Annoyed

We're off to Canada in a few hours and I am not in the happy place I should be... I can't find my passport.

I know I had it in late June for my last trip back to Canada. The passport always lives in a particular file folder in the top drawer of the green filing cabinet in the office; I can locate easily the two prior expired passports --lord knows why I keep those-- but my current one is no where to be found.

A part of me is concerned that a critical legal document has gone missing --talk about the ultimate in identity theft. The greater part of me is pissed off beyond all belief that anything has gone missing: I keep tight control over documents and filing expressly to prevent this kind of problem.

I've started looking in all of the alternate places where such a thing might hide on the assumption that it became mixed with other documents or papers somehow and was merely misfiled. No luck so far, but the quest continues. At least I have my birth certificate (three copies, actually) so this trip can proceed. And if nothing else, I can have new photos made while in Canada to begin the process of replacing the passport.

Annoyed

We're off to Canada in a few hours and I am not in the happy place I should be... I can't find my passport.

I know I had it in late June for my last trip back to Canada. The passport always lives in a particular file folder in the top drawer of the green filing cabinet in the office; I can locate easily the two prior expired passports --lord knows why I keep those-- but my current one is no where to be found.

A part of me is concerned that a critical legal document has gone missing --talk about the ultimate in identity theft. The greater part of me is pissed off beyond all belief that anything has gone missing: I keep tight control over documents and filing expressly to prevent this kind of problem.

I've started looking in all of the alternate places where such a thing might hide on the assumption that it became mixed with other documents or papers somehow and was merely misfiled. No luck so far, but the quest continues. At least I have my birth certificate (three copies, actually) so this trip can proceed. And if nothing else, I can have new photos made while in Canada to begin the process of replacing the passport.

Tubing Photos!

DC Lambda Squares went tubing on Antietam Creek last Saturday. The photos arrived back from processing yesterday and are now posted here.

Tubing Photos!

DC Lambda Squares went tubing on Antietam Creek last Saturday. The photos arrived back from processing yesterday and are now posted here.

Trapped in Buffalo, NY

F*ck. That's all I can say at this point. F*ck.

We discovered last night that my passport was MIA. Despite looking high & low for it then and this morning, I could find nothing. Nevertheless, we could use my birth certificate to get into Canada and my green card to get back into the US when we returned, so we headed to BWI and flew to Buffalo where we met cuyahogarvr driving up from Cleveland.

We met at the airport, loaded our luggage into the car and dug out our documentation so we would have everything on hand when we got to the border. And I couldn't find my green card.

The envelope in which my card is normally housed is still in my wallet where it has always lived. That my card is missing is a complete surprise to me, especially since the envelope is still present. All I can think is that I pulled out both to show to border officials with my passport last June, and they are still together somewhere. As to their location, I am completely baffled.

We quickly checked with border security and were told (by a rather hot guy in uniform: shaved head, strawberry blond mustache, nice arms...) that while I could get into Canada, I'd likely be delayed for processing coming into the US and charged a $500 fine for being without my green card. Even now, I'm technically in breach of the law as a non-citizen without proper documentation on my person.

In light of this and the possibility that I'd be refused entry to the US, possibly even blacklisted for a period of years, we decided against the attempt. I have informed the family that we're not going to make it for my sister's wedding and we're spending the weekend in Buffalo instead. I'll have to make amends later somehow.

So, we're stuck in Buffalo & vicinity since our return flights to the DC area are out of Buffalo's airport. Anyone have ideas of where to go and what to see?

Trapped in Buffalo, NY

F*ck. That's all I can say at this point. F*ck.

We discovered last night that my passport was MIA. Despite looking high & low for it then and this morning, I could find nothing. Nevertheless, we could use my birth certificate to get into Canada and my green card to get back into the US when we returned, so we headed to BWI and flew to Buffalo where we met cuyahogarvr driving up from Cleveland.

We met at the airport, loaded our luggage into the car and dug out our documentation so we would have everything on hand when we got to the border. And I couldn't find my green card.

The envelope in which my card is normally housed is still in my wallet where it has always lived. That my card is missing is a complete surprise to me, especially since the envelope is still present. All I can think is that I pulled out both to show to border officials with my passport last June, and they are still together somewhere. As to their location, I am completely baffled.

We quickly checked with border security and were told (by a rather hot guy in uniform: shaved head, strawberry blond mustache, nice arms...) that while I could get into Canada, I'd likely be delayed for processing coming into the US and charged a $500 fine for being without my green card. Even now, I'm technically in breach of the law as a non-citizen without proper documentation on my person.

In light of this and the possibility that I'd be refused entry to the US, possibly even blacklisted for a period of years, we decided against the attempt. I have informed the family that we're not going to make it for my sister's wedding and we're spending the weekend in Buffalo instead. I'll have to make amends later somehow.

So, we're stuck in Buffalo & vicinity since our return flights to the DC area are out of Buffalo's airport. Anyone have ideas of where to go and what to see?

Our First Evening in Not-Toronto

We should be in Toronto right now, but we're not. OK, fine. I'm still bitter but I'll have to deal with this situation as best possible.

The hotel is charging $10/day for Internet access --10baseT in our room-- but no charge for wireless in the lobby. Guess which I'm using.

After getting online to check what things a tourist might do in Buffalo besides visiting the place where Pres Garfield was shot or watching the house fires in North Tonawanda, we decided it was too late to do much; besides, we have all had a relatively long and annoying day so rest & relaxation was in order.

So we went to see the Simpsons movie at a cinema only a 1/2 miles for our hotel.

I liked it, although there was a couple a few rows in front of us and an unrelated group a few rows behind us who proceeded to recite the dialog of the movie from memory. WTF?! Does that what people do in Buffalo for fun? Fortunately, a cinema staffer came by to request everyone shut up but it was still annoying. Well, that and being trapped in Buffalo.

Following the movie, we slipped next door to Friendly's for a light dinner, then returned to the hotel to snooze.

Various relatives called --sometimes more than once-- offering ideas of how to potentially resolve our situation in Buffalo: having someone in DC courier up my green card (yeah, great, if only we knew where it was), perhaps begging the INS for a waiver (they're not that generous) and so on. Bless their hearts from trying... they love me so much they'll do anything to get me out of Buffalo so I can help pay for the wedding. :-)

Our First Evening in Not-Toronto

We should be in Toronto right now, but we're not. OK, fine. I'm still bitter but I'll have to deal with this situation as best possible.

The hotel is charging $10/day for Internet access --10baseT in our room-- but no charge for wireless in the lobby. Guess which I'm using.

After getting online to check what things a tourist might do in Buffalo besides visiting the place where Pres Garfield was shot or watching the house fires in North Tonawanda, we decided it was too late to do much; besides, we have all had a relatively long and annoying day so rest & relaxation was in order.

So we went to see the Simpsons movie at a cinema only a 1/2 miles for our hotel.

I liked it, although there was a couple a few rows in front of us and an unrelated group a few rows behind us who proceeded to recite the dialog of the movie from memory. WTF?! Does that what people do in Buffalo for fun? Fortunately, a cinema staffer came by to request everyone shut up but it was still annoying. Well, that and being trapped in Buffalo.

Following the movie, we slipped next door to Friendly's for a light dinner, then returned to the hotel to snooze.

Various relatives called --sometimes more than once-- offering ideas of how to potentially resolve our situation in Buffalo: having someone in DC courier up my green card (yeah, great, if only we knew where it was), perhaps begging the INS for a waiver (they're not that generous) and so on. Bless their hearts from trying... they love me so much they'll do anything to get me out of Buffalo so I can help pay for the wedding. :-)