Thanks

[Brad and Vika 129]

Finally I was able to schedule a January interview in Kiev. I was told that consular will be closed the entire week of Orthodox Christmas, so the 12th was the first day available. I wonder if the consular section in Moscow will be closed that week too.

Congratulations! Dang dude, that's only a few days over a month away! Woot!

Moscow will probably be closed also, because they'll likely have to let their RU employees off.

Thanks brother. And I suspected as much about the closing.

[KGSodie 0]

Belated congrats, dude!

[Brad and Vika 129]

Belated congrats, dude!

Thanks!

[slim 1,523]

Not too much longer and we'll be taking a trip down to Louisville. Keep us posted on how the interview goes.... and good luck!

I'm with mox, I bet the Moscow station will be closed the first week or so of January. From what my wife's told me over the years, EVERYTHING is closed for the first week or two.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Not too much longer and we'll be taking a trip down to Louisville. Keep us posted on how the interview goes.... and good luck!

I'm with mox, I bet the Moscow station will be closed the first week or so of January. From what my wife's told me over the years, EVERYTHING is closed for the first week or two.

I am changing my tickets as we speak Vika has changed her mind a couple of times already about when she wants to come back. Now she wants that time in early January to visit relatives, but still wants to return with me immediately after the interview. We will not be going to Turkey, because she will have "too much stress to enjoy". I will be thrilled when this part of the process is over.

[slim 1,523]

We will not be going to Turkey, because she will have "too much stress to enjoy". I will be thrilled when this part of the process is over.

It's only just begun.

If I had a dollar for every time there was "too much stress to enjoy" I wouldn't be typing right now becuase I'd be sipping cocktails with the little umbrellas in them on my private island.

Good luck with your Visa Journey, and more luck with trying to "de"stress the entire thing.

[HappyDancer 7]

Relax Brad... I would rather go through stress everyday so long as the end result is being with my SO for the rest of my life. It's a stoic's game.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Here is the gist of what I posted in another thread recently:

Although I was showing some frustration about the frequent changes of mind, when I think for 30 seconds about it, she is completely justified being nervous. I was single again for a long time, and need to retrain my brain to recognize some one else's well founded distress. Even for a guy, I am pretty thick skinned sometimes. Thanks for all the advice and support.

I realize the path is not easy, but what worthwhile relationship is? Unlike me, Viktoria has never lived away from home for any real length of time, and her anxiety is really easily understood if I take the time to think. I can only imagine the stress involved with a decision to remove yourself from everything you know and love forever - the first time you move away from home at all. No matter what my frustration level is, her worry more than outweighs it. I try to keep that in mind....

[slim 1,523]

I'm going to cut and paste the above post in about 10 months................. stay tuned!

[KGSodie 0]

Here is the gist of what I posted in another thread recently:

Although I was showing some frustration about the frequent changes of mind, when I think for 30 seconds about it, she is completely justified being nervous. I was single again for a long time, and need to retrain my brain to recognize some one else's well founded distress. Even for a guy, I am pretty thick skinned sometimes. Thanks for all the advice and support.

I realize the path is not easy, but what worthwhile relationship is? Unlike me, Viktoria has never lived away from home for any real length of time, and her anxiety is really easily understood if I take the time to think. I can only imagine the stress involved with a decision to remove yourself from everything you know and love forever - the first time you move away from home at all. No matter what my frustration level is, her worry more than outweighs it. I try to keep that in mind....

It hasn't been 10 months yet for Natasha, Vika and I (let's see - they arrived mid-March and it's now mid-December, so that's 7 months) but what you say, Brad, is spot on. The first couple of months were ROUGH for Natasha, and hence rough for me. Lots of frustration, homesickness, and general unhappiness. I took it pretty hard, until my SIL reminded me of the obvious, which was clear to me before they arrived and I'd somehow lost track of it after they arrived - Natasha gave up everything she knew and moved far outside her comfort zone, and although her family was available via the internet, her support system had the legs knocked out from under it and she was precariously balanced for a time, so things didn't need to be 'fair' for a while. A little understanding, and a ton of patience goes a long way, even if it often seemed I was the only one needing to be understanding and having to have patience.

