I get what you're saying WC. I have to go to the border every time I change employers, so I've been to TJ three times. My Texan friend came with me and only needed her driver's liscence (she doesn't have a passport either). TJ is one of the strangest places I have ever seen. Fine during the day, but you can bet I wouldn't be there after dark.
The Passport Issue
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Hi Tracy
Glad you are back - wondered if you were on a nice trip somewhere but then remembered your barking buddy room-mate!
You wouldn't leave for too long.
I know a few people who go across all the time but I am a coward.
One friend had her car stolen and never got it back - her insurance gave her a rough time too so it's best if you ever drive there to see what your ins. company say about taking trips there.
You and your friend are way so brave to have visited on your own.
It just seems way too sad to visit - too much poverty and I know I can't do anything to help anyone and I end up feeling guilty....when I get away I like to get away in my head too!
Glad you are back - wondered if you were on a nice trip somewhere but then remembered your barking buddy room-mate!
You wouldn't leave for too long.
I know a few people who go across all the time but I am a coward.
One friend had her car stolen and never got it back - her insurance gave her a rough time too so it's best if you ever drive there to see what your ins. company say about taking trips there.
You and your friend are way so brave to have visited on your own.
It just seems way too sad to visit - too much poverty and I know I can't do anything to help anyone and I end up feeling guilty....when I get away I like to get away in my head too!
Nope, no exciting trip sadly 
. I was just working a bunch of shifts in a row so that I can have 5 days off next week when I have surgery. The hospital was nice enough to accomodate that schedule request.
I know what you mean about the poverty. We parked the car at the California side and just walked over, but it is shocking the difference that 50 feet can make in the standard of living.
My friend has never been anywhere outside of Mexico and the US, but I'm trying to convince her to get a passport so we can go to Thailand. I went there by myself one year and had a great time.
. I was just working a bunch of shifts in a row so that I can have 5 days off next week when I have surgery. The hospital was nice enough to accomodate that schedule request.I know what you mean about the poverty. We parked the car at the California side and just walked over, but it is shocking the difference that 50 feet can make in the standard of living.
My friend has never been anywhere outside of Mexico and the US, but I'm trying to convince her to get a passport so we can go to Thailand. I went there by myself one year and had a great time.
Tracy
I'm sorry to hear you have surgery scheduled....I hope it's elective and you have a nice "sitter" planned out to wait on you hand and foot!!! Also to walk your roomie!
Your planned trip sounds like a terrific one and your friend will probably add to your fun.
Don't you think years ago it would have been wiser for the U.S. to help develop industry and manufacturing in Mexico so the people living there didn't have to leave their families and their homes?
That way both the U.S. and Mexico would have profited and the people would have been spared this new form of "slavery"...which is what it is.
Vicente Fox and his corrupt government should be tried for crimes against humanity.... but nobody listens to me....lol
I'm sorry to hear you have surgery scheduled....I hope it's elective and you have a nice "sitter" planned out to wait on you hand and foot!!! Also to walk your roomie!
Your planned trip sounds like a terrific one and your friend will probably add to your fun.
Don't you think years ago it would have been wiser for the U.S. to help develop industry and manufacturing in Mexico so the people living there didn't have to leave their families and their homes?
That way both the U.S. and Mexico would have profited and the people would have been spared this new form of "slavery"...which is what it is.
Vicente Fox and his corrupt government should be tried for crimes against humanity.... but nobody listens to me....lol
It's elective and I've been waiting to do it since January so I'm glad to be getting it done. Just a simple day surgery gall bladder removal. My baby will stay at his sitter's house with his boyfriend so he won't miss me at all.
I completely agree with you about the idea of helping Mexico develop better jobs. The solution to illegal migration will have to come from there. A fence or a guest worker program isn't going to do it. Honestly, I don't know how California would get along without all the immigrants we have. A good number of my patients are born to illegal immigrants. I really need to learn some Spanish...
I completely agree with you about the idea of helping Mexico develop better jobs. The solution to illegal migration will have to come from there. A fence or a guest worker program isn't going to do it. Honestly, I don't know how California would get along without all the immigrants we have. A good number of my patients are born to illegal immigrants. I really need to learn some Spanish...
Tracy
Gall bladder - that is not a mole removal either! Please be a good patient. Glad your roomie is going to be ok too.
