Passport? No, but thanks for playing

Actually, I do have my passport in my hands!

Now to get it, I had to

• cancel my original flight ($200 change fee + higher fare for new flight)
• fly to Chicago ($200 fare)
• rent a hotel ($180 last minute rate)
• wait in line for over an hour two different times (once for the application and once for actually picking up the passport)
• and fly back to Minneapolis tonight.

I also had to pay another $16 each for new pictures and a new copy of my birth certificate. I am spending money to get around Chicago and am taking this whole day off of work.

I cancelled my first night in London ($28 charge).
My first Rome B&B cancelled on me because they had a pipe burst.
My hotel in Florence is expecting me on Tuesday night.
Airone is expecting me to fly out on Friday, that another $200+ that I may or may not be able to rebook.
Let's hope I get there.


Hey, Condi and the rest of the State department, thanks for taking my money and giving me nothing but lies in return! You could have just told me it wouldn't be here when I called the first time, back on April 30th. Or maybe you could have given me a real estimate of how long it takes. Stop lying to people and telling them they will have their passport in less than three months.

Due to the new requirements, don't expect to get a normal turn around on your appliation unless you expedite it. The last of the new requirements could go into effect as late as 2009. It's going to be a bad couple of years.