yay! fries!

And now for 800 million recipes with that student favorite- potatoes! yay....

yummy oven fries-

• 3 good sized clean potatoes (whatever ya got- just... not green, ok?)
• ~3T oil- whatever ya got
• 1t-T salt
• 1t-3T seasoning- depending on how much flavor you want/ how strong it be

Take your oven and set it at the temperature at which everything but pizza cooks at (350f). Cover a cookie sheet with foil (messy, very messy). wash your potatoes.

Now for fun stuff. Cut the potatoes into sticks about 1/2 inch or 1cm wide, by the same size deep, and as long as your potatoes will let them be. don't worry about making them even, or perfect, or peeling them, unless you insist. if you use red ones you probably won't want to peel them anyway- those suckers are spendy- and it takes more time.

Now pull out a good sized bowl- like the one you'd use to make pizza dough- you remember pizza, right? anyway, dump the oil and potatoes into the bowl, and sprinkle your seasoning and salt over them. mix them up- with your hainds- untill everything's nice and mixed, and coated well. taste some of the oil on the potatoes. If it's not strong enough, or not salty enough, add a bit more- but be careful, they can get too strong really fast.

Spread them even-like on the cookie sheet, so they're only in one layer. toss that puppy in the oven- on the middle rack if you can. Wander off for 15 minutes or so. Make sure they aren't burning. check for crispy edges and undersides, and squooshy potato-ness. If ya don't think they're done, put them back, and go away for another 5 minutes or whatever. when they're done, they should come off the sheet pretty easily with a pancake turner/ spatula. Serve them with whatever dipping sauce you like. tonight I used mayo (yep, too lazy to mix up ranch)

flavoring ideas- cajun seasoning. Curry powder. Wasabi. taco seasoning. any kind of powdered pepper. Garlic. poultry seasoning (tastes like stuffing). cumin, garlic, cayenne. whatever you have in the cupboard. Not all at once.

cheap, fun, filling, hands on time of about 5 minutes if you don't kill yourself with the knife.

j.

after x-mas.

I had a thrilling holiday or three.

x-mas eve I hung out at home, played online, and did my super-special x-mas dinner shopping- 2 bags of chips and $10 worth of "mexican" food parts.

Then I ate all the chips, drank all the soda, and napped untill about 8am x-mas day.

when I goofed off all day, hunted down online chem help, played web sudoku, read some online comics, ate my "mexican" food, and generally acted like a total homebody. I think I left my room maybe twice.

yesterday was "boxing day" whatever that means. I get the feeling it's like the day after thanksgiving. So I stayed home. played online. watched movies, read books, practiced chem (yes, I do actually study sometimes.)

Today, I'm so proud of me- I not only left the house, I also returned my library books on time. It was "hot" out- probably about 70f. chilly for just standing around, but I must be waaaay outta shape, 'cause I was sweating like i couldn't believe. If I'd been wearing golf clothes, I'm afraid I would have looked like those fat old men at the golf course- with their shirt plastared by sweat to their backs, and a visibly sweaty butt. sweaty butt= ick.

Any dieting I had been doing seems to have fallen away. Getting the computer back means I don't have to go to campus for internet, which means I'm always near food. I think maybe I pick up some popcorn next time I wander to the grocery store. gotta be better for me than the two bags of chips I had for lunch. Or the huge bowl of oven fries I had for dinner.

Need to get out on my bike and get some excercise. And get a job. And find a golf club that will have me, that I can afford. And stop eating so damned much junk food.

exciting, no?

j.

crazy crazy crazy

Kinda weird sitting here (in bed, I admit), typing this stuff, to bunches of people who actually read it. I mean. Wow.

It was weird enough when it was just friends and family (when they remembered) but now it's, like. all kinds of other people I've never even met, or talked to, or whatever.

I guess either train wrecks are interesting, or I've got the only information that's not lost in cyberspace about massey and life in this rinky dink town.

So, in an (obvious, obnoxious, and attention whoring) attempt to get some actual comments-

You, strangers who visit my sick little blog, what do you actually want to see? Not saying you'll get any of it. Heck, I haven't even bothered to put up photos of my bicycle, and I got that months ago.

