Getting ready for international travel is expensive!

(I just had to show this, no question, this is Daytona Beach one of the prettiest & widest beaches in the world)

Have you applied for passport lately? When we took the cruise We noticed that our pass ports were expiring. ‘We have got to renew these’, says I.

So researching where, today we went to the post office in Summerfield. “Oh, just a renewal. No problem,” says the surly clerk, “fill out the application and write a check for $110,” he frowns.

(More Daytona)

At the desk while filling the applications out, I told Sherry, ‘$110 is about twice it was the last time.’ 

Uh oh, there is that look again! “You didn’t hear him say that was $110 EACH! DID YOU?”

I stopped filling out the form, “EACH?” I said loud enough for everyone in the PO to hear. ‘It was $22 + $5 for the picture last time’. 

“Well it is $15 for the picture this time, do you want to travel or not?…. That is $15 EACH!”

“Yeah,” so I continued to fill out the form, but not too enthusiastically.

Upon approaching the counter the second time the sarcastic guy was busy and we got a smiling young lady; that eased the pain a little. So the Pass Ports are off to be realigned, refurbished or renewed for our next trip.

(More Daytona, a Chick and her chicks.)

Next stop,DMV for Drivers license to replace Sherry’s lost license. I am familiar with only two State DMV’s.  North Carolina and Florida. I don’t know about your state, but I have never seen a smile behind a counter of DMV in NC. My experience is they have a mentality of “Us against You.” It seems that any little discrepancy they can find, they get a sordid kick of saying, “fix this and come back.” with an undertone of (IF YOU DARE!).

(Surf at Daytona)

Florida DMV? Shucks you think your cousin is behind the counter; all smiles, and are thrilled that you took the time to come in and see them. As we ‘SAT’ (in NC you stand) while waiting, I told Sherry, “look, every person leaving that counter will be smiling whether they got what they want or not.” That was true, but usually everyone got what they wanted. I thought the first DMV was an exception, but now I have been to four separate offices and they have all been alike. I don’t know what Florida has done, but someone knows what they are doing who manages this FLDMV.

(Some kids building a Castle at Daytona)

So Now Sherry has a new License with a choice of accepting the picture or taking another.

All in all not a bad day. When it ends good, you must smile.

Thanks for coming by the log.

NIte Shipslog

PS:

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

 

Where ‘They’ used to get Gas:

This guy might have got gas here, 1909 Ford.