Where to Begin?

It's going to take me a while to catch up and I don't know that I have the presence of mind... I guess the biggest news is that because P's law school - a part of the university with which I am employed - is an evil, inhumane bureaucracy, P is leaving for St. Paul on Wednesday morning at 5:40 am. Longer story short(er).

She delayed filing her intent to take a leave, waiting to hear about the job here. She didn't get the job here. She contacted the law school to see about taking a fall leave. We figured it made more sense, absent the job, to stay here until we were actually settled, and go back in the spring if she wanted to finish this year. A man I'll call Rick - the "p" is silent and thanks to Kate Clinton for that one - serves as a dean of sorts. It was his call that if she took the fall leave she would lose her roughly $12,000 scholarship. So, we decided that there was no way she could stay here - if she ever planned to finish - and give up the scholarship. The good news is that we had originally talked about the possibility, so we weren't completely unprepared. We just didn't anticipate that it would be with 7YO and me still living in temporary quarters and me with one fully functional limb, and that one with wrist arthritis.

So, 7YO and I will be here in Fredericton. Next week he's in camp again all week so I will have some time to play catch-up with a lot of hanging details, like my expense report from the Boston trip. The week after that he starts school. My birthday is the end of that week. Happy frickin' birthday. There is the possibility that we will be able to move in to the house, sans siding, the third week of September. Not holding my breath. Speaking of the house, I'll try to post an update on that soon.

So, as you might imagine, we've got a lot going on. We did go away this weekend, a previously planned birthday celebration for P. We took our first trip to Grand Manan Island. After a Friday of prep, we drove down to Blacks Harbour first thing Saturday morning - in the heaviest fog I've seen in years. To do so, we had to take what is allegedly the NB highway most frequented by moose. Unfortunately we saw evidence of that claim. I was glad that 7YO was snoozing when we passed two different moose who had met their demise on the highway. Scary and sad.

We took the 9:30 ferry, but, due to the fog, we saw nothing past the railing for the entire 90 minute trip. We arrived at North Head, Grand Manan around 11 am. Everything was enveloped in fog. We had talked to a local on the ferry and he had, delightfully, clued us in to the local bakery. We stopped and picked up warm doughnuts and other treats. We made our way to Castalia Marsh Retreat thinking we wouldn't be able to check in because it was so early. But, our host said, "It's ready, make yourselves at home."

We stayed in the "Birch Yurt." This was a great "in between" because, right now, my knees and shoulder would just, I'm sure, completely quit if I said, "Let me get my ThermaRest!" So, a camping cabin was a great alternative. Here are a couple of photos.

The "Birch Yurt" at Castalia Marsh Retreat, Grand Manan Island.

The view out the window, toward the marsh.

A few other snapshots...

The walk out to the Swallowtail lighthouse.

The "Hole in the Wall" formation.

We had great seafood and saw some beautiful scenery. 7YO enjoyed his "beachcombing" and "rockhounding." The Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station museum was also a hit. This morning, Monday, we stopped at the bakery en route to the 9:30 ferry, picking up some more warm doughnuts and a couple of loaves of bread made with organic ingredients from a New Brunswick farm. Yea - 100 mile diet qualified!

This time we were on the smaller boat. There was hardly a cloud in the sky. It was sunny and warm. A striking difference from Saturday. And, on the way back, several times we spotted harbour porpoises surfacing as they swam. Very cool. They often spot whales, but we did not.

We stopped in Blacks Harbour to pick up some sardines and at The Birch Grove in St. George for lunch - one more scallop burger, one more lobster roll... Then, we stopped in St. Andrews for one last visit - for the summer - to Katy's Cove. P and 7YO went for a swim while the pup - yes, our 9+ year old lab x spaniel made the trip with us - and I hung out in the shade. As you see, we opted for a leisurely return to Fredericton. Good thing. I'll save the story of the "too short joists" for another post on another blog.

All in all, Grand Manan is a great getaway if you enjoy nature, the water, hiking, relaxing, and seafood. If you've ever been to places like St. Andrews, NB or Ogunquit, ME or just about any place on Cape Cod, think of Grand Manan as the anti-resort. You won't find any fast food, neon lights, or tacky shops. There appears to be one gas station, one grocery store, one great bakery, and a handful of restaurants that you might miss if you're not looking. There are all kinds of hiking trails and several campgrounds, cottages, etc. You can go whale watching or kayaking, but that's pretty much it for "touristy" things. All in all, we give it a thumbs up. You just have to know what you're looking for in a vacation. One storekeeper I spoke with relocated there from Toronto and loves it. But, when her sister came to visit she couldn't wait to leave.

Off to bed - more as I gather the energy!

Just Busy

Hello, hello! I've not posted in a while - just busy, tired, traveling, etc. Stream of consciousness here... My knees and shoulder are just sucking any energy I might have right out of me. I was en route/in Boston from 31 July - 6 August. It was a good, but tiring, trip. P found out, while we were away, that she came in second for the job. That was a huge drag, but we're trying to operate on the "it's because there's something better yet to come" approach. The week we were gone there was record rainfall here. That translates to being another week behind on the build. And, it's rained almost every day since we returned. The good news is that we met with the builder for two hours yesterday and hammered out a lot of the details. We're pretty much on budget so that's great to know. Now if we could just get the damn thing built. Prompted by L-girl, I'm meeting with members of the Fredericton Peace Coalition on the 19th to see what they're up to; and in particular to encourage action re the resisters. 7YO has been a terror. Too much Scooby-Doo and Pokemon and not enough running around. Next week he's in camp 8:30-4:30. That should help. Before leaving for Boston we had coffee with two couples - one gay, one lesbian - and had a fabulous time. We've discovered two little organic shops right downtown. Very nice, indeed. That's about it for a quick update. I'm off to ice my knee. Hopefully this week I'll have the energy to post something a bit more coherent. Take care!

More fun!

Aside from the fact that I may have a stroke over the build - go here for that info - things are going great! We've had another busy week with swimming lessons, tutoring, touring, etc. Yesterday my mother (77YO) and I went up to Houlton, Maine to visit a woman who was my father's nanny around 1938-1942. What a hoot!

Tonight P and I are going to dinner at the home of the folks who just moved here from Montreal, P and S. And, 77YO offered to stay home with 7YO so that we could have "grown-up" conversation. Tomorrow is the beginning of the Highland Games in Fredericton. We'll go to the Tattoo in the evening and the competitions, music, etc., over the weekend. On Sunday we're going for coffee with two gay/lesbian couples in the neighborhood.

I am not kidding when I say we've met more people here than in the last several years back in Saint Paul. Seems like most folks we associated with there were from work. I am loving this.

The other big news is the P had the big job interview on Tuesday. Though she won't know until next Friday whether or not she'll get an offer, the good news is that she felt it went well and there wasn't anything she could have done differently. Thus, if she doesn't get it, she can honestly say there wasn't anything more she could have done and chalk it up to other things. We're really hopeful, but trying not to hold our collective breath.

I guess that's it. My knees and shoulder are still just horrific. But, I'm hobbling through. We got the letter saying that we have NB Medicare as of 1 September and I'm waiting for the orthopedic referral. Unfortunately - but at least I knew it before getting here - we may never get a family doctor. That's a bit frightening when it comes to preventive care for 7YO, but folks obviously make do.

F'ton rocks!

We Love Fredericton!

What a great weekend! Saturday morning began with clouds and drizzle, but the Fredericton Newcomers Club BBQ went on as planned. Within an hour the skies cleared and we had a gorgeous afternoon at Mactaquac. 7YO spent some time casting at the lake, played with other kids, and was introducted to a game of modified cricket. A majority, though not all, of the "newcomers" are from the UK. We chatted with a woman, A, whose son will be six in September and exchanged numbers. And, we met a woman whose 15YO is interested in babysitting. Score!

This morning A called and 7YO and I went to their place for lunch, followed by an afternoon at the Kingswood Family Entertainment Center. The boys played in the "climber," used up their tokens in the arcade, and played a line of candlepin. 7YO had an absolutely fabulous weekend which, after spending the past six weeks with his moms and grandma was just terrific! We also lined up the aforementioned babysitter so that the three grown-ups can go out to dinner before 77YO heads back to Arizona.

I also heard from one of the guys I met at the conference in May. He and his partner just arrived from Montreal, closed on their house, and are getting settled. And, he's finding himself surprised at how much he's liking Fredericton. We hope to get together with them later this week. So, this has been a great weekend for getting settled and meeting folks.

I've been meaning to post about our great kennel search. A few weeks back we spent the afternoon visiting kennels. The first one, unfortunately the closest to our house, was kind of scary. Very, very, very noisy and not all the cages - and they were cages - were connected to runs. Ugh. Then we stopped at a place that, in addition to being a vet's office, had a sign, "Pet Boarding." The [very nice] woman at the desk said, "Oh, they don't do that any more." On to the third stop. We really liked the owner and the fact that she can take only four dogs at a time, but she - not surprisingly - had no space for the weekend we needed.

