ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWhat Are Your Experiences With Language Issues
From what I have heard about 5% of the women who look for a foreign husband ever find one. I am sure some who really want a better life may have to get a little desperate in thier choices. I am sure if they felt they were acting out of desperation they might not stay any longer than they have to.

I think a lot of the reality of it is if they get here and have a nice life and a man that treats them well they are likely to stay. If they get here and have a life that is worse than they expected or they think they can have a better life with someone else or no one else they won't stay two seconds longer than they need to for the green card and may go sooner.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-09-06 20:08:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWhat Are Your Experiences With Language Issues
Forums can be brutal sometimes Waitlisted but to be honest if you can't take the heat in a forum you probably can't take the heat that goes along with having a RW for a wife. Chill out and share your views.

As far as the statement about younger woman there seems to be little doubt in my mind that when they are there "some" who are much more accepting of age differences than "most" American women" Once they get here since they are often slender, feminine and attractive the pickings are much better and they get more selective. There are a lot of the women who have a lot of loyalty and love for their man and if they find themselves in a good marriage with a good man they won't dump him just becuase ther are better choices available. There was something in the news yesterday about a study of speed dating. What it said was that guys would arrive listing that they were looking for a woman with certain qualities. Once they got into it all that went out the window and they were attracted to the smoking hot ones who met none of thier criteria.

The other factor that comes into play is that when romancing a woman from Russia many can not afford or get the vacation time to get to know each other the way we really should. It does raise the chance of failure. Lack of common language can also add a lot of challenges and a lot of risk.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-09-06 07:30:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusCancelling K1
When our visa applicatin was in A/R and it looked like it could be years before we got our visa we looked at the option of relocating somewhere together. Sochi, Holland, Grenada and Barbados were the options we looked at the hardest and had our visa not come through Grenada was going to be our choice. I would probably be there right now had the visa situation not changed.

I belive Holland has gotten a little more difficult than it was but is still a good choice. They have info on thier website as I recall.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-11-16 07:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusNVC "Administrative Processing" - What is it Really?
The only serious snag I have left in the wedding plans involves another snafu by the government. Hopefully that will get resolved by the 15th.

We are just doing a small wedding with perhaps 35-50 guests tops. I would have like to add some Russian flavor to our wedding but my fiancee does not seem to want to do that. Neither of us look at is as something that needs to be the event of our life. We care more about the result than the process. If I had my way we would do some russian food, maybe some caviar, some Russian style favors, Russian music, etc but she wants it American style so I will be happy with that.

Yes, it is a hastle. Yes, I would rather deal with this hastle than the immigration part. We had a long wait to get here so we are just thankful that we are now at this stage.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-11-21 16:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusNVC "Administrative Processing" - What is it Really?
They told me by phone when I inquired about my case. Actually I never heard anything by mail after my NOA-2. Usually you get a letter giving you your case number and saying your file has been sent to the embassy and they never even sent that.

Thanks for the congratulations. Planning a wedding is a real pain. I am beginning to think the visa process was easy by comparison.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-11-21 09:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusNVC "Administrative Processing" - What is it Really?
I would not panic at this stage. They consider any application that has been received but not forwarded to the embassy to be in Administrative Processing and everyone goes through that.

Administrative Review is something different. That is when there is a red flag of some kind and the beneficiary is put through name checks at the state department in Washington (FBI actually). This can be triggered by a previous k-1 application or a similarity in names to someone on a watch list or it can be totally random. A/R can be weeks, months or years. Ours was in A/R for 5 months and the record I have heard of is 8 years and there is nothing that can be done.

You are still in a normal processing mode as far as any info you have been given. If they tell you your file has been sent to the state dept then you need to worry.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-11-20 09:19:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMarriage in Siberia. Anger and frustration in Moscow.
I think the person who wronged you was really the one who wrote the e-mail. I have never heard of them giving a waver of the 6 month residency rule and I think if that were routine and available to all citizens we would all go that route, most of us anyway.

It is a sad situation and I feel bad for you. I figure USCIS ineptness cost me about $ 25,000 or more so far in our k-1 journey. It is sad that we have to waste money and our valuable time.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-11-19 06:28:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusUS Embassy in Moscow Questions
I am doing my second K-1, both with Moscow. The first from what I heard was the interview from Hell, the last fairly easy and straightforward. Make sure she knows as much about you as possible and don't worry about it.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-11-25 23:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStill waiting for info on Interview
I agree with Slim. You are not at a point where you should panic too much. I have done two K-1's. With the first one, I would estimate the time from the packet going to Moscow until the interview date appeared on the website was 5-6 weeks. With the second it was more like 3-4 weeks. Normally as Slim said, two weeks to reach the embassy and 2-4 weeks to get listed on the website.

Your date was assigned at NVC. Now it is just a matter of them getting around to letting you know when it is. I would guess Valentines day might have a specail signifigance for you this year.

The assigned interview dates were always a mystery to me before someone said something about the dates being set at NVC. With my first K-1 I noticed that guys whose file was sent a week before mine had later interview dates and vice versa. I was a believer in the "stack" theory. That they stacked up the files each day on top and started working from the top. sometimes they never reached the ones on the bottom. Once you figure out that the interview date is alligned more with the processing date at NVC it makes more sense.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-12-12 06:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInterview date set!!
Congratulations and best wishes. I think while you are waiting those days seem to take forever but when you look back on it the wait seems much shorter. Damn, this visa stuff is a pain, isn't it.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-12-25 08:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Movies

If I were president I would make a point of streamlining the process so that people who wanted to be here could be here and shouldn't be here aren't and those who have overstayed leave, it works with house guests why not immigration.

Think 9/11. All those fellows were just legal visitors learning to fly commercial aircraft. Nothing wrong with that, right?

They were able to take the sort course cause they didn't have to worry about learning to land the plane.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-05-09 23:21:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Movies

Most of us would much rather hear about the "other person" who was rejected.


I was sort of saying that as a joke meaning that we would rather hear about the "other" person who was rejected than have it be us who was rejected. (been there and done that by the way)

Usually on a K-1 or K-3 it is very, very unusual to get a complete rejection. After spending way too much time reading VJ I have seen it happen once. What does happen in a number of cases is a blue slip known as a 221-G which has the official title "intent to deny" For anyone who does not know they will ususally list what the want to see to reconsider. Most often it is more "proof of relationship". Othertimes it may be a missing document. They give 60 days to supply the needed proof. If it is not done then the file is returned to NVC and the only option is an appeal which may take a year. Most of the 221-G's are approved at the Embassy after submission of additional evidence.

The biggest problem with the visa process is the human factor. How the interview goes can vary a lot on the CO your fiancee gets.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-03-22 07:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Movies
Most of us would much rather hear about the "other person" who was rejected.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-03-20 11:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Movies
Yes, but think what a sorry state of affairs if 4 or 5 of us had to get dressed up and go to a big party where one of us would be called to the front and handed a visa.

The worst part two is those who were not called to the front would have to start all over with another project (fiancee)
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-03-18 17:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Movies
I can not argue with that one bit. Sometimes I think the Oscars are run worse than the USCIS
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-03-17 17:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Movies
I guess we all have our likes and dislikes. I have watched "Burnt by the Sun" twice, (by choice actually) and rather enjoyed it. By the way it did win the Oscar as best foreign film when it came out.

I have a half dozen Russian movies but will have to check back to see the names and what I enjoyed.
TurboguyMaleRussia2007-03-17 10:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusDocument translations cost?
I can recommend an outstanding translator who is very reasonable if anyone needs it. I only needed the birth certificate translated but she was very prompt with it and the fee was something like $ 20.00 plus $ 5.00 for each extra copy I wanted. That included a well done translation (much more complete than the last I had from someone else at 3 times the price) and a certification.

I could be off a little on the price. It was so cheap I did not pay much attention.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-03-31 16:24:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusThe Interview...Russian Or English??
It is possible Groov. I think there was more than enough proof of a relationship but I think he could have picked up on some of the inner demons that Luda was wrestling with.

Two years later when my wife had her interview they were very nice and the interview was not too far from a nice chat.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-06-27 21:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusThe Interview...Russian Or English??
My first fiancee had the interview from h*ll and was told the interview could be in Russian or English but if she elected Russian she would be refused the visa. This was unusual and that CO is long gone as far as I know but I will mention this in passing.

My two cents worth on this is that if she only speaks Russian during the interview it "can" raise the question of if the two of you have the ability to communicate well enough to have a real relationship. How much of a factor this can be depends on the C.O. you draw. I have heard of women grilled pretty intensively about how they commuicate but I have also heard of gals flying right through without knowing a word of English. My suggestion is that if the fiancee knows any English throwing out a few words can do more good than harm.

Both my first fiancee's and my wife's interview in Moscow finished up about 10:30. There were gals left in there both times but I think you can be fairly safe with the thought she will be done in the morning, maybe 11:30 for the latest.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-06-27 05:56:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny paperwork required for Ukraine?
That sounds like a nice trip. I hope you get to spend a little time in Moscow. I think the first time you see Red Square it is awsome. I enjoy traveling by train there, particularly if you get a private car. You just have to remember to bring your waders for the toilets. I haven't been to Krivoy Rog for a decade but that you should get your sightseeing out of the way before you get there as there is not a lot to see there. Dnepropetrovsk on the other had struck me as the place I would want to live if I had to live in Russia or Ukraine. I would even rate it higher than Gary IN or E. St Louis. The riverwalk there is beautiful and the central squre is cool when they have a concert going on.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-07-22 06:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny paperwork required for Ukraine?
QUOTE (Brad and Vika @ Jul 21 2008, 01:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Another thing though, they do question foreign men closely about jewelery (arrival), and currency (arrival and departure). Be aware of how much you have, and what currencies. They may make you fill out a declaration even if you are well below the reg limit of $10k US. Then they have you count it to see if it matches. This happened to me in Odessa twice. If you have more than what you declared, I presume they will try to take it.


Odessa is stricter than Kiev as far as customs. Way back it was common to have to count money for them but personally I have not experienced that since they got looser with the requirements. The reason they want a count on your money is you can't take out more than you brought. The only thing that happened to me concerning money is they looked at my wallet which had a lot of small bills and looked like more money than it was and asked if I had declaired the money. I just said yes, even though I had not and they sent me on.

I have never heard of them checking on where you say you are staying. One time when I was filling out the form it dawned on my that my apartment address was in my checked suitcase. I saw an ad for the Hotel Rus (maybe even on the customs form?) entered that and breezed through. Everyone is right there is no registration.

St Petersburgh is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. One of my trips there was during white nights and stayed on Nevsky which was one all night non stop party. The Hermiage is fantastic and both Piterhauf and the summer (Katharines) castle are amazing. Kiev is also a beautiful city if that is where you are going in Ukraine. My favorite thing there is the catacombs in the Lavra. Have a great trip and don't worry about anything.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-07-21 06:04:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusBackground check - How long is it taking
QUOTE (slim @ Aug 18 2008, 01:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Probably because her mom is married to an American and she has an increased risk of overstaying the visa.

Have you e-mailed the embassy? Maybe they just forgot about it.

Slim, I think that would be something that would be decided at the interview and not in a background check. The background check is usually checking the name against criminal databases. There are no ways to speed it up and no ways to get more info. For a worst case scenario check out my timeline below this post and to be honest that is not a worst case. The worst case I ever heard of for background checks was 8 years and holding. There is a poll here someplace on VJ. It may come up in the simmilar topics thread under this thread. 4 weeks is pretty common but there are no certainties.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-08-19 11:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusDid Russia give me a visa..........
QUOTE (PJB @ Aug 26 2008, 02:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Aeroflot is the only airline that flies direct to Moscow from Los Angeles. So my choices are Aeroflot 12 hours or any other airline 20+ hours plus lots of fun layovers. Life is full of hard choices...........


Yes, that does make it tough. Perhaps if the other airlines were 48 hours of travel with 6 layovers then the Aeroflot option might look good.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-08-26 05:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAP received today
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 2 2008, 03:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Never used the AP, it was a waste of money.

We are in the same boat. We never used the AP or the EAD but at least they are free now so it was not a waste of money.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-03 04:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSocial Security Application Process
My impression of the wonderful staff at the SS office was that if they have goverment employees that just are incapable of doing anything they assign them to the SS office.

I think VWRW and I are pretty typical. The SS # was far more important to us than the EAD. You can't get a drivers liscense here without a SS#. You can't open a bank account here without a SS#. For AOS one of the things they like to see is comingled finances and if you mess up on getting the SS# during the K-1 phase you are stuck until you get the EAD. For us, my wife likely won't work for years. She could not start school without the SS number but she will probably be in school for the next 4 years or so and won't be working until she finishes school. The plus is she will probably make more money than I do once she gets into the work force.

