Yesterday the American consulate called to say Joel's passport had arrived. We went last week to renew it, and instead of coming away with it in an hour's time, they now send it the applications off to the U.S. So that meant another trip. The lady had said about 10 days, but as it turned out, it took a week.

Joel and I caught the 8 a.m. bus at the bus station. (Sometimes I catch it on the highway.) Arriving the Tietê station, we caught the north-south metro line, then hopped the subway under Avenida Paulista. Got off at Consolação and headed down Rua Pe. Joao Manuel, the street the American consulate is on. Within five minutes we had his passport in hand.

Retraced our steps and were back in SJC at 12:45 p.m. At Jacareí (the city before SJC), I called the house from Vicki's cell phone, but she had gone to Walmart with Micah. We just missed them. So Micah turned around and picked us up. I came straight to the office, since Joel and I had eaten a sub sandwich at the Tietê bus station before our departure.

Check one more off the to-do list.