Though there is a lot of catching up that needs to be done, I feel as though this recent event should be voiced.
A number of years ago, I lived in California with my parents and spent a whopping four years before heading to college in Wyoming-for those of you who don't know, this is a state. Pronounced Why-o-ming. Yes, we have electricity, you can still ride horses, they do use cars and no, we do not hate gay people. While in the awesome Cowboy State, I attended the university, got a degree, made some college driven poor decisions, became a resident of the state and attempted to make a life for myself.
Now becoming a resident of Wyoming, logically that means no longer a resident of California. Not to mention the copious amounts of change of address forms I filled out what seemed like once a year would also indicate, California, no longer in the picture. License, license plates, permanent address the whole thing. Now, yes my parents were still listed if anything should happen to me so I can understand if the blondes of California might have gotten confused with all of this.
After spending quite some time in Wyoming, several plus years, I picked myself up and moved here to Oregon where I have lived almost happily for over a year now. And yes, there are tons of hippies here, no not everyone smokes pot, yes it rains quite a bit and no every month does not have a parade, but close.
Recently my family took a month long vacation to Europe leaving the mail situation up to a friend of the family. Obviously opening other people's mail is against the law so yes, a months worth of mail piled up. Upon my dad's return he found a jury summons for me. We had gotten one of these before and simply replied with the fact that I no longer lived in the state nor was I a resident. This one however was followed up with a threaten to fine thousands of dollars and/or imprison me for not filling out the paperwork. Paperwork which had just been opened. Now for clarification, had I been younger and unemployed, hell yes, I would have been with my siblings and folks on this trip. So regardless, yes I would have gotten the second notice anyway.
The thing that baffles me is, I have not lived in California for almost 8 years now and not been a resident for almost 5. Do states call dibs even when their residents leave? Now, when trying to fill out the paperwork because now they give this handy option where you can do stuff on the internets now, I was denied, unable to identify. And they want me to fill out boxes from the paperwork they sent me...yes the paperwork I can't actually see but thank goodness for my dad coming home early to relay information.
So, in order to get out of this sticky situation, I need to talk to a Jury Clerk or Administrator at a the number provided during the designated time frame. Would you like to know how much time they give you? One, uno, 1, un HOUR. Now let's take a look at this. An hour-for the entire state of California to call in to provide hardships, changes, other information and more than likely to bitch out the clerk. Luckily, my last employer had to let people go so now that time frame has become available right after my other job and only during the hours when everywhere I need to run errands is open.
I have to say, this is probably the most efficient way to get things done.
There is no tip for today rather, I very rarely, if at all complain about our system. And though this seems very miniscule to what some of our other problems may be in this country, this one made me want to go find that California Grizzly Bear and punch him in the kidney. Being resident of another state not a good enough hardship for you? You'd like to pay for my two week trip from here, stay and back? Well you just wait til I go punch that bear. But California, in all seriousness, about 12 years ago I lived in Michigan, could you please start sending all my important documents there?
