Mick

Great to have you here, Jacky8508. CFL can be a great source of info and support during the visa process so come by often. Welcome aboard!

Tsap, you'd probably have to pay extra for a hangin' terlet seat.

Dan, I use Internet Explorer and have experimented with Firefox. Same result. I use whatever the latest Flash player update is and we have the latest Norton antivirus on the machine. I had one of my buddies that is a big wig Systems Analyst with NASA give it the once over a couple times and all he could say was, "Damnedest thing I ever saw." Nothing seemed to work. Last time I heard that was back in the 80's when a '78 Gremlin I bought new (don't laugh) developed a slight miss. No mechanic could ever figure out what caused it and when I sold the car with 310,000 miles on it in 1994, it still had the miss but ran like a top. It was an AMC Straight Six and the most reliable engine I ever owned. As for me, I am lucky I can even tie my shoes I am such a techno-dolt. Li is the computer whiz in this house. Even Salina can fix things I can't.

Just to report - I am still unable to post consistently as I used to. What occurs is that I write the reply and click on post. It runs the green thingie and then stops. I copy the post, hit the back button, and then open the thread and paste in the reply. I hit post and it works on the second time around. This morning, however, I wrote a reply to the "Nam Nut Scribblin'" thread and it posted just fine on the second attempt. However, I noticed an error in my typing and went to edit it - that's when the fun started. I could edit, but no matter what, it would not post the edited copy. I eventually deleted the reply and will write it up again later. I have had every kind of test run on my machine, but no one can find the problem.

Good luck and best wishes for a successful enterprise. Before you know it, you guys will be hob nobbin' with Bill Gates.

I would agree that Dan is a great choice! Thanks for stepping up to the plate in a time of need, Dan.

Carl, that's a great pic of you at your work. The guitar project is an act of love in the truest sense of the word. As far as building homes, I can appreciate what you and tsap are saying about the shoddy construction that goes on these days, and for several decades now. I lived in Miami back in '92 when Andrew came through and gave a real lesson on how to not build houses. Down here in Tennerbama, we have some fine old Antebellum homes that are just remarkable works of art. Like the Victorians, they just don't build them like that anymore.

Lifelong friends are a rarity, indeed. I am so sorry to hear about his liver cancer and the prognosis. Even though it hurts, perhaps his passing will be a blessing in that he won't have to endure intense pain for an extended period of time. You will always have the memories, Carl and that, too, can be a blessing. And as a recovering person, you understand the reality of the statement - "There but for the grace of God....."

Is there by any chance another nearby dmv office? It might be worth a try to go to another office and possibly get a different response. I have seen time and time again over the years that office workers in various agencies don't have a clue about immigration issues and often will just say what they think is right, rather than what is right. We had this sort of thing with Li's Social Security card years ago. Went to one office and were told it cannot be issued until....blah blah blah.....went to a second office and presto.....card issued no sweat. Might be worth a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

No, I mowed a few days back. My Fathers Day has been great. Salina gave me a nice bottle of lotion for my skin and she and Li gave me a nice shirt and a bookstore gift card. Nice.

Also, with the CR-1, your wife will be given a green card upon arrival in the U.S., whereas with K1 you will have to go through Adjust Status, etc. CR-1 is also cheaper in the long run. I was in the same situation you were in way back in the last century (ha). I was living in China for five years and had been with my wife since two weeks after my arrival over there. The process is a tad easier now than it was back in those days, but it still takes awhile so be prepared to wait...and wait...and wait. Best of luck to you guys. Where are you in China?

David, I have been there and done that. I know exactly what you are talking about. The paint peeled off the walls years ago.

That's fantastic. What an inspiration she is to those who know the challenges she faced and obstacles she overcame. Achieving such an honor in a non-native language is no easy task. She has a great future ahead of her and a great family supporting her. Thanks for sharing this.

Does this mean you guys are going to have to go to Houston or have a representative go there for you?

Man o Man! I can relate about the beautiful women for sure. For the first couple of years I lived over there, my tongue rode side saddle in my mouth and I needed a bib just to catch my drool. You are right - at any time and in any direction you could see women that were just drop dead gorgeous. Incredible! On another note, I once rode on a city bus in China on the eve of Spring Festival. An old man sat next to me and he had a goose in a burlap bag, with the head and neck sticking out. The goose, most likely the guest of honor at dinner, was in a foul (fowl) mood. He kept pecking my leg and honking. Each time the goose pecked my leg, the old man slapped it across the head with a rolled up magazine. Never saw that anywhere else.

Update: Still having posting problems, but have found a way to circumvent at least some of the time. When I try posting to a thread, I still just get the little green thingie running a short time and then nothing happens. What I do now is copy my post, hit the "back" button, then try again with the original post pasted in. About half the time, this will work. If it doesn't work, I sign out, sign back in, paste post a second time, and then it might work. Weird, indeed.

Lookin' good, Carl. You are a talented man!

Salina just finished second grade. Through Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade she has made straight A's, except for one B in Math at the beginning of 1st grade. Li still gives her hell about it, which in August, will be two years ago. Used to be if Salina brought home anything lower than 95, all would hell break loose. Expectations are somewhat high. Li has lightened up a bit, but nothing can get her fired up like a bad grade (bad meaning anything below 90 or so).

Eric - so very very good to hear from you!!! Glad to hear things are going well for you guys. Our daughter is now eight and her Chinese is far better than mine. Are you doing any diving down in Florida? (Scuba, not muff). I recall you used to dive in some river out in Kansas.....

I can see it now - as in other aspects of Chinese society, corruption will rule the day. Bathroom stall jockeys (attendants) will have to bribe inspectors in order to "pass" inspection.

I shore will do my best tsapper - One day at a time that is.....

I just posted a response on Mama Bear's thread and it "took." Tried on another thread and it didn't. If this one makes it, it is two out of three. Maybe that's a good sign.

So sorry to hear you are in this predicament. From the photos, it appears you are beyond the critical stage. You need treatment right now, not "in a few days." When I lived in China I had a good friend and neighbor who had a similar problems with the Chinese health system, though not for a foot problem. He was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix, but when they opened him up for emergency removal, his appendix was fine. So they went exploring and ended up removing his gall bladder. Massive infection set in and his was eventually air lifted to HK, then back to Canada, where he lived prior to coming to China. I know your medical condition needs treatment right away, but there are so many side issues here related to your job, your coverage, etc. If you lost your job, would that mean your visa would be revoked as well? If you go to Australia and your company is "off the hook," does that mean you might not be able to return to China? I know this is not the main point, your foot is, but it is a side issue.

Thanks for the input guys. Randy, I have used that tactic of cut and paste. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. So far, I am still unable to get a post to take when I hit the quote button. The little green thingie just runs forever. I think my browser is Internet Explorer 9. Were you kidding about the capital "M" glitch?

Just wanted to let you know about a problem I have been having for about ten days to two weeks. At first I thought it was some issue with my computer, but this is the only site where this problem is occuring. About seventy percent of the time I try to reply in a thread, the reply won't "take." All I get is the little green loading thingie and it just keeps running, but never enters the post. If I use the "quote" button, it fails 100 percent of the time. I have thoroughly checked my machine and there are no virus issues or other functional problems. Like I said, Candle seems to be the only place this problem is occuring. Any ideas? (I hope this posts)......