So apparently getting a legal name change (in NY) is more involved than I was lead to believe. I don't just need a petition, but also an Application for Judicial Index Number and a Request for Judicial Intervention (in triplicate). To make things worse, these forms don't make any sense, like as in I don't understand what needs to go where.

On the other hand, I took the day off, so I got to have lunch with one of my friends who I haven't really hung out with in a while. So it was ok, overall.