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Brett and Wakana need your help!
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Subject: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:01 PM As some of you know we have been trying for over a year to get Wakana's temporary green card status changed to permanent residence. The U. S. Government agency responsible finally responded to our appeals for action by sending us a second request for information to prove we did not get married to evade the law. I am asking those of you who know us for help. What can you do? There are two avenues you could pursue. One is to write a letter to the agency telling them how long you've know us and vouching for our character. The other would be to ask your congressional representative to look into our case and ask the appropriate questions. We tried that with our representative but she is not a voting member of Congress and carries no weight with the agency. My primary purpose in creating this thread is to ask for letters to the agency. If you want to try Congress then you will need a lot of information to give your representative. I will gladly PM that you you if you feel you want to try that route. Please send your letters to: USCIS California Service Center P. O. Box 10590 Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-0590 Please reference A# A57117300. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: John MacKenzie Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:07 PM Aw Brett, wish I could help, but a voice from the UK carries no weight in US government circles. Good luck with it though, and I'm sure it will all work out for you both. Regards Giok |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Barry Finn Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:28 PM Hi Brett Jacquie & Kendall just went jumping through the same hoops not 3 months or so ago. They asked for photos that showed both of them together at various folk places. I don't know what worked & I don't remember the thread name, maybe someone could bring it back up or link you to it, it may be of some help. Also PM one of them, I'm sure they have load to say on the topic. If the assholes did their jobs & lifted a finger they could easily did out you online history here at Mudcat & they'd have no need to quetion you further. Of course they may decide to take your citizenship away are granting Wakana hers. I will write a letter Good luck Barry |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: curmudgeon Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:30 PM You're a Maine native. Contact Olympia Snow, S Susan Collins, and whatever congressman represents your parents. Also, find out how Jacqui and Kendall dealt with a similar problem. Keep us advised - Tom |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Barry Finn Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:32 PM "they could easily did out you online history" What was I thinking, drinking? Meant to say "They could easily dig out your online history" you know what I meant. Barry |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:38 PM Thanks guys. Tom, I already went that route but nothing has materialized yet. Our initial packet of information was at least an inch thick. In this last request they are asking for more of the same information. I doubt that letter sent from my Mudcat friends will carry much weight but it might tip the balance. It just occurred to me that you might include a photo of us at whatever place you met us if you have one. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Leadfingers Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:39 PM Brett - Try printing off the Mudcat Guam thread - I seem to recall it logs your growing relationship over a fair stretch of time ! Though from what I have seem of the US Administration most of them cant even read ! Best of luck though mate , and . like Giok , a a UK Citizen I cant do a thing !! |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:39 PM I just realized that I did not label this thread to go into the bottom, non-music, zone. Would some kind Joe-clone please take care of that for me? |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Bill D Date: 10 Jun 08 - 06:59 PM What year were you at the Getaway? 05? |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Charley Noble Date: 10 Jun 08 - 07:58 PM Brett- We have documentary evidence that you and Wakana attended our Robinhood Farm Musical Gathering in Maine, September of 2005. Would that be useful? You both look very happy. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Leadfingers Date: 10 Jun 08 - 08:12 PM Getaway was 2005 too ! AND SINSULL's a week before ! Piccies all OVER the place !! |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: katlaughing Date: 10 Jun 08 - 08:12 PM Brett, would it do any good for someone who has known you online to send a letter? I could certainly do that if it would help. Here's the thread for Jacqui & Kendall and what they did. Looks as though photos helped a bunch. