Things are looking better for me now. I filed my Adjustment of Status application last Monday, along with my application for Work Permit. WP takes within 90 days to process, after which I can apply for the SSN as well. Then pwede na magtrabaho, mag-apply ng driver's license, etc. etc. Lahat ng legalities ng relationship namin ni Gary, pwede na asikasuhin (like Last Will & Testament, joint savings account, etc.) pero syempre those need money as well. Hindi naman ako nag-aalala kasi nga pwede na ako magtrabaho. I am still contemplating on being an MT. (I met a Filipina PT by profession who works as home-based MT sa Manila, serving a US-based company. She has been in that practice for 5 years and plans to go on with it when she comes here on a fiancee visa).
Another good news...(I'm keeping my hopes up about this kasi hindi pa final.) Yesterday Gary received a phone call from a company (OriSol) that manufactures machines supplied to makers of rubber shoes, bags, tents, etc. Gary met the man first when he was working in New Balance Robotics Dept. as Supervisor. Ewan lang kung alam nila na umalis na dun si Gary, pero they really hunted him to offer him the job of Support Engineer (How many times does one who has a hard time looking for a job gets this wonderful offer from a big company?!) Siguro malaki ang tiwala nung tumawag ke Gary dahil sa past correspondences nila (naisip ko nga kung nagtratrabaho pa siguro si Gary sa NB, baka susulutin nila eh.). Gary talked to me about it (meron silang personal discussion on Monday, hindi na phone lang to settle some matters and before Gary could finally decide). I asked him if he was interested in the job. He said he was because that was his forte -- things that deal with mechanical engineering, though by educational attainment, he's not an engineer. But it will entail a lot of out-of-town jobs because he will be tasked to troubleshoot machines in their clients located in the different states and may be away for days or months. I guess we both agree that it will be fair enough if the salary will be around 40K-50K monthly. Personally, I would like him to grab the opportunity for the following reasons:
1. He has been looking for jobs that can give him enough mental stimulation so he can really enjoy the work (unlike in the orchard that there is no mental challenge). I can sense that he needs that stimulation very badly. And it is such a waste of talent (and I think nakakapurol ng utak kung hindi nya magagamit to d max ang talents nya!) to be in a job that does not stimulate him enough.
2. The pay will definitely be higher than doing orchard work picking apples and other jobs.
3. Though there is the danger of stress at work, I have seen him under stress here at home from worries over not enough money to even pay our bills. In any case, it will be a definite change from his past stressful work at NB in that when he comes home, he would find this house a real relaxing treat (in his past marriage kasi, stress na sa trabaho, hindi pa maasikaso ng asawa nya yung bahay).
4. Times away from home I don't really fear because such absence will just make us miss each other more and appreciate each other's presence. Unlike our present situation where we sometimes go into a withdrawal phase or shielding phase of some sort because we want to protect one another from being affected by our own stresses. With the resulting effect that we end up low-spirited. Moreover, I have my in-laws nearby to help me with some things if anything bad happens in his absence. I can easily turn to them for help.
5. I am still contemplating on getting a job for my own personal growth and to while away time, especially during his long absences if he takes the job. Yung kikitain ko I will use for getting what we need aside from the basic necessities, as well as to send support to my family in the Philippines. I might also invest in my uncle's resort in Cagayan. Gary and I talked of the possibility of spending our retiring days in PI where the warm weather will not require us to chop firewood anymore.
GOD IS REALLY GOOD IF YOU HAVE FAITH. I could not help but be teary-eyed when Gary told me the good news but I did not want to show him I excited I really was because I didn't want him to feel pressured. I still would want him to decide on accepting the job for the basic reason of desire for that kind of work. It suits him best. My heart has always bled for him as he toiled and wasted his time away in that orchard trying to earn a meager income.I am not looking down on such jobs; it's just that I know he can do more challenging things and thus enjoy his job. Now I am so full of positve energy...I wonder if he sensed it.

WE swam today...the day was so hot, and the pool water so cold...We played tag and the kids enjoyed immensely...I wish we had GAry with us.

Juliana gave this set of flowers to me. She can be soooo sweet at times...so heart-warming.

Yesterday Dad called us for help in directing the calf towards the barn for a castration-like procedure (they used a pair of crimping metals for the scrotal sacs' necks). They wanted to control the number of cows they raise since we only use them for our own consumption (the advantages of farming is that we don't worry about the foods we eat as much as those who don't have direct control of them.)

I hardly slept last night...All my joints were aching. I felt my neck aching as well, at first I thought it was stiff neck. But my experienced hands detected a series of post-auricular cervical lymphadenopathies, and I noted soreness in my throat. It can be a systemic infection (on account of the joint pains and I think I detected a slight increase in my temperature). But I hope it's just a simple sore throat. I must have stressed myself out too much with physical exertion in my gardens.