Oooh, I need to read that then. :)

I am laughing so hard right now. :D

Now I feel about a million years old. Thanks. ;)

Probably. Because it never freezes, there isn't that energy barrier to get over before it warms up. Freezing is why ice at 32 degrees has more ability to cool than water at the same temperature. (At the other end of the spectrum, this kind of thing is also why steam at 212 degrees will burn you far worse than…

Psychologists call the time between when you're presented with a complex problem and you arrive at its solution as incubation, which is cute and illustrative. Research has shown that if you're working on a simple task—something like brushing your teeth—letting your mind wander allows for connections to arise. But if…

We had a special slot in the filing cabinet. It's only now that I feel like I might be comfortable shredding some of that stuff, and my husband's been a Citizen since 2007.

Indeed. I'm feeling i the same boat here. I can't tell whether to laugh it off or just get more anxious than I already am. But it's been one of those days. ^_^;;

YES. You should have seen me when we came in for the interview to get the restrictions off his green card (The good old "Are you really married?" interview). On top of the inch-high stack we'd sent in with the application, I had this tabbed accordion folder full of bank statements, insurance documents, photographs,…

Sorry, at this point in my career, I have very little control over things. On the surface of it, you could say I do - I technically control my own working hours, within limits, I have creative control over the content in my classroom, I can do research when I want to.

You put your finger right on it. And it's rather hilarious, because I'm actually nothing if not a raging optimist. But that kind of optimism is only sustainable if you actually see the problems around you.

That is fast, wow. We were lucky, I guess, that we met in college, so he was already in the country when we had to start filing paperwork. But dear god, was the Adjustment of Status paperwork a bitch. And not just because my mother had to sign on as a financial co-sponsor because I had no money...

It's weird, I know. Go Iowa, I guess. :)

Definitely.

Instinctive science-y warning here: Please just remember that it's every bit as cold as ice from the freezer would be, even if it's not frozen.

Iowa's great like that, to the point where you can file separately, but on the same return, so you only have to fill out one stupid set of papers.

When my husband and I were both working, we filed joint federal taxes (for immigration purposes, we took a bit of a loss there), but filed separate state taxes, and that saved us a good bit in taxes.

This. It helps a lot when you have one spouse working, and one not (or very little). Overly simplified, the tax brackets basically double everything. The tax rate for one person making $50,000 is the same tax rate for two people each earning $50,000. But if I make $50,000 and my husband doesn't work, by filing…

Story of my life. When your ability to have a job at all in the coming years is on the line, you do what you have to do.

God I miss Iowa City. I'm up now in the northeast corner, in "Practically Minnesota"

*ginormous eyes* I'm 30 but I'm little. Am I too old to be adopted? I could use both your linux and your touchscreen (*runs theoretical nanomagnetism code for a living*)