On Friday, I was poked, prodded, weighed, pricked, pressed, and tested. I was not x-rayed, though. The machine was broken. I need to call the x-ray place now but I have the thing that Immigration would really like to see: the receipt for my physical. It's been photocopied and stashed with my birth certificate, my marriage certificate, and numerous background checks.

Of course, as my immigration application reaches its final state, I've encountered one more problem. The last time I entered this fine land, no one stamped my passport. I'm envisioning the conversation with the call centre already. It involves me being told that that isn't possible and me insisting that I'm holding a very real passport that doesn't have an August 2004 stamp in it. I can send them copies of all the pages. There very simply isn't a stamp.

I'm hoping that this conversation doesn't occur and that they instead insist on a photocopy of every page of my passport or waive the need for a photocopy of the stamp. I'm assuming the worst, though. I see a too-expensive and too-long train ride in my future.

Out. Stamp please! In.