AZwolfman

Better build an extra room, Jon.

Congratulations, LittleBear. Yet another August one! Nicole, I fear that my fiancee will be one of the last from the August group. But it can't be much longer now, as it seems GZ has found the "August Pile" of cases and is finally working through them.

Right Phil, finally someone managed to put into words what I have been trying to express. Even I have views on these issues, but I do not believe they belong in this forum for the reasons you stated.

Just bringing this back to top as I have received several requests for this info lately, so here it is for benefit of the many new members to Candle. The Candle is burning, the word is spreading, you are finding your way to our friendly community. Things do seem to finally be moving (altho slowly) in GZ due to the diligence of the members here in contacting the appropriate officials.

Great news! Another August interviewee. You were only 5 days after us. Maybe we are getting close. At least GZ seems to be paying us August folk some attention now.

I suspect that all of us here are more immediately concerned with N.K. than with the other country. Beijing is very close geographically. I am just saying that I agree with the moderators that political discussions do not serve our purposes here. We do not want this site to get blocked from viewing by people in other countries. All we want is to be reunited with our loved ones. Maybe we need to build a different forum, dedicated to political discussions. I personally do not presently have the time to do this.

Did I understand this correctly? She has interview and gets visa the very next day? Are things back to "normal" now? Maybe I should start all over.

Very happy for you, Jennifer It seems the pile of clearances on top of us at GZ is getting smaller and smaller day by day.

Well said, Joeseph. I do believe there has been too much political posting recently. I think it best to keep politics out of this forum, for reasons already stated by moderators, and also because discussing politics is not the purpose of this forum. I don't even think posting news articles of items such as the one recently posted about N. Korea serves a useful purpose here. I can always read these news items on my browser homepage. Perhaps one of us would like to install such a political forum on his own website?

Personally, I have not seen what I consider to be racism on this site. But I do believe there has been too much political posting recently. I think it best to keep politics out of this forum, for reasons already stated by moderators, and also because discussing politics is not the purpose of this forum. I don't even think posting news articles of items such as the one recently posted about N. Korea serves a useful purpose here. I can always read these news items on my browser homepage. Perhaps one of us would like to install such a political forum on his own website?

Congratulations! Things seem to be trickling a little faster now from GZ. I wonder who will get the good news tomorrow?

Hang in there, Joe. Eventually they will get to us.

As I read this thread I am becoming more and more confused as to what you all mean by a reunion. My idea of a reunion is a bringing together of people with a common bond to meet or re-visit with one another, sharing news and friendships. We want to put faces and personalities with those that we have known only by posts, PM's, emails, and phone calls. I would consider everything else an extracurricular activity - which is ok as long as we do accomplish the above and get as many of us together for this reunion as possible. I have been to high school reunions and family reunions and they typically last a day or two. A day or two is not so hard to get off from work in the summer. Some people here have mentioned a cruise. Are we talking reunion here, or are we talking major community vacation time together? I don't know how many vacations/annually everyone else gets, but I get one per year. I plan on using this vacation time to travel with my wife to China to visit my inlaws - that is until our home business is producing sufficient income to allow quitting the "day job" and travelling anywhere anytime for as long as we wish to stay. A word or two on "Centrally Located." Now if you were to travel accross America from San Francisco to Virginia Beach (coast-to-coast on approximately the same longitude), you would find that Wichita, KS, is the most centrally-located large city in the U.S. 1374 miles from SF and 1174 miles from Va. Beach. What is in Wichita? The shark. Nearest large international airports? DIA 431 miles from Wichita. If STL is a large intnt'l airport, it is 392 miles from Wichita. Chicago is 588 miles from centrally located Wichita. I still vote for Denver which is not too hot in late spring/early summer, and the humidity is always low - unlike Florida and Chicago where the humidity makes breathing nearly impossible during the late spring and summer months. Owen mentioned LV as having cheap air fares. This is true as LV is always offering discount packages to try and get people to come to town, but I realize this may be far away for most of us, and lodging can be expensive if during holidays.

Yes, hope you have a safe trip without incident this time. While you are in GZ, knock over that stack of cleared cases at the consulate. Who knows? Maybe when they pick the stack up again, I may be nearer the top.

Quite right, Dave. This entire delay is about manpower and priorities. It has never been about U.S. security issues.

Yes, because there are not so many people down here in the black hole as there were, I can now see the light shining from above. Hopefully soon, I will also be able to climb out of this dreadful black pit.

GZ told us that they don't normally expect to receive the approved case from (CSC) for at least 3 months from the 2nd NOA (approval). This was back in early 2002 that they told me this. You can see our time line below.

uhh...you sure you want to collect lots of blue thinggies? Lots of blue thinggies usually means that you have been waiting forever for a visa.

Jon and his bride can ride down to LV anytime, and we will show them the town.

Of course if Denver, winter is also nice if you like to ski

Then we're talking L.A., PHX, LAS, DIA, Dallas-Ft. Worth, right? Centrally located and international hubs. But really, I would make every effort to attend no matter where the location. Overall considerations, I think I would cast my vote for Denver.

Right Jon, Denver is centrally located. I could get there on a long weekend, and it is beautiful country and nice ride. Everyone remember, some of us work for a living and getting off work for a reunion is easier if closer. I suspect many of our sweethearts may never have been in this country, and if possible to ride to the location they might like to view the countryside.

Every 3-4 weeks??? That's almost like a regular relationship. Lucky you. I don't know how you can be depressed if you are able to see her that often. Count your blessings. Many of us would love to be with our loved ones that often. If you're depressed over that, then I should be feeling near death.

Just a suggestion: Don't loose sight of the (presumed) purpose of this reunion - a way to get together and meet in person the friends we have made as we have gone through this DHS ordeal. Remember that some of us still work for a living, so try not to be too lavish in the financial requirements department. Charlotte: good point about the humidity. I forgot that some parts of the country are quite humid in summer.

Of course, I'm with you Myles (because I could go anytime). But really, Bob, how can you say Orlando is centrally located in the U.S.? It is way over on the East coast. Centrally located in the U.S. would probably be somewhere like Denver or maybe even as far East as Kansas City. Another consideration: is it not likely to rain in Florida in the summer? And would it be before hurricane season in Fla?