Transcripts!

So I sat at my desk thinking about it all day yesterday. I even made a call to TCC and UTA to make sure the Registrar people were going to be in to dole out and accept my transcripts to OFFICIALLY FUFILL MY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AT UTA. I even specifically asked the person I managed to get on the phone at TCC where I needed to pick up the transcript and she told me "The campus you attended." So after work I got in my car and instinctively headed home. I only realized my error when I was over committed to getting on the wrong highway, going the wrong direction. I think I even said aloud, "Mike, you are a moron" as I took the next exit and fought my way over to the right highway, going the right direction. It was still raining and people were driving like idiots. It was all I could do to stay calm as traffic came to a screeching (yes, literally) halt for no apparent reason. I finally made it over to TCC which is, according to a map, 19.5 miles door-to-door and it took me almost an hour. But I was fine...I was happy to finally be getting this done and proud of the fact I was making myself get it done regardless of the hassle.

I pull into the parking lot and notice an inordinate amount of vehicles there. Hmmm...must be like a teacher/administrator meeting or something today. I park and walk up to the building. I open the door only to realize all those cars were driven by people going to the exact same place as me. Ding...first day back for the registrar people...tomorrow is the first day of spring registration. DOH! Still...I'm calm, getting it done, yes! I get in a line that is by rough estimates probably 25 people long, but figuring that some of them are parents making sure their numbnut kids get registered for school I figured it wouldn't be bad. I was only last in line briefly until a guy in torn shorts and flip flops strolled up and inquired "is this the line for Dave Matthews Band tickets...duuuh?"

So I stand there for 30 minutes with TeenybopUSA yacking on her cell phone in front of me for THE WHOLE TIME about what...like oh my gawd...she was doing for spring break...and like...oh my gawd Brad is soooo mad a Chrissy...but like I told him...whatever! God kill me now. I entertained myself by counting how many times she said "like" in a sentence. So I FINALLY get to the counter where the registrar monkeys are and tell them I need a sealed official transcript to take to UTA. She says, "umm do you mean, like official?" "Yes, that's what I just said." (And I know that because I was standing there when I said it!) "Ok, you are going to have to go to this address" she says as she hands me a piece of paper with an address for a building in downtown Fort Worth. I can feel the big vein in my forehead bulging to capacity as I thank her through gritted teeth. Not her fault...I'm ok...getting it done...yes! As I walk away she says, "oh and they close at 4pm!"

BANG! The vein explodes, people are drenched, and I start taking hostages! No no no, that's old Mike...the 2005 model is muuuuuch calmer. So I rush to my car and get Al on the phone. I asked her to pull up MSN and get me a map to this address, but for some reason it was taking forever. She inquired about the situation so I unloaded the rant. As usual her soft response was, "baby I'm sorry, that's frustrating." I hung up with her and called my brother. He was at work and in front of his computer so he whipped up the instructions and I was on the road again speeding towards Fort Worth. I made it to the special transcript keeper building with time to spare and got my seal, official copy.

Now it was time to bomb over to UTA to get it to the graduation people before they closed at 5pm. Man this is really long. Long story long, I made it there and hand delivered it to one of the nicest, personable people I've ever met at UTA. I say this because most of the teachers, administrators, secretaries, and everyone else employed by UTA are a bunch of freakin morons! She announced that I had OFFICIALLY FUFILL[ed] MY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AT UTA and I would be receiving my diploma in the mail at the end of the month! WHOOOHOOOO! I was so happy I rushed over to give them some more of my money at the UTA bookstore. I looked through their alumni swag which really sucked and ended up just buying a shirt with the school seal on it. I'm a dork.

The point of the store is this...I had to go through ALL THIS to deliver a stupid envelope to a Texas college with a piece of paper in it that showed that I received credit for a class I took at another Texas college! How about we put information on a secure computer thingy somewhere on the interweb and other computer thingies at other colleges can transfer data stuff to and fro?!