijah and Sariah. I called B. to tell him I put them on the front hall table and to pick them up whenever he wanted to.
I woke up from my nap with huge bites on the fleshy parts of my body, my rear end and thighs. I get them from sleeping on the sofa. I finally figured out that if I get them, it is time to vacuum it. I believe spiders make their home in the cushions and feast on me.
Mike used to say I got these bites because I worked outdoors. Before we moved here, he had grand plans of being Farmer Ross. He and I would work together in the garden. When he got here, he discovered there were centipedes and mosquitos in Hawaii. He hired a gardener on the spot.
I woke up hearing someone yell, “Hello!” I said, come on in. I was just waking up from my nap and not interested in getting up yet. The man said he was here from the electric company to change my meter. We had a very low electric bill last month. Josh thinks they think there was a problem with the meter rather than three out of 5 property residents were in Oahu at the hospital.
I quickly ironed another sheet before Judy came over to visit. As I was ironing, I heard rain and ran out to get Bikram stuff off the line. Whenever there is a breeze, the rustling of the palm fronds sounds somewhat like rain. Mike and I were confused for quite a while. Now, I know the difference after the first few drops. The rhythm is different.
Judy came, and we yakked for over an hour. Our minds are similar, and we love discussing and sharing ideas. After she left, I made a few more blog entries, and then I walked Elsa. When I came home, I sat down to write again. Josh came in the door with a large-sized pizza box.
Yvette had pushed for pizza, and he was offering me a slice. Could I have two? The pizza was still slightly warm. Time to drop everything and make dinner. I ate the last of the salad I had prepared and the two slices of pizza. One slice would have been just fine. Then I got to work on the books, cataloging them. I watched the rest of the Martin Clunes series Manhunt. Clunes is one of Jean’s favorite actors. She’s got me watching everything he ever did.
I’ve got these last lines down to copy and paste: I walked Elsa, washed my face, brushed my teeth, went to bed, and then said, “Goodnight, Elsa. Goodnight, Mike.”
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