We had heard about two women who were opening a kennel, but didn't have their names, etc. So, I contacted our realtor and she tracked down their information. Long story short. Although it's 9-10 km farther and $5/day more than the likable place, above, it's just terrific - especially for our sensitive guy.

Check out Foster's Home for Dogs here and here. This was the proprietor's dream. She and her partner bought the property so that they could do just this. They remodeled the garage into 8 separate "hotel rooms." Each room has a toddler bed and sleeping rug. Sounds a little over the top, I'm sure. But, it's great! There's a window in the front wall of each room where C can check on the "guest" without opening the door and unnecessarily exciting him/her. I wasn't so sure about the walled room v. the open wire, but I think it works. They get so much time playing outside that I don't think they end up feeling isolated.

When we went for a pre-board visit, C spent some time getting to know our pup, Boz. She took him for a walk and spent some time getting a sense of his personality, etc. We dropped him off the next morning and he spent two days there. When we returned to pick him up they gave us a montage of photos from his stay. What a hoot!

So, that's it. Tomorrow is Monday. We'll see what happens with the build. They're calling for clouds and showers all week. Fingers crossed, as always.

Reminder

I just thought I'd post a reminder that I'm putting photos of the house build here. Hopefully there will be some exciting additions by late next week!

In other news, today we went to Woodstock, New Brunswick's "first town," and Hartland, home of the world's longest covered bridge. Although it was overcast with an occasional drizzle, we went to the farm market in Woodstock and had a nice "home style" lunch at Kalijas Family Restaurant. For me this meant a hot pork sandwich on homemade bread with gravy, french fries, and coleslaw. No skimping on the calories this time! We then had a pleasant drive back on 105, via Mactaquac, Keswick Ridge, and through Douglas, where we checked out the work on the house.

Catch-Up

I've been really negligent about posting. Living in temporary quarters, having my mother with us, having knees and a shoulder that have given up and gone home, and major frustration with the house are taking their toll. But, while sitting here waiting for the builder to call, I thought I'd try to post a little something.

We've taken care of all of the "getting settled as PR" things. E.g., NB Medicare application and the car. A word about each... The Medicare app wasn't bad, but after submitting it we received a letter asking for photocopy of our PR cards, front and back; photocopy of our driver's licences and car registration; proof that we're living here (e.g., rental receipts, utility bills, etc.); copies of our Customs form for bringing our goods into Canada; and something else I can't recall at the moment. We don't have anything like rental receipts so I sent a copy of the deed to our land! Hopefully that is evidence enough of our intent to stay!

As for the car - that would have gone really smoothly except that, when I found out that we wouldn't need our driving records to obtain licences here, I didn't request them before leaving. Then, I found out that, yes, while we wouldn't need them for licences, we would need them to obtain car insurance. And, you have to have Canadian car insurance before getting tags. The good news - miracles of miracles - is that I sent the requests via Purolator to Minnesota, with a note asking that if they could possibly fax them directly to the insurance agent... Lo' and behold she had them within the week. I was shocked! So, we now - after the modifications of the car seat tether and day time running lights, federal and provincial inspections, and a minor repair to one wheel - have New Brunswick plates.

We've taken a quick trip to Halifax to take my mother to the tattoo, visited Peggy's Cove, Hopewell Rocks, St. Andrews by the Sea, the Ganong Chocolate Museum, etc. 7YO has been swimming almost daily and started weekly swimming lessons. We've lined up a tutor for twice weekly sessions for what's left of the summer. We've selected appliances. We've not been letting the dust settle around us, that's for sure. Last night P and I got to go out for a "grown-ups only" dinner, but we were so tired we went early and were home before 7! Ah, we're such party animals!

In other news - a word about health care. As you might recall, back in May I spent one day at the ER here in Fredericton. Now, under my excellent health care coverage in Minnesota - and I mean that seriously as in 13 years I've been very happy with the care and coverage I've received - the ER bill would, based on experience, probably have been around $800. What one would actually pay would vary, depending upon coverage. I just received the bill for my May visit. $231. Yup. Just as I thought. A not wholly unreasonable charge for being seen in the ER.

A 20 minute appointment with a doctor at the MN clinic is $220. Again, what you actually pay varies. Under my former coverage it would be a $30 co-pay. Under my current high deductible HSA it is about $158. I say "current" because I've kept my insurance since I'm not yet covered here and my employer pays for it. Last week I went to the after hours clinic here in F'ton - what you do when you don't yet have a family doctor. I had to pay $50 because I'm not yet covered by NB Medicare. It cracked me up that in MN that would have been a $30 co-pay or $157. I was essentially paying for an orthopedic referral, but that's what I would have to do in MN, too. So, is NB subsidizing the costs, even for those who don't have coverage? Or, are costs in the US ridiculously jacked up? Get this - when I went in for a 20 minute appointment, during which the physician gave me a cortisone injection, the bill was $220 for the "20 minute appointment" and $204 for his giving me the injection (plus the cost of the medication itself). Call me crazy, but that's like a lawyer saying, "I charge $200 an hour to see you and $100 if I take notes while we go over your complaint." Lawyers may have their issues, but an hour is an hour. I couldn't believe that I paid for the visit and separately for what he did during the visit! I guess I shouldn't be surprised... But, geez!

So, speaking of health care. My knees, one in particular, are still trashed. Bad. Wrecked. I actually think that they may have been put over the edge when I laid vinyl flooring - getting the house ready to sell - without knee pads. I remember standing up and thinking, "Oy!" But, time will tell.

That's the latest. I've written all that and still not heard from the builder. Time to make a phone call. Hope all is well with you and yours! More as it happens!

Wing Nuts and Other Morons

You may have noticed the deleted comments on a couple of posts. I was going to delete and ignore them, but I'm pissed.

Someone - I believe the username was something like magnolia_2000 - posted, in "response" to my Canada Day post, "Corey Glass is a fraud." I think that's the post that also said something like, "Wait until wmtc sees this." Then, a separate comment said, "wmtc is a b**ch." Clearly this person has seen that wmtc and 2moms are linked, and, perhaps, my supportive comments to L-girl regarding her activism on this issue. But, unable to post obnoxious comments to wmtc, this person was, I'm guessing, looking for another avenue. I posted a response and then decided to just delete the comments and my response and ignore it. Ignore them and they go away, right?

Well, this morning, there's another comment: "i-girl said... I've been thinking and I don't want to link to your blog anymore. Please stop linking." Interestingly, when you click to view the profile it is - shocking, I know! - unavailable. And, at that point it reads, "l-girl." In addition, it was created in July - as in the past 5-6 days.

Clearly someone - no doubt the same person as behind magnolia - is trying to pass as our fellow traveler, "l-girl" of wmtc. I hate to sound like I'm in junior high, but, "What a dork!" As if I would think that l-girl was posting a comment telling me to stop linking to wmtc. Get a life. Choose your cliche, but leave me the f**k alone. This blog is a pedestrian little thing that serves as an account of our travels to Canada and, hopefully, some useful information - here and there - for others seeking to do the same.

No, this isn't eloquent. I'm annoyed. If you have so much frickin' time on your hands that you can spend your time creating usernames and intruding upon others' cyber-communities - without the cojones - or other euphemism of choice - to identify yourself, send me a note and I'll let you know about 1000 ways you can actually offer something positive to the world. There are plenty of opportunities out there.

Okay, back - perhaps - to our regularly scheduled programming. And, unfortunately, moderated comments.

Canada Day Redux

A few snapshots from Fredericton's Canada Day parade...

Pipes and drums - my favorite.

The Green Party, right behind the Fredericton Filipino Community.

Chinese community members and the dragon.

That's 7YO - yeah, the one leaning over - on the Round-Up.

We went over to the river around noon, hearing the 21-gun salute as we walked. 7YO went in one of those bouncy moon-walk things and then we ate - hot dogs, soda, samosa, garlic naan, and kettle corn. Then, 7YO discovered the Round-Up. Since we're living only about six blocks away, we came back for a break and went over to the pool to cool off. It's only about six blocks, if that, in the other direction. Just before 4:00 we went back to watch the parade. Then, another visit to the Round-Up. We wandered a bit and came home for dinner. Still don't know if we'll make it to the fireworks. Ah, the suspense!

Hope you had a great day!

Happy Canada Day!

About a year ago, I set the goal of celebrating Canada Day 2008 while living in Fredericton. And, here we are! Woo-hoo! I don't know that we'll make it until the fireworks - they aren't until around 10:40 tonight! - but we do plan on attending the parade. Fingers crossed that if it rains it's just a drizzle. It's a "green parade" in which the only gas powered vehicles that are permitted are hybrids. The theme for this year is "Fredericton - Green Matters - You Matter - Get Involved." What a perfect theme for our first year at Fredericton's Canada Day! The block party - claimed to be "Canada's largest block party" - includes games, rides, pony rides, parrots, laser tag, food, face painters, airbrush tattoos, etc. Hopefully 7YO will have fun and my knees will hold up! We have our Canada Day temporary tattoos and the flag on our car antenna. We're doing it up!

