Oh here you go - will take suggestions - is a bit plain

Moxie's CSC Top Ten List

I like it! The number one reason might be a bit confusing to someone who's never seen my sig, but then the number one reason on a list is usually lame anyway, right?

Well the good news is that CSC increased their approval rate from 0.67 approvals per day to 0.75. I have no top ten lists or snappy witticisms to accompany that observation, which, I suppose, can also be thought of as good news.

Tomorrow is another day.

How about wappy snitticisms?

Good gnus (polite antelopes?): After about 8 fruitless tries during the day on an expensive calling-card, because Work Frowns on Placing Unauthorized Long-Distance Calls on Workplace Money Even Though Employees' Personal Cell-Phones Can't Pick up Signals Indoors, I waited till I got home, called the NVC at around 11:45p their time, and learned that the NVC sent my papers to the Guayaquil consulate on January 16, si man! I didn't ask NVC when they themselves received the papers from the CSC, so my diligently updated VJ Timeline is now necessarily up-screwed. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the consulate to holler, and how much time there will be pre-interview to coagulate all the Evidence, si man.

You June & July folks who are still suffering from Lack-of NOA2 Syndrome: CALL the blinkin' CSC at least once a week, and be SURE that you are talking NOT to one of the contract-employee front-line losers, but to an actual Immigration Officer. I credit all of my progress to the reality that I was able to bypass the rude, clueless mofoes and talk with people who were capable of helping and who cared. Si, man.

Enough seriousness; pun-time: If a caviar-producing fish performs open-heart surgery, is he a qualified cardiac sturgeon?

Lol - I thought the same thing... I figured it could be taken that you could be a gorilla or something... but still - it makes me laugh and it is now on my visa page alongside the London Embassy interview questions and Debz' CSC prayer Might put the maps in the same list

Morning campers!!!

Here's hoping the 0.75 per day rate improves today!!!

R

Indeed! I'm really hopeful we'll see some significant movement soon. The sooner they get caught up on everyone who filed before the start of August, the happier I'll be. I'm pretty resigned to a six-month wait... but I don't want to be looking at an autumn / fall 2009 wedding! ~ Hannah

Great news, glad to hear it!!


Good advice!

Story on NPR yesterday that talks mostly about the citizenship backlog, but also gives some insight into just how mismanaged USCIS is. Link here. (audio)

Good stuff Mox. Too bad that once they get it all figured out, we will be long done with this portion of the process. I haven't even looked into what comes after I am married on the road to full citizenship for my fiance. We will cross that bridge when the KI segment is complete I doubt they will hire additonal workers now because once they have all the people done from last July, there wont be as many applications to go through and in USCIS eyes, they will be back to normal. I am still hoping to see some action around CSC in the coming weeks. I still have 13 days left from Mox's sweepstakes.

Wow - looks like it is dead again tonight!!

Ah well - glass of red, Chinese, not-too-unhealthy snicker snacks and my DS calling

Just called the people in Washington, DC to learn more about where & when my package went to the consulate. I dialed 202-663-1225 and hit 1,4,1,5 but probably could have hit "0" at any time to reach an officer. The place is open Mon-Fri 8:30a-5p, or one can go on-line to www.travel.state.gov and click "visas" for general information.

I was told that the National Visa Center in New Hampshire apparently "created" my file on 1/11/08 (one week from when the Calif. Disservice Center put the crate onto the ox-cart), and they sent it to the Guayaquil consulate on 1/16/08. The consulate has not yet received the hard copy, but parts or all are available on-line.

The very nice and patient Washington lady told me to go to www.usembassy.state.gov/ and to select the link for the appropriate embassy or consulate, and to look toward the bottom of the page for how to contact the consulate regarding "immigrant visas" (which the K-1 apparently falls under). She said to use the NVC case number, my name, the wife-to-be's name, and her date of birth, and the consulate should be able to answer general or basic questions. I have not done this yet, but this Washington lady (Washer-woman?) had her act together. She did say that the time from NVC-to-consulate and the response time of embassies/consulates will individually vary, which makes sense. I do have more faith in anything that isn't USCIS.

I must contact the consulate to update the main squeeze's cell-phone number in the records.

Egad -- four MORE paragraphs without a punchline ("withoot" if in Canada). I must be sick, si man!

Yeah, I don't understand it. I hope people aren't so demoralized that they're not posting. Hey guys, if you're demoralized, then you NEED to post! Misery loves company and all that rot.

