jemmyell

Congratulations! -James

Ok Richard, you have a deal. I haven't really cooked much since my wife died. Still, my cubicle kitchen is legendary around the workplace. They call my morning aromas 'Chez James'. I have everything from Mesquite Chicken breast with bacon and cheese on whole wheat english muffins to an occaisional omelette, all done in a microwave oven. I have a small refrigerator, a microwave, a toaster and a toaster oven. All stacked up in the corner of my (VERY small) cubicle. Salads and VERY enhanced canned soups are also on the bill. I hope to get back to it when Loving Candle and her daughter arrive. She tells me that she does not cook well, but I enjoyed all the homemade dishes she made in China. Cooking has always been one of my hobbies. My cubicle kitchen is the model for my one room apartment food prep area that I am planning. It will be similarly equipped, but I am going to have one small propane fired burner up there also. -James

Jeez Richard, Out west and on ZZ top albums it's usually called tube steak... lol, forgive me for taking you seriously in culinary matters! Next thing you know we will be discussing Pearl Necklaces and moved right over to Twisted Candle. -James

Hello, What's a pipe steak? My specialty is California Barbeque, Tri Tip sandwiches. I also do Kansas city style baby back ribs (baked, NOT boiled) over mesquite with a homemade sweet and sour orange rib sauce. -James

Congratulations and good luck on the interview. -James

Hello, Well, this thread killed my Rinnai heater.... BUT what I found was a Takagi T-K Jr-NG (propane units available too). What I love about this design is it can be mounted outside so the venting is easy and room air is NOT used for combustion air. It also has a remote control available for adjusting the water temperature. It can run a shower continuously and it is also rated for Hydronic / Radiant heating usage. This will make it PERFECT for a 440 square foot master bedroom / apartment on top of my garage / shop. Loving Candle had a ventless gas heater in China which DID almost kill her daughter and her. So, she was skeptical even of the direct vented Rinnai tankless water and space heaters I was designing with. She now has radiant hot water heating in China, so she will really like this, and I don't have to give up a portion of my closet space to mount the heater inside. http://www.discounttankless.net/store/TAKAGI01.html -James

Hello, I am planning a room addition over my garage. I currently have a Rinnai heater in the design since it is the only vented heater that will fit the space we have allocated. I will look at the Paloma models. You need to be VERY sure that what ever heater you install is to code and is an authorized model. A fire involved with an unauthorized heater will void all your insurance coverage. I personally would NEVER consider an unvented heater. As an engineer I am offended by a design that needs an oxygen sensor to inform the occupants that their heater is about to kill them... I am going to look at the Paloma heaters now since I am working on the room drawings until it warms up enough to go work in my shop today. -James

James, as long as your petition in at the service center, in this case California, it is in the hands of the USCIS, which is like a fortress. It's very difficult to get information out of them. You can check the processing time for the I-129F petitions here: CSC Processing ....which is October 18, 2005. Your timeline shows that you filed your petition on November 14, 2005. Keep an eye on the processing time in the link above. Once that date reaches or passes 30-days after your file date (i.e., December 14, 2005), the USCIS will accept a call from you to start an investigation as to the status of your petition. Before that date, there is little to nothing you can do, because the USCIS considers your petition within normal processing. I realize that this information does not provide a good deal of comfort, but unfortunately it's the way the system works. Processing at the CSC seems to go in spurts, but there is really no perfect way of determining when your petition will be approved. 184213[/snapback] Hello, Thanks Jesse! I have been tracking those resources already, I just thought I would ask since the level of 'tribal knowledge' here is really high. I am really afraid that the Orange County fraud stuff has introduced MAJOR processing delays as the resources in Laguna Niguel are dedicated to that. Since I am in Orange County I can also imagine 'extra' review steps now being taken... -James

Ouch... Thanks guys. I know this is a long road, I just need to be doing SOMETHING.... -James

Hello, We were NOA1 on November 18, and I still have not even got a 'touch' on my status checks. CSC is STILL processing K1 apps for October 18, same as the last update on their webpage. When should I start getting nervous? Can I call DOS or NVC anyways? -James

Hello, I also used AnnieFlowers, but my SO told me to NOT send them to her anymore at work. The delivery man did NOT call ahead, he just came to Loving Candle's job and walked around the building yelling her name! Since she is a widow and she has NOT told any coworkers of her American Fiancee many eyebrows were raised... She is going home for New Years, I will use Annie Flowers to send something there. -James

