started off backwards

Today's Monday started off a little weird...I drove to the yard to gas up and discovered my pants were on backward...ok, so much for the start of this work week. Hope no one saw me.

Last Friday, we picked up the trip documents for our vacation that begins next Monday. The visa arrived with a note that passports need to be valid 6 months after return home...my passport expires(along with my CDL)on my birthday a month after we return home...called the travel agent about it last week, and she said it should be ok. But maybe she suggested, I ought to start working on the renewal paperwork so that it would be in the process. Today, I thought I'd verify that everything would be ok.

The post office and the passport expediter people said I probably would not be able to board the plane with a passport that is only valid a few weeks after the return trip...oh great. At first, I thought the expediter folks just wanted my money, but the woman on the phone told me she couldn't even expedite it if she wanted to since there were no appointments available even if I faxed all my documents to a Houston office.

Left work early to go to the SF passport agency and try my luck in person...stopped at Stacey's and got a book for the long anticipated wait at the agency. Since I bought a bike book, the guy at the counter asked if I rode a bike. I said I did. Remembering that Marscat worked at Stacey's, I asked him how long he had worked at the store. He looked at me oddly, and said he'd been there a long time. I asked if he knew Erika, and he said that she was his favorite person. Small world. Called Marscat and relayed this exchange and before we got cutoff, she mentioned something about "that's a long story". Darn, what was the story? I didn't have a lot of time so I didn't call back, but I was curious.

I found the passport agency and after passing through several security checkpoints, I finally made it to the point of getting a number and waiting for an agent. I scanned the agents at the windows and really hoped for a kind one who would process all the paperwork without any hassle. I found a quiet secluded seat and settled in for the long haul. After a little over half way through the first chapter of Lance to Landis, my number was called...so far so good and so not a nigthmare.

The agent was very nice and so not like normal governmental workers. After a few short pleasant minutes of paper processing, she told me my new passport would be ready at 4pm today...what a turn of events.

As superstious as I am, it's a little risky posting this before I have the passport in hand, but what they heck.