using my powers only for good

i have jean's power of attorney while she is travelling, so that i can do things like dispense money to contractors and repairpersons. this week, one such repairperson presented himself at jean's bank to cash a check drawn on her account. "oh no" said the bank manager, "we must protect our valued customer, ms. sirius, by speaking with her to verify that this check is valid." "she's not available", says i. "but we must speak to her", says he.

we continued in this fashion for a while. eventually it became evident that i would have to go to the bank and smack them with a rolled-up power of attorney to make those checks cashable by the hapless repairdude.

what. ever.

it took two trips and about an hour and a half of faxing and explaining and presenting identification at the bank, but eventually i was electronically designated as having POA over jean's checking account (bwahahahaha, world domination can't be far) and then...

the bank lady prints out a form, highlights it in two places, and says brightly, "so, just have jean sign here, and here, and then you're all set."

uh huh. i grind another millimeter of enamel off my teeth, and say quietly, "jean. is. not. available."

the bank lady looks defeated. i slump in my chair, thinking many bad words which only my southern upbringing prevents me from saying out loud.

then it hits me like a thunderclap. i sit up, smile beatifically, brandish the POA one more time, and say, "this of course gives me the authority to sign legal documents for jean" and i sign jean's name in two places, and then sign my own name in the final place, and for a long moment the bank lady looks at me wide-eyed.

and then she smiles, a broad and generous smile of shared delight at the cleverness of that solution, and she takes the little piece of paper and puts it in her file and says "have a nice day, ms. carroll."