Certified Apostilled Crazy

My background check was ready today, so I took it along with my diploma and copy up to Atlanta to the Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, Notary Division. It is just inside the perimeter east of I-85 N (translation, about as far from me as you can get and still be in metro Atlanta). The Mapquest directions were correct, though it's a pretty straight shot.

First problem: the official background check I got from the notary girl at the Sheriff's Office, for which I paid ten bucks, stamped ORIGINAL, was not properly done, and I needed to get it notarized. Even though the office I was at is labeled "Notary Division", they do not provide notary services.

Second problem: My copy of my diploma was not accompanied by a notarized statement from the copier. I told the guy they would not notarize it at the time, because they were not present when it was signed--that would be by the President of the University and the Provost.

He said they should have given me a certification statement. I said, I guess they never heard of that. He said, I guess not. I said, still, any fool can plainly see that the copy is an exact, letter-for-letter copy of this original, I helpfully brought along, right here. However, it turns out the purpose of apostille is only to certify that the notarizing or notarized certifying previously done is, uh, certified.

Whatever. I went off in search of a notary, and thanks to the helpful receptionist, was directed to the bank two buildings down in the office complex. I could walk. It took the nice young man there about half an hour to fix me up, but fix me up he did--including a new photocopy of my diploma. Shortly thereafter, my documents were appended with yet another piece of paper, the apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 Octobre 1961), this one with an embossed gold foil seal, making them official as all get-out.

On the way back, I had hoped to stop and eat on Buford Hwy NE--there is a concentration of Korean restaurants in the 5000 to 8000 blocks. On the way north, I made sure to double-check the exit: 86; I was going up to 91, so it would be an easy stop. Problem, there was no Buford Hwy or exit 86 going southbound! I was hoping to try the bulgogi and try out the Korean I've learned. Chogun-yo. (A little bit.)

So then I decided to stop at the mall in Union City for a gyro. Turns out, the Gyro place is closed, and there's no bookstore in there anymore either. Fine, I went to TacoMac where at least they'd have the Germany-Turkey game on the big screen. Well, to the extent anyone could. I ate something called Peachtree Hills BBQ chicken, but the less said about it, the better.

Still, it was an amazing finish. Turkey had taken an early lead, but held it only 4 minutes until the Germans tied. The close (or Klose) of the match saw Germany go ahead 2 - 1, Turkey equalize and then Germany score again all in the span of ten minutes. And of the five goals scored, four fit my theory of Big Five--well, it's not my theory, but one to which I subscribe. You can read about it by clicking here and here, but only as long as this section of the site stays up.