My apologies, Aly, if I sounded trite. I didn't mean to be. I'm sure it is difficult to just go out and make friends. Taking some classes is a good way to find friends, and like I said, maybe some other volunteer opportunity. If you like animals, those types of organizations are always looking for help.

Oh didn't think you sounded trite at all Julez - in fact I had to see what you had written to figure out what you were apologising for!!! I might check out some local charities that might not be advertising - I mean, if I am prepared to work for free then who would turn that down?!?!

hope so much you'll fell better soon!
hey, you could start making your CV look pretty and look for jobs! your EAD will be here sooner than you know!!
did you find any meetups in PS?
i am greatful for being able to go to work, just to be busy. even though my coworkers suck.


congratulations to the EAD!

oh, unpack your boxes, stp!!!!!!!!! i'm sure that everything made it safely!!!!

Yeah well I am currently looking up business plan templates for the business I want to set up but haven't done anything about yet!! There are so many different things out there that I think it is going to take a little research but at least it gives me something to focus on. I think I am also finding the lack of routine difficult - that and, even though it sounds silly, a bath - I had a bath every day when we travelled around Arizona because I miss just being able to take some time to soak and relax

Maybe when I get a job I will pay to go to some cheap motel somewhere kinda close so I can have a bath once a month Ohhh I don't think I will ever want to get out

Hey Aly, you can come visit here once a month for your bath if you like!! Or just come to say hi if you're feeling lonesome. I know it doesn't solve the PS friends problem, but it's nice to chat in person to people here and there.

I've met a few people looking for work, but no one that I would say that I'm likely to become friends with yet. I tend to make more friends through work, so maybe they will come along when I find a job. But I think that the classes idea sounds great. Are there any business colleges or courses nearby? It could help you get to grips with the local business laws etc.

StP, did you open your box yet, or is it still sitting there?

Aly, I hope you are feeling better today. It sucks to be lonely. But I guess it's just part of things to be expected. Not that that's really comforting, sorry. But I mean, you are still at the beginning of your time here. I'm sure things will get better. Just know that having lonely days is totally, completely normal.

Thanks to you all for your congrats on Scott's EAD. I hope he goes job hunting today. If he doesn't, I will I'm feeling a lot less worried now. Since that was approved, I'm sure AP will be soon as well. We have a wedding to go to in a month, and the last thing I wanted was to wait up until the last minute to see if we could go. I'm pretty sure things are gonna be hunky dory.

Congratulations to Scott on getting his EAD. I'm sure he'll be eagerly looking for work, I know I will when my EAD comes through - I look every day anyway

Aly, the transition is so hard. I completely empathise. J has a lot of friends here and it means we do a lot of socialising, but as much as I get on with all of them (they are all really great people) I am yet to make friends that are truly my own and I think that does make all the difference. J sometimes has a hard time understanding the difficulty of relocation. He often says 'my friends are your friends - and they are - but I couldn't just call any one of them up and say 'hey fancy a beer tonight' and let off steam to them about... whatever is bugging me at the time, particularly if it is J!

I think Poiteen is right - it is so much easier to make friends at work, because you immediately have some common ground with them. And when we're working we'll have some financial independence again and not be worrying so much about so many of the things that bug us right now. It's going to get so much better!

Yeah - I am just not a patient person and seem to be using all my patience on crappy USCIS form-filling-and-waiting (which reminds me... let's see if my case status is online... nope... and we have had no mail, not even junk, since before the weekend )

I started devising a business plan last night which is arduous and tedious but it has at least given me something to focus on and I am sure it will pay off in the end. Jeremy, despite saying he would be in before 1am last night was late... again. I wouldn't mind *quite* so much if I didn't get my hopes up every time

ooo sorry for not noticing post yesterday....congrats to Scott on EAD!!!!!

Well not so exciting as EAD, but have my biometrics scheduled (luckily for EAD and AOS) on 16th September Kinda looking forward to the daytrip

Ok - have done a big spreadsheet update (our last two K-1ers have been PM'd - totes -previously TonyandTess- have just been approved at their second interview yesterday after being stuck on AP ) Let me know if anything is amiss

Wow - dead in here today... I'm triple posting literally hours apart

Anyway - does anyone think I am being too harsh here? I'm sorry - maybe I am tired or something but seriously... is this person a first class moron or am I missing something!?

