Friday, April 20, 2012

Good Advice!


My first meme. A friend sent me the quote, and found a photo I took in 2007. That is a (now closed) area between Guanta, Anzoategui, Venezuela and Los Altos, Sucre, Venezuela.

mimbresman.com is Active.

My business partner and I have a new website up with some new and original Mimbres Man cycling clothing. Those of you not familiar with Mimbres Man, I was one of the original bicycle clothing companies for mountain biking back in the mid-1990s when mountain biking was quickly evolving. Fun times. Looking forward to designing a new generation of togs. Keep an eye out! 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Wife's Immigrant Visa Progress?

Status...(a stream of conscientious approach)...well, about 3 weeks ago, I finally got my Affidavit of Support packet in the mail (DHL). This packet included the government form, my tax records for the last 3 years, and other documentations supporting my case. Well, last Thursday I got an e-mail from the National Visa Center (NVC) that I needed to include the DS-230 form (the actual immigrant visa application). I can't believe I never submitted that. That was a big oversight! Anyway, I waited till Friday to try to print out the bar-coded coversheet (required) and my printer wasn't working! I saved it on a pen-drive and tried to take it to a cyber-cafe to print it, and everything was closed on Friday due to Good Friday. Same with Saturday and Sunday. Monday, I finally printed the document and was able to read it more completely (I like reading hard copies). That is where I discovered about the missing DS-230, so I went home to fill out this PDF then tried to print and nothing...printer not working. It is a PDF that can't be saved. I kept it opened, took my computer and printer to a computer guy down the street and we kind of got it to print, then canceled the printing because it was slow and ink levels were low. They guy thought I needed to buy a new ink cartridge and things would be okay. I swapped out both ink cartridges and I could not get the printer to recognize the computer (either computer) and vise-versa. So arrrgh! Decided to go back to same cyber-cafe and fill out a new DS-230 on one of their computers (about 45 minutes) and when I went to print, the document was not being recognized by their printer. Arrgh! So we went to cyber-cafe #2 and I filled out a 3rd DS-230 and went to print and finally success. I collated everything, got some new pics of Tania made (first she had to get her hair done) then finally put everything in an manila envelope and put it in my messenger bag and rode to DHL. 1 block from DHL, I hop a curb and my chain skips off and jams between the freewheel and frame. I don't have either of my multitools with me. I try unjamming it by pulling on it and just get my fingers really greasy! Arrrgh! The rear wheel won't spin. Fortunately I am just a few meters from a tire repair place so I carry my bike over to them and ask for a 6 mm allen wrench for the ENO hub. The tire guy and me get the chain unjammed and back on the cogs, but my fingers are really greasy and there is no water or Go-Jo or even a rag offered at the tire place, so I ride over to DHL with black fingers. I wipe my fingers off the best I can on my gloves and gingerly hold the manila envelope with my dirty fingertips while I wait in line. After a 15 minute wait, it's my turn. My manila envelope is covered with bicycle grease, looks like hell, but we pack it in a DHL document envelope and I barely had enough money to cover the mailing cost (about $20). But it's in the mail! Hopefully we will know something in 20 days or so....fingers crossed.