Passport

A request to the people who read this blog - particularly close family members - please try not to have any emergencies in the next 4 weeks that might require my urgent travel back to the UK.  Because I am currently without a passport.  I am renewing my passport, and have just mailed my current one to HM Passport Office.  So I can't travel anywhere.  I don't think I can even take domestic flights within the US - because my Washington State driver's license doesn't have "REAL ID" (a minimum security standard for state-issued driver's licenses).  Unfortunately I can't get the enhanced driver's license because it is only available to US citizens.  However, just thinking about it, perhaps I can use my green card as ID for domestic travel.  Anyway, less than happy about having to mail my current passport - is it really necessary?  It is just another inconvenience and expense on top of the already ridiculously high renewal fee.  But at least I had the good sense to get my digital passport photos done while I was back in the UK - because that could have been a real problem to do here.