OOh! Very good!!! I was praying for her!! Thanks for updating us debz!!!!

I left 10 days after receiving it.

Gillian

I have 5 weeks between interview and my leaving date. Visa arrived in my hand this morning...can't stop looking at it!

I was exactly the same. I still take the occasional peek.

Gillian

i will leave 10 days after my interview (tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
as i already had a J1 3 years ago, i knew how the visa would look like, but what blew me off was Erics name on it. i was feeling VERY dependent and akward at first.

We wait so long for the visas, it's perfectly natural to want to ogle them!

My thoughts exactly.


Doh! Guess I need to watch it again this weekend. I'm not worthy!


That wrapped the movie up really nicely for me too. I haven't seen the special edition. Hmmm...maybe I'll pick it up this weekend. I think it's probably my favorite movie ever. Or at least a tie with Casablanca.


It's funny you should ask this. Nadya and I were just talking about it the other day. She is still absolutely convinced her interview will be in April, despite the fact that April interviews are being filled already and I still don't have NOA2. (Me: "I don't think the interview will be in April. I think maybe June." Nadya: "Not Keerk. Interview in April, okay?")

She was asking me all about the weather in Monterey for April so she can plan what to wear accordingly. I'm sort of hoping for the longshot of being able to reschedule my interview for as close to April as possible (right now I'm thinking it's gonna be more like June). She's really got this April thing stuck in her head, and you know what going up against that is like.

I must say it's fairly unimpressive looking. Still nice to actually have it in my paws now.

So much stuff to sort out now. Going to try blitz some stuff at the weekend. 4 piles....
1. Sell
2. bin/charity shop
3. leave with parents for later collection/shipping
4. squash into luggage

that must be a wonderful sight. I want mine now!

Oh that's wonderful news

For Kirk:

Trying to change a Russian woman's mind about something she is absolutely convinced of...... hmmmmmmmmm I have no idea what you're talking about!

For All:

It's good to see the interviews starting to roll, and everyone getting to be together with their loved ones finally. Hip-hip....

horray!!!

I knew I could count on you, Debz!

Oh, how I envy you. You'll soon be in Nebraska, land of the corn, cows, and snow. Wait, I'm already in Nebraska. Never mind!

I can't wait to be there. I hope the next 5 weeks go fast!!

As a Nebraskan (non-native, though - I moved here when I was 24), I'll be very interested in hearing of your impressions of the state, after you arrive and settle in.

Whew! I was gonna say "2 bits!"


I can't even begin to tell you how lucky you are to be moving to Nebraska. Seriously I can't. Kevin's here. Ask me in another thread.

Ok - it's some crazy time in the morning and I hate laptops!!! BUT I am lying on my tummy in bed after keeping Jeremy up from about 5am cause I couldn't sleep. I was up for about 28 hours so I really should be more tired but my body is telling me it's lunchtime now



LOVE your beanbag!! It is sooo cute and looks adorably fluffy!!!



Yeah debz - it was Jeremy!! Ironically enough I got to Dublin and couldn't get through to anyone in the UK so ended up having to call him at 2.30am PST so *he* could let people know!!! I asked him to contact debz and gave him her number (hope this was ok - you can add his numnber to your phone now if you want!!!) but I didn't realise he didn't say who it was from - he just wrote a generic message to my mum and sent it to her as well!!! But yeah - I got through fine and spent 90 minutes on the plane writing up a report which I will type up in the UK forum later and link to here Will give me something to do when Jeremy is in work



Jeremy is now using my @$$ as a pillw for anyone who is interested



Agnes I know!!! I was thinking about you and hoping that I could catch you in time to wish you luck and hope everything was all ok - I need to make you a certificate as well!!! I don't know what time your flight it but know it is 1530 in Germany right now so I may have missed you Ah well - make sure you drop us a note to let us know how you get on!!

Ok - time to try and get more rest... will check out what I missed when Jeremy is at work (and I have been out spending his money at rite aid )

See, we knew you'd make it! Enjoy your time there, and you'll be posting photos of the wedding, right?????

so nice to hear from you, lovely Aly

great news about everything... you'd think all the successes this bunch has had recently would mean that we'd all learn to stop stressing, but will we? will we hell

Welcome "home" Aly, I can't believe you're only about 300 miles away! Hope you're having a wonderful time, and for god's sake remember when crossing: LEFT RIGHT LEFT!

Glad to hear the good news, Aly! So, was it hassle-free? What questions did they ask you?

@ StP...us lot? stop stressing?

Glad to hear you made over fine Aly.

