SQUIRREL!!

"Dug" and a Black Squirrel

I can't resist yelling SQUIRREL! (like in the move "Up!") every time I see one. Sometimes out loud but mostly in my head. My dogs hate them with a passion but I think they're so adorable! Sometimes out my kitchen window I will catch one trying to bury nuts in my yard but mostly I see them running around and scurrying up trees. SO CUTE!

So as you would expect, many animals here in the US are different from home and animals that American's just think of as every day things you (well I :P) can't help but smile when you see them. From racoons, chipmunks, turkeys (yes I've seen wild turkeys!) and of course squirrels to deer, coyotes, beavers and many more! No more do you worry about a roo taking out your car, instead there's the very real (and leaping!) possibility that a deer will kill your car. I don't live in an area for it but some people also have bears and moose wandering around!

Then there's the smaller scarier critters. Rattlesnakes, water moccasins (no not a type of footwear!), brown recluse spiders, and other scary stuff. But, much like Aus, though I know this stuff is around I've not personally seen any that worry me... okay well there was this one HUGE spider (smaller than a huntsman though) crawling on the shower curtain next to the toilet one day that scared the crap out of me... but I didn't fear death.

Rainbow Lorikeet

The birds are pretty boring (sorry America!) in general... There are some pretty ones but nothing like a  rainbow lorikeet flying around. I see one in a picture and smile. Makes me think about how really random Australia is sometimes. We really DO have some weird animals (hello platypus as well)!

That brings me to importation of Aussie wildlife. You can buy some native Australian animals at some pet stores. Sugar gliders, budgies (but they're called parakeets here and I had no idea they were "native" to Australia) as well as cockatiels (those were surprisingly expensive too!) and probably a few others I haven't seen yet.

Black Teddy Bear Hamster

America has their own very awesome pets that you can't get as easily in Australia (as far as I know.. a lot can change in a couple of years!). There are hamsters, chinchillas (kinda look like a type of Aussie possum - American opossums are different), gerbils as well as different kinds of turtles (for example red eared sliders and box turtles), snakes (for example king snakes, corn snakes and ball pythons) frogs (green tree frogs, pacman frogs etc). I personally love hamsters. My husband and I used to have a pet Roborovski hamster. Totally adorable but small and VERY skittish. My husband eventually got her to crawl onto his hand to get a treat but if he moved a muscle while she was doing so she was off! So now that we have two dogs who would probably eat a hamster, we won't be getting another one since she passed on (before we got the dogs thankfully).

Sometimes it's so weird that what you're seeing now is so much like what you were seeing in movies back home and when you were little but now you're living it.. but as with everything eventually you start to stop seeing the differences and see this as a common thing.. except squirrels.. they still make me giggle :) It's only recently when I've started looking around at things imagining what my mum will see when she visits that I'm noticing what I've gotten use to. It's a good way not to take anything for granted.

Here's an interesting (well maybe for some :D) pdf that I found online that lists animals in Iowa (my state): http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN601.pdf  There are some pictures but mostly I google the names :)

Thanks for reading :)

A Quest for A Brand to Love...

Growing up in another country where you've picked products and brands you like over time, suddenly you're struck with the realisation you need new socks and undies... The risks of bad socks means bunching in your shoes, easily worn out, the seam rubbing your toes, things like that... but undies... undies you risk a wedgie or buying a pair that end up bunched up and saggy leading to some embarrassing attempts at adjustment... and lets be honest.. how many people actually try on either of these things in the supermarket (ew!)?!

Everyone has different requirements and preferences so while a friends opinion is somewhat helpful, you won't know till you have a go! And therein lies the dilemma. These things aren't cheap (well they can be but there's a risk there too!) and while you probably COULD return them to the store (you gotta admit it's kinda gross to think about the next thing you buy being returned by someone so why would you do it?) you probably won't so you need to be prepared to "waste" some money (maybe you could cut them up and take up quilting :P).

With socks I'm a big fan of ankle socks with the tight band around the arch of my foot. I've purchased some new socks here and while they do the job (sometimes), it makes me so pleased anytime I find a pair of my "regular Aussie" socks in the drawer to put on.. even if they're a surviving mismatched pair (their matching pair long since thrown out - there's only so much darning I'm okay with!). The US socks I found are perfectly fine, thinner though and don't have that band on the arch... In a bind they do well... or even as house socks. I know it'll take some time but I'm positive I'll find "the" brand again... hopefully soon.

