Finally , its Friday! Everybody is looking forward for the weekend. That means, that includes me. Friday evening is my chat time with my family in the Philippines, we do chat some other days, but Friday is the best time for us to chat since it's Saturday morning in the Philippines. For me , Friday evening means staying up late. And staying in bed late on Saturday morning.
But this Friday is different. I am actually going to bed early tonight. I will be getting up early tomorrow to prepare the foods that I will be bringing for the get together , ( there's not really a lot of us though ) I will be making lumpia , and my pregnant friend is requesting my banana bread. And since my hubby is out of the country , she also ask me if I could cook some dried fish. We'll see, I still have to buy some dried fish at the Filipino store tomorrow morning. My husband doesn't like the smell of a dried fish , so I guess I really have to take advantage of this time to eat ( stinky ?) foods? LOL
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Friday, February 29, 2008
Here Comes the Weekend
Another Tag
Another Tag
Do you want to increase your Technorati Authority or your SEO and get the chance to know more bloggers like I do? Then, let's play the tagging game. I was tagged by a new friend of mine,Princess and want to spread this game in my blogosphere. You have an option; you can either reject or pass the game if you want. You can tag at least 5 bloggers. Have fun!
PeachyTheaChildstarMike My Scrappy SideAbieAggieAlphaAppleApolsAndreaJacquiJaneJodyJoyKellyMichGeo LisLisloLisaTexasLisa LowreyJoeyAll in KoreaUmsikIdealpinkroseRickaRicka-IIWeblinkCheersGerlGentomsGing MunchkinGenevericKavinMarsJkYouLenaPrincessPrincess-II, Everything Under the Sun( Beth of Rebokon ,
Passing this tag to Sweet Paradise, An Angel's Journey, Rose, Eric, Bill & Gina
Tagging, tagging, tagging
A domino Tag
Rule: Copy the entire list and add your name at the bottom. And tag at least 5 friends. (But you can tag as many as you like).thea childstar mike my scrappy side abie aggie alpha apple apols jacqui jane jody joy kelly mich peachy apple joey allinkorea umsikidealpinkrose ricka lovellegenweblink cheers gerlgentoms ging munchkin geneveric Kavin Rickavieves Everything Under The Sun (Beth of Rebokon)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
A beautiful Rose from a Beautiful Friend
I got the beautiful rose from a beautiful friend Ruby, thank you Ruby :)
THESE ARE FOR YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And don't tell me you're too busy for this.
Don't you know the phrase 'stop and smell the flowers'?
See how many bouquets you end up with!
"Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you Humble,
Success keeps you Glowing,
But Only God Keeps You Going!
"And the most exciting part!!!
I am giving this present to the following friends
http://surfcasual.blogspot.com/
http://joydob.blogspot.com/
http://filipinolifeabroad.blogspot.com/
http://gwapa84.blogspot.com/, http://www.mytexasdestiny.com/ , http://byotipol.com/,
http://laurastone.blogspot.com/, http://melkevin.blogspot.com/
Bloggerwave.com
I read a post from one friend and she was talking about this bloggerwave. Out of curiosity I went to their website and read about it, then I finally sign up. I said to myself, why not try this one. I can make money out of my blog through bloggerwave. When I checked my e-mail this morning I was surprised to see an e-mail from them saying my blog got approved. To all my friends in the blogging world, why don't you try bloggerwave and start making out of your hobby, which is writing blogs:)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Getting to know you
I got tagged again. Laura tagged me again. Once again, thanks Laura .
*Copy this entire list of questions and change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag and pass it along to other blogging friends. Let’s see how well we can get to know one another!
