ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaHockey thread!
Heh, they did a retrospective of the truly horrid jerseys the Canucks were forced to wear over the years during the intermission when they were playing the Blues last week. Those were pretty atrocious. The commentator had a lot of fun with it, though, pointing out that in one incarnation, the orange V "looked like throwup" and that the Canucks had to wear "the ugliest uniforms in the sports universe." Usually, I use the intermissions of hockey games to get a snack or take the dog out (because really, the interviews about what went wrong or right during the last period are pretty lame...), but that one I watched.

SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-03-24 10:18:00
CanadaHockey thread!
This needs to be bumped back up to the top because our boys are getting sooooooo close to possibly making the playoffs....

SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-03-23 15:34:00
CanadaHockey thread!
QUOTE (Carlawarla @ Mar 11 2009, 06:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Gene not being a big hockey fan at all, instead we watch a ton of baseball. Cheaper to go to games as well.


Yeah, this is why we've never been to any Blues games. Oddly enough, Blues tickets are still not as overpriced as Rams tickets. I mean, hello, who wants to pay $80---plus parking---to see the hapless Rams get crushed?

We love the Blues and Chris Mason. They are pretty hot right now, but it may not be enough to make up for the crappy start they got off to, plus there is still time to have that end-of-the-season slump that seems to be obligatory for all St Louis teams (except, of course, for the Rams, who have nothing to really slump from).
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-03-11 10:27:00
CanadaDon't wanna leave the Canada Forum for AoS...
If you gratuitously put the word "Canada" in the title enough times, sometimes that keeps a thread in here.

Also, I found with both AOS and the K1, looking at the process for the first time it always seemed daunting, but it really doesn't take that much time reading the guides and other people's threads before it starts to seem much more manageable. It was a little frustrating to feel like we were newbies all over again when we shifted into AOS.


SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-04-22 06:26:00
CanadaReasons to fear Canada
Speaking of disco, I'm ashamed to admit this, but the first album I ever bought with my allowance money was K-Tel's 1976 "Hit Parade"---and the song I bought it for was "Disco Duck." True, I was only 10 years old---do you think that is a good enough excuse? The suckiosity of New Kids on the Block and the Spice Girls actually kind of pails in comparison.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-04-20 09:28:00
CanadaI'm so proud of you flames9!
Aww, congratulations, Flames! Well done.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-04-23 13:47:00
CanadaGood luck Reeena!
Good luck!
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-04-23 16:40:00
CanadaI LOVE MY MIL!!!
Sadly, neither of my husband's parents are still living. But I love my sister and brother in law and nieces a lot. I also love being an auntie since neither my sister nor I ever had kids. Actually kind of wish we had more of an extended family though. My husband is actually a Brit and his parents immigrated to Canada when he was a baby, so other than his sister and brother and his sister's family, that is it. His cousins in the UK he hardly knows. I do have an extended family on this continent, but the only ones outside my immediate family (mom, dad, sister) that I am close to are an aunt and uncle in Chicago.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-04-25 10:42:00
CanadaOnce upon a time
jest.gif


Nice to see you. I hope you and Sharon are both well. No flying swine or anything.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-04-29 23:04:00
CanadaFree Hockey Playoff Tickets, Scooooore :)
QUOTE (J&K @ May 4 2009, 09:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So I'm off to tonight's Caps Pens game!


Ooh have fun! I'm so jealous. I got to go to a playoff game but...we went out in round one, so no more hockey games for me until October. *Sniff!!*

I'm hoping to see some of the Caps-Pens on TV tonight. I'm not really rooting for either team, but I think Simeon Varlov (SP?) might become my favorite non-Blues player.

Bowflex, I'm glad you had fun. I was hoping we'd get an update.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-04 14:41:00
CanadaFree Hockey Playoff Tickets, Scooooore :)
I guess how they do things is they block out a certain amount of time if they are going to show any sporting event and if it goes over that, they return to regular programming. The thing is, I can't even count how many times we had to wait nearly an hour for "The Amazing Race" to come on because THAT network showed a football or basketball game that went way over the allotted time and they did NOT cut away. Sheesh, people, it's the playoffs!
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-03 21:32:00
CanadaFree Hockey Playoff Tickets, Scooooore :)
Wow---what a game to get to go to! It went into 3 overtimes! Unfortunately, NBC is run by weenies. They stopped showing the game after the first overtime. Grrrr. Ducks won!
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-03 17:55:00
CanadaFree Hockey Playoff Tickets, Scooooore :)
Oh sweet!

