Before I went to Russia, I had to get my passport. I paid the extra money for expedited service, as well as shipping the application and the passport overnight both ways. It came to about $180, but I had my passport back 8 days from when I sent it in during the month of June. My wife applied for a passport two weeks ago, as we're thinking of traveling abroad in the coming year. No particular hurry, so we just paid the normal $80 charge and sent it first class mail, no rush service on the passport either.

Her passport came in 9 days.

I guess they saw me coming, it cost me an extra hundred dollars to get my passport a day sooner. At least work paid for it...