Oh and if anyone is interested in my roach event of the day then there is an entry in my blog I'm getting braver! I think

I couldn´t find it there...on which page is it?

Congratulations to the EAD Rach

I've been super busy with work, so I'll just write this real quick:

There are people still waiting for their K interview?! I feel awful for them. I thought our case took forever.

I haven't read your blog Aly, but last night I saw a roach cross the street it was that big. I'm not kidding. Sometimes I have to remember that NYC is gross.

It was post 360 - I checked the link when I posted it yesterday and it was fine but now it goes to an earlier post and I don't know why...


Just a couple - totes are hoping to be together by the end of the month now which is great and am not sure what is going on with pinaylang as they were on AP but I haven't heard back from them yet to find out how they are getting on... it is really sad

Haha - I am getting used to the roaches a bit but they still creep me out!!

Congrats!

Bear in mind that the photo they take of you at biometrics is the one that will go on your EAD and Green Card. I made sure that I had a bit of extra 'slap' on that day.

Thanks for the heads up Gillian - I'll make sure to put on my posh togs and uber slap Or at least wash my hair

I am sooo glad they don't use the one that you have to submit - the photographer made me push my head back against the wall so I have 25 chins. She also made me take off my glasses and the lighting was such that I look orange. So those photos are kind of like a 25-chinned orange rolypoly person - it just looks nothing like me and yuck - it is possibly the worst photo I have ever had taken!

Pity cause my visa one was ok!

I quite like my Green Card photo - one of very few that I do. They told me that I could smile (which suprised me) so I actually look like a 'normal' person and not a convict in a mug shot.

Oh I know - same with my visa one as well - not like the UK pics where you have to look miserable. I must say I was surprised about having to take my glasses off - I didn't have to for my visa pic...

Oh dear - somebody slap me

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;#entry2189451

I neglected to mention the "spealicist" job and that it must be in huge demand as I had never heard of it. Oh and her husband is called Nad...

Oh come on puhleaseeee.... someone join in on this because it is too funny!!

Ha, I think you were a bit harsh, but who cares. There are plenty of stupid questions to go around, so it's really all right.

So Scott and I have gotten in a fight. We really don't fight much, ever, so I feel like its worse when we actually do. He was supposed to go look for a job... I thought he would yesterday, but he said he wasn't feeling well. So he was going to go today, but then at the end of my workday (and btw, aside from today I have been working 12-hour days, so that doesn't help matters) I find out he's been at home all day. Now, I realize the EAD was only just approved 3 days ago. But I am one of those people that is ready to go, so that once things can happen, I make them happen. Scott is a procrastinator (as was evidenced by the fact that it took him forever to send back our P3 during the winter). I love the man, but damn is this frustrating. I guess it wouldn't matter if I had tons and tons and tons of cash lying around, but I'm sure the majority of you understand what a financial undertaking it is to go through an international move and pay for AOS and all that. To make matters worse, I haven't really worked all summer long until this week (I wanted to but no jobs were coming my way), and I freelance, which means when I don't work, I don't make any money. So thousands of dollars are pouring out when nothing was coming in, I've now got about $6k on my credit card and AGH. Sorry I just need to vent. I know couples fight, but he went to take a walk and I am left here feeling like poo.
Stupid stupid money problems. I should realize they don't matter. I do realize that. It doesn't take the stress away though, and doesn't take back the stupid fight.

First of all look at the thread I linked to and make fun of the person (in the nicest possible way of course ) - that will make you feel a little better at least

As for the fight - I can relate - Jeremy is much the same. He has been working 12 hour days as well, his job is fine apart from the people he works with - I think I mouthed off already about his fellow manager who basically passes the buck to Jeremy, lets him work all the cr@ppy shifts and deal with all the awkward nasty situations. Anyway - he has been meant to be looking for a new job. He looked once when he was all fired up about things and that was it. Just like the Bank of America (and the $300 they took from us) - he got all fired up, we wrote a three page letter together then nothing was done about it.

I know how you feel it makes me want to shake him because in his situation I wouldn't rest until it was dealt with because it would frustrate me until then.

