Don't worry, I'll remind you.

You better don´t forget. If you forget you are screwed At least I remember reading somewhere that if you don´t do it in the 90 day window then they consider your "stuff" abandoned and therefore start "removing" you from USA. So if you don´t do it in the 90 day window it might become a real pain in the something to try and get things going again

Well it´s 80° here now It´s not cold It´s nice sunny warm and lovely Me freak like STP have the front door open while doing things around here and people keep walking by and are staring One suspicious guy even came to the door and asked if Joe lived here

Thanks!


Did you say that you were Joe? That would have been funny Or you could have asked how he knew that is what you were going to call the baby!!

I can't open the doors or windows to do anything - it gets way too hot

I said NO. It was successful...it scared him away

Hey Aly, is the personal statement new or have I not noticed it until now? It´s very nice

9pm and still over 100° in PS...that´s crazy Was thinking it might be a bit unpleasant to be pregnant in that weather

for a while we had all sorts of deadbeats coming to the London house and asking for random people... we knew it was all a ruse to see who was at home
so I decided to start saying 'YES! he does live here!' regardless of who they asked for, and then seeing them have to squirm and come up with a message

No - it's been there for ages - I was going to change it but seeing as you have only just noticed it I will leave it for you to enjoy a little longer


Tell me about it - Jeremy and I have discussed this and decided that the... conception is going to have to be carefully timed so that by the time I am all pokey-outy it won't be quite so hot...


Oh that is brilliant!! I bet you heard some really random things! Kinda makes me want to have people come here and ask so I can do the same

I applied to volunteer for the Palm Springs International Film Society today - I'm kinda nervous but excited as well - I've just put down for weekends at the moment as Jeremy works them anyway and I figured if I get on with it then I can always ask to work more days

Haha Ok STP, next time I´ll say yes Hopefully that person won´t say that in that case he/she was gonna move in with us or something like that

You´ll have to calculate it really carefully, Aly Although I´m not sure how you wanna do it since 4 months in a year PS is over 100° and May and October are still over 90° so that leaves 6 months starting from November and 6 months usually don´t cover the entire pregnancy Maybe you have tricks in your sleeve that I´m not aware of
That sounds cool about the volunteering job...and what are you gonna do there, do you know already?

Well I figure the first three months won't be so bad as the last so it can be a bit warmer then - I just don't want to be walking around at 8 1/2 months in 110f heat I think that might kill me!!! Of course, if I am working up until then I will be ok because there will be better air con than here... saying that, we want to move before we plan on having kids - a baking hot one bedroom apartment is not something I want to bring my kids up in!!!

The volunteer work varies from transportation (which I obviously can't do) to data entry and admin to selling merchandise so it is a mixed bag - I just checked all the boxes that sounded ok and that was it! I think it is based at the theater that is a couple of miles from me so I will have to check out buses but it will be nice to get out of the house - as long as I don't have to stand outside in this heat I should be fine!!!

My goodness, nothing posted here for almost 2 full days?! Shame, shame, fellow July filers!

Scott and I are back from Vegas. We had a really fun time and I'm so glad. It's nice to actually be able to go on vacation together and come back home to the same place.

Our biometrics appointment was reschedule for this Saturday (at 8am! ugh! Oh well, at least it's soon) and today we got an email saying we've been transferred to California. Yay! I'm pretty happy about that.

Congrats! I was soooo relieved when I got transferred to CSC.

What is so good about being transferred to CSC? I vaguely remember when Julez was but that was soooo long ago now that I don't even know what it means anymore - we get to go through all of this in a couple of months!!

Is it sad of me to be kinda looking forward to AOS?!?! I feel a bit left out - Jeremy and I are "married" for all intents and purposes but the whole AOS thing feels like a bit of a dream...

And I've been here four weeks today!! I can't believe it!!

Oh - as an aside, I had an e-mail from Debz the other day to say they have a two year old kitty called Oscar She seems to be doing ok but I haven't had an e-mail since, so I am guessing she is still net-less... I am very jealous of her $100 a month rent though It's a friend of the family so it is great for them as I don't think Nick earns a lot but wow... I am sooo jealous of that! We pay $725 a month and our place is tiny!!!

being transferred means that you get your GC without interwiev and within a few weeks. just compare julez timeline to mine. LOL.

we pay 1150 a month if it makes you feel better tucson ist CRAZY expensive. damn snowbirds.

Oh, does it mean you get it quicker too? I just thought it was no interview. Quicker would also be fine with us.

And yeah, our 1BR is $1734.00 per month. Everyone can feel better.

yea, I am pretty sure that nobody can trump Brooklyn for its rent...except, well Manhattan. At the real estate office where I worked for the past year, our typical 1BR on the upper east side cost around $3500. Some were more, some were less, but that is about average.