One brand I'm thinking of is Hanes (well to be honest it's the main one I've heard about so I'll look at more don't worry :D). I heard its good but I need to do some more research first and of course, take the plunge and buy some...

It's just one of those things that you never really think about. Brands you've come to recognise immediately, brands you like, brands you avoid. You know what particular things smell like and taste like, you know what something looks like on... so now you have this whole new adventure... and trauma (not knowing something you considered so basic at home can be pretty overwhelming and distressing).

I'm not saying its always a bad thing, its just something you don't think about. I will admit though when it came to food brands that did stress me out but now I see TV shows and recognise what they're eating, or walk through Walmart and recall a brand from an ad, friends house or previous experience and I feel pretty darn proud of how far I've come :)

It's a small milestone but its one of those things that makes you feel more and more normal.

My Favourite Things #1

There are a lot of hard things about being an immigrant (sometimes, especially in the beginning it feels like a mountainous climb to "get over the homesickness") so sometimes it's really easy to focus on the negatives but much like this idea **Memory Jar** sometimes it's a good idea to focus on the good instead and slowly your mind will start to think less negatively (hopefully).

This "favourite things" list is made up of products I found while living in the US or something I like about living here in the US. It doesn't mean the product or thing I like is JUST in the US, just that I found it here and I love it :D

SO for my first list of favourite things I'm gunna start small and probably pretty obvious on a couple :P This won't be a weekly or monthly thing, I'll just keep a list until I decide it's big enough (or I have nothing better to post :P). Please click on the name and it should take you to a photo or other link to show you what I'm talking about :D

1. Lysol Hand Soap Dispenser
I'm not sure why I think this is so awesome but I saw one at a friends house, then on an advert and I HAD to have it and I LOVE it. I have it in the bathroom with Grapefruit in it. Smells yummy, easy to use, and no germs. It looks better (in my opinion) that another options but I kinda wish you could get "skins" for them... maybe I'll copyright that idea NO STEALING! :P

2. Garbage disposal
I hate throwing food product (chicken cut-off, food scraps etc) in the bin. Especially in the kitchen bin where it can stink up the place. Some people have a special "food scrap" bin and if you have pigs or something else like that (yep I live near farms so not totally irrational) it makes sense but we don't have a "big bin" like we do at home in Aus so it would just go in the regular kitchen bin so blegh. I like that if I have food that's gone bad, or cut-off or whatever down it goes (within reason of course!)! You can buy little smelly things for it (I get lemon scented "Plink") and it's just handy and mess free... except when you accidentally (read: stupidly don't realise you shouldn't but when your husband point it out you feel like a moron) put something down there that you shouldn't and it jams or trips the reset button thingy.

3. Butt Girl
Ahh Butt Girl. Not her ACTUAL name but when you have to plug into her butt to charge her or listen to music then it makes sense (okay so maybe I'm crazy but I sing it to the the Batman theme when I'm looking for her). The sound is surprisingly strong and not tinny at all. She's very cute looking and when you're doing the dishes it's easier to plug her into my phone to play Pandora (see next item) and sit her on the windowsill to dance like an idiot (and annoy my dogs in the process... funny stuff) than to plug in headphones and do it that way.

4. Pandora
Internet, phone app.. all awesome. Basically it's a free site where you make "channels" based on your favourite song or artist and it will play songs that are similar, same artist or whatever. If you like or dislike the song you can select the thumbs up or down sign and it will know that you like that style and personalise even more. Thumbs down it will skip to the next song AND never play that song on that channel again. For example I have a Katy Perry channel (it's the song I was listening to when I was personalising mine) and the music that I get from that is all pretty much what I like. I also have an Adele and Christmas one. I should make more but I'll do it one day :D My Katy one is the one I listen to the most.