(Just passing some time)

So what's the deal with this 'box' everyone is always trying to think outside? I mean, the 'box' doesn't actually exist, it's just some sort of metaphor. The 'spoon' doesn't exist either, but you don't hear people talking about that! What's so special about this 'box'?????

It's actually a cynical meme being pushed by the spherical container industry.

Ah, Mox just 'gets' me. I'm surprised you let the movie reference slip by without comment.....

LOL oh dammit I'm slipping. Was that Office Space?

Focus on the 'spoon' reference......

Yay! Thanks guys! I feel so much better now - just wedding stress now but that is a nicer kinda stress - a few nerves but nothing too mind-blowing just yet!!

I've been typing up my lovely Dublin Experience which has taken forever and within an hour of Jeremy leaving for work I got two calls - one from his boss wanting to chat and one from our (now ex) wedding planner who is now a guest at our wedding. She had some sad news to say that Susan, our current planner and should-be minister on Monday might not be able to be our minister. Her mom had a massive heart attack and is on life-support that is being switched off this weekend. It's all fine from the wedding point of view but it is sad for her. If she does make it on Monday I think I will cry so hard and give her the biggest hug ever!!

Ok - I should really make some favour boxes now or go sun myself by the pool as it is gorgeous outside!!

Keerk! I know - 300 miles seems a stone's throw away! You going to come over after work? We were going to head up Sizzler and get dinner when Jeremy gets back from work Already been to Denny's for breakfast this morning as well - is kinda like a tradition now Although I have finally found out what French toast *really* is. And now I want to eat it all the time...

Will defo be posting pics as soon as I get my paws on any - will depend on where we grab them from as they prolly won't be taken on our cameras - I think dad is going to send his over so my gran can see them back in England though so maybe I can get hold of them then? Will sort something out and when I get home I will post all of my piccies on facebook then link to them so you can see Hawaii too Yippee!! Ok - I am going to see if I can make these favour boxes outside... though if I do I am not sure how I will get them back upstairs!! Time to go investigate!!

I refer to the non-existent spoon reasonably regularly... for a while, on another forum, I had it as my sig line

Hi Aly. How is the time difference treating you? I keep forgetting that you're on USA time now. Good to hear the happiness in your voice!

I also use the non-existent spoon reference regularly too - with my students. It never fails to get a laugh!

A 600 mile round trip to the Sizzler! Mox leads the cushy life, that's for certain!

Oh I got the spoon reference...I thought you meant the "thinking outside the box" thing. Sounded like something from Office Space.


Yeah. Hey listen Aly, I might be running a bit late. Go ahead and start without me.

*didn't read Kevin's post properly and realised that when she did she actually *got* the reference *

Yeah - we'll save you a seat Keerk

Audrey - time difference isn't too bad right now - was up for about 28 hours or so when I was travelling so went to bed about midnight PST which is like 8am back home... Woke at about 5am PST and have been awake since then (so has Jeremy *and* he has work, poor guy!) and have just started feeling a little tired. Not sleepy mind, just that kinda exhaustion where your body knows something isn't quite right and wants to go to bed but your mind feels (reasonably!) awake!!!

Quite weird to think that it is after midnight at home now... means my kitty has been taken to her holiday home already... she is going to hate me... I am just glad it wasn't me taking her there and picking her up!!! I do miss her already At least she will be moving with me!! And I know the cattery is a nice place cause we went and checked it out... cost me over $200 so it should be nice

Make sure you roll that R, Missy!

*adjusts Russian Accent Police badge*

Sorry Keerrrk!! Will you not come out to play if I can't perfect my accent?! How quick did you say you could drive 300 miles?! I might have time to practice... Then again, depending on how fast you drive I might not How busy *is* the I-5 at this time of day anyway?!

I have no idea, actually. I've only ever been down near your neck of the woods once in my adult life (spent some time as a little kiddee in San Diego) so I'm not sure how busy it gets. Tell ya what, let's meet in Fresno. That's about 1/2 way, only about 2 1/2 hours.

I GRADUATED!!!!!

made through JFK ok, the whole thing was a joke.

@aly: glad you had a safe trip as well!

will write a longer POE-review and update my timeline now.


oh: eric moved to a REALLY COOL SMALL HOUSE and i LOVE IT!

FREE HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

@aly: your cat will forgive you, i'm sure

oh, congratulations!!!!!!

I'm all excited and happy

can't wait to hear more of your news...

Congratulations Tucson Chick. The start of your new life - how exciting! Was the house move a surprise?

TucsonChick, FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! I'll bet your groom was worried about the house surprise though. Those sort of surprises can go either way, but it's very cool to hear that you love it! Can't wait to read the POE report too! HURRAY!!!!!!!!