1. What is your occupation? - Billing :) and a full time wife to my husband :)
2. What color are your socks right now? - My favorite " You Go Girl " black socks
3. What are you listening to right now? Nothing
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Rice and steak :)
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Blue and White
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Megan
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, Laura is a good blogging friend :)
9. Favorite drink? Water
10. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football, Baseball
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? - I think twice, just highlight though
12. Dog named - Not a pet lover
13. Favorite food? - Any kinds.. as long as they are NOT from the fast food places
14. Last movie you watched? - Remember the Titans
15. Favorite Day of the year? - Chirstmas and birthdays
16. What do you do to vent anger? - I have to let it out!.. I am loud ha ha ha
17. What was your favorite toy as a child? I don't remember having a toy when I was a child
18. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Fall
19. Hugs or kisses? both
20. What kind of pie? - Apple Pie
21. Do you want your friends to email you back? of course!
22. Who is most likely to respond? Not sure
23. Who is least likely to respond? Not sure
24. Living arrangements? not sure about the question he he he
25. When was the last time you cried? I think Wednesday, I was having this self pity thing becuase I am sick and I am alone .
26. What is on the floor of your closet? Nothing
27. Who is the friend you had the longest that you are sending this to? Hmm .. not sure
28. The friend you have known the shortest amount of time that you are sending this to? - not sure
29. Favorite smell? My Ralph Lauren perfume ;)
30. What inspires you? my family and my husband
31. What are you afraid of? - losing someone that very special to me
32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? not much of a hambergers
33. Favorite car? - a reliable one.. doesn't matter what model or brand
34. Favorite cat breed? - Not a pet lover
35. Number of keys on your key ring? A lot.
36. How many years at your current job? almost 3 years
37.Favorite day of the week?? Sunday
38. How many provinces have you lived in? 3 , I think
39. How many countries have you been to? 4
Now , I pass this to my friends in the world of blogging, http://pinaypie.bravediary.com/index.php,
http://tweetartz.blogspot.com/,
http://situlas.com/ ,
http://stoutds.com/ ,
http://www.msdrelle.us/,
http://pinaywifesden.com/,
http://www.lovellegen.blogspot.com/,
http://slippahs-haven.blogspot.com/
http://www.inspiringthespirit.com/
http://cutiestbhabie.blogspot.com/
http://freedomgiver.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 25, 2008
Speed Test
I got this tag from Laura, thank so much dear ;) I had fun he he he. Now I share this fun thing to Weng, Ana, Bill & Gina, Bisdakbabblesm Rose, Wendy, Dexie. Have fund girls :)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Another Award
A Friend Loves at all Times
I am finally getting better, in fact I was able to go back to work today. I have a fever and a very hard/dry cough this week. I only worked half day on Tuesday, February 19 , and by the time I got home, I felt so cold. And man, it's not easy being sick by yourself. It was a scary thought. You feel like you're by yourself, but honestly , we're not. God is always with us. And God also provided us with friends. Friends who will be there for us when we need them the mosts. God never leave us alone.
My husband left for South Korea on February 15, that was Friday. I normally don't have a lot of phone calls, but guess what? Sunday my friend from Florida called me. That was nice of her. Thank you Ellen :) . Then on Monday evening, my very good friend Clavelene called me too. We live like 15 minutes away, but we've never really talked that much because she is busy with her baby and I am busy with work and my big baby too (my husband ). We talked for many almost 2 hours. Thanks Clavelene. And one Tuesday evening, Celo from Georgia called me and she already knew that I was sick. Celo is like a sister to me, keeps checking on me and make sure I was okay. That was really sweet of her.
Then that followed by a series of phone calls from Ms Gale, Megan and Marie ( they are all my officemates and they are also my friends ) Ms Gale called me in the morning and in the afternoon making sure I am okay and asked me if I need anything so she can bring them to me. And Megan was also checking on me offering me a ride to to doctor. And Marie called me during her lunch break. Thank you so much ladies for the love, care and prayers. Todd and I are so thankful for all of you. I love you all. May God Bless Us.
Get Paid to Blog :)
I am so excited, and I just can't hide it ;) Would you like to know why I am excited ? I tell you why I got so excited today.I am sure you will be excited too if you get paid to blog My blog has been appoved by Smorty, Finallly ! Yeehaawww!!. One day when I got bored at home doing nothing except chatting and playing games online. I said to myself, why don't I try to write my personal blog? So I browsed this wide , wide world of internet and and found a place where I could start writing something. I wrote a very few entries there, and then I forgot about it. Then a friend of mine keeps sending me the links of her blogs , so one day I decided to click it. And she mention that I could get paid to blog , and then I said nah.. I don't think I would be able to do that. But she insists again and again. And then I said, well, maybe I can try. So I started writing some entries on my blog again and sign up for this site get paid to blog . And now I am so happy and excited that I can now start earning some money. I am really thrilled to get paid to blog
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Ecommerce Software
Are you planning to create an online store but does't know where to start? Well, now you can sit back and relax, ecommerce software is just a click away. ecommerce software is a leading provider of hosted shopping cart software. It offers a complete solutions for merchants to sell their products online. ecommerce software is very to use. It is very easy to use, it is search engine optimized that means people can easily find your online store, customazible design, a total solutions, plus tech support and customer service available at all times, any time when you need it.
Selling online has never been easy, Shopping cart software provides you the tool that you need, so get ready to create your online store right now. With web based and no installation required, a very affordable ecommerce software, thousands of features that are easy to use,you can start selling your products online now. You can never go wrong with ecommerce software How about taking advantage of their fully customizable design and a 10 day free trial? Yes, you got that right, a 10 day free trial. Who doesn't want freebies? So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and go to shopping cart and see it to beleive .
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Eye for an Eye
I got home from my doctor's appointment around 12;45 pm. I eat my lunch so I could the medicine that the doctor prescribed. As I was eating, I turned the TV on. We don't have cable so I was only watching what's available. Anyway , I happened to watch this Court case show entitled an Eye for Eye. I think that show is ridiculous ha ha ha .
One case that was presented was about a woman who was beaten and her car was being stolen by the attacker. She said it happened in the hospital parking lot. She works at the hospital, I just can't remember what kind of job she has. She was suing this man who was present during her attacked because he was waiting for his wife who also works at that hospital. Her reason for suing him is because she did not help her. She wanted him to pay for her medical bill. Do you think this is ridiculous? Somebody will sue you because you did not help her? How ridiculous is that? She was saying that she has to walked 4 miles to work and 4 miles to go back home. And that she is also raising 2 children and she also on ( in my own term , welfare ? ) . Until now, I still can't believe that she sued the man who happened to be there( who did not help her during the attacked, but he took her to the hospital ) .
So the verdict, the judge told her that the law states that he is not responsible to help her. And she ended up getting a brand new 2006 Toyota Camry from the Judge's friend. How nice.
Well, to all the readers out there? What do you think on this case? Do you think she has the right to sue the man because he was there and did not help her?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Only Certain Thing!
I only worked half day today. I was throwing up and cough like crazy at work. My throat still hurt and my cough seems to get worsts. When I get home I ate lunch , I think I really need to eat something . I also took lots and lots of fluids. Then I just rest. I was not able to sleep well last night because I feel like I was having an asthma attacked and I was having a hard time breathing.
I keep waking up every hour and I have to sleep like I was sitting . I like to lay flat without any pillows. My breathing was really bad that I thought I am going to die. I am by myself and one thing that scares me is that when I die nobody knows about it . ( well , I guess people at work will be wondering where I am , then my husband will also be wondering why I have not reply all his e-mails . ) A lot of people doesn't like to talk about death. But don't you know that the death is the only certain things on earth? And the only uncertain is we don't know WHEN . We all die wether we like it or not. Death is a scray thought, but as long as we know that we are save and we know where we're going , then there's no reason to be scared of. We can never promise tomorrow , because we don't know what tomorrow brings .
I am a Donkey ;)
I got this tag from a dear friend of mine, thank you Weng ;)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Eggroll and Lumpia
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Movie Marathon
I just stayed home the whole day today, the only time I went outside was when I checked my mail. I am actually not feeling well. I have a sore throat and I feel like I am having a fever or something.
The first movie that I watched is called " Amazing Grace ". This movie is based on a true story of William Wilberforce life. Wilberforce is an abolitionist in the late 18th century.And was inspired by the hymns that I think almost everybody knows, the Amazing Grace. This song was written by John Newton after he encourted a violent storm while he was the captain of one the slave ship trade. He's been working really hard to amend the slave trade which was very common in that era. He believed that God created all men equal. He attempted several times but it failed. It took many years before the Emancipation Bill had its final reading. And he died 3 days later. I can say that this is a really good movie. A very wholesome movie.
The second movie that I watched was " Rush Hour 3 " . It's a little funny. ( But it's hard to laugh when you're by yourself ) . It's a really Jackie Chan movie. But I think I like the first one better. I have not seen the Rush Hour 2. So I cannot really tell which of the three is my favorite.
The Greatest Valentine Gift
And whenever Valentine's day is around, I think about the first and greatest Valentine. perish" For God so loved the world , that He gave His only Son , that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life " John 3;16. This is the scripture verse for the first Valentine. God forever showed His love to this world by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. His love for the world is the most expensive gift ever given.
There isn't anything quite like getting chocolate gift baskets in the mail on your birthday. Corporate gift baskets can come in several sizes and shapes depending on what kind of gift basket you would like to give. Some of the most popular kinds of gift baskets are healthy gift baskets, Valentines gift baskets and seafood gift baskets.
Have not heard from hubby yet
It's past 1 pm on this lovely yet very lonely Saturday afternoon. I keep checking my e-mail to see if my husband has an e-mail for me. I still have not heard from him since yesterday, except that one the LCDR copied me in the e-mail that they arrived in S Korea safely. At least I know that they are safe there. But I just wanted to hear from my husband as it worries me so much.
Everytime he goes out of the country , he always make sure that I know what's going on. He always make sure that he dropped me a short e-mail or call me to let me know that they are safe. As long as I know that he's okay , I am fine with it.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Trust, an aspect of a relationship.
It's "Thank God It's Friday" . As I was at work today, my office mates are so excited because , finally, it's weekend again. I am excited too, but not as much as I used to. I'm ALONE again. My husband left this morning for South Korea. He will be there for at least a month.
One of my officemates asked me this afternoon if I cried at the airport. And I told her, NO. I am already used to it and besides I know that he is coming back safe. One is nothing, there were times that he was gone for 11 straight months. That was tough , but I have learned to be tough. Being by yourself in a foreign land makes you stronger and independent. And it also builds trust to each other. I trusted him and he trusted me , which I think one of very important aspects of a relationship.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
A Magazine Cover ? SWEET
Thank you Laura.. this is so sweet. I feel really special now he he he .. Thanks a bunch! Well, its my turn to pass this pretty stuff to my pretty frendz :-) Joy, Carlota, Ruby, Regine, Shiera, Weng, AC , Mel, Princess, Lisa , Wenlopred
Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com
Subscribe to Cosmopolitan Magazine at a 63% discount!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Another Award
Food for Thought
I got this from a friend, I think this a good piece to ponder .
Can I borrow $25?
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son wai ting for him at the door.
SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'
DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.
SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'
DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.
SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'
DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'
SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'
The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is s o you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed.. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.' The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. 'Are you asleep, son?' He asked. 'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy. 'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.'
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled
up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get
angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. 'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled. Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied. 'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love..
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives
Let's have a little monkey business talk
So anyway, I always left my YM on , even though I am at work or at the gym or at the church. When my sister gets online and my husband is using the computer. As soon as my sister says hello, he will answer ' unggoy , unggoy ' right away. Then my sister knows that its him who is infront of the computer and not me. He just loves this word and we always use this. LOL . He even bought me this little monkey stuff toy at the convenient store while we stopped there to buy gas. We both have a crazy sense of humor. I think we all need some laugh sometimes.
He wanted to know the cebuano words for the animals like dog, cat, cow, horse,etc. He said I just dont understand why you use such a long word. LOL . Dog only has 1 syllable , but if you translate it to your dialect, it will become 2 syllables. And of course he always remember the cebuano for cat. Every time the phone rings.. he'll say . "iring.. iring " LOL He also called the Balikbayan box an ' unggoy box ".