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Ebbie Date: 10 Jun 08 - 08:50 PM I have something better than a picture: I have a recording of Wakana singing 'Grandfather's Clock'. In Japanese. :) |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: katlaughing Date: 10 Jun 08 - 09:49 PM How kewl, Ebbie!! |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amos Date: 10 Jun 08 - 10:01 PM Brett: You documented your first meeting with Wakana and I have taken the liberty of reposting a "before and during" excerpt here in your current Guam thread. A |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amos Date: 10 Jun 08 - 10:09 PM Followed by this one in April '04... . A |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amos Date: 10 Jun 08 - 10:18 PM Also, recall that in May 2004 you took Wakana to a party at the house of a base executive who has a killer view from his house, and whose wife is an excellent chef, so that W could see what you had to put up with in your work life among the Yanquis. SO there was a slew of witnesses at the beginning of your relationship, good solid American citizens, etc. A |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jun 08 - 12:58 AM I concur with the others, as unruly as Mudcat can be at times, it is your friend in this instance. Print out the whole Guam story, then affix post it notes to significant conversations and events (let them poke out of the stack of paper so the officials can refer to them easily, though no doubt whoever gets this stack will want to read it cover to cover!) In the case with Jacqui and Kendall, Jacqui and I had exchanged PM messages when I asked her about how they got together, and it was a wonderful document (with a date) that could be added to the evidence. Do you have personal letters and emails written here or elsewhere you can print out? Photos do speak a thousand words, and it sounds like there will be a lot to choose from. Good luck! SRS |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 11 Jun 08 - 01:37 AM We used the Mudcat as well as another online music forum as a part of our documentation, plus pictures we had taken of ourselves in a lot of other contexts. I compiled all of the pictures and other artifacts that I could find, including a wedding CD that was made for us at the other forum. That, along with the other documentation, such as wedding pictures, bank statements, car registrations, car insurance, utility bills, and things like that, did the trick. I put in way more stuff than I thought they would want to see and, in fact, they only looked at a fraction of what we brought. But I was glad I had all of it. They were persuaded by that and our interview. Our problem was that they were sitting on the FBI check, it seemed like indefinitely, and we ended up having to get help from a politician whose campaign my father worked on as treasurer few years ago. He didn't pull any strings or anything. He just inquired on our behalf and that seemed to do the trick. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 11 Jun 08 - 06:46 PM Good advice from all. I truly appreciate it. I was trying to avoid the expense of printing out the Guam threads. That is pages and pages of stuff but it may be just what the doctor ordered. Amos, I am amazed you remember that much detail. I have trouble remembering it. As for that party, I am no longer in touch with those people. Most of them have moved on to other assignments. I looked at Jacqui and Kendall's thread and I agree. Pictures would be great. Please email them to me at brettdb at yahoo dot com. Charlie, that evidence would indeed be useful. Actually I have recordings from that evening myself but none include Wakana. She wasn't feeling well that evening and did not stay with us in the barn. Actually, I think she was cold. BillD, we were indeed at the Getaway in 2005. It was one of the greatest experiences of our marriage to date. Wakana even has a shawl from Jacqui and one from Mmario that she received on that trip. Thanks again for all your support and advice. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 11 Jun 08 - 06:51 PM If they're printed on the "fast draft" setting (or even the "everyday" setting), a hell of a lot of money can be saved on ink, and they'll still be very readable. But whatever it costs, the expense is worth it. We spent a few thousand dollars on the whole process (a big chunk of that was the fees for the immigration attorney), but we don't regret the expense for a minute. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: MMario Date: 11 Jun 08 - 06:52 PM Hey brett - put the threads onto a thumb drive and let *them* print it out. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Becca72 Date: 11 Jun 08 - 06:53 PM Keep in mind that some photos are ok to include, but with the amount of computer applications to fake them nowadays they carry MUCH less weight than letters of recommendation and general joint household paperwork. * as stated in the thread for my father and Jacqui, my best friend (and ex) works for Immigration and I got the information I passed on to them first hand from him on what is acceptible for the Feds. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 11 Jun 08 - 06:56 PM If it was me or my loved one who might be deported, I wouldn't take a chance on a thumb drive. I'd give them paper. I say this as someone who has been through the process. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 11 Jun 08 - 07:16 PM I used to work inside a bureaucratic process. Now I am blissfully free of it until something like this comes up. Then all the old frustrations and anger boils to the surface and I have trouble being kind and polite. I wrote a cover letter for Wakana yesterday and started it with all the words I love to say to them. Then I carefully deleted those words and fed them the line of BS they want to hear. Note: I worked for INS as a GS-5 temporary part-time inspector in 1981-1982. At that time ALL immigration records were actual paper documents in an actual file folder. We heard that the central office had misplaced 20,000 files and were scrambling to find them. Now it is 2008 and the new system apparently is STILL using paper files and has little or nothing on computer. Sigh, my country right or wrong? I keep thinking about how the Japanese use computers in their government offices and hospitals. I know they can work properly. I just don't understand why the USA can't make it work. I saw the same inability in my job working for the Navy. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 12 Jun 08 - 10:35 AM Here is your assignment, Brett: Take a look through the Guam threads you've started and name or provide links to each of the threads that you think are germane to this issue, and let's see how long they are. I'm sure there are enough of us working in offices with large industrial duplex printers that someone can knock these off and drop them in the mail to you. Running duplex and "printer friendly" will save a lot of paper over trying to print the WYSIWYG version you read when you click on the thread. SRS |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: katlaughing Date: 12 Jun 08 - 11:47 AM As you say, too bad they are in the dark ages. It'd be so easy to hand it all to them on I'd be willing to print up some section as SRS has noted. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: jacqui.c Date: 12 Jun 08 - 01:01 PM Photos on their way Brett. Let me have your address and we'll also send a letter confirming that you have a genuine marriage. We made sure that we sent copies of all documents relating to jointly owned property from the time of our marriage right through to present date. That included joint ownership of our vehicles and the house. We didn't have a joint bank account and my name wasn't on the household bills and I just gave an explanation as to the way that we organise our finances. We were lucky in that Kendall put me on his health insurance from day 1 and had me noted on his pension and life insurance. I put together a photo album, with each photo notated with date and occasion. I think we sent in about 60 photos in all. I also pointed out that, prior to marrying Kendall, I had a good job, a house and a family in the UK and that, at my time of life, the ONLY reason that I moved to the States was to be with Kendall. I don't know what worked - we sent everything in the mail and were never asked to come for an interview - but just make sure that every scrap of evidence that you live together as man and wife is included. Our instructions from the Feds were to the effect that all required paperwork should be submitted in one bundle. I don't know whether you got the same but, if so, it might be better to have your friends send you a letter, in a sealed envelope, addressed to the office, with an open copy for your file. They asked for the name and address of each person, on the letter, along with their date of birth and their relationship to the applicant. Give them as much paperwork as you can - it's better than being told that you haven't provided enough. Best of luck anyway. Logically I can understand why they do it - there are a lot of people, it seems, who are trying it on, but it can still really piss you off when it seems that they are doubting your word! |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: katlaughing Date: 12 Jun 08 - 01:07 PM Jacqui, did you get the photo album back? Just curious. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amos Date: 12 Jun 08 - 01:20 PM BRett: The thread that covers the whole development period is "News from Guam". I have just made a PDF file of the whole thread, which is 235 single pages. Printed double-sided the volume would be only 118 pages long. I can email the PDF file to you if you like; if you want I will print it out and ship the printout to you. A |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: jacqui.c Date: 12 Jun 08 - 01:31 PM Kat - I printed out the photos on ordinary printer paper - couldn't see the point in using photo paper which would have a) cost more b)increased the cost of mailing (heavier) and c) have been a bit like pearls before swine. I didn't expect to get it back anyway. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: katlaughing Date: 12 Jun 08 - 01:45 PM Ah, that makes sense, Jacqui. Good thing. Amos, goodonya! |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 12 Jun 08 - 03:54 PM Wow! This is great. Thanks so much to all of you. I was thinking I would print out the whole set of Guam threads by taking them on disk to a print shop. I can certainly do that with your PDF file, Amos. I will PM my email address. Jacqui, we too do not have many commingled finances. Wakana was an independent woman with her own full life before I met her. When we met she certainly had more money in the bank than I did but she was living on that money and using it to pay for her education. We do have dual ownership on the house and have included our mortgage and all the associated paperwork. I have included that in her package. An interesting side note. I made sure that our utilities carry both our names but the bills, when we get them, usually have only my name on them. Sigh, that's living in Guam. I never thought about the health insurance, pension, and life insurance. She is, of course, on mine. I need to include that in the package! Thanks, Jacqui. By the by, I got the photos, Jacqui. Thanks for that. I went through BillD's online photo album but only found one picture I could use. It is not a posed picture. He took a shot of the crowd at the concert and Wakana and I are sitting there among them. We do not have much time to get this package together. The letter arrived in the middle of our move to Talofofo and we were unable to get right on it. Now we are scrambling to get it done. Thanks so much everybody. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 12 Jun 08 - 04:02 PM It might be possible to print out the profile in the website for the utilities. The profile ought to have both names in it. I would suggest setting up an account for payment of utility bills online if one hasn't already been set up, so that this can be done. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 12 Jun 08 - 04:07 PM This thread is showing me how much it really was worth the money for us to have an immigration attorney. He told us right off the bat what to do to in order to have good documentation for our case, including co-mingling our finances. We set things up right from the beginning with this in mind, and I guess it really paid off. