~July 2007 K-1 Filers~

[Jeraly 4]

I only complain about gas prices because Jeremy's van gets 12 miles to the gallon and drives at least 40 miles a day for work - we easily spend over $400 a month on gas which we can ill afford I did have to catch myself complaining about the prices to my brother on the phone though the other day

On a whiny note - I am having another bad day Yesterday was dire to the extreme, only topped off by the giant cockroach on our kitchen counter that greeted us after our "short" trip to Jeremy's work (which took twice as long as it should have). We didn't even get down to Santa Ana because Jeremy couldn't find the registration certificate for his van to trade in. We had to hang out at his aunts for ages while he hunted through black widow-infested junk and while she is very sweet, the carpet used to be burgundy and not black with the dog/cat food/p*ss/sh*t/puke etc that has been matted into it. We give up and come back, were going to head out for a buffet meal at the casino and they have stopped doing that now. We ate at home then went to play slots for a bit and while I don't care too much about winning (I am so not a gambler) the money we put in went through without even a sniff of interest. So we head to Jeremy's work where I sit on my own for two hours gradually developing a cough to go with the headache I had all day.

Then when we got home at 12.30am we have the cockroach. Apparently they've been breeding in my failed plants - the things we brought back from Hawaii obviously weren't going to grow despite me giving my best efforts and the cockroaches decided they quite fancied living there and making babies... gross...

So I am totally fed up - I can't wait to get to AZ next week if only to get out of here for a bit. Everything seems to be getting on top of me at the moment, even the most tiny things that normally wouldn't matter and I don't know how to snap myself out of it. Jeremy has been really good to me and I don't want to be miserable but right now I just feel low all the time, like my life isn't mine - this just doesn't feel like home yet

And I had my first "Mrs. Nobody" moment yesterday when we tried to set up a joint online bank account but I could only be added if I had some form of ID number from a drivers license or something - even if I do have my SSN

Just fed up

[Ovaltine Jenkins 5]

It´s all the greedy oil and car companies fault (ofcourse government have their fingers in it too). First they kill a chance for a decent public transport here and then they kill the EV1 And it´s rediculous that if you wanna take a train here to get somewhere far, it ends up costing more than driving or flying and it takes ages to get somewhere by train cuz there are no train tracks anywhere so you have to go around the country to get to a place. Then it´s obvious people will never start using that.

[Ovaltine Jenkins 5]

Poor Aly Sit on a bus and come here, I´ll cheer you up

[bakofoil 27]

We have terrible trouble with cockroaches and ants but manage to keep them at bay with a boundary spray of repellent. It certainly stops them coming indoors and we see fewer outside after a good spray. I too get rather upset by the sight of them but the repellent stuff really works. We use 'home defense' which is supposed to keep them out for 'up to 12 months'. Generally, it's only a week or two before you need to spray again but we are still on top of them and so it's not so depressing.

Black widows. They scare me to death, but they are great for keeping the other critters at bay, so I am more inclined to welcome the sight of a black widow these days than to fear them.

If it's any consolation, there were times I felt utterly terrible when I first got out here. This is part of the rationale for not using or relying on VJ so much. Going from being utterly responsible for my own life to being completely dependent on another was so very difficult to deal with. We recently bought a car so that I can get around on my own, although J needs to use that for work and so the days I use it means we have to use twice the gas we would ordinarily (there goes a gas complaint! ) but at least it gives me a little freedom to go where I please.

I am beginning to feel increasingly that this is home. I am lucky in that J's family and friends are so generous and caring and try to involve me in everything. But some days, I miss being in a place where everything is familiar and my friends are close at hand. And there are no cockroaches, and it rains and gas is $9 a gallon .

It's tough at times, but it's worth it There are many many things I love about America and being here that really surprise me. It's a huge learning curve.

[bakofoil 27]

woo, congrats marta on the baby!!

[Jeraly 4]

Yeah - I think the holiday period is coming to an end - the novelty has worn off a bit more now and it is hitting me that this is my new home, but I don't feel like I belong here yet... I start volunteering soon so that will be good although I am nervous about it as well. I phoned Jeremy at work in tears as I need khaki shorts and don't have any - something else we have to buy *sigh*

I actually predicted it would take a month for things to sink in and it looks like I was right on the money...

[StillThePrettiest 4]

oh, Aly, I'm sorry you feel so down

I really sympathise... in some ways I'm still enjoying it being here at home, but the feeling of not belonging anywhere is pretty palpable, and some days it's SO hard to get motivated, with one more day with nothing I HAVE to do and nowhere I HAVE to be... and I feel increasingly that I will never belong here, and neither do I really want to

no regrets at ALL about coming, because it's about the relationship and not the place - but aspects of it can really get me down (and it must be the day for them! because I found a huge cockroach in the lounge room this morning... actually saw it from the outside, when I was moving the sprinkler - it was on the window - and had to go on a hunt when I came back in )

girls: we WILL prevail

we will make a good life for ourselves here... it will just take some time

and we will encourage each other when we feel down, and we will not stay down for long * ra-ra pom poms*

*group hug*

xxxxx

[Jeraly 4]

