I was off to the Passport Office today to get papers for myself and Le Grand Zizou to head to France this spring. (Okay, Jen’s coming too. She got her passport last year before the crush)
I filled out the forms online, got the pictures guaranteed, printed off the forms, packed a lunch, a tent, some video material and headed down to the Richmond Passport Office.
Problem #1. When I Googled “Richmond Passport Office” I got an address on Saba Rd. When I got to said address, there was no Passport Office, but there was a nice little Passport Photo Place. Asked the little man where it was, and he told me they moved around the corner, on Cooney Rd. Too bad for him, the new place was about 7 blocks away, I bet his drive-by business isnt what it used to be.
So I whipped over to the new place and saw the rows and rows of chairs and people sitting in them and thought “Ugh.” But good news, they have a couple pre-screeners to take your money, and check your forms so you don’t waste a day waiting only to find out you misspelled your name.
Who would misspell their own name? Me.
Problem #2. My middle name is MCKAY. Pronounced Muh-Kye. It’s my Godfather’s name. I’ve always spelled it McKay. Well, I guess when I filled out my Passport form 5 years ago, they assumed the capital “K” meant a new word, so it appears as MC KAY on my old Passport. I wrote it out MCKAY in my application. Hmmm. Alarms and bells and whistles start going off in the office.
When using the speedy renewal form, everything MUST be identical in the two applications. After rooting around in my bag, I found my birth certificate. It also had my name as MC KAY. Okay, so I guess I don’t know how to spell my own name.
I ask the screening agent if I can just fill out a new form and all will be right in the world. She checks with a manager, isn’t sure and doesnt totally process my forms. I will have to see the agent, she says.
Great. I come all the way down and I misspell my name, and it’s a big deal. While I’m waiting for my number to be called, I decide to fill out new forms and spell/misspell my middle name the way it is “legally.”
I get to the agent, explain the screw up. She says “no problem,” uses my new handwritten forms, takes my money and sends me on my way.
I didnt need the tent, didnt need the lunch, and only ended up watching about 20 minutes of Californication on my Creative Zen Vision: W.
Kewl. New passports in 3-4 weeks. Big vacation to France in 2 months.
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