After many fitful nights of nightmaring about forms and policies and the American Immigration system, Chris and I officially mailed off his Green Card application. Let me just say that I can not take credit for much of this amazing feat. Chris toiled away for days and days over this application, and even walked about 7 miles in temperatures that hovered near 0 degrees in order to attend various medical appointments, all for the chance of being granted the privilege of staying here, with me, in America. I say to you all: THAT is love. Any guy can buy a dozen roses. It takes real love to fill out the I-485.
Want to know something interesting? I had to sign a form that says I promise to support Chris at a rate of 125% of the poverty level. If I fail to do this at any time, Chris can sue me! I told him, "Sure, you can sue me...if you can pay for the lawyer!" and then we had a chuckle about that. Then, he looked up the definition of the 'poverty level' and discovered that, with my current income, I could actually be supporting 5 immigrants. So...if you know anyone who wants to cram into this tiny apartment with us, I'm putting my support up for grab.
In all seriousness, as sort of long and laborious as this process may have felt for the past 3 or 4 weeks, I have really thanked my lucky stars that Chris and I are native English speakers, and that we have enough money to do this and still afford to eat and pay rent. We have also had the good fortune of having a very patient, nice couple who have gone through this exact process to give us advice. We are very lucky to have had the chance to do this. Now, the wait begins!
Hope you're all doing well and staying warm!
xo
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
A Whole Mess of Change
Hi, everyone.
Since the last time I wrote, quite a bit has changed. I'll run down the list.
1.) Chris and I got married! We were married by the ever-honorable Judge Lloyd Zimmerman on January 7th and have been living in marital happiness ever since.
2.) My grandpa passed away a little over a week ago after a long battle with cancer. I know my family won't be the same without him. He was a very special person. In my almost 27 years of knowing him, I never saw him lose his temper and was certain that he loved and accepted me just as I am. I believe his ability to offer this to everyone was just part of why he will be missed.
3.) I began a new job at Behavioral Healthcare Providers. I am tucked away in an office auditing records and insurance information, and setting up follow-up care for people who visited the ER during a mental health crisis. I really like the people I work with and am enjoying the perks of having a regular schedule, health insurance, and my weekends off.
4.) I entered my late 20s. Today, I am 27. I'm ready for the year. Ever since I was about 24, I've predicted that 27 will be a special year for me, so I'm just waiting for it all to start. It's Day One.
I hope you're all staying warm in this drizzly weather!
xo
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Frozen Hills and Wedding Bells
Well, it's that time of year again. You know, the time of year where you say, "Gosh, it's cold. I'm stuck inside. What should I do?" What I've decided to do is to get a 9-5 job and get married...in the same week. That's right, folks. It's happening, and it's happening now. I am becoming a Real Adult.
Chris and I are getting married on Thursday! Can you believe it? I can! This way, we can apply for what we now know is called an 'Adjustment of Status'. We're hoping to adjust the heck out of his status. Yup, we're just going to adjust that status riiiight up. Plus, getting married is one way to ensure that we get to spend the rest of our lives together, and I, for one, really like that idea.
So, right, wedding on Thursday, and then I start my new job at Behavioral Health Care Providers on Monday.
Other than that, I've just been hanging out with various people, working and not working, and using the crock pot my parents gave us for Christmas. Tonight, I came home to find that Chris had used one of the recipes in our new crock pot cookbook to make dinner. It was called 'Easy Chicken and Biscuits'. Chris announced it looked like 'a big bowl of snot'. After that, we couldn't eat any more. Tonight's plans may or may not involve a second round of dinner.
Hope you all are having a happy new year!
xo
Chris and I are getting married on Thursday! Can you believe it? I can! This way, we can apply for what we now know is called an 'Adjustment of Status'. We're hoping to adjust the heck out of his status. Yup, we're just going to adjust that status riiiight up. Plus, getting married is one way to ensure that we get to spend the rest of our lives together, and I, for one, really like that idea.