Also glad to read you are treating some of the illegals who get attention in real hospitals. When I was interning I saw too many born in the fields - no prenatal or maternity care for those women.
Things have changed and I have seen it get better....but it takes a long time while the politicians have their power lunches and take meetings and go on Spring Break while everyone waits...
I think we should stop paying them and cut off their benefits (which are far better than our own) and let them get down to work.
Gall bladder - that is not a mole removal either! Please be a good patient. Glad your roomie is going to be ok too.
Also glad to read you are treating some of the illegals who get attention in real hospitals. When I was interning I saw too many born in the fields - no prenatal or maternity care for those women.
Things have changed and I have seen it get better....but it takes a long time while the politicians have their power lunches and take meetings and go on Spring Break while everyone waits...
I think we should stop paying them and cut off their benefits (which are far better than our own) and let them get down to work.
Didn;t you know nurses are the second worst type of patient? :wink: I promise to be good though
If our babies were born in the fields, they'd die. We do see a lot without prenatal care, but we see a lot of citizens who haven't gotten prenatal care too (lots of meth babies down here, it was always heroin in Vancouver...). Fortunately all my babies are born here, so they qualify for medi-cal. Of course, even if they didn't we'd still spend the money caring for them. I've yet to have a bad experience caring for those babies and their families. They have generally all been very polite to me. My spanish is limited to a few sentences like "breast or bottle?" "your baby is cute" "my hairless gay dog" and "another tequilla please" but I've always been able to work something out with the help of a phrase book and some miming.
If our babies were born in the fields, they'd die. We do see a lot without prenatal care, but we see a lot of citizens who haven't gotten prenatal care too (lots of meth babies down here, it was always heroin in Vancouver...). Fortunately all my babies are born here, so they qualify for medi-cal. Of course, even if they didn't we'd still spend the money caring for them. I've yet to have a bad experience caring for those babies and their families. They have generally all been very polite to me. My spanish is limited to a few sentences like "breast or bottle?" "your baby is cute" "my hairless gay dog" and "another tequilla please" but I've always been able to work something out with the help of a phrase book and some miming.
If the nice weather holds out, I am going to spend my recovery laying on the beach with a good book and my iPod... heaven....
Come on guys (and gals), it's a passport.....a little book with your name and picture on, and if canada truely is a different country from the US (Which it clearly is), then it seems logical that you need a passport to cross, besides, I thought it was only the us where 95% of it's citizens do not have a passport
My wife and I got our passports this year because we went to Mexico on a vacation. We go every year to the US for vacation, too, so I really don't understand why there is a fuss over getting a passport. I mean, really, thousands and thousands get passports to go to Mexico or Europe and think nothing of it, so why is it a problem getting one for the closest foreign country? I don't really think of the US as a foreign country either, but in fact it is, despite our closeness. If you are British, do you have to have a passport to go to France? I don't know, but I suspect you do.
Anyway, to make a long story short, we had to drive two hours to the Passport office in Calgary after filling out the forms and getting our pictures. Your dentist can guarantor you as well, which in my case worked really well, because my dentist is my brother in law. (insert joke here). After getting the new non-smiling picture, which is non smiling for some future face recognition system, we took our stuff to Calgary, and one was processed there, but we had to get another picture for my wife as there was a glare. Back home, another picture (free of charge) and sent to Calgary, who then processed my wifes passport. Time it took from start to finish? Less than four weeks from getting the application from the post office to getting the passport in the mail. I was quite impressed with the service, seeing as how this was our first passports. Not a big deal, folks, but I do have one question, and it is about kids. We all know how kids change there features, especially between say 12 and 17, so how is a passport going to solve this problem? My teenage son today looks nothing like he did 15 months ago, so if he had a passport then, they might not let him in.
Anyway, it is a bit of a pain, but anything worthwhile is worth the effort, and as I enjoy going to the US on numerous occasions during the year, the bit of time I spent getting passports was well worth it, at least in my opinion.
