I got a thick envelope from the State Department today.

Our State Department.

No, it wasn't an assignment to an overseas consulate (I wish!) but my new passport.

What a difference from the one I got ten years ago. That one looked essentially the same as the revious one, but this one has LOTS of changes.

For starters, it's rather rigid. This is due to its being an electronic passport. It has a "small integrated circuit (or "chip") that conforms to the latest international passport standards."

What if it stops working over the coming ten years? Well, it can always be screened (read) like the old chipless ones.

My two previous passports had the pictures physically glued in. This one has it duplicated on the opening page.

My only problem with this is that there are some wavy blue lines across the picture--probably for "security purposes"--and one of the lines looks like it's going into one nostril and out the other.

The inside pages are filled with "patriotic" type background pictures, complete with quotations.

I'd like to think this one will fill up like the last one, but I doubt it.

The old one had six Romanian stamps (three in and three out), visas for China and Kenya, in and out for Tanzania, several for England, and several when I returned to the U.S. (I goofed when I was in Canada last summer--should have asked for stamps.)

I got the renewal info and forms from the internet, mailed everything (including a $75 check) off, and it was back in less than two weeks.

In my biased opinion, I don't see a ten-year difference in the photos--except for the blue line through my nostrils.

Other than that, it was an IUD. Laundry in the morning (must remember to take it out of the dryer) and then PJ's in the afternoon. I debated about more geek reading, but a Harry Turtledove novel won. This is set in the time period when the land bridge across the Bering opened up.

Turtledove was trained as a historian and it shows in his many novels. I used one of his short stories once as a bonus reading in one of my history classes, and there are a couple of books which would give the "feel" of an era and place. (I'm thinking now of Between The Rivers, which is obviously about early Mesopotamia. The current read is looking good.

My timing today was perfect regarding yard work. It started to cloud over just about when I was ready to get to the weeding etc. Shortly after I headed for PJ's it began to rain.

Guess I should put weeding on the AM "agenda" tomorrow.