Since my last post, the temperature has dropped. The past few mornings have hovered between 35-40 degrees. I hate cold weather.
I noticed my last post was titled "Defeated" in reference to UA football. Since then we had won all games with all analysts saying Bama controlled their own destiny. Meaning, if Bama won all games they still had a good chance to go to the National Championship game. However, Saturday we played LSU and they beat us. Our hopes are dashed. I think Tide Guy and I will probably fore go any bowl game this year and take a last minute cruise if we can get a good deal.
Our paperwork from our agency should be on its way to USCIS today and we should receive fingerprint appointments soon.
Yesterday was our niece's 4th birthday party. The kids played on swing sets, the trampoline, riding toys, sidewalk chalk, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, darts, and several yard games. Kids were everywhere and they all had a blast. It was complete chaos with the present opening. Lets just say I think most of the kids had a hand in ripping paper or pulling ribbons! But, seeing the kids with icing all over their faces was priceless.
Tide Guy has interviewed and applied for other jobs. His program is in severe jeopardy, most of which is due to the current administration. Election day was last week and the Republican party was hugely successful in replacing many national, state, and local seats. In fact, all Democratic incumbents with opposition lost in our county.
Gas prices are on the rise and are about $2.69 per gallon.
That is all for now.
Tide Gal
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Defeated
Tide Guy & I traveled with the Tide to Columbia, SC. They beat us. All the experts predicted Bama would win, but would have to struggle. They were half right and half wrong. We lost, but did struggle. Bama played horribly and South Carolina capitalized on all of our mistakes. This was our first regular season loss since 2007. The South Carolina fans are not good winners. Well, actually, the adult fans are not good winners. The students were whooping and hollering like they should. The adults (age above 35) yelled and screamed obscenities at the Bama fans. No class....at least from the adults. Disappointing.
On an up note, we met Verne Lund*quist (CBS college football commentator) at our hotel. We talked to him three different days. He was the nicest guy and talked to us for a long time each day.
Via UPS, we mailed in all of our paperwork except for the completed home study on Thursday, October 7th, 2010. Of course, our deadline was October 10, which was a Sunday and Monday (the next day) is a holiday. We barely made it.....again. Our home home study still isn't complete, but we included a letter stating it would be in the mail soon. Maybe in 18 months, we will not wait til the last minute again. Maybe in 18 months, we will be very close to referral?? I doubt it.
Fall is here. At least on the calendar. We still have temperatures in the high 90s. The mums are blooming and will probably be dried up and dead by the end of the month.
Lots to do today. I am still unpacking from South Carolina. I dropped Tide Guy off at the airport on the way home from SC, but am picking him up at another airport Wednesday. We are going to see Carrie Underwood and spending the night in Nashville. We will be home Thursday, but will leave again Friday for a weekend in Tuscaloosa for Bama's homecoming game.
More later,
Tide Gal
On an up note, we met Verne Lund*quist (CBS college football commentator) at our hotel. We talked to him three different days. He was the nicest guy and talked to us for a long time each day.
Via UPS, we mailed in all of our paperwork except for the completed home study on Thursday, October 7th, 2010. Of course, our deadline was October 10, which was a Sunday and Monday (the next day) is a holiday. We barely made it.....again. Our home home study still isn't complete, but we included a letter stating it would be in the mail soon. Maybe in 18 months, we will not wait til the last minute again. Maybe in 18 months, we will be very close to referral?? I doubt it.
Fall is here. At least on the calendar. We still have temperatures in the high 90s. The mums are blooming and will probably be dried up and dead by the end of the month.
Lots to do today. I am still unpacking from South Carolina. I dropped Tide Guy off at the airport on the way home from SC, but am picking him up at another airport Wednesday. We are going to see Carrie Underwood and spending the night in Nashville. We will be home Thursday, but will leave again Friday for a weekend in Tuscaloosa for Bama's homecoming game.
More later,
Tide Gal
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Referrals Slow Down, AGAIN
Bama beat Arkansas. Barely, but we won. It was a great come from behind win, but it was scary.
In the last post, I mentioned that China was slowing down the number of referrals. It appears that is a correct statement as it seems only 3 days were referred this batch. That number should be confirmed within a day or two. A huge difference from the 2 weeks referral a few months ago. Ugh. If the two weeks trend continued, more babies would be brought home, the "line" would move faster, and we would travel to China much quicker. A 3 day referral slows us down tremendously.
The weather is cooling down and fall weather seems to be right around the corner. It is time to find mums and pumpkins.
Roll Tide,
Tide Gal
In the last post, I mentioned that China was slowing down the number of referrals. It appears that is a correct statement as it seems only 3 days were referred this batch. That number should be confirmed within a day or two. A huge difference from the 2 weeks referral a few months ago. Ugh. If the two weeks trend continued, more babies would be brought home, the "line" would move faster, and we would travel to China much quicker. A 3 day referral slows us down tremendously.
The weather is cooling down and fall weather seems to be right around the corner. It is time to find mums and pumpkins.
