Documents to the Consulate & Embassy

Well yet another step has been completed, we've brought or sent most of our dossier to the Chinese Consulate/Embassy for authentication. This is the final step for the majority of our dossier paperwork and we are looking forward to having it completed. It really is nice to be able to check items off our list and see that progress is actually being made.
The entire document authentication process strikes me as an experiment in trust or lack thereof. Months ago we began the process of collecting our entire life in paper format. Documents such as birth and marriage certificates, medical reports, police reports and employment letters layed across our dining room table. Each of these document were notarized with their spiffy little seals, all looking so darn official.
It was not until I began the process of authentication that I realized what an "official" document actually looks like. You see, an "official" document in reality consists of between 3 to 5 documents stapled together. With each new layer costing between 2 and 20 dollars and taking between 2 minutes and 20 days to obtain.
It appears that before a document can go to China our local county has to recognize our notary. Then the state must recognize the county who just recognized the notary. However being I live in Maryland, the Secretary of State (Condi Rice) needs to recognize the state that just recognized the county which just other day recognized the notary. After that I can finally go to the Chinese Embassy where they will take several days to recognize Condi who recognized Maryland who recognized the county who recognized the notary who just happened to recognize me.
Once this is all completed you have in your hands one truly official looking document(s). Just a few months ago I thought that the paperchase phase was all about ordering documents. Actually its more about chasing down various county, state, U.S. and Chinese officials to say, "Were the Rowledge's, don't you recognize us?"