Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	Vancouver Medical Thursday May 27th	Tips to a quick medical - Get there early - once inside you are asked to line up in the order you arrived outside Fill out the paperwork quickly and get back in line I was # 1 and was finished with all blood work, chest xray, and dr examination by 8 am and didn't need to be back until 2 pm to pick up results. If you can get in and out you would have six hours to enjoy d/t Vancouver. Good luck! Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-05-29 00:10:00
Canada	Vancouver Medical Thursday May 27th	Hi Jesse, Glad to see that you are ready to use the forum to your best advantage. My car is back on the road without a big dent in the pocket, thank goodness! Poke around you will be surprised at what you find, and don't forget if you can't find it someone will remember something and point you in the right direction. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-05-28 20:38:00
Canada	Vancouver Medical Thursday May 27th	Good luck this morning and oh yes Air Canada is not at all flexiable with changing tickets etc. At least West Jet doesn't charge you the price of a new ticket if you have to change your plans. Thanks Carla, Yes the car issue hopefully will be resolved today and my mechanic told me about a program to deal with my car when I am ready to leave Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-05-28 11:26:00
Canada	Vancouver Medical Thursday May 27th	I was about 2 people after you, they called me and then I asked them to call Sonja so she could come with us. That was a bust though as the car broken down - alternator I think? Well, she was about half ways closer to the airport than from downtown. Yes, that is one HUGE envelope! Good luck with everything else! Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-05-27 22:23:00
Canada	Vancouver Medical Thursday May 27th	The medical today in Vancouver was somewhat nerve racking today, just because as much as I have read it still was the fear of the unknown that made my hands quiver. I was really lucky to met Minnew from here, a father and his two sons from Lethbridge, and the nice young lady from Edmonton - these folks are lurkers here. But after telling them of some of the great resource available, I am sure they might venture here a bit more. I have nothing to add except that if you come too early you can't put money in the parking machine, however you can register you car and pay $10.00 on your credit card to get almost 12 hours on parking. You have to push a lot of buttons but well worth the hassel. As the payment is not assigned to any particular parking slot, but to the load as a whole it was great because I returned to Richmond after I was finished at 8 am and returned at 2 pm to pick up my results. So there is in and out priviledges. I meet a woman, my age, who is having her interview in Montreal same day and same time, so it will be nice to see a familiar face their. The bad news was my car died about half way home, had to send the nice lady Sonja on to the airport in a taxi but I got to have a ride in a neat kind of tow truck. Janet Edited by carslo, 27 May 2009 - 09:26 PM.	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-05-27 21:23:00
Canada	How often to you get to see your fiance/spouse?	Over the course of 8 years we have had over 40 + trips back and forth across the border. The longest trip was 176 days, the longest time apart was 9 months (right after 911), we usually saw each other every 3 months. We MSN chatted a couple of times a day, played pinochle, gin, crib, hearts, backgammon for countless hours, and have switched to bridge over the past 18 months. After Carnell had 2 phone bills well over $ 350.00 US, we instant messangered until I found out about voice chat. Now towards the end we talk about 2 times a week, still play cards and wait. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-12 09:54:00
Canada	For anyone who used UPS to ship their stuff	I have mailed about 6 boxes over the course of the last year with Canada Post. Food stuff, candles, summer clothes for last summer,coffee (daughter works at Starbucks - free coffee each week), etc and not had any trouble. Having said that, you are not supposed to send anything on ahead until you get your actual visa. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-17 15:40:00
Canada	Medical Exam - Dr Seiden in Toronto	In Vancouver, I arrived early before 6 am actually and I had 2 vials of blood drawn not 1. Good luck with the rest of your journey. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-04 13:14:00
Canada	Companies to Help You Move from Canada to the US: Companies and Your Status during the move	http://www.pods.com this is another company that offers the same type of service as ABF relo cubes. I am surprised you can't get a cube or 2 of them even. PODS is more expensive but has a higher insurance rider, 30 day storage included and are a bit larger. I am using ABF from Vancouver to Hawthorne (LA County) for my move, based on a successful interview on MOnday. I would call PODS. Good luck which ever road you take. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-18 13:50:00
