This is a lesson in patience that I don't have time for!!

Well, I need to give an update on the progress of our I-171-H. I called and called and left message after message on the answering machine at the Memphis USCIS office. None of my calls were returned. I gave them my cell number every time so I know that they didn't call because I always have my cell phone with me. I contacted the head of homeland security for the state of Arkansas thinking that because they have now listed the USCIS under homeland security they could help. The head guy was nice enough and looked into it all day and kept calling me back saying they were working on finding out what happend to our I-171-H. Then at the end of the day his secretary called me and told me that they didn't have any jurisdiction over the USCIS office because they were a state agency and the USCIS was a federal agency. After that I waited another week, checking the mail with the anticipation of a kid at Christmas only to find lumps of coal in the form of junk mail and bills. We did however get last months phone bill that showed there were over 20 calls to Memphis. Once I saw that in print I knew I wasn't going to get an answer out of them no matter how many time I tried by calling. So then it was off to the local office of congressman Marion Barry. The lady at the office knew of the situation at Memphis having had to deal with them many times in the past and we talked to her about many of our concerns, including extending the time that an I-171-H is good for. At this point our I-171-H may very well expire before we travel to China making it a very real possibility that we will have to go threw this all over again if referrals keep geting longer. She told us that she would start with an E-mail to the USCIS to see what is going on with our paper work. Within three hours she had an answer for us. They told her that they have our home study addendum scheduled to be reviewed for the 2nd time at on the 12th of June. At least we now have a date and some kind of answer. The nice lady at Mrion Barry's office told me she would e-mail the USCIS back on the 12th to see what's going on with the paperwork. Now, I am greatful to have some answer but we got the addendum to the home study back to them on the 10th of May. Therefore it appears that ittkaes 30 days review one sentance. "Have you ever been arrested" takes over 30 days! When not only the local but state and federal government have our fingerprints and signed forms saying that we have not. Looking at the calander we will be lucky to be DTC buy June and I know we wont have a LID until July.
On a happier note some aquaintances of ours from the FCC-CA are coming home tonight from China with there daugther and we are going to dinner with some people from the fcc and then on to the airport. The couple and their new daughter should arrive at 9:45 PM. In family news my lovely and talented wife applied for an opening on the O.R. heart team, I hope she gets it.