thanks for the info!

im actually a september filer, which may be better or worse than what you described, i havent scoped out the scene just yet...but yea, i would take being a june/july filer over a september filer, despite the lack of comradery

sorry, I know you're a September filer! It was just yesterday though that Aly was mentioning how a number of good people are in the August group.

That's the one - although mine still isn't showing online - some people have reported it doesn't show until after you get your biometrics done (which is about a month or so after filing it seems) although others seem to have gotten lucky somehow...


We were talking recipes last time I checked in there I think it is us laid-back Julyers just taking forever to file!!


Oh julez trust me I know!!! The good news is that he wrote a check out for the gas so that went off today - he doesn't normally have a problem in dealing with bills, he just has no routine to paying them so it is all a bit hit and miss...

As for the bank thing - well he already opened a new account when I got mine with WaMu. He wanted to close the B of A account but they wouldn't let him and then this card company took money he didn't have so he got charged that plus fees from B of A. Luckily I am not on that account - we just have a joint savings account with WaMu and our own individual checking accounts with WaMu. I'd like to think he would pay it off but we honestly can't afford it so as that would involve a phone call to the bank to arrange to pay it off gradually or whatever, I don't hold out much hope for getting it dealt with anytime soon He doesn't "do" phoning, and if I call, they only want to speak to him anyway - plus I don't really have a clue what I am talking about because it is all his accounts and I don't understand how you could get into the situation anyway - I personally would have called the credit card company to give them what for as the transaction wasn't authorised. I did suggest this but...

Yeah - so I kinda let him get on with it - everything I suggest falls on deaf ears and our joint savings account is in good shape so it won't be a slur on me... I just wonder how we will ever get on the property ladder *sigh*

Posted by one of the August AOS-ers

AAAAAHHHH!

Good news to share!!

Scott was just on his second interview with Patagonia. He said he felt like he hit a home run with every question they asked him. He said they have never hired a person straight off the bat into a full time position before (they normally start with part time first), but they are considering doing it with him. They even asked him about managing a store somewhere else in the US! To think, just over a week ago it wasn't even possible for him to work, and now they are going to be calling him back tomorrow about the job!

Plus, we were both worried that right off the bat he was going to need some time off (to go to our friend's wedding and then the very next weekend so we can go to Montreal and start planning our own wedding), and they said it would be no problem at all!

I am so excited and happy right now!

That's fantastic news. I know how worried you were about the job situation. There's always something around the corner

And it shows that I worried for nothing!

Seemed, from what I read, that it was justifiable. If you don't worry ever then you don't care

Okay, that's a good point. I'll use that if Scott tells me I worried for nothing.

Hi, dont take it so hard. You are at the beginning of a life with your husband and beginnigngs can always be bumpy. My wife also is pretty bored not being able to work. Have you filed yet for EAD? it looks like its about 3 or 4 months to process it, so your wait wont be long. My wife is very antsy to work and bring home an income. She is already planning where she wants to work even though she's 6 months pregnant lol. Just try to hang in there, talk to your husband as he is your rock and in this with you. in a few years you will look back with fondness and laugh at your beginning struggles as a married couple. Just as your parents do now.


Chris

yes

I miss your regular posts, Marta, but am glad you are enjoying your time away!

Rae that is great news! I want to say congratulations but don't want to pre-empt anything!! Sounds absolutely perfect though!! What is it doing?!

I've been going through the things I need to organise for this blasted shipping - I thought it had all been taken care of yet on Monday I got an e-mail saying they needed more info and that I had to resend them some forms and Jeremy's passport. Why they took two months to tell me this, I don't know. I tried to clarify what they needed so I could get it dealt with and I *finally* got a reply today

Ah well - our middle cupboard needed sorting anyway - we've been kinda lax in filing so all our paperwork has just been piling up in a heap hidden out of sight Now I have it all organised, for what good it will do - it makes me feel better anyway I just need another file for our AOS stuff

I don't want her to enjoy her time away if I can't be away too



the Czech Republic is one of my favourite countries in the world... Dave and I were there almost exactly a year ago, and we had our official engagement there... he put the ring on my finger on the Charles Bridge

Well, it's "just" retail. But it's similar to what he was doing before (which was working at Mountain Equipment Coop, www.mec.ca). If you aren't familiar with Patagonia, they are a clothing and gear company suited to outdoor sports and they are absolute leaders in environmentalism (http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/contribution/enviro.jsp?OPTION=ENVIRO_ARTICLE_DISPLAY_HANDLER&assetid=1809), which is all up Scott's alley. He can or has instructed in skiing and kayaking and he also climbs and does that whole scene, so this job would fit well with him, and he would be happy, so that would make me happy.