Anyway, to make a long story short, we had to drive two hours to the Passport office in Calgary after filling out the forms and getting our pictures. Your dentist can guarantor you as well, which in my case worked really well, because my dentist is my brother in law. (insert joke here). After getting the new non-smiling picture, which is non smiling for some future face recognition system, we took our stuff to Calgary, and one was processed there, but we had to get another picture for my wife as there was a glare. Back home, another picture (free of charge) and sent to Calgary, who then processed my wifes passport. Time it took from start to finish? Less than four weeks from getting the application from the post office to getting the passport in the mail. I was quite impressed with the service, seeing as how this was our first passports. Not a big deal, folks, but I do have one question, and it is about kids. We all know how kids change there features, especially between say 12 and 17, so how is a passport going to solve this problem? My teenage son today looks nothing like he did 15 months ago, so if he had a passport then, they might not let him in.
Anyway, it is a bit of a pain, but anything worthwhile is worth the effort, and as I enjoy going to the US on numerous occasions during the year, the bit of time I spent getting passports was well worth it, at least in my opinion.
Tracy
LOLOLOLOL Hairless gay dog? So that's why he likes your sitter...who has another male who is straight?
Life goes on in doggyland!!!
LOLOLOLOL Hairless gay dog? So that's why he likes your sitter...who has another male who is straight?
Life goes on in doggyland!!!
Blue Alberta
It's way easier in Canada getting a Canadian passport. All your records are in Canada. The only "Candian things" I had were my birth certificate and Baptism and educational paperwork. The U.S. govenment has everything else...which I turned over when I entered the country as an alien.
The list for eligible guarantors in the U.S. is way shorter....and because you are not allowed to reimburse anyone for their time...the Chiropractors, Dentists, Docs (I haven't known my new doctor for over two years)...Attorneys....Policemen are on the list but are not allowed to sign documents...nor are judges.... took days to find someone.....all the others require reimbursement. Bank Managers down here are people one never sees...locked away in their offices and they do not "do" passports. Notaries are ok but they have to be paid and I don't know any notary personally.... Passport Canada insisted I find someone who would do it for no money...She was very determined when she said "Of course they have to do it for free - show them the paper". I told her I would be asked to leave if I requested "free service"...no matter what she thought. The Canadian Consulate lady also agreed with me because she lives in L.A. and understands the differences.
I finally got my stockbroker who is an ex-IRS agent...still has his federal employee eligibility. He did it for free and was fascinated by my "history"....and paperwork.... (nosy)... They rejected him after I had forked over approx. $125 for everything.... oh well....said he wasn't on the list...even though he does the same kind of financial transactions as a Bank Manager. (He checked his duties against those in the Canadian paperwork).
I can now pay a notary with a paper called a PP133 (or something) saying I am a real person but I don't know anyone qualified to act as my guarantor...and the notary will sign yet another passport picture and I can get my paperwork.....It has taken over a month so far and I still have to get my new PP133 in the mail...
However I found out today, I am up for Naturalization now so it's gonna be a fight to the finish to see who wins...the Canadian Passport or the Oath to the U.S.A. (in which case I'll have to get an American passport)...
I love this story....it has been a learning experience....for a comedy show.
But but but...the Passport Canada people are so nice...they play classical music while you are waiting in line on the phone...they even faxed a copy of the PP133 (or whatever the number is) to me so I could see what I had to fill out....but they forgot to mail me an original copy....so I had to call again....
It's way easier in Canada getting a Canadian passport. All your records are in Canada. The only "Candian things" I had were my birth certificate and Baptism and educational paperwork. The U.S. govenment has everything else...which I turned over when I entered the country as an alien.
The list for eligible guarantors in the U.S. is way shorter....and because you are not allowed to reimburse anyone for their time...the Chiropractors, Dentists, Docs (I haven't known my new doctor for over two years)...Attorneys....Policemen are on the list but are not allowed to sign documents...nor are judges.... took days to find someone.....all the others require reimbursement. Bank Managers down here are people one never sees...locked away in their offices and they do not "do" passports. Notaries are ok but they have to be paid and I don't know any notary personally.... Passport Canada insisted I find someone who would do it for no money...She was very determined when she said "Of course they have to do it for free - show them the paper". I told her I would be asked to leave if I requested "free service"...no matter what she thought. The Canadian Consulate lady also agreed with me because she lives in L.A. and understands the differences.
I finally got my stockbroker who is an ex-IRS agent...still has his federal employee eligibility. He did it for free and was fascinated by my "history"....and paperwork.... (nosy)... They rejected him after I had forked over approx. $125 for everything.... oh well....said he wasn't on the list...even though he does the same kind of financial transactions as a Bank Manager. (He checked his duties against those in the Canadian paperwork).
