Snow day

We're having a cold snap here in Bellingham, and it snowed last night. Nina and I were the only ones thrilled about it. I can't think of anything more entertaining than watching a dog play in the snow. She went outside and got a little confused look on her face, and started snapping at the snowflakes. Then it was as if she suddenly remembered what it was and shot like a spastic bullet all around the yard, running laps around the house and shoving her muzzle snorting and huffing into the snow to grab a mouthful and shake it from side to side. It's funny to watch her pee, too, because when she squats, she doesn't leave any room between herself and the snow, she just squats right down into the freezing snow and pees. Then look surprised at the yellow mark she left, and sniffs it to see what it is. And if you throw a snowball for her, she will catch it in her mouth, every time.

This morning there was about four inches of accumulation. Not anything to get too excited about, in my experience, but enough to have a little fun, and generate some work shoveling the path and clearing off the cars. Another surprise was frozen pipes. Guess we didn't think to leave the water running overnight. Our place has a pipe sticking up out of the ground with a spigot on top, and that connects to our house with a plastic hose (drinking water safe, of course). It's not hard to imagine why that would've frozen overnight in 20-degree weather. We took the hose off and brought it inside to thaw, then used a blow-dryer to warm up the spigot, which thankfully is now working again. So we have water--it's just not coming out of our faucets.

Don't tell T, but I have to confess that I secretly enjoy when things like this happen. It's a pain, sure, but somehow it's fun, too. I feel like we get to be creative and self-reliant, and work together as a team to solve the problem. When I was a kid, I loved it when the power would go out. We lived way out of town, so it was usually a long while before the electric company got to our neck of the woods to fix the power lines, so we'd spend the whole evening in the dark, using candles and flashlights. We had a woodstove, so the house stayed warm. We had to be careful of opening the fridge or using water, but it was nothing catastrophic. We would all go sit in the living room, drinking tea and playing board games. TV suddenly wasn't an option. It was always very, very quiet, with the electrical noises gone. I always felt like it was a kind of special, almost magical time--all sitting together in the candlelight.

So when things like this happen, it tends to remind me of those times, and I couldn't help but smile a little when I turned on the faucet this morning and nothing came out. And then I saw Nina's face glued to the window with big eyes. I could almost hear her say, "C'mon mom, let's go play in the snow!!"

Congratulations Mollie!

My mom called last night to tell me that my sister is now engaged! It's not like it's a huge shock--I think we all were pretty sure he was the one--but still, it's very exciting and I'm very happy for her. I wonder how soon they will get married? It will be nice to have a family reunion. There are a lot of relatives I have not seen since in almost 10 years.

Congratulations Mollie. I love you! And congratulations to Mike too--welcome to our crazy (but loveable) family!

Immigration interview, next month

We got an email from our lawyer next week, stating that they had recieved notice from USCIS that our interview has been scheduled for January 22nd at 11am.

It was a little shocking, because we had expected to be waiting a few more months before hearing anything. But it's good. Things are moving along, and hopefully before long we will no longer have all this uncertainty hanging over our heads. We will actually be able to make long-term plans. Of course, I know that unexpected things happen all the time to ruin plans, and that shouldn't stop you from planning anything, but it's different when you are fully aware of something that could likely happen that would change all of your plans for the future. So I will be thankful when it's just back to the normal, "life is full of surprises" deal.

I feel like our prospects are good, and I'm very thankful that our lawyer will be with us during the interview--although it will cost us an arm and a leg because she charges $300/hour. Now, I'm sure part of that probably goes to her firm and everything, but even if 2/3rds of it goes to the firm, that's still $100/hour! I have a hard time wrapping my head around that. We have already spent over $6000 on her services since moving to WA, as she prepared T's application. Anyway, it's worth it, even though it means a little debt and no savings for us, because the alternative would be to greatly increase the odds that T will be permanently expelled from the United States.

