U.S. Department Of State

Being a government employee, you would think that I would not be amazed by this.

About a week ago I sent off my application for a passport. I am going to start collecting those cool stamps!

Anyway, if you have never applied for a passport (in the USA) you need a few things - the least of which are the fees! Oh yes, there are fees. The whole idea that our government should...you know....do stuff for the citizens is COMMUNIST! So there are taxes and fees.

The State Department wants $67. If you are required to apply in person (for new passports OR if your old passport expired more than 15 years ago OR you were 16 or younger when your old passport was issued to you) then you will have to pony up another $30. The going fee for passport photos is $15.

I applied at the post office. This is the most lazy way to apply, and I am all about the lazy! Of all the 7 deadly sins, sloth is by far what I am best at. I would be better at lust, but the sloth gets in the way. By the way, "lust" as one of the deadly sins is not exactly what it was originally - a better translation is "luxury". But some Pope decided that "luxury" was actually good, and changed it to "lust" which is dirty and icky - assuming that you are not lusting over some altar boy.

Anyway.......the post office will let you pay all the fees directly to them, and then they somehow send the $67 to the State Department using the "FM Principle" (F$%*ING MAGIC).

But I know better! Yes, I work for the Government! Thou shalt NEVER fail to send the government your fees using a personal check! And here is why!

My check was cashed. But when I go to the State Department website and click "check on your passport application" nothing comes up!

This is not the first time this has happened. When I sent my stuff off to the State Of Florida for my CWP, they also cashed my check, but then they sent back the application because the fingerprint card was not valid.

Anyway, I called the State Department today. The nice lady who took my call was able to use her computer to find my application. Everything is OK with it.

So now all I have to do is chill out, something I am a pro at. I should have my stuff by mid to late July.

So remember, ALWAYS pay your government fees with a personal check. When the check is deposited, you know that agency X got it!

This is a public service announcement, brought to you by someone who would rather be living on a sailboat docked in Bermuda and wealthy enough to not have to worry about stuff like "work" or "taxes" or any of that crap.