A new life; same as the old life?

Lorraine and I recently returned to the venue where we got married. Some friends of ours who had actually recommended the place to us, were getting married there too. Although, somewhat more sensibly, they chose to do it in June, much warmer! They were able to use the outdoor facilities (stop sniggering Steve!) and were married in the gazebo in the garden. It was a great day and everyone had a good time. In a lot of ways it kinda felt like a rerun for us , which we kinda expected, being as it was the same venue and organiser. They had the same minister, used the same room, same bar, and even had the same barstaff! Star was gracious enough to insist that we actually wear our wedding outfits for the occasion too, which was great, because, as regular readers know, most of my outfit didn't even show up in time for our wedding! He is how we should have looked, but for the international mail issues. Steve showed himself to be every bit the food monster in a repeat performance of his crab...

Since I have lived here in the US and to a lesser degree when I was dealing with my US friends remotely, I have said things that confuse, befuddle and oft amuse them. They often stop mid sentence having heard something and ask for an explanation of the phrase, word, context, etc. So for some time, I have been planning a posting with respect to explaining some of these words/phrases. However I recently found this website , and thought why reinvent the wheel. It is by no means comprehensive, but it covers many of the commonly used terms. I challenge my corporate colleagues to take a chance to peruse this list and try to find some examples they can use in a business context. Caution - Some of the words are regarded as "profanity" by the corporate filter, so you might want to read it from home.

A very good and long standing friend of mine, Marcus, recently came to town for a fleeting visit on his way back from a business trip to Dallas. The very bizarre thing is that he will be here in Chicago this week for the same client, but due to his schedule, we will not be able to get together. How screwed up is that! We have been friends since we met in Bristol, England (for the Americans - not Rhode Island or Tennessee), many years ago. I think probably about 10 years, if my math is right. We shared a flat for a while and became firm friends. I am mentor to his son Max (Godfather if you are religious). We have been through many experiences together, and hopefully he didn't share too many secrets with Lorraine when they were alone together on Wednesday morning, whilst I was at work! As you can see from the above picture, with Lorraine and Marcus paddling in Lake Michigan on Wednesday afternoon, the weather was gorgeous, or at least it started that way. This picture shows the build...

We have been living here about 6 weeks now, and I have recently learned some facts about our new home town. It was established in 1830 by an Englishman called George Vardin. Originally known as Vardin's Grove until Independence Day 1836, when it was renamed Independence Grove; there is a local forest preserve named after it today. Also in 1836, mail service from Chicago to Milwaukee was being established and local residents wanted to get in on the act, petitioning for a post office. However due to another post office in the state called Independence Grove, the town was renamed Libertyville in 1837. When Lake County was created, Libertyville became the county seat, and for some reason was renamed again to Burlington, and this name remained until it lost county seat status in 1841 to Waukegan (then Little Fort), whereupon the village reclaimed the name Libertyville. In the 1880s the village started to expand rapidly thanks to the new railroad and was incorporated later in 1882. The ...

Every time we have visitors, we end up in the city and inevitably gravitate towards the John Hancock Tower. Apart from the Cheesecake Factory and The Signature Lounge, I personally think it has the best views of the city. Sod the Sears Tower, it's too far inland, and you can't get cocktails with your views. On the way to the Hancock tower, it is almost impossible and certainly undesirable to miss the Water Tower and Pumping Station. I always spout my little spiel about the facilities being built to resolve some water pollution problems due to the Chicago meat markets, in the mid 1800s. (as learned from the Lonely Planet guide many years ago). I also repeat my little knowledge about it being one of, if not the oldest buildings in Chicago, having survived the great fire in the late 1800s. However I can never remember if it is still in use, and so this week when Marcus left, I decided to do a little research. When Chicago was being established in the early 1800s, water was initia...

After over a year of "exile", Lorraine is finally recognised as an official resident of the US. Originally she was only granted a 6 month visitor visa, which meant that after that 6 months, she had to either go home and re-enter, or apply officially (costing approx $200). We opted for the going home route. When she re-entered, the lady on the desk behaved like she was granting a favour to allow her back in the country and for only another 6 months, which she seemed to intimate was generous. This took her through the wedding and up to the end of April. Immediately after the wedding, we completed the necessary paperwork for the change in visa status, but because her old visa had now expired, she was not allowed to leave the country until it was all sorted out. They had predicted 5 months or more, but actually delivered in just over 3 months. This new visa, the L2 partner to my L1 is the same length, and allows her full alien status. She can get a social security number, get a j...