Canada	NEXUS card and immigration	So true - it is now just general information	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-18 15:41:00
Canada	NEXUS card and immigration	I was told at the interview that if any information changed I was to let them know immediately. Since I have not changed to my married name I haven't notified them . I beleive that Linda told them at the border that she was now married and that was fine with them. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-18 13:44:00
Canada	Grocery Items Unavailable in the US	I like Geisha Girl tuna here in the USA, the one packed in water. My mum used it when I was a kid and lived here and was happy to find it on the shelves still, as they had Chicken of the Sea here and it was not nice at all. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2008-12-09 11:28:00
Canada	Grocery Items Unavailable in the US	Hmm went to do some holiday grocery shopping and couldn't find a few things here in Hawthorne, California these are the stores I tried - Food for Less (2 stores), VONS, Ralphs, Albertsons, Gigante (sp), and Superior. - cranberry jello - Sultana raisins - Oreo cookie crumbs (bought the some chocolate wafers at $ 6.00 -ouch a box and crushed them) - decent lard - I make my pie crust with lard in Canada for butter tarts. I tried the lard in the store here and it was way different much greasier. Maybe I will just bring lots with me when I come as it does not have to be refrigerated. Oh well, I will survive Janet Edited by carslo, 07 December 2008 - 01:12 PM.	carslo	Female	Canada	2008-12-07 13:11:00
Canada	Montreal Interviews IR1/CR1 this week	Excellent news on your successful interview! It has been a good birthday! Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-19 22:28:00
Canada	Montreal Interviews IR1/CR1 this week	Best of luck to all three of you!! I fly in on Saturday at midnight for Monday's interview. Today is the first day in weeks that I have actually felt calm. I will be rooting for you. Janet Edited by carslo, 17 June 2009 - 03:32 PM.	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-17 15:32:00
Canada	Someone to help you in your home	QUOTE (trailmix @ Jun 18 2009, 08:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Sprailenes @ Jun 18 2009, 08:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hmm maybe I should start my own business cleaning houses. Seems like a lot of people would hire me. I really don't mind cleaning at all. It would be interesting to know how much money could be made cleaning houses! I charge $25.00 and hour and both places that I clean for say that I am the best they have ever had. When I was away in the USA last year a friend of mine did their cleaning; she has a few other jobs too clean one at $25.00 an hour and then other place $30.00 an hour. One of my clients only had her once, they other place will have her back when I finally get to go to the US. However, she wasn't as meticulious as me but it is hard to find a decent cleaner that doesn't break things or deep cleans. I am usually there to clean 3 - 3.5 hours. As in anything you get what you pay for Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-20 07:46:00
Canada	Someone to help you in your home	Oh please can I have a housekeeper once a week for 3 hours? I have been cleaning house for others for years to pay for all the extra travelling I have been doing, so to have the luxury of someone to come and clean for me would be wonderful. Hmmm, maybe this is like the Lotto 649 - we can dream Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-17 15:36:00
Canada	What is this business of wearing shoes in the house?	The discussion about house cleaning sparked this idea. Oh dang where did my poll go to?	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-20 08:03:00
Canada	Question for K-1 people	And on the other side of the spectrum we were 51 and 59 Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-20 07:36:00
Canada	Question for K-1 people	I wonder if there is a difference in demographics between the groups of people going for K1's as in maybe younger and never married? As in my case going for a CR-1 I have been married before and while not what I deem as old but definitely not you. Maybe one of you talented pollster writers could come up with a poll on it. Or perhaps it has been done in the past. I remember seeing one on age or was it age differences? Justa thought, Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-19 16:35:00
Canada	Greetings from Montreal	Thanks Flames I guess I could ask Have the big honking envelope if not! Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-21 17:25:00
Canada	Greetings from Montreal	I walked there this morning before it was too hot and stopped by Timmie's for lunch Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-21 14:17:00
Canada	Greetings from Montreal	6:30 am early enough?	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-21 14:12:00