Tucson chick that is such good news, Congratulations!!

so many of us making the move now. I'm starting to sort stuff out today. Blitzing my wardrobe with the help of my mammy and my bro's fiancee.

jetlag here i come. sunday morning 6am and i can't sleep.
anyway, here is my POE-short-report.

the flight frankfurt-jfk: drunken russian man sitting next to me, getting more drunk and trying to touch me. flight attendents moved me to another seat.
arrival in jfk: really fast immigration people there. only had to wait for about 20 minutes. the officer at the regular booth opened the envilope, stapeled everything, but a few stamps on things and sent me to the crappiest, darkest and dirtiest office there is. the chick there gave me $hit that i don't have an engagement ring, and that eric holding a doctorate degree would mean that i would at least have to get 1.5carat or more. whatever. she was new in the office and didn't know about the EAD-stamp, but her collegues (at this time discussion wheather they got they diarrhea at the restaurant or the bar they went to). told her about it and the stamp looks like a bad fake attempt of some illegal person trying to get employment.
it took me about 10minutes to clear immigration. total.

luggage carts cost $3 at JFK, i was too savy for that, and the security people felt sorry for me and my 4 bags and gave me one for free. changing terminals was ok (i had to recheck my luggage as i was continuing with a different airline and ticket) and i spent the rest of my layover drinking coffee and eating muffins.

and now i'm here

the house is gorgous! he asked me before he moved if i thought it was a good idea, but what can i tell from so far away? so i told him that i knew that he had great taste, because he was with me
i will only need a bit more storage in the closet und to rearrange a few things here and there, and to clean the windows (we amazing huge windows with a magnificent view over the mountains, but the windows haven't been cleaned in years...) in short: a female touch to the house

other than that settling in is a hard thing for me at the moment. i already lived here for more than a year, but i never felt that lost before. today we will go hiking, and sunshine and physical exercise usually help against girly-depressions.

half way through my wardrobe blitz...as in I've taken everything out and done a basic yes or no sort. Now as it all goes back in I need to be more ruthless and get rid of I reckon at laest half of my yes pile.

Congratulations and welcome to America!

Congrats!! Welcome to USA! Let us know how it all went when you've rested a bit!

I want to use this opportunity to vent, though....

My Aussie got this nice package from the embassy. Naturally, he was excited thinking it was packet 4. Nerp! It was addressed to him on the outside, but when he opened the envelope, it was a letter to someone else!!!

So, he called the embassy, and after the run around (please press 4 if you are ready to rip out your hair...), he found out they "misplaced" one of the forms he sent in. Soooo, he just resent the form via express mail, so hopefully we'll get that packet 4 soon. *sigh* Hurry up, people! Our 9 month old son isn't getting any younger...he needs his daddy (and so do I!!)....

@tucson chick...
CONGRATULATIONS to your US arrival, I hope u will find yourself and wont feel lost for too long... Maybe you will already feel better if you find yourself in the house a bit... so you wont feel like a guest much longer...

@aly...
good luck for your wedding. It feels so good to hear positive stress in your messages.. Cant wait to see your wedding pictures..

@ debz...
I hate this sorting out stuff as well, there is soo stuff that I like to bring over but... oh well...

such a pain...having internet problems again. This time not router, this time it's my ISP. I'll be around just not much until it's sorted. Suppose it will give me more clearing out and sorting time.

Thanks for the POE report, TucsonChick. It's a shame they feel obligated to mess with people, or whatever it is that causes such stupid statements. Maybe they just like to see if they can rattle people.

A drunken Russian man on the plane, huh? YUCK!

Welcome to the USA!

PMT/PMS - I have been sooo emotional the last couple of days. Yesterday Marty told me things are only stressful if you let them stress you out. So, I will try not to let 2 (easy) jobs, wedding-planning, leaving-do planning, the lack of a marriage certificate or an Oz police certificate, an imminent medical, moving to a new country, or the United States Immigration Service stress me out anymore. Or the fact that I don't have enough money for any of it! At least, I'll try my best. I have been reading about Aly's journey over to the US, and I was in tears! I am preparing for when I get to be that happy!!!

The reason for the increased emotion? I am stockpiling my contraceptive pill!!! I figure I wont see Marty for a few weeks, so I have stopped taking it so that I have a few months in the US where I won't need to worry about finding a doctor. Hopefully!

P.S. Does anyone find themselves touching wood alot? (and I mean the type that comes from trees) Every time I tell people my hopeful emmigration date, I feel that I am tempting fate. I never used to be so superstitious...

Lisa..I just read you timeline. We getting married same day!!!