As for slim, I sometimes worry about him! ;-) I hope most of his comments are hyperbole for entertainment value! Right? Slim, buddy?

[Brad and Vika 129]

Here is the gist of what I posted in another thread recently:

Although I was showing some frustration about the frequent changes of mind, when I think for 30 seconds about it, she is completely justified being nervous. I was single again for a long time, and need to retrain my brain to recognize some one else's well founded distress. Even for a guy, I am pretty thick skinned sometimes. Thanks for all the advice and support.

I realize the path is not easy, but what worthwhile relationship is? Unlike me, Viktoria has never lived away from home for any real length of time, and her anxiety is really easily understood if I take the time to think. I can only imagine the stress involved with a decision to remove yourself from everything you know and love forever - the first time you move away from home at all. No matter what my frustration level is, her worry more than outweighs it. I try to keep that in mind....

It hasn't been 10 months yet for Natasha, Vika and I (let's see - they arrived mid-March and it's now mid-December, so that's 7 months) but what you say, Brad, is spot on. The first couple of months were ROUGH for Natasha, and hence rough for me. Lots of frustration, homesickness, and general unhappiness. I took it pretty hard, until my SIL reminded me of the obvious, which was clear to me before they arrived and I'd somehow lost track of it after they arrived - Natasha gave up everything she knew and moved far outside her comfort zone, and although her family was available via the internet, her support system had the legs knocked out from under it and she was precariously balanced for a time, so things didn't need to be 'fair' for a while. A little understanding, and a ton of patience goes a long way, even if it often seemed I was the only one needing to be understanding and having to have patience.

As for slim, I sometimes worry about him! ;-) I hope most of his comments are hyperbole for entertainment value! Right? Slim, buddy?

Again, thanks dude. And I agree about Slim He is one of the most entertainng posters on VJ, and a heck of a nice guy I think. All of the tough talk is no doubt because his wife is a tough cookie Most FSU girls are tougher than we expect, at least tougher than I expected - and I have definitely been around the block with more than one.

[slim 1,523]

As for slim, I sometimes worry about him! ;-) I hope most of his comments are hyperbole for entertainment value! Right? Slim, buddy?

That's what my buddy thought too until he came to visit for a few days. "Dude, I thought you were exaggerating when you were telling me stories and stuff and describing how she talks to you. Then when you woke up with hot wax all over you and she was just like, 'and what?' I knew you weren't BSing anymore. Dang that girl is nucking futs!"

And I agree about Slim He is one of the most entertainng posters on VJ, and a heck of a nice guy I think. All of the tough talk is no doubt because his wife is a tough cookie Most FSU girls are tougher than we expect, at least tougher than I expected - and I have definitely been around the block with more than one.

You keep up that "I've been around the block with more than one" talk and you'll definitely be dealing with the "tough" side of your girl! "Oh, so you want make looks like you big man on your stupid Visa Journey? Like you so great man for all women?"

February is going to be interesting. We'll have new stories from the White House and new stories from Louisville..... both will probably be very interesting!

[Brad and Vika 129]

As for slim, I sometimes worry about him! ;-) I hope most of his comments are hyperbole for entertainment value! Right? Slim, buddy?

That's what my buddy thought too until he came to visit for a few days. "Dude, I thought you were exaggerating when you were telling me stories and stuff and describing how she talks to you. Then when you woke up with hot wax all over you and she was just like, 'and what?' I knew you weren't BSing anymore. Dang that girl is nucking futs!"

And I agree about Slim He is one of the most entertainng posters on VJ, and a heck of a nice guy I think. All of the tough talk is no doubt because his wife is a tough cookie Most FSU girls are tougher than we expect, at least tougher than I expected - and I have definitely been around the block with more than one.

You keep up that "I've been around the block with more than one" talk and you'll definitely be dealing with the "tough" side of your girl! "Oh, so you want make looks like you big man on your stupid Visa Journey? Like you so great man for all women?"

February is going to be interesting. We'll have new stories from the White House and new stories from Louisville..... both will probably be very interesting!

