In Training

Green Card, Green Card, Just Need the One Green Card

Just the one. I know it's been a fairly short time - at least in immigration time - but by golly I'm ready to get my husband's permanent residency! I believed we started filing through this most recent channel last June (2008). So that means it's been seven -almost- eight months.

See, this is where it gets fun. The last step, the one we are waiting on, is the interview. We both show up at the appointed time in the appointed place and they ask questions relating to our relationship and how it came to be. Our attorney attends with us to help. Not long after (hopefully!) we receive Royal's permanent residency - green card.

Well, we received an email from our attorney in late October saying that we had an interview date in November - BUT it was set up for the wrong district (just a few hours away) and we couldn't go. THE WRONG FREAKIN' DISTRICT. We were totally prepared to drive as far and wide as we had to (What? You want we should drive to Maine? Okay!!) but it doesn't work that way. Our attorney immediately got in touch and had it sent to the correct district.

That's not all, try this: The accidental district (as I sometimes refer to it) we were sent to processes applications and receives appointments much faster than the district we've been sent to now - the correct one. So, from the fingerprinting stage of the process it was 2 1/2 months before we heard about our (fake) interview appointment. Since the mistake and the resend it's been about three months already.

Somebody in the government let the ball drop and we are having to pay. Yuck. I've said before that it's not such a big deal waiting now. At least we're together now, right? But the waiting is starting to wear. There's just more to it than that now.
The faster he becomes a permanent resident, the faster we can file for U.S. Citizenship/Naturalization. We have to wait 3 years from the date he becomes a permanent resident (even then, it takes anywhere from six to 18 months to get that taken care of). This is a big deal not only because Royal wants to be a United States Citizen, but because the careers that he has been looking forward to (policeman, various security positions, etc.) all require it. I want it to be over for him.

Past immigration posts.

Fashion Branded Guns & Such

Your "Hey, that's actually kinda cool" moment for the day.

I like the Alexander McQueen M-60E4 and the Tiffany & Co. hand grenade. That is stylin'.

Found at Say Uncle. You should totally read there, by the way.

Score one for the guard in red!

I'm sure most people are familiar with the Queen's Guard - the guys wearing that beautiful red uniform in Britain. And probably many know that St. James's Palace is where Prince Charles and the two princes hang out. Now the scene is set...

Apparently a tourist managed to work his way under the skin of one such guardsman and the guardsman took care of it. You can see video here. Not knowing what happened before or after the video makes it rather difficult to judge... but I'm siding with the guard on this one. Actually, most of the comments after the articles agree.

I've never made fun of the guards, (and would never!) however hubby has been known to though not in the same way as the kid above. It's more of a Royal Marine / Pongo thing. Almost as if they can't help it.

Prayers for military widows & families

If you pray at all, please remember to include the families of those brave soldiers we have lost in the line of duty. Their lives continue on with hearts that will never be whole again, not the same as before.

I read this article this morning and got straight down on my knees.

THE widow of a Westcountry Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan has suffered yet more sorrow after losing his unborn child.

Marine Damian Davies, 27, serving with the North Devon-based Commando Logistics Regiment, was killed by a suspected child suicide bomber in Helmand province in December.

Now his widow Joanne has revealed she miscarried the couple's second child, probably on the same weekend she was told of her husband's death.
....
She went on: "The scans showed it probably happened the weekend I was told (that he had died). I feel that Damian is holding our little one while I am looking after Matthew. Everyone has rallied round.

"It's a terrible double loss. I was hoping Damian would live on through the baby, but it wasn't to be."

I've never carried a child so I can't imagine what she must be going through. I hope she finds peace.

U.K. stripper dressed as a cop arrested again. And again. And again...

This article caught my eye because I've posted about this guy before. Although then it was only because I thought the headline and a bit of the story was funny. Now I'm just a little worried.

Police have spent £170,000 of public money trying to prosecute a strippergram for playing an officer as part of his act. Stuart Kennedy, who performs under the stage name of Sergeant Eros, was last week cleared in court for the 22nd time. The case collapsed after the Crown Office dropped the charges against him.
....
Since March 2007, the 25-year-old genetics student from Aberdeen University has been arrested six times and spent 123 hours in custody, without police securing a single conviction. Grampian Police have incurred the wrath of the public over the accumulated police, court and legal aid costs now mounting to an estimated £170,000.
....
Assistant Chief Constable of Grampian Police, Colin Menzies, said his force had a duty to investigate all reports of alleged criminal behaviour.