Happy Canada Day, everyone!

California Wedding Bells

I don't know how long this link may be active, but I wanted to share this story of a colleague of mine, Kelly, and his partner, Tom, who were married in California recently. Nice story and some great snapshots. Go here! 

Hooray!

What a day! Eight years ago today we had our commitment ceremony in Minneapolis. Today we "celebrated" by going out to the lot in Douglas, NB and - finally - seeing this:


Yesterday it looked like this:


I can't tell you what a relief it was to see work begin!

We also met one of our immediate neighbors. He was very nice and, as always seems to be the case, didn't miss a beat when we introduced ourselves and our son. Cool. And, he and his wife have two girls, 2 and 6 years old. There are apparently a lot of kids on the street. Yea!

Then, after coming back downtown, we walked over to Service New Brunswick and got our drivers' licences. From there we strolled to the library and got our library cards. Then, we went and signed up for a cell phone family plan. Also, this morning I had called the guy who issues dog licences. He dropped by the house around 5 pm with his receipt book and jangle of tags. one more thing off the to-do list! Woo-hoo! I'd call this a successful day by any measure!

We also faxed the recall clearance letter and received a response in the same day. Now we can deal with the car inspection.

Onward and upward!

Getting Settled

Well, we arrived a week ago this afternoon. I thought I'd try to take a few minutes to post an update. We are slowly getting settled in our temporary quarters, no small feat. It's a very small "cottage" that you can actually see here. It just struck me that I'm sitting here, posting with a wireless connection, in a home built over 100 years before I was born. Wow.

After getting the truck unloaded and returned to Maine, we tried to take care of a few things like applying for Medicare, visiting the bank, etc. We've joined the Co-Op, made a few visits to Canadian Tire, etc. We're going to let 7YO collect the Canadian Tire money and return bottles for the deposits. We received an email from RIV saying that they cannot locate recall information or some such so I think we're going to have to fax them the recall clearance letter. Tomorrow we should get our drivers' licences as we're supposed to do so within 10 days. I definitely think that the car is going to prove the biggest hassle of all.

As for the build, they were supposed to start clearing the lot today. Alas, it's now going to be tomorrow. The good news is that we can stay in these quarters as long as needed. It's costing us a pretty penny, but at least we won't be out on the street. I will feel a lot better when I see some actual movements up on the hill.

P and 7YO went to a local lake beach for a swim this afternoon. Me? As I write this I, again, have ice on my knee. There is a pool just a couple of blocks away, but it won't open until later this month.

A little more about our location - we are two blocks from the Farmers' Market, I think that's my favorite thing in Fredericton! We were there Saturday morning and bought eggs, lettuce, cheese, Montreal bagels, kettle corn... Once we're really settled in we will buy most of our meat and fish there, too. We're about two blocks, in another direction, from the river and walking/biking trail. P has been taking our lab-spaniel mix for a nice walk over the St. John each morning. Here is someone's site with a few great photos. 77YO was able to walk to church on Sunday and the library on Monday. We are really in an absolutely perfect location for our first summer and with a visitor who will not be driving when she's here.

Well, dinner is almost ready so I'll sign off. I'm really glad we're here, but I'll feel a bit more settled, I think, when my knee is better and the house is really started!

MN to NB

I've been wanting to post an update, but have been absolutely swamped - literally and figuratively!

We started loading the truck on Wednesday evening, 6/11. Six friends helped and, except for their inclination to play "let's see how fast we can throw everything on the truck," it went fine. We couldn't have done it without them. But, we still spent twelve hours on Thursday, 6/12, packing the truck and cleaning the house. We ended up pulling out of Saint Paul at 5:30 pm.

We should have made it to Madison, WI, where we had a reservation, in about 4 hours. But, near Baraboo, WI we were in a single lane of traffic, literally stopped on I-90. It took us an hour to go four miles. Turned out that the right hand lane, farther up, was under water. It was bizarre to drive by with water on the middle lines in the interstate! So, we got to Exit 135 around 10:30 or so, in the rain, and stopped at the hotel. When we got up the next morning, I-90 was closed from Exit 135 north. So, if we had stopped a bit to the north, as we had once planned, we wouldn't have been able to continue south on the interstate. And, if we had left on Friday, same thing. But, we were headed south, so all was well. Well, so to speak. Rain, rain, and more rain. Here's a story about the closures.

On Friday morning, 6/13, we headed toward Chicago, but stopped in Elgin, IL to meet an old friend for breakfast. I was driving with 22' rental truck with my mother (77YO) while P drove our '98 Honda Civic with 7YO and our lab-spaniel mix. She was behind us a ways, but when she didn't show up I got concerned. Thank goodness for cell phones. She had missed the exit and was on her way to Schaumburg. They turned around and made it back to the restaurant where we had breakfast before continuing on our way. We arrived in Cleveland, OH around 9 pm where we were meeting another old friend and her fairly new husband for dinner. This would all have been uneventful... and faster - were it not for the torrential rains. Ugh! And I don't know who designed the highway in Cleveland, but... weird. There was a 90 degree turn with instructions for, I think, 35 mph in the middle of the interstate. But, we made it, had dinner, and traveled another 45 minutes to our hotel in Conneaut, OH, on the OH/PA border.

On Saturday, 6/14, we traveled through the Southern Tier of NY, visiting Wellsville. P has distant relatives there that she had never heard of, let alone met, so we planned a lunch visit. That was good because there were kids there and 7YO got to run around for a couple of hours. We then made a stop in Hornell, NY as I wanted to photograph the headstones of my great, great grandparents and great-grandparents. Alas, I couldn't locate them, there was no caretaker available, and I did my knees a grave injustice. The pun was not intended - I just noticed it on review. But, hey, I'm leaving it! On to Albany where we spent the night in the very worst Super 8 I've ever visited. Yuck! Oh, and in case you wondering, yes, it was still raining on and off.

On Sunday, 6/15, we took off for the greater Boston area, Newton to be specific. We were going to lunch with another old friend, her partner, and their 8 year old twins. Fortunately as I exited Route 9, with the intention of turning left on Chestnut Street I noticed the sign: 11' 8". Yikes! The truck requires 12'1" of clearance. Whew! After a minor detour we made it. 7YO was able to play with the boys and their Wii, their nerf dart gun, and otherwise have a blast. And, yes, our friend realized that 7YO had just played with his first, to our knowledge, "gun." Oh, well. From there we drove to Freeport, ME. After a short dinner and a quick visit to LL Bean - where 77YO bought more long sleeved shirts for the weather of an Atlantic Canada summer - we turned in, ready for the last day's drive. And, yes, there was still rain.

On Monday, 6/16, we slept in and took our time preparing for our departure. We stopped in Houlton, ME to fill up and then headed toward Customs. First, US Customs for the export of our vehicle. No problem. They had the materials we had sent via FedEx and the fact that P's last name on the title is not her current name wasn't an issue. Then, over the Canadian Customs. Again, no problem. The whole thing took about an hour, but some of that was the fact that there were four of us, a dog, and two vehicles. We were in!

We made a brief stop at the New Brunswick Visitor/Information Center, picked up some tourism literature for 77YO, got 7YO a Sprite, and headed toward Fredericton. And, yes, it was still raining. I thought we might make it the whole way, but having downed an entire Sprite, we had to make one more stop for 7YO.

We arrived in Fredericton around 5 pm. The fabulous fellow from whom we are renting for the summer had prepared a supper of ham, scalloped potatoes, and fiddleheads. After supper - it was overcast, but not raining! - we took my mother by our lot and showed her 7YO's school. Then, it was time for bed.

This morning we unloaded the truck into our storage space. Rather, our realtor, her husband, the fellow from whom we are renting, and his son unloaded the truck. We helped, but they were miracle workers. Compensated, but miracle workers nonetheless. We were drenched. Once we got everything into the space or in the car to bring back to the house, we picked up 7YO and 77YO and went to get lunch and run errands. And, yes, it was still raining.

I've been writing this with my legs up, both knees wrapped in ice. My shoulder is trashed. But, we're almost done. Tomorrow we have to return the truck to Maine. 7YO and 77YO are going to hang out here so that will be nice. P and I might even be able to have a quiet lunch in Bangor before heading back. After that it will be a matter of dealing with the car, the builder, etc. and hoping for a sunny day! I really can't believe we're finally here.

Oh, and P has an interview in July. She's one of two people they're bringing in to interview for a position that is basically her dream job. She's going to be beyond bummed if she doesn't get it, but we just keep saying that if that's the case it's meant to be.

Sorry for not being able to post from the road - they would have been more interesting - but the rain really slowed us down and days became much longer than they should have been. But, we're here!

All is well...