So, right, wedding on Thursday, and then I start my new job at Behavioral Health Care Providers on Monday.
Other than that, I've just been hanging out with various people, working and not working, and using the crock pot my parents gave us for Christmas. Tonight, I came home to find that Chris had used one of the recipes in our new crock pot cookbook to make dinner. It was called 'Easy Chicken and Biscuits'. Chris announced it looked like 'a big bowl of snot'. After that, we couldn't eat any more. Tonight's plans may or may not involve a second round of dinner.
Hope you all are having a happy new year!
xo
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
'Tis the Season to Dislike Winter
Apparently it's winter again here in the heartland. Gross.
I know that " 'tis the season" to be telling lovely stories about Christmas and all that, but I thought I'd tell you about my personal experience of winter thus far. First of all, let me just say that I'm really happy to be back in Minnesota for the holidays and excited to be able to spend another Christmas with my family.
That being said...the other day I was called in to work the evening shift (yay!). As I drove in, the snow was already falling and my usually-15 minute journey to work took me 35 minutes. No big deal, really. I could talk at length about how frustrating it is to be on the road with alleged Minnesotans who allegedly know how to drive in the winter, but who lapse into some kind of summer-induced memory warp and find themselves unable to navigate the icy terrain for a certain period of time each winter...but I won't. Everyone talks about that. No one wants to hear it.
Anyway, the snow kept falling during work, so for 8 hours I dreaded my drive home. On the way home, I went 35 miles per hour while blasting tepid air from my noisy heater. Ah, winter. You bastard. When I arrived home, I found a sign posted on the front door of the apartment that said something to the effect of:
"If it is going to snow 1.5 inches or more, and this snowfall is predicted to fall BEFORE midnight, we will plow the parking lot on the DAY AFTER the snowfall. If the snowfall is predicted to end AFTER midnight, we will plow the parking lot on the day AFTER the day after the snowfall."
Ohhh. OK. No problem. I looked around and realized that it was midnight, there was more than 1.5 inches of snow on the ground, but I couldn't tell if it was still snowing, or if it was just the old snow blowing around. Then I spent the next 3 hours wondering if the parking lot would be plowed in the morning, and if my car might be towed. ...then, at 6 AM, the dulcet tones of a snow blower woke me up.
That's it. Oh wait, I forgot that later that morning, I received a call from a woman with whom I will be interviewing for a job. She was calling to reschedule our interview today due to the weather. Our conversation went something like this:
Lady: I'm hoping we can reschedule our interview. The weather outside is...
Me: Frightful! *chuckle*
Lady: ...um, yes.
Hope you're having a great month so far. Stay warm and take care.
xo
I know that " 'tis the season" to be telling lovely stories about Christmas and all that, but I thought I'd tell you about my personal experience of winter thus far. First of all, let me just say that I'm really happy to be back in Minnesota for the holidays and excited to be able to spend another Christmas with my family.
That being said...the other day I was called in to work the evening shift (yay!). As I drove in, the snow was already falling and my usually-15 minute journey to work took me 35 minutes. No big deal, really. I could talk at length about how frustrating it is to be on the road with alleged Minnesotans who allegedly know how to drive in the winter, but who lapse into some kind of summer-induced memory warp and find themselves unable to navigate the icy terrain for a certain period of time each winter...but I won't. Everyone talks about that. No one wants to hear it.
Anyway, the snow kept falling during work, so for 8 hours I dreaded my drive home. On the way home, I went 35 miles per hour while blasting tepid air from my noisy heater. Ah, winter. You bastard. When I arrived home, I found a sign posted on the front door of the apartment that said something to the effect of:
"If it is going to snow 1.5 inches or more, and this snowfall is predicted to fall BEFORE midnight, we will plow the parking lot on the DAY AFTER the snowfall. If the snowfall is predicted to end AFTER midnight, we will plow the parking lot on the day AFTER the day after the snowfall."
