I'm not supposed to talk too much about exactly where I am and exactly what I'm doing, so I'll just say that there are more sea lions here than people.
It's rookery season and the pups were playing so far up the beach that I doubt they were much more than 35 yards from the road.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Well, here I am.
For anyone keeping track, I made it to Seattle. I'll be here for three weeks of paid study and training. It's free accomodations from here on out, and I live cheaply enough that I shouldn't run out of food-money before the checks start coming in.
If all goes well, it's off to Alaska after that.
If all goes well, it's off to Alaska after that.
Seattle Bound
After a physical, some CPR training, and some particularly absurd Passport shenanigans, I am finally northward bound.
Funny thing about the passport. I was told I would need a federal ID in order to get inside a Federal building during training so as to get my new other federal ID. In other words, I needed ID to get ID and a passport was about all that would cover it.
I was told this 3 weeks before I needed the passport.
Now, expidited passport services through the mail are 2 to 4 weeks, so this seemed risky. Fortunately, there is passport agency building right in San Francisco.
Unfortunately, they will only print you a passport if you have proof that you plan to leave the country within two weeks. I called and asked if needing it for a federal job counted as needing it within 2 weeks, but the man on the phone informed me that only works if the job is taking me out of the country.
Two weeks later, and a week before I was supposed to depart, I was seized by the sudden urge to plan a trip to Canada. So I booked a hotel in Vancouver, printed out the booking as proof of intent to travel, and called to make an appointment with the agency.
Turns out, I nearly missed the window. I was within the two weeks time for intended travel, but they had no appointments until a week later. Cutting it close like I always seem to do, I booked the appointment on the first day I could, which was also the last day it would do me any good.
There was some trouble with my booking, some trouble with my payment, and a whole host of other beaurocratic goings on. After several quick talks with some supervisors and a few instances where they had me take my shoes off to make sure I wasn't dangerous, though, I finally got my passport.
A few hours later, I had to cancel my trip to Canada. Turns out I can't be in two places at once, and I had booked the trip for the same day my training starts.
At least I can start my new job, though. Speaking of which, I need to get back on the road.
Funny thing about the passport. I was told I would need a federal ID in order to get inside a Federal building during training so as to get my new other federal ID. In other words, I needed ID to get ID and a passport was about all that would cover it.
I was told this 3 weeks before I needed the passport.
Now, expidited passport services through the mail are 2 to 4 weeks, so this seemed risky. Fortunately, there is passport agency building right in San Francisco.
Unfortunately, they will only print you a passport if you have proof that you plan to leave the country within two weeks. I called and asked if needing it for a federal job counted as needing it within 2 weeks, but the man on the phone informed me that only works if the job is taking me out of the country.
Two weeks later, and a week before I was supposed to depart, I was seized by the sudden urge to plan a trip to Canada. So I booked a hotel in Vancouver, printed out the booking as proof of intent to travel, and called to make an appointment with the agency.
Turns out, I nearly missed the window. I was within the two weeks time for intended travel, but they had no appointments until a week later. Cutting it close like I always seem to do, I booked the appointment on the first day I could, which was also the last day it would do me any good.
There was some trouble with my booking, some trouble with my payment, and a whole host of other beaurocratic goings on. After several quick talks with some supervisors and a few instances where they had me take my shoes off to make sure I wasn't dangerous, though, I finally got my passport.
A few hours later, I had to cancel my trip to Canada. Turns out I can't be in two places at once, and I had booked the trip for the same day my training starts.
At least I can start my new job, though. Speaking of which, I need to get back on the road.
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