Just a quick note to say that we're fine. Hope to post details soon. In brief - rain, rain, and more rain. But, we're doing okay. On to New York... thanks for the good thoughts that I know are with us on this (grueling) trek!

ETD 36 hours+

I can't believe I haven't had time to post. Chalk it up to packing, head/chest cold, packing, bum knees, packing, house guest, packing, house guest's Great Dane, packing, house guest's small dog, packing, mom's arrival, packing, bum shoulder, packing... You get the idea. I've tried to glance at others' blogs, but no time to actually think so that I can write.

We're scheduled to pick up the truck tomorrow afternoon and load some tomorrow evening, some Thursday morning, and drive just four hours Thursday afternoon/evening to get on the road. Looking around I don't know how it will happen. I know that it will, but I'm not sure how. I can barely walk up or down stairs. That has really slowed things down.

Oh, well. I'm hoping to post from the road. I should have more time then than I've had here!

Sunday in Fredericton

Well, it's been quite a week. I haven't had the time or energy to post, but, on a quiet Sunday morning, I thought I'd take a moment to say a little something about my adventure here...

I arrived on Tuesday evening and, having met up with another sociologist at the airport baggage claim, had a nice dinner before settling in at the UNB residence hall. I got up Wednesday morning and, sitting at the desk, turned to the left only to hear a loud "pop" in my left knee. I couldn't walk at all. I hopped to the car, hopped into the res life office, hopped out of the car at Shoppers Drug Mart. A guy helped me hop up the steps. A woman brought me a wheelchair - it's located in a clinic building - and I wheeled myself to the home care counter. I bought myself a pair of crutches and then, having consulted with P, drove myself to the hospital. Good thing I had rented an automatic. Thus began my first adventure with Canadian health care. I had planned to write a more detailed entry about it, but, as above, have been tired and busy.

In brief, I spent seven hours in the ER. But, unlike most of you, I will get to pay for it because I don't live here yet and NB has a three month waiting period. As much as I hate to say it, the experience was quite dreadful. After being checked in, I was offered no ice and finally asked for some water. Fortunately my angel-winged realtor showed up and went to get lunch from the hospital canteen. I was moved from the waiting room to one of the little curtained beds at 2:30 and waited in there until 4:30. I was ready to leave - I was in quite a state - and the nurse convinced me that I would be seen soon. The problem was that with triage, my injury not being life threatening or "dire," everyone kept getting prioritized ahead of me. I watched people come and go all day. Finally, around 5 pm - I had arrived at 10:30 - I saw the doctor. He was wonderful. Torn meniscus. Basically he confirmed what I suspected and confirmed what I would have done as treatment. I had gone because I was concerned that if I were wrong, ignoring it for a week could complicate the healing.

Now, as dreadful as my seven hours in the ER really was, in a way it was all worthwhile. Here's why. When I was getting checked I was asked, "Are you married?" I was able to say, simply, "Yes." It was really quite something. For three years I have answered that question with, "Yes, but it's not recognized here" - meaning the US. But, I was simply able to say, "Yes." She then asked for the name and contact info of my next of kin and when I gave P's info she asked for "relationship" and I said, "Uh, spouse, I guess." It was surreal. And, of course, even in little Fredericton, there was not a flicker of confusion, etc. It was really something...

So, I got to show up at the Wednesday evening opening reception on crutches. Nice.

I spent all day Thursday at the conference, had a nice dinner out with a couple of guys I'd met - one from Denver and one from Montreal who is moving here. Then, on Friday... crash!

Long story short - the appraisal on the plans for the house didn't come in high enough due to the extra cost of green building. I'm not going to go into the details except to say that we're now dealing with another lender and working on the "Plan B" (C?) for if that fails. One appraiser I know said, in essence, if you were doing this in five years, no problem. It's the penalty for being an early adopter. NB Power, the provinces, the feds, are offering all kinds of incentives for green retro-fits, green building, etc., but the banks haven't caught up. In the US, and apparently in some parts of Canada, "green mortgages" allow for the additional up front cost of green building, but not CIBC. So, I spent all day Friday with the builder, the (former) lender, the realtor, a new bank, etc. Stay tuned. But, heavens, if I encounter another road block...

In the good news category, my presentation on immigration went well; I located a storage unit for our stuff; and I got a PO box so we now have our first Canadian address. Yippee!

That's it for now. Just thought I'd check in. Oh, and my knee is improving dramatically. On Wednesday I couldn't put the slightest weight on that leg and today I can, carefully, actually walk crutch-free. And, it's sunny and dry! Things are looking up!

Hope, after all?

California ban on same-sex marriage struck down
www.cnn.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a much-anticipated ruling issued Thursday, the California Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional.

Several gay and lesbian couples, along with the city of San Francisco and gay rights groups, sued to overturn state laws allowing only marriages between a man and a woman.

"There can be no doubt that extending the designation of marriage to same-sex couples, rather than denying it to all couples, is the equal protection remedy that is most consistent with our state's general legislative policy and preference," said the 120-page ruling.

It said that the state law's language "limiting the designation of marriage to a 'union between a man and a woman' is unconstitutional, and that the remaining statutory language must be understood as making the designation of marriage available to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples."

With the ruling, California becomes the second state to allow same-sex couples to legally wed. Massachusetts adopted the practice in 2004, and couples don't need to be state residents to wed there.

Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut permit civil unions, while California has a domestic-partner registration law. More than a dozen other states give gay couples some legal rights.

Seven other jurisdictions around the world have legalized same-sex marriage: Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.

San Francisco officials in 2004 allowed same-sex couples in the city to wed, prompting a flood of applicants crowding the city hall clerk's office. The first couple to wed then was 80-year-old Phyllis Lyon and 83-year-old Dorothy Martin, lovers for 50 years.

"We have a right just like anyone else to get married to the person we want to get married to," Lyon said at the time.

One issue before the justices was whether San Francisco's laws carried legal weight when the rest of the state banned same-sex marriages. Gay rights advocates argued the state was violating their civil rights by limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. The state law in question is the Defense of Marriage Act, Proposition 22.

Oral arguments in the case in March lasted more than three hours, a sign of the political and legal issues at stake. Six cases were consolidated.

Groups saying they were promoting a pro-family agenda had vowed to fight a statewide law allowing same-sex marriage.

"The government should promote and encourage strong families," said Glen Lavy of the Alliance Defense Fund. "The voters realize that defining marriage as one man and one woman is important because the government should not, by design, deny a child both a mother and father."

An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely. The federal high court has never addressed the question of same-sex marriage.

Insanity

The New York Times
May 14, 2008

Italian’s Detention Illustrates Dangers Foreign Visitors Face
By Nina Bernstein

He was a carefree Italian with a recent law degree from a Roman university. She was “a totally Virginia girl,” as she puts it, raised across the road from George Washington’s home. Their romance, sparked by a 2006 meeting in a supermarket in Rome, soon brought the Italian, Domenico Salerno, on frequent visits to Alexandria, Va., where he was welcomed like a favorite son by the parents and neighbors of his girlfriend, Caitlin Cooper.

But on April 29, when Mr. Salerno, 35, presented his passport at Washington Dulles International Airport, a Customs and Border Protection agent refused to let him into the United States. And after hours of questioning, agents would not let him travel back to Rome, either; over his protests in fractured English, he said, they insisted that he had expressed a fear of returning to Italy and had asked for asylum.

Ms. Cooper, 23, who had promised to show her boyfriend another side of her country on this visit — meaning Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon — eventually learned that he had been sent in shackles to a rural Virginia jail. And there he remained for more than 10 days, locked up without charges or legal recourse while Ms. Cooper, her parents and their well-connected neighbors tried everything to get him out.

Mr. Salerno’s case may be extreme, but it underscores the real but little-known dangers that many travelers from Europe and other first-world nations face when they arrive in the United States — problems that can startle Americans as much as their foreign visitors.

“We have a lot of government people here and lobbyists and lawyers and very educated, very savvy Washingtonians,” said Jim Cooper, Ms. Cooper’s father, a businessman, describing the reaction in his neighborhood, the Wessynton subdivision of Alexandria. “They were pretty shocked that the government could do this sort of thing, because it doesn’t happen that often, except to people you never hear about, like Haitians and Guatemalans.”

Each year, thousands of would-be visitors from 27 so-called visa waiver countries are turned away when they present their passports, said Angelica De Cima, a spokeswoman for Customs and Border Protection, who said she could not discuss any individual case. In the last seven months, 3,300 people have been rejected and more than 8 million admitted, she said.

Though citizens of those nations do not need visas to enter the United States for as long as 90 days, their admission is up to the discretion of border agents. There are more than 60 grounds for finding someone inadmissible, including a hunch that the person plans to work or immigrate, or evidence of an overstay, however brief, on an earlier visit.

While those turned away are generally sent home on the next flight, “there are occasional circumstances which require further detention to review their cases,” Ms. De Cima said. And because such “arriving aliens” are not considered to be in the United States at all, even if they are in custody, they have none of the legal rights that even illegal immigrants can claim.

