Friday

[dr4b]

I drove around for the first time since coming back. Took Mike to work in the morning and then went to Bell Square so I could walk around (how sad is that? the weather has been pretty awful). I did get a few clothes items while I was at it too, and had a soft pretzel for lunch. Grar. Then I went home via the Fred Meyer out here, where I tried to find socks and instead ended up finding other things I needed like clothes hangers and pajama pants.

I'm having a bit of an "oh crap where is everything?" issue, in that I'm not sure where things from my past are like social security cards and writing samples and other things that may be relevant for getting a new job. But I just had a scary realization -- I need to renew my passport by April 30, see -- but I think I need my passport to prove that I'm a US citizen legal for working here -- but I have no clue when I'd be starting a job -- so I'm not sure whether I should just send in expedited passport renewal ASAP and figure there's no way I'd be starting a job in 2-3 weeks, or wait, or what. I've got a plane ticket back to Japan for March 15, so it feels like I may be pushing it if I wait until around then.

Anyway... I spent the afternoon going through stuff, and then went to MS for our PH meeting.

Afterwards, we went to Ooba's for dinner with A&R and the Fords. Yay for good Mexican food, and, you'll never believe this, but Kevin Babbitt was standing behind us in line there, I hadn't seen him in YEARS. So I invited him to come sit with us. Even weirder, he literally lives around the corner from Mike, out here in the boonies. So we really ought to hang out sometime.

When we came home, we put together some of the Ikea furniture -- Mike put together the DVD bookcase thing he bought, and I put together my bookcase, and then Mike ended up putting the glass doors on my bookcase (but we need to attach it to the wall so it doesn't fall over, oops). So I really need to stop being lazy and start unpacking things and going through my crap...

Comments

[bhudson.livejournal.com]

License (for ID) and SSN (for right-to-work) should be all you need. Most Americans don't *have* a passport.

I bought a file folder months ago and still haven't put my documents in it. Maybe we should make a deal: I'll unpack a box if you unpack a box.

[dr4b]

Problem is, I don't know where the hell my Social Security card actually IS.

[bhudson.livejournal.com]

Only the government wants to see the card itself, in my experience. Companies just need the number.

[amberdine.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone is going to question your citizenship. If you have some kind of photo ID and *know* your SSN, I'm sure that's enough.

[dr4b]

I feel like in the past I had to bring several forms of ID to be photocopied at various companies. Maybe that has been stopped? Not just in Japan, I mean, in the US too. It was a problem at my first job because I didn't have a driver's license, only a student ID, at the time, so I had to get my dad to send me my birth certificate and stuff.

[amberdine.livejournal.com]

I have to admit to not being much of an expert. I don't do conventional employment all that often, but I've had plenty of situations where I need to show taxable status, and SSN + state issued photo ID was the only thing needed. Most Americans lose their SSN cards and don't have a passport. ;)

Even an expired passport would be enough to prove citizenship -- it's enough for the State Department. Or do you have to send the old one in while the new one is being issued?

In any case, good luck with the job search.

[bhudson.livejournal.com]

To get a new passport you need to send in the old documents.

There's a passport office downtown Seattle. If you have proof of travel within two weeks (or something like that), you can make an appointment to go in person and get fast turnaround times.

[dr4b]

I found that already, but I am not travelling within two weeks and I would prefer not to leave it until I am.

[rehana.livejournal.com]

That may be because the student ID isn't from the government. I mean, you just said they wanted your driver's license, right?

[ka3ytl.livejournal.com]

Here's a link to the form. Last page has acceptable IDs listed.

[februaryfour]

Don't you have a US driver's license? That's about all the ID you need... though I'd renew the passport simply because it's nice to have a passport.

[dr4b]

I need a social security card for proof of eligibility, if I don't have a passport with me. But it'd be good to have the passport so I can do things like, you know, take trips back to Japan :)

[februaryfour]

Yes, it's nice to have the passport so you can go back. ^_^ I meant all the ID you need to work in the USA is a driver's license. After all, if you're registered to vote...

[dr4b]

I haven't been registered to vote in years, actually. But I also don't think a voter's card means anything.

Proof of social security is what you need to be eligible here, if you're a citizen, anyway (Kathy's link right above your comment says that).

[eub.livejournal.com]

Hey, want a box of books? :)

[dr4b]

Maybe. What books are in there? I honestly can't even remember what I would have given you :)