Ohhh. OK. No problem. I looked around and realized that it was midnight, there was more than 1.5 inches of snow on the ground, but I couldn't tell if it was still snowing, or if it was just the old snow blowing around. Then I spent the next 3 hours wondering if the parking lot would be plowed in the morning, and if my car might be towed. ...then, at 6 AM, the dulcet tones of a snow blower woke me up.
That's it. Oh wait, I forgot that later that morning, I received a call from a woman with whom I will be interviewing for a job. She was calling to reschedule our interview today due to the weather. Our conversation went something like this:
Lady: I'm hoping we can reschedule our interview. The weather outside is...
Me: Frightful! *chuckle*
Lady: ...um, yes.
Hope you're having a great month so far. Stay warm and take care.
xo
Sunday, November 29, 2009
'Tis the Season to Be Nervous
Well, hello. Yes, it's been awhile, hasn't it?
It's the holiday season, and this means cards and letters are coming in. My helpful neighborhood postman noticed that mail has been coming in for Chris (because he's here now!!) and added his name to my mail box.
Just a few minutes ago, I ran into my apartment building's site manager, who made awkward small talk for awhile before getting to the heart of the matter, which was her curiosity about why there was an unidentified other living here with me. I told the truth--that I'll have someone staying with me for awhile--and that he has been receiving mail here. Still, I feel like a criminal, sneaking an illegal alien around or harboring a fugitive or something! In any case, now that my nerves have calmed down a little, I thought I'd say hi to you all. So...hi!
Chris has been here for a few weeks now, and it feels great to have him here. He is blending in well with my family and has already been subjected to more Edstrom-family time than I could ever hope for him to withstand. We have also gotten back to our old routine of cooking together, and have made several roast meals--as I'm writing this, there is a chicken roasting in the oven, along with potatoes, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes. Delicious! No more cereal for dinner for this girl...
Well, I hope you're all well and enjoying the post-Thanksgiving, triptophan-induced somnolence as I am.
xo
It's the holiday season, and this means cards and letters are coming in. My helpful neighborhood postman noticed that mail has been coming in for Chris (because he's here now!!) and added his name to my mail box.
Just a few minutes ago, I ran into my apartment building's site manager, who made awkward small talk for awhile before getting to the heart of the matter, which was her curiosity about why there was an unidentified other living here with me. I told the truth--that I'll have someone staying with me for awhile--and that he has been receiving mail here. Still, I feel like a criminal, sneaking an illegal alien around or harboring a fugitive or something! In any case, now that my nerves have calmed down a little, I thought I'd say hi to you all. So...hi!
Chris has been here for a few weeks now, and it feels great to have him here. He is blending in well with my family and has already been subjected to more Edstrom-family time than I could ever hope for him to withstand. We have also gotten back to our old routine of cooking together, and have made several roast meals--as I'm writing this, there is a chicken roasting in the oven, along with potatoes, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes. Delicious! No more cereal for dinner for this girl...
Well, I hope you're all well and enjoying the post-Thanksgiving, triptophan-induced somnolence as I am.
xo
Monday, October 26, 2009
An Open Letter to My Upstairs Neighbor
Dear Upstairs Neighbor,
What the flip is going on up there? Lately, I've been hearing a noise I can't really describe coming from your apartment. It's a noise like a lead pipe being banged against the side of a bathtub, combined with the sound of sloshing water, combined with the sound of a shower curtain sliding open. What is that? And before you say "It's my shower, stupid", please keep in mind that it is the sound of metal on porcelain and the sheer volume that baffles me. It makes me think that there is no way it could simply be your shower. Please keep this in mind while you consider your answer.
Also, do you have a loud, heavy-footed cat living up there with you? If not, I think there is a family of obese, yet spry, squirrels living in my ceiling. Something excitable and heavy is having a good time above me. Please, please, let it be your cat.