Canada	Greetings from Montreal	Just wanted to add another nice hotel to the list. I booked a 3.5 star hotel on hotwire the one with a spa, business centre, etc and it turned out to be Le Nouvel Hotel it is a lovely room, very clean, courteous and helpful day and night staff. It was $ 66.00 a night US and a nice 20 minute walk stright up the street to US Consulate. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-21 13:54:00
Canada	Wearing shoes in the house?	Oh I love my first poll! At my house in Vancouver we all remove our shoes! I have nice shoe racks in the alcove in the hallway and that is where shoes are places. Wet shoes as in the winter months go on a mat to dry and then go on the shelf. Each family member has/had a shelf for their shoes. When season changed shoes on racks changed. It all seemed so logical to me. When my b/f now husband came to visit he took off his shoes at the door and placed them on my rack. However, when I reached California no one took their shoes off! One day my young adult stepson came home with his entourage and I had just finished washing all the floors (an every other day event) and asked them to take their shoes off and not to walk on the wet floors - OMG you would have thought I asked them to cut off their right arms, they did comply though. After much discussion with Carnell, I have come to the conclusion that no one is going to take their shoes off until it is time to go to bed. Now having said that I managed to introduce Carnell to the comforts of slippers, and I wear those sandal-like crocs in the house or else my feet get dirty from all the shoes walking around, and it is city grud also. We have no carpeting, but rather tile and laminant so it is easy enough to take care of. Plus if I can get a housecleaner once a week I might not even continue to go CRAZY over shoes in the house. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-22 15:10:00
Canada	Wearing shoes in the house?	QUOTE (Krikit @ Jun 21 2009, 12:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have a question about the poll. What was the intent behind the second question? Is it asking if you let people wear shoes in your US home, or is it asking if people do wear shoes unless you tell them not to? I just wanted to know if people do wear their shoes in the house in the usa, maybe it is just my new family that's all janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-21 13:48:00
Canada	Wearing shoes in the house?	Some interesting reading below Kindly Remove Your Shoes! I was at a place called Color Me Mine recently and noticed a ceramic plaque to paint that said "Kindly Remove Your Shoes." I smiled and was immediately drawn to it. I recalled a party I had a few years back where I had printed a sign for my door that said the same thing...and ended up with nearly fifty pairs of shoes in the hallway. Some people laughed, some were embarrassed and said they should have worn nicer socks, some resisted the idea, and others understood and were gracefully compliant. Fortunately, unlike Carrie Bradshaw in a Sex & the City episode, no one rushed off with someone else's Minolo Blahnick's. I began taking off my shoes in my home while living in New York City. I had started to study Feng Shui and had a new sense of reverence for my environment. I was aware that was standard practice in Asian countries such as Japan, China, Cambodia, Taiwan and India - and soon learned that it is also traditional in Sweden, Canada, Jamaica, Turkey, parts of Europe and the UK, and Hawaii. While some cultures, like the Japanese, take off shoes primarily to keep their floors and tatami mats clean (because they sit and sleep on them), others have a more religious origin related to removing shoes before entering a sacred space or place of worship. The fact is, there are millions of people around the world doing it, yet somehow, here in America, we often balk at the idea. Perhaps it's because of the inconvenience or maybe because we feel "exposed" without our footwear. Why do it? Well, to be frank, shoes are dirty. We walk around all day - on surfaces ranging from sidewalks and pesticide treated grass to offices, restaurants and retail stores. And, let's not forget public restrooms! We pick up dirt, bacteria, and chemicals and it stays on the bottom of our shoes - then we carry that into our home. We relax, put our feet up, step on a chair to get down a vase, and eventually take off our shoes and crawl into bed. Granted I am a bit of a clean freak...it comes with the territory when you are Feng Shui consultant and interior designer, but the statistics do not lie. As cited in a first-quarter issue of Parenting Magazine this year, 85% of the germs in our homes are carried in on our shoes. An ABC Good Morning America report, based on studies done at the University of Arizona, found infection-causing bacteria on people's shoes - 90% of which transferred to the floors in a house. For carpets, the percentage was even higher. The researchers noted that toilet seats were actually significantly cleaner. And, while some of us just walk on our floors, many have pets and children that spend hours crawling or playing on that surface - toddlers putting their hands in their mouths up to 100 times in a single hour. That alone should be reason enough! If you need additional encouragement, consider a few more philosophical reasons: 1) Our home is a sanctuary (or it could be). We revere people, food, clothing, and cars. However, often forget about our environment. 