Today after work I went to IKEA. Going there by bus is always like a field trip. It takes an hour there and then another hour back and the bus only runs every two hours. But thankfully it was worth it. I got everything I wanted, mainly just some bits and pieces for myself: towels matching my shower towels, a mirror [I found some space to put this one as it is so narrow], and a pie dish [hello pumpkin pie!], as well as some stuff for the apartment: knives, some bathmats, a doormat, and a cutlery tray.

Kind of random, useful stuff, not pretty but useless [like decoration, well I suppose it does have a use, i.e. to make things pretty], but it was nice to finally get these things. Some I had been wanting to get for a while now. I was hoping my roomie would convince a buddy of his to take us in the car because we also want to get a shelf for the kitchen but that hasn’t happened yet and since I had time today, I figured I’d go, because who knows when his buddy and my roomie and I will have time all on the same day.

I really love IKEA, they have so many nice things and lots of things are so inexpensive, so I don’t really feel too guilty for buying the stuff I did. Plus the stuff that is for the apartment, not just for me, is paid for by all of us so that makes it even more affordable. I just wish IKEA was easier to get to, or their delivery less expensive, haha. But maybe that wouldn’t be such a good thing, then I’d be spending a lot more money there.

Today I went to apply for my new passport and ID as both are expiring in a few weeks. And with it being quite likely I will be going to New York early next year so I will actually be needing my passport, I had to shell out the money for both passport (€59) and ID (€8).

Since 2005 German passports are exclusively biometric, which means that your fingerprint will be saved on a chip in your passport, and also that the picture has to follow some very strict guidelines. One being you are not allowed to smile. Meaning your passport picture is bound to look like a mugshot. And seeing as I was too cheap to pay for two sets of passport-sized pictures, my ID picture also looks like a mugshot. But, luckily the picture didn’t turn out too bad. It was really hard to look really serious and not smile.

It is actually much better than some other pictures I have taken, like my Oklahoma driver’s license [long expired]? I put on a blue shirt the day I got my DL. And the background in the picture? Was the exact same shade of blue. I really prefer how here it is BYOP* and photographers usually give you several tries to take a good picture.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the picture that will grace my passport and ID for the next ten years. Don’t I look all tough and badass? [Okay, not really.]

So, tell me, what does your passport / DL / ID picture look like? Do you cringe every time you are asked for ID or do you like the picture?

* Bring your own picture.