After the interview, we will wait for a decision. Some people get granted their green cards right there at the interview, but it's highly unlikely that that will happen to us, because the case is complex. Last time, when we interviewed at the Anchorage office, it took about four months for them to mail us a decision. And their letter wasn't pretty. It said Teela had been denied his permanent residency and "must depart the United States." Later they sent a letter retracting that order, because they realized that he still had a valid work visa that had not yet expired. But not before we thoroughly freaked out, and started a mass letter-writing campaign.

I hope it's a little better this time, although there is more at stake now, because his work visa has expired, and he is not allowed any more extensions. This is the last chance. If the green card is denied, we go through court proceedings to contest the decision. If it comes to that, the judges decision is final, and there is no way to make a further appeal.

But, as I said before, I think our prospects our good. And if worse comes to worse, we will try for Canada. I think I would actually be pretty happy in BC. Whatever the decision will be, we will probably know by spring! Mostly I'm just tired of not knowing. Either way, it will be nice to have a decision, and move on with life.

have you given up on this blog yet?

I won't blame anyone who was. But you haven't, so thank you!

Lately I have been involved in some really fun activities. First, I got back into ballroom dancing after 5 years. Took a 6-week salsa class and remembered how much I love it. T's younger sister has been living with us while she attends Skagit Community College, and she took the class with me. We've also gone out a couple of times to dance. We are tonight actually. They have "salsa night" at a bar called Hot Shots every Wednesday night. There are some college guys who come and are really good dancers, which makes it really fun.

Also, on Monday I started Marimba lessons. It's Zimbabwe style marimbas and I really enjoyed my first session. I was first introduced to it when my mom took me to a rehearsal of the group she is a part of, and I fell in love with the sound. It's kind of like a giant xylophone. There are like 6 or 7 different types (bass, baritone, soprano, etc.) and when they are all played together it sounds really awsome. The lessons are a bit pricey, but my mom (thank you!) paid for them as an early Christmas gift. I LOVE being involved in a musical group again. I think it's something I really need in my life. And these marimbas are just great, friendly instruments. They aren't intimidating like a violin or guitar. Mostly you just have to be able to learn by ear and have a good sense of rhythm.

I'll write more later.

girls road trip

Back in early August, Tiff and I took a road trip to the Oregon Coast. The four of us drove to Portland together, then went our separate ways. Chris went camping with his dad & brothers, T stayed with Mike & Vicki, and Tiff and I headed West. We stayed at the Seaside International Hostel, and took day trips to Canon Beach and Astoria.

It was a great trip. It was fun to have a little break and do things our way--we got to do things our husbands never would've gone for, like watching a super girly movie at the theater, watching cute boys play volyball, and fulfilling one of my forgotten childhood dreams:

I made the picture very small so it's less embarrassing. But it was really fun. When I was little, there was an "old time" photo studio on the Homer spit, and I always wanted to do it, but my parents thought it was silly and expensive (which it is...). So a couple of months ago I finally got to do it.

We also did some great exploring and sightseeing. I was thrilled to be traveling with someone who is as enthusiastic about self portraits as I am. We must've looked a little pitiful taking them, because many passersby offered to take a picture for us. Sometimes we accepted, sometimes we didn't.

You might wonder why I would post such an awful picture of myself, but I just had to because it cracks me up everytime I look at it. What makes it so funny is that I was NOT making a face on purpose! This was a test shot to see if we'd be able to get haystack rock in the background (and turned out to be the only shot that did). That's just my 'the-sky-is-brigh-and-I'm-concentrating' face. I wonder how many times per day I make that face without realizing it!

