Time for the Big Guns: aka I called my Daddy

And so the drama continues.

People are surprised that I am not yet in Korea, I am surprised that I am not yet in Korea and the big question on everyone's mind (including my own) is, "are you still going to Korea?".

Current status of things: After having all my documents lost in the mail, I began the process of restarting everything. This includes a Federal Background Check. Previously I had just gotten a state background check, because this used to be acceptable by the Korean government. Apparently regulations have changed and it is no longer acceptable.

Not a big deal, I went down to the Orem Police Station, had a couple of sheets of fingerprints taken, mailed them immediately to the FBI and waited. On the website it said that it could take at least 2 weeks and up to 4. I called them two weeks later and was informed that it takes FOUR WEEKS just for them to have recorded my papers. Now it's not like this is a particularly difficult thing to do, I could probably set up a system to scan people's papers into a computer and have it done in 30 minutes. But it is the government and I understand that they have no motivation to improve their system or provide customer service or get things done. (I had called their "customer service" line multiple times, but I think it should be more appropriately labelled customer abuse since they never provided me with any sort of service and instead I felt like crying when they were done talking).

I waited four weeks, while my future employer was wondering what the heck is happening, where are my papers, they need a teacher-- and soon. Pressure is on. I call them, they said it wont even think of being done until it has been in their office for SIX WEEKS.

*breath* Six weeks. Okay.

Then I get a letter from them stating that my fingerprints could not be processed by their machine and I will need to send them more fingerprints. So I go down to the Orem Police Station again, explain that the previous prints did not go through the machine. The fingerprinting technician took my prints again and then explained that because of the way my fingers are they will probably not be able to obtain fingerprints that can be read by the fingerprinting machine.

Okay, I have weird fingers. So I call the FBI customer abuse line and am informed that regardless of my finger abnormalities there is no alternative to the fingerprint check for this background check and I will need to continue sending them fingerprint sheets for the rest of my life. I can't take it anymore and I break down. I cannot stop crying. How embarrassing. Everything in my life has conspired against me and this is the last brick on my back-- I am broken.

Maybe this is some cosmic sign, I am not meant to go to Korea. I can accept that fact. Except when I pray about it I still feel like I should go. But how? There is no physical way for me to change my fingers. I contemplate using Anna's fingerprints, after all the only thing the Korean government needs is a clear background check and we both have that. In the end I call Jason Chaffetz's office-- my state representative. I am directed to the staffer for immigration and visa issues and I tell them everything. Unfortunately, they are not able to get past the wall of bad customer service at the FBI either, but they suggest a few things for me to do in order to improve the quality of my fingerprints:

• wear Vaseline and gloves at night for a few nights
• drink LOTS of water
• don't look when the fingerprints are being taken
• "milk" my fingers in order to bring all the blood to the fingertips

I do these things, get more fingerprints, send them with a kind note and called again today, once they should have received the prints. I have decided that if this doesn't work then I will quit. My body, brain, and soul cannot take the uncertainty any longer. If the prints work, great, I will send them to Korea and continue with my plan, albeit delayed. If they do not work, I will inform my future employer, regretfully, that I am unable to teach for them. Then I will accept life, find a job, and stop being in limbo.

Today I was told that it will take another 3-4 weeks to run my prints through the machine again. 

I can't take it. 

So I called my Daddy. After I sent the fingerprints last week he called me to say that he had heard about the trouble I was having and that he had some friends in the FBI who he could call and see if he could make things move a little faster. Although I don't know that there is anything that can be done, if anyone can make it work, it is my Daddy. He is known as the "maker of things getting done" and he has weird connections in high places. At least I wont have to wait six weeks for him to get back to me.

Dear Post Office

Dear United States Postal Service,

I have been very displeased with my service through the US Postal Service for the past few months. The first major incident was in September when my brother sent an iPhone from California to my home in Utah and when the package arrived the contents were gone, just a large, taped up spot on the front. When I reported this, the worker that I spoke with dismissed my concerns after she learned that the package was not insured, a service that my brother was never offered when sending the package. We reported this issue and after submitting an official request that this item be searched for, was never contacted again. This was a loss of about $150.

The second major incident was when my husband was sending a package through media mail to New York, this shipped in October. There were 54 magazines that he had sold on eBay and a few days after they were shipped we realized that the package must have opened, because a few of them returned to our address. Not all of them returned and we had to return all the money that the buyer had given us, because they had not received any of the magazines. This consequently cost us $90, the cost of the shipping, plus the sunk cost of the magazines. This was also very unfortunate because the packaging itself was approved by an employee at the postal office and we were told it was the sturdiest and best option for shipping.

The most recent incident was the most detrimental. I have been applying for a job in South Korea and after filling out and submitting all of the applications (background checks, apostilled documents, and passport copies included this was a cost of around $100) I went to the post office on November 5th and requested that it be shipped in whatever manner could assure that the documents arrived at their destination. I was assured that they would arrive in 5-10 days. I sent this document 1st class instead of priority or express because I was assured that first class mail should arrive just as securely.  20 days later, however, I was informed by my future employers that the documents never arrived and as my employers need time to file my documents for my visa, they may not arrive in time even if I am able to go about getting them filled out and sent again. This could cost me my employment.

This is unacceptable. I have never once been offered any sort of compensation or consolation for any of my loss and reporting issues has never had any impact on it either. I feel that if a service is paid for, i.e. delivering a package, then it should be fulfilled without having to buy all the add-ons, the add ons are for extra service, not the basic service. If I were to order food at a restaurant I would be given what I ordered, not told that because I didn't order dessert I wouldn't get my meal. I feel that my packages and envelopes should not be treated as disposable. If I wanted to rip up an envelope, put tape on it, and stick it my mailbox, I could do it without having to pay you to do it for me.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Pipkin

Things I enjoy

One summer I decided to be more thankful and so started to write thank you cards every week, including to companys that I appreciated. I started doing it again recently and have really enjoyed it.

Coupons from Earthbound Organic-- I buy their salad mixes, they are the only ones I can find with baby Kale

Winco's brand, HyTop gave me some generous coupons as well

The capitol

In celebration of having finally received and turned in my various papers that were needed for teaching in Korea, I decided to post some pictures from our visit to the capitol. We had to go in order to get a couple of documents "apostilled" (stamped with a letter that says they are real... and you pay $15 for each piece of paper). Daniel had never been, so it was fun.

I'll let you read between the lions on this one

I also made some delicious veggie sushi, one of my favorites.

It's a mystery to me

Things from the Fall

decorations from on our steps

we had too many brown eggs to fit all of them in our fridge

Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde--- it's a veritable whirlwind of mystery and suspense. In celebration of October, Halloween, and Daniel and my secret crush on Benedict Cumberbatch, we spent a lot of time watching scary movies and decorating things. What did you do?

Rice

Everytime that Daniel and I go into Winco we enjoy perusing the bulk items. Every week I try to get something fun and new for us to try out. We had been eyeing the "Forbidden Rice" for a while and finally broke down and decided to try some out. Then, after looking up recipes online, I was able to make something quite tasty.

recipe here

Hello Jade

Recently I have been watching my niece, and along the way I have taken a few pictures to illustrate her budding personality and some of the fun things we have been up to. If I had to describe Jade I would say she is: