Why Do People Spit On The Street?? Yuck!!
I had to witness and endure one of the most disgusting things this morning on my way to Marymoor Park with Gander. It was late rush hour and there was road work, so we were crawling along the road for about half an hour and I was stuck behind this couple in a beat-up sedan all that time. The girl was driving and, I kid you not, she spat out of her window every minute or so and this was during the entire time I was driving behind them. I get disgusted when people spit on the street, when athletes spit before or after their race… So you can imagine how absolutely grossed out I was to have to see her do that thirty-something times in a row…. And she probably smoked 2 or 3 cigarettes in that duration as well. Her companion also spat out of his window, but no where close to 30 times… may be 5 or 6 times.
Next time you are in the Eastside and you are driving behind an old, white, Subaru sedan with a broken driver’s side mirror and this small tote or bucket-looking thing hanging off the rear-view window (that was where she kept her cigarettes and lighter), just watch out!My book log:'Vinegar Hill' - A. Mannette Ansay'Nothing But the Truth' - John Lescroft - did not finish it because it was just too boring; I very seldom give up on a book because I tend to tough it out.... but this book just sucked.'The Dead of Jericho' (Inspector Morse Series) - Colin DexterI am now reading 'The Loyal Character Dancer' - Qui Xiaolong - This is one of the Soho Crime books. They are 'novels featuring foreign settings, local noir and unusual investigators'. Qui's books feature an inspector in Shanghai. This is his second book and he has got a thrid one out. I prefer to read detective novels/muder mysteries with the same characters because I can focus less on character development that usually takes up some time. Instead, I can pay more attention to the plot itself. I am always on a lookout for new writers, well, at least new to me.
Immigration Stuff
I have been very lucky when it comes to immigration stuff. It really goes back to when I was applying for Canadian citizenship. This account of what happened to me may sound boring and tedious to others, but I am still fascinated by how the timing of everything turned out.
In 2003, the grand plan was to get married in July and then moved to Seattle where a new job was waiting for me. However, none of that could happen until I have got my Canadian citizenship, with which I could apply for a TN Visa through my U.S. employer. It was uncanny how it all worked out. I became Canadian in June; after the ceremony, I headed straight to the passport office with forms ready. I received my passport less than 2 weeks before the wedding. Along with that, the letter from my new employer and my new Washington State veterinary license (funny how I could get it before I was even allowed to work in the U.S.!), I went to the border and got my TN Visa. 2 weeks after the wedding, I was able to move south of the border and start my new job.
And within 6 months of that, I adjusted my status from TN to L-something-or-other, Dan and I got our parole papers from the US immigration people and were on our way to getting our Green Cards. We got Green Cards almost a year ago; this meant that the whole application process took less than 2 years, which is almost unheard of.
Now come the more recent experience I have. Within days of having my Green Card stolen, I applied for a replacement. We were told by the immigration lawyers that there is nothing we could do but wait. I received a confirmation from USCIS within 2 weeks and another 3 weeks later, I was assigned my biometrics appointment, which happens to fall on my day off! I was pretty happy that I did not have to ask for time off to do this.
Meanwhile, I was advised by an USCIS agent to get an appointment through their on-line service to see about getting some kind of temporary travel document while I am waiting for my replacement Green Card. Dan told me that it took forever to get an appointment online the last time he tried get our temporary Green Card (a stamp in the passport), so he gave up and we ended up waiting in line from 6 a.m. to almost 9:30 a.m. So there I was, with my work schedule in front of me to see when I can get it done. My biometrics appointment is tomorrow, so I looked for something else thinking I won’t be able to make 2 appointments on the same day. Lo and behold, the appointment to speak with an agent happens to be in the same building as my biometrics appointment (I was told these take place at a different location) and there are many appointments available throughout the day.
So there you go, I have 2 appointments with the USCIS tomorrow at the same place about 3 hours apart. That sounds like a long time to sit around, but the fact that I could get everything done on the same day is amazing. If all goes well as it has been, I should be able to get a temporary travel document until my new Green Card arrives. And then I can go up to Vancouver or leave the country whenever I want!
Gander's Birthday
Today, well, technically yesterday, was Gander’s 2-year-old birthday. So in another year or so, he should ‘settle down’! 2 years ago this time, we were still looking for a breeder and it was not until a week or two after the litter was born that we found out about it. Can’t believe the G-boy has been in our lives for almost 2 years.
I can be one of those crazy dog owners sometimes and I actually baked a birthday cake for him. Thanks to Kiki, I now have a dog food cookbook and Gander gets to be my guinea pig for trying out doggie treats, just as Dan is my guinea pig for people treats. I even brought some of the cake to work so that some of Gander’s friends could have some cake, i.e. quite a few coworkers’ dogs that come to work. Yes, I am a bit nuts when it comes to Gander, but he is my little furry baby, and I just can’t help it.
I usually don’t like working the 12 to 9 shift, but this morning, I was able to spend some time with the birthday boy and finish reading ‘Crow Lake’ by Mary Lawson, which was a great read. I heard about the book a few years back when there was an interview with the author on CBC. The story was about a family with 4 children in rural Ontario; the parents died in a car accident and the kids were left to face the world on their own. It caught my attention right away, but it took me a year or so after that to buy the book and another 2 to actually pick it up and read it. It turned out to be one of those books that suck you in within the first 2 sentences. When all was revealed, the plot was actually quite straight forward, but the way the author slowly drew out the details was what kept me going. Definitely a book I would recommend. Hmmm, maybe I should start to make log of the books I have read…
The books I have read this year so far… I think that’s all:
- ‘Maisie Dobbs’ – Jacqueline Winspear
- ‘Fleshmarket Close’ – Ian Rankin
- Collection of Miss Maple Short Stories – Agatha Christie
- ‘Vesuvius Club’ – Mark Gatiss
- ‘Jane Austen Book Club’ – Karen Joy Fowler
- ‘Crow Lake’ – Mary Lawson
I’ve just started A. Manette Ansay’s ‘Vinegar Hill’. It’s OK to far, but it is not drawing me in like ‘Crow Lake’. That said, I think it’s time for me to head to bed and do some bedtime reading!
