Kaizen Chaos

I think I about gave myself an ulcer this morning. While double and triple checking that things are in order for our upcoming cruise on SUNDAY I failed to find the paragraph I swear I read not long ago that stated you could bring a certified copy of your birth certificate in lieu of a passport. Instead, it said they HIGHLY RECOMMEND you bring a passport or proof of application, neither of which I have… About to pass out at work over this deal, I told the secretaries I had to take care of this very important issue and I’d be back as soon as I could. Off I went to get my birth certificate and passport photos at home that I’ve been sitting on because I didn’t think I absolutely NEEDED a passport quite yet. (And it is SO not like me to procrastinate on important things.) Grabbed my folder of info and sprinted to the post office. After waiting in line for what seemed like forever, when I got to the front of the line they directed me down the hall to another room. Great.

Went down the hall, waited for the guy to get off the phone and allow me into his office. Sat down, gave him all my stuff and he seemed to breeze thorough the application. Huh, I thought. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all. He has me sign, he signs and stamps the last page and tells me how much to write my checks for and to whom. Good deal. Almost done. Then he says I’ll get my certified birth certificate back with the passport. Uhhhh, wait a minute…I’m gonna need that to get on the cruise in two days. Now I feel like an idiot, like I’m one of THOSE people who waits until the very last minute and cries ‘poor me’! (This is only partly true, I swear I was 100% certain I already had everything I needed.)

The postal worker tells me I can run across the river to Iowa and buy another certified copy of my birth certificate. Okay, I can probably do that…but what if for SOME reason I’m not able to get one, yadda yadda, can I come back and get this copy before they close, etc. Sure. Okay. Good. Fine. Well, can I get a receipt of application so I’ll have that as proof for my trip? Um….no. For that you have to go online to some government-whatever website and print off your status. However, it takes 10-12 days for it to become available. Not good. The WHOLE point of me running all over freaking town today was to get some kind of receipt of application.

I expressed my concern as calmly as I could, though I felt my face turn beet-red and thought my heart might burst through my chest. The guy informed me that if we’re going to travel by boat all I need is my certified copy of my birth certificate and my license, but come January 1st they will require a passport or receipt of application. THANK GOD. I’m not a TOTAL idiot and I should be able to go on my trip no problem, come back and finish my application for a passport.

Sheesh!!! I need a freaking vacation just to recover from the stress of getting ready for vacation!

So readers…if you have ANY inkling that you just MIGHT need a passport ANY TIME in the SORT OF near future…JUST GO GET THE DAMN THING AND GET IT OVER WITH.

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