Colombia Club

[buck501 0]

Hey Charles, are you in the middle of the ice storm? The ones we have had here in the past have been devestating. Hope all is well with you and your family.

[parkpapa 0]

Hey Charles, are you in the middle of the ice storm? The ones we have had here in the past have been devestating. Hope all is well with you and your family.

We had a little over the weekend (it was worse to the south and east), but for tonight and tomorrow they are predicting an inch or more of ice!!!! Dealing with the ice is one thing - we have food enough for a few days - but if the power goes out, that's something else again. Even if we have a place to go, I'm not sure how we'll get there. Up to the good Lord (and the electric company) at this point.

[HAL 9000 96]

Have any of you kids taken your significant other skiing/snowboarding yet?

*Diana, you're excluded since you are lucky enough to be in Colorado*

I'm considering driving up to Central Wisconsin or UP Michigan for a little taste of the white stuff downhill. See if la esposa likes it...

[buck501 0]

Have any of you kids taken your significant other skiing/snowboarding yet?

*Diana, you're excluded since you are lucky enough to be in Colorado*

I'm considering driving up to Central Wisconsin or UP Michigan for a little taste of the white stuff downhill. See if la esposa likes it...

Not me. I really do not enjoy pain these days. Broken legs and such. LOL>LOL. If Paola want to go I will take her. I prefer to risk my life dancing to Salsa and Reggatone. LOL.

Here in Oregon there are many places to ski close to home, it is very expensive though. I have been on top of the ski slopes in the summer when there is no snow, looked down the slope and thought................NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paola is so focused on learning to speak english that she has been a little hard to get out and take a day to enjoy Oregon. She wants to study, study and study.

She did go with me on a biz trip to Seattle for 3 days. We went out to eat at a couple of nice resturants, won $350.00 at a casino and went to a friends house for a party. We were both wore out. Caught a mighty fine buzz three nights in a row. It felt like we were back in Colombia or Panama.

[Mononoke28 134]

This year will be a no-no for skiing, it's just too damn expensive and we'd have to buy clothing and goggles and all that stuff which adds up, not to mention skiing or snowboarding lessons. My friends were telling me that even the less expensive places like Keystone and Breckenridge (compared to Vail and Aspen) are selling $90/day passes. I was like "you have got to be kidding!". That's $180 for the both of us, plus lessons, plus jackets, pants or suits, goggles, gloves, hats and equipment rental. That's at least $500-$700. No way Jose. Maybe next year.

Diana

[Chester y Monica 0]

Sigh... This is very disappointing.

Monica has been driving with me on a learner's permit. She passed the written exam back in October. I filed for AOS and I got the NOA and the Biometrics date. This morning when we went it to take here behind the wheel exam, her I-94 expired 2 days ago. DMV will not let her take the exam and will not issue another permit unless she has other legal presence documents. I brought in the I-797 but they said, it only means "received petition" and not approved. The are correct, but as far as DHS is concerned, she is legally in the country and under processing.

Reading DMV's website, we have to wait for her EAD to apply again and she as to do the written exam all over again.

What if she gets question in airports, during domestic travel? The pasport is the only document anyone would accept as ID here? What do you say?

[buck501 0]

Sigh... This is very disappointing.

Monica has been driving with me on a learner's permit. She passed the written exam back in October. I filed for AOS and I got the NOA and the Biometrics date. This morning when we went it to take here behind the wheel exam, her I-94 expired 2 days ago. DMV will not let her take the exam and will not issue another permit unless she has other legal presence documents. I brought in the I-797 but they said, it only means "received petition" and not approved. The are correct, but as far as DHS is concerned, she is legally in the country and under processing.

Reading DMV's website, we have to wait for her EAD to apply again and she as to do the written exam all over again.

What if she gets question in airports, during domestic travel? The pasport is the only document anyone would accept as ID here? What do you say?

Good question Chester. I am planning on taking Paola to Las Vegas in January. I hope this will not be a problem. I am planning on taking a copy of our marriage certificate with us.

I will have to look into this. The K-1 visa is good for 90 days, once married you can apply for AOS. Other then recieving the invite to the Biometrics, we have no other doc to support her being here legaly then our marriage certificate. She does not have the SSN yet.

[HAL 9000 96]

Hey guys, not to worry about domestic travel.

I took Maria to NYC back in October and to Puerto Rico last month (with an expired I-94). The passport was enough.

It doesn't help to have the notices of receipt in case something does happen that your spouses have to identify one way or another since those that think they can enforce immigration law on behalf of the Feds have no quick way of certifying their immigration status (or the Feds for that matter).

I'm lucky then to see UP Michigan and Central Wisconsin ski packages of $150 per person for an entire long weekend with ski lifts included... but yeah... equipment is an issue! Obviously buying is not feasible right now, but maybe she'll like the darn sport at some point. Snowboarding IS cheaper, btw...

[Mononoke28 134]

Cheaper and more painful!

Diana

[HAL 9000 96]

Yeeeezzzzzzz

Pain = Gud!

[buck501 0]

We drove 4.5 hours today, in the pouring down rain, to have Poala's Biometrics done. It took all of 15 min. Seems like a waste of time and goverment labor. Man, how many times are they going to take her pic and get her finger prints? I would think it would be more cost effecient to forward these on as the process goes. But, then again, reduced red tape could mean increased unemployment. LOL>LOL.

It did beat the stuffing out of being in the US Embassy in Bogota for 4 hours freezing to death. So far this AOS process is a cake walk. Zero stress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (knock on wood)

[parkpapa 0]

Lorena's wanting to go take her driver's exam this week - assuming we don't get the 5 inches of snow they're forcasting for this evening. Wish her luck!!!

[Mononoke28 134]

Suerte Lorena!!

Y no se preocupe que mi esposo pasó el de él hace una semana, todo en inglés y eso que él habla poquito, pero le fué muy bien. Tómese su tiempo, todo con calma y verá que lo pasa de una.

Diana

[Chester y Monica 0]

Has anyone heard or used Ingles sin Barreras program http://inglessinbarreras.com/isb/index.aspx

Monica has been begging me to get this package. It's not cheap, a little over than what AOS costs!!!

There's nothing close to us that have good programs. The one's in SFO and OAK are too far and she needs transportation. That becomes an issue since she does not have her license yet and I am back into my travelling job.

[buck501 0]

Has anyone heard or used Ingles sin Barreras program http://inglessinbarreras.com/isb/index.aspx

Monica has been begging me to get this package. It's not cheap, a little over than what AOS costs!!!

There's nothing close to us that have good programs. The one's in SFO and OAK are too far and she needs transportation. That becomes an issue since she does not have her license yet and I am back into my travelling job.

Chester, I can't be of any help with that program. Paola goes to a Community college 3 days a week for 3.5hrs each day, then the other 2 days goes to a free english class put on by some church and then 2 nights a week goes to another free english class. We have found all kinds of free classes for her, including computer classes. We have a pretty strong hispanic community here. Many folks from Central and South America. None from Colombia though.

Check around, you may be able to find some for free or next to free. Paola's english skills have improved alot since arriving here 3.5 months ago.

I travel alot also so I am not able to take her sometimes. She walks to some and other folks in the class come by and pick her up when I am gone. They get to be a pretty close knit group. I hope that helps some.