But from the other side, try to give the guy a bit of a break. It *has* only been three days like you said and I know that I will find it intimidating getting a new job in a new country - maybe he feels the same? Have you asked him? Maybe you can sit down and talk and set a target to apply for X number of jobs a day or week so he doesn't feel like he is never doing enough and you feel like he is at least doing *something*. Perhaps show him your credit card bill and say that because of that, belts will have to be tightened until he can get a job. Cut back on things you don't need (particularly if they are things he enjoys - I know that sounds horrible) and then maybe he will realise the amount of money and support you are putting his way.

Also give him a little time to get his head around working - I know I don't like dealing with change and a situation where I literally am not allowed to work, to overnight being able to is daunting - I know I will prolly need some time just to mentally set myself straight and get my head around the fact that I am able to work now. That might just be me though because I am weird... I hadn't thought of it until now but yeah - I am pretty certain I will freak out

I hope this helps a bit - I just kinda rambled

It does help, thanks Aly. It's always good to get another person's perspective.

You are right; I'm sure he's intimidated about finding a job (especially b/c in Canada he worked retail and feels like somewhat of a failure for not having a "real" career). But yesterday I tried to be really reassuring, b/c the truth is, he does have tons of experience (5 years), even if it is retail, in something he really enjoys, and I'm sure he'll be able to find a similar job here, no sweat. He just has to GO OUT AND DO IT. And I guess that's what frustrates me -- Scott doesn't have 12 hour shifts to keep him busy -- he's home all day long. He's sleeping in while I'm up early getting ready for a long day.

But, I do need to chill out. It's not like this has gone on for weeks. It's been a couple of days. I know I am more high strung with getting things done ASAP and it's not like I don't know that Scott is not this way. This is something we'll be dealing with the rest of our lives, I'm sure! I mean, not the job issue, but the basic personality difference of go-getter vs. procrastinator. The problem is, I never know when I should hold it in (generally unhealthy) or say something. I guess I just need to figure out the right way to say what's on my mind without upsetting him.
...

Okay he just came home and I think we've kissed and made up.

Fights suck!!

Thanks for listening Aly.

Haha - yeah I know what you mean - I have a teaching degree and decided not to go into teaching in the UK so that made me feel bad. Now I am here with my new fresh start and new life and I feel like I should have some 100k a year super job that is fulfilling and something I love - especially as my brother has just got a $22k a year promotion I was always the high flyer of the family and I kinda feel like I lost my "position" to him...

Ahh - sibling rivalry at its best I'm just expecting a *really* great Christmas pressie from him

hi guys!
our visitors are here. first thing they did was giving #### about how small our bathtub was.
now they are still asleep which gives us time to veg, watch telly and write emails.
the one girl threw up twice after dinner and already once before breakfast. she is so skinny that she will most likely not be able to keep up with our sightseeing plans.

about the jobsearch:
i started looking for jobs (like 8h a day while eric was at work) exactly 2 weeks after i came here and eric was really impatient with me and told me all the stupid time how easy is was to find a job and stuff, i could have killed him.
i was trying so hard and he just made me feel like crap. i was still struggleing with arriving and it hurt my pride that it took me longer to find a job than anticipated. and erics impatience didn't help a whole lot.

*sigh*

i guess i will take the visitors to a mountain or shopping mall and leave them for death.

OMG - ungrateful b*tches!! I can't believe that... your bath is a darn sight bigger than most hotel ones (unless you get an expensive suite, which, let's face it, they probably would) and even bigger than the one I have which consists of either a (granted, rather large) sink or sitting on the drain in the shower and waiting for it to fill an inch or two... which is kinda gross

You should defo take them to the mountains and leave them there... either that or make your own map with a path into the mountains and a note with an arrow saying "Gucci this way" off the edge of a cliff

I am currently cleaning and I hate it. I've been feeling really exhausted recently - I think it is just homesickness but I just can't relax, have been drinking too much, have been on my period (sorry for too much info) for three weeks running and all I want to do is curl up until I feel better again. I'm not poorly as such - just fed up with the long hours Jeremy is working and being stuck in all the time. I've been looking for more volunteer things but it all looks too far away for me to cycle right now - at least until I get fitter...