I have a nice merlot waiting for me when I get off work. Oh, and I'm making pelmeni tomorrow, the creation of which must always involve vodka.

Does that go similar to this:

Tequila Christmas Cake
Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 stick butter
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups of dried fruit


Sample the tequila to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the tequila again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the freaking fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the tequila to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or someth ing. Check the tequila. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 edegrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the tequila and wipe counter with the cat.

The rate CSC is going, I'll be polishing off a bottle of wine a night....then I'll probably have to check myself into AA "when" my SO ever gets here. I might have to get a magnum bottle of Riesling tonight. LOL!!

Hmmmm well I have a merlot tonight as well funnily enough!!! See - we can't get you drinking in the middle of a day on a Saturday either as I am having a CSI night in!!! Hmmm... Will have to come up with devious plan...

What on earth is pelmeni? Nice?! If so then I want the recipe! Failing that you can just make it for when I come to visit in the summer

Only if I'm lucky!

(pelmeni is a pretty simple recipe...starting to make sense why.)

Here you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelmeni

Looks kinda like ravioli/tortelloni... I see no mention of vodka...

*peers at moxie*

You're just using that to drink while preparing aren't you?!?!

Oops, missed your question for some reason.

They're basically the Russian version of pot stickers or ravioli. You make a flour/egg based dough, cut into 2 inch circles using the edge of a glass or something, and then fill with just about any kind of meat or sausage you want. If you want to be traditional make sure the sausage isn't spicy. I like to use a mixture of beef and pork. Anyway, you plop a little of your meat in the middle, then fold the circle in half and seal. Then you take the ends of the half circle you've made and you pinch them together. Put in boiling water until they rise to the surface. Put a bunch in a bowl, add some sour cream and you have a pretty tasty dinner. What's cool is you can make a bunch of them and then freeze (don't boil first). They freeze really well and make for a quick meal later.

I'll try to dig my recipe up when I get home if you're interested.


No, no, no...it's...it's an integral ingredient! It's for...okay, yes. It's to keep the cook fresh.

Haha - a domesticated male!! You think you can give Jeremy some hints?!?!? Am defo at yours for dinner one evening - I guess we'll return the favour if you fancy a trip down to dusty smoggy SoCal We might be living in a trailer as well but who knows?!

Still want to know where the vodka comes in...

Hahahaha I KNEW it!!

Oooooooohhhhhh, CSI night!!! That's my favorite. Wish I could do that tonight. But my cousin had twins yesterday, so I'd better pay her a little visit. Maybe tomorrow night . . . . .

It's a deal. I'm not a bad cook, but I'm still trying to get my hands around all these Russian meals. Last week I tried my hand at borscht, which is a stew made with beets. It's a whole heckuva lot better than it sounds. It turned out pretty well, but I think I can do better next time.

Jeremy's not too bad really at experimenting with different foods - allrecipes.com is excellent for ideas He likes pretending to know what he is doing in the kitchen Normally it is something bizarre but it tastes good - now to get it all healthy cause I feel like a lard bucket at the moment...

On another note - don't you hate it when someone sings along to music you can't hear and they are totally out of tune and don't know the words?! I mean if the music is loud and you can't hear them then fine... My little bro is doing my head in - he sounds like an injured camel and I just want to go put him out of his misery...

Ah yes, the scourge of our iPod generation. I've been walking a lot on the coastal jogging trail and run into people like that all the time. Drives me nuts.

Cooking is fun! Mark taught me how to make burgers when I was visiting him, and I introduced him to balsamic vinegar and 5 different ways to make chicken... I need to learn how to cook more different types of meat.



You should burst in all dramatic and start singing along to make your point!

Hey, congratulations to Dale & Juanita who filed in May (!!!!!). They just received their NOA2 yesterday. Give that well-deserving couple a big hand, it's about time they were taken care of!

Big congrats to them!!!

Does that mean CSC is alive?

It's funny, I don't know them but I'm still extremely pleased and happy for them! Congratulations!!! That's a long time to wait. I hope they get a speedy date for the interview.

I took Mox's suggestion and called USCIS to find out WTF the holdup is with I-129F processing.

I spoke with the CSR lady at lunch today using the RFE trick and asked her my case status. She said they are currently working on the July 31, 2007 applications and with that said, I shouldn't expect a decision on my case until 4 months from now. Funny cuz according to my VJ timeline, my estimated date slipped down to 5/3/08 (from 4/7/08).

