58012--into the mist

[zyzyly]

Ever since Malida became a citizen, a few months ago, she has been reminding me that she needs to get a US passport. So we chose today to be the day to do it, and change her status with Social Security. Bang Bang, done. I also noticed that my passport will expire in a few months, so I decided I would renew it as well.

I downloaded all the forms and completed them, and wrote checks for both hers and mine. Easy. I looked up online to see the hours they do passports at the local post office. "Monday-Friday, 10:00-4:00'. Perfect. We got out of the house at 9, took a walk in the foggy park, then went to the UPS Store for passport photos.


I love walking in the fog--it is so mysterious. This photo makes me imagine a very complex angiogram.

We made it to the post office just after ten, and discovered that even though the website says "Monday-Friday", it is really "Tuesday-Friday". I looked up another place, and we headed there, only to discover that they don't process passport applications.

We drove into downtown Sacramento. The website said the downtown post office at 8th and I does it. OK! Here we are. Security guard tells us that the post office moved out two years ago, and the new place doesn't do passports. It is now 11:00. He does make the very valuable suggestion that we head across the street to City Hall, where there is a passport person.

We found the office on the 5th floor, and everything was good until the clerk informed us that the passport fee needed to be separated into two checks, not the one I had brought. No problem, we are a few blocks from our credit union. She was going to close for lunch soon, and wasn't sure she could fit us in in the afternoon, but invited us to give it a try.

So we got the cashiers checks, had a nice lunch, and went back right at 1. By 1:15, Malida was all set. The clerk then turned her attention to my application. The check was fine, but apparently there are two types of forms for applying for a passport renewal--one for in-person and one for by mail. I had the wrong one. "Mail it" she suggested, so I did.

I could add "post office" to the list of irritations I made yesterday. That and "Department of Motor Vehicles".

Today's list is about 7 fears/phobias. I can't think of 7, but I'll list what I have.

1. Clowns.

2. Very high freeway bridges/overpasses. When they eventually rebuilt highway 880 in Oakland, the made a section that is very high. I hate driving it. I clench the wheel until my knuckles are white. I'm not sure if it is because the old highway 880, which I drove on often, collapsed in the last big earthquake, or if it is something else.

Heights don't really bother me. I loved going to the top of the CN Tower in Toronto and standing on the glass floor, and I enjoyed jumping out of an airplane.

3. Spiders--they give me the willies, but I respect them and don't stomp on them. I even let some tarantulas crawl all over me when I was in Cambodia.

4. A fairly long list of disease states that I have observed, and said, "I don't want that". At the top are progressive neuromuscular diseases such as ALS, where you lose function, but have full cognitive ability and know what is happening.

5. Being caught in a fire.

I think that's all I have.


A page from the old passport. These stamps are from my first visit to Southeast Asia. The trip that changed my life. A year and a few weeks after I got my first entry stamp into Thailand, I would be back to get married.

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

I think every one of those fears is eminently sensible.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I thought so too.

[anita-margarita.livejournal.com]

The passport nightmare would be funny if it wasn't so maddening. It makes a good blog post, though.

Years ago I drove over the Pont de Normandie.

http://www.a-taste-of-france.com/pont-normandie.html

It isn't actually all that tall as bridges go - I drive over one much taller several days a week - but the approach is very, very steep, and I was absolutely petrified driving over it. Obviously I survived, but I wonder if I drove over it today - would I still be afraid?

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I think you should go back there and drive over it just to see!

[anita-margarita.livejournal.com]

I would love to!

[shutterbug.livejournal.com]

Love both images today. The first makes me so happy and the second makes me sad in that my travels have stagnated ever since I stopped working. You know, money, grad school.

And speaking of ALS, have you read this article yet? It makes me excited. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-08-22/news/ct-met-northwestern-als-breakthrough-20110822_1_als-patients-proteins-northwestern-research

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

thanks for the article--I hadn't seen it. I have a friend in the later stages of ALS now and it is so heartbreaking to see.

[elainetyger.livejournal.com]

Great pictures.

When I saw your sentence about how it would be easy to get your passport done, I thought "Get outta here. Really?" Then of course, the truth came out.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

haha--I know. Although I have never had any issues getting a passport. I don't even remember applying for my first one.

[croneitude.livejournal.com]

I love that photo of trees!

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

Isn't it cool? I as soon as I looked up I knew that's what I wanted.

[(Anonymous)]

It's a passport photo of Love Stamps! :-)
~A

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

yes!

[howeird]

Love the photo, and the angiogram reference. That's a LOT of crossings to/from the country formerly known as Burma. The last time I was at Mae Sai (1989, I think) only Thais and Burmese could cross there, and only into the market town at the other side of the bridge. Good to see that has changed. And Laos, was totally closed. I finally got to Angkor Wat two trips ago. 2008.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I love Laos. My wife's family is about an hour from the border, so we head over there fairly often to Pakse. I love the little fish restaurants along the Mekong.

[kishenehn.livejournal.com]

That top photo is really gorgeous.

And you've been to Myanmar! One of the greatest destinations ever.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I would like to go back and spend some more time. My friend's brother is living there now, so we have a place to stay if we do.

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

I miss Sacramento-area fog. I love walking in it, too.

Around here we occasionally get fog that freezes all over everything and makes it look enchanted, but then it's generally too cold for walking around.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

There isn't nearly as much fog as there used to be. I remember weeks and weeks of it, day after day, and how everyone would start getting depressed and have to drive up to Auburn for a little sun. Now it's just a few days here and there.

[thoughtsbykat.livejournal.com]

Lovely photo of the fog & the trees.

The aggravation with getting the passports must have been frustrating.

I would get peeved that they would not stamp my passport when we lived in Europe in the late 80's. Your passport looks cool.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

It was more aggravating for Malida, because she was hungry and wanted to eat! These days I just kind of go with whatever.

Were you there with the military? I didn't even have a passport when I was in the Air Force over there.

[thoughtsbykat.livejournal.com]

Mu husband spent 20 years in the Army. We were fortunate and were stationed twice in Europe(Belgium and Germany). The military issued passports for my daughter and I.

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

I love that passport photo. I want mine to look like that. My old one has a lot of stamps but no pages that are that packed. The new one is sadly lacking in stamps (only two overseas trips since 2007) and I hate the photo, I look like I'm on drugs or something. I think I'll get a new passport with a new photo for my new life.

[w. lotus (from livejournal.com)]

T needs a passport and I need to renew mine. I believe I shall take care of that when I get my tax refund.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

The trees also look like lungs.

Your passport page is so rich with stamps. Wonderful.

Being caught in a fire is one of my fears, too.