...the passport saga...

So, last Tuesday I flew to Chicago for the day to apply for a rush passport seeing as how someone (I'm thinking the passport agency) lost my previous application. I had the fun task of stopping a check, reporting a passport lost, and still worrying about all the documents that have all that information "they" warn you to guard just floating about somewhere.
I flew into Midway, and hopped on the orange line of the L. I was excited, because I had yet to ride the L in Chicago! I got to take in the snow that was falling from a very warm, seated position. I got out at the LaSalle Station, and walked around looking for food, and getting my bearings. I ended up in a little Middle Eastern cafe, and snacked on some lentil soup and a spinach feta pie while reading my book. Afterwards, I still had plenty of time until my meeting, but I decided to make my way to the Federal Building anyway, just to locate it. It was a very short walk...Chicago is pretty easy to get around! I wandered the blocks surrounding the building looking for someplace warm to hang out. I ducked into a bookstore for a bit, then found a seemingly fancy Italian cafeteria/espresso bar inside the Bank of America building. Everyone was a suit...I was not, but didn't care. I enjoyed a cafe mocha and took in more of my book (which is "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by the way...Meade was reading it over Thanksgiving, and I finally picked it up.)
After my coffee, I decided it was close enough to the meeting time, so I headed up to the 18th floor of the Federal Building, got my number, and waited to be called up to a window. I was surprised with how many people there are who need their passports within 14 days. I made it to a window, shoved all my papers at them, grudgingly wrote a check, and was assured that it would be mailed to me and would probably arrive on Saturday.
Then I gave Meleah a call to just say hi, since I was in her city. She was on her way to work, but we had a nice chat, filled with much laughter! After that, I figured I might as well head back to the airport. I got back on the orange line, and it took me around the whole loop, which was very cool. I scuttled up to the ticket counter once I made it to Midway, and discovered that I could probably make the 3:00 flight if I hurried, instead of waiting for my 5:00 one. I took as many moving walkways as I could. I considered for a minute just waiting for my original flight so I could check out the Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlor, but then I decided I would much rather get back home sooner than later. So...made the flight, Jer picked me up, we had an early dinner at the Jayhawk, and made it home in plenty of time to catch America's Next Top Model!

As of yesterday, I have still not received my passport!!! I gave them a ring, and they said that they mailed it that day...by regular mail...not priority...not express...so...I wait, and hopefully it will make it in time for the trip. If not, we go to New York and hope it arrives with enough time that Johnny can overnight it to us...if not that...then obviously the Gods must not want us to go. So...I am pretty sure that it will arrive in plenty of time, and we will have a great trip! Be positive, be positive.
If you need a passport, I suggest sending the request many, many months in advance, because they need plenty of time to pull their heads sloooowly out of their asses.