Life By Lindsey Rae

February 1st is my two year anniversary of when I became a permanent resident in the US. For anyone who has never been through the immigration process, let me tell you: it is not the most simple of things you can do. There is a lot of paperwork. A lot of fees. When I filed, I had to fill out 7 different forms, get a medical exam from the worst doctor on the planet who had the WORST, incapable nurses in the universe. (I'm surprised I didn't get a disease from the TB test they attempted to give me)and get full biometric information done. (Fingerprints, mug shot...enough to make you feel like a criminal). And pay nearly about $935 to file and make several trips to Memphis to the immigration office to get assistance and interviewed.
It's a difficult process, because there are a lot of little things they don't tell you that are very important. For example, with the fees, in that total $935 there are actually six smaller fees for each specific forms. But, if you were to write a check for the whole thing, your application would not get processed. You have to write seperate checks for each fee. But, nobody ever tells you that. So, these little things can mess a person up. Fortunately, everything went smoothly for me, and I think it took only about 8 months to process.

The craziest thing is that a few months after I filed, a lot of the fees nearly tripled and now it costs nearly $2090 to file!

So, since it was coming upon my two year anniversary, I had to remember that sometime within 90 days prior to this date, I had to file another form to extend my residency. Basically, this is to remove the conditions on my permanent residency: they want to make sure you didn't get married to an American just to get a green card. So, we had to gather a LOT of evidence to prove this. Since I am a Canadian citizen, it's probably not such a big deal for me as it would be for some coming from other countries that they might have more reason to question their motives, but it's not worth it to take the risk and get denied. So, we gathered nearly everything they suggested. This includes anything showing joint assets, any insurance policies you have together...and a lot of copies of various statements throughout the time you are married to show consistency, pictures of you together through the time period, evidence you are living in the same household, copies of wills, affidavits from people who know you saying they know that you have a good marriage, joint tax returns, etc, etc, etc. I had been gathering evidence for the past few months, but the day before we mailed it, I ended up staying up ALL night compiling it into chronological order and highlighting and labeling and writing explanations for everything. It's a big job, but immigration is really not something to mess around with...you want to do it right the first time or it can get complicated really fast.

This form...one form....cost $545 to file! That's a lot of money for one form! Good thing my husband loves me...

I got my letter back from them acknowledging that they received our payment and that my residency has been extended for one year. I have to wait for them to send me another letter telling me when I will go for more biometrics (more fingerprints and another mugshot) and then after that, they will continue to process things and then I am eligible for my 10-year residency. Meaning, I won't have to worry about anymore immigration stuff for another 10 years, unless I apply for naturalization, which I can do after February 2010. I'm not positive if I will do that yet. I think I may, just because I can still retain my Canadian citizenship. I figure if I can be a duo citizen that will pretty much just give me the best of both worlds.

I've heard some people say they don't want to get American citizenship because when you do, you have to swear allegiance only to the US, so it makes it seem like you are giving up allegiance to Canada. But, you don't ever have to give up your Canadian citizenship. So, I'm not exactly sure how that works. I will have to investigate it further. Once the conditions on your permanent residency are lifted (or you get your 10 year extension) you pretty much have the same privileges as if you were American...only you don't get to vote and you always are supposed to carry around your Alien Residency Card (green card) wherever you go. Not such a big deal. Just like carrying your license, I guess.

Until I get my new green card, I have to carry around a letter with my old green card saying my status adjustment is in process. This is a bit more inconvienent. Only because my wallet is a bit full. Which is ok, if it's full with cash...but mine happens to be mostly receipts and coupons.

I meant to post this a first almost week and a half ago, but, it seems I have had my hands in too many projects (again) lately and so (again), I am late with writing anything.

After spending the summer working in Nashville, my cousin, Steven, has gone back to Canada. We were able to hang out a few times while he was here and it was really fun for both Jerrod and I. I really enjoyed having someone around from back home. It was also cool when he brought other people from Southern Alberta over. I think, sometimes, there actually is a bit of a "culture" difference....not sure how else to put it...but as much as I enjoy my home in Tennessee, there is something fun about being around people from Southern Alberta and being able to talk about things from home that normally I don't get to, because no one I'm normally around would know about it. Plus, I think sometimes, we just find different things funny.

Anyway, a couple days before Steven left, we went out to the shooting range to shoot some handguns. Steven is really into guns and Jerrod has quite a few. When I say quite a few, I really only mean around 5...I don't really know how many, but it seems like around that number. I say, "quite a few" because in all the time I have known him, he has never once used one. He says he won't go target shooting with just anyone...so, I guess he had no one he felt comfortable going with.

So, Steven had mentioned a few times that we should go shooting. I knew that if they were actually going to go, there was no way that I would be able to get out of it. I don't have any problems with guns...I don't necessarily enjoy them myself, but I don't care if other people like to go target shooting as a hobby....or even hunting if they really like the meat (although as some one who has been 98% vegetarian since the age of 3, that definitely does not have any appeal to me.) I have been shooting before...but it was always with clay pigeons out in the country and with a rifle. I think I really only grew up around "farm guns" as I would call them. I've never shot a handgun and never gone to a shooting range. I also realized later, that I hadn't shot a gun since high school.