Aww thanks StP - I'm just all weepy right now, but hearing that everyone else has "friendly" inhabitants in their houses makes me at least feel like I'm not living in a scum-hole The other thing that really gets me down is grubby feet - it sounds silly and I sweep and clean as often as is sane but I either wear slippers that make my feet hot, socks which get ruined or make my feet hot or go barefoot which drives me nuts as my feet are always dirty - I scrub them every day in the shower but it just feels like a waste of time

We're going to try fumigating the place while we are in AZ as Daisy will be at the boarding place on a kitty holiday but after that, does anyone know of anything we can do on a regular basis that would be safe for cats? Maybe I just need a grumpy few days before I pickn myself up... think I am "hormonal" as well which doesn't help

[StillThePrettiest 4]

oh, the hormones can be a KILLER; I cried for about ten minutes at the end of The Dark Knight on Sunday, because my hormones were going haywire

that, and it was sad

you're not living in a scum hole at ALL! bugs like that are just par for the course; you can never totally get rid of them, and it's not fun, but it's not an indicator of horrible dirtiness either

I'd just put down some traps, if I was you - the sticky sort will definitely be safe for cats; there may be others too, that I'm not aware of

as for the feet - tricky... I used to wear slippers ALL THE TIME in London, like an old granny, but it's just too hot here... now I go barefoot, like I used to do in Aus, and cope with the dirty feet issue too

I have invested in a lovely foot file from the Body Shop, which is GREAT, and try to use it a couple of times a week to get rid of all the dead dry skin that accumulates when you're running around shoeless... there's a pumice stone hanging in the shower too, which I try to use regularly, and it gets rid of dirt that a normal soaping wouldn't

a pair of light flip flops might be good too - I had this BRILLIANT pair I bought in Spain for about three euros, that were light as light; you could hardly feel them on your feet.. they finally wore out and nothing else I've found has been anywhere near as good

[Ovaltine Jenkins 5]

Thanks Tracy

*Waving hello at all the dirty girls *

I think Aly, that even if you try all the different methods you will never be able to get rid of the bugs completely. You will probly eventually get used to them. They will always be coming back. I think they just love the weather there. Hey now let´s see...you were excited about going there cuz of the weather too I think...does that make you a bug then? Oh no, Marta Be quiet! Aly is hormonal now and that could make her cry

Ok

Oh, does anybody think it will be funny cool how funny hormonal might Aly become when she gets pregnant?

Jeez, somebody shut Marta up!

(F)

[Ovaltine Jenkins 5]

Anyone wants to help me out a little? Here is a chance

[Jeraly 4]

Anyone wants to help me out a little? Here is a chance

I just had no words - the guy is obviously a total moron

[Ovaltine Jenkins 5]

So I didn´t hesitate and didn´t waste more time. Decided to call USCIS. AGAIN I think they have something in common with The Joker Since the last time I called they placed service request for the AP, today I only called about the EAD.

For the ones who don´t remember: in June they told me my EAD is set to be adjudicated on July 28th or earlier. In July I called about ten days prior to this date and that´s when the lady said she wasn´t able to place a service request for that, cuz the computer told her I had to wait 55 more days before it would accept the service request (which would put me in the middle of September).

Today I decided to call again just out of curiosity and despite the first lady putting me on hold about million times and asking my zip code about half a million times and so on, she put me through to some laid back guy who told me my EAD was still being reviewed and they were still working on it. So I said that since their website says they were working on EADs from April 16 and my one is from March I´d like to know what was going on. He said I could go to my local office (well go - that´s 4 hours driving ) and tell them to call the benefits center and they should tell them. So I said I thought that´s what the service requests were for (besides when other member who´s been waiting almost as long as I have went for an infopass appointment cuz of the EAD they basically turned her around and sent her home saying everything was fine ...but I didn´t tell him that). So he said he could place a service request but that would take up to 30 days before I get a letter from them. I said that was fine, so he placed the service request for my EAD

So now I have service requests on both AP and EAD See what happens

Now, does anyone know, why there is no processing time at the Benefits Center for AOS listed on the website? Since I´m pretty much expecting similar delays with that too but I have no date to "harrass" them about. I hope there won´t be these problems with the AOS too but right now it just looks like all is stuck

[tucson_chick 0]

processign times for AOS are totally random. it depends a lot on if you get transfered to Cali and on where you live.

you won't hear from your AOS until your local office processes your papers.

living on the boarder this takes forever, living somewhere else its much faster. some people have their greencards within 6 weeks in their hands, some wait for 2 years.

(not to talk about FBI background checks)

i'm sorry that you have so much trouble with your papers. it stinks.

but at least you seem to have a positive attitude.....

[Jeraly 4]

Agnes!! Did you get my last e-mail?! This time next week we'll be on our way to yours!!

Marta - at least the second guy you spoke to was somewhat helpful I can't believe it is all taking so long for you! I sent some e-mails off to places about the HPV vaccine but haven't heard anything back yet Not sure what to do about it all really... I am so disorganised right now

Feeling a little better today which is good but still not right - think another day's rest and I should be ok