Roll Tide,
Tide Gal
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Boys of Fall and Paperwork
Well, it is a rainy day here in Alabama. I'm glad that Bama plays Arkansas away today, so we don't have to travel to Tuscaloosa or sit for the game in the rain. There is a lot of hoopla surrounding this game because of Arkansas's quarterback. I think he is good, but "the experts" are saying Bama will still beat Arkansas. Of course, I think they are right.
In the adoption world, after a few months of positive referrals, China is back to it's old tricks. Right now, we are all waiting and there is no word this month. Some have speculated they are close to their quota this year, so they have to back off. Who knows.
We are through with our home study and our agency has all of our paperwork. Right now we are just waiting on clearances, then we can do our fingerprinting and submit the rest of our paperwork. We have to submit copies of various things like marriage license, driver's license, and birth certificates. Eighteen months ago I made several copies of everything so all we had to do was organize them. Of course we've moved since then and things have been misplaced. Yesterday, I finally found the copies and I just need to double check the list.
In the adoption world, after a few months of positive referrals, China is back to it's old tricks. Right now, we are all waiting and there is no word this month. Some have speculated they are close to their quota this year, so they have to back off. Who knows.
We are through with our home study and our agency has all of our paperwork. Right now we are just waiting on clearances, then we can do our fingerprinting and submit the rest of our paperwork. We have to submit copies of various things like marriage license, driver's license, and birth certificates. Eighteen months ago I made several copies of everything so all we had to do was organize them. Of course we've moved since then and things have been misplaced. Yesterday, I finally found the copies and I just need to double check the list.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Here we go!!!
We have officially started our home study process. Yesterday, the social worker came to update our paperwork. Since this was our third visit, she completed her questions in a matter of a few minutes. Then, she walked through our new house. Done. Easy peezy. We did ask some questions about domestic adoption which we will probably consider and do quickly. Once she writes her update, this portion of the home study will be complete. It will then be mailed to USCIS with other paperwork and we should receive our fingerprint appointments soon.
It seems like China had a few good months as far as the number of referrals. But, we should have heard something this month and there are no rumors floating around. So, they may be slowing down again. Speculation is China is close to the quota of referrals and they are slowing down so they don't refer too many. We may never know.
In football, Alabama is now 3-0, but we play our first SEC game against Arkansas on Saturday. Since it is an away game, we will stay home and watch it in our media room.
It seems like China had a few good months as far as the number of referrals. But, we should have heard something this month and there are no rumors floating around. So, they may be slowing down again. Speculation is China is close to the quota of referrals and they are slowing down so they don't refer too many. We may never know.
In football, Alabama is now 3-0, but we play our first SEC game against Arkansas on Saturday. Since it is an away game, we will stay home and watch it in our media room.
Friday, September 10, 2010
September 11 and Football
Tomorrow is September 11. A preacher in Florida has stated he will burn a copy of the Koran tomorrow in protest of the Mosque being built at Ground Zero. This statement has fueled a massive debate from Muslims across the world. There have been threats for massive destruction in our country if this happens. The FBI has stated they have are concerned with the safety of our citizens. The President has gotten involved by stating the book should not be burned. What a mess.
We went to the first Bama game of the season last weekend. We played San Jose State and easily won. We have a big game tomorrow against Penn State. Everyone, including the media, is very excited about this game. We have ESPN game day in Tuscaloosa.....AGAIN!!
Well, we are almost at our 3 year LID anniversary and it is time to renew our paperwork again. Our agency sent us the paperwork a while back and I filled out some papers and had them in the mail on Tuesday. Our medical was done this week and Mike will have to fill out the financial form this weekend and we will get them in the mail by Monday. Our home study is scheduled for September 20. I really would like to have it earlier, but with Tide Guy working out of town so much, that is the earliest we can get an appointment. Oh, well. I really want to avoid the stress of waiting till the last minute. And the problems we had the last time. That was not fun.
BP has stayed out of the news for a while. It seems the leak has stopped and clean up continues on the beaches and marshes.
Gas is down to around $2.43.
On with the football weekend!!
Tide Gal
We went to the first Bama game of the season last weekend. We played San Jose State and easily won. We have a big game tomorrow against Penn State. Everyone, including the media, is very excited about this game. We have ESPN game day in Tuscaloosa.....AGAIN!!
Well, we are almost at our 3 year LID anniversary and it is time to renew our paperwork again. Our agency sent us the paperwork a while back and I filled out some papers and had them in the mail on Tuesday. Our medical was done this week and Mike will have to fill out the financial form this weekend and we will get them in the mail by Monday. Our home study is scheduled for September 20. I really would like to have it earlier, but with Tide Guy working out of town so much, that is the earliest we can get an appointment. Oh, well. I really want to avoid the stress of waiting till the last minute. And the problems we had the last time. That was not fun.
BP has stayed out of the news for a while. It seems the leak has stopped and clean up continues on the beaches and marshes.