I can't believe my sisters called me fat
I can't believe my sisters called me fat. I was chatting with them on Friday evening US time, which is Saturday morning Philippines time. I normally don't use a webcam because the webcam that I have is not that good, it is dark, I looked like I am a ghost in a horror movies. ha ha ha. But anyway, I tried to connect that webcam because they wanted to see me. I think they wanted to make sure that I am still alive? LOL . So I did . Then wallah... my other sister said.. " Manang , tambok nimo, mura naka ug boksidor . " ( Manang, you're fat, you look like a boxer ) . It doesn't really offend me though. They are just not use to seeing me look healthy . :-) I am always skinny . And among the 3 of us I am the skinniest. ( is this a word ? lol ) . But now I am heavier than the two of them. Although, they call me fat, I still love them.
So I told my husband about it, and he just said.. " Sweetie, you're fine " . :-) Well, if he thinks I am fine, then thats all that matter .
Pass it to the Front
Pass it to the front
Dear Friends and co-bloggers lets play-game-tag to tag- "pass it to the front"
Heres the Rules:*
First copy and paste it.*
Do not remove any content.*
Just add One word related to your blogs.*
If you don't like the concept Pls! say no?*
Our main goal is we are going to circulate our number of friends.*
The more people join the "pass it to the front" the more links we generate.*
Lastly write only one word "short" for your blogs...
*Keep it simple and short,i know some of you have more than one blogs.
* the color is only black,gray, or white plssss avoid using any color okies.
Let me show you:
1.-Filipina,2.-Darling allen,3.-Abroad,4.-Halfway,5.-life 6.- culture 7.-interracial 8.-pinaystories/ 9./pinaysinglelooking-10./health-11./my life-12/ your link here....
I pass this to my friends Lisa,Teban, Ruby, Trisna, Carlota, Wenlopred,Sweetiepie,Johia,
Monday, February 11, 2008
My New Command Coin
They gave me this coin as a way of saying " thank you for helping the command while we were overseas " . I was one of the command ombudsmen .
Sexiest Body Award
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A Lazy Sunday Afternoon
I actually have a lot of things to do today, but I feel so lazy. I have to do the laundry, vaccum the carpet, clean the bathroom, cook dinner. It's almost 5 pm , and I still haven't done any of these chores. I guess I am going to all these at the same time :-) Oh yeah, I forgot I am also going to start packing my husband's stuff. He will be going to S Korea on Friday. That means I will be alone again.
Well, I feel like moving now. LOL
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Officers and Chiefs Dinner
I was invited by my husband to join the chiefs and officers dinner tonight. Of course I love going out, plus we are going to a dinner. That means a lot of food and you know one of my favorite thing in the world is eating. Who doesn't want to eat? Thats a part of our lives. Everybody eats.
Anyway, we got there early. The dinner doesn't have to start until 6:30 pm. But my husband and I leave the house early becuase we wanted to stop by the vitamin shoppe. But then the traffic was so bad that its hard for us to get into the place, so we decided to just go ahead and go to the hotel where the dinner will take place.
I thought it was just a dinner, but they're also giving an award , the " Sailor of the Year" award. And besides recognizing the sailor of the year winner, they also introduce the new command ombudsmen. They have a new commanding officer. Since this battalion is big and they are scattered , each company have their own ombudsman. This must be nice to have that many. The new ombudsmen received a coin ( Navy Tradition ) from the captain. I never thought I could be given a another coin too . I was actually one of the ombudsmen when their battalion was being deployed in the Middle East in 2006- 2007. That was not easy though. I am just so thankful that were no major problems while they were away. But they're back now. And I am so thankful to the Lord for keeping them safe while they are in the Middle East.
