Do i have to go day after the oath, or can i wait a week, then go with airline ticket that is 14 days out? IF i do not want to go to New Orleans, what is the next best option? How long should it take? Thanks again...
No, you don't have to go the day after you oath - that's just the fastest possible. The "travel emergency" passport route is for travel within 14 days, so yes, you can wait until the 14 days before travel. If you're really desperate, you can always buy a refundable fare for the week after your oath, get the passport and then cancel the flight though...
If you go to the regional agency (as mentioned in the original post) you'll have your passport the same day.
All the information you need is on the passport agency website, in this case:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_898.html
You have a couple of other options to New Orleans:
1) Schedule an appointment at one of the other Regional Passport agencies in Miami or DC if you don't want to go to New Orleans (I don't think that they are tied to your home town, but might be wrong)
2) According to the passport agency website (
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/processing/processing_1740.html) , expedited processing of a passport is currently running 14 days door-to-door (so if you're travelling three weeks out from oath, you
should be okay if you use that service)
3) Use a 3rd party company to do all the courier stuff for you. I've seen charges upwards of $100 ($150 rings a bell) to have them do the legwork for you. However, they won't get it any faster than you getting an appointment at the regional agency.
Hope that helps.