So what do you want? You're getting train wreck no matter what- sorry, can't write about my life without crashing tearing metal.

but... otherwise?
you want photos of campus? a photo tour of town? you want me sneeking into the vet building and getting pics? a better idea what pre-selection is like? what to bring? what they lack?

I mean, I can just keep writing random stuff. Or recipes. I know everyone likes recipes. only it's kinda a school-type blog, and I haven't been kicked out of academic school yet, so....

and now, I repeat my challenge (I did put this down already, didn't I? my ps2 dreams are getting in the way of everything else....)

to whosoever should bring the chipotles in adobo (or the el pato) to me, there shall be some reward, which I haven't figured out yet. Probably a beer.

j.

Pizza!

'cause you know you want it.

you need-

• 3C + a bit flour
• 1C warm (~102-105*F) water
• 1tsp sugar
• 1T yeast (I like the active dry stuff)
• 1-2T oil
• ~1tsp salt

Put 2.5C of the flour in a good sized mixing bowl
put the sugar and yeast in the water, and stir it up- wait untill it's nice and cloudy, you may even get some stuff on the surface. this is good.
Mix the salt into the bowl of flour
dump the oil and water into the flour/ salt and mix it untill you can't anymore- try to get as much of the flour mooshed into the dough as you can.

Now for the fun part- sprinkle flour over your countertop, and coat your hands with it. Dump all that yummy nasty looking dough out onto it. Now start mooshing all that stuff together. Once you've squozed it into a kinda attatched ball, you get to kneed. And add in more flour if it gets too sticky.

How do you kneed? Well, you take your (vaguely) ball shaped lump of dough. and you stick the heel of your hand on the middle of it, and you push it away from you, and down, too, kinda stretching it. Then ya fold it back on itself, turn it a bit, and do it again. And again. And again. It'll look like your hand's kinda rocking. Sorta.

Or I'm sure there's a video tutorial somewhere on the web.

When it feels like something sick people would describe as "like a baby's butt" you can let it rest for a couple minutes. Use this time to get a drink, and clean out and oil that bowl you used before.

Kneed the dough again for a couple minutes. Then form it into a nice kinda ball, and swoosh it around in the (about another T) oil in the bowl. make sure all the surfaces are coated. Then toss a towel or something over it, stick the bowl in a warm (but not hot) spot, and leave it alone for a couple hours. Like 1-4 depending on how cold your warm spot is.

you want it to be about twice it's starting size. Bigger is ok too. When it starts smelling like beer, you've got problems.

But now! it's ready to cook and eat!

for pizza- cut it into quarters for personal sized pizzas, or halves for bigger ones. stretch or roll the dough to the size/ thickness you want, top that bastard, and bake in your oven at, oh, 450*F or 500*F, your choice, untill the cheese is melted, and the dough cooked thru.

For calzones- same as pizza, but if you have a pizza stone, or some quarry stone, or can get your cookie sheet nice and hot first, it really helps. build it on foil, then move the whole thing on the foil to the cookie sheet- and don't use too many wet ingredients, or it'll soak thru the bottom, and stick like you wouldn't believe.

For breadsticks- take 1/4 of the dough, and cut it into strips. I usually get about 6 or 8. mix olive oil, kraft parm. cheese, italian seasoning, and salt on a small plate. stretch and twist the dough untill you get kinda doubled up ropes, 3 or 4 inches long. Dip them in the oil mix, and bake them at about 350Ffor 10 or 15 minutes- well, untill they're done.

Optional- add garlic, italian seasoning, oregano to the flour/ salt, before mixing in the water.

or add cinnamon, and use the dough for cinnamon buns- rolled out and spread with butter, sugar or honey, nuts, cinnamon, raisins, whatever, and baked at 350 untill they be good and yummy and done.

or cut the dough into lumps about 2" on all sides, roll them out flat, and bake them untill they're puffy for home made pita bread

or use an extra half cup of flour, and make bbq pizza- roll them out, then pre-cook them for a couple minutes on the grill before you top them.