My Only Love
Everytime I feel homesick, I watch a Filipino movie. We have several filipino movies at home. My husband actually bought them for me. But I have already watched these movies over ang over and over again. So I went to youtube and found some filipino movies and soaps there. And I was reading the comments, someone mention about this site called my recorded videos. So I went there and there , I found several Filipino soaps. Ha ha ha .. They have La Vendetta, Marimar, Kamandag, My Only Love and many others. I have been watching this soaps for awhile, but then I stopped. Im crazy, but I dont like when the lead actress doesn't know how to fight back LOL. All she does is cry, so I said ohhh.. this is really a typical Filipino soaps.
But then last night as I was waiting for my sister to go online, so we could chat. I visited that site again. Loren ( the bag girl ) found out that her new husband is the son of the man whom she has a daughter with. She also found out that the reason for Iman to marry her is "revenge", not love. LOL. Iman took Loren's money , then Loren killed Iman. Oh geezz.. its crazy. I am going to try to watch the next episode on Monday and see what happens .On the Internet there are many various free dating sites and dating tips sites out there to assist you with dating tricks.
Citizenship on hold for many immigrants
This is what the title of the news I have read in the Yahoo news this morning. I have been in the US for almost 5 years now. And I was qualified to apply for a citizenship since August 06. You have to be at least 3 years green card holder to qualify to apply. By the time I was qualified to apply.. I didn't do it. I said to myself, I will just do it later. And besides, when I become a US citizen, that means I can no longer buy a property in the Philippines? So I just let it go , until one day I went to the USCIS website and found out that they are increasing their application fee. And thats when I filed my application. I am really hoping to get my citizenship before the election so I could vote. I already done my biometrics . Then I checked their website again , and I found out " again" that all the applications that they received after June 07 will have about 16-18 months to process. I thought one of the reason why they increase the fee is to expedite the processings, but apparently NOT.
So here is the article;
WASHINGTON - President Bush is asking Congress to spend money to help businesses root out illegal workers but he did not request additional funds to help legal immigrants become American citizens more quickly
In his budget proposal issued this week, Bush asked for $100 million to expand E-Verify, the system employers use to check whether they are hiring documented workers. He didn't ask Congress to allocate money to chip away at millions of citizenship and other immigration applications that flooded the government last summer, before an increase in the agency's filing fees.
Instead, Citizenship and Immigration Services will rely on $468 million in fees to pay for reducing the backlog by 2010. Those funds are a portion of the total fees that came in with the applications this summer.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the summer's fee increases will give the agency the money it needs to get back on track.
"People always argue well you ought to fund this, you ought to fund that. That's great, but the pie is only as big as it is and no one ever comes up with this slice they want to give back in return for this," Chertoff said.
A total 7.7 million applications for various immigration benefits poured into Citizenship and Immigration Services in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2007. That's 1.4 million more than the previous fiscal year.
"The backlogs are pretty much back where they were when they started and the agency is back to doing what it used to do, which is robbing Peter to pay Paul. Right now they are taking resources from permanent residence to do citizenship," said Crystal Williams, associate director for programs at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
The immigration agency increased fees in July largely to raise about $1.5 billion to pay for modernizing computer equipment, hiring and training more workers, improving field offices and other spending.
Becoming a citizen now costs $595, up from $330. The price to get a green card is $1,010, up from $395. Applicants for both pay another $80 each for digital fingerprinting, a $10 increase.
Congress gave the immigration agency $100 million a year over five years through 2006 to reduce the immigration backlogs. Agency Director Emilio Gonzalez announced in September 2006 the backlog had fallen to about 139,0000 cases. About 1 million applications in the backlog that were incomplete, from people still awaiting visas or whose FBI name check was delayed, were not counted.
The administration deserves credit for securing the $500 million from Congress for the backlog, said Doris Meissner, former Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner under President Clinton.
"They broke through the idea that this should just be purely financed by the applicant fees themselves," said Meissner, a senior fellow with Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. "But it was finite."
Since 1988, the work of Citizenship and Immigration Services and its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, has been largely paid for by revenue from application fees. Congress has provided money for specific projects over the years, but generally those have been limited to a few years. Sometimes fee money has been diverted for things like detention centers.
The result has been an agency constantly shifting resources to respond to the latest crisis, critics say.
