Passport Saga: The Final Chapter
3 Comments Published by Michael on Sunday, May 28, 2006 at 4:45 AM.
Tuesday, I walk back from the mailbox dejected, but still hopeful. Wednesday, same dejection, and only a slight tinge of doubt. Thursday, no sign of it anywhere, and I am beginning to get a bit anxious. As I gingerly step towards the box-o-mail on Friday afternoon, I am hope against all hope that it will be there, but I am disappointed yet again. Now the USPS is just joking around with me. The State Department's website said that my passport should have been there on Tuesday, but there is still no sign of it anywhere. There is only one day left for the package to arrive before I have to start changing my travel arrangements, and so all my chips are riding on Saturday afternoon.
When I reluctantly open the box on Saturday afternoon, about 1:00 pm, I am elated at the sight of a priority mail envelope....and it is from the State Department. "Oh, thank God," I say, "I thought it would never......." Julie Stone? It was addressed to Julie Stone. I rip open the package, and sure enough, it is Julie's passport, not mine. Julie's passport, which she had applied for several weeks after I had applied for my own, was in her hands before mine was. She might not even use hers this year, but I NEED mine!!!!
After a series of long, not-for-blog tirades against the USPS, the State Department, the neighbors dog, the soap dispenser, and anything else that I could see or think of, I started making phone calls. You would think it might be easy to speak with someone at the post office about a missing package, but the USPS has become completely automated, and it took the better part of 30 minutes to get an actual person on the phone. When I finally got someone on the phone, Paula, she was exactly the kind of person that I needed at that moment. She was concerned and willing to help me. After hearing the story of my woes, she vowed to call me back after she made some phone calls. I was unclear whether I would ever hear from her again.
She did call back. Turns out that my passport had inexplicably been shipped to Keller, Tx. According to the postal employees that I spoke to, there is no rhyme or reason for this, it was just a mistake. The second mistake apparantly worked in my favor. The Keller people were supposed to mail it to the Ft. Worth facility on Friday after they had mistakenly received it, and this would have ensured, according to Paula, that I would not have received it until Thursday or Friday of this next week. Instead, they accidentally put it in the wrong stack and it was still there, by the grace of God, on Saturday afternoon. We had to drive out and get it, but the passport is now in my possession. I now shower with it, sleep with it, use it as a fork, and anything else it can be used for, because it is too valuable to let out of my sight.
Now I am on for Monday. I fly out at 12:00 pm, and so I will see you all in August.
Aufwiedersehen for now,
Michael
When I reluctantly open the box on Saturday afternoon, about 1:00 pm, I am elated at the sight of a priority mail envelope....and it is from the State Department. "Oh, thank God," I say, "I thought it would never......." Julie Stone? It was addressed to Julie Stone. I rip open the package, and sure enough, it is Julie's passport, not mine. Julie's passport, which she had applied for several weeks after I had applied for my own, was in her hands before mine was. She might not even use hers this year, but I NEED mine!!!!
After a series of long, not-for-blog tirades against the USPS, the State Department, the neighbors dog, the soap dispenser, and anything else that I could see or think of, I started making phone calls. You would think it might be easy to speak with someone at the post office about a missing package, but the USPS has become completely automated, and it took the better part of 30 minutes to get an actual person on the phone. When I finally got someone on the phone, Paula, she was exactly the kind of person that I needed at that moment. She was concerned and willing to help me. After hearing the story of my woes, she vowed to call me back after she made some phone calls. I was unclear whether I would ever hear from her again.
She did call back. Turns out that my passport had inexplicably been shipped to Keller, Tx. According to the postal employees that I spoke to, there is no rhyme or reason for this, it was just a mistake. The second mistake apparantly worked in my favor. The Keller people were supposed to mail it to the Ft. Worth facility on Friday after they had mistakenly received it, and this would have ensured, according to Paula, that I would not have received it until Thursday or Friday of this next week. Instead, they accidentally put it in the wrong stack and it was still there, by the grace of God, on Saturday afternoon. We had to drive out and get it, but the passport is now in my possession. I now shower with it, sleep with it, use it as a fork, and anything else it can be used for, because it is too valuable to let out of my sight.
Now I am on for Monday. I fly out at 12:00 pm, and so I will see you all in August.
Aufwiedersehen for now,
Michael
Passports work better as spoons than as forks. I'm glad you have it, but disappointed we will not be playing basketball on Monday. Gratuliere. Gute Fahrt.
Awesome news! Tchuse!
Wow, amigo. I was holding my breath during that post. You had my stomach in knots as you told your story - glad it had a good ending.