Waiting

This is a sketch I did while waiting for something. It seems as though I've done a lot of waiting lately, and I've a lot of doodles to show for it. It is now a habit to carry a sketchbook & pencils. As soon as I queue up in a line, out they come and something appears on paper. Whether it is good or bad is not the question. The important thing is that I didn't fall asleep and lose my place in line.
But, I digress. On July 11, I paid my fee and started the application process for my residencia. After I waited in a queue or other extranjeros (foreigners) with the completed paperwork, I was told that they could not process the application there in Orihuela. I had to do it in Alicante. So I went there and after the mandatory "take a number and wait over there" was told that I had to bring in a marriage certificate that had been validated by the civil authorities in Pasig City, PI, then by the Department of Foreign Affairs (1 week) and the Spanish Embassy in Manila (4 weeks).
Once that had been done, the certificate had to be notarized anhd authenticated by the British Consulate in Alicante, then sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid (6 weeks)for a stamp. We then turned it in to the Guardia Civil who neglected to keep the copies we provided, so they sent us a letter to bring in the papers. This added 30 days to the standard 30 day wait, and once we got that straightened out, we were told to wait for a letter which would arrive in about thirty days with an appointment date to see the National Police for fingerprinting & photo submission. We finally did that ans were told that I could pick up my ID card in thirty days-in Orihuela where I started. That will be on December 15th.
Not bad-They let me stay in-country despite the maximum 90-day allowance for Americans. Aside from the waiting, the experience was a whole lot more pleasant than the manner in which Isabel was treated by the US government. Cheaper, by far, as well.
Other examples of waiting: "five minutes" for lost luggage in Barcelona took 4 hours. "Five minutes" for an e-mail with description of a substitute easel is currently passing the 4-hour mark. "next month" for internet connection took about three months.
I think I should buy a couple more sketchbooks.