Or leave out the oil, and or use some milk, and make bread.

or roll out the dough and spread butter thick in the middle, folding over to make a kinda butter envelope, sealing it everywhere. fold it in thirds, like a letter, roll it out again, turn it 1/4 (so the side's in front of you) and fold and roll it again- 3 or 4 fold and rolls are fine. Then roll it out about 1/4 inch thick, and cut it into triangles. Roll them up and you've got kinda croissants. Well, after you bake them. Toss chocolate in the middle before you roll them and you've got pain aux chocolate.

I think that's enough to use the pizza dough with, right?

Next time, that student staple- potatoes.

j.

Things that drive me batty in NZ

They talk- in the library, in class, in line, stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk.

They stand in the middle of the aisle at the store, library, whatever. In large groups.

Like waaay back in middle school, people here seem to travel in packs- wide packs, taking up the whole sidewalk/ aisle/ mall. And then they walk reeeaaaallllyyyy sllloooowwwwllllyyyy. No, seriously. I've seen dead people move faster. Admittedly, they were being rolled on stretchers, but still.

Everything closes early. Except subway, the kebab shop, and the grocery stores. And nothing is really open 24 hours except the hospital. You run out of something after 6pm that you can't get at the supermarket, and you're just SOL.

Everything is rediculously overpriced. $35 for a paperback book is BS. $100 for a rayon skirt is a joke. hell, $114 for dickeys just like the ones I bought back home for... oh, $19 at hel-mart. Just plain wrong.

There is no mexican food. And no mexicans.

The people here are all damned short.

It's only warm for about 6 weeks, all year.

Everything closes down for all the x-ian holidays, so if you didn't get what you needed before then, you are, again, SOL. This can be a problem for non-x-ians, since they don't know when the damned things are going to show up.

It's freaking summer. Everything is decorated for x-mas. complete with fake snow. WTF?

Dude, the place is just backwards.

j.

recipe o' the day

Mainly for use in summer when eggy-plant is affordable. Greasy and veggie, and very bad for you. And very little like a real cheese steak. Oh well.

Roasted eggy-plant "cheesesteak"

• ~1/2 a roasted eggy-plant (instructions below)
• ~ 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2T oil- olive or soy, or veggie, doesn't matter
• 3 or 4 slices of mozz. cheese. or provelone. Or cheddar, if you're that kinda person
• 6 inch sub roll, chunk of baguette, sourdough, whatever
• Salt
• optional- sliced decomposers (mushrooms), bell pepper (capsicum), meat

Heat the oil in a frying pan medium or high heat, depending on how patient you are. I use high.
Toss in that chopped onion. And some salt. If using optional stuff, probably wanna toss it in first. Cook the onion untill it's kinda see thru. Maybe a bit of brown. The salt *should* keep it from burning, but mix it up a lot.
Slice your bread, like for a sammich. Toss it on a cookie sheet, filling side down,on foil if you don't like cleaning. stick it under the broiler for a couple minutes, untill it's warm and crispy. Don't let it burn.
Repeat- DON'T LET IT BURN!
while the bread is heating, reheat the eggy-plant slices in the frying pan.
Ok, now it's time to actually do the sammich making part- layer the eggy-plant on one side of the bread. cover it with the onions and any optional-type stuff you want. Cover the other side with cheese.
Stick this under the broiler untill the cheese is melty or bubbly, or however you like it.
DON'T BURN THE BREAD! (what? me? burn the bread? Never....)
Roll it up in the foil and eat it. yum.


For the roasted eggy-plant.

you'll need-
an eggy-plant
oil
salt
foil (no, trust me)
a baking sheet and
an oven

Cut the top off the eggplant, they're usually easier to peel if you cut them in half at the equater, too.
Peel that sucker.
Cut it into either rounds about 1/4" thick, (like half a cm?) or into sticks about the same thickness and an inch or more across.
Set them out on your foil covered baking sheet.
drizzle or dip or in some other way attack them with oil.
sprinkle salt over them- I usually use about a tablespoon of sea salt per side for the whole eggy-plant.
Toss that sucker under the broiler.
When it starts looking dry, or oily, or like it's trying to peel, or shrink (about 15 or 20 minutes) pull the sheet out and flip the eggy plants.
add more salt,oil if you need it, and cook this side untill it's brown and yummy- but not burned.
flip back to the first side, brown it, and you're done.