Good thing I got outta there, we are paying a whopping $565. Too bad there ain't much nightlife (life) around here.

I know I've been quiet, but I wanted you all to be the first to know that....................
WE GOT THE VISA-->JUST TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been hell, but it was all worth it.
Hope you are all FABULOUS!!!!

-->U.S. Wendy of the July filers!!!!

Wow, CONGRATS Wendy!! I'm so glad it's finally ended for the two of you. Er, rather, begun.

Cool So when do you start volunteering? This week?

That´s great news Rae Congratulations

Haha You will be able to do your AOS pretty soon so you won´t be left out anymore (considering the funds will allow it) I should feel left out NOT

Hey, Debz already has the net...they were getting it on Thursday...which Thursday? ...well looooong time ago ...oh THAT Thursday Yes, other than that, I don´t know what´s going on there

or mine Yes, usually people that are transferred get the GC faster. It´s not always faster though. But in general I think it is so you should be happy
PS: don´t compare the timeline to mine...my "adjudicator" took 2008 off Hope he won´t forget to come back to work in 2009

That can be a good excuse for starting lotsa experimenting at night

Congratulations Wendy Finally You must be so relieved now So what are the plans now?

Julez Welcome home Now we are all ears for aaaall the cool stories you have for us

Everyone (someone? ) please tell me: when you post something in this thread and then click on recent posts (top right corner), do you see the thread in the list of the recent posts like it used to appear there or not? Cuz I can´t see that one there anymore and I don´t know why

wow, congratulations, Wendy! that's just... well, 'great news' doesn't really cut it, but it IS, for all that

Thanks Marta for welcoming me back! We had a wonderful week in the UK. The weather was so gorgeous every day - warm & sunny! (You almost forgot you were in the UK ) In fact, the day we went to Wimbledon, it was almost too hot! I did think of you guys while I was there and wished that we could all be together! I just know we'd have such fun!

And, yes, Marta, I have attended numeorus baby showers! Too bad you live so far away, or I'd be sure to make an appearance at yours!

Glad to see everyone is getting along with life here in the US - some with more ease than others, but still getting through it!

Congrats to US Wendy!! I've often wonder what became of you and am glad to know that your visa journey is finally complete!!! Best wishes to you both for the future.

Well, work is calling me back at the moment, but hopefully, I'll have more time to post later!!

hello Julez; lovely to see you back safe

and insanely envious over you having been in London so recently... I miss it like crazy



Marta, been reading through my Czech cookbook, which Dave and I bought when we went to Prague together

you'll have to give me some pointers

I thought about you a lot the day we were in London. I know how very dear that city is to you! I envy you in that you were able to spend a few years there. I've only ever gone for a day or two!

Our day in London was a whirlwind! Mostly spent in Wimbledon with Griff's son and his daughter. She's nearly one and a lovely little girl. It was our first time meeting and more than a bit awkward, but we got through it. We bonded a bit over the really awful Japanese dinner we all shared that evening! His wife is a chocolatier at the very posh Chocolate Society in London and she bestowed us with some decadent fresh chocolates that she made that same day. Scrummy in the extreme!

I know, I do try to remember that I was so fortunate to have the time I had... and you know, I don't think I ever took it for granted; even years in, I could still walk down some normal street and think 'I live in LONDON!' and be all excited
I hope we get back there some day... I love it so much
but then, maybe we'll go somewhere else - I think I could handle living in Leipzig... or Prague... or Lisbon... or Edinburgh... or or or...

glad things went well with the fam! even gladder chocolate was involved

I thought Pointeen pointed

when it's about Czech cuisine, then I think you're the woman I want

You're lucky to have the flexibilty to move in the next few years! We're moving to Hamburg next week, but the one in NY state!

Here's links to the chocolates:

http://www.chocolate.co.uk/eMerchantPro/pc...p;idproduct=104

http://www.chocolate.co.uk/eMerchantPro/pc...mp;idproduct=80

http://www.chocolate.co.uk/eMerchantPro/pc...mp;idproduct=19

Very delicious and highly recommended to anyone still in the London area!

*nom nom* on the chocs

I don't know about flexibility though... Dave's son will be done with school in about a year, but we don't know what he'll be doing after that... and Dave's parents are a lot older than mine, and his mum, especially, is getting older and frailer pretty rapidly... I like to make plans, but I'm realistic enough to know that they may well not happen

but at least Dave is up for moving, so let's just see what happens, eh?

That's wonderful news!! Finally you can get on with your life together!!


This week or next - I got an e-mail about an induction thing but Jeremy has just had a couple of days off so I haven't really looked too hard!!!


