Mick

Thanks for posting this reminder, Dan. This morning I paused for about ten minutes and said a special prayer for those who died at Pearl. I had an Uncle who died there that I never had the opportunity to meet (I was born in 1949). He was my mother's oldest brother and had enlisted in the Navy just a year before. According to our family history, he planned on making a career out of the Navy.

That is one incredible instrument, not to mention incredible song. I wonder how long it took him to design and build it? Also, can you imagine tuning it? The bottom section, with its high notes, is almost harp like. Thanks for sharing that, Carl.

Believe me when I say: When you lose to the Titans, you are big, big trouble!!! In addition to having what are by far the worst uniforms in the NFL (well, maybe not as bad as the Bengals), the Titans suck. In addition to sucking, they also stink. Down here in Tennerbama we are, for the most part, more likely to be Falcon fans. Me, I have been a Packer fanatic since elementary school.

Although it has now been many moons since we went through the horrors of the Black Hole days of 2002-03, the memory is still fresh. I suppose I will never forget what it was like to go through that particular kind of hell. Your wait reminds me in many ways of ours. My wife had her interview on August 20, 2002 and we did not pick up the visa, even though it was approved, until March, 2003 - a seven month wait. And that came after waiting a year for the interview. A nasty business, indeed. As others have stated, venting can help sometimes, as can a boatload of patience and a good sense of humor. Hang in there and one day, before you know it, this will all be a memory rather than present reality.

That's fantastic news! May you have a great holiday season and a blessed life together.

Dogs are just remarkable animals in my book, Carl. They never cease to amaze me. I think they are capable of far deeper thought and emotion that we give them credit for.

Great and then some. Thanks so much for sharing those. I was not aware of those movies and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Anybody have any idea where ours are? Is that, in fact, how we calibrate our spy sattelites?

Fantastic news, indeed!

Welcome aboard! I think you'll find Candle a great place for quality information, great support, and good friends who either are, or have already, traveled the path you are on. There are some very knowledgeable folks here and a few of us are crazy as loons.

We didn't get no snow down cheer in Tennerbama. We did have a big frost in the morning though. Cool mornings (mid 30s) and mild afternoons (Low 60s). Really nice weather for the most part. We are coming up on November, which is typically a bit stormy down here in the Southeast. I heard a report on radio this morning that said November is the fourth most active month for tornaders down cheer. The most active ones is March, April, and May.

I lived and worked in China for five plus years and know what you mean about the visa issues. In our case, things were much easier in that I worked for a fairly large university and the "Foreign Affairs Office" always took care of my visa and work permit. As I recall, I was there on a Z visa.

Congrats and best wishes for a wonderful future together.

Thanks for sharing your experience in such detail, David. During the years I lived in China I had the opportunity to study qigong with several skilled teachers and learned a bit about the philosophy behind Daoist and Buddhist qigong. I had some experience with TCM, but not nearly at the depth you are describing. I hope things continue to go well for you and that your treatment brings about a complete harmony of heaven and earth within you. You are so fortunate to have met someone so skilled. Like you say, these folks are hard to find and generally don't want to be found. Again, best wishes for a great recovery.

Gold tuners add a lot to the appearance of an ax, that's for sure. I have an Ibanez acoustic/electric hybrid that has a sycamore front and came equipped with gold tuners. Looks really nice. Would post up a photo but I am not technically savvy enough for that complex an operation. I have that on my list of things that I want to learn how to do; right after learning to tie my shoes. Wearing these Hush Puppy loafers is getting old....... Seriously, the gold tuners are great....

What a great comeback! Down by what, 21 points? Intercepted Brady four times! Like Carl, I like anybody playing the Patriots, except the Cowboys of course. Ain't too fond of the Cowboys, but hey, everybody needs a team to despise. Lions had a big comeback win today also and won with a field goal on the last play of the game. And that Houston/New Orleans game was a real shootout. Drew Brees is incredible in the clutch...

