I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane...

Yes, I am.

Because I have a date in Costa Rica with a sloth.  As of now our meeting place has not been exactly determined, but I know he's there, and I need to meet with him.  I'm thinking, oh, sometime about next February.

You see, ever since I watched a tv show last fall about The Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica, I haven't been able to stop thinking of going to the homeland of these amazing creatures.  This Sanctuary functions to rescue and rehabilitate sloths in need, to facilitate the study of these creatures, and to educate the public about them.

The Sloth Sanctuary is located in an area of the country that is not usually frequented by tourists.  It's a good three hour drive southeast from San Jose, so it's unlikely that I will actually visit this refuge.  However, I KNOW there is a sloth elsewhere down there that needs to see me, so Costa Rica has been bumped up to the top of my 2014 travel bucket list.

And that's why the husband/lover/travel companion and I made a little excursion today, down to the next town to visit the AAA office for some new passport photos.

Here's the confusing thing.  We currently have valid yet invalid passports.  Many countries will not let you in or out if you don't have at least six months remaining on your passport until its expiration date.  So, although our passports say they expire mid-December, we cannot travel outside of the United States now.  Valid, yet not valid.

It's a good thing we won't need them for our fall South Dakota trip.

It's not a good thing that I look like a criminal on my new passport photos.

First I was required to remove my glasses.  Keep in mind that I always wear my glasses, unless I am on the Judo mat, so right away, the photo doesn't look like me.

Then, when I thought she was ready to snap the photo, I smiled, and that set off a minor conniption by my photographer.  Apparently the officials don't want smiles, either.

It's strange that they let me keep my dangly earrings on, as there isn't a day goes by that I'm seen without them.

So after I fill out the forms and staple my new hideous picture to the form, I'll be on my way to meet my furry little friend down there in the land of sloths.  Oh wait, I forgot.  I have to also attach an arm or a leg a check or money order for $110 in order to process the renewal.

I can't exactly say this little guy is a cheap date, but some things you just can't put a price tag onto.