We saw game 1 of that series and it was a really good game.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-02 19:21:00
CanadaMy vent
Our condolences to you, Bermy.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-08 15:51:00
CanadaMy vent
So sorry that you are going through this and Magic is feeling so unwell. Agree with others--do what you think is best for Magic; no matter what, your mom's memory will live on, and so will Magic's.

It really is a hard call---you don't want them to suffer even a minute longer than necessary and yet you also don't want to wonder whether they'd have had a chance with a few more days of vet care. I went through that with the dog I had 4 years ago, Daisy, when she had leukemia.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-08 07:38:00
CanadaMy vent
I hope both you and your kitty are feeling well soon. I hate when pets are sick. It's so sad.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-02 19:30:00
CanadaI just noticed that....
Happy birthday, Marilyn!

(Now I want cake.)
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-20 10:55:00
Canada6 month limit! Help
Pretty sure it is total days. As in, if you go down for three days, it will count as three days, not seven. However, since you visit that regularly, it can raise suspicion that you are an "intending immigrant," so just be sure to bring evidence of ties to home in case you are questioned. Some possibilities: deed or mortgage or lease, letter from your employer showing you need to be back by a certain date, bills with due date after your return, appointment cards showing you have an appointment scheduled when you return. I'm sure someone can add to that. We usually just carried copies of the deeds to our houses, but we also always crossed by air and had round trip tickets. I think one time I was asked clearing customs in Edmonton if I had a round trip ticket, but they never asked to see it. Neither of us was ever asked for anything beyond that.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-20 12:40:00
CanadaI'm an auntie again!
Congratulations, Auntie Misty!

And yes, isn't it nice being able to spoil them?
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-22 12:07:00
CanadaThe internet and you
QUOTE (Sprailenes @ May 22 2009, 10:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Carlawarla @ May 22 2009, 11:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Someday I’m ashamed at how we laud ourselves as Canadians and then don’t behave like we love the world to see us.


I don't know why but it just doesn't rub me the right way. These are stereotypes that I feel the rest of the world has created for us. Canadians: Polite and humble.



My husband HATES that stereotype! LoL--probably doesn't want to be burdened with having to live up to it. But the reality is, yes, there are absolute tossers and also lovely people in every country you go to. But it is nice to have the Canada branch as a bit of a refuge from the rest of the internet, so it's disheartening when the rest of the internet invades.

I am basically the same person on line that I am in person except that I'm a lot more verbose on line. It's just a function of communicating in writing vs verbally, not so much a "persona." I used to post a lot on a travel site (which is how I met my husband, although I actually met him in person at a meetup, not online), and I have met now 99 people from that site. With every one of them, what you see on line is what you get in person, with the exception that some people can be shy in person and more loquatious on line, some people are actually chattier in person than they are on line (a friend of mine is wickedly funny in person, but barely says anything on line because she can't be bothered typing long responses), and some people are just funnier on line. Some people are more serious in person, but on the whole, they are not entirely different people.

One of my big pet peeves is the people who will feud and snipe on line and then, when called on the carpet for being deuchebags, say that they get along with people off line "In Real Life" and the people actually being polite on line are only doing so because they have no "real life" friends. My take is if you can't control your temper on line, where you have to take the time to write your replies and can think better of it before hitting the "send" or "post" button, how can you possibly control your temper off line when you don't have those options? And if you INTENTIONALLY say things that are hurtful on line just because "it's only the internet," then you get no credit from me for being more restrained in face to face conversation when you simply can't hide behind anonymity.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-22 12:26:00
CanadaDinner Dress - Ladies which one would you choose?
Just FYI, Trailmix, #4 does not show up, at least not for me. If that is the case for everyone else, that may be why no one has picked it.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-20 12:29:00
CanadaDinner Dress - Ladies which one would you choose?
6 would likely be the most flattering one on me.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-20 11:45:00
CanadaWedding photos
QUOTE (john_and_marlene @ Feb 26 2009, 11:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We got married in our living room. We transformed it into our own chapel and it turned out great.


Wow, I always admired the photo in your avatar with the beautiful arch. I had no idea that was in your living room! It's beautiful!
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-02-27 16:57:00
CanadaWedding photos
We did not have a professional photographer either. We have photos from 5 different friends, and the ones that are best are, of course, the ones that are too big or high resolution for me to download (I had to order prints directly from their sites!). Of the ones I was able to get onto Webshots, here are a few I liked.

