AntandD's Bad Luck and Good Luck Story (Part 1 of 2)...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Boy, what a crazy week/weekend I've had recently!

Mentioned below is the story of what happened to us (Ant and D), with the bad, the good, and everything else in between mentioned. Lesson learned, "expect the unexpected", especially on Friday the 13^th and Valentine's Day!:

"AntandD's Bad Luck and Good Luck Story…(Part 1 of 2)..." (with US Immigration, Passport Canada, and Vehicles…):

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Bad

-The VSC is approving cases I-751 cases in 10-12 months, which is a major delay, and I have an expired 2 yr green card (with a flimsy paper 1yr extension). As well, my Canadian passport already expired, but I didn't want to renew it.

Good

-.Since I couldn't get I-551 stamp for anticipated further delays with an expired passport, I had no other choice but to renew my Canadian passport, which means I don't have to worry about having an expired Canadian passport anymore (well, for the next 5 years or so, unless I wait for an American one after I get US citizenship). Oh how fun it would be, traveling with 2 valid passports later on!

Bad

-Had to find a guarantor and two references for Canadian passport, and had a hard time finding anyone. As well, I was on somewhat bad terms with some those people I had used before for my pervious passport.

Good

-Found a way to get on better terms with those individuals, and got the passport fees paid for me by the guarantor and found additional references too.

Bad

-(Friday the 13^th): Our vehicle broke down in Niagara Falls, New York, USA on my way to passport office in St.Catherine's, Ontario, Canada.

Good

-It broke within a few hundred feet from towing truck service.

Bad

-The broken vehicle was stuck in the middle of road and we worried that nobody would stop to help us.

Good

-Immediately someone stopped to help my husband push the car back off the road and into a closed off parking lot, nearby the tow truck service office.

Bad

-The tow truck drivers business seemed closed as nobody answered the locked door.

Good

-Went to bar next door, who knew how to contact them, but didn't need that as tow truck driver showed up thirty seconds later by chance after forgetting something in his office, while on errand to do something else.

Bad

-The vehicle needed major repair at repair shop, waited a long time there, so thought was going to miss getting my passport at the passport office as time was nearing 4pm by now.

Good

-The mechanic walks then through the door to tell us he got the car fixed, so we were happy as thought we'd maybe now make it to passport office in time.

Bad

-Ten minutes later, the guy who fixed car says wasn't happy with the repairs, saying it was a temporary fix and things could get worse, that we may break down again before got to our destination. The actual needed car repairs would have cost too much, because of older age of the car.

Good

-The repair shop also sold cars and other vehicles. On the spur-of-the-moment, we decided to buy a "new" (well, new to us) used car instead and got discount for the repairs on old vehicle. We're happy with the vehicle that we purchased that night.

Bad

-We couldn't get the paperwork needed for the insurance for our new vehicle purchase, as the office closed at 5pm, and it was now past that time. Worried we'd have no car to drive home now, and we'd be stranded in the repair shop as both mine and my husband's families were a far distance away and likely couldn't help us out of this jam.

Good

-Someone that the repair shop owner knew about, lent us their laptop, and we connected to the internet to find our insurance company online and with hours open week days until very late. We did call that phone number listed on their website, and eventually got the temporary insurance papers faxed over to the dealership, so that we could purchase the vehicle that night, as luckily each side had a fax machine to fax the paperwork over.

Bad

-Before driving off the parking lot with our new vehicle that night, we noticed the vehicle's manual was missing. Went in to ask if they knew where it was. They said, no, sorry.

Good

-One of the mechanics who was still there at the shop said he owned a similar vehicle as ours, so he went out to his vehicle and gave us his.

Bad

-The manual that he gave us smells like alcohol.

Good

-At least it didn't smell like the shop, which smelled like smoke those many hours we were waiting there.

Bad

-Worried in the repair shop about my pregnancy, as it smelled that smoke there and car and oil fumes. It was also too cold to be outside for the entire six hours while waiting for all of this fixing of the car and new car purchase transaction.

Good

-I felt the Baby kicking at me more often on and off since that day.

Bad

-The next day (Valentine's Day): We showed up last minute at our local library's Valentine's Day event, as we were running late from a having a pizza restaurant dinner to celebrate with earlier that night.

Good

-After being handed two of the last tickets after walking in the door just before the event was to close, my number was called and I won the door prize gift certificate for a large pizza at the local grocery store.

Well, that where the first part of this story ends for now. Thanks for reading this odd but true story, and I hope it entertained you here on VJ for awhile too….

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week here on VJ, as we attempt again next week (with our new vehicle this time) to go to the passport office in Canada for me to renew my passport and get my passport shortly after that. Hopefully too, we won't have too many problems along the way the second time around (especially more so that I'm crossing the border with all of my travel and immigration documents that are already expired)…

Ant (Bad Luck, Good Luck....)

Edited February 15, 2009 by AntandD

[Flames9_RN 358]

good times,lol!! isn't there new cdn passport rules with regards to no longer requiring guarantors?

[Emancipation 2]

good times,lol!! isn't there new cdn passport rules with regards to no longer requiring guarantors?

As long as you don't change the name on your current passport.. In my case changing to your married name disqualifies ya.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Emancipation

[antda 13]

Hi Flames9 and Emancipation,

Thanks for reading my story, and replying to it.

Yes, Canadians can get passports without guarantors, through the "simplified renewal process"..

However, there are certain "restrictions" to this process (see that VJ thread about Canadian Passports that was posted a few months ago), which in cases like mine, does not qualify for this "simplified process".

In my case, my old passport is in my maiden last name. And I want my new passport (like all the rest of my legal documents) in my married last name. Besides, I have no connection with my former last name, and to tell you the truth...I hated it...So I was glad when I changed it when I got married, especially more so that I feel more connected to my life here with my husband...

But I'm not glad that Passport Canada is giving me hard time because of this...

Gee, that seems like discrimination, just because we're married women and decide to change our last names, don't you think? Oh the troubles we women go through when getting married (and go through other life challenges, such as childbirth, but that's another story...lol...).....

Lol..I can't wait until I get an American Passport later on! Maybe Passport Canada can learn a thing or two from them down there about "a real unrestricted simplified passport renewal process"!....

Ant (Bad Luck, Good Luck, Discriminated by Passport Canada...)

good times,lol!! isn't there new cdn passport rules with regards to no longer requiring guarantors?

As long as you don't change the name on your current passport.. In my case changing to your married name disqualifies ya.

Edited February 15, 2009 by AntandD

[Carlawarla 1]

What a tale of woe! Here's hoping you enjoy your vacation from hence forth! Best of luck! I'm anxiously awaiting Part II!

Edited February 17, 2009 by Carlawarla

[antda 13]

Hi Carlawarla,

Thanks for reading my story, and replying to it.

Lol...I guess to a certain extent it was a tale of woe, as at that time it wasn't too funny...

However, as I look back on it now, it kind of seems humourous to be thinking of such...

Oh how woe can turn into joy! I hope too, that future trips won't be as woeful and unlucky as this one...

Stay tuned for part 2 of this tale of woe, coming up soon today...

Ant (Good Luck, Bad Luck...)

P.S. Good luck too, with your personal situation in regards to your medical finances. I hope you get things sorted out there, and all the best to you and your family for a healthy future.

What a tale of woe! Here's hoping you enjoy your vacation from hence forth! Best of luck! I'm anxiously awaiting Part II!