2) Bare feet can help us feel more relaxed and grounded. Just like changing from our work clothes and slipping into "something more comfortable," we can achieve a similar feeling when we leave our footwear at the door. 3) It's a great "transitional" tool. When going from outdoors to in, this practice can support us in shifting our energy to being "at home." If you dislike bare feet, have socks, slippers or other "indoor" footwear near the door. That will keep your floors, carpets and rugs and overall home cleaner, and your immune systems stronger. It will also help reduce noise, and establish a sense of reverence for our homes. If we shower, wash dishes and brush our teeth every day...perhaps we can also remove our shoes to honor and respect our home in the same way we honor ourselves. Won't you "Kindly remove your shoes?" Coach Marie Elena Rigo	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-20 08:53:00
Canada	Wearing shoes in the house?	Okay I will try again with the poll. Oh, now I see one must close the poll to be successful Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-20 08:12:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	Hmmm haven't decided if sushi or a steak for my celebratory dinner! Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-22 15:36:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	Montreal Smoked Beef Sandwich and fries Now just to find some poutine Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-21 14:15:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	Having company So chicken fajitas with mexican rice and Turtle cheesecake.	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-04-09 11:25:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	Sweet and sour pineapple pork with carrots, onions and green peppers over rice Edited by carslo, 23 March 2009 - 09:42 PM.	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-03-23 21:41:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	BBQ marintated flank steak which I used Yoshida's Gourment Sauce from Costco, rice pilaf, and stir fried vegetables.	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-03-18 12:13:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	Home made pizza yum yum and not the Kraft box kind	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-01-25 20:44:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	Chicken and dumplings	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-01-11 19:02:00
Canada	What's For Dinner?	Smothered chicken over rice and sweet potato pie. Good ole southern cooking for Sunday dinner. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2008-12-07 13:15:00
Canada	Hotel in Montreal near consulate	I booked on www.hotwire.com a 3.5 star hotel,1.5 miles or about 18 minutes away from the USA Consulate, a very easy walk and it was $66.00 a night US. It is called Le Nouvel Hotel and it is very nice, safe, and clean!! Matter of fact I am right there at this moment. Taxi from airport was $38.00 and a taxi back today after my successful interview was $7.00. Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-22 15:33:00
Canada	ABF	OH my goodness, this tall square box is huge! I have 62 boxes - assorted size but most a 2 cube size (moving term) in it, a side board, regular 27 inch tv, duffle bags, those tall plastic cabinets x 2 (they hold my stained glass making tools) big Rainbow vacuum, wooden shelving unit, portable sewing machine, and I am still only 3/4 full. I am walking around the house and saying to my daughter "do you still want this" I know she really didn't like some of the stuff I was leaving. This is so far a good way to go, especially if you have boxes. It is like building a puzzle - putting the things in the cube, trying to make everything fit tightly. I will report back on the rest of the moving experience with ABF U-PACK once everything gets to California. Janet Edited by carslo, 24 June 2009 - 07:48 AM.	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-06-24 07:46:00
Canada	Off Topic Part Deux	After I arrive in Vancouver tonight, I am headed to Timmy Ho's for a cup of decaf coffee (too late of regular.) I have to admit that I like it best, my daughter who works at Starbuck's has kept me in coffee the whole time I have been away, but I am looking forward to real Canadian cup of coffee. Janet Edited by carslo, 03 January 2009 - 12:06 PM.	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-01-03 12:05:00
Canada	Off Topic Part Deux	Has anyone played "Apples to Apples", we played at a house party yesterday, and my husband who truly only likes card games and dominos really liked it. Good for all ages too. Happy 2009 Janet	carslo	Female	Canada	2009-01-02 11:54:00