"I see no reason not to grant your petition."

You are reading the words of the newly minted Maura Catherine. The surname remains the same.

I'll admit my hands were shaking when I signed the form, but it wasn't out of trepidation, I assure you. As I finished handing everything in to the clerk & paying, I almost left my driver's license on the counter. A lady picked it up and, seeing me from behind, called me ma'am. Perfect.

The nitty gritty: it took me

• $160 - yes, it's supposed to be $150, but they don't make change so I got a couple of extra certified copies - and
• 75 minutes, including 30 minutes spent waiting for the judge to return from lunch to
• the NE district court house in Redmond

I've been grinning like a fool ever since I left the court house.