Exchanging vows during the ceremony:


Our wedding cake--Mmmmm!! CAKE!!!!


In the garden after the ceremony:


And here is one of our adorable little ringbearers:


SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-02-27 16:52:00
CanadaFew tric to build credit....
Caveat about RBC cards---One of the things my husband tried to do to establish credit in the US was get an RBC card. You do not have to have an account with them--if you call RBC's US credit division, they can check your Canadian credit history. The problem he had was his credit in Canada was TOO good. They turned him down because he had already paid off his mortgage and car loan and they said he did not have enough recent lines of credit open. #######?

What he finally did was get a secured card. Open an account to secure it, and you qualify for whatever amount you put in and use it just like any other card. Then he got an unsecured Capitol One card (same experience as JillA described). He just got it a month ago, but they say they will automatically increase his credit limit after 3 months, and then I think yearly or something. He does have a pretty low limit on it, but it wasn't the lowest limit available.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-30 07:29:00
CanadaShort Term Insurance for Canadian in US
My husband used the one Emancipation linked. He only needed it for a month as well. He did not need to make a claim, but they were very good about getting him set up immediately and answering his questions about how it would work if he did need to use it.


SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-04-01 14:38:00
CanadaList Any Cool/Unknown Facts About Your State/Province
QUOTE (jundp @ Jun 17 2009, 11:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
There are a LOT of serial killers from Washington or who committed their crimes in Washington, including the Green River Killer, the Hillside Strangler, and Ted Bundy (thank you UW for producing him).


I'm not sure about the Green River killer, but the other 2 lived in Bellingham, as did the DC area snipers (both of them). Bellingham only has a population of about 65,000.


Another fun fact about Washington State: there is an operational train station under the stands at Safeco Field.

I have so many former home states, I'll leave it to people still living in most of them to supply the facts for most of them.

Fun facts about Illinois, the state I live in now:

One of our state legislators actually introduced a bill to name popcorn the official state snack.

Four of our former governors have been indicted on federal corruption charges (three were convicted, charges are still pending against Blago).

Springfield, Illinois, prides itself on being the former home town of Abraham Lincoln, but it was also the point of departure for the Donner Party.

Lincoln Logs were invented by Frank Lloyd Wright's son.

Fun fact about Rochester, New York, the town I grew up in:

It is now called the Flower City, because of its Lilac Festival, but the nickname was changed to Flower City from Flour City after the flower mills that gave it the earlier nickname lost prominance.

It is the home town of Susan B. Anthony, Lydia Lunch, Wendy O. Williams, Renee Fleming, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (who graduated from my high school the year after I did).

Its minor league baseball team, the Rochester Redwings (NOT to be confused with the Detroit Red Wings!) is the oldest minor league team in any sport still in operation.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-06-17 15:32:00
CanadaGrocery Items Unavailable in the US
I must confess---I opened this thread to see if Smarties were mentioned, so great is my nostalgia for the days of calling the S&Ms.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2008-01-23 11:46:00
CanadaGrocery Items Unavailable in the US
QUOTE (rhymeswithcandi @ Jan 22 2008, 02:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Smarties is another one to add - Smarties here aren't the chocolate candies like we get in Canada and the UK. Americans call those sour little candies that come in a roll (like Rockets) Smarties.


I loved Canadian Smarties when I was a kid! I grew up in New York State right near the border with Ontario. I did not realize that Smarties were a different candy from M&Ms; I just thought they were a different name given to the same candy. I always loved getting Smarties because they had an S on them so we could call them S&Ms. I also liked the purple ones. There are no purple M&Ms.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2008-01-23 11:44:00
CanadaMontreal Interviews IR1/CR1 this week
Good luck!
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-06-17 15:34:00
CanadaNot such a bad law if you ask me!
I'm just wondering about the logistics of enforcing the underwear requirement. Do city workers have to be prepared to drop their trousers for inspection on demand? That might cause more problems than it solves. Just saying.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-06-18 10:44:00
CanadaWhat's For Dinner?
I don't know yet. I'll have to look in the fridge and see what is there!
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2008-01-23 11:53:00
CanadaPOE at Port Huron
QUOTE (July09Bride @ Jun 21 2009, 11:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I've got his favorite dinner (steak, garlic mashed potatoes, corn-on-the cob, and salad), drinks (Molson Canadian beer and Coke Zero), and dessert (a Dairy Queen cake (his FAVE!!!) that has writtn, in red, white, and blue "Welcome to the USA, Duncan!") all waiting here for him for tomorrow evening. We'll be celebrating with my parents, as they will be helping to move his boxes over here to the US, too.