You can also pan fry or bbq it- bbq takes less time/ flipping, pan frying is good for small batches.
1/2 a medium eggyplant is enough for one sammich.


Is also yummy on pizza. Oh, wait, I haven't put that one down yet, have I.... Ah well, later.

j.

a bit out of touch

It's summer- finally. I've been back for about a month. I have a flat, flatmates, food, a nice fluffy bed, homework.

Don't have my computer or any of my stored stuff, but I'm dealing with that. I wander around in a slightly altered version of my "city wardrobe" trying not to look like an undertakers apprentice. You never notice how much black clothing you own untill it's all lined up neatly in the closet, and there's nothing else to put in with it.

In happy news, I finally got my pants!

In sad news, the bank seems to have decided to hold my loan money untill forever, and the library on campus is shut down for three weeks for x-mas/ new years.

Oh well. Guess I'll have to find my laptop/ internet sooner, huh?

For those of you silly creatures thinking about coming to NZ for school, I'll start on a bit of a guide soon, I promise. With all kinds of usefull stuff, like photos, and grocery stores, and how to get your bus pass. Heck I might even put in some photos of campus, I know I have some hanging around... somewhere....

Otherwise, I'm just enjoying the weather (less windy/ rainy), reading my way through the pathetic public library, eating my fool head off, and avoiding my summer school work.

er, ignore that last one.

Oh, yeah, more happy news! x-mas party in wellington with drinking and food.

but more sad news too- damn those grades. You'd think you actually needed to show up/ open the books/ study/ work on the assignments to do well in school or something.

Have fun, oh cold as hell northern hemishpere people!

Oh, yeah- Anyone coming to school here next year who wants to bring me a can of chipotles in adobo sauce and actually does will be worshipped like a little tin god. No, really.

j.

ouch, and stuff.

Been back fro a week. Got a bed, and some stuff. Still haven't picked up the rest of my junk- er, I mean, quality valuable posessions.

I'm just so damned tired. Could just be today. But I'm always freaking exhausted. If I'm not feeling more awake and whatnot next week I guess I'll have to go see the dr. Damn, and I wanted the next visit to be for my knees, which, with all the walking I've been doing, are trying to kill me. But cold and tired are more important. Much more important. I guess.

Right. Now I just have to find the energy to go home, call the chick that has my stuff, get my stuff, do my two assignments (one of which is, yep, you guessed it, overdue) and try to talk myself out of going home at the end of the "summer" and getting a job back home somewhere warm for a couple years.

But then I'd be running away, and we all know what mom's say about running away. And who cares if it'll save me a huge pile of money. Ugh.

j.

I'm baaaaaaaaaa-aaaaaack!

I am back from my evil trip to NY and points south. I have seen more of some airports than I ever wish to again. I have been delayed, and lost, and misdirected, and gatechanged. Heck, I had edema in my ankles to make a pregnant lady swoon.

Other than that to, I'm back.

It's still raining. The girl who had my room in my flat last year moved herself out, but forgot to take her stuff.

Anyone want a pile of stuff? included are such jems as

• a slightly used queen bed and matress
• a dresser- ugly
• a desk- ugly
• some kitchen stuff
• flats of canned beans. Like greenbeans, not baked.
• most of a case of catsup
• all the notes for at least 2 years of some course, but I don't know which
• some white gumboots
• a blue back pack

All going now! no, really- I want to move my stuff in (well, after I locate it) and can't while her crap is still there. Plus, it makes the room look really small, jam packed as it is with all her, for lack of a better word, crap.

But other than that- all is well with the world, I have to study for summer school, my exam results aren't up yet, and I need to figure out what I'm taking next year. Oh, and hassel that loan lady, incase the check is here, but she forgot to tell me. That would suck. A lot.

Have fun, people.

j.

Thank you Judith- you saved my pale scrawny ass

I've been running behind, and not confidant in my wrong side of the road/ car driving skills I didn't borrow the boy's van, like he said I could.

and then I couldn't find storage. Because, as I said, I don't have time to leave it with him. But judith is letting me store it at her place the whole two weeks I'm gone. She even let me drive her car! and I didn't kill anyone, or try to get in on the wrong side, or stall, or grind gears, or drive down the wrong side of the road or anything. I did turn the wipers on twice when trying to signal turns, but I think that can be excused. No, really... the same hand is working, it just does something else- so I try to do the normal thing that i've got programmed into me, and on go the wipers. Oops.