Government officials have acknowledged that intensified security since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has sometimes led to the heavy-handed treatment of foreigners caught in a bureaucratic tangle or paperwork errors. But despite encouraging officers to resolve such cases quickly, excesses continue to come to light.

One recent case involved an Icelandic woman who was refused entry at Kennedy Airport because, a dozen years earlier, she had overstayed her visa by three weeks. The woman, Erla Osk Arnardottir Lillendahl, was deported Dec. 10 after what she described as 24 hours of interrogation and humiliating treatment — locked in a cell and barred from making phone calls. The Department of Homeland Security later issued a letter of regret.

In questioning Mr. Salerno, customs agents seemed to suspect that he intended to work here. Ms. Cooper, a copy editor for an educational publication, said she was in the airport lobby when an agent called to ask about Mr. Salerno’s income and why he visited so often.

The youngest son of a prosperous contractor in Calabria, Mr. Salerno helps out in his brother’s law firm in Rome and is able to visit the United States several times a year. Neighbors said he joined volunteers in refurbishing the Wessynton recreation center in 2006, then became one of its summer attractions, kicking a soccer ball with the kids and playing tennis with the adults.

“He just is a very open, fun and helpful guy,” said Christopher M. Porter, a resident of Wessynton.

Ms. Cooper said that at the airport, when she begged to know what was happening to Mr. Salerno, an agent told her, “You know, he should try spending a little more time in his own country.”

Another agent eventually told her to go home because Mr. Salerno was being detained as an asylum-seeker.

“The border patrol officer said to my face that Domenico said he would be killed if he went back to Italy,” she recalled, voicing incredulity that, in his halting English, he could express such a thought. “Also, who on earth would ever seek asylum from Italy?”

Twelve hours later, when Mr. Salerno was granted a five-minute phone call, he called Ms. Cooper and denied saying anything of the kind. Instead, he said, the asylum story seemed to be retaliation for his insisting on speaking to his embassy.

After being turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he was taken to the Pamunkey Regional Jail in Hanover, Va., where he ended up in a barracks with 75 other men, including asylum-seekers who told him they had been waiting a year.

Ten days after he landed in Washington, Mr. Salerno was still incarcerated, despite efforts by Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, and two former immigration prosecutors hired by the Coopers.

“He’s just really scared,” Ms. Cooper said in an interview last Thursday. “He asked me if Virginia has the death penalty.”

Luis Paoli, a lawyer hired by the Coopers, said there was no limit on detention while waiting for an asylum interview. But even after officials agreed the asylum issue had been a mistake, Mr. Salerno was not released.

“Now an innocent European, who has never broken any laws, committed any crimes, or overstayed his visa, is being held in a county jail,” Ms. Cooper wrote in an e-mail message to The New York Times last Wednesday, prompting a reporter’s inquiries.

Less than 24 hours later, immigration officials intervened and arranged to deliver Mr. Salerno to Dulles, where last Friday he flew to Rome. Ms. Cooper, who said she was now considering moving to Italy, was by his side.

Mr. Salerno was still shaken. “In America,” he said, “there are so many good people and beautiful people that don’t deserve to be showing these terrible things to the world.”

Food

Greetings from Tucson where it will, no doubt, be in the low 90s this afternoon...

Although most of my energy is going into wrapping up the semester and getting ready to leave for Canada - one month from today!! - I'm reading a couple of interesting books I wanted to post about. The first is Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, co-authored with her husband, Steven L. Hopp, and eldest daughter, Camille Kingsolver." Of course if you read the book you'll agree that I would be remiss if I didn't mention younger daughter Lily, an active participant in the process.

Kingsolver, who lived in Tucson, for about 25 years, moved with her family to Virginia in 2004. They had spent summers there for a number of years but decide to make the move permanent, partly for reasons of family, partly because the land would enable them to be more self-sufficient in terms of gardening, animal raising, etc.

As P and I make the effort to do more buying only in season, local, organic, talk to 7YO about why it's important, etc. and talk about being able to start a garden in NB, this book was a wonderful read. I find her writing just wonderful, the stories inspiring, and the recipes, well, I look forward to trying some of them!

The second is called, "The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep Animals Happy, Save Old Macdonald's Farm, and Still Eat Meat," by Catherine Friend. I picked this up yesterday while at the bookstore with my mother - our idea of a great Mother's Day trek. Anyway, as someone who hasn't eaten lamb or veal in decades and can count on one hand the number of times I've had a hamburger in the last five years, but knows that we may eat more meat if we're trying to eat local, I was intrigued by the premise. Seeing that she farms in Minnesota with her partner of over twenty years, Melissa, made it a done deal. I started it last night and highly recommend it. I don't know that I could ever pat a lamb on it's head and have it for supper that Sunday, but it's well worth reading and thinking about. This morning I checked out her blog, Farm Tales. Even if these issues don't interest you, you ought to take a look just for the photographs!

I've also started, but not yet inished, Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals." And, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation." Schlosser's book was the required first year student summer reading text a number of years ago and it what got me thinking - and acting - more intentionally about food.

So, there you have it. That's what I'm reading.

Quick Update

We finally got the amendment removing the contingency in the purchase agreement. But, we're still waiting on a letter from the buyer's bank so that we can break ground in New Brunswick.

After reading this article in yesterday's Pioneer Press, I'm even more thrilled to have a purchase agreement of any kind. Still holding my breath until closing, but thrilled nonetheless.

And, while they're talking about flurries here tonight, at least we're not on the St. John where Fredericton is dealing with this:


None of the folks I know are in the areas outside of town that are so badly affected. Thank goodness.

And, then there are those who make the very best of a bad situation:

Tomorrow I get to attend the Living Green Expo. I've been waiting for months! It is just wonderful!

Other than that it's crashing toward finals, grading, thinking about packing... and counting the days!

Spring?

Yes, this was taken this morning, 26 April. Sigh...

Going, going... Part II

First, if you didn't read Part I, scroll down.

Back? Okay, now for the plan.

We leave seven weeks from tomorrow. 12 June. That's the day for which I had originally reserved the truck however many months ago. One week from 7YO's last day of school. That was the idea. We will load that day and drive a few hours down to Madison, WI just to get on the road. That's one of the benefits of summer travel. Extended daylight. Oh, and the fact that we're not starting out on Friday the 13th? Just a little bonus!

On the 13th we will stop in Chicago for an early lunch with a friend from my Army days. We were roommates from December 1978-August 1980. Then it's on to Cleveland where we'll have dinner with one of my best friends from here at the university and her husband. She moved in 2004, but for the three years prior - once I moved into the neighborhood - we walked for an hour almost every morning, Monday-Friday. When it hit 0 degrees we reserved the right to cancel, but I think I can count on one hand the number of days we did so.

We'll spend the night of the 13th in Cleveland and then, on the 14th, head to Wellsville, NY. P was contacted a couple of years ago by B, someone who had come across P's surname - B's "maiden" name - on the web. Anyone in the country with that surname is descended from two brothers who came to the US from Europe. One brother came west, the other stayed in New York. They have corresponded here and there since, but have never met. So, we'll be stopping for lunch so that a New York "E" can meet a Midwestern "E." Then we'll continue on to Schenectady... where we know no one. Really! If my cousin were still alive we'd see her, but, alas, we lost her to cancer almost seven years ago...

On Sunday, the 15th, we'll head toward Boston and have lunch with a friend, L, her partner, and their twins who will have just turned 8. L and I are a couple of hours apart in age (she's older!) and have known each other since 1987. Although I visited with her on my trip to F'ton in January, the others haven't seen each other since 2004 when we all went to Family Week in Provincetown.

From there we'll drive up to Freeport, ME and spend the night. That will leave about 5 hours of driving on Monday, the 16th, and we'll be in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

We will unload on the 17th and return the truck to Maine on the 18th. That gives us a day to spare for the unexpected.

Oh, did I mention that my mother flies out here on 7 June, will ride East with us, and spend a good part of the summer in F'ton? Well, that's for another post!

So...
28 April - 9 May - Classes
10-13 May - Tucson
14-17 May - Exams/Commencement
15 May - P's mother arrives
18-19 May - Ahhhh...
20-27 May - Fredericton
27 May - P's mother leaves
28 May - 6 June - Ahhhh...
5 June - 7YO's last day of school
7 June - My mother arrives
12 June - Leave for Canada

Now let's see how close reality comes to THE PLAN!

Stay tuned!

Going, going... Part I

Having a moment's peace, I thought I'd post a bit of an update re the - hopeful - sale of the house. When last we heard [insert radio mystery music]... The folks that made a verbal counter-offer that was allegedly pending their seeing the inside of the garage - these are the low-ballers returned - didn't show.