I think in real life you can work with a SS # but without EAD. I am just thinking back to some of my memories of my first fiancee. Microsoft is not going to hire you but some of the mom and pop operations just really don't know much about requirements and if you can give them a SS# so they can pay you and put it on their quarterly 941 they will hire you. If she is a fiance on a K-1 and has her SS# she is legal to work. I don't think it is the route anyone should be following though.

Actually I think you can apply for EAD without applying for AOS but you would have to pay the $ 360.00 fee which is free if you apply at the same time you apply for AOS.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-06 04:47:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSocial Security Application Process
I have gone through this twice. Yes, you can apply the day she arrives but she won't be in the system and they have to hold the application until she is in the system. If the crew at your local SS office is as on the ball as our local office it is not worth it. Wait the two weeks until she is in the system.

My wife came in through JFK and got the EAD stamp on her I-94 which saved a lot of confusion at the SS office. A K-1 visa holder automatically has EAD but without the stamp it is a harder sell. With my first Fiancee I printed out the SS letter ruling covering this but still it was not easy going. If you don't do it before day 76 then you have to wait until she gets her EAD as part of the AOS process. She is out of status and not eligable to apply for a SS number at that stage. In our case we were not allowed to do a name change until after the EAD. We had the number but could not convert it to her married name, really stupid.

Yes, with a quick marriage you would save a trip to the office for a name change. There could be a small risk of some issues of a different name than on the I-94 but I doubt it would come up.

My experiences with the SS office left me underimpressed. I think we had about 10 trips getting everything done including about 4 or 5 where they lost all the paperwork. With one or two of those they called us to come in and when we got there could not find any records of anything and we had to start over.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-05 05:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusVisa Approved
That is great! Congratulations. Better to be prepared for anything and have an easy one than to go in expecting it to be a piece of cake and get the third degree. I am sure you are celebrating.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-08-19 14:00:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSending money to Russia
I agree with NeonRed that Moneygram is the best way to go in this situation. Far cheaper than Western Union and very comparable service. It sounds like a one time thing and if it was going to be a regular situation like sending money to the inlaws every month than a debit card is the way to go but you do need to check with the bank. Some banks won't allow transactions from Russia. I opened an account especially for that only to find out the bank I used had a rule no transactions in Russia.

I don't think the suggestion of sending cash DHL was a good option. It sounds risky to me. Russia is not the most trustworty place.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-07 04:56:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian city you would most like to visit?
Nice picture. I have probably been to Moscow about 15 times and St Petersburg only two times. I can't say I have any real desire to go back but there is not much to see in either place that I have not seen. I still rate Moscow and Kiev as my favorite cities but St Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities I have been in. I have been to perhaps 20 or more other cities in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and even to Azerbaijan. Baku is a cool city.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-07-27 10:24:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian city you would most like to visit?
The funny part is with Moscow having a whopping one vote I would be willing to bet that when most of us made the choice in real life of where to go in Russia most of us went to Moscow.

I always liked Moscow but it is getting more expensive there now. St Petersburgh is beautiful and really cool when they have the white knights. I think had Sochi been on the list it would have scored some votes. It is a great place. I think Lake Bakal would get a lot of votes as well. I have been lots of places in Russia but never that area and it is about the only place I have not been in Russia that I would like to go to.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-07-26 21:36:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusIntroductory Vacation after arrival
Appleseed sounds pretty cool. If I can make it, I will. I will be making some trips back that way but won't have a lot of advance notice. I will PM you ahead of my trip through Cinci. I would be happy to share a beer or two with you.

Baku was actually a pretty cool city. It fronts on the Caspean Sea and is very rich with oil money. About half the cars were new black mercedes, lexus or whatever and the other half were beat up old junkers. No middle ground. Lots of neat things to see and great restaurants. The company who took me over was one of the largest construction companies and was owned by the minister of trade which would be illegal here. The hotel room they gave me was about 60 feet from one end to the other with a wet bar. I was a little concerned about visiting a muslim country but they were great. I even got to go to a muslim funeral service which was pretty cool. I have never seen anyplace with as much new construction going on. I would bet there were more new buildings going up in the 8 story to 15 story size than in the whole eastern us put together. Hundreds of new buildings like that and miles and miles of new classy looking single family homes in the burbs. There was a lot of Turkish influence in their buildings so that was cool as well. I would recommend Baku to anyone.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-16 22:22:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusIntroductory Vacation after arrival
QUOTE (slim @ Sep 12 2008, 05:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'll be in Wabash, IN on Oct. 18-19 for the Appleseed event. If you're there, TG, you should come on out to the range.