if I'm thinking of the right store, Patagonia is great! they have it in Australia

in other news, we're sitting at home waiting for Ike to come and eat us
Dave was given half of today and all of tomorrow off work... he came home with a big plastic container of water, like the ones that go on a water machine, and a can of bug spray
I said we were well prepared and didn't need anything else

Rae - I remember you saying now! That is great that it is something he has experience in as well because it should give him confidence and will be something he enjoys I always enjoyed my retail jobs - what I couldn't stand was the shoddy management and the employees who couldn't be bothered to do their jobs properly... but then I guess you get that everywhere


Sounds good to me!

*wracks brains to think of other things you may need*

Nope - I think you have it all OH! How about a windbreaker?!

hehe well that doesn´t sound annoying

Thank God you're prepared for anything that might happen should the hurricane make its way to your home!

Seriously though, I do hope you wil come our of this as unscathed as possible. As long as you do have power, please keep us posted on how you both are doing, and Pippin too!

will do

it's eerie right now... everything is SO NORMAL; it's sunny and still, just like any morning... yet we know this thing is going to come roaring at us in a matter of hours
quite... off-putting

and of course it's right after all my stuff was delivered! at least in boxes it will be easy to carry upstairs, should it come to that

Wow, it must feel freaky. Don't you need to be evacuated or anything? I was watching the Weather Channel last night and it showed thousands of cars leaving Houston. I did wonder if you were in one of them.

Whether you are evacuated or not I shall be thinking good thoughts for you all day and into tomorrow.

thank you for the good thoughts

no, no evacuations for us... the people under mandatory evacuation are all coast-dwellers; we're at least 60 miles from the ocean, so in fact have been instructed to stay put, to leave the roads clearer for people who do have to get out
I'd be trying to stay anyway - obviously not if there was a mandatory evacuation for our area, but if it was just recommended - we have a lot in the pantry, the house is pretty solid, and we'll be bringing in all the outdoor stuff... we may well lose power for a while, but we're unlikely to get hit by bad winds, or even water; the current prediction is that the worst damage will occur to the east of the hurricane's eye, and we'll be to the west, almost definitely

had to field a very worried phone call from my mother this morning... I was all 'pish! we'll hardly even notice' to make her a bit calmer

Congrats to rae and scott! =] Let's hope it works out for the best. Even if he does just start off part time, that wouldnt be a horrible thing, so its a win win i guess.

StP - good luck to you. Having spent my undergrad years in Florida, I can say, with assurance, that you will get used to this sort of thing. I didn't live in a coastal city either (about 45 miles from the gulf), and we never got hit too badly. We used to have hurricane parties though, because they would often cancel class as a result of the heavy downpours! You should do the same, just make sure you have flashlights and/or candles handy!

Well you're braver than me - I would be freaking right about now - call me dumb but I never even realised Houston was near the coast - of course, I have never actually checked until just now so You have a cellphone and my number if you want to/are able to call and let me know how you are, right? I can post updates if you lose power

So weird - it is so calm here, although last night there were thunderstorms and a bit of rain in the valley. The wind picked up so much dust you couldn't see the mountains, but that is nothing. It is weird to think of storms raging elsewhere

I am still wondering, though, StP, what exactly is the role of bug spray in a hurricane?

Now I want to go to the hurricane party

I had to have that explained too
apparently when water rises it can cause an influx of bugs into the house... I can't imagine that, even if it happens, it will be the biggest of our worries, but Dave said it was 'just sitting there at work, so I grabbed it'

we have loads of candles - I have approximately 6002 tea lights, as well as sundry others, and I bought three big boxes of cooks' matches a couple of weeks ago, so we're covered there... we have a gas stove too, so even if we lose electricity we might be able to cook

I don't actually want to get used to this
it'll be a cool thing to add to my list of 'things I have done' - 'seen Lenin's body in the Red Square mausoleum'; 'walked on the Charles Bridge at sunrise'; 'lived through a hurricane' - but once is enough

I'm just wondering if I have time to run out and drop my AOS packet in the mail

Yeah - news is saying that it's not meant to hit the coast until late afternoon/evening I am sure you'll be fine - if you're quick

No prob, we'll have Ike hold off a bit while you do that.

moxie!

it's my long-lost evil twin

Does this mean that the deed is done?! Has Ewok pulled through for you!?