MMmmm - jealous of the real choc!! Hersheys do some cream-coloured wrappered chocolate that isn't too bad (ie better than the stuff in the dark wrappers) and it is a decent price -I can get hold of Lindt and all other manner of scrummy choc but we just can't afford that right now


I have her nickname in my e-mail addressbook as "Pointy" now because of you Marta

Drivethru

I know; the combination is pretty inspired, but the drive-thru is genius

I spotted that when we were driving back from Austin weekend before last; I made Dave turn around so we could go back and get the shot

Hahaha Well I have finally got around to taking photos of the mess our house is in! Still no camera lead though and feel really loathed to stick the skanky old monitor on my new (albeit cheap) desk so I can use my puter... Hmmm some things just still need to settle down I think...

I get to go to an induction for volunteers next week - I'm going to *gasp* walk it as it is only 1.3 miles... Have bottles of water in the freezer as we type - think I will need them! I might see if Jeremy can pick me up though as I think walking back as well would kill me in this heat...

Oh and as a random aside, I had to change my moving date for my ticker to 31ST of JUNE so it would show the correct length of time I have been here... go figure

I JUST SAW!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! you deserve it!!!!! =]

Ok, I´m pointing

So I got my new passport Which is great cuz now I don´t have to carry the marriage certificate everywhere At least some things work when other things don´t

I am glad you had a nice time Julez Did you bring any chocolates for us?

I can´t see the drivethru

Our savings finally arrived!! Despite Jeremy putting the wrong account number down they turned up today in his account so now we have our first $8000 in savings We are going to take out $2000 to buy a car though because Jeremy's van only gets like 12mpg and as he drives 40 miles and back to work every day it is killing us in gas (around $100 plus a week )

So yippee! We get an impromptu trip to Santa Ana today - he is finishing work early then picking me up just after lunch.. thing is we have to find his vehicle registered keeper certificate or whatever they call them here... It's somewhere at his aunt's house and goodness knows how long it will take us to find... plus he needs to change the brakes on his van as well...

I can see us car shopping in the dark and driving home (if we get there) in a shed.

That´s awesome It would have been no fun if it didn´t arrive

Does that mean he gets away with it now and doesn´t have to get you flowers?

I'll let him off - he's been really good to me and we can't afford flowers anyway Especially with our little excursion next week

I just swept the house again as it was annoying me and in the kitchen I found what I thought was rat droppings. So I investigated closer and it was a bunch of tiny dead bugs... it's creeping me out cause I don't know what they are and if there is more of them...

there are always loads more bugs in a tropical climate... Sydney was bad for them, then I got all spoiled living in London where there were hardly any, and now I have to get used to them all over again

great news on the money
and the car

Yeah - it just freaks me out unless I know what they are - in Bristol it was fine - we got woodlice, spiders, flies, wasps, bees, beetles, ants... but I knew they were the ones I used to play with as a kid And they weren't poisonous... Now I know the two poisonous spiders here and I know what they look like so I am fine with that - at least I know enough to get the heck away if I see one... It's the other ones that creep me out the most - I think kids are braver than adults and as I haven't grown up with these bugs it'll just take me a while to get used to them...

Of course, the fact that I found five identical bugs at the same time in the same place (and I swept only a few days ago) and they are little means now I am worried that something gross has laid eggs somewhere...

As for the money/car - I am sooo excited! We wanted to save all the money for a deposit on a house but because Jeremy's van is just costing us so much in gas I said we were more likely to be able to save if we aren't spending $100 a week on it A budget of $1000 was too small and $3000 is too much (esp as we are prolly going to have to use savings for AOS )

That reminds me - I need to look up places that will do this stupid HPV vaccine Anyone got any tips?

*trots off to Google like a good girl*

growing up in Australia you get pretty used to dangerous creatures
if it's not spiders and snakes, it's sharks and jellyfish and who knows what else...

if you haven't got an ING account you should open one
I have one in the UK and one in Aus, and Dave has one here (on my recommendation ) - I recommend them to everyone

Hello everyone! It's been a long old time since I last posted and I see that StP got married and Aly finally got to LA. Congrats to both!!!! Congrats to anyone else who has big news that I missed too!
Not forgetting a hello to Julez!

I'm still enjoying things here though the incessant heat is getting a bit of a drag - though I think I would rather that than miserable wet grey days up North (England that is). Those cold mornings travelling to work were really quite depressing at times! I do miss the rain though.

Jesse and I just got back from a camping trip in the Sequoia's. I loved it!!! loved it! A real campfire, camp food and umpteen mosquito bites on my bum. It was really good fun.

Anyway, hope everyone else is doing well.

babbles!!!!

*flurry of hugs*

so glad to see you, and hear that you're doing well!