wow! i had a slight nightmare with the courier service from the embassy who were bringing my passport with visa back to me - was on the phone and hearing different things from different useless customer service people - one told me my visa had gone back to the embassy because they'd tried to deliver it when no-one was home... and i wouldn't get it until a week's time... then it shows up the same day on my doorstep at like 10 minutes to 6pm. anyway it was a bit crazed but i got the thing and we flew out just 4 days later. immigration was a breeze. simply took my packet at the desk, looked through it a little, stamped 'approved' and sent me round to another desk. waited a couple minutes, then a guy saw me, took fingerprints and signatures, said welcome to america, congratulations! it was great. that was on monday - yesterday we spent a while at the Social Security office queuing for a card application. was worried that i needed my birth certificate with me (hadn't taken it with me) but they just needed my passport! the lady seemed really suprised i was there to apply for it just the day after i got in the country! but this card is what everything else is hinging on! can't get a job, bank account, credit card, health insurance, anything until i have a social security number. they told me up to two weeks... hope it doesn't take that long! off to buy a cell phone today as that's about all the productive stuff we can do right now! but nice to have a little time to chill in the city before we get down to normal life. anyway wanted to say thanks to everyone on here for all their help, reports and advice. it's been wonderful and i don't know where we would have been without you guys. hope everyone's cases are going well and i'll be sure to report back about any other things i think would be helpful. we went with john mason shipping in the end and have paid the bill but not heard any date when we might get the stuff at this end yet. hope it's not too soon - haven't even finished unpacking the suitcases yet! 
thanks again
emma+arsenio
