I'm no longer an illegal!

I got word that my visa was approved. That means that I'm legal again. Yea! And the visa clocks starts all over again. I'm now good until the end of 2008.

But the bad news is that they ruled that I have to post an immigration bond. The bond is equal to the amount of money it would cost to fly me back to my country of orgin, in my case Los Angeles.

New pimp isn't exactly sure how much that is, or when it is due. They are thinking that I need to post a $3000 AUD bond. Of course no one is going to pay me so much as a cent of interest on that money. Nor is there any guarantee of when and if I will get it back.

I've convinced them that I can fly one-way from Perth to LAX for $1400AUD (off peak rate). So as long as I can document that price, the immigration dept will accept that as my bond.

I don't have an extra $1400 laying around. So my pimp has agreed to let me pay this over 9 months. They are going to take a couple of hundred dollars out of each pay check and apply it towards the bond.

My take home pay is now a little less than I used to get. Plus, the extra bite for the bond is take out. Thinks could be worse. At least I have a job and contract. Sure beats being stuck at LAX with no money, no car, no home, no job, and no place to go.

Bought a car today

I bought a car today. It is a used 1994 Ford Laser station wagon. It is really a Mazda 323 that Ford rebadged. Automatic, no AC, tiny 1.6 liter 4 banger motor.

I got a good deal on it. It is clean, only 130k kilometers on the clock. Paid $6000 AUD for it.

Now Elena and I have some wheels to have fun it. It should make like so much easier for us.

My favorite part... it is paid for. No car payments. Yea!

Spine surgery

Today I went to the hospital for the surgery. My doctor is going to be injecting cortizone into my lower spine. He has to give me a lumbar injection into the spine.

I have to be out cold for this since I can not move during the procedure. He uses an x-ray to guide his needle inside the spine.

All went well. I was home by dinner time. I can't walk, but I'll be fine tomorrow.