A Couple Of Hours

So I get to the Social Services office this morning about 7:15am - expecting it to be like the DMV... people lined up around the building. To my pleasant surprise - there isn't even anyone parked in visitor parking and only one other couple in the office when I get inside. So I explain that I'm not sure what I'm doing - I'm trying to get some information and the woman explains the she will "try" to get a supervisor to come out and talk with me. How nice. So I wait 15 minutes - and a very nice woman comes out and gives me some information - some of which I swear was Greek - but she encourages me to apply to see what my mom qualifies for. So I go back to the window - get the paperwork - fill it out - not too bad so far - take it back to the window and she says that I now need to wait for the interview. Ok - I ask about how long that will be and she says "a couple of hours". I would have loved to have seen the expression on my face at that point - because all I can think is "you have got to be f***ing kidding me - what on earth are they doing with the paperwork that takes 'a couple of hours'?!" I wasn't quite prepared for that... so I ask her what happens if I can't stay. And she tells me that I would need to come back and reapply on another day - but will still have to wait the couple of hours. Lovely - my tax dollars at work! So - I left - went to the car and cried. I just was not prepared to spend that much time in their office watching their version of the food channel - I didn't have a book to read, I didn't bring my IPOD and I didn't have my phone to call work and let them know that I would be even later than I originally thought - because 'a couple of hours' to me, translates to 'most of the day'! So I guess I'll take a vacation day tomorrow and try it all over again! Yippee...