Todd Schoonover Should really be sleeping now.
Okay, so I’ve had the application and photos for getting close to a year now. My mom gave me my birth cerficate back in January so I could do this, and of course I have no idea where it is. I finally ordered a couple more copies last month (which I used to go to Mexico last week), but I still haven’t filled out the application. It’s just sitting here on my desk.
I need to just do this.
Tink is pleased with her progress.
... if I’m not mistaken.
(And if I am mistaken, I hope someone will correct me ASAP, because I’ve got some serious cross-border visiting to do.)
Todd Schoonover Should really be sleeping now.
You can still drive or walk across the border with just a photo id and birth certificate until the end of 2008. You only need a passport right now if you’re flying into Canada.
That’s why this goal is my personal challenge to complete by the end of this year.
Waynesworld likes summertime...
Hi, Tink, since the Canadian dollar has dropped in value over the past 2 weeks compared to the US dollar, the USA bargains are not as good as they were at the beginning of the Summer. However, you still might be able to find a few good deals in Buffalo, while you can still visit by car without a passport. ;) Can anyone recommend some Buffalo shopping? We have driven down to Syracuse a couple of times on a weekend when Adam had baseball tournaments in upper N.Y. state.
In general, as you will probably agree, Tink, I find that the grocery food prices are much cheaper in the USA (plus the alcohol prices, lol). In Canada, we have more marketing boards, such as those that regulate the dairy industry. Our milk, cheese and butter seems almost 50% more expensive in Canada. Another set of items that are much cheaper in the USA are sporting goods. Metal alloy baseball bats, baseball gloves, cleats/shoes and sports clothing are all cheaper there and the selection is much better.
Tink is pleased with her progress.
When I visit someplace for business or pleasure, I often buy something local as a souvenir of the trip.
But except for browsing in bookstores, I’m not much of a “recreational shopper” at home: for myself, I shop only when I need something specific, and I’m as efficient as possible about it. If a friend likes to spend time that way, I’ll go along, but more for the conversation and the fun of spending other people’s money than for any intrinsic enjoyment I get from the activity.
So going to Buffalo just to shop holds no appeal for me. Given the distance from Toronto, I’d think that much of the savings might be swallowed by the costs (in gas, for instance) of the trip itself.
Nah. When I said cross-border visiting, I meant visiting people.
Waynesworld likes summertime...
I mis-interpreted cross-border visiting to mean shopping. You clarified that you meant it to mean visiting people. Three cheers for that! :)
gypsiewriter thinks life is beautiful and appreciates the cheer-bombs as of late! :)
Any further with this one? You will wonder what took you so long. :)
Todd Schoonover Should really be sleeping now.
I’m staring at the application right now as I type this. Have been too preoccupied with my recent California trip, and now revising my speech/toast as Best Man for tomorrow. Maybe next week when I’m back and not focused on other things. This is my personal challenge right now, and I set a deadline of December 31st.
But I thought I’d repost it just in case…
It has all the links to get this one done.
Due to my memory, I could not remember if I had found the answer to this previously, but some places are not allowing you to smile anymore in passport photos. In the FAQ for photographers, it mentions that the subject should not have an open mouth, but says nothing about smiling…
The time before this, I went to get my photo taken at a place down the block. The guys were trying to pose me slightly to the side with one ear showing so I pulled out my passport and showed them how in the old picture I just looked straight ahead. Turns out that for anything citizenship related like a green card, you do have to post with one ear exposed. They were both legal immigrants and all of the federal photos they’d ever needed were posed to the side. Their boss came in a few minutes later and was kind of amused by the whole thing. I live in a neighborhood with a lot of Ukrainians and Japanese and Pakistani immigrants and all sorts of college students and I guess very few people had come in looking for a normal old passport photo.
Last spring, I went to the Post Office, they took the picture, my check and birth cert. I tracked it online. Easy! It did take about 4 months to get it but I didn’t need it for travel…yet.
Bob1623 thinking there is no such thing as "Global Warming".
