Married one year

[akdiver 3]

I'm home sick from work today, and bored - so here I am just for some general chit chat. (:

So, as of this past weekend, we have been married for one year. I think the year went by pretty fast myself. It's still hard to think of myself as married - I'm not sure why. Well anyway, I thought it might be useful to people to see some of the practical things we did this year. Maybe it can give some people a checklist as to things to do once their babes arrive. It's purely FYI, YMMV, IYDCTPI. (:

PAPERWORK

She has accumulated the following paperwork accomplishments during this year:

• State ID Card (married name)
  
• State Driver's license w/motorcycle endorsement (married name)
  
• Social Security Card (married name)
  
• Marriage Certificate (showing name change)
  
• Advance Parole document (married name, unused)
  
• EAD (married name, used to secure employment)
  
• Permanent Resident card (2-year conditional)
  
• Passport - Renew, name change, and registration. In progress at Russian consulate in Seattle (expect completion Sept '06).
  
• Certificate of completion - MSF Basic Rider's Course
  

All of that went pretty smoothly, except getting the name on her driver's license changed after we got married. They didn't want to take the official fully-certified marriage certificate as proof of name change, despite that's what their own regulations said they needed. After she got her PR card, she went back to the DMV and ended up getting it - after asking to see a supervisor. ###### morons.

FINANCIAL

She has accumulated the following financial accomplishments during this year:

• Opened individual checking & savings accounts in her married name
  
• Opened Roth IRA in her married name (and auto-depositing the yearly max $)
  
• Opened Home Depot credit card account (individual) in her married name
  
• Opened joint credit card account with me (married name)
  
• Opened joint checking & savings accouints with me (married name)
  
• Applied for and was approved for a new car loan (joint account)
  
• Completed a joint 2005 tax return (getting married shaved some $2K off my tax bill! Marriage penalty my ###!!)
  

All of that went pretty smoothly. The Roth IRA was easy, we did that right away. The bank wanted the marriage certificate first, so we delayed on that until it arrived. As for the car loan - now we're just waiting on the new 4-door Wrangler Rubicon we ordered to get a VIN so we can close the loan (:

EMPLOYMENT

She has accumulated the following employment accomplishments during this year:

• Got a full-time, full-benefits position at the local university making $30K/yr + benefits
  
• Got hired by the U.S. Post Office, but quit to take the university job
  
• Got several other job offers
  
• Got lots of interview opportunities
  

She had the univeristy job in place and started her first day of work only about 1 month after receiving her EAD card. It doesn't get much better than that. All in all, she arrived on July 17th and started working at the university on December 19th, almost six months to the day, and about three months after we got married. Her medical benefits are actually better and cheaper than mine, so we dropped mine for hers, saving some $2K/year in the process. In short, we made a lot more progress on this front than I had expected - which is way cool.

EDUCATIONAL

She has accumulated the following educational accomplishments during this year:

• Received (Russian-language) transcripts from both her universities
  
• Translated original transcripts and had them evaluated by U.S. evaluation service
  
• Completed two courses (six credits) of undergraduate work at local university
  
• Been admitted to a graduate program (M.S.) in global supply chain management (starts Fall '06)
  

It was slow getting the original transcripts, but other than that, things went OK, for the most part.

TRAVEL

She has accumulated the following travel accomplishments during this year:

• Arrived in Anchorage, Alaska as her POE (from Germany). This was nice.
  
• Spent about two weeks in Hawaii (getting married + honeymoon).
  
• Road trip through CA, AZ, UT, NV (Disneyland, Meteor Crater, Las Vegas, etc.)
  
• 7-day rafting trip on Grand Canyon
  
• 5-day trip to Washington D.C. area (tours of White House, Capitol Bldg, museums, etc.)
  
• Washington D.C. trip included visit with my parents, plus play at Kennedy Center
  
• 4-hour layover in Texas (DFW)
  

I think it's kind of cool that the first two states she went to were Alaska and Hawaii (: She had a great trip to D.C. for our anniversary, and I think she has already seen more of the U.S. than most Americans have. Overall, not bad for her first year - especially considering she lives in Alaska.

Besides all of that, we have remodeled the bedroom and built a deck in the backyard. He parents are coming for 2-week visit later this month, and things seem to be going well in general. No real nightmares here so far, with any kind of paperwork/logistics or relationship issues. All signs are positive and we hope to have another good year.

Best advice for forms of all kinds is to just do what they tell you to do, make sure you take the time to be complete and thorough with everything you do, and don't give anyone an easy excuse to deny you whatever it is you're asking from them. Good luck.

Cheers!

AKDiver

[russ 1]

I'm home sick from work today, and bored - so here I am just for some general chit chat. (:

Congrats! Great success, I'm glad you are both so happy!

You have inspired me to post about our (almost) first year of marriage.

A bit different for us - other side of the continent and different challenges, but it is probably a good time to share.

[slim 1,525]

AK, you did more in one year (and with a wife) than I've done in the last five!

Congrats on everything going smoothly. Good luck for this year!

[SirLancelot 1]

###### morons.

Interesting, my use of "###" gets censored but your use of ###### is perfectly fine? Is something wrong with this picture?

edit: ### = a s s

Edited September 8, 2006 by SirLancelot

[Satellite 1]

Interesting, my use of "###" gets censored but your use of ###### is perfectly fine? Is something wrong with this picture?