I then asked her what the hold up at CSC is. I told her that i belong to an online community where members post their approvals from different service centers and based on the numbers, VSC is processing faster than CSC. I asked if the K-1's are on a hold right now and is it because they're processing other applications at this time. The CSR said that no, K-1's are not on hold but they ARE processing other applications as well.....and that there's a backlog since they are also working on other apps from other service centers. She couldn't tell me anything more than that.

That's all the info I got....nothing we don't already know.

Actually you got more than anyone else has up to this point, well done. Someone (StillThePrettiest I think?) conjectured that it was possible that USCIS were being tasked with other applications at this time, so it sounds like that's what's happening.

Way to go, thanks for doing that!

Thanks for suggesting it, Mox. I got tired of just sitting here and wondering why this, why that? Things have to get better from here though....it HAS to. Just hoping CSC picks up the pace asap.

Yea!! A big congrats to them!! I feel so bad for the several other May filers who are still awaiting their NOA2's...come one CSC...be done with them already!!

I have some more news to add. My lawyer had a meeting with the USCIS this morning (Des Moines office), and, although there is nothing wrong with our case, it's not lost or anything, I should expect to wait another month or two for approval. There was no explanation given, only that there is a high caseload right now, same ol', same ol'. I wish I could have gone to that meeting.

There is only one thing left to be done, other than waiting meekly, and that is to get my senator involved. I'm not sure it will do any good, but that's the only thing anyone can think of. I hope y'all won't think less of me if I decide to do that. If I do, I will drive home the point that it is patently unfair that just because one lives in a state which must use CSC, there is an extra month built in to the process because of the way they ship approved petitions to NVC, and there is no justifiable reason for that. I will be talking with some people this weekend.

I don't mind waiting that much (OK, I do), but when that son-of-a-buck gets approved, I want that thing at NVC in a fews days, just like the Vermont folks get! OK, I'm done now. I feel much better. Good luck to all.

I'm with you. I think that something should be done so that the process is more fair. I'm happy for the Vermont filers who get approved quickly, but why can't California do the same? And why does it take so much longer for CSC to get the petitions to the NVC? I'd gladly pay more for faster shipping, if I had to.

Moxie!! You got December in your siggie when it should be January!!!

LOL oops! Thanks for the catch!

Hehehehe - yeah - I tried to figure out what it was then when I realised I had to look again

mox, are those average approvals per day calculated over a 7 day period? If so, this is really dire

They're calculated in "real time." So this week's stats are based on the last 6 days (Monday through Saturday). There have been 6 approvals this week at CSC, hence 1/day. Tomorrow, unless there are any more approvals, that number will drop to 6/7 or 0.86.

So yeah...dire is a good way to describe it.


My jobe in life: to confuse you.

Really?! That is your sole purpose in life?! I feel flattered

Well it's a part time job really. Confusing you isn't really a full-time necessity. (zinggggg!!!!) (j/k!)

... I don't get it....

Ok - time for CSC now before this gets out of hand

What was that about a dry sense of humour?!?!

*pokes moxie*

My sense of humor is so dry, I have to stay indoors when it rains.

Less than one a day this whole month for CSC. It's getting so bad for me I can't even go read the VSC posts anymore as it makes me feel nauseous.

It's hard, I know. Try to look at it like this: As long as you're within your 6 month approval timeline, it's all good. It's hard to see VSC approving filers left and right while CSC seems to have taken a permanent nap, but as it stands right now everyone except pre-July filers are still within the USCIS timeline. CSC can't keep this pace (for very small values of "pace") up forever. Eventually they're going to have to start breaking K-1's out, and when they do August and September are going to go really fast, as will October and then November. Hold on to that thought and don't let the process drive you crazy.

It is SO frustrating and depressing!!!!!! I actually thought about not even looking at VJ anymore cause everytime I do it just get's more frustrating seeing that CSC is NOT picking up speed and Vermont is approving ppl that have filed after we did..........
I know there's ppl that have waited MUCH longer than James and I did so far (well with the Petition being approved that is) but it seems to really get to me by now that CSC is just NOT doing their job.
I mean Christ if it would be moving and we would be moving up the list ok then,but they are much slower than a snail going backwards.
By now my poor man is getting really frustrated too,and as usual that gets me even more depressed...........
I will pray for them to pick up the speed and give us at least 25 NOA 2's a week from Monday on!!!
Let's all start asking the man upstairs for his help!
Nat

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Monday is a public holiday - everyone have a happy MLK Day!!! But let's still hope for 25 NOA2s next week ... just duck to avoid that flying pig!!!!