In California, I couldn't get away with just my NY license, I had to show a birth certificate or passport and, annoyingly, the name on my license had to match it exactly, so, even though I just wanted to use my middle initial, like every other document and credit card I carry around, I had to use my whole middle name.

This was the problem I had. I use my middle name, on everything, even my taxes (!), but my NJ driver's license had my full legal name (which was the beginning of all my name troubles), and Virginia DMV wanted me top prove that the person with THAT name lived at my address. They wanted a utility bill, and wouldn't accept any of mine because they came to Elizabeth Lastname, not Firstname Elizabeth Lastname. I finally had to mail myself a letter, using my full name, to my old address in NJ, to get it back with the Post Office yellow sticker that showed the new address. THAT, the VA DMV would accept. They wouldn't accept bank statements, nothing, but that yellow sticker did it. RiDICKulous.

Right, you don't have to be a citizen to get a drivers license, just a legal resident.

Which I guess was their point, but still.

I've been advised to change my name legally to the way I want to use it, and I guess I will, but it irks me that I have to jump through legal hoops because my chosen name doesn't fit in the liitle boxes. It's not like I made up an entirely different name for myself!

The whole needing a SS card has made us think about whether or not I really want to legally change my name to Jon's.

A friend of mine recently capitulated to familial pressure and finally changed her name to her husband's. She said she regretted it because it's been such a pain to change everything. At least the new name is easier to pronounce. I haven't changed mine yet basically because I just don't want to deal with it.

Also, if you haven't done audiobooks while driving before, I highly recommend getting a book you enjoy that you've already read. Otherwise, I find them distracting, especially when not used to driving while listening.

I forgot to mention this -- if I'm the driver, it HAS to be a book I've already read, or I'll drive right into a ditch because I've gotten sucked into it. David Sedaris almost killed me on a drive to Mansfield one time. Me Talk Pretty One Day should have a warning label on it.

11 most overrated things. Looks mostly like someone trying to get a reaction.

I still fail to get the changing names thing, especially later on in the game and if you don't have kids. But then again, I don't get engagement rings either, so a lot has passed me by.

I have a craving for a tuna salad sandwich with extra pickles.

I hate tuna salad.

Weird.

The only reason I ever even used hub's last name was because I was in college at the time and the registration line is shorter if you're a B than if you're an M.

Heh - I did the same thing. Freelance search engines that sort alphabetically are much kinder to A names than K's.

Brostitutes with Tim Roth.

"LOL" is the only appropriate response.

One of the only reasons I wanted to get married for a long time was the changing my name thing. I figured it would be hard to do worse. This is probably why I'm still single.

I still think about changing my name to my Mom's maiden name, but, although easier to spell, no one here would pronounce it right anyway. And you can't officially change your name in France, so paperwork would be a nightmare.

I changed my name, but I never officially changed it with SS, and it still causes problems unless I use First Name Maiden Name Last Name for pay and other tax purposes.

I wouldn't want to change my middle name for my maiden name though. I like my middle name-it's sort of after my grandfather, just taking off the first letter from his and adding 2 other ones. My kindergarten teacher kept telling me I was spelling it wrong.

In New Jersey, to get a license, they now have a 6-point ID system. There's a pamphlet listing a ton of different types of ID, in two categories (I can't remember what kinds are in which category), and each type is assigned a certain number of points, and you need to have at least one form of ID from each category, with points that add up to six. I think that last time I had my old license, birth certificate, credit card bill with the right address on it, and maybe one other thing.