5. Bottle Tops
EXTREMELY handy for car rides, drinks in your hand bag etc. Bottle tops are supposed to stop your drink from spilling. I've had some pretty good success but when they get old they get loose and sometimes leak a little (not a big deal 'cause I have heaps :D). They're coloured (purple and pink and green and other pretty colours) and I just feel a lot safer having a can with a bottle top on it when I'm on my lappy, and no icky sticky mess if I turn a corner too sharp in my truck and end up with a little spill. Plus no fear of bees, wasps or other bugs flying/walking in (I can't be the only kid scared to death when my parents warned me about that!) when you're out and about. I got mine as a present but you can get them at Walmart, Walgreens and all sorts of places :)

6. Netflix
Extremely awesome when you first arrive and can't work. There's a website, apps for your phone and also for your Wii and probably other devices (I have a Wii so I don't know about the rest :P). Netflix is like having a video store at your house. Basically you pay a fee for monthly usage ($8 I think at the moment for streaming only) and you can stream movies and TV shows to your phone, Wii, TV and computer. For the purpose of this blog I decided to test it and I can watch Netflix on my phone while watching something else on my computer which is GREAT. My husband watches stuff at work sometimes and it's good to know what i watch won't interrupt what he is watching :) There are also plans where you can get DVD's only, or streaming AND DVD's. It's real handy for those cheaper movie nights in with loved ones. They have pretty ready access to some TV shows as well. I know when I first arrived I caught up on some series I had never seen and some I was behind on.

7. Wax Melter thing..
Everyone (I assume) loves having a house that smells good. It's a bit of an obsession of mine actually to make sure my house ALWAYS smells good. I've tried oil burners, candles, reed diffusers (had this really awesome one in Aus but couldn't tell you the brand or smell to save my life), plug-ins and a myriad of other ideas. This one so far is the best. I find the smell permeates the house better. There's a wide range of smells available (you can use any brand of candle wax/melt) and they're cheap. My house usually smells citrusy because it's a smell that least bothers my husband :)

That's all for now. Hope I've given you some ideas for things to try. If you have any suggestions for me, please leave a comment and maybe I can check them out and feature it on my next "Favourite Things" list :)

Day Trip to Des Moines - June 4, 2012

This Monday my husband and I drove the 3+ hours from our home town to make my 8am biometrics appointment in Des Moines that I needed done for my immigration paperwork (Removal of Conditions for those "in the know").

Civics flip cards I scored!

I haven't addressed the immigration side of my life here yet (fledging blog and all that) but in summary: I came to the U.S. in late 2009 on a fiancee visa (K1). After getting married within 90 days of my arrival (per USCIS requirements) we then had to apply for Adjustment of Status (AOS). After a stack of photocopying, a decent amount of money, a biometrics appointment (another 3 hour trip) and 3 months of waiting, I became the proud owner of a Green Card, making me a "Legal Permanent Resident" of the United States. This first card lasts only 2 years (due to being married under 2 years) and 90 days before it expired I filed more paperwork to get a 10 year card... this is where we are now. Paperwork filed, biometrics on Monday, and now back to waiting..

SO, due to having to make the trip and given how rarely we actually drive such far distances (an hour tops normally), I decided I would take the chance to tell you all a little more about my neck of the woods.

Most of the drive to Des Moines from my home town is via I-80 which in my area also means driving past the World's Largest Truck Stop.

Stack of augers

Seeing the drive is so long there's a fair few towns that we go through. Passed a town called Kellogg (had to laugh :P), one called What Cheer (nope, not joking), a lot of.. questionably named service stations, some really sweetly named ones, and some really awesome sculptures outside Kinze in Williamsburg, Iowa. I've added a few pics I was able to find on the internet of the sculptures because it's pretty hard to get a pic quickly while driving past. All the "sculptures" are made with actual machinery which I'm sure some of you know is REALLY expensive equipment. 

Pretty sunset & the Auger sculpture

Seeder sculpture. I'm pretty sure that "top" part moves...

So the tractors and all that are a good "guy" thing in Williamsburg but don't think this town has let down the girls! We also drove past a clothing outlet mall called Tanger. Unfortunately my husband wasn't really too interested but it's definitely on my "to do" list when I get the chance :D

One cool thing about rest stops that I noticed (don't remember seeing it last time we took this trip) is the presence of WiFi!! Who knew! We didn't actually pull over and use it but that's a handy little addition the Iowa government have added to their rest stops :) Especially great for family trips when mum or dad is done driving and the kids want to watch a movie or something.

We also drove past some signs for the Amana colonies. I'm hoping when mum comes to visit that we'll pay those a visit. I've been told it's something worth going to see.