Heya sis!


The deed is indeed done. It was touch-n-go there for awhile, but the troops rallied (thanks troops!) and Ewok (and mods--thank you!!!!) did the right thing. I'm sure he'll show up in trollish fashion from time to time, but I'm also confident his sock puppets and posts will be removed post haste.

Mox! How great to see you!!! How's things?

YAY!! I am sooooo glad - it would have been a real pity to "lose" you to that jerk

*AND* you win

Good lord! It's mox! Hey mox, tis very good to see you!

StP, I am sure if the Americans were familiar with Irn Bru they would have that in their emergency hurricane pack. Hope all goes ok with you

I've been moving all the outside stuff indoors, and put on some music to get me energised - I selected Garbage, and heard, in quick succession, 'I'm Only Happy When it Rains' and 'This is Not My Idea of a Good Time'
eine kleine Hurricane-Musik

I've been mainly hanging out in here recently, so missed the drama with the idiot stalker dude, but I'm guessing it had to do with getting him banned? *best Mr Burns voice* exxxxxxcellent!

I also missed the stalking incident, so haven't a clue as to what that's all about. Glad, though, that it is resolved to mox's satisfaction.

ETA: I forgot!

Funny Hurricane music StP. Was that deliberate or a funny coincidence?

well, I put it on deliberately, but hadn't thought about those tracks, just laughed when I heard them

Bingo! Appears Mr. Stalker has been removed from the system... of course, how long it takes for him to create a new account and fictional fiancee/spouse is yet to be seen - maybe someone should suggest she should be from the Pitcairn Islands as they seem to be marvelously under-represented

I never realised they were part of Polynesia either - I realised when I was looking up all our honeymoon things (in Hawaii, not Pitcairn ) the other day

I´m gonna be worried about you STP...hope you are safe

Can someone explain the Moxie incident? I have no clue what happened either

Thanks for the kind words everyone, it's nice to be missed.

The drama story in a nutshell: My ex-fiancee's ex-boyfriend has been stalking her and me for about a year now. He caught wind that I posted here, so created an account and started spreading some pretty vicious lies about us in the RU forum. When the RU forum wasn't biting, he created a number of sock puppet accounts so he could have little conversations with himself and keep the lies going. Fortunately, thanks to a lot of my good friends and the awesome moderators here on VJ, he (and his sock puppets) were eventually banned. I'm sure he'll pop back up from time to time under different guises (it can't be helped, nature of the internet means you can't shut someone down completely, only make it inconvenient for them) but at least his free range days are over.

Having said that, if anyone wants to discuss it in pm or chat, that's cool, but I'd rather not continue a discussion of it on the boards. It was a huge pain in the butt that I'd rather not keep rehashing.

I can respect that!

I do hope you'll pop in and see us a bit more often, moxie. You know we love ya!!

we do indeedy

I think we're going to be safe, thanks Marta... we've brought in all the outdoor stuff, and put heavy things in front of all the windows we can... the latest I have been able to find out puts us in the 'least danger' zone for flooding, and we should have winds topping at 80 - 90 mph... we hope to weather the worst

of course, we are now dealing with Dave's parents, who have gone from 'we must evacuate now!!!' even though they're in about as much danger as us (ie, comparatively little) to, after a lot of reassurance, 'want to go out for dinner?'

Hehehe!! Thanks for the update StP - I just had a friend from the UK ask if we had updates more regularly here being in the US as her uncle lives in Houston so I just updated her with your info!!

well, my info pertains to our area - which is west-north-west, and well outside the downtown (and WELL away from Galveston, which in almost any scenario is going to be pretty much annihilated )
if you want good local news, try http://www.chron.com/

Today we got a $205 electricity bill overdue from last month

I think Jeremy might be a bit overwhelmed Time to take control, or these misunderstandings might eat away at you both.

Yeah - he apparently "forgot" again - I don't understand how you can forget bills amounting to so much!!! Especially when he told me they had been taken care of and he had everything under control! It's beginning to make me feel like I can't trust him to take care of things but I don't want to treat him like a kid and I *do* try to not nag, despite what he may think

I've written the amount owed and to whom on a calendar so we know what needs to be paid by then - no excuses. He just has to make sure we have the money to pay them when they need paying as his wages go into his bank account (the one that isn't overdrawn with B of A )

Hey StP - hope Ike isn't giving you too much grief