But yeah, before I pack this beast away- thank you judith, you saved me a huge nightmare. Now I just have to get the stuff in her car and clean this damned room. Easier said than done.

j.

A kinda productive day

So I set my alarm for 6.45- I was feeling optimistic at 2 this morning. Yeah, slept thru that one, reset it in my sleep for 8.45.

and 9.45.

at which point I realised that if I wanted to get *anything* done, I really really really needed to get going.

So I pulled out my trusty PDA, made a list of about a dozen things I needed to do, made them all priority one or two, and goofed off online untill about 1. Then I got to work on my list of errands.

Today so far I have:

• Transfered money into my NZ account- that I spend thru waaaay too fast. Gotta work on that- go back to cash, maybe.
• paid my bond and retainer for summer.
• checked on getting a small bottle of contact solution, which I couldn't get.
• Got a copy of my presription for my contacts- acuvue2 are 60 or 70$ a box here- even with the exchange rate, I'll save more than half the price
• checked out matresses at the fancy store I can't afford
• bought my bus ticket on the bus that leaves 40 minutes before my exam finishes- guess I'll just have to be speedy, huh?
• got a copy of my bank info
• checked on cheap stuff in NYC
• Dropped off my bond form, and got out without being drooled on by the freaky looking poodle thing or the spawnlings.
• sorted out what I think I want to bring to NY
• checked my reservations- plane and hostel
• listened/ watched the kenya clip. again.

Now I just have to pack what I'm taking with me, what I'm leaving behind and my food... Toss or recycle everything else, move my bike to covered storage, copy out info for the trip- cheap food and free days at the museums and whatnot-, shift the stuff to the boy, or arrange storage tomorrow, clean the room, study stats, shower, and turn in my bond return form.

Oh, yeah, and get ready/ go to dinner with the boy. And it's raining again. Damned rain.

Oh, and tomorrow? tomorrow I just have to check out, take my test, check for my damned pants, and... um... oh, yeah, not miss the bus or lose my passport. Probably something else, but I don't remember what it is....

j.

a little over 48 hours left

in a bit more than 48 hours- like 51- I get on a bus to go to wellington, to go home for 2 weeks.

My pants aren't here yet. My room isn't packed or cleaned. I am not packed or cleaned. I haven't studied my stats. Or sent my bond in, or paid my retainer for the summer. I are waaay behind.

But I don't care. I'm tired. I want a break. I know, I know, in two days I can have a break, I can goof off, and sleep the whole way home. But I want one now, drat it! And my pants.

There's something to that whole "if you put it off, it'll only get worse" thing, but at this point, I've put it off, it's already worse. And it shouldn't take me more than an hour or two to clean up my room, anyway. It's just the packing I worry about. I'm leaving the stuff with the boy, so it needs to be as compact as possible. I don't want him to feel like I'm imposing or something. but I probably do need it to all be packed up and ready to go with him later today or tomorrow at the latest. Argh. Guess I'll be packing today after all....

j.

I do not understand american express

Ok, so... Earlier this year- like when I was in, oh... egypt... Amex decided, for no reason I could ever figure out, to drop my credit limit *below* what I'd already charged. No, I don't know why. Something, they swear, about my credit report- which, with the exception of adding student loans, hasn't changed in more than a year. And it didn't have student loans on it at the time.

So today I went on, to check my limit, getting ready, figuring out what I have to work with while finessing my non-existant travel budget, and they, the wierdos at amex, have raised my limit once again.

No, I don't know why. No, I don't think I could ever, ever, ever spend that much. Except maybe if I could charge tuition, then get the cash back in my account to clear the charge before they started charging me interest on it. But I don't think the school takes Amex, so I don't have to worry about the lure of huge points. Yet.

But still- what about 22,500 in new student debt makes me seem like the kind of person they want to give a limit you could buy a decent car with? Other than the way that I keep paying extra. Which reminds me, I need to call them and see if they'll lower my interest rate. You should try it every once in a while. Worst they can do is say no- and best is lower it a couple points. Or a bunch. But I wouldn't hold out for that one.

j.