But at least the bedroom is polished and dusted, the whole house has been swept and mopped. Two loadsof laundry have been done and now I just need to take a break before cleaning the kitchen and bathroom - save the best for last (!)

ahh, aly so sorry that you're feeling so bad!
i wish there was an easy recipe to feeling better!
but unfortunetely there isn't. i had weeks when i was on the verge of tears 24/7 and the only thing that i wanted to do was sleep.
did you find any meet-ups or anything alike in PS?
Wish I had a magic wand to take away all the difficulty involved with moving and stuff!!

I'm sorry your ungrateful visitors are there Agnes.

As for the job searching, I totally hear what you're saying. But you were trying hard to find a job, and that is the difference -- I will have a lot more patience with Scott not working if he's actively looking for a job. If he sits at home, though, well... not so cool. Y'know?

Aly, want to come and clean my apartment too? I think you deserve a break actually!

Haha - well I only really clean properly once a week - things like the kitchen etc get cleaned as I go, although Jeremy isn't *quite* so vigilant (I wouldn't mind if so much if not for the roaches... ah who am I kidding - it drives me nuts!) and I just try to pick up after myself and leave things tidy. Thing is it is so dusty here that it gets really gross but there is no way on earth I am going to bust my @ss cleaning thoroughly every day because it never lasts!!! Before the party I cleaned and showed Jeremy just how filthy it gets and he was so surprised

But yeah - the day before Jeremy gets his days off, I sweep (including under the bed/dresser etc) then mop the entire apartment (it's not that big ), clean the kitchen really thoroughly (the stove always ends up filthy because Jeremy never cleans it after using it so it is left for me to do - I have never known anyone make all four rings dirty when using only one ) get all the dishes cleaned, then I clean the shower, bathroom mirror, sink, toilet etc...

I'm kinda done now - the oven needs cleaning because some gunk is burnt on the bottom but I can't find an oven cleaner in the store and the dishwasher needs emptying and the unit above it sorting out. But that is it. And I can't be bothered to do any more now anyway - I am all showered and clean and need to chill out as I have a headache.

By the way - can I just say that mojito mix goes really well with 7up?! Totally non-alcoholic and refreshing

Am out tonight - really don't feel like it but it will be good to me - I know if I stay in then I will just feel crappy anyway

Your cleaning routine sounds a lot like mine! I also clean once a week. It's not dusty here but there is a lot of dirt that comes in in the warm months when the windows are open. The apartment really needs to be mopped like every other day but I don't have the time or the energy to bother. Today is cleaning day, sigh. At least Scott helps me. The first time we lived together he never did and I was the one working full time and he worked part time so that really pissed me off! Though it would be nice if my unemployed house-husband did the cleaning for me while I was away at work.

Anyhoo, so we had a bit of a surprise yesterday when Scott's AP arrived in the mail! Everything else has been properly updated online so I was expecting an email and online update before it came. It's still showing as pending. But whatever, I don't really care. I'm *really* happy and relieved that these 2 things were approved and came earlier than I expected. I didn't want to have to stress about our friends' wedding on October 3rd and now I don't have to, we are good to go.

That's great news Rae!! I'm still waiting for the RFEs

I should really mop/sweep more too but tbh I can't be bothered when I know it is going to be a mess less than 24 hours of Jeremy being in the house - plus we have the cat and her fur and dust she brings in - cleaning would be a full time job otherwise and we only have four rooms!! I must say, I do do all the cleaning while Jeremy is at work though so it is all clean in time for his days off so we can enjoy them He has three days off including today so might not be around much

And thanks Agnes for calling to cheer me up yesterday I hope the Gucci Girls aren't giving you too much grief

just dropping in real quick to wish everybody a great start in the new week!

with regards to cleaning. I grew up with a mother who has OCD and is paranoid about germs. I had a very clean house and my room was always clean. Because of my mothers OCD I HATE mess. I pick up after Nick constantly who lets face it, is a typical bloke. He see's nothing wrong with just launching clothes at the laundry basket and no caring if dirty socks or shorts miss and land on the floor, I hate it. He doesn't mind leaving a plate for a few hours where as I need to clean it straight away. I have a quick clean every morning and a big clean every saturday. I feel revolting today as we had our shower resealed yesterday afternoon and can't use it until this afternoon so my shower this morning was a wash cloth and a sink of warm water.

Anyways, Biometrics tomorrow. Going to chance taking my joint sponsor's W2's I know I'll get RFE'd for and see if they will take them there.

