Checklists

I hate checklists. I hate "to do" lists. One would think, given my slightly (ha ha ha) compulsive nature, that I would love the organisation associated with lists, but not so much.

My theory, and preference, is that I should never have enough to do to hit a list. My workload is, or should be, under control. I have a good memory, so making a list is a bit of a waste for me. I know where shit is at. The same applies to my personal life, if you're organised you don't need lists.

My current state of listing is irritating. I have lists within lists. I have three immigration lists and two personal lists related to our immigration application. I have lists of documents, lists of what money is coming in, lists of what needs to get done, lists of who I need to talk to, lists of money going out. Sublists to each thing I have to do to indicate whether there is a form to go with outgoing/incoming money on x date. I hate it.

My passport arrived today (how great is this nail colour).

It ticks a lot of boxes in a lot of places. It's on nearly all the lists and was causing me a lot of stress. 

With this out of the way the list gets smaller in a lot of ways, and that gives me a bit of peace. 

To do:

• complete two application forms with passport number 
• sign one application form
• get certified copies of:
• drivers licence
• birth certificate
• marriage certificate
• divorce decree
• passport
• Finalise letters of support
• Complete document index and email to Americo
• Courier the folder of death to Americo
• Spend $3000 just for kicks
• Americo get medical
• Americo get police check
• Make Americo get certified copies of:
• drivers licence
• birth certificate
• passport
• Make Americo go through each page of the 200 page folder with me on Skype to make sure everything is perfect and signed where it's supposed to be signed. 
• Send to the embassy
• wait
• wait
• wait
• wait
• wait
• spend $2000 on flights
• get married

See why I hate the list. 

Shit be getting real, yo.

I think it would be fair to say that when I decide to do something, I throw myself into it fairly hard and with no small measure of intensity.

It's not that I'm one track focussed, I can focus on multiple things at one time, and give them equal attention, and equal intensity, but when I decide that x is going to happy by a certain date, fuck you I'm going to make it happen.

Exhibit A. I realised that once I had my tax return Americo and I would be in a financial situation to finally bring this long distance shit to an end. And it was like a light bulb exploded over the entire district of Gungahlin. I was going to make this shit happen. No ifs, no ands, no buts, 2014 my man was going to come to this country, and my golly he was not going to leave again. He would be mine forever and that was that.

The last week my brain hasn't been able to go 5 minutes without seeing that goal. All of a sudden the oh so daunting 26 (x2) immigration forms were completed. The clarifying phone calls to immigration I'd been putting off were done and clarity received. The 190 pages of evidence I hadn't wanted to collect was done and put together and in a nicely psychotic folder with a 3 page index.

My ridiculous and at this point slightly problematic obsessive behaviour is nicely detailed below. Dodgy redactions of personal information not withstanding.

Since we decided to kick this shit into high gear we've put together a whole application together. Skype logs, email captures, paypal records, amazing order, twitter conversations, facebook relationship, travel records, we've found a celebrant, lodged a notice of intended marriage (a legal requirement), and got a statement from the celebrant that we can give to immigration. My passport is 40% processed, we've organised a credit card to cover the shortfall in our savings. We've asked questions of the embassy and found the ONE doctor in the Bay area who can do an immigration medical. 

And if we lodge everything by the end of July there's a chance that we'll pull of our guesstimate wedding date of February 2014. 

And my brain is going to explode. 

For six years (next month) we've done this whole relationship on a computer, basically. We've done our time together, always amazing, but our relationship has been sponsored by Skype, really. And the reality that there's a time, a time not far away, that just maybe I might be able to get a hold on this dude and NOT have to give him back is filling me with spectacular butterflies. 

I could do without the unexpected expenses of the celebrant, and spilling water on my computer, and medicals, and character checks and every other damn thing which is stressing me out, but I am loving the feeling that there is a light at the end of the very long tunnel and that I'm going to get to get married sometime in 2014. 

Six years, and finally we're here.

And really all that's left is to hope, pray, beg, for the department of immigration to approve our prospective marriage visa. I have never wanted anything so hard in my life. 

I will be absolutely destroyed if we're rejected.