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Gary and Alla

Thanksgiving

By Gary and Alla in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus

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Gary and Alla Grand Master

Gary and Alla   3,694

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ukraine
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So no one mentioned Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving, a bit late. Sometimes it takes a special day to realize what we need to be thankful for.

Alla called me this morning very upset that one of her classmate's husband had been in a terrible car accident this morning and was, at that moment, fighting for his life in Intensive care. He is in his 20's. As of an hour ago, no update yet.

So that didn't happen to us today.

Then I got to work and learned that a very nice young lady in our office, age 26, has lost her battle against Ovarian cancer and will die soon. There is nothing more they can do for her. Now, she is a very nice young woman and I learned today that she is from a wealthy family and donated ALL her salary to a children's charity (she could not have children) She married a nice young man two years ago. She had no need to work but enjoyed it and gave away ALL her earnings. When she learned she was dying, she came and asked the owners of our company if they would consider adding her favorite charity to their list of donations (they donate some amounts of money in the company name every year)so that the chairty would not lose all the money she gave them. I am not able to match her dignity, I am afraid.

That did not happen to us today either. I tried to say more to Alla tonight and she said to please wait until tomorrow, enough for one day. These people are about the age of our children. They have parents, about our age. Wow! Is there a worse horror?

So when all the little trivial bullsh*t gets to you, or those of you that are new to having an immigrant family here get frustrated and tired and just have a bad day, then just think how much worse it could be and how lucky you are.

Alla mentioned that the other day her and I had a bit of a "scandal" over something and neither of us could remember, today, what it was really that started the scandal. :unsure: Silly to say bad words or get angry with someone you love when in a moment you could be fighting for your life or find out you will die for no good reason. I know this.

So be happy. Enjoy what you have and always remember what you did to get your spouse here and how lucky you are to have him/her. That's all.

Happy Thanksgiving

VERMONT! I Reject Your Reality...and Substitute My Own!

Gary And Alla

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TBoneTX Grand Master

TBoneTX   43,194

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
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Beautiful, elegant, and accurate, G-Bone. This merits enshrinement in the pantheon of all-time greatest VJ posts. Thank you, si man.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

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1HappyGuy Proficient

1HappyGuy   45

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: Ukraine
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Gary,

You are so right. We should all be thankful for the things we do have and for the things that haven't happened to us. :thumbs:

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PhilC Explorer

PhilC   5

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Filed: Country: Ukraine
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Thank you Gary for helping us remember it is the little things in our everyday life that we need to be thankful for. I am thankful I found Visa Journey and all the great advice. I was able to do my wife's visa without a lawyer and we are almost there.:thumbs:

USCIS:

03/29/2012 - I-130 Sent

04/1/2012 - NOA1 Received

06/25/2012 - NOA2 Received (88 Days)

NVC:

07/31/2012 - Case arrived at NVC (36 Days from USCIS to NVC)

08/16/2012 - Received case #, IIN, gave e-mail addresses

08/18/2012 - E-mailed DS-3032

08/23/2012 - AOS bill invoiced & PAID

08/27/2012 - AOS bill appears as PAID

08/24/2012 - AOS Package sent

08/XX/2012 - AOS/I-864 accepted

08/23/2012 - DS-3032 accepted

08/28/2012 - IV bill invoiced & PAID

08/30/2012 - IV bill appears as PAID

08/28/2012 - IV Package sent

09/07/2012 - REF Forgot bar code cover sheet in AOS packet

09/08/2012 - Mailed REF will be there Monday Sept.10th

09/25/2012 - Case Complete

10/30/2012 - Medical in Kyiv....All good

11/27/2012 - Interview date

In AP.

01/15/2013- Call from Emb####

02/20/2013 -Denied

04/18/2013- Application sent to State Department.

08/23/2013- Talked to USCIS the application is back at USCIS and "might" review it by December.....

08/23/2013- Pissed off.

03/14/2014- Recivied notice from USCIS. Reply due 04/16/14

04/12/2014- Reply mailed 300+ pages.

04/23/2014- Reply from USCIS they received the packet.

07/07/2014- Called my Congressman to check on progress.

07/08/2014- Got a call back from Congressman aid "USCIS is working on it".

07/09/2014- Got email from USCIS that my address change had gone through. I never requested an address change. Call Congressman and USCIS. Was an error an no address change...

07/10/2014- Received email from USCIS. We are approved again. I think the call to my Congressman helped.

08/04/2014- Application received from USCIS and forwarded to Kyiv.

08/19/2014- Interview Sept.19,2014

09/19/2014- Interview Approved.

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Golden Gate Proficient

Golden Gate   530

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Morocco
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Nice post, Gary.

event.png




K1 Visa
Event Date
Service Center : Texas Service Center
Consulate : Morocco
I-129F Sent : 2011-03-07
I-129F NOA2 : 2011-07-08
Interview Date : 2011-11-01
Interview Result : Approved
Visa Received : 2011-11-03
US Entry : 2012-02-28
Marriage : 2012-03-05
AOS sent: 05/16/2012
AOS received USCIS: 5/23/2012
EAD Delivered: 8/3/2012
AOS Interview: 08/20/2012.
Green Card Received: 08/27/2012

ROC Form Sent 07/17/2014

ROC NOA 07/24/2014
ROC Biometrics Appt. 8/21/2014
ROC RFE 10/2014 Evidence sent 1/4/2014

ROC Approval Letter received 1/13/2015

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St&Sv Enthusiast

St&Sv   33

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Filed: Country: Russia
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Great post Gary. We should be grateful, thankful and live each day to the fullest.

“Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water -it will make ripples throughout the entire pond...”

― Jessy and Bryan Matteo

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