So, for this reason, I felt nervous about it. I wasn't sure what to expect with the handgun, as far as the kick and that sort of thing. But, I had to go, or else I would have endured never ending harassment from Steven. I may have got around it with Jerrod, but Steven...I think he probably would have actually physically forced me to go somehow....I just know how those Osmond boys are.

So I shot some handguns. I shot the .38 and the .45. The .38 wasn't too bad. There isn't really any kick with it and so Jerrod says it's a good gun to teach someone to shoot with. I didn't like the .45 at all. Steven thought it would be easy for me to shoot, but after starting with the .38, it felt like too much and I only tried it about 3 or 4 times. Steven tried to get me to shoot that big "bear killer" gun, as they call it...(I think it's a .44) But, I would never! I could hardly even stand to watch them shoot it. It's ridiculously powerful and loud and I don't plan to have to stop a bear anytime soon, so, I don't think I need to know how.

I kept one of my targets to take home. The smaller holes on here I shot with the .38. Jerrod said I did pretty well with my aiming. I said I was probably just lucky, but he said he thought I actually really did a good job. I think the bigger holes are one's Jerrod shot with the .45.

So, that was a really long post. I hope I didn't make too many gramatical errors. I don't have time to check it now, because I have to go finish going crazy now...I mean...finish grouting the tile in the kitchen.

I was just looking at some plants and seeds on eBay and came across this listing.

And here it is even a "valuable herb."

I would like to pass this information onto any one from Southern Alberta who might be reading this, as I feel that this could be evidence that there is truly a money making opportunity here for you. How much money....? I don't know. Seeing there is only 2 or 3 listings out there, I'm not too optimistic for the future of dandelion farming (although someone must do it, because it seems they do make some kind of vitamins or something out of it.)

But, I guess it's enough proof that apparently someone, somewhere out there, is willing to buy your crappy weeds.


***I'm sure this could be valuable to people outside of Alberta too, but I happen to have first hand experience there.***

I feel like it's really stuffy in here right now and it's driving me crazy. It's become suddenly more humid this week. It's like the intense summer humidity just started and it just dropped in and doubled overnight. I usually like humidity, but tonight it's bugging me. I'm stuffed up and feel like I can't breathe. Maybe it's some allergies that are bothering me, but the humidity is making it feel worse to my sinuses.

It's around 11:30pm and it's still like, 80 degrees outside. That's pretty nice. I much prefer the warmer weather....except for the fact that warm weather means more bugs.

There are too many bugs, and I'm afraid of them.
I really hate it.
Actually, we got some pest control from Steven this week. I don't know if I mentioned it here, but my cousin, Steven, is down in Nashville right now selling pest control as a summer job. So, we got some from him...in hopes that I would live in fear less and it would improve my quality of life if I see less bugs.

Steven and his roommates have come over about 3 times now and hung out with us at our house; had dinner and stuff. It's been fun. It was fun to have Canadians over because at one time there were four of us Canadians in the house and only American (Jerrod). I felt good about that, because Jerrod likes to tease me and make Canadian jokes, but with four Canadians against one American, it was fun to be able to gang up on him for once. haha. That's the most Canadians that have ever been in our house....suddenly I have also really noticed that they (we....I....) talk a little different and they have a little different sense of humor. It's weird that I never noticed it before, but I think this is nearly one of the longest times since I have been back to Canada, so maybe that's why I notice it more suddenly.

Until I moved to the U.S., I don't think I realized that Remembrance Day isn't celebrated here. I know they have Veteran's Day on November 11th, but it's not really as big of a deal as you would think it would be; they being so patriotic and all. They don't even get the day off. I guess I was just surprised when I realized this, because it is a more important holiday in Canada and we are not as military oriented as they. I mentioned something about a poppy last night and Jerrod had never heard of such a thing. So I started explaining about how we wear the little plastic flowers and saying the In Flanders Field poem (which of course, every Canadian hears yearly, from the time they are in elementary school) and he had never even hear of it.
Speaking of Remembrance Day and thinking of war veterans, one thing that I often wish is that my Grandpa Suddaby would record his life history. He spent 5 years fighting in the war and I'm sure there are lots of things that he could tell about, but I know that he doesn't like the talk about those things, because they are bad memories for him. However, I also think it would be a shame if those things about his life were lost when he died. No one will know about them and all that history will be gone. There has been a few times in the past where he has said a couple of things when I asked him, but never too much and I think think these things need to be written down or recorded to be preserved. Maybe I can get him a little recorder for Christmas. I wonder if he'd use it. I will have to check out eBay and see how much I can get one for.

So, in our class in church this Sunday, we were talking about how Jesus loves everyone the same all over the world and how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is exactly the same every place in the world. We were asking the kids if they had been to church in any other places and if they saw how it was the same as in Nashville. Of course, they all said yes and we went around the room with each telling us where they had been to church in other places: The answers were, "Utah...Arizona....Georgia..." etc. When it was Jerrod's turn he mentioned that he had been to church in Canada. "What?! Really?" they said.
Now, I'm not so sure why this was so shocking as I have said many times that I am from Canada and my mom just sent stuff for them from home a few weeks ago. But I reminded them, "Yes, I'm from Canada. And we got married in the Temple there, too."
And the next comment was...
"Really? Was it made of ice?"
I just have to shake my head. Only in America.