off to la migra

I'm off to Immigration this morning to get my F4 visa renewed. This happens once every three years. I hope I have all the requisite paperwork, and that the process is fairly painless. I think I have to drop my alien-registration card off and pick it up again in a day or two, but pick-up, if I recall correctly, is just a matter of zooming in and out. More soon.

ADDENDUM: and as Murphy's Law would have it, it's pissing down rain. Terrific. Hope that's not an omen for the rest of my day.

ADDENDUM 2: done at about noon. The whole thing was done directly by the clerk who saw me, so there's nothing for me to pick up. There was still a bit of bureaucratic bullshit, though: the clerk at the first window I went to, to get my numbered ticket, said I'd filled out the wrong form; there was a specific "F4 extension" form for people in my situation, so the generic form was unacceptable, although God knows why. The clerk gave me the correct F4-extension form, then also gave me a three-page income declaration to fill out. I saw that I'd have plenty of time to fill out both forms and get my W60,000 certification stamp, so I dutifully filled out the paperwork (which didn't take long), got my stamp at a separate window, then spent a long time just waiting for my number to be called. Number 433 was called a few minutes before the staff was to go on lunch break; I handed over my paperwork, and the lady asked me questions about my mother's citizenship status for some reason. I told her that none of this was a problem when I originally got the F4, and she agreed. A few minutes of her typing, photocopying, and card-scanning later, and I had my visa card back in hand with the updated validity date. So I'm good for another three years. Could've been worse, I guess. It's still raining out, but the rain's supposed to stop soon. Good.