I was stoked when I finally got my passport renewal in the mail a couple of weeks ago. Even though I have no plans for international travel, the past 10 months have been the first time since 1975 that I couldn't hop on a plane and fly out of the country whenever the opportunity presented itself. But I was busy in Minnesota in August, back to school in September, Back to Minnesota in October, and on to the holidays in November and December, and so on.
In short, I just didn't make the time to get my photo taken. So when the UPS store reopened in phase whatever of the pandemic, and I happened to be there dropping off a return package, I seized the opportunity and a quick, maskless picture snapped. Truth be told, I didn't love the photo, but who actually likes their passport picture? So, I printed the form, stapled my picture, wrote the check, put my old passport in the envelope and sent it off, acknowledging the advisory on the State Department website that there are delays due to Covid-19.
Imagine my delight and surprise then, when last week a package arrived from the passport office. Hooray! I cheered as I tore it open, only to discover a polite letter informing me that I had forgotten to enclose payment with my paperwork. I could have sworn I had written that check, but I took the whole experience as a sign to get my photo retaken, which is exactly what I did today, right after leaving the DMV (where I successfully renewed my license and got a REAL ID!).
The new picture was a little more to my liking, and upon returning home, I gathered my passport, the application, replaced the old 2x2 image with the new, and whipped out my checkbook to make sure I completed the process this time. And that is where I found the check I had written before, dutifully recorded in the register, but still attached to the book, by far the most egregious of all my senior moments to date.
But, fortunately? Easy to remedy, AND that new picture!
In short, I just didn't make the time to get my photo taken. So when the UPS store reopened in phase whatever of the pandemic, and I happened to be there dropping off a return package, I seized the opportunity and a quick, maskless picture snapped. Truth be told, I didn't love the photo, but who actually likes their passport picture? So, I printed the form, stapled my picture, wrote the check, put my old passport in the envelope and sent it off, acknowledging the advisory on the State Department website that there are delays due to Covid-19.
Imagine my delight and surprise then, when last week a package arrived from the passport office. Hooray! I cheered as I tore it open, only to discover a polite letter informing me that I had forgotten to enclose payment with my paperwork. I could have sworn I had written that check, but I took the whole experience as a sign to get my photo retaken, which is exactly what I did today, right after leaving the DMV (where I successfully renewed my license and got a REAL ID!).
The new picture was a little more to my liking, and upon returning home, I gathered my passport, the application, replaced the old 2x2 image with the new, and whipped out my checkbook to make sure I completed the process this time. And that is where I found the check I had written before, dutifully recorded in the register, but still attached to the book, by far the most egregious of all my senior moments to date.
But, fortunately? Easy to remedy, AND that new picture!
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