Passports

I sent off my Passport Renewal application today.  Had one of the best experiences at a Post Office I've had in a long time.  I went over to the smaller Clarksville office today in hopes that the line would not be as long as the one in Columbia and I was not disappointed.  The woman behind the counter was very helpful and directed me through the process of sending my renewal application with tracking numbers and second day delivery.  I guess that a lot of younger people haven't had a lot of experience with the post office and she was very understanding.  Usually I go to FedEx or UPS to send anything to my family in other states, but I may consider going back to this post office and taking advantage of the cheaper postage rates and shorter wait time.

I have a little less than two months before my trip to Ireland and I opted not to pay the extra $60 for expedited service.  I could be pressing my luck, but the website said 4-6 weeks for processing and delivery.  I have the post office delivering everything to the Passport Agency in less than 2 days so I am hoping that will help cut the time down a little bit.  I should probably call and see if the Passport people are running on schedule or if they have a lot of demands right now.

This is my first step of the trip to Ireland.  Dad gave me the airfare as a birthday present, and a fantastic one it was, so I don't have to worry about that.  I am a little concerned because I spent a little more than I had planned this weekend and I still have to get the 40K mile service performed in my car.  So my savings is taking a serious hit this week.  But I may get lucky and the quarter bonus at work will come through before I leave for the trip.  I hope that I am able to save enough before I leave so that I am not struggling when I get back.  I am sure I will have enough for the trip, but I don't want to spend everything I have in savings and have a difficult time after the fact.