Then, on 15 April, their agent (L) contacted my agent (B) to say that he would be sending the amended purchase agreement; no comment about not having seen the garage. On the 17th they sent the signed amendment to the purchase agreement BUT changed the date to 26 May, Memorial Day. They had verbally agreed to 6 June. 26 May wasn't going to work because I'm still in F'ton, P's mother is visiting, and 7YO is still in school. B called L to see what, if anything, could be done around the date conflict. L then called back. It sounds like he essentially told his clients that the date they had written in wasn't what he and our agent had agreed to. I think he was annoyed with them. They wanted to know why the 26th wouldn't work and he apparently told them that why we couldn't really didn't matter, we couldn't, maybe we had kids in school, etc... Apparently they just picked that date because they will be here for the holiday weekend. L then told B that he expected to get a revised document that night - the 17th - or first thing the next morning.

Friday came and went. Nothing. No call. No email. Nothing. Then, after I about had a complete meltdown on Saturday, ready to cash it in, we went out and about for the day. Returning at 2:15, the phone rang. It was B saying that L had called, that he was "on his way" with the earnest money check and signed amendment. B was going into a meeting at 2:30 and said that she would call back before if he, indeed, showed up. The phone rang five minutes later.

She had the check and the signed amendment with a closing date of 15 June. We arranged to go to her office at 4:15.

But, she had had to remind L that the original offer still carried a contingency of the garage inspection. So, he called to set up a showing. The desk called to set it up and, because he didn't have his realtor's key, he wanted to know if I would mind being here to show him the garage. Mind? I didn't really want to meet the guy, but I would have crawled to the garage if that was what it took.

I sent my house guest, 7YO, and pup off for a walk. L showed up, checked out the garage, said he was satisfied, and off he went.

We went to B's office at 4:15, signed the papers, and left.

Today is Wednesday. This morning B received an email from L saying that he had faxed the amendment, removing the contingency, to his clients on Monday and had not yet had it returned. They also have to address the closing date because, as I pointed out, the 15th is a Sunday. Nonetheless, short of a medical emergency or some other catastrophe, we're pulling out of here on Thursday, 12 June. More on that in the next post.

So, once they return the amendment removing the contingency, if they walk, we keep the $5K earnest money and start over again. I'm, of course, three-quarters of the way holding my breath for the amendment. Then I'll only halfway hold my breath until closing.

Bottom line is that we sold for 91% of initial asking, a little over 95% of the reduced price. Cash sale, no appraisal required, no inspection requested. So, I'm not complaining at all. It's not what we'd hoped for, but in this market, we're more than fine with it. Now if I could just not be holding my breath!

Sold

Yes, it's true, we signed the purchase agreement late this afternoon. Barring the unexpected - which with these clowns wouldn't be shocking - we will pre-sign the week of 9 June and leave town on 12 June. I'll post more on this later, but I am so exhausted I can barely think. I'm going to go collapse now.

The Saga...

Picture this - it's Saturday morning. You have an open house scheduled for 2 pm. You're cleaning house, picking up. P returns from walking the dog and mentions that one of the downspouts has fallen off the house. Well, we can't get it fixed today, let's put it in the garage, you say. So, P goes to put it in the garage, in a way that it's not sitting there screaming, "Here I am, I fell off the house." Unable to do so because half the garage has boxes, toys, etc., she thinks, "Maybe I'll just lay it alongside the garage." Nobody ever walks by there because while it's on an alley, our access in from the street.

I'm sitting inside at the dining room table when P walks in, tells 7YO to be quiet so that she can make a phone call, says nothing to me and dials what I recognize as only being 9-1-1. She then reports that our garage has been "tagged." I thought I was going to have a heart attack, but when I realized that she meant the side of the garage and not the doors, I was actually relieved!

A couple of cans of some Kilz-like product later, it's not horrible. The garage could use some fresh paint anyway - if it ever warms up here - but the main thing is it now looks more like it's been primed, in general, not just covered tagging.

We had the open house, had a good turn out and then had a showing that was a second visit. They brought what appeared to be a set of parents with them, then, after the alleged parents left, the couple spent half an hour in front of the house talking with their realtor. So, will it turn into an offer? Who knows. The folks that made a verbal counter-offer that was allegedly pending their seeing the inside of the garage - these are the low-ballers returned - didn't show. We were not surprised.

So, the saga continues. Another day of getting everything "show ready." 7YO is NOT happy. Yesterday, in the car - we had to be out of the house with the dog and it was cold and snow showering - he said, "This was a horrible idea. Why do we have to sell the house?"

More as soon as it happens...

Immigration/Deportation

I don't usually like to post entire articles, but this one demands it...

April 12, 2008
Legal Immigrants, Until They Sought Citizenship
By JULIA PRESTON
(c) The New York Times

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Dr. Pedro Servano always believed that his journey from his native Philippines to the life of a community doctor in Pennsylvania would lead to American citizenship.

But the doctor, who has tended to patients here in the Susquehanna Valley for more than a decade, is instead battling a deportation order along with his wife.

The Servanos are among a growing group of legal immigrants who reach for the prize and permanence of citizenship, only to run afoul of highly technical immigration statutes that carry the severe penalty of expulsion from the country. For the Servanos, the problem has been a legal hitch involving their marital status when they came from the Philippines some 25 years ago.

Largely overlooked in the charged debate over illegal immigration, many of these are long-term legal immigrants in the United States who were confident of success when they applied for naturalization, and would have continued to live here legally had they not sought to become citizens.

As applications for naturalization have surged, overburdened federal examiners, under pressure to make quick decisions and also weed out any security risks, prefer to err on the side of rejection, immigration lawyers and independent researchers said. In 2007, 89,683 applications for naturalization were denied, about 12 percent of those presented.

In the last 12 years, denial rates have been consistently higher than at any time since the 1920s.

Though precise figures are not available, an increasing number of these denials involve immigrants who believed they were in good legal standing, according to lawyers and researchers. Under the law, a number of grounds for naturalization denial can lead to an order of deportation, and appeals are more limited than in criminal cases.

“It’s no wonder there are so many illegal immigrants,” said Brad Darnell, an electrical engineer from Canada living in California who applied for citizenship but is also now fighting deportation. “The legal method is so intolerant and confusing.”

A legal immigrant since 1991, Mr. Darnell is married to an American and has two American-born sons. But after he presented his naturalization application last year, Mr. Darnell discovered that a 10-year-old conviction for domestic violence involving a former girlfriend, even though it had been reduced to a misdemeanor and erased from his public record, made him ineligible to become a citizen — or even to continue living in the United States.

Since 1996, when an immigration law overhaul first brought intensified scrutiny of citizenship applications, at least 85,000 naturalizations have been turned down each year.

The record year was 2000, when 399,670 applications were denied, one-third of those presented, according to an analysis by the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. More recent denial rates remain high, but have fallen from the peak because more immigrants have prepared with civics classes and immigrant advocates before applying to become citizens, researchers said.

In three recent cases in Florida, aspiring citizens thought their green cards entitled them to vote or register to vote before they were sworn in as Americans. When the immigrants reported their elections activities on their applications, not only were their naturalizations rejected, but they were also ordered to leave the country, according to their lawyer, Jeffrey Brauwerman.

In a current Florida case, a British-born businessman saw his naturalization derailed and was detained for deportation because he forgot to update his home address with the immigration agency, Mr. Brauwerman said. He was charged with ignoring a notice in which immigration examiners mistakenly accused him of a felony he had never committed.

In a case that drew Congressional attention this year in Illinois, Marin Turcinovic, an immigrant from Croatia, was twice denied citizenship because he did not show up at the immigration office to be fingerprinted. As his lawyer explained to no avail, Mr. Turcinovic was a quadriplegic, dependent on a ventilator and unable to leave his home.

Mr. Turcinovic died in April 2004 without becoming a citizen, creating an immigration crisis for his French widow, Corina, who had taken care of him. In January Representative Daniel Lipinski, Democrat of Illinois, presented a bill that halted her deportation.

Immigration officials say denials have increased in the last decade because naturalization applications are increasing. They note that approvals are rising as well. In 1996 naturalizations soared for the first time to more than one million, and they remained above 450,000 each year through 2007.

“Whenever we see a period when large numbers decide to apply, there tend to be larger numbers of people who are not ready or might not meet the requirements,” said Chris Rhatigan, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Officials said the majority of denials went to applicants who failed a required civics and English language test or fell short of residency requirements. Those immigrants generally can try again.

But as the case of the Servano family illustrates, some denials come as a shock to both the applicants and the communities they call home.

Dr. Servano’s mother, five siblings and eight of his wife’s siblings became naturalized citizens, including one brother and two brothers-in-law who made careers in the Navy. His four children are Americans by virtue of being born here. He has been a legal immigrant in the United States for 25 years.

Following an outcry from neighbors, patients and local officials, Department of Homeland Security officials in December temporarily suspended the Servanos’ deportation. The Servanos and their supporters, including Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, are using the unusual reprieve to pursue new legal efforts to resolve the couple’s case.

For the federal government and for many Americans, naturalizations — the legal process by which legal immigrants become citizens — are a measure of immigrants’ willingness to join the society and embrace its civic values.