We DID however get the chance to stop at the mall in Coralville called Coral Ridge. It's big enough it houses an indoor ice-skating rink. We didn't give that a try (my husband isn't a fan) but we did take the opportunity (or should I say I did) to window shop a bit eat lunch (thanks Panda Express for the new yummy Angus steak dish) and enjoyed the AC before the drive home.

For your viewing pleasure I've also added a couple of pics I took of the country side. My husband decided on the way home to take the "scenic route" for the last, oh, 1/2 hour or so. Enjoy :)

Some cute country house

Corn corn everywhere... :D

The back of my truck kicking up dust

Life Without The Metric System

Ahhh the metric system... how much more sense you make to me :P

One of the hardest things (weirdly) was learning to drive at 25 mph (miles per hour). Even though that's roughly 40kph (kilometres per hour) it felt so SLOW just seeing such low numbers on the speedo so that I'd automatically think I was going too slow and backing up traffic or something :S Luckily many speedo's here have both (km's in small numbers) so that helps.. I'm not sure why.. but I like it :P

That of course leads to people telling me how far something is by telling me "that's 10 miles away". In my brain I auto convert to time (does everyone? Or am I just odd?) and obviously my brain wants to turn to km's. Because with km's, metres etc everything is in 10's it's real easy to do. You'd basically just say "oh okay 10 mins or so" because you'd do 60kph in most places and 60 minutes in an hour... easy :)... but miles aren't the same. So instead of that I need people to tell me minutes. "How long will it take me to get there?"

Then there's the temperature, and not just of the environment, but also body temp.

I don't know about many of you out there, but I donate blood. It's my little "gift" to society and as my mum (yep, mUm not mOm :P) said many moons ago, it's like a little health check. Haemoglobin (no "e" in it here but oh well :D), blood pressure and temperature. Small things but good to know. Blood pressure and haemoglobin are always much the same in measurements but temp... I have to ask "is that good?". Doesn't seem to matter how often I look up what's "normal" it just falls out of my brain...

I have an infra-red ear thermometer that I LOVE  that I brought from Australia when I first moved over. It's not only for ears, you can use it to check the surface temp of baths, and baby milk and stuff (not really needed for me yet, but handy :D) and luckily it can be in C (celcius) or F (fahrenheit) but the awesome thing is it beeps when I have a fever. In my effort to learn F I have mine set to it ('cause if I go to a doc they'd wanna know F) So unless it beeps I'm fine :) When it beeps I google to find out how bad. I know it's ridiculous, I really do but it's so HARD!

Take this w/end for example. I caught some bug (strep I found out) and my temp was tracking up. 101.5, 102.5. Looks like a HUGE difference between those 2 right? a whole degree... nope. that's 38.6 and 39.1 respectively... which still looks bad but isn't AS bad.

In regards to environmental temp though, I only know ranges. For instance if it's in the early 70's that's a good temp. If it's in the 80-90's it's going to be warm (you've gotta check humidity too). And anything under in the 30's is freezing and lower than 32 F and that and it's below 0C. Anything between those ranges (40's - 60's) and you'll probably need a jumper at some stage... I pretty much just watch out for the 70's.. those are good days :D

Then finally, a woman's worst nightmare... her weight doubling just by changing countries :( Someone who weighs 80kgs in Aus weighs 176lbs in the US!! That's just terrifying to see triple digits all of a sudden and nearly into the "200" range. Most people know that your weight fluctuates about 1-2kgs a day (food, waste product etc) but here it's 2.2-4.4 lbs a day :( Luckily, I've found a way to make this work for me. I WEIGH in kgs, but I lose in lb's. This makes me feel heaps better because you might weigh 80kgs but you just lost 4lbs! WOAH! That's AWESOME! ... hehehe.

Anyway. Here's a little quick cheat sheet I threw together that might help some of you :) It's only a couple of things, I'm working on a bigger one that includes how many inches in a foot, and how many feet in a mile, or yard in a mile etc and then comparing those to metric in the hopes that the comparison and the single sheet with all the info there will help me learn. While right now not knowing some of this stuff doesn't negatively affect me too bad, it may in the future so it's better to learn now while I have the time and inclination, rather than waiting till I look like a moron for not knowing :S If any of you would be interested in this sheet leave me a comment and I'll add it when I get the chance :)