I'll remember September 29th for a long time.
5:45am - Alarm. Get up, shower, get ready.
6:45am - Too nervous to eat so I just walk the 4.5 blocks to the courthouse.
7:05am - Meet with my lawyer and the other three getting name and marker changed.
7:15am - Head to judge's chambers.
8:00am - All done in chambers. Court order for name and gender marker change on state id is done!
8:05am - Wait in cafeteria for Clerk of County Courts office to open.
8:30am - Clerk's office opens, request 5 certified copies of my order, pay, pick them up.
8:55am - Back at hotel, calm enough now to snag the continental breakfast. Glad I did because what came next was boring...
9:30am - Check out of hotel and drive to Social Security office. Get in line, just to get inside the building.
11:10am - Finally inside and allowed upstairs to the waiting room, where I get a number and wait.
12:25pm - Number gets called. Clerk is cheerful, helpful, and very swamped (all of them are).
12:40pm - SSA letter is in hand with name and gender marker changed in SSA systems. New card should arrive in a few weeks. I depart, driving to DPS.
1:09pm - Check in at DPS.
1:35pm - Number called, apparently new clerk who asks the supervisor about my court order and I overhear her say (very friendly tone) "Oh yes, we do these all the time. We did two others this morning." (That would be two of those I went with this morning.)
1:48pm - Done, congratulated by the clerk, paid for the license update and renewal (I renewed now instead of next year just to save me the hassle when she offered, and I'm glad she did). Depart DPS and head back home.
All in all, a very busy day! I need to drop off documentation at work, and begin contacting banks and credit card companies to start. There's a lot more than that too so I'll be busy with this over the next several weeks I am sure.
But... As of today, I am legally (F)emale and my name is now Cara Elizabeth R*****. No more "90% time". Now I'm full time.