OOoh - good luck with biometrics Debz and have fun at World Market in Omaha I hope you manage to buy lots of hobnobs

You're also very lucky - at least Nick launches his dirty clothes in the vague area of the laundry basket - Jeremy accumulates a knee-deep pile by his bed and I never know what is clean and what is dirty so it all ends up getting washed which costs us more money and kills the environment - way to go

AAHH!!

The June AOS filers are a bunch of whiny b!tches!!

People who have their EAD and AP approved are complaining that "nothing" is happening on their cases and why don't they have their Green Cards yet?! They filed in JUNE. Oh I just want to slap them all.

*grumble*

Debz, I'm sure even if you do get an RFE it won't be a big deal since you are already prepared to deal with it. Good luck at biometrics tomorrow!

I'm more concerned with medical stuff. I sent my completed DS30?? from UK and hoping that's enough. Thing is I have another issue which I explained in my last post in AOS august thread. I had tetanus waived for K1 as, well basically the shot can kill me I'm so badly allergic to it.

I rarely posted in the AOS forum when we were going for Griff's and never do now. Its like people lose their minds or something. I find the whole atmosphere to be intolerable. Maybe easy for me to say since we breezed right through AOS, but still it is a bit much.

I'm going to try not to moan about the wait. I'm expecting at LEAST another 10 weeks or so for EAD and once I've got that GC can take as long as it wants as long as I can work.

On another note, just found out United airlines possibly going to be filing bankruptacy...that's who my parents are flying with in 5 weeks!!!

Don't even sweat it. American carriers declare bankruptcy all the time. They still continue to operate (unlike 2 Canadian carriers who just suddenly stopped running and stranded their passengers).

And Julez, I agree with you, but I don't think it has anything to do with how quickly you went through it. I think everybody from this group knows what it's like to wait b/c of the experience with our K1s. Perhaps that's more of why I find their impatience intolerable. I find it hard to swallow my tongue and I constantly want to put comments in there like "chill the f*ck out you impatient dolts".

I agree. I think because most of us waited around 9 months for K1's (some exceptions some longer some shorter) we are used to the waiting game. K1's seem to fly through (relatively) these days.

oh and I just found this so I'm happy
http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stor...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

Should you ever post that in a thread, please, please, please post a link for me to see! You'd be my hero forever!!

will do, cap'n.

Well, of course, being the founder of the peanut gallery posse, I'd chime in with my own insults!

Well I did post in the aos thread once in a while usually just to complain about still not having the AP after 120+ days which you know, but never sticked around for too long cuz the kind responses to it were something like: "yeah you are not alone we haven´t heard anything about our GC either"...etc. So it just made me think: "wake up you morons...you got your AP and EAD like two months ago"

But Marta you had every right to complain! Your AP & EAD took (comparatively) forever!



Let's see what the morons have to say today.

I'm going to share what I believe to be a legitimate complaint. As of this past Saturday, I have been living in my new house for 4 weeks and the dishwasher is broken for a second time! The first service call to tell us we needed a circuit board cost us a mere $97.30 for 20 minutes of their time. Thieves! Turns out we only needed a fuse. Now who knows what the problem is?? I am voting for a new dishwasher, but the husb isn't sold on that idea yet.

Thanks for putting up with my vent.

I have a question for English Muffin - when is the big move??? This weekend? Are you driving? Are you excited, or what? You've been much too quiet!

It's so spooky that you asked that because I finalised all the details about 30 minutes ago!!

I'm leaving here on Saturday 20th Sep and plan on arriving in Charlotte on the 22nd. I really don't like driving for more than 5 or 6 hours at a time so I shall have a couple of nights in hotels enroute, probably PA and VA.

I've been quiet lately because I've been sorting things out and making arrangements etc. It feels good to finally have a date but it's also very sad. Scott and I have been getting on better than ever recently so it will be hard to say goodbye to him. Still, who knows what the future holds.

I'm spooky!

I'm glad you have things settled. Its too bad that you won't be passing through my neck of the woods! I'd put you up for the night and we could get drunk! Hey ho, I guess it wouldn't be too good driving with a hangover!

I'm sure your feelings are very mixed right now. I do hope that whatever happens, that you will be happy. You're a great person and you deserve nothing less.