Sorry for the delay.. We promised to tell you where we went last night, but there was a lot going on, so we weren't up for blogging last night. Yesterday was a long day, because we've been working on helping Pops with his VA benefits, and yesterday was the day we went searching for documentation of everything. No, he doesn't have any of it, and he really doesn't remember what he did where, so it's been easier to just investigate - not easy, but easier.
Downtown Greensboro is pretty cool. Much more cosmopolitan than I thought. It looks a lot like Charleston - at least for a couple blocks! In fact, my sister's office is directly across the street from the historic Woolworth's from the lunch counter protests during the Civil Rights movement..
Luckily, most of the data could be retrieved at the Guilford County Courthouse in Greensboro. Funny part is, even though I lived in nearby Trinity, North Carolina, I'd never been to downtown GSO... Even funnier, it was the only place I didn't get lost! Why? Because I used Mapquest in advance. Everywhere else, I thought I knew where I was.... but not quite.
Actually, the hardest part about the Courthouse was figuring out where everything was, but we got through it pretty quick. But the day was just starting with the three hr trip there. I took a lot more pics, but they didn't seem to all download from my phone. It turns out my sister works 2 blocks away, so we stopped by, but she had clients during lunch, so we made a beeline to our old stomping grounds in Randolph County...
Trinity High School - it's looking just as crappy as when I graduated 26 years ago!
I hate to say it, but I can't remember the last time I stopped by my Mom's grave. They keep the place up very well though....
The embarrassing part about yesterday is how many wrong turns I made in places I used to drive though. Yes, I have GPS in my car and on my phone, but I never use them until the shit hits the fan. The first two booboo's were easy - I forgot I-85 splits in Greensboro, and they redid the exit for the road that goes through Trinity. I had to go to Columbia to drop the paperwork off, but Charlotte was where it got real effed up...
I always came into Charlotte from the South, where I-85 and I-77 just cross and exit. From the North, you HAVE to go from I-85 to 485, then get onto I-77. The mile markers made me think I was well North of the city, so I didn't get an idea until I saw the 'Gaffney 20 miles' sign that I was WAAAAAAYYYY off course. Then I busted out the GPS, and saw the only way to Rock Hill was through side roads that I'd probably get lost on. So, I backtracked 30 miles to Charlotte, and onto Columbia.
Now, the final insult of my own stupidity... I went to my Dad's assisted care facility, and gave the death certificate and divorce papers from my Dad's spouses, then came home.. 475 miles in 10 hours - all starting an ending in Florence. Then the VA advocate asked where the main packet was? Well, it was in the folder I had been walking around with all day yesterday - and I forgot to leave it! So, after all of this, I now will be jumping back in the car to go to Columbia again.. Man, I am stupid!
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3 comments:
You couldn't scan it and email it to them? Even the IRS accepts electronic documents.
Rochester--see what happens when you take off on a road trip with the proper planning?? LOL!! Granted its not the old Rolls but remember the Toyota needs to be washed/cleaned/waxed...Jack Benny
Apparently, the VA is pretty strict. I offered the VA advocate to fax it, and they need original copies. So rather than pay to FedEx it, I drove the hour to give it to him. As far as the trip to Greensboro, there's a time frame on all of this, so waiting a week to get the copies would possibly slow OK'ing the claim a month if not done by May 31st..
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