How to Change Your Name

We had a monumentally terrible experience at the DMV trying to change our driver's license, but my husband wants to rant about that. So here is a phone conversation I had today with a representative at Green Mountain Energy (an otherwise fabulous company that provides our pollution-free home energy):

ME: Hi, I'd like to change the last name on our account to our new married name.

GM: You want to change your last name?

ME: Yes, and my husband's.

GM: I can change your name.

ME: OK, but we need to change his name too.

GM: Um, let me put you on hold.

pause

GM: Let me ask you a question. Why would we change his name? You didn't take his last name when you got married?

ME: No (trying to stay calm), we both changed our names, so his name is different. He changed his name too.

GM: To what?

ME: (sigh) We both hyphenated.

GM: Oh. Well I don't think we can change his name. We can change your name. We can only change the names to a legally married name.

ME: Right. That's his legally married name.

GM: Maybe if you faxed your marriage license? I can't just add a name to his name.

ME: But it's his name...

GM: Maybe I can talk to my supervisor, do you want to hold?


Argggh. It's just a hyphen, people. Chill!