Woo freakin' hoo!

Ok - we finally have an officially official wedding date! I met with wonderful Fr. Mąka, and we booked things really and truly on the church calendar for September 30th!

Tomorrow I have a meeting with the manager of where the luncheon will be to talk the cold hard cash conversation, and see what our measly little budget will actually buy us, and our little guest list of 60.

My good friend at work has offered to take photos at the wedding for us - that is saving us about $1,000, so that is very exciting!!

Let's see - what else - we have decided to not have the Hodgebeast and Suzi on the wedding cake, not only would this be disgusting, but they may wish to take over the reception and would not be able to pay the bill. It could be quite embarassing.

Mom and I are in constant communication over the tiny details, as is expected, and Simon just sits back and wishes the whole thing were over and we were just married with no annoying party and fuss.

So now, with about five months left, we can finally pull all the little pieces together with a date in hand.

I'll be glad myself when it's all over actually, and we can come to some sort of normalcy in our life. After the wedding though comes more immigration "stuff" - how fun!! :-)

Stay tuned....more to come as we move closer to the big move date of September 1st!

~Liza

Another anniversary...

Somehow, today is more precious than the one before. One year ago, after Easter Vigil, Simon went down on one knee and asked me to marry him. This year, I sit writing this before I leave for this year's vigil, without him.

Only 168 days and he will make good on that promise.

I don't think I will ever go to Easter Vigil again without that memory of him in front of me with a ring in his hand.

There are anniversaries, and then there are moments in time that stay with us forever. One is a date, one changes our lives. I will always remember us in Church after mass, then back at THE PAD getting smashed till all hours of the morning in our own little celebration.

I love you Simon! No more anniversaries alone, ok?

~Liza

I PHYSICALLY have a visa

Behold!

I have a visa

See, I would try some witty sort of comment for the post title; such as "There are some things money can't buy . . . for everything else there's Visa" but if that were true then the US Govt. would not ban bribery. It would encourage it an ineffecutal and a good means of supplementing income.

I have a visa.

I went down to London today and got a visa - it was a surprisingly simple process. I managed to get to Grosvenor Square without any problems, and spoke with a nice policeman armed with an H&K MP5 . . . there was a lot of iron around there, let me tell you. Security = the max.

I have a visa.

Anyway, after standing in the 1030 queue for about 45 minutes and chatting with a pair of girls called Clare and Vicki (Clare was going for a family visa so she could go live with her dad Florida, and Vicki was moral support), Clare and I went into the embassy, leaving Vicki outside in Gosvenor Square. Where it was cold.

I have a visa.

We then each got given a ticket with a number on it - mine is 023.

I am not a number - I am a free-man!

Although obviously not quite as free as some, given the fact I had to prove an attachment to Liza.

I have a visa.

Right. Clare was then called forward after about an hour or so. I then waited another 20 minutes - despite her being number 22! - and then got called forward.

Documents were handed in, simple questions were asked. Very business like.

I have a visa.

Then I was told to go sit down again and wait for my number to be called for the interview proper. Which I did, next to Clare.

For two freaking hours!!

And then, the interview comes! I am asked the following questions;

"Could you place your left index finger on the scanner?" (answer : yes)

"Could you place your right index finger on the scanner?" (answer : yes)

"Could you raise your right hand and swear or avow that all answers you will give will be the truth?" (answer : yes)

"Where did you meet Liza?" (answer : On a Catholic message board while I was looking for information on how to apply to become a Priest.)

The response was stunned silence and the words "Okay, you'll get your visa in a few days."

That's it?

I asked, "That's it?" I was answered, "Oh, no."

"Ah," thinks I, "here comes the questioning - a sort of false-sense of security has been built up! Clever!"

"Oh, no - you have to tell the couriers where to send it. Have a nice day."

So . . . I did.

You know what this is? It's anticlimactic. It's bloody unfair. Clare and Vicki and I went and had lunch to celebrate, but even that failed to make it seem as exciting as it should.

Still . . . .

I HAVE A VISA!!!

(Note to the Catholics - I wanted to go to this Church which is near the US Embassy for the 1305 Mass, but I was in the US Embassy then, and the next Mass was 1800. I popped in there before I went in for the interview, and found a little shrine to St. Terese. Those of you who know which is Liza's home parish will appreciate this. So . . . the odd prayer of thanks to her for her intercession would be appreciated, as I was unable to go and assist at Mass.)

(I have a visa.)