Coordinating going to the passport office together wasn't going to happen, so I went the office at the nearby sub courthouse and Chuck went to the office downtown during his lunch hour. We both planned to go on a Friday, but when I showed up at the sub courthouse, no one was in the passport office. They only open that office on Mondays and Wednesdays, which I would have known had I bothered to read the additional information available on the passport office location search site [4].

I returned to the passport office the following Monday to submit my pre-printed application [5]. The clerk in the office was very helpful. She looked at my birth certificate [6], squinting, trying to find the official seal. Then, with experienced fingers, she closed her eyes and felt the lower right corner of the paper. Just when I was really starting to sweat, a small smile bloomed on her face and she said, “Ah, there it is.” She was concerned because the seal was so shallow and faint, but decided we should send it in and see if the passport officials gave it a pass.

I did not bring pictures with me, so the clerk had me sit in a chair in the corner of the office and took my picture with a digital camera. She printed the photos, cut them out, and stapled them to my application. Next she had me hold up my right hand and swear that the information on the application was true and correct, then gave me a pen so I could sign my application. I decided the oath was okay because I was swearing to the contents of the application and not my birth certificate. I didn't lie.

All that was left to do was write a check. I've seen it written other places, including the government website, that you can pay with a credit or debit card, but she would only take a check. The clerk gave me a receipt and circled the website address where I could check the status of passport applications [7].

Chuck and I waited the stated 7 – 10 days, then went online to check our passport status. The site reported that my passprt would arrive on or around June 13. Chuck's didn't show up in the system. We waited a few more days and checked his again. Still unknown to the system. Chuck called the National Passport Information Center [8]. They told him they had his application and he would receive his passport on or around June 15. That really irked him, since he submitted his application before me. I gloated. We kept checking back and his information never was available online.

We waited. And waited. June 13 came and went. No passport for me. I didn't get too worried because the site said “on or around”. Chuck got his passport in the mail on June 15. He gloated. I went and checked online again and mine now said June 16. On the 17th, I checked again and it was updated again to June 19. Now I'm really starting to sweat about that birth certificate. I keep switching between silent curses and prayers. I need either a birth certificate or passport to go on our trip to Mazatlan, and the federal government has both. But finally, today it arrived. The birth certificate passed and I have a passport. Whew!