Thank you State Department Stamper!

You did it!  You stamped our paper!  And it's amazing, really, that it only took one month.  When I spoke with the secretary on the main switchboard at the State Department this morning, she informed that your office hours are 9-11 Monday through Thursday.   With that schedule, you probably were stamping your little heart out, going at it full tilt, and I went and implied that there was some laziness, some inefficiency in your department.  So sorry.

 But now let's let bygones be bygones.

Bye-bye State Department, NiHao Chinese Embassy!

A Depressing Update:  I just re-checked the FedEx site and because I was cheap and because I didn't anticipate a month-long hold-up, I paid for the bargain three-day delivery from the State Department to the Embassy.  Since the bargain rate doesn't cover Saturdays, my paper with the fancy State Department stamp isn't expected to arrive at the Chinese Embassy until Monday!  I Map Quested this route and the Embassy is 2.8 miles from the State Department!  FIVE DAYS TO GO LESS THAN THREE MILES!

Aye Yi Yi!  Adoption is not for the impatient.

Update on the Update: Fedex delivered my paper in only one day at the cheapo three-day price!  Thank you FedEx!