Here's a few *slightly* better shots:

the hybrid

our backyard

more pics of the house

It gets cluttered easily because it's small... and we have too much stuff.

our home

Here it is. Isn't it lovely? Yes, that's a clothesline! (We don't have a washer/dryer and drying is expensive!) I love the way the trees filter the sunlight. Also, you may notice it's on a trailer with wheels. It's technically a "park model RV" but it's nothing like any RV I've seen before. I prefer to just call it a cabin. It's 400 sq. feet, so it's small, but it's plenty of room for the three of us, and it sits on 5 acres and has a big yard so we certainly don't feel cramped.

life in the woods

It's been two months since my last post, which is hard for me to believe because it feels like two weeks. Life has changed a lot since then as I knew it would, but I have very few complaints, except missing my friends and being scared to drive on the freeway. There is so much to catch up on, I know I won't be able to do it in one post, so I won't try. However I will try to start posting regularly again, and eventually fill in the gaps.

The place we are living in is idyllic. It is a little cabin nestled in the woods, which has always been my dream home. I had always imagined it being in Alaska, but I'm quickly learning to appreciate living a little bit further south. It's sunny nearly every day, I don't have to worry about bears, and, it's sunny nearly every day! This is temporary, however, so I'm trying not to get too attached to it. Besides, there are a few inconveniences here. One is that we have no washer/dryer so we have to use a laundromat (which is a bit pricey) and we also have to bring our own garbage to the dump, which is about 30 miles away, I think. Also I miss small-town Alaska because I don't really know how to function in a real town. I don't know how to drive with all these freeways, complex intersections, and one-way roads. I don't even really know how to be a safe pedestrian! But I spend most of my time at home anyway, since I am working from home. Whenever we go somewhere T drives. I'm slowly learning though.

Actually part of it is learning to drive our new car. We recently bought a Honda Civic Hybrid. We went to the dealership to "look" and came back the next day with a car. It all happened kind of fast. It's a big financial committment--but it sure is nice to have a car and not just the truck. It doesn't drive like my old Geo Prizm though. The dashboard is really big, so you can't see the front of your car, and the brakes and steering just feel strange to me. But it sure is fun having a hybrid, and it's definitely saving us gas money, and it's nice to know we aren't polluting quite as much.

I feel like I'm rambling, because I haven't written in so long.

Let's see, Thursday we are driving to SeaTac to pick up Chris and Tiff on our way to Oregon. Chris is spending time with his brothers, T is hanging out with Mike & Vicki, and Tiff and I will be spending three nights at a hostel on the coast, just exploring and having fun. I'm really looking forward to it, and the hostel looks like an amazing place. I will definitely take pictures.

Speaking of pictures, here are some pictures of our place:

(Actually, my internet connection got really slow, so I will upload the pictures later...)

nina's letter

I've started packing--a little--but we still have quite a bit to do. Here is my letter from Nina to prospective landlords who may be hesitant to accept dogs. I figured it couldn't hurt. :)

Hello,

My name is Nina. I am one year and three months old, and I weigh 60 pounds. My mom is a boxer, and I think my dad is too, but I’ve never met him so I don’t know for sure. My human parents rescued me from an animal shelter in Price, Utah when I was 8 weeks old. Somebody abandoned my mom, my siblings, and me on the doorstep of the shelter when we were only a few weeks old. My human parents read about me online, and called the shelter right away. Their good friend was already going to Utah to visit her grandmother, so she picked me up for them and we flew together all the way to Sitka, Alaska!

I love my human parents and they take very good care of me. They go for walks and play with me, pick up after me, take me to play with other dogs, and I even get to go to work with my human mom every day! I love being around people, especially kids. My human parents have taught me how to be nice and have good manners, and I would like to be a therapy dog when I grow up, because I love people so much, and would like to make them feel better when they are feeling lonely or sad.

I am very clean because I have short hair and I don’t like to get dirty. I also don’t bark much, only when somebody comes to our door or I hear a scary noise outside. I know that I am only allowed to chew on my toys (not the furniture), and I ring a bell when I need to go outside.

I am looking forward to finding a nice place to live and meeting lots of new friends in Washington. I know that sometimes people don’t want dogs to live on their property, but I hope that you would consider making an exception for me. My human parents are willing to put down a deposit or fee if you are worried that I might cause any damage, but I promise to be respectful of your property, maintain good manners, and be nice to the neighbors.