"Every time the system breaks down, they are incentivizing people to say, 'Screw the system, I'll just overstay my visa.'" said James Jay Carifano, a research fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank.
Immigration officials say they will be able to chip away at the backlogs as 1,500 new workers are hired and trained. Things should be back where they were before the application spike by 2010, the agency's spokeswoman Chris Rhatigan said.
Williams thinks that's an optimistic prediction. The 7.7 million applications the agency received last year amount to about three years of work, she said.
Good morning , good morning, good morning
Its morning again , thank God for another day, a very beautiful saturday. As usual I got up late this morning. Every saturday , I always get up late. I did not went to bed until 3 am last night. I woke up around 8 am but then fall back to sleep. I didn't notice when my husband got up and leave the house. But anyway, I just wanted to thank the Lord for giving me another day to live. Everyday is a new day, a new life and a new beginning. I was wondering if people think that what if I wont be able to wake up the next day? Every morning when I get up , I always thank and praise God for the new day He has brought me. " The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, they are new every morning, great is His faithfulness " .
Friday, February 8, 2008
Three Hearts
Three hearts for a wonderful friend like you!In our busy Lives doingNo Doubt
My husband just celebrated his birthday. And before his birthday I asked him what does he wants me to give to him. He gave me some list of the things that he wanted. Some of them are CD's from his favorite Christian band, PETRA. I grew up as a christian, but I have never heard of this group. Then one time while were still e-mailing back and forth, he wrote me the lyrics of one of their songs which titled " No Doubt" . So I browsed the internet and look for the best deal. Then I bumped into this website call http://www.christianbook.com/. They're not only selling books but they are also selling cds, dvds and many many more, plus they are a big selection of items.
Here's the full lyrics of "NO DOUBT".
There are times when you feel like you can't go on
There are times when you feel like giving in
And there are times when you feel like you can't try anymore
There are times of trouble in believing
This test of your faith will last As long as it takes to pass
Till you have no more doubt you'll endure
And your faith will emerge true and pure
(Chorus)
No doubt it'll be alright
With God it'll work together for good
No doubt in the end it will be understood
No doubt it'll all work out
With faith He can move any mountain for us
No doubt in the power of Jesus
And after all is done we find out
All we really need to have is no doubt .
There's a time to take a reckless leap of faith
There's a time to be cautious and to wait
And there's a way of learning from the past
That this time of trouble won't last
And sometimes we want to think we know
The ways He will choose to make us grow
But it's never the way of our choosing
And we can't always see what He's using
There will be winters in the seasons of our soul
With a cold and bitter wind that chills our lives
But our faith can be building a fire
That will warm us till springtime arrives .
Still Awake
Its past 12 midnight and here I am still sitting infront of the computer. Me and my two sisters were done chatting early tonight. My husband is already sleeping. It is very quite right now, the only noise I hear is the noise from the cpu which is not bad at all. Its a really good time to just sit and meditate. I was just thinking about my family back home. Although I already have a family of my own , I still wanted to be with my family in the Philippines. I just missed them so much.
