shout out to the passport people

Richard, Lucy and I are planning a big trip to England in March -- we've booked our plane tickets, London hotel, and English country cottage -- so exciting. In order to complete the planning, both Lucy and I needed passports (mine had gathered dust in the office for 10 years before finally expiring). Because we waited until the last minute in passport terms (about 8 weeks before departure -- the passport wait time is 6-8 weeks), we paid extra to expedite service. (On a side note, let me just say that the passport agent that we dealt with at the 30th St. Post Office in Philly was just lovely -- perfectly pleasant and helpful, in stark contrast to my expectations.) Expediting the passport was supposed to bring the delivery time down to 3 weeks, which would have worked just fine. Imagine my surprise when the passports arrived in the mail yesterday, just 10 days after we applied! That is service. Have you seen the recently redesigned passports though? They are hilarious. It looks to me like George Bush commissioned the Happy Painter Bob Ross (may he rest in peace) to paint the most patriotic scenes they could think of. There are the requisite pictures of eagles and flags and the Statue of Liberty, and then we have steamboats and Mt. Rushmore and cowboys. But the best? The picture of the moon and outer space on the inside back cover. Apparently, if Lance Bass ever gets that trip on the Space Shuttle, he will have to bring his passport.