Before the Blog: Enlightening the Airplane Lady

The name change process is coming along; we've both got our new driver licenses, and social security cards, we've opened a joint bank account in our new names, we've changed them on several other things and we're wracking our brains to think of what we've forgotten.

I had an interesting phone conversation with Continental Airlines this afternoon, trying to deal with the fact that we have plane tickets for a trip to Texas in January with our old names on them.

We were hoping we could change the names on the tickets, but the best they could do was make a note about it, so the ticket agent at the airport won't give us too much of a hassle. This poor woman that Italked to just wasn't getting it.

"I don't know what you mean by 'hyphenated.'"

At one point she said, "I'm still confused, but I'll document it anyway."

I tried explaining again, and the lady said,

"So both your names are this now? I don't understand - this is your traveling partner?"

"No, my partner partner - we're a couple."

"But this is a female, not a male?"

"Yes."

And later, "So, did you get married, or just change your names?"

"Well, we consider ourselves married, but not legally; we legally changed our names to reflect that."

Shrike was overhearing the whole thing from the other room, and came in to give me moral support; but what I needed most was a way to keep from laughing at this woman's inability to comprehend what I was telling her.

We can just envision her getting off the phone and telling her coworkers about the wierd call she just handled. Maybe they'll explain it to her!

So, we're not sure at all what kind of a note this woman added to our tickets, but hopefully our new IDs and our court orders will get us on the plane!