Perhaps things only get censored on this site when someone complains via the report button. Since all of us tend to be more mature and laid back then the rest of VJ folks in the general forums, no one here gets banned or has their posts censored.

Although I do have one notable exception during the criticism of grandpa Nick by figsybigsy.

[SirLancelot 1]

Interesting, my use of "###" gets censored but your use of ###### is perfectly fine? Is something wrong with this picture?

Perhaps things only get censored on this site when someone complains via the report button. Since all of us tend to be more mature and laid back then the rest of VJ folks in the general forums, no one here gets banned or has their posts censored.

Although I do have one notable exception during the criticism of grandpa Nick by figsybigsy.

Well, it may be that this group here is more mature than the rest of VJ, but give it a try for yourself. Post a msg and type a*s and then type ###### in the same post. You see that a*s gets changed to ### and ###### is left intact. Very strange automatic filtering/censoring system they got implemented on VJ.

a*s = a s s (but minus the spaces in between each character)

btw: Congrats akdiver. That is indeed a lot of accomplishments in the first year!

Edited September 9, 2006 by SirLancelot

[slim 1,525]

Perhaps things only get censored on this site when someone complains via the report button. Since all of us tend to be more mature and laid back then the rest of VJ folks in the general forums, no one here gets banned or has their posts censored.

Although I do have one notable exception during the criticism of grandpa Nick by figsybigsy.

Didn't the Nick/figsy fued start in one of the general forums? Wasn't it something like figsybigsy posted something saying Nick was too old for Nat in one of the other forums and somehow it got back to Nick in this forum, he went over there to check it out, then it spilled over onto the mean streets of the Russia forum?

I do believe that was about the only drama we've really had here on this forum. (Other than me ruffling some feathers from time to time... but even that is nowhere near the soap-opera drama that you can find on any of the other forums just about daily. "Oh he said that. Well, he's an @$$ and his girl is ugly." Yeah, you can see that daily on NBC, CBS, ABC, or VJ general areas.) The Nick/figsy fued was almost comical! Where are those guys? Last I heard Nick was happily married, and I guess too busy "doing the laundry" to post here anymore (good for him!) and figsybigsy was half-way through his pre-nup and on his way back to pick up his lady. Anyone know? Just curious... not even trying to get that started again.

And no, bad language on this forum has never really been an issue. I don't even know where the report button is, as I'm sure most of the other guys on here don't either! We've got plenty of other stuff to worry about, and trying to figure out what the little @$*$#### symbols mean is the least of those worries. So, ##### it up! Welcome to the ###### Russia forum!

edited: Just noticed that report button right down there

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Edited September 9, 2006 by slim

[timelena 0]

AKDiver,

I wonder what you guys are going to do in several years. Looks like you will accomplish EVERYTHING in two-three years. And what then?

Looks impressive!

[VJ Supersleuth 100]

Your lovely wife also spoke to me in the past year. She was found via clues left by you with your "joke" thread. What a great hunt that was.

[akdiver 3]

I wonder what you guys are going to do in several years. Looks like you will accomplish EVERYTHING in two-three years. And what then?

Keel over and die I guess.

Cheers!

AKDiver

[Peggy 1]

Glad things are going great for the two of you

[slim 1,525]

Your lovely wife also spoke to me in the past year. She was found via clues left by you with your "joke" thread. What a great hunt that was.

Isn't it about time for a new "joke"???

[Austin_Volgograd 0]

I'm home sick from work today, and bored - so here I am just for some general chit chat. (:

I hope you're feeling better. I hate being sick! But that's one heckuva post! Wow! Congrats on all the progress! And thanks for the info. It gives me a lot of things to think about.

EDUCATIONAL

She has accumulated the following educational accomplishments during this year:

• Received (Russian-language) transcripts from both her universities
  
• Translated original transcripts and had them evaluated by U.S. evaluation service
  

Can you tell me a little about the U.S. evaluation service? I've got my wife's transcripts (with translations) and was wondering how to get them evaluated. I haven't done a search on the 'net yet. I appreciate any info you can toss my way.

Thanks!

:Michael

[timelena 0]

AKDiver,

Looks like your wife's personality suits the American culture She is an achiever, goal-oriented, successful lady... Is it what you expected from Russian wife? Didn't you want her to stay at home and take care of the kids and not earning more than you do? (seems to me you may find yourself in this situation pretty soon )

I am asking since I don't know My situation is different - both my husband and I are originally Russian.

[akdiver 3]

Can you tell me a little about the U.S. evaluation service? I've got my wife's transcripts (with translations) and was wondering how to get them evaluated. I haven't done a search on the 'net yet. I appreciate any info you can toss my way.

Sure.

Well, the university had a list of approved services and we used one of those. I believe my wife did some preliminary looking around and picked one that could provide timely service at a reasonable price. It's been a while, so my figures may be off, but I think she paid $200 at most for the evaluation. She used a service called ECE Inc. , Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. We were pretty happy with the service they provided. They provided a course by course evaluation of her classes and the equivalent at a U.S. institution, and translated her foreign degrees into U.S. Equivalents. In her case, it came out to be:

M.S. Tourism Management

B.B.A. Management

B.A. Secondary Education (teaching emphasis in English and German)

So, score three for her. (:

Hope this helps!

AKDiver