I work on a project that I call Mission Impossible, and therefore I run into mission impossible situations in the week I am at home as well.
For example : get more blank visa pages added to your passport in ONE WEEK. It’s harder than one would think. The city agencies dealing with passport applications offer a THREE WEEK expedited service. When you finally find out you’re lucky enough to have a federal agency right here in your home city, it may take three visits there as it will for me. The first one was to fill out a form (after committing the mortal sin of showing up there this morning without an appointment). Also needed is proof of one’s travel plans in the next two weeks on paper. Yes : got to print out that electronic airline reservation. But no printer for US citizens’ use in the passport office. I had to try my luck at the Seattle library (picture below from the inside – pretty! but one printer for 200 people, didn’t work) and then at Fedex-Kinko’s (you pay $6 but it’s so quick).
So there I was, sweaty from running/ walking a dozen blocks back and forth across Seattle downtown, through the security check point, back at the appointment window in the federal building. No luck, too late to help me at 2.45pm. Got to dial that 877 number, it’s the only way to get an appointment. (Did that. Got an appointment for tomorrow at 8 am).
