Well, after all the rigmarole with the INS and waiting for processing time, reapplying, etc etc, guess what? The wedding date approaches… NO VISA. That’s right. I can’t legally marry my fiance on the date we had planned. Can you say ‘Huh?’.
This is despite the fact that we applied for the visa back in Jan 2002 and it’s only supposed to take 1-3 months processing time. Thank you, Texas Service Center. (Ginger, I envy you.)
So, I tell myself, don’t worry about the visa now, we will have a ‘commitment’ type ceremony with the friends and family there to celebrate and party down, but no legally binding documents signed. Thus, we will be married in the eyes of God and man, but not in the eyes of Uncle Sam. Simple, right? RIGHT.
As we race down to the wonderous border crossing at St. Stephen, NB, with my honking big wedding dress in the back seat, I am told that I will not be allowed to enter the country on the basis that 1. I’m planning on being ‘married’ even though it is not going to be a legally binding ceremoney and 2. they can’t find my K1 visa. My best friend then carries me out of the customs office.
Long story short and with no further details given, I make it into the wonderful US of A. Rush about for a week planning things and paying people for services rendered. Motoring about on the lake, laying in the sun, picking leeches off my feet after swimming :eek: The wedding was perfect. Well, my dress’s strap snapped when I dipped my maid of honor and the bridesmaids tops were ALL too small (don’t ask how that happened) but other than that it was perfect.
Yesterday morning, my husband and I parted ways once again… he’s on his way back to Georgia and I am home in NB, Canada. Again, we wait for the INS to give us permission to marry… and in spite of it, I am blissfully happy. But tired. Very tired… another cup of orange-peach tea is on the way.
On a less satisfying note, does anyone know of a way to fix a modem that’s been lightning zapped? Got home and my USR 56k ext has become a paperweight - probably a thunderstorm. Sigh. Good thing I kept the old 28.8 around…