One more thing, and then I'll let you get back to...well, whatever it is that you're doing to make that noise. I like Halloween as much as the next person. I even put out a small pumpkin to show my enthusiasm for the season. But you, Neighbor, have decorated to a new level. It's as if your great, great, great grandfather founded Halloween, and the enthusiasm is part of your heritage. Actually, it looks as though the seasonal section of Jo-Ann Fabric has been re-located to your front window. Ten window clings? Great! Fifty-eight window clings? Yikes. Fifty-eight window clings, fake spider webs, tiny pumpkin lights and little Kleenex ghosts? Mental illness.
Well, Neighbor, I hope you're well. We'll meet in the hallway someday soon, I'm sure. You may be you'll be dressed as a warlock or Harry Potter or a flying monkey. Maybe we can continue this discussion in person at that time.
Sincerely,
Your Downstairs Neighbor
What the flip is going on up there? Lately, I've been hearing a noise I can't really describe coming from your apartment. It's a noise like a lead pipe being banged against the side of a bathtub, combined with the sound of sloshing water, combined with the sound of a shower curtain sliding open. What is that? And before you say "It's my shower, stupid", please keep in mind that it is the sound of metal on porcelain and the sheer volume that baffles me. It makes me think that there is no way it could simply be your shower. Please keep this in mind while you consider your answer.
Also, do you have a loud, heavy-footed cat living up there with you? If not, I think there is a family of obese, yet spry, squirrels living in my ceiling. Something excitable and heavy is having a good time above me. Please, please, let it be your cat.
One more thing, and then I'll let you get back to...well, whatever it is that you're doing to make that noise. I like Halloween as much as the next person. I even put out a small pumpkin to show my enthusiasm for the season. But you, Neighbor, have decorated to a new level. It's as if your great, great, great grandfather founded Halloween, and the enthusiasm is part of your heritage. Actually, it looks as though the seasonal section of Jo-Ann Fabric has been re-located to your front window. Ten window clings? Great! Fifty-eight window clings? Yikes. Fifty-eight window clings, fake spider webs, tiny pumpkin lights and little Kleenex ghosts? Mental illness.
Well, Neighbor, I hope you're well. We'll meet in the hallway someday soon, I'm sure. You may be you'll be dressed as a warlock or Harry Potter or a flying monkey. Maybe we can continue this discussion in person at that time.
Sincerely,
Your Downstairs Neighbor
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bee Kind
Today, at work, I leaned in to smell a big bunch of lilies one of the patients had received, then went about my business.
A few minutes and several work-related activities later, I was talking to a co-worker. Mid-sentence, he looked up at me and said, "You have something on your face...It might be food."
I wiped my upper lip and saw a massive amount of yellow powder on my hand. I went to the bathroom and it was everywhere! I had been walking around with effing lily pollen all over my nose and face. The worst part is that pollen tends to stain skin, so my chin, cheeks and nose had a yellowish hue for the rest of the day, despite my efforts with soapy paper towels, antiseptic wipes and rubbing alcohol.
Sigh...
In other news, I found a microwave in the alley--and it works! And Chris is coming on November 5th! Things are falling together nicely.
Hope you're having a good week so far!
xo
A few minutes and several work-related activities later, I was talking to a co-worker. Mid-sentence, he looked up at me and said, "You have something on your face...It might be food."
I wiped my upper lip and saw a massive amount of yellow powder on my hand. I went to the bathroom and it was everywhere! I had been walking around with effing lily pollen all over my nose and face. The worst part is that pollen tends to stain skin, so my chin, cheeks and nose had a yellowish hue for the rest of the day, despite my efforts with soapy paper towels, antiseptic wipes and rubbing alcohol.
Sigh...
In other news, I found a microwave in the alley--and it works! And Chris is coming on November 5th! Things are falling together nicely.
Hope you're having a good week so far!
xo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)