Proof of identity

I decided to try getting an official ID card since I don't have a driver's license and I get tired of carrying my passport around everywhere.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles has the requirements listed on their site. It was a little hard gathering enough documentation since I don't have my passport right now and I don't have any debit or credit cards. I presented my social security card and birth certificate. For proof of residency I had brought two pieces of mail: a bank statement and a health insurance statement. The bank statement had a P.O. Box, so it didn't count. The health insurance statement was already 30 days old, which was technically not recent enough, but they accepted it.

I also didn't have anything with my signature on it, but I had signed the social security card shortly before we got there, and they accepted that, even though I technically should have had 4 forms of ID, not 3.

The ID cost $15 and I have a temporary one until they send the real card in the mail. I'm not sure how long it is good for.

The bank is working on getting the money back into my checking account. I went in today and asked them to order my new debit card so that I could have it before leaving for Russia.

I also took care of a few charges that I had made on my debit card before discovering the fraudulent activity.

One of them was my Russian visa, and I was worried that the visa would be delayed if the payment hadn't cleared. But when I called, they hadn't processed the payment yet and were fine with taking the credit card number over the phone.

The other place I had to call was the doctor's office, and I got a very nice nurse who ended up wishing me a nice trip to Russia. My check hadn't been deposited yet, so I gave a credit card number there, too.

So, everything is going okay.