Beitlers in NYC

There are some things in New York that are just more difficult. For instance, there is a drug store every other block, but in every single one of them there is a long line. This is also true with grocery stores. Especially the good ones. And in the good ones, not only do you have to wait in line, but you also have to battle your way through crowded aisles. You don’t fully understand the meaning of combat shopping until you have braved Fairway Market, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s on a Sunday in New York City.

In addition to crowds and lines, you also have to deal with empty shelves and shortages of products. In the case of our Upper Westside adventure this week, the shortage wasn’t of products, but of notary publics. Thanks to the bureaucracy of the Washington State Department of Licensing, we needed to get something notarized then mail it to Washington. Seems simple enough. Just as with drug stores, there’s a bank every other block. But some things in New York are just more difficult.

Bank 1: Notary public’s day off – Great
Bank 2: Notary public with another customer for at least 25 minutes – F#*& (remember its hot, humid, and we’re on foot)
Bank 3: Notary public at lunch – You’ve got to be f#*$ing kidding me
Bank 4: No notary public at this location – Huh?
Bank 5: Our saving grace. Multiple notary publics, one actually available. Can you hear me sighing? He didn’t even charge us!

Next stop…the Post Office. Guess what we did there? Yep. We waited in a long line. At least it was normal and expected!