Emair Armadillars is awl over thuh place rouncheer, too. Tennerbama dun got full of 'em. Me, and Li, and our daughter Saleener wuza takin uh wawk the uther day and one of emair shell-totin' possums scurried right cross thuh road in frunt uv us. If'n I had bin in muh Jeep I wuda squarshed atair armadillar likuh South Alerbamer Staink Bug. I growed up downair in Southwest Florider what we had uh hole passel uh emair armadillars. I shore have runned over my share uhv em. I read up on 'em on atair Innernet thainguhmuhbob and it sez uh Armadillar carries leporsy - atair stuff lik in thuh Bible - atair stuff'll rot ye hands rite off so when you is uh pickin' up any roadkill armadillars, be shore tuh ware sum gluvs.....

What part of the US are you from? You mean you ain't never ate no possum? Obviously you ain't from the souff. He shore ain't frum downcheer round Tennerbama. Heck, I gots me at lease uh duzen possums in thuh freezer, along with three coons, five squirrels, and a passle uh emair little Peter Cottontails. Only time I ever et any pigeon was in Chiner. It wuz in Goowanjoe (I thaink that's how ye spell it; least ways, that's how ye sez it). We wuz at one of emair outdoor restrunts and my wife ordered it up, claimin' it wuz uh quail. It wuzn't no quail, it wuz uh pigeon. Tasted kinda gamey, more so than uh nice, slow-cooked possum.

That play the Bills ran to score the winning touchdown was really well-designed, but simple. The inside receiver cleared the area and the outside guy just slid into the open space. I mean that guy was wide open! You gotta wonder who was supposed to covering him.

I was living in Miami during that run of four trips to the Super Bowl. Folks down there had a love/hate relationship with the Bills. They hated them because the Dolphins played in the same division and seemed to have to go play at Rich Stadium every December. Yet they had a closet affection for the Bills because their quarterback in those days, Jim Kelly, was a hero at the University of Miami. Living in Miami fifteen years, I developed a bit of a liking for the Dolphins, but I have been a diehard Packer fan since I was in elementary school. My room at home as a teenager was painted Packer Green and Gold. This year I'm hopin' for a repeat, but Da Bears look good and the Lions, of all people, are way better. Never can tell about the Vikings.

She can most likely apply, but your income will be taken into consideration when determining if she is eligible.Unless your income is very low,she may not be deemed eligible. Not sure how it works in South Carolina. Things used to be easier here in Tennessee as we had a state program called Tenncare. It is now pretty much defunct, except for benefits for children.

Li and I were living in Shantou, Guangdong. Oddly enough, we had just sent in our visa application. Talk about bad timing. I had just finished teaching an evening class and when I walked in the door of our apartment, Li was watching all this unfold on television. She told me what happened. I arrived at home just prior to the second plane hitting. I recall sitting there in stunned silence when the buildings collapsed. I didn't sleep at all that night, stayed up watching events unfold. Somehow, being halfway around the world made it all seem more surreal for some reason.In the days that followed, many friends and students reached out to me and offered their condolences. Others, more than a few actually, mostly cabbies and the like, expressed glee over the attack. I found this very difficult to take. As mentioned earlier in the thread, the Black Hole was birthed that day, but compared to the loss of life and grief of 9/11, it pales in comparison.The actual change in the visa procedure began in July, 2002 but of course, it was the events of 9/11 that gave rise to the changes.

Great photos, Randy. Like Kyle, they make me homesick for China. It seems everyday I pine away for the sites, sounds, smells, and life in general over there. My docs won't even consider letting me climb aboard a plane that long but I can still dream. If I don't get clearance to fly before too long, I may have to take the proverbial slow boat to China. Li and I especially want to go back to Hefei, the city where we met and spent our first year together. There were so many folks there that gave us trouble and said we would never make it. Want them to see us after all these years, as well as have them meet our daughter.

Congrats and best wishes for a great life together.

Hey cuzin' tsap - howsa bout posted some photos of you and yer brood, now that they is awl settled in and awl? I want tuh see that thar purty womern of yorn.