Awww!! That is so very sweet of you! Congrats and have a safe, smooth journey and a lovely wedding soon after.

That cake sounds awsomely good.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-06-22 12:00:00
CanadaWhere are you from in Canada?
QUOTE (uscandual @ May 19 2009, 09:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I usually cringe when people casually ask me "where are you from?". I don't really know how to answer that question anymore.


I know that feeling! I grew up in Rochester, NY, which is EIGHT HOURS AWAY from NYC but whenever I tell people where I am from, they will always say "you don't have a New York accent." Well, d'oh, I have a Raaaachester aaaaccent. But my whole family is from the Philly area, my parents retired to Bellingham 11 years ago, and I lived most of my adult life in Arizona and California because I really SHOULD have been born west of the Continental Divide. But now I've been living in the midwest for 8 years and own a home here, so maybe now this is home. Except I live in Illinois...but I live in a suburb of St Louis, Missouri...so even that isn't all that clear.

My husband is the Canadian half of the couple, and for him it's easy: he was born in Manchester, England (England, across the Atlantic Sea...etc....) but he lived in Edmonton from the age of 6 months until he moved here last summer.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-05-20 10:47:00
CanadaAnother successful interview completed
Woot! Congratulations. dancin5hr.gif dancin5hr.gif dancin5hr.gif
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-06-22 11:48:00
CanadaCR1 Interview in Montreal on Monday - Yikes am I ready?
We did a K1, so I have no good answer or advice, but just wanted to wish you luck, carlso. Not that you'll need it---you'll be fine. But good luck anyhow!
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-07-08 12:53:00
CanadaWhere are you moving/living in the USA?
We live in southern Illinois, across the river from St Louis, Missouri.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-06-17 17:32:00
CanadaHelp me
Yes, please take Carla's advice. It may well be nothing to worry about, but if something is not quite right on a lung X-ray, whether it effects your visa or not, you need to make certain it is nothing needing further attention. Lungs are kind of important.

There was someone who had something like this come up. I can't remember who. The doctor specifically told her to have a follow-up test, and it turned out to be normal (I think maybe some scar tissue from a previous illness or something). You say that you didn't really hear the rest of what she told you---which makes sense; after all, it is kind of freaky to be told there is something abnormal on a lung Xray. It could be she told you to follow up with your doctor; it could be she told you it was nothing to worry about. You need to find out.

Also, while you can't open the envelope, you should be able to get a copy of the records from the doctor to take to your regular doctor.

It almost certainly is not something that can affect your visa. I think the only thing they look for in that X ray is TB. It's also more than likely not a big deal. But please do follow up on it.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-07-16 16:39:00
CanadaAdjustment of Status Checklist - is THAT all?
QUOTE (July09Bride @ Jun 20 2009, 06:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Okay, so something must be wrong. It only took me about 30 minutes to complete the 4 or 5 forms for AoS. I left the SSN blank and the A number blank as well in the varioius spots where they were required. However, to go through and just insert those two numbers, will be easy!

We've already got copies of all the additional items we need, except the marriage certificate, which we won't have until after we're married (obviously), but I think I've got a GREAT jump start on the paperwork!


You don't need to wait for him to get an SSN to apply for AOS (in some places---New Jersey, mostly---there is a backup with Social Security and it could take a while).

The A number should be on the visa.

I'd also suggest taking the marriage license filled in by your officiant to the courthouse or county clerk's office or whoever handles that yourself after the marriage. That way you can ask for a certified copy then and there. This kind of thing always varies from county to county, but I think most places will be willing to do that for you. That could save you several weeks.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2009-06-23 14:12:00
CanadaChanging your name
Well we are getting married in 11 days, but I've already had a similar experience. I asked at my bank about opening a joint account with my fiance as soon as he gets here rather than waiting for the marriage certificate in case we cannot get that right away, and the woman said yes, that was fine, I can open a joint account with anyone even if they are not my spouse, but I'd need to keep it in my maiden name until we got the marriage certificate. I explained that this wasn't an issue since I was not planning to change my name, and she STILL felt the need to explain that after the marriage we would need to bring in a copy of the certificate to change my name on the account. #######?

I'd guess that about half my friends either kept their own names or added their husband's name to their own name, maybe slightly less than half. But among younger women, the trend seems to be much more toward just taking your husband's name.
SonoranSongbirdFemaleCanada2008-07-15 11:03:00