Visa applications

Nothing's easy. Yesterday, we got our passport pictures taken (these are for the Visas...obviously already have our passports), got a cashier's check for $100 to cover the Visa fees and completed the applications. But we couldn't get in touch with the courier...definitely wanted to touch base with her before we just shipped this stuff off to her. What if we were missing something?? So today Steve talked with her. Oh yea, next week, the first week of October, is a national holiday in China so the Chinese Consulate offices here in the states are all closed...ALL WEEK. So unless we pay an extra $60 for rush processing, we won't receive our Visas until around October 13. We don't have our appointment with the American Consulate in Guangzhou yet so we don't yet know our travel dates. There's an outside chance we could be heading to China around the 18th. We definitely don't want to be packed and ready to go...but biting our nails waiting for our Visas. UGH!! I sent an email to our agency with this scenario and asked if we should pay extra for the rush processing. The answer was "no". No need for rush processing. Alrighty then. That means the agency thinks there's no way we'll travel before the end of October. Great. Why don't they just SAY THAT????? So we'll mailed the applications...our approval for passage to Livie!