As for driving across the country and it being boring..... if you drive longways through Iowa, and then Nebraska, you may vow to never drive again!


I will be making a number of trips to Wabash. If one happens to be on those dates I will try to check out the Appleseed event. I never heard of that one. I will also be passing through Cinci a week after that. If I am not running late and if you are around I would be happy to buy you a beer or a cup of coffee.

Kotenochek, most of my travels are on business but I can mix in some pleasure. The good side is I get some trips to some neat places. This year I had two trips to Vegas and two to Orlando, all in the winter. Next year it will be Reno and New Orleans along with some other places like Dallas and Atlanta. Sometimes even overseas. I had free trips to Spain and Azerbaijain for example. The side of that some might not like is I usually have to drive since I am often going for a trade show and have to haul equipment and a trade show display. Fortunately I did not have to drive to Spain or Azerbaijain. I enjoy driving and traveling but I am sure some people would consider that a real bummer. I am off to Boston for a trade show this morning and the next is Louisville in about 5 weeks.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-14 05:13:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusIntroductory Vacation after arrival
QUOTE (slim @ Sep 12 2008, 01:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 11 2008, 03:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That's horrible. Might as well just fly.


If I had the loot to jet-set around the country, trust me, I'd take that over driving any day.


You do miss a lot of beautiful scenery and interesting side trips flying though. I can recall flying over the area between Denver and Vegas a bunch of times and looking down and thinking it was the ugliest thing I ever saw. Now I have driven that a dozen times and the route there is just stunning. There are some very boring parts of the country but there are some awsome sights. I probably drive more than most of you I have to say I never get tired of it. Yesterday was Wabash IN(yes I beat Mapquest times by 40 min each way). Sunday I drive to Boston. There are not many places in this country (at least as far as the 48 contiguous states) I have not been. A lot of the really cool things I have seen would escape anyone flying.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-12 04:58:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusIntroductory Vacation after arrival
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 8 2008, 02:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Bah...I never saw any mountains between PA and TX. You gotta get to at least CO before you see any.

(:

It depends on how you go. One way of going would take you through the Ozark mountains. Another way of going would take you through the Appalations, the Blue Ridge and Smoky mountians.

I think I would hate to go through this process on 125% of the poverty level. It seems like every month there is something else. Airfare one month, wedding costs not much after, then AOS costs, then bringing the MIL, then learning to drive including 5 grand for driving into a porch, then getting her a set of wheels, then college tuition and books. It is worth every penny but I think I have laid out more than 125% of the poverty level just in extra costs.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-10 05:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusIntroductory Vacation after arrival
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 9 2008, 01:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hmm...not sure if you're being serious or sarcastic or what - but there is nothing rich about us. We're heavily in debt. It's a shame the goverment can spend $10B/month in Iraq, but can't seem to forget about our $80K in student loans ):

Sure AK, Don't I remember posts back when your wife was coming asking the best way for her to bring 50 grand in cash with her? Mine brought enough for a pay phone in case I wasn't there to meet her. headbonk.gif

Free Ice Water, yes those signs are something else. I can recall stopping in Wall, at the drugs store and then at a resaurant that advertised the worst pies in America and asking what else there was in that area. The waitress told us about a state park about 25 miles east of Wall and said it was great. We went and it was the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. If you ever get back to that area go, it is worth it. It is like being in outer space.

Yes, Disneyland. You were right Disney World is the one in Florida. Other options if you take a northern route back would be Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, the Badlands, Dinosaur Nat Park. San Deigo Zoo could be worth a side drive. When I wasn't rushed on a cross country drive I would try to stop at an interesting thing or two as I crossed the country. I will say some of the flatland east of the rockies is very, very boring and hot tourist things are hard to find except of course for a few things like the Corn Palace, whistling.gif
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-09 05:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusIntroductory Vacation after arrival
QUOTE (Fedup @ Sep 6 2008, 10:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thinking about the TX-Grand Canyon-Vegas-LA-SF. Maybe different route back, not sure how tiring it will be.