Maybe not as interesting as you imagine. She already reads my posts, and she is aware of the history too. And hot wax?

[slim 1,523]

Maybe not as interesting as you imagine. She already reads my posts, and she is aware of the history too. And hot wax?

Yes, you've had the luxury of "doing time" together already, so you know what you're in for. That's definitely an advantage over most folks on VJ. I spent a lot of time with my wife before we were married, but that was like five years before, and we never actually lived together. We were both different people by the time we shacked up. No, excuse me... she was a different person, more developed. I was still the same ol' primitive fat man that I am today.

And hot wax?

Well, here's what happened..... My buddy visited from out of town and we all went out drinking and having a grand ol' time. To make a long story short, she departed our group a little early and headed home to go to bed or something and my buddy and I ended up getting some Skyline cheese coneys and watching TV (and probably making too much noise for her to sleep) and all I remember is waking up in the morning with candle wax all over me. I quickly figured out she had dumped wax on me while I was sleeping (I assume as pay back for keeping her up late) and when we confronted her in the morning about it (after throwing up, of course) all she said was, "and what?" My buddy was cracking up because he thought it was the funniest thing. Not that she had dumped hot wax on me while I was sleeping, but because it was a "normal" thing for her to do, according to her. In her mind, if we were doing stupid stuff and keeping her awake, it was "normal" for her to dump hot wax on me after I fell asleep as payback.

Hot wax is no big deal because I was passed out drunk and didn't feel a thing. No burns, no foul. But... I'm not even going to touch the underlying issues here and the possibility of what could happen when she's "really" mad. (I'm just glad she's not strong enough to ####### my .45. Well, not yet, anyway. I guess I better lock up my tomahawk. Lizzy Borden is a personal role model of hers..... I wonder if she hacked up her husband and then said, "and what?")

[Brad and Vika 129]

Maybe not as interesting as you imagine. She already reads my posts, and she is aware of the history too. And hot wax?

Yes, you've had the luxury of "doing time" together already, so you know what you're in for. That's definitely an advantage over most folks on VJ. I spent a lot of time with my wife before we were married, but that was like five years before, and we never actually lived together. We were both different people by the time we shacked up. No, excuse me... she was a different person, more developed. I was still the same ol' primitive fat man that I am today.

And hot wax?

Well, here's what happened..... My buddy visited from out of town and we all went out drinking and having a grand ol' time. To make a long story short, she departed our group a little early and headed home to go to bed or something and my buddy and I ended up getting some Skyline cheese coneys and watching TV (and probably making too much noise for her to sleep) and all I remember is waking up in the morning with candle wax all over me. I quickly figured out she had dumped wax on me while I was sleeping (I assume as pay back for keeping her up late) and when we confronted her in the morning about it (after throwing up, of course) all she said was, "and what?" My buddy was cracking up because he thought it was the funniest thing. Not that she had dumped hot wax on me while I was sleeping, but because it was a "normal" thing for her to do, according to her. In her mind, if we were doing stupid stuff and keeping her awake, it was "normal" for her to dump hot wax on me after I fell asleep as payback.

Hot wax is no big deal because I was passed out drunk and didn't feel a thing. No burns, no foul. But... I'm not even going to touch the underlying issues here and the possibility of what could happen when she's "really" mad. (I'm just glad she's not strong enough to ####### my .45. Well, not yet, anyway. I guess I better lock up my tomahawk. Lizzy Borden is a personal role model of hers..... I wonder if she hacked up her husband and then said, "and what?")

We are definitely dealing with different personalities, based on what you have told me offline Slim. Vika has been pretty sheltered, and comes from a strong cohesive family. Like most educated "good girls" in Ukraine, she thinks displays of temper are rude, until she loses it I mean that she has chosen to take it pretty easy on me so far. We are both just impatient to get the visa process over. She is spending the rest of the weekend with her cousins in Kiev, and having her medical exam and paying the application fee Monday. Vika is less nervous about all of this when she has something to do, and feels able to move the process forward.

And from one primitive fat man to another, that hot wax thing is a whole different level than anything I have ever experienced. The ability to laugh it off is a true mark of good character Slim. You go boy