APPROVED

That was what was stamped on Andrew's green card application today, after our final interview. Today was the big day, the day when we would finally found out if all the fees, time filling out forms, and paying more fees was worth it. We woke up early so that we could drive into Baltimore with lots of time to spare. There were dire warnings that if we did not show up for the appointment (which they scheduled at time convenient for them) our application would be considered withdrawn. Before we arrived, we admitted to each other that we were both a little nervous. Not 'taking your qualifier' or 'meeting your future mother-in-law' nervous, but the anticipatory feeling was definitely there.

I don't think the government is actually attempting to create a tense atmosphere, but they have succeeded. Before you are allowed to enter a federal building, you have to go through security. No problem. Except they didn't have nearly enough screeners, so a line builds up outside the building. By the time we left, there were over fifty people standing outside in the below-freezing weather, waiting to be allowed into the door. So that they could wait in line to be screened. And then wait in line to be called into a room, to hear their fate.

Andrew forgot about a pocketknife that he carries on his key chain, which didn't help speed our progress through security. As the security guard explained that Andrew would have to take the knife to the car or at least out of the building, we discovered that we have different approaches to dealing with authority. When things get tense, Andrew tends to challenge authority, whereas I tend to become the ingratiating supplicant.

The interview wasn't too bad, although Andrew misremembered my birthday. The official didn't make any outward comment (she was looking at the correct answer on the form) but I was cringing inside, thinking, "We've failed!" And then, in answer to her question about how our relationship progressed, I mentioned the later part of our dating past when I "frequently harassed him to marry me." I didn't mean for it to come out quite like that.

But now we're done! The official stamped APPROVED in big red letters on the form, and when the green card arrives in the mail there might be a bottle of champagne, waiting to celebrate it.

Holidays = mainly food

Sorry about falling off the face of the earth - after that third party I was just done in. Since then, the holidays plus the end of the semester just filled up my time.

We managed to get out of Maryland less than twelve hours before the storm of the century hit. I don't know if that's what they're actually calling it, but the two feet of snow that fell last week were more than Maryland had seen in 70 years. I'm a bit disappointed that we missed it, because I love winter, but I suppose that helping to shovel out the driveway wouldn't have been quite as much fun

We spent the past week for my parents. Now that I'm grown, my mother and I have an arrangement: I do almost all of the cooking, and she does almost all the dishes. In the past six days I've made: homemade pasta with creamy pesto sauce, cinnamon pecan rolls, Challah, nachos, homemade macaroni and cheese, Thai peanut noodles, a full meal of tapas, and a mushroom lasagna. I may have to go home and recover by eating only salads.

So, now we're off to make (and eat) more food. Merry Christmas!

Partying with physicists

On Saturday night, twenty physicists dressed in their finest descended upon our house. I had set the start time at 7:30 so that they'd leave by midnight. After all, I need my beauty rest. But you can't stop physicists once they start celebrating (which might be because they so rarely get a chance). It was just before two a.m. before we got the last ones out the door.

There were a few mishaps. Early in the evening we accidentally put both hosts' cell phones, along with the door bell alarm, in a separate room and closed the door. Our next set of guests waited outside in the cold for twenty minutes, fruitlessly calling, ringing the doorbell, and throwing pebbles at our window. (Sorry, R and B!)

But in the end, every last scrap of food was consumed, many bottles were emptied, and many problems were solved (see the picture below).
B and I, after drinking a few chocolate-mint martinis. (I recommend them, even though they in no way deserve the name "martini".)
So, now it back to boring old life, where I don't wear glittery dresses, but where I do spend lots of quality time with my laptop and Word documents.

Advent

The house is decorated. Buddha and the kokopelli (more info on the New Mexican troublemaker here) are swathed in tinsel. I'm embarrassed that my Christmas decorating mantra seems to be, "The more tinsel, the better."

I've made and hung snowflakes, just as I do every year. This year I figured out how to make 3-D snowflakes.
And, for the first time ever, I made an Advent calendar for Andrew. When I was an exchange student in Germany, many years ago, my host mother made an Advent calendar for me. She sewed 24 little bags and put treats in each one.
Since today is December 1st, Andrew got to open the first one. I've used much better chocolate than those pre-filled cardboard calendars usually have.

We have a cat visiting us. Switters is a lovely, peaceful cat, who happens to weigh twice as much as my cat. There have been a series of small skirmishes and strategic maneuverings all week. This photo demonstrates the size differential and Phi's preferred interaction, the offensive hiss.

Lately I've been skipping the gym and walking outside instead. We live near a lake that has paved paths, and is filled with ducks, geese, and the occasional beaver. (Presumably the beavers are there all the time, and we just occasionally see them.)

To make our walks slightly more vigorous, we carry weights. Until I borrowed the weights you see in the picture below, I was using cans of beans. That was convenient and low-cost, and people we passed started to recognize me as the woman with the canned goods. Unfortunately, I would sometimes eat the beans and forget to replace them, so the hand weights are appreciated.

Even though the leaves are off most of the trees, it's still a peaceful way to start my day.
In other news, we are hosting three parties in three weeks. Yikes. At first I was sort of freaked out by this turn of events - two holidays celebrations fell close together, and then it turned out that Andrew had offered to throw an additional party. But I'm trying to remember that I love the holiday season. Although I pack a lot in, it's all stuff I enjoy doing. If I start seeing these activities as chores, then the whole point of doing them is lost.

Strauss and soup

Can you bear yet another picture of me in yet another hat? This one is posted particularly for my friend, who loaned me the stole. (Yes, it's real fur. No, I don't mind wearing that. This stole was inherited by my friend from her mother-in-law, so those little creatures, whatever they were, died long before I was born.)

Having such a nice wrap gives me an excuse to go nice places, so we saw an opera at the Kennedy Center last weekend. That was where I learned that there are two different composers named Strauss. Johann did the waltzes, and Richard was modern, and among other things, composed the opera which we saw. I think I like Johann a bit better, but I probably shouldn't admit that, because I imagine it's hipper to like modern operas.

*****
In other news, I made (fake) chicken and dumpling soup tonight for dinner. I haven't eaten it in years, but suddenly it sounded like the best thing we could be eating. I have a special place in my heart for chicken and dumpling soup, which was one of the very first dishes I made (mostly) by myself. I was only eight, so I was still eating meat. I cut up the chicken and the vegetables, and made them into soup. The dumplings were made from Bisquick, and when I served it for dinner I was so very proud of myself. My father was careful to exclaim over how good it was, and then after he finished his bowl, he said, "That was great. What's the next course?" I was devastated! I was so proud of making one dish, but he expected more. This was just a momentary slip in my father's normally stellar parenting, so I like to tease him about it as much as possible.

Frivolous pursuits

Once again, I used up all the words I have on the chapter draft I just finished. So, some pictures and uneloquent sentences.

I went to a party and had too much time to prep beforehand. Here's how my outfit turned out:
Today I convinced Andrew to ditch his projects (the latest: a motorcycle shelter) and visit Mt. Vernon, which is George Washington's home. It's been restored so that it looks is it did in the 1790's. We enjoyed the grounds more than the house, because it was a gorgeous day. After sitting in my room and writing at my desk all week, it was heaven to tramp all over the farm. Highlights: the dung repository (Well, it was quite modern that George was composting way back then) and the views, which were stunning and aimed out over the Potomac and a National Park.) Andrew particularly enjoyed the calves:


The low point of the day was the lunch we ate there: how does one make a veggie burger with gristle in it?