I can now pay a notary with a paper called a PP133 (or something) saying I am a real person but I don't know anyone qualified to act as my guarantor...and the notary will sign yet another passport picture and I can get my paperwork.....It has taken over a month so far and I still have to get my new PP133 in the mail...
However I found out today, I am up for Naturalization now so it's gonna be a fight to the finish to see who wins...the Canadian Passport or the Oath to the U.S.A. (in which case I'll have to get an American passport)...
I love this story....it has been a learning experience....for a comedy show.
But but but...the Passport Canada people are so nice...they play classical music while you are waiting in line on the phone...they even faxed a copy of the PP133 (or whatever the number is) to me so I could see what I had to fill out....but they forgot to mail me an original copy....so I had to call again....
Wednesday's Child said:
We did primary nursing at my old hospital and I looked after a set of twins whose mother was Spanish speaking only, but the dad spoke English and they were trying to help me pick up some Spanish. They asked me if I had kids like most of the parents do and I answered that I had my dog and somehow it came up that he is hairless and gay. That's when he taught me how to say "my hairless gay dog" in Spanish. For some reason, that stuck.
I think his sitter's dog is a closeted homosexual, but he doesn't like mine trying to get with him... probably playing hard to get.
She also looks after a bisexual dog that mine likes named Argus (a really cute Welsh terrier who I caught him cuddling with when I went to pick him up last week). Whenever they are together they play until they collapse from exhaustion into eachothers arms. Them playing generally involves my dog throwing his butt into Argus' face until Argus chases him, then they reverse it. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen an animal do. I can just imagine my dog thinking "Look at my butt! Look at it! Chase it!"... Argus is going to be there this week, so I know my dog isn't going to miss me at all.
The last time I was in the USA was in l996, and that will be the last time. I may well get a passport but not for a visit there.
I hope we treat their people with respect when they visit our country. I don't hate Americans as I find it hard to dislike someone I don't even know. As for their govenment, well I have more pity than hatred. Feel sorry for American ruled by the leaders of the tenth century. Come to think of it we have been ruled by the same people for over a decade and we replaced them with king Harper from the ninth century.
Really, who cares, if I need a passport I won't go
I hope we treat their people with respect when they visit our country. I don't hate Americans as I find it hard to dislike someone I don't even know. As for their govenment, well I have more pity than hatred. Feel sorry for American ruled by the leaders of the tenth century. Come to think of it we have been ruled by the same people for over a decade and we replaced them with king Harper from the ninth century.
Really, who cares, if I need a passport I won't go
damngrumpy said:
Well, damn grumpy, you sure live up to your name!
Whatever you may think of their government is no reason not to go to the US. Hell, I don't like the Mexican government, but I sure loved going to Playa del Carman this winter.
The point being about going to the US is that if you treat them with respect, they will treat you with respect and vice-versa. We go every year to Montana and have a great time, and the people are very nice and very respectful. They actually remind me of the people in Southern Alberta, except I think the US people treat us better as a whole than we treat them. Maybe, though, with a new more friendly government in place all this animosity that has built up between our two countries over the last 12 years will dissipate and we can actually get back to treating each other with respect, and as friends, friends we do sometimes disagree with, but still like and respect.
Hope you have a chance to get rid of that anger you have somehow, life is way too short to be that grumpy!!
Re: RE: The Passport Issue
I'm curious, though, whether Canada will implement the same rules for U.S. citizens visiting here. I certainly hope not. We have a lot of Americans vacationing here and tourism is a big chunk of change for Canada. At least for BC I know it is.
Add to that the fact that we just aren't as paranoid as our neighbours, despite all the finger pointing about terrorists sneaking into the U.S. through our country. If the U.S. wants to limit the people coming into their home, so be it, but I would hate to see Canada follow suit.
I agree ... the U.S. is a separate country and has the right to make up their own rules as they see fit. I don't understand why it's a big deal.Canucklehead said:
I'm curious, though, whether Canada will implement the same rules for U.S. citizens visiting here. I certainly hope not. We have a lot of Americans vacationing here and tourism is a big chunk of change for Canada. At least for BC I know it is.
Add to that the fact that we just aren't as paranoid as our neighbours, despite all the finger pointing about terrorists sneaking into the U.S. through our country. If the U.S. wants to limit the people coming into their home, so be it, but I would hate to see Canada follow suit.