The Immigration Process, my wife is a Costa Rican citizen

5/28/20 22:11

My wife and I have been using ZOOM at night.  We start with WhatsApp, and soon switch to Zoom.  It gives us the ability to work and see one another.  The last time we were together was on March 7.  Covid was starting to take hold in different parts of the world.  I wore a mask at the airport in Mexico City, and yet it seemed the virus was a distant threat.  The same attitude some world leaders regrettably took.  I have permission to work in Mexico City, to be with my wife, but the hospitals in Mexico are not prepared for this crisis.  It may not be a good time to travel there.   Do I want to risk it? There are travel restrictions, essential personal is allowed entry, not tourists.  After checking more details on-line, the restrictions are meant to curtail land entry, but not air.  Maybe in a couple of weeks?  I’ll talk with Meli about this tonight.

The visa process has been on-hold.  Due in part to the government agencies had been closed. 

But honestly, it has been difficult to dedicate time to this process.  One factor may be the way we have led our long distant relationship for these past two years. Things are not that different, although we are married.  It’s the same.  Each day, we wait; it’s another day longer in the process.  It’s that simple. 

Last night, Meli and I discussed structuring our time more effectively.  Which includes making time for the visa process.

Taking action has been my theme for the last few weeks.  Whatever action that may include, family, work, visa, exercise, program, meditation.  I need to take the time.  If I take the time and accomplish my tasks, I will meet my goals.  Sounds simple. 

So, how about it?  I am going to keep a record of what we need to do to accomplish this.  The first task has been completed, contacting Catholic Charities in Allentown who are assisting in the process, check.  Completed.  They asked if I obtained the necessary documents. No check there.  Not yet.  So we are back to square one.

Order my birth certificate from the town, which I was told is easy enough.  I will do this today.

Order proof of my divorce, I tried to go through Suffolk Country offices web site, but the offices were closed and there was not a link to process this request.  In the past, I needed to go to office in Riverhead, which is at the end of Long Island.  I needed the same official paperwork to get married in Costa Rica, and last November I drove out to the offices. I obtained and submitted – all originals to the lawyer who conducted our civil ceremony, my paperwork – our paperwork is stored in a government office in Costa Rica.  I am not getting them back.

Take a passport photo with a blue background?  I will double check on the blue.  I will take care of it this weekend at the local CVS. 

Both my wife and I have been busy at work and we are blessed to have our jobs.  We are both hard workers and now with this blog entry, it will serve as a record keeper, I will record our progress.  And this includes the effects of the Covid-19 virus.

Thank you for reading this.

Don't Let the sound of your own wheels drive you CRAZY.

12/31/14 16:08

This is the last entry for the year and it’s time to look back at what I wrote.  I wrote more  blog entries this year, thank you for reading some.  

For this entry, I wanted to capture my travels which for the most part were for work.  I am not complaining, but this year I spent more than 30 nights, maybe closer to 40 nights in a hotel room.  It’s the most for a single year.  Most of the trips were to Pennsylvania or Massachusetts for meetings, but I was out in California for a trade show and flew out to Illinois for another trade show.  There was a meeting in West Virginia.  I thought of John Denver as I drove across the barren West Virginia landscape; take me home, West Virginia.  Not for me, but I intend to get back there in 2015.  For vacation we went to Disney.  Wait a second; I’m sure these details bore you.  I am sorry.  The odd thing is feeling the need to travel. When I don’t travel at least every other week, I feel anxious. I need to get out on the road and get in front of clients.  For some of you it may be hard to imagine, leaving the comforts of home and of course leaving the company of my wife and children.  Yes, I miss them.  There are nights in an empty hotel room when I have a cold dinner which I ate hours before only to watch it wilt and become stale.  I have emails to work on.  The TV is playing ESPN or something from the History channel, but I try to get in some reading and writing while I have the time.  There is the need to prepare for the meetings as well. The room is still quiet without the sounds of my family.  The next morning I may run a couple of miles on the treadmill, buy a veggie breakfast and head back to my room.  And before you know it I am in the parking lot for my first appointment and debating if I should wait or go in fifteen minutes before the scheduled time.   After my meetings, I may head back to my room and answer the emails and call back those who left messages.  But, if I am lucky I can get back on the road and head home.  I discovered the secret passage called the Ocean Parkway which runs East to West and is located at the most Southern region on Long Island.  There are times when I can see over the sand dunes at Jones Beach and watch for a second or two as the mighty waves from the Atlantic crest and crash into the shore.  These are some the sites I like to see.  Well, the ocean and an open road as the radio is playing a song which was created for driving.  Eagles, Take it Easy…

Happy New Year’s and here is a salute to 2015 to the profound potential a New Year has in store for all of us.

Thank you for reading this.

At the airport in Pittsburgh and what challanges to face when attempting to rent a car

Pittsburgh 7/21/10
I’m at the airport waiting for my flight. I arrived yesterday and should have known something was up. My driver’s license expired. It expired last October, and once before, maybe when I left Baltimore last month the TSA agent pointed it out in Baltimore and yesterday morning at Islip, but said it’s still valid under their policies. Fine. I filed it way. I didn’t renew it. Why? You can’t rent a car without a valid license. I tried to get a car with Hertz, but it wasn’t happening. The woman behind the counter said, you can try to reach DMV and they can fax us something. I looked at her and shook my head. Dealing with New York’s DMV is like pulling teeth, waiting to wait and more frustrating than needs to be. I called Ali, after a feeble attempt at renting from Dollar (Hertz said in a whisper, Dollar may rent a car to you) It wasn’t happening. Thank God for out agent here, who arranged to get me picked up and made my appointments. In fact, I made it to the Pirates game last night. When I walked to the stadium I asked for one ticket, the attendant asked, where do you want to sit? Where’s your best seat? There was a pause, and he said how would you like to be next to the dugout? Thirty five dollars. Last night I sat in the best seats I ever sat before. I don’t think I’d sit that close again! There was only one row in front of me. The players for the Brewers were mere feet in front of us, and I know they heard these little shit bag kids who taunted them. The Pirates won. I had a chance to tell Willie Randolph, thanks for your years in New York. He nodded his head and sort of tipped his finger on his cap. Walked back to the hotel and spoke to Dennis for awhile before drifting off to sleep. I’m back at the airport and sitting here in an empty terminal as jets zip off the runways before silence returns in this empty place.