Packing lists

22 and a half hours to departure for New York. Got lucky, and got a forward-bulkhead seat with the extra leg room so I can at least stretch out a little.

With luck, the return to Athens won't be too long after. Calling the consulate tonight to see what's what, and if the visa papers got there. (Though they were issued in Athens over a month ago, and were supposed to travel in the diplomatic pouch; lost in the mail is one thing, but isn't stuff supposed to not get lost in the diplomatic bag?)

No papers

Called the Consulate to check on the papers for my visa with the guy who's in charge of visas..

"I'm sorry, he's not in. He did leave a message saying that your papers have not arrived. We'll call you as soon as we know anything."

I'm seeing red. And I have this overwhelming urge to cause physical damage to something.

I go back to New York tomorrow and it looks like I may be stuck there for the better part of a month. Or worse.

Again.

Upshot

Strikes in Greece, I'm told. Maybe that's what's causing all the problems. Hell if I know.

Not gonna get much sleep tonight, which is a bad thing because I've got to be up at oh-dark-thirty to catch a train to the airport. Assuming the trains are running.

Seventeen months I've been waiting on this goddamned set of papers. Seventeen months and they tell me all I can do is wait and wait and wait some more.

Seventeen.

Goddamn.

Months.

What the goddamn hell do I have to do to get the goddamn people in the goddamn bureaucracy to do their goddamn jobs?!?!?