Fingerprints

Well, this is the husbadn. My lovely-life-partner is on her way to sunny Florida, so I thought I would check in. We did get fingerprinted today. All in all, the actual experience took 30 minutes, according to the parking meter. We got there, parked, and made our way through security. Up the elevators and down the hall and we were at the Immigration and Naturalization office. My wife kept remarking afterwards how she felt sorry for those people who worked there: Coming every morning to a drab, dark, block building, working in a office area for 8 hours, standing most of the time, no color on the walls anywhere, and to top it off, no plants on any desk. We had to fill out a sheet of basic information when we checked in (15 minutes early) and then they checked it over and look at our social security cards and driver's licenses. The admitted us one at a time and we got fingerprinted. Just a piece of Plexiglas that they spray with water and an infered or laser scanner for your fingerprints. They even move your fingers for you to make sure they get a good print! Go figure. Can you imagine having that job? Standing up for 8 hours, spraying water, and moving peoples fingers...Ugh! They have my sympathy. I'm sure they get all kinds in there.

It was more interesting this time than when we got fingerprinted of the local sheriff's office for the state criminal record check. This time, we could actually see the computer screen and see our fingerprints jump out before us. My poor wife had trouble. The fellow helping her tried several times with each finger to get a good prints. Apparently, part way down her fingers, my wife's fingerprints disappear. The ridges get so low, it's as if she burned the print off. They've always been that way, as far as I can tell. You know, it's amazing the things you learn about the love of your life, even after 8 years of marriage and 4 years of dating before that! You can live and sleep by someone for years and still not know everything about them. Almost scary when you think about it!

Everyone was nice and we were in and out. So the actual appointment took about 1/12 the travel time. But, a necessary sacrifice on the journey of adoption, I suppose. Oh, and the lady in front of us in line was born in Iraq and was seeking US citizenship! Very cool.