To become a citizen, a legal permanent resident must have lived in the United States more or less continuously for five years, or three years for the spouse of a citizen. The immigrant must demonstrate good moral character and allegiance to the Constitution, and pass a test of English ability and civics. Since 2002, citizenship applicants also undergo an extensive background check by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Applicants fail the moral character standard if they have been convicted of certain sex, drug or gambling charges or are “habitual drunkards.” They also can fail if they give “false testimony,” a term immigration lawyers say is subject to broad interpretation.

Dr. Servano and his wife, Salvacion, lived for years in the United States with no inkling they might have violated the law. They met in the Philippines when she was a nurse and he was a young traveling doctor. Her strict father insisted she marry, they said, but his family wanted him to wait.

In the early 1980s, their mothers came separately to the United States as legal immigrants and petitioned for residence visas, known as green cards, for Pedro and Salvacion under the category of unmarried children. But between the time the visas were requested and when they were issued in 1985, Pedro and Salvacion, hoping to escape conflicting parental demands, secretly married in the Philippines.

Unaware that their marriage could have violated the terms of their green cards, the Servanos settled in the United States. He completed a second medical residency here and began to practice in blue-collar towns where he made house calls and was known for attention to everyday ills. He and Salvacion married in New Jersey in 1987. They renewed their green cards punctually.

“My goal is to be fully functional and integrated into the society,” Dr. Servano said. They presented their 1991 naturalization applications without seeking a lawyer.

Immigration inspectors reviewing their applications discovered a record of their Philippine marriage. Accused of lying, they were ordered deported. In years of immigration court appeals, the Servanos had no opportunity to present broader evidence of their character, their lawyers said.

People in Selinsgrove and nearby Sunbury, Susquehanna Valley towns where Dr. Servano practices, were surprised to hear in October that the couple had received a final order with a November date for their deportation. Aside from his medical work, he and his wife had bought two blighted buildings on the square in Sunbury, refurbishing them with apartments and offices. Mrs. Servano opened a store, selling lottery tickets, homemade Filipino bread and DVDs in Tagalog, a Philippine language.

In November, more than 100 residents gathered in the Sunbury square for a candlelight vigil on behalf of the Servanos. Thousands of Filipinos in the United States have signed petitions supporting them.

“The fact that they want to displace and get rid of people we here feel are exceptionally good citizens quite frankly just doesn’t make any sense,” said Mayor Jesse C. Woodring of Sunbury.

The Servanos, huddled on the couch in their home in a Selinsgrove development, seemed numb at the prospect of returning to the Philippines.

“I live here, so I like America now,” Mrs. Servano said. “For 25 years we’ve been here; we didn’t even visit the Philippines. So it’s really hard.”

Their son, Peter, 16, an American, expressed his siblings’ anguish about being forced to separate either from their parents or from the only home they know.

“I want to stay here because all my friends are here, and I’ve grown up here, so it would be hard to leave,” Peter said. “But it would be hard not to go.”

Michael Gilhooly, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which handles deportations, said the Servanos’ removal had been suspended based on new information from Mr. Specter about their humanitarian role. Other immigration officials said the Servanos could recover their legal status by applying for new green cards as parents of citizen children.

For links to more stories on their case go here.

Recall Clearance Letter

I thought a diversion from real estate might be in order - though I hope to have news by the weekend. Things were going fine regarding the above referenced letter. I found the info on Honda and checked out the "Owner Link" website. I discovered that our car had had a recall in 1999. More on that in a moment! I then spoke with to a very nice and helpful woman at American Honda. Found out what I needed to fax to them to get the letter. Then I asked about the "recall" because I knew they couldn't issue a clearance if there was an outstanding recall on the vehicle. She said that I would need to talk with our dealer, they would have to address the "recall," notify American Honda, and that they could then send the letter.

I emailed with a really nice guy at the dealership. But, here's why recall is in quotation marks above... The "recall" is a problem with the driver's side Honda floor mat, which we never purchased. If we did have the floor mat, and wished to keep it, we would bring the car in and they would install a bolt that would keep it from catching on the accelerator. But, since we don't have the mat, we have to bring the car in so that they can see that we don't have the mat. Now, call me crazy, but what's to keep me from taking the mat out, going to the dealership, then putting the mat back in? I mean, obviously that would be stupid since they would be fixing it for free and eliminating a risk. But, doesn't it seem a bit ridiculous to have to drive up there so that they can look and go, "Oh, no mat" and make the notation in the database? Grrrr... Bureaucracy.

Fortunately we've got some work to be done before driving 2000 miles anyway and we'll just go sooner rather than later, but geez... So, once we can find half a day to spend at the dealership, we can get this one checked off the "moving stuff" list.

Hard to believe that two months from today we could be in Fredericton. I wonder, wonder...

A is for Anxiety

Well, we're into the sixth week of our house being on the market. The average in our neighborhood is right around two months. It has been some real ups and downs. Without all the boring details, we've gone back and forth with someone who is clearly interested but who, it appears, has an agent who doesn't understand the neighborhood, etc. We're only $6K apart, but I don't think we'll come to a "meeting of the minds" because he has them convinced, it seems, that they should get a HUGE discount for cash. Some discount, yes, but not what they have in mind. The good news is that we've had a flurry of showings this week and have two more tomorrow as well as an open on Saturday. All limbs and digits crossed.

This is really wearing me down. Between keeping the house sparkling clean and neat and just not knowing exactly when we're leaving, etc. I am losing my mind. Add to that dealing with the bank, realtor, and builder in Canada and I'm about ready to jump off the deep end. But, there are moments of progress and/or good news. I emailed with our Canadian attorney today and she's going to take a look at the construction contract gratis. I don't really think there's anything at issue, but a set of informed and objective eyes would be great.

We'd still like to leave mid-June, but we've figured out that if a 5 June closing/possession is what it takes, we'll pack the truck while 7YO is at his last day of school. Weirdly reminiscent of my high school graduation in Florida. I got home late that night and we left in the truck and cars for Ohio the next morning. I really want to be in Fredericton for Canada Day, but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

It's going to be a busy nine weeks or so. Although we've been weeding for over a year, we can't actually start packing until we no longer have to show the house. My office is looking very spare. I'll be going back to Tucson 10-13 May to take care of a few things for my mother before moving even farther away. P's mother arrives on the 15th. Finals, graduation, etc. all wrap up on the 17th. I'll be in Fredericton 20-27 May - partly for a conference, partly for house stuff. P's mother leaves the day I return. Then, depending upon when we are actually leaving - if we know by then - I'll return to only a week or so until we leave. My mother will be joining us at some point as she is driving East with us. It's going to be one heck of a spring here!

I thought I'd post some semblance of an update so there you have it! Can't wait until I'm posting that title: "SOLD!"

Fredericton

I'm remiss in my posting, but the week just blew by!

We arrived in F'ton on Monday evening, 17 March, and were met by our realtor and host, K. On Tuesday we had the most beautiful blue sky day. Perfect for our first stroll to the back of the lot. P and I wore snowshoes as w/out it was easy to sink to at least knee high. We met the builder and talked about the siting, etc. We also realized that if we position things right, and the property behind us remains empty, we have a bit of a view to the river. After picking up lunch, we went back to K's house and spent several hours with the builder getting questions answered, etc. Later that afternoon - at least I think it was that afternoon - K and her husband, H, occupied 7YO for a couple of hours so that P and I could look at flooring, etc.

On Wednesday we visited more stores, including the place from which we'll get the woodstove, and had lunch with the fellow from whom we may be subletting this summer. Then we visited the school that 7YO will attend. They call it "Little House on the Prairie with electricity." It has about 100 students, one class per grade, and is just down the hill from the property. 7YO has been attending a French Immersion school here and we debated his continuing, but that decision was made easier by the province's (unpopular) decision to cut early immersion. Perhaps I can post on that another time. What really upset me is that they are also cutting early core French so we'll have to find a tutor, lest he lose what he's gained these past two years.

We did a bunch of running around on Thursday; had to make a trek to Chapters, of course, but also found some building materials (e.g., tile) that we love. On Thursday evening our hosts invited a law prof and his wife, recently retired from the library where P would like to work, as well as a couple of others to dinner. When these guys do dinner it's a four hour event. No kidding. They are both professional and avocational foodies. As in January, it was awesome.

Friday was a holiday so we just hung out, packed, worked on housing info, etc. 7YO got to see more deer hanging out in the back yard and play with our hosts' dogs. I think he was just in heaven.

On Friday night we opted for a hotel so that we would be closer to the airport as we had to get up at 3:15 to make a 5:45 flight. We did so and while waiting at the gate the flight was cancelled for mechanical reasons. I about had a meltdown. But, they got us on a flight to Ottawa with a connection to Toronto, reasoning that we were less likely to get stuck on Toronto than F'ton. There wasn't another flight available from F'ton that day and with the weather there was a chance that the next morning would be problematic, too. So, by 10:30 am we were in Toronto. But, there were no more flights to Minnesota on Saturday so we stayed at the airport Hilton courtesy of Air Canada.