Wow. Okay so obviously the guy could change his stripper outfit and this would be over. Why would he do that, though, if it's not illegal and the ladies like it? The police need to keep an eye out for things like this because there are dangerous people out there who impersonate police officers so they can do terrible things. But this is getting ridiculous and it seems like they need to back off.

The British called --

They want their guns back.+



I got this in my email inbox, apparently it's not new but I hadn't seen it before (as a matter of fact, when Royal watched it he said he had been there, so that's several years ago).
It's long-ish, but worth it.

+ I didn't come up with that as much as I would have liked to, it's the YouTube title.

The Porn Shop

So we're eating dinner with my parents when my husband says, "I went by the porn shop today."

Uhhh, you what?!

"The porn shop. The porn shop, I went by there after work today."

You went to the porn shop! We don't have a porn shop in this little town!
Wait, do we...?

Hubby says, "No! Not porn! The porn shop, where you sell things and they buy them and then they resell them. I was looking for a used case for my bow."

We just stare at him. Then we laugh. A lot.

Apparently, with my husband's lovely accent, pawn sounds like porn. It's pretty awesome actually. He can say pawn like an American, but he has to seriously drag out the A. So really it sounds like "paaaaaaawwwn."

God, in case I haven't mentioned it today, thank you for blessing me with an Englishman!

Prince Harry's "Racist Remark"

I've been debating the past couple of days about whether or not I wanted to post about this Prince Harry mess. Then I read this article today by Andrew Alexander. I like what he says about it:

Prince Harry may be third in line to the throne. But it is hard to see why anyone in his right mind would want to be the monarch of a country bursting with such pious, pompous, prudish, sanctimonious, semi-hysterical, self-righteous, mealymouthed, whining prigs.

I love him already! Straight to the point, though --

The idiocy of the row is shown up by 'Sooty', one of the Prince's fellow polo players, who is happy with his nickname He says a nickname means you are accepted - as has always been the case.

In the services, as those who have even the slightest knowledge of life there should know, nicknames are normal. More than just acceptance, they are part of comradeship.

Well, so far they are. It may not be long before the racists - I mean the ones who make a living out of magnifying anything to do with race - campaign against such terms as Jock, Paddy and Taffy.

PC enthusiasts find fault with all the roughness of political life. They would like every sergeant major to be trained to be exquisitely polite. Perhaps the curt command 'fire' could be replaced with 'would you mind pressing the trigger'?

Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to explain to people outside the military community about things like this. These guys train together, go off to war together, and sometimes they die together. They share thoughts and experiences with each other that even their wives will never know. So yeah, they might give each other nicknames. Trust me, there's no harm meant and no offense taken.

Flash Mob in Liverpool Street Station

Just look at the photos and tell me you wouldn't have wanted to dance your heart out! I love how everyone has a big smile. That's always nice to see especially in a big city like London (trust me, in train stations in London people are not all happy happy).
I love the 5th picture down, that gentleman is having a great time!
Makes me think life would be more fun as a musical... but then again,
I adore musicals !

UPDATE!

Here is the commercial!!

Oh Yeah. Love it!

HM Armed Forces Figures

My husband grew up with Action Man. The new generation gets the HM Armed Forces men. They look pretty sweet to me!

Sold under the 'HM Armed Forces' brand name, the range of 10in figures - along with replica tanks, RAF Harrier jets and remote control Royal Navy assault hovercraft - will be launched on May 8, to coincide with VE Day.

The new figures may not feature the old Action Man's famous 'fuzzy hair', but they boast an extraordinary attention to detail.
The new infantry soldier figure wears exact miniatures of the desert camouflage combat clothing, boots, body armour, SA-80A2 assault rifle and Personal Role Radio sported by British troops fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The designers have even included the standard-issue goggles on his kevlar ballistic protection helmet.

The Royal Marine figure wears a miniature green Commando beret over an authentically steely gaze, while the RAF jet pilot carries a service pistol issued for survival behind enemy lines, a 'bone dome' flying helmet with oxygen mask and white leather flying gloves.

Guess I know what I'm getting Royal for the Corps birthday! October 28th, (1664) for those who may not know. Just like in the U.S., their birthday means a great deal. Even (or maybe I should say especially) when Royal was in Iraq over the birthday they got out the rum and drank to the Corps. Traditionally you drink rum to celebrate, but many a time you'll find them toasting with port because, as Royal says, "Rum tastes like shite." Apparently it was rum that year because it was easy to get from the Navy or something... you know, Navy & rum, rum & the Navy. Oh, and there was cake, too!

Marking the date means a lot to Royal, so this year he'll be getting a shot of port, cake and a pretty new toy!