Stress and Passports

You know, this really isn't the time of year when extra stress is warranted. Come to think of it, it is probably the absolutely worst time for extra stress to sneak its insidious way in.

Back at the beginning of November I mailed off my completed passport application. Passport Canada claims to have a 20 day turn-around, so when I hadn't received my passport by December 10th, I sent them an email (they have a link to ask the status of your application on their website) to ask where it might be. On Saturday, December 16th I receive my response - that the passport had been couriered to me by DHL on 12/9 and gave me a tracking number. Pleased as punch but still wondering where the passport was (thinking, oh it's Christmas and there are a billion packages out there, etc.), I typed in the tracking number on DHL's website and found that the passport had been delivered.

To the wrong address... (Um, right city and state, wrong zip code, and to an office, not a residence)

Five days prior.

I think my head and stomach exploded at the same time. And, being Saturday afternoon, I could not contact Passport Canada and DHL was a fat lot of no help whatsoever. Andrew called their Customer Service number and the response they gave was, "We think the package is in Chicago somewhere." WTF?!!!?! Your website said it was delivered! Unfortunately, the results on DHL's website don't get more specific than city, state, and zip - so we don't know the exact address it was sent to and DHL is supposed to find that out for us so we can track it down.

So, I must wait until tomorrow to start harassing government agencies. I really want to blame someone for this - who is more culpable? Passport Canada for sending it to the wrong address? DHL for letting someone sign for a package of government paperwork who was clearly not the person the package it was addressed to? Help!