I just want my form signed...

So as many of you know, I have signed up to volunteer with 'Reading Partners' - a charity which sends willing volunteers like myself into schools to support children with reading.

I attended the orientation meeting a few weeks ago, where many of my fellow volunteers were still at school themselves; high schools seeming to have a compulsory programme where students should clock up a certain amount of volunteer hours in order to gain good college / employment places. We will all be following a programme of pre-written lesson plans, with objectives and targets and I have to evaluate each session at the end and possibly receive feedback as to how the session went (..and I'm doing this voluntarily?!)

In order to work in schools, however, I have to submit a 'Livescan' form (similar to a DBS check, I think) and a form to say I'm not a TB risk.

The 'Livescan' form was relatively straightforward; just visit a UPS store, pay $25 and have someone type in your name, physical description and place of birth. ("The form doesn't have UK for a place of birth - I can do Great Britain or England?") After that, I had to have my fingerprints taken - presumably to ensure that they don't match up with those that may be already on file. I was declared 'easy' which I guess means okay, and my form duly signed.

The TB form was a little more involved; I had to engage with the US Health System. Having eventually found somewhere which could see me within 3 weeks, the day came for my visit and taking along my photo ID (you can't do anything without photo ID), I was duly taken into a consulting room.

The nurse immediately took my height, weight, blood pressure, pulse and temperature. Then I had the usual interrogation into lifestyle, family health history and whether all my tests were up to date. Finally I was asked if there was anything else I wanted. "I just want someone to sign my TB form". The nurse took it and went out of the room coming back 5 minutes later to say that would be fine, could I fill in this mental health form and the Nurse Practitioner would be along shortly.

The Nurse Practitioner arrived. She listened to my heart and lungs and asked me all the same questions as the previous nurse. She then booked me in for 'blood work' as I didn't have up to date blood tests, said I could have my tetanus as well, declared me healthy and asked if there was anything else. "I just want someone to sign my TB form." She took the form, went out and the other nurse reappeared to give me my tetanus and that would be all. "But what about my TB form?" She disappeared and eventually returned with it...finally - 2 forms completed and submitted! I start my reading support tomorrow afternoon.

P.S.

No photo ID or appointment needed for blood tests - just wander in having fasted for 10 hours. Danny took 3 tubes of blood from me - I have lovely big veins apparently, and my results were emailed to my Stanford Health App that afternoon. I'm normal, you'll be pleased to know.