The Other Side of the Coin

I am really very perplexed with our government officials. So far, everyone I have had to deal with for my stuff is nice. Something is very wrong with this picture.... believe me. I had to deal with them for the first five years I was here, and then again when I took citizenship after ten years. And they were anything BUT 'nice', and have tried to avoid any bureacracy since.

But today, I HAD to 'bite the bullet', as I thought, and apply for an early retirement. It is something the other place requires me to do. I have 'tried' to get this done last week, and as much as I wanted to, it went so against the grain, I would get up, try to get my act together and then come up with the dry heaves, it was criminal. Or the runs, and didn't trust myself to leave the house. It always gets me in the stomach...

So I kicked my ASS off out of the bed, and made myself 'presentable', and marched up there. And again it was take a number, and watch the billboard, but at least they have a bell tone there. Nicer, oh yes. I did not have to wait long, and get called to )))))rooom NINE((((( Hokay..
Fifty-ish man with a full beard, not so well groomed, but what the hey.... I wasn't there for husband-hunting, after all.

Him, (accusing tone) 'You've never been here before.'

Me: (gawd, AGAIN?) 'No, I saw no necessity, this came out of the blue. A friend of mine has been bugging me for years to get my work done, but I put it off.'

Him: (on the computer) 'Mr. B. We do not bite.'

Me: (really????? Since WHEN? and some of the paretheses are what I was thinking and didn't say.)

Him: I see you began working in Austria in 1973.

Me: 'WHA?' I began working on the first of November, 1976. That has to be a mistake. Or did I fill out a form wrong? I KNOW where I was in 1973. I was at the university in Salzburg.

Him: 'Does Gasthof zur Höllbrau ring a bell? You worked there two months.'

Me: 'oh. my. gawd. I had completely forgotten about that.' (It was horrible, I repressed it.)

He smiled and laughed. 'It's all here, and two more months to get you into complete retirement, and not a pittance. ' He was actually concerned that I get my full pension, and wants to see if I worked enough to get it counting my US time, and hinted he might move something to make it work.

The US and Austria have an aggreement. My time there counts on our pension plan. As is the two and one half months I worked for the Kempinski Hotel Betriebs gmbh. in Munich at the olympic village.

We got that quickly taken care of...

Now I have to do the rest via the Embassy in Vienna.

My consultant will do it. Thank whomever.

He wants me to get the most out of my pension.

He was nice and respectful.

So Wha' HAPPENED?'