Anyway, I still can't believe that my baby sister already has 3 daughters. WOW! But my husband told me that my sister didn't look like she is already 30 years old and that she already have three children. He said that my sister looks really young . While she already has 3 children , me and my other sister are still childless ( take note my other sister is still single ) . It's really nice to see her and one of her daughter in the webcam tonight.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wellness Screening
Every year we have a wellness screening at work . They wanted to make sure that their employees are in good health . This year we have our wellness screening this morning. We have been told to fast the night before the screening. Oh I was so hungry when I get to the office this morning. I filled out the form needed , then handed it to the nurse. I thought this time they will just have our fingers prick to get a little blood like they always do. But this time its different , they actually have to have our blood drawn. When the nurse is about to get blood from me, she was having a hard time finding a vein, which is strange because I am skinny. I have lots of veins showing ha ha ha. When she finally found a vein, she stick the needle right away, and oh boy, it hurt so bad. ( I am scared of needles and blood ) . Then she said, " its drawing really slow". Then I replied, maybe I dont have a blood? I think it took about more than a minute to fill up that little bottle . One of the guy who saw me did'nt have his blood drawn as he was scared when he saw how she did it to me . LOL My right arm was really achy. I asked some of my officemate if there's are also hurting , but they said its fine, and that they didnt feel any pain. An hour late, my arm still hurts, so I finally take the bandage off , and then I found out, that she didn't really drawn a blood coming out of my veins, as she puts the needle directly into my skin and flesh. OUCH!. I am not sure if I am going to do this next year.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Discount Online Store
Everytime I buy something, I always look for a discount or maybe something that is on final clearance. Aside from looking for a bargain , I am also looking for a store that sells petite sizes. I am a small person . I wore size 0 by the way . When I first came here in the US, I had a hard time finding clothes that fits me well, especially jeans. I have to go the children's section to find my size, I think that was embarrassing that a 30 plus woman goes to a children section to buy her jeans. But I can't help it, I have a small body. But now that I gain weight , I can wear size 0 , which is sometimes its still hard to find.
I normally order some of my clothes on this website, http://www.bcoutlet.com/ or www.chadwicks.com They always have sale going on. And sometimes they also offer free shipping ang handling. Not only that we can save a trip to the mall, we can also save some shipping money .
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Old Paths
I liked the old paths,
when Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!
Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.
Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave.
Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.
Women wore the jewelry;
And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.
People loved the truth,
And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!
Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.
Cursing was wicked;
Drugs were for illness;
And divorce was unthinkable.
The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!
We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house
To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!
Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!
A new birth meant a new life;
Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.
Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;
Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!
Laws were based on the Bible;
Homes read the Bible;
Churches taught the Bible.
And children listened.
God was worshiped;
Christ was exalted;
And the Holy Spirit was respected..
Church was where you found Christians
on the Lord's day, rather than in the garden,
on the creek bank, on the golf course,
Or being entertained somewhere else.
I still like the old paths the best!
"The Old Paths" was written by a retired minister who lives in Tennessee
Summer Like Winter
If you live down south , you normally have a very cold winter like unlike the nothern states. Most of the people I know in South Carolina never seen a real snow. But sometimes our temperature here gets really cold too ( for me ) There were times that it gets 18 degrees . Thats below freezing, but there's no snow here. A lot of people get sick becuase of the rapid change of temperature, one day it is 18 or 19, then the next day it will be 40 , then 60 . Wow, who doesnt get sick with this kind of weather.
But today, it doesn't feel like its winter at all. Our high today is about 85. I left the office at 4:30 pm and still the temperature is 82.. whoaahh. Do you think this is a global warming effect? It's just crazy that in SC its really hot while in nothern states, they are enjoying between 5-12 inches of snow.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Bug in A Bag of a Spinach
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Vanity Plates for a Million Dollar ? WOW!
I always watch or read the news online. And I saw this video of an auction for vanity plates thats are more expensive than the cars. Whoaaah! This is actually a government auction and a big chunk of money will go to a charity. But I still find it rediculous, putting a plate in your car that is more expensive than the car itself. But for this rich people they its just nothing. This is really a " status" thing. The lower the plate number , the higher the price. The man who owne the most expensive vanilty plate in the world pays about $ 6.8 million . Its really WOW!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Eating Supper at 1 a.m??
Here I am at one o'clock in the morning , still awake and just finished eating my supper,thats right , SUPPER. I normally eat supper early, but not tonight. Since I got home from work late and we still have to go to the gym and after that we went to the grocery store, and when I come home my sister send me a text message , telling me to go online now. So I went ahead and sign in into my yahoo and starts chatting with her. We started chatting around 9 o'clock and done about 12:30 he he he. Yes Friday evening is definitely my date with my sister ( in the chat room ) .
By the way , I have rice and some chicken and some steak for supper, yes late or should I say early in the morning . I am eating heavy stuff ha ha ha . I have to wait for about two hours before I go to bed, I dont want to go to bed really full.
Playing Racquetball