I look forward to meeting you soon.

Sincerely,
Nina

time warp

I'm so embarrassed that it's been over two months since I've posted! Thank you for your patience. It's been a busy two months, although I'm sure I could've written at least a few posts. I think part of the problem is that I tend to forget that I have a blog, and there's no visual cue to remind me to write in it (and you are all too polite to hound me about it). :) At least with a real journal you see it laying around and think "Oh, I should write something."

Well, we leave in three weeks! We decided on Bellingham, and I've been printing out craigslist ads by the dozen, but we aren't going to commit to any rentals until we can actually see them in person. Yesterday I reserved two nights at a campground near Bellingham (Larrabee State Park) where we will stay while we are looking at rentals. It's amazing how booked up places get--B&B's and hotels were either too expensive or unavailable for our dates, and even the campground only had a few spots left! But I was pretty thrilled when I found out I could view pictures of the available sites! After staying up way too late and putting far too much thought into it, I decided on site #51. The only negative comment was "above avg. vehicular traffic," but I figured that would be better than "excessive train noise." Here's our site:

Site Description:
Site:51
Type:Standard Campsite
Size:Medium
Maximum Equipment:Van/Camper
Maximum Capacity:8 People
Site Pictures:click here to open in a new window
quality:average
privacy:average
shade/sun:full shade
useable site length (ft):35
useable site width (ft):36
conditions:above avg. vehicular traffic
conditions:corner site
pad location:back in
pad maneuverability:good
pad surface:gravel
campstove/firepit:yes
ground cover:soil
tent area type:restricted
number of tent areas:one
tent area 1 length (ft):10
tent area 1 width (ft):12
tent area 1 surface:soil

lost entry

I just wrote a long blog entry and lost it when I tried to publish it. My internet connection has been spotty today. And now I don't have the time or energy to rewrite it. I wrote about Nina's first birthday, buying ferry tickets to Bellingham, the murders that happened accross the street from us, and the bread I'm baking today. Next time I'll write it as a word document befor I publish it. Sorry for the brief replacement. I'll try writing again later.

New haircut

Wow, I didn't realize how long it's been since I posted--almost a month. My goal was once a week, but I have been busier than usual these last couple of weeks. My co-worker and I put on a training last Thursday for all of the clinicians and case managers regarding the treatment planning process. It probably isn't that interesting to those of you not involved in this line of work, so I'll spare you the details, but of course putting on any type of training takes a lot of preparation and is especially stressful for introverts like myself who like to shy away from public speaking. It really wasn't bad though, I'm just trying to think of excuses to back up my claim that I've been "busier than usual."

I got a haircut yesterday. I hate spending money on something so impermanent, but I can't cut it myself (believe me, I've tried!) and I can't seem to let it grow long enough to get it into a ponytail, so I think I'm stuck with short hair forever, and paying lots of money to salons. I used to always go to the Aveda salon because they use all-natural products, but last time I went my haircut cost me over $80! Just for a haircut--no highlights or anything extra. So this time I branched out and went to a place called "The Beauty Shop." The girl who cut my hair couldn't have been older than me--she had a tattoo on her arm of three stars colored red, green, and blue and had lots of bracelets. She cut my hair and then slathered it in scented products, followed by a blow-dryer and straight-iron. It was way over-styled for my taste and I felt self-conscious the rest of the work-day, but once I had a chance to wash all of that junk out of my hair I've decided I like the haircut. And it only cost me $40, including a tip.

In more important news, Teela and I have decided that our move to Washington will take place at the end of June. I'm still trying to sell him on Bellingham, but haven't succeeded yet. Thankfully, we don't have to look for jobs because I'll be keeping mine (working remotely from home in WA) and T won't be eligible to work for about three months anyway. All we have to find is a decent place to rent that will allow a dog. Preferably someplace comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, since we'll be spending an awful lot of time at home. I'd also love to get a place with a fenced yard, so Nina can spend more time outdoors. But obviously it's still too early to look for a place. We'll have to wait at least until May.