That should be an interesting trip. You could think about adding San Diego on to the agenda. Some good things in those areas. Hollywood is cool and a RW would enjoy that. One thing there that was great that I don't hear much about but the RW with me loved was the Hollywood museum that is right down from the theater (the one with the footprints that was Grumans than Manns and I forget whose it is now). Universal studios in that area is also cool and Disneyland. Going through AZ the Crater Nat Park is sorta cool.

As far as how tiring it will be there are two aspects to look at. Tiring for you driving and tiring for her riding. I can recall talking to a friend a few years ago who told me he was exhaused from making a 175 mile trip. On the other hand I have always been a driver and have twice driven 7500 miles in a week which had I documented it could have put me in the Guiness book of records. I was curious and looked to see what the driving record was and it was a team of two men who drove 5500 miles in 5 days and 10 hours. I did mine alone. I have driven from PA to the west coast and back in 5 days a number of times. My wife on the other hand does not seem to like riding that well. I had a trip to Vegas in the spring and suggested driving and she decided we should fly. I thought she might like to see the country. A month ago I had a trip to Texas and asked if she wanted to come along. She said, oh, I have never been to Texas, that might be interesting, how far is it? I said it was 1530 miles and she said, don't forget to call me while you are gone. She has come along on some 10 hour trips with no problem however.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-07 04:47:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSo.... how are the driving lessons going?
QUOTE (Neonred @ Sep 6 2008, 06:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Do you know what it's like sitting in the car as your wife drives 10 mph, the impatient drivers are stacked up behind you, and they can't pass? I told her she should pull over and wave them around. She stopped right there and looked at me like, what are you talking about?

Enjoy the 10 miles an hour while it lasts. It won't. Our best spot to practice was school parking lots. Very few people in the evenings and weekends and usually enough of a layout to make it interesting. Another thing I did, she was having trouble backing up so I had her circle the school parking lot a few times in reverse. It was enough practice she did much better.

I can recall my wife driving the access road from the theater parking lot to the mall parking lot at 10 miles an hour or less and the traffic backed way up behind her. Now sometimes she reminds me more of a Moscow taxi driver. I was never big on seat belts but that has changed.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-06 13:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSo.... how are the driving lessons going?
My wife passed her drivers test with flying colors yesterday on the third try. Now I can worry everytime I am not with her and the phone rings. I would suggest if anyone is reading this in Western PA that you put your car in storage. The roads here are no longer safe. I think she was more thrilled with getting the drivers liscence than when we got married, hummmmm.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-09-06 04:51:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSo.... how are the driving lessons going?
Sorry for getting back on subject here but try two at the drivers test was a bust. Try thee will be in 10 days. She has spend more time parallel parking in her 7 months with her learners permit than I have in my life and normally does great. However, I think she was nervous. The pylon that simulates a parked car and her fender sorta shook hands and once again the test ended early. I really thought she would breeze through it this time. The saying is that the third time is a charm. Guess I get to drive her to school for the first week at least.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-08-24 11:38:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSo.... how are the driving lessons going?
Ah, you guys are making me feel ancient not just old. blush.gif

MY first car was a 1950 Pontiac slope back with a straight 8 engine. My biggest toy was a '54 Mercury Convertable that I put a 57 T-Bird Engine in, put a custom top on it, louvered the hood, added three scoops and attempted a candy apple red paint job that was beyond my talents. Of course the stock electrical system in the merc was 6 volt and the T Bird Engine was 12 volt so the darn thing usually didn't start right so I always had to park on a hill. I would have liked to have had a big garage and parked the cars that I traded in for a few hundred including my 57 chevy as well as the 55. My first new car was a 61 Tempest LeMans convertable with the engine in the front and the tranny in the back. It made Motor Trends car of the year that year but I haven't seen any of those in ages. I guess my other favorites were my Javelin and my 78 Z-28 Camero. The car I miss the most these days was my VW Shirocco (SP?) which got 55 miles to the gallon highway and 45 city or so and I could drive for weeks on 5 bucks. The other I liked a lot was the Solstice I just sold to get a clunker (Cougar) for my wife to drive. She would have killed herself in the Solstice.
TurboguyMaleRussia2008-08-10 05:44:00