We went to a place called the Playdium so that 7YO could have some fun and then hung out at the hotel. But, the highlight of the delay was, as you likely have already seen, is that we got to meet Tom and Emilio of Canadian Hope! They drove out to the hotel and picked us up and off we went for brunch. Not that you have any doubts, but they are just as fabulous as I imagined they'd be. We're looking forward to being able to see them in the Maritimes this summer!

Our flight left around quarter to 5 Sunday afternoon and we were back at our house by about 7 Sunday evening. Not quite the 10:30 Saturday morning that it was supposed to be, but well worth it having been able to meet the guys.

This morning I had a meeting with my dean to talk about options for some distance teaching following my sabbatical and while I don't want to post details here, I am comfortable saying that things look promising for my being able to work for the university while remaining in F'ton. Fingers crossed. He's going to walk it through the VP's office, but doesn't imagine a problem.

That's about it for today. I'm exhausted! More as it happens!

Crash and Burn

Oh, where shall I begin?

Without posting details that are better left confidential, the first thing on my list would be to note that there was a job possibility in F'ton that evaporated. Not filled by someone else, but cancelled for bureaucratic reasons.

The second thing would be that I found out yesterday that I will not be getting any funding from one of the sources to which I applied. And, I'm more disturbed by process than outcome. I found the list of 2008 recipients on the web! But, I've heard nothing directly - not from the funding source and not from my nominator.

I'm actually okay with both of the above as I really want to take a real sabbatical and focus on the research project and have some time for my own health, etc., but the latter would have been nice.

I'm also still waiting for the bureaucracy to take care of the fact that my contract letter for an overload was never processed and, therefore, I was missing about $600 extra dollars from my paycheck. C'mon people.

Then, this morning, as P and I stopped for bagels, there were the headlines of both local papers. One, referring to the housing market, said, "Sinking Fast." The other said, "Credit mess means Twin Cities homes selling for less." Nice. So, here we are.

I have done incredibly well with the uncertainty of everything up to this point, but I'm now kind of hanging on by a thread. For some bizarre reason I keep thinking way more optimistically than is typical for me. But, yeah, I'm pretty much freaking out.

The good news, as I've said before, is that we can easily rent the house, though we'd have to refinance to do so. So, we'll see what the next month brings, but, man-o-man, I can't wait for it to be July so whatever happens has happened!

In her dreams...

Well, I have a few minutes before dashing out again so I thought I'd post a brief update.

We listed the house on Monday, 25 Feb. We had the realtors' open on Tuesday, the 26th. Between Wednesday and Saturday we had six showings. On Sunday, the 2nd of March, we had an open house. Seventeen groups showed up; good for this market and time of year. There was a repeat showing on Monday. On Friday, we got an offer - don't start clapping. She offered 13% below asking. Yeah, right. Not even in this market. Our realtor said that normally she would just say something like, "Thank you for taking the time to present the offer, but we're not interested." But, the market being what it is, she suggested we counter with what we would actually accept, telling her that was the best we could do. So, we did. And, we've heard nothing so I'm sure she walked/balked. Otherwise it was an almost perfect offer - cash, no inspection, etc. But, she did want a slightly earlier closing than we'd like. That we can live with - for the right price. But, since we're already losing money on the deal, we can only go so low. And, only 10 days into it, not a chance we'd take something like that. I'll refinance and rent before we get that screwed.

Just got a call for another showing tomorrow. So, we keep our fingers crossed and I watch my blood pressure go off the charts. Keeping the house "show-ready" with a black lab mix and 7YO is no easy task. It was -1 F this morning, "feels like -14," so not exactly the weather in which someone wants to go house hunting either. But, spring will be here someday.

Other than that, we're just waiting for a week from Monday when we leave for F'ton. Hope all is well in your world - and that it's warmer!!

Invasion

Rather than post a long comment over on their blog, I thought I'd post something here in response to the Leap Day post by Canada Calling.

On Monday, 2 October 2000, P called me at work to tell me that someone had broken into our home. We'd hired a friend, A, to let our dog out mid-day. She had walked into the kitchen via the side door and, knowing how neat we are, knew something was wrong. There was food on the counter and there were bags on the floor. She called P- from our phone - and P told her to get out of the house. We raced home and met A, as well as the police.

We didn't have a security system and - don't you know it - for the first time ever I had left a first floor, back of the house, bedroom window open. There were half-full duffel bags - ours - open on the floor. Clearly A had interrupted them and they fled the same way they had entered. I say "they" because I am sure that someone was playing lookout while other(s) packed.

Our insurance claim was for about $10,000. A lot for us. We both lost diamonds that had belonged to grandparents. I lost one grandmother's wedding ring, another grandmother's charm bracelet, my own charm bracelet from high school, class rings, and a baby necklace that I'm wearing in a photo taken when I was about a year old. We lost all kinds of other jewelry. Fortunately we were wearing our custom made bands at the time. And, my baby bracelet got stuck in the seam of the box and was still there, alone.

They didn't get to the family silver or my 35 mm. They didn't get the brand new TV/VCR. But, they got lots. And, they went threw our closets. Stuff was strewn all over our bed.

In addition to the jewelry, we lost the obvious - CD player, CDs, stereo receiver. We also lost clothing, a leather jacket, shampoo out of the shower, a hairbrush, a 500 count bottle of ibuprofen, food out of the fridge, a bag of Halloween candy... And, our luggage. They had to pack in something. They even lifted the tray of flatware right out of the kitchen drawer.

But, here's the weird thing. We had hundred of dollars of unopened baby clothing, toys, blankets, etc. that could easily have been returned to Target, etc. They didn't take one single thing that was baby-related. Some might say they were guys who didn't realize how much that stuff costs. I've always thought that a woman was involved - they did take women's clothing, hairbrush, etc. - and that that was where she drew the line. No baby stuff.

We had to chuckle - we had to - because we don't keep alcohol on hand, no cigarettes, no drugs, no weapons. They took a pizza out of the freezer and left it on the counter. It was vegan. We were glad that, once they realized we were GLBT - hard not to figure that out with a huge "March on Washington" poster hanging - they hadn't vandalized us just for fun.

Our dog was crated and they gave him a few Frosty Paws and dumped a small bag of biscuits in his crate. The cat was probably hiding. We were grateful they didn't harm our pets or let the dog out to run.

Between being obsessively detail oriented and really organized I had every little detail for the police report, claim, etc. We had been grocery shopping the day before and I even knew that they took a block of cheddar! But, even with all the jewelry detail and serial numbers, we never recovered a thing.

This was actually one of the events that put me on the road to being pretty anti-consumption or "it's just stuff." I had to be glad that our pets weren't harmed, that A wasn't harmed, that the house hadn't been trashed. Although I still wish I hadn't lost the family stuff, I can't take it with me. Right? Going to Mississippi after Katrina and clearing someone's house of everything she owned, and leaving almost all of it for the trash collector, was another pivotal event. It's just stuff.

Now, we have a security system, but we joke that there's nothing left to take. Of course that's not entirely true. But, it is true that we have no more grandparents' jewelry. Anything we have of value - that is capable of being replaced - can be replaced with a trip to Best Buy.

Let me note - I'm not writing this to say that such an event is a non-event. It's huge. Trust me - going to bed knowing that they had been rifling through the closet that afternoon was just, well, yuk. I thought I'd post this to let CC know that at least one other in our blog community knows what it's like. And it sucks.

In meeting with our builder I mentioned that I wanted double hung windows; the kinds with the little "locks" so that you can open the windows from the top. Small community or not, I don't think I'll ever sleep alone with a window open from the bottom. I haven't since I lived in Boston and experienced a break-in. Everything leaves its mark. Time marches on, but not with the windows open.

It's March!

I can't quite believe that it's March. We've had six showings of the house since Wednesday and there's an open house tomorrow. Fingers constantly crossed. Ankles, elbows...

It's been a couple of weeks of, "I can't complain." A good friend of mine from grad school had his childhood home, where his father still lived, burn to the ground. His father was gone at the time so he wasn't hurt, but lost everything. A friend from law school went into labor at 20 weeks and lost one of her twin boys. Then it stopped and she hasn't yet delivered the other. If he can hold on another four weeks things will look better. Little Samuel weighed only 10 ounces when he came. That afternoon another friend from law school emailed that her mother had had a massive stroke and wasn't expected to make it. They had her on life support while A and her husband made the 8 hour drive to be with her. So, all in all, even when yesterday I was having such a bad day, I just kept thinking about how it wasn't really that bad at all.

In other news, well, there isn't any. It's all about living in the "perfect" house - as in perfectly clean, perfectly organized, etc. Kind of how I lived when I was single. Ha, ha. But, no more.

Two weeks from Monday we head to F'ton. Looking forward to it, but I'm sure I said that already. Hope all is well with you!