I can't think of much else to mention. I participated in the democratic caucus here, which was an exciting experience. The turnout was so high that we definitely violated the fire code, and there were so many Obama supporters they couldn't do an accurate head count so they had everyone hand in their cards to be counted. It was very inspiring to see so many people feeling hopeful about about the future. I don't mean for this blog to be political, but I also don't feel the need to hide my views. I'm really excited about this election--I'm really looking forward to the possibility of a president who's speeches are worth listening to. A goal of mine is to become much more informed and aware. I'm terrible at keeping up with the news and it makes me feel irresponsible. I try to at least listen to the morning news on our local radio station.

I promise to post again soon. Best wishes to all my family and friends!

Love,
Leeann

That can't be comfortable

nina begins her modeling career

This is the scarf I knit for my sister's 30th birthday. I did a simple but fun pattern where on one row you do a YO in-between each sitich, then on the next row you knit, slipping all of the YO's off of the needle. The effect is a meshy, fishnet kind of thing. I used one skein of black baby alpaca yarn which is very soft. It probably could've been a little longer, but I didn't want to use a new skein just for a couple of inches, and I wanted to get it sent on-time. Nina stole the scarf once, but I managed to get it back before she'd done any damage. I finished her sweater recently but it didn't really turn out. It's not well shaped and it's too small. I'm already starting another one. This will be my third attempt at knitting a sweater for my dog. How hard can it really be??

new frames

new glasses

Okay, this post is going to seem vain, but today I got a new pair of glasses and that's what is on my mind. I've had the same frames for about 3 years, so I was actually looking forward to something different--the problem is, it's very difficult to pick out frames when your eyesight is incredibly poor and you don't wear contact lenses. I can try them on, but I can't see what they look like on me! Anyway, I didn't have a friend to help me out this time, so I'm a bit disappointed with what I picked out. I was wanting to get some of those skinnier, thick-rimmed frames, but they all looked silly on me, plus you only have a small wedge of lense to see through and all of your periferal vision is blurry. So I got some rectangular, black-rimmed frames that I thought were nice...but now that I have them with prescription lenses, they just look too big and rectangular. I don't think I like them. I know this seems very trivial, but I have to wear my glasses every day, all day. I can't function at all without them, so when I get new frames it's kind of like getting a big permanent tattoo etched around my eyes (except less painful!). On top of that, they were over $200, just for the frames. And all the frames were about that expensive.

I'm sure I'll get used to them, but it's the same feeling as when you get a bad haircut. You just gotta live with it until it's time to get it cut again. Actually, I do need a haircut soon, too...

stitch 'n ...

A couple of days ago I was picking my friend up from the library and I decided to see what knitting books were available there. The first few I saw looked outdated...very 80's and not my style at all. Another one was all afghans (yeah right like I have the patience for that!). But then I came across the two "Stitch 'N Bitch" books, which I had seen before at the knitting shop. I was super excited because they both have some great patterns and advice...although some of the patterns are a bit "out-there" for me...such as this one:

And this one...

But the narrative is fun to read, the second book has a great guide on how to alter knitting patterns to be the way you want them, and I do like some of the patterns, like these:

Of course, before I start yet another knitting project, I'd better finish the my sweater, my dog's sweater, and the scarf.

knitted sushi

I just found the cutest knitting pattern in the whole world--knitted sushi. What else is there to say?

Update

This was one of many wonderful photos our friend Erin took of us for our Christmas card. I think it's my favorite of me and Teela, but Nina was a bit distracted and a little out of focus so this one didn't make the cut. It sure was a pretty day for a photo. We had about a week of gorgeous snowy wintry weather, and since then it's been ice, slush, rain, and wind. Sitka winters are very unpredictable.