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amos Date: 12 Jun 08 - 04:46 PM Well, then,....PM me the addy now!! A |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Sorcha Date: 12 Jun 08 - 05:41 PM What seems utterly ridiculous to ME is that Guam is a US Territory!!! |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: jacqui.c Date: 12 Jun 08 - 06:30 PM Do you have jointly owned vehicles - that would count as well and the insurance for them. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amergin Date: 12 Jun 08 - 06:35 PM I would say pictures signed and notarised affidavits from friends and family stating you two are actually married spiritually and legally and have been together for some time, joint checking/savings accounts, jointly owned property. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: SINSULL Date: 12 Jun 08 - 06:40 PM I plan on printing out all the pertinent threads and sending them along with a letter. Damn bureaucrats. I do like jacqui's idea of a picture album with diary - enough to bore a comatose man to death. heh heh |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 12 Jun 08 - 08:41 PM We weren't given an opportunity to send anything in. We had to give our documentation at the interview. Our interviewer was a woman. JtS was really affronted when she asked him if he had ever been a prostitute. I just laughed. A lot. ;-) She said later on that his being affronted was the kind of response she was looking for. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amos Date: 12 Jun 08 - 11:28 PM Brett--no email no pdf. Eh? A |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Jun 08 - 12:58 AM Amos, how large is that PDF? |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 13 Jun 08 - 05:14 AM Amos - see Brett's post 11 June 6.46pm Please email them to me at brettdb at yahoo dot com. sandra |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 13 Jun 08 - 06:53 AM Amos, I just sent you the PM. Sorry to be so slow but we've been working pretty hard at this place. Carol, how long ago did you have this interview? Was it for his initial green card or for the renewal? As for jointly owned property the only thing we have is the house. That should be good enough for them. We are each maintaining our little bit of independence, she because she wants to and me because I got burned in my divorce from THAT WOMAN. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: kendall Date: 13 Jun 08 - 07:17 AM Wading through all the bullshit, the bottom line is this: Show them that this is a real marriage, not just one of convenience to get an alien into the country. That's all they really care about. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Amos Date: 13 Jun 08 - 10:30 AM PDF file in the aether now, Brett. I hope it proves useful! A |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 13 Jun 08 - 04:53 PM The interview was about three and a half years ago (I can't remember the exact month). He didn't get the green card until three years ago in May. That's the only interview we had. I think his green card is good for ten years (I need to check to make sure, though, but it's not where I can see it right now). He's going to be applying for citizenship soon (you can do that after three years), so hopefully he won't have to renew the green card at all. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 14 Jun 08 - 12:05 AM Wakana's original green card was only good for two years. Then we had to file to get her status changed to permanent resident. That's what we are waiting for now. Amos, I got the file. Thanks a million. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: CarolC Date: 14 Jun 08 - 02:45 PM JtS never had a green card that wasn't a permanent resident status card. The only one he ever got or even applied for was the permanent resident status card. He had some sort of work visa before the permanent resident card, but the company he worked for took care of that. So the process we went through is the same one that Wakana is going through now. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 23 Jun 08 - 08:28 PM Update: We sent the package off to Homeland Security. I printed out all of my entries on my blog but none of the readers' responses. I also made up a photo album of our life to date. Most of the pictures are candid shots of us enjoying life in the islands and Japan. There are shots of her parents visiting us and us visiting them. And I stuck in some of the papers we have regarding our house including the Warranty Deed, and several of the pages that were notarized. I also wrote a cover letter explaining what was there and why certain stuff is not there. My first draft included an unexpurgated paragraph of what I thought of them. The final draft had been expurgated to the point of milk toast. I hope it does the trick. Thanks to all for your great suggestions. I couldn't have done it without you. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Charley Noble Date: 23 Jun 08 - 09:01 PM Brett- The "unexpurgated paragraph" will make great reading when this drama is over. I look forward to reading it. Bob Zentz asked how you were doing when he was visiting us here in Maine last weekend. I said that you were living in "interesting times." Zentz is not doing too badly himself! Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: katlaughing Date: 23 Jun 08 - 09:49 PM Did I miss the blog with pix addy somewhere? Would love to see them and promise to comment!:-) |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: Naemanson Date: 27 Jun 08 - 07:23 PM Kat, PM your email address to me and I will send you a copy. It is a word document. |
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Subject: RE: Brett and Wakana need your help! From: katlaughing Date: 27 Jun 08 - 10:32 PM Done did, Brett, thanks! |
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