So guess where I've been?

To not one but two passport offices. And if you will be so kind as to check the time? Yes, home before 11am. You know I just have to say that we here in Canada get too much information from the US. Or maybe we just watch too much stand-up comedy. Because going to a government office is an absolute breeze. Nearly a pleasure.

The first office, which is near my house, had me get in a line like the bank. You know where there's one line that breaks up into several wickets. I was behind one other person and there were only 2 wickets open. When I got up to the guy (in about 5 minutes), he told me I needed birth certificates (which I had forgotten) and that they may not be ready in a timely fashion. He suggested I go downtown if I wanted them faster. Ugh.

So after a quick stop at home for the paperwork I forgot, it was back on the road to the downtown main office. When I got there, I waited another 5 minutes at the info desk guy who looked over my stuff, gave me a number and told me where to wait. I sat in a sea of people waiting for my number to get called. I was thinking it would take at least an hour. But when I looked up I saw that I was only 4 numbers away. Still it was about a 15 minute wait. Pretty good. Long enough to people-watch but not too long so that those same people start grossing you out. I can't wait for the contact lens camera that takes a photo when you blink hard to be invented because there were lots of notable people there:

• the girl with the full sleeve of tattoos that was nursing her toddler (one of the tats was a half an avocado I kid you not)
• the ska band escapee with his white-boy dreads tied up in an untidy bun (do dreads ever look tidy?)
• the man with the mullet outfit: dress-shirt buttoned to the neck and shorts. To complete the look... black socks and sandals (business on top, party on the bottom and a just a soupçon of crazy)
• the chatterer (there's one in every group): the lady that talked to everyone who sat beside her and no, she wasn't me

So now I'm home and the whole thing was a pleasure. We're all set. Even the $10 parking charge for a mere 30 minutes was painless because the attendants were helpful and funny. I'd rather not specify what exactly happened to lead me to that conclusion. Just let me say that they really pack those cars like sardines in those lots.

kxx