Did I do something BAD in a former life?

Please read the warning before reading this post!!

WARNING
If you have any idea what a Russian Dossier is, then please know that the following post can cause shock or extreme laughter which COULD result in a trip to the E.R.
You have been warned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(for those who don't know what a Dossier is: it's a pile of all the documents needed to send to the Russian Gov. to get a child. Included are dozens of notarized and original papers (marriage certificates, home study) and the all the apostilled forms that can only come from the state capital (in my case Harrisburg) that tells the Russian Gov. every notary mark is a real notarization. There are about 25 documents that needed to be apostilled and each one costs $15. yep... that's $375 just to say the notary is real!! )

Well, all weekend I waited for the e-mail telling me my agency received all the documents. The e-mail (s) came! This is where it starts to get blurry. All I remember is opening the latest of the first two sent and seeing something along the lines of "only 20% is readable" and then the word "DESTROYED" popped into sight. I immediately picked up the phone and called the agency director! "Olga, I got the e-mails, my hands are shaking, please explain what happened?"
She agreed her hands were shaking too. She couldn't believe her eyes. It seems that somehow during shipping another package leaked perfume into the overnight envelope. Not only did the documents have a strong odor, many were wet and unreadable. I could not believe my ears.!!!

Immediately I called my mother, (I admit I had a meltdown!!) then I called the social worker to see if I could get all new copies of the home study and social worker packet. Meanwhile., Olga, the agency director told me that she was scanning as much as she could to the contact in Russia so translation could begin. But she wasn't sure how many documents would even be able to be scanned. She would have to wait for them to dry!!! So I had to wait for another round of e-mails.

While I waited, I called my husband. Although I think he handled it pretty well, he did question why I didn't get insurance on the package. I told him the guy never asked me, HAD HE ASKED... I WOULD HAVE SAID YES.. but because he was sooooo excited about how they could overnight to Alaska, he forgot to ask. And while I'm usually good with details like that, I was emotional as I mailed the dossier. After all, I rushed around all day and then mailed it. I was thrilled, excited, in the moment, proud of myself!!! So like I said had he asked, I most definitely would have said yes to insurance. But he never asked and I walked away thinking everything was done. So Olga is mailing us the unusable stuff and the post office WILL-- I say WILL reimburse us the standard $100.

Meanwhile, the third batch of e-mails came. Olga says that I only have to get one dossier packet and a page or two apostilled.( so the number went from 25 to 15. -- and at $15 a page that's a savings of $150). According to the contact in Russia the Dept. of Education (the folks who have custody of all orphans) will accept "SEMI-DAMAGED" pages. However the courts won't. SO I have to redo all the court papers, but she can submit some of what she has to the MOE/DOE with the translation. (I hope the perfume was a nice one!!)

So it's another wait zone for me. I will start recollecting everything tomorrow. I will be able to pick up the social worker's packet on Wed. and I pray by Thurs. I will be able to head to Harrisburg. Olga said she'd like to have all the new documents by next Monday (give or take a day). And yes they will be insured and sealed in plastic and whatever else I think of between now and then to make sure they are safe.
So as the saying goes... where there's a will there's a way. I just seem destined to take the long way!!

Warning is over, but please take a deep breath and check your pulse.