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Back to my roots…

I don’t suppose too many of you have been around long enough to remember. For a long time, a big topic of this blog was the long, tedious, expensive process of immigrating to the UK. Hoo, the paperwork!

(It makes me laugh when tough guys on Twitter talk about leaving the U.S. They have no idea how almost impossible it is to move to any non-shithole country on a whim unless you’re a brain surgeon or a billionaire).

Welp, this is it. The last thang. Citizenship.

I’ve been eligible for over ten years. I’m just lazy. To be honest, though, if I have to swear an oath (and I do) I’d rather swear fealty to the old lady.

First step: applying to the US Embassy for a valid passport. Mine’s expired. They shut the process down for all but emergencies during much of the last year, which slowed me down. This process makes me nervous because all the visas that allow me to stay take the form of stamps in my old passport.

Wish me luck.

p.s. No, I don’t have to give up US citizenship. As a dual citizen, I can’t get a security clearance in either country and if I get kidnapped by pirates, my two countries may fight over who is on the hook for my ransom. Other than that, no probs.

p.p.s. Have a good weekend!

Comments


Comment from Mark Matis
Time: June 11, 2021, 9:36 pm

Hey, dual citizenship was fine for Jugears!


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: June 11, 2021, 10:05 pm

If I had to swear an oath I’d rather swear it to the Queen then our current President or his VP.
I’m often inclined to swear AT them and about them though.
Does that count?

Good luck with all of it Sweasy!


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: June 12, 2021, 1:40 pm

@durnedyankee — Me, too! My fantasy oath would be something similar to, “I swear that if you mess with me any more I shall move on from ‘annoyed’ and pass through ‘miffed’ all the way to ‘irked’.”

I might use other state of mind words but you get my drift.


Comment from durnedyankee
Time: June 12, 2021, 2:33 pm

I’m really going to miss the Queen when inevitability arrives. Till then I wish her only the best.

And that her grandson comes to his senses.


Comment from Anonymous
Time: June 12, 2021, 3:25 pm

Congrats on your transformation into a Brit!

Surrendering my passport makes me uneasy too…there are so many ways things can go pear-shaped when a govt dept gets its fingers on your mission-critical paperwork.


Comment from ExpressoBold
Time: June 12, 2021, 7:42 pm

Today I saw a short vid of QEII cutting birthday cake with a sword. She said that she wanted to do something unusual, something one doesn’t see everyday.

The Best Kate in Britain was in attendance as were William and Charles. Hairy nowhere to be seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p36f_v9LmK8


Comment from Timothy J. McCorkle
Time: June 12, 2021, 10:44 pm

https://i.imgur.com/5AlzEXs.gifv


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: June 12, 2021, 11:04 pm

@Timothy J. McCorkle — What a video! Gulls are nasty, dirty birds and I was really rooting enthusiastically for that weasel.


Comment from Anonymous
Time: June 13, 2021, 9:45 am

Naw, that weasel wasn’t trying to drown the gull. The weasel’s signature move is to bite through the spine at the back of the neck, which was what it was trying to do. If he’d drowned the seagull and it sank beneath the waves, he’d be out a meal. Not big on the foresight, my kind.

A seagoing weasel, though! Who knew?


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 13, 2021, 10:10 am

That last anon was me. Imagine being forgotten by your own blog.


Comment from Jeff Weimer
Time: June 13, 2021, 1:18 pm

As I understand it, they will return your old passport – with holes punched in it to show it’s invalid as a travel document – so you will still have the visas to show if necessary.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: June 13, 2021, 2:45 pm

Yeah, that’s how it’s supposed to go. I just worry about anything taking two trips by post office.


Comment from BJM
Time: June 13, 2021, 11:03 pm

Back to our roots, eh? Here’s two links from the Wayback music machine for slow dancin’.

The man could sing….his control is effortless…unfortunately his taste in music mostly sucked.

Hmmmm… do I feel lucky? Yeah I’m going for it.


Comment from Blake
Time: June 14, 2021, 3:41 am

I renewed my passport this year. The last time was from when I was 11. Heh. I was a little surprised but they let me keep the old one.

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