I thought I would use this post to catch everyone up on what's going on in our lives (other than having the cutest puppy in the entire world).

Most of you already know that we've been having ongoing difficulties regarding Teela's immigration status, but I wanted to clarify what our current situation is: T currently holds a "H-1B" work visa, which is classified as a "non-immigrant worker" status, however his final extension of that visa expires in June/July of this year, which means we must take some sort of action before that date or else he will be placed in removal proceedings. Our lawyers suggested last fall that the best course of action would be to relocate to Northwest Washington and reapply for permanent resident (green card) status through the Seattle office. They thought we would have a better chance at success through Seattle than we did in Anchorage two years ago when we first applied. So, although neither of us have a desire to move from Sitka, the general plan is to move down there this summer and stay as long as it takes to go through the application process. The lawyers estimate that it should only take a couple of months, but there is no way to know for sure with these things.

I have to admit, the thought of going through that dreadful interview process again gives me the chills, but I'm hoping that the experience we had in Anchorage was atypical, and I am also reassured by the knowledge that our lawyer will be accompanying us this time (he lives in Seattle), which will be tremendously helpful since Teela and I will both be very anxious. On the other hand, there is more at stake this time around--last time we applied we had Teela's valid H-1B visa to fall back on (although they tried to place him in removal proceedings anyway!) This time, his visa will have completely expired. The only thing allowing him to legally stay in the U.S. will be his pending application for permanent residency. If the application is denied, he will be immediately placed in removal proceedings, which means we will be given a court date and a judge will make the final decision as to whether or not he may remain in the U.S.

Neither of us like to think about it much, but it is a reality that we are both very aware of. It's a ceiling looming overhead that prevents us from making any definite long-term plans. So although this renewed application and relocation to Washington will be stressful, I'm glad that we will finally have a chance to get some resolution in this matter. If we are not going to be able to live in the U.S., the sooner we know that, the better. That way we can figure out where we will live and begin to establish a new life there. And if they do approve the application, we can finally let go of this issue once and for all, which is what I see as the most likely outcome.

I will keep everyone updated as we begin to make more definite plans for the move to Washington. Although we will miss our friends in Sitka, I think it will be a good opportunity to spend more time with Teela's family and also have some adventures in a new place. Some towns I have been considering are Port Townsend and Bellingham, mostly because I have heard that they are fun places to live and are not too big.

natural habitat

This photo is for Rebecca. She encouraged me to take pictures of random objects around the house instead of waiting for something special to take a picture of. T bought three of these interlocking wooden monkeys from Tribal Designs when they were in town. We originally had them hanging in a row from the ceiling, but they kept falling so I gave them each a perch on the ficus. I think they're much happier there, and the ficus enjoys the company.

sleepy puppy

Nina sleeps in a kennel at night, but we usually let her cuddle on the bed for a few minutes in the morning. She goes under the covers just like a cat and curls up. Eventually she gets too hot, so she goes down to the end of the bed and sticks her head out to cool off. I know, I know she's way too spoiled, but how can you say no to such a cute face?

Flashback to Halloween

I just thought I'd post a picture of last year's Halloween costume for those of you who haven't seen it. We were the yip-yip martians from Sesame Street. It was really fun going to the Stardust Ball because we were mostly anonymous, but most people were able to recognize our characters. And in case you were wondering, my martian buddy was not Teela, it was my good friend TB. We won 2nd place in the costume contest! Teela and a few friends went as "Team Zissou" from The Life Aquatic.

Best Friends Forever!

These were some of the first pictures I took with our new digital camera that Nina gave us for Christmas (thanks Nina!) We took care of Nina's buddy, Cody, for two weeks around Christmas because his parents were traveling. He slept at his own house, but we brought him over in the evenings to hang out with Nina.

When these two first met, Nina was about the size of Cody's head. But now she's caught up enough to hold her own when they play. They played almost nonstop while he was over, and it looked a little vicious at times, but they never actually hurt each other and seemed to have a great time.