Exams Underway!

In and out of my psych exam in a little over an hour and a half. Would have been faster, but I wrote down example answers on the scratch paper, and that took a good 20 minutes. 75 multi choice in about 20 minutes, then the rest of the time for the "short" answer.

Don't know how I did. I think I answered most of the questions. No idea on the multi choice. Might have bombed that. The essays should be better, I think. A lot was either common knowledge, or easy enough to pick up from the power points. 'cause, yeah, I never made it back to the library to finish reading the book.

I know studying makes grades go up, and I know that if I want to be where I wanna, I need to study, but it's very much deminishing returns. I can get a B spending maybe 10 hours on a class all semester. Higher than that, the time goes up exponentially. I know, I know, I need the study skills, picking up the basics and filling in with background knowledge will only get me so far, If I don't actually *learn* the stuff, I'm just wasting my time and money.

And when the subject is at least moderately interesting to me, I do enjoy it better when I know what's going on, keep up, go more into the background and extra reading and stuff. But... When it's boring- like a bunch of the stuff this semester, and holds less than no appeal, I just can't drag myself to do it. And then that flows over into the other classes, and before I know it, I want nothing to do with school again. And then the grades do the nasty thing, I feel like an idiot, and it all starts again.

Ah well. I think this is enough time to waste from my mammal bio study. I do actually need to learn the stuff for it. Since it starts in about 8 hours, I should probably at least have read all the notes, and the sections from the book, as well. I'm halfway thru- it won't kill me. Or take too much longer. Somehow, what takes them an hour to lecture only takes me 15 or 20 minutes to read. But I do need to get back to it. 8 hours is cutting it a bit close.

j.

countdown to the end

My first exam starts tomorrow at, oh, about this time.

By 5.30pm a week from today, I will be done for the semester. By 7pm I should be on my way to Wellington, and from there (wed morning) back to the states for 2 weeks of food and cheap fun.

I started studying for tomorrows exam today, still have a pile to go over for the one the day after, and haven't even started on the one next week. I haven't started packing, or arrainged a place to store my stuff. I don't have my hostel bed booked in wellington. I have a pile of crap the size of an airplane hangar to do, and just haven't started most of it yet.

I would like to thank the p-sychology lecturer, tho, for putting up an exact description of what we need to know for each part of the test- with all options. Really going to save me studying time.

For the people reading this (I don't know who you are, just that you do) is there anything you'd actually like to see, or is the screaching twisting metal death of my normal train-wreck like life/ school stuff good enough?

oh, right, and another recipe to taunt you with-

mini quesadillas

• meat (or tofu, beans, fake meat, veggies) about 1/4- 1/2 cup
• cheese- whatever ya got, shredded, another 1/4-1/2 cup.
• chopped onion- as much as you want
• chopped jalapenos- if you want
• wonton wrappers (you can get them pretty cheap and frozen at most of the import food shops here- I get mine at davis trading co.)
  
• water
• cooking oil
• frying pan

put the oil in the frying pan (don't really need it, but the wonton wrappers be sticky) and heat it untill it's good enough to cook with. Not too hot tho- k?
all the wonton wrappers should be wet on one side as you put this together. You should be able to fit 2 or 3 mini quesadillas in the frying pan at a time.
lay out a couple wrappers, wet side up. Put some of the meat, cheese, onion, and whatever else you want in your 'dilla in the middle- not too much, you want the edges to seal. Cover each one with another wrapper, wet side down, and press to seal the edges. Toss them into the frying pan and cook 'em like you would for normal-type quesadillas. Keep going untill you run out of fillings or get sick of cooking.

eat them whole if by yourself, with or without sourcream and fresh guac, or cut them into boats (diagonals, ya know?) for appetizers.

Whatever you do- don't try baking them on parchment paper- that way lies hell. Trust me...

j.

A mini celebration! and a recipe

No, the pants aren't here.

But my ethernet port broke itself, and uninstall/ re-install actually worked to fix it. And I was so excited when it connected that my mammals notes fell off the bed and spilled all over the floor