This is so easy. And if you have th photos, you basically have everything done. I just renewed my passport last month after putting it off for some time. I don’t know why I was putting it off? Maybe the $75 fee. Ouch. But it is worth it if you are planning to travel. There are lots of neat places out there.
I don’t know why, but this was a hard goal for me to do, too. I couldn’t believe it when I finally dropped my application off to the post office. What helped me was buying a ticket to London. Then I had a deadline to meet and a definite incentive. I would’ve been beside myself if I couldn’t go.
Anyway, I’ll keep cheering you on with this goal. It is so worth it.
Here’s a photo of me sitting on top of Trafalgar Square at night (on the first day of our trip).
jenny bean is loving the synchronicity
there may be other places in your area that process passports. I found a neighborhood center less than a mile from our house. They processed passports on Tuesdays only from 10am – 2:30pm but it was well worth the special scheduling! There was ample parking, we were the only people in the waiting room and I felt better to physically hand all our paperwork to a real person rather than mail it. We got our passports back (they are quite beautiful really, engraving, fancy emblems etc) less than 3 weeks afterwards. You will be amazed! It is painless and gratifying!
It will make you feel like a super agent when you flash it as your ID. I used to use mine instead of my drivers license because I was one of the few 21+ people with one.
and also, you wrote to me asking if I’d give an acupuncture treatment in February, and of course the answer is yes. I have been searching for the where you asked me, and I can’t find the link anywhere and I accidentally deleted it from my email. Anyway, so the answer is yes if you have your passport by then.;)
Todd Schoonover Should really be sleeping now.
The application is still sitting there on my desk waiting for me to fill it out. It’s still my personal challenge, so I know I’ll accomplish it before the end of the year. Of course, you’ve given me even more incentive to get it done.
lob relaxing...
how easy this goal is, just wondering why you’re stuck. What’s making you procrastinate?
Todd Schoonover Should really be sleeping now.
Nothing specific. I just haven’t done it. I always seem to choose to do something else, like play another game of Spider Solitaire. I need to clean off my desk and pay some bills, so maybe when I do that I’ll work on filling out the application.
Deni H is a master's degree student! WOW!
I think you can have this done (or at least your part of the process done) by the end of this month!
Go, Todd, go! (Imagine me cheering you on to do this.)
Jessica RIP Farrah
It’s an awesome evil game.
Just fill out the form, Todd.
gilloulalal cheered this 6 months ago
Flutterbyflyby3 cheered this 8 months ago
blincolnw cheered this 8 months ago
MamaKitty cheered this 8 months ago
Colleen_C_C cheered this 8 months ago
jenny bean cheered this 9 months ago
catattack cheered this 9 months ago
Simon. cheered this 9 months ago
Lisa cheered this 9 months ago
Waynesworld cheered this 9 months ago
SWAZ cheered this 10 months ago
Jessica cheered this 10 months ago
morning glory cheered this 10 months ago
Bob1623 cheered this 10 months ago
gypsiewriter thinks life is beautiful cheered this 11 months ago
vex cheered this 11 months ago
jasonallen16915 cheered this 11 months ago
newvanessa cheered this 11 months ago
lob cheered this 11 months ago
diamondlightfoot cheered this 11 months ago
gemmword cheered this 11 months ago
Mary Hawkins cheered this 11 months ago
Living In God's Exquisite, Miraculous Sufficiency cheered this 11 months ago
{Turandot} cheered this 11 months ago
denises cheered this 11 months ago
Celtic_Christian cheered this 11 months ago
DanT1999 cheered this 11 months ago
restless cheered this 11 months ago
heaveemetal cheered this 11 months ago
Kim N cheered this 11 months ago
wren cheered this 11 months ago
gkonkler5 wants to get rid of more stuff
Join a yoga class.
watch the royal tenenbaums
Watch 24
sing in a choir
Read all the books in my "must read" pile
go to burning man
Watch High School Musical
I want to loose 20 pounds
live in a castle
These people wants to stop procrastinating
learn to draw comics
know who I am
Learn another language
Learn to play the banjo
see Dave Matthews Band live
become a magazine editor
make a doctor's appointment
buy a condo
have nice abs
start a blog