Gas is down to around $2.43.
On with the football weekend!!
Tide Gal
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Playing Catch Up...Again
So much is happening that I cannot keep this blog updated. And, to make matters worse, my computer crashed and my Internet explorer has disappeared. It has been more than a month. So far, Tide Guy hasn't had time to fix it.
We had a blast in New York City. We saw Jersey Boys, which was wonderful. The musical is based on Frankie Valli & The Four Season's career. Ah, the music was fabulous and the show was spectacular. Afterwards, we were able to get tickets at TKTS for Momma Mia and saw that two hours later. It was great, too. All the great 70s Abba music was just wonderful.
We also walked through Chinatown and Italy. We ate some wonderful hand-pulled noodles in Chinatown and some tasty gelato in Little Italy. Yum.
We've also spent a long weekend at the Marriott's Starr Pass in Tucson, AZ which is always relaxing.
We filed a complaint with the company that sold us our deck materials. The deck has faded, shrunk, boards have broken, all boards are wavy, and it looks terrible and is potentially dangerous. All in less than a year. After several e-mails, we were refunded the full cost of the materials. Now, we have to decide on a new decking material, pull up the defective boards, and install something else. Our hot tub is also on this material, so that should be fun.
Our 3 1/2 year old niece started preschool yesterday. No one knows if she likes it because she just won't talk about it. She is hilarious.....and very stubborn. But, she is so cute and lovely, we all easily forgive her for that.
This summer has been one of the hottest in history. It has been in the upper 90s and low 100s for several weeks. The gardens have suffered and farmers are hoping for rain.
Football starts in a few weeks and we are looking forward to the season. The season should be a good one for Alabama again this year. We have rooms reserved in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game and in Phoenix for the National Championship game. Hopefully, we will be at both.
In national news, BP's attempt to stop the oil leak seems to be working. They pumped mud and concrete into the pipe to permanently stop the leak. Now, the attempt to redirect the intake of oil is on. They are drilling two pipes beside the original pipe. Now, they are trying to get the oil off the beaches that has settled into the sand. Tests are also being done on seafood in the ocean to determine if it is safe to eat.
Gas prices seem to be going up and down a lot. Anywhere from $2.56-$2.69 a gallon.
A group of Muslims have requested to build a mosque beside the site of Ground Zero in New York City. The president has attempted to support this request, but, due to the backlash, he has tried to "correct" his statement. Now, he says that he only supports their right to build a mosque, not that he supports the actual building of a mosque. Most Americans think this is a slap in the face from Muslims. Many Democrats are now avoiding the issue or not supporting it. I guess it is a good thing this is an election year.
More later,
Tide Gal
We had a blast in New York City. We saw Jersey Boys, which was wonderful. The musical is based on Frankie Valli & The Four Season's career. Ah, the music was fabulous and the show was spectacular. Afterwards, we were able to get tickets at TKTS for Momma Mia and saw that two hours later. It was great, too. All the great 70s Abba music was just wonderful.
We also walked through Chinatown and Italy. We ate some wonderful hand-pulled noodles in Chinatown and some tasty gelato in Little Italy. Yum.
We've also spent a long weekend at the Marriott's Starr Pass in Tucson, AZ which is always relaxing.
We filed a complaint with the company that sold us our deck materials. The deck has faded, shrunk, boards have broken, all boards are wavy, and it looks terrible and is potentially dangerous. All in less than a year. After several e-mails, we were refunded the full cost of the materials. Now, we have to decide on a new decking material, pull up the defective boards, and install something else. Our hot tub is also on this material, so that should be fun.
Our 3 1/2 year old niece started preschool yesterday. No one knows if she likes it because she just won't talk about it. She is hilarious.....and very stubborn. But, she is so cute and lovely, we all easily forgive her for that.
This summer has been one of the hottest in history. It has been in the upper 90s and low 100s for several weeks. The gardens have suffered and farmers are hoping for rain.
Football starts in a few weeks and we are looking forward to the season. The season should be a good one for Alabama again this year. We have rooms reserved in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game and in Phoenix for the National Championship game. Hopefully, we will be at both.
In national news, BP's attempt to stop the oil leak seems to be working. They pumped mud and concrete into the pipe to permanently stop the leak. Now, the attempt to redirect the intake of oil is on. They are drilling two pipes beside the original pipe. Now, they are trying to get the oil off the beaches that has settled into the sand. Tests are also being done on seafood in the ocean to determine if it is safe to eat.
Gas prices seem to be going up and down a lot. Anywhere from $2.56-$2.69 a gallon.
A group of Muslims have requested to build a mosque beside the site of Ground Zero in New York City. The president has attempted to support this request, but, due to the backlash, he has tried to "correct" his statement. Now, he says that he only supports their right to build a mosque, not that he supports the actual building of a mosque. Most Americans think this is a slap in the face from Muslims. Many Democrats are now avoiding the issue or not supporting it. I guess it is a good thing this is an election year.
More later,
Tide Gal
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