Interesting thoughts James. My SO and I have pondered thoughts of keeping rather than selling her apartment in China. I know little about the investment value of property in China, but from what I'm hearing it's quite common for people to sell their homes and property at a loss. Any thoughts? 183501[/snapback] Hello, Jesse, I think it all depends on whether you and your SO will have a reliable person in China to monitor the property and collect rents. Also, if your SO has family that you wish to visit there can be tax benefits from making 'inspection' visits to your holdings in China at least once a year. My SO has an old in friend in her current town, and of course her family where we plan to buy the other place. I think holding and renting is better than taking a loss in any case. I believe most losses in real estate dealings are caused by a short term need to sell in order to buy. -James

Hello, Another vote for retiring in China, and I am currently trying to extend my e-business for downloadable deliverables so we can work from home in China too. That will be to pay for the tank of propane and the heater I have told my SO that I will want too... We hope to keep the house in the USA, her current apartment and buy another house in the region where she grew up so she can be back with her family. I think owning property in China is a very smart move now as long as we can be sure of continuing ownership. I think that means my SO may not be able to apply for US citizenship, but this is another thing to research. I am building an apartment as an addition above my garage. We can rent the rest of the house, and just keep separate access to my workshop and our apartment in the USA. That's the plan this week anyways... -James

Hello, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Yes,we need MANY more of these successes!! -James

Hello, it's a good thing! Open communication straight from GUZ. -James

Hello, I am thinking about a Vegas marriage too, but my daughter is making noises about a wedding party here too. I may try to go both ways. -James

Hi Ken, Thanks for posting this, it is another piece of the puzzle. I organize my K1 'knowledge base' by emailing myself a link to these very valuable topics as they are posted. I put enough detail in the subject line to find it easily, then file it in a 'K1' folder in my yahoo mail. Since I have the SBC DSL package I get 2GB storage on that account. -James

Hello, A bumper sticker seen around SoCal: "Kaiser kills, permanentely" They had two tries on me when I was young. I broke my neck when I was 19 and they never even took xrays. Gave me muscle relaxants for a broken neck... -James

Hello, Good luck, and please keep us up to date on all that happens. Yes the hotel is of interest to me also! -James

Hello, I can very much recommend the Pimsleur tapes and CDs (ESL for Mandarin Speakers). I bought my SO and her daughter the tapes on eBay ($19.95) then the full 16 CDs from Plurality Language (the best price I could find) for $169 (regularly $345). After I sent the CDs my SO told me the first HALF (8 CDs worth) of the comprehensive was on the $19.95 audio tapes!!! I also sent two CD players from Fry's Electronics ($14.95 each) and rechargeable batteries so my SO and her daughter could study independently. CD comprehensive ESL for Mandarin Speakers: http://www.pluralitylanguage.com/languages...se_mandarin.htm Tapes from Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...42&fmt=AU&itm=3 I also took her a book 'Speak English like an American' that I bought at Amazon.com before I went to visit them. Good luck. -James

Congratulations! I hope all your fellow Oklahomans welcome your new wife. -James

Hello, If you hire someone in China, be VERY careful. I personally believe that a large amout of the 'third party' communications are 'visa helpers' (not attorneys) who have not been 'paid enough' -James

Hi Jesse. I can very much recommend the Pimsleur tapes and CDs (ESL for Mandarin Speakers). I bought my SO and her daughter the tapes on eBay ($19.95) then the full 16 CDs from Plurality Language (the best price I could find) for $169 (regularly $345). After I sent the CDs my SO told me the first HALF (8 CDs worth) of the comprehensive was on the $19.95 audio tapes!!! I also sent two CD players from Fry's Electronics ($14.95 each) and rechargeable batteries so my SO and her daughter could study independently. CD comprehensive ESL for Mandarin Speakers: http://www.pluralitylanguage.com/languages...se_mandarin.htm Tapes from Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearc...42&fmt=AU&itm=3 I also took her a book 'Speak English like an American' that I bought at Amazon.com before I went to visit them. Good luck. -James

Congratulations! -James

Congratulations! I hope somebody greases our wheels! Good luck and best wishes for a fast P4 -James