Help - cannot find passports!!!

[MARK18]

This brings up bad memories for me. My wife and I lost our passports (actually it turns out we threw them away with some junk mail) and realized they were gone 1 week before leaving for a European vacation. We had to fly to Los Angeles (we live in Phoenix) and spend the day in line to get them on the spot. Some moron at the agency went to lunch before handing over the passports that she processed. So at 2:45 pm we still didn't have our passports and the agency closed at 3 pm. This was our last day to get the passports so, needless to say, we were really sweating. About 2:55 we got to the window and they were finally ready. Our trip to Paris and Rome were incredible but that one day cost us an additional $1500 due to last minute flight, hotel, car rental, passport fees. Oh yea, we missed our flight going home because we got the passports so late. That cost another $125 each ticket.

[Desert Cruizers]

I keep our Passports in a clear container next to my computer in the file cabinet. When we are going on a cruise or for that matter any trip, I make up these mailing envelopes, within 1 month, the Passports go in and anything else pertaining to the trip and it is placed on our dresser so everything is in 1 location. ( Passports go in if a cruise). I would hate to be day of departure leaving and Passports still in file cabinet. Last week I check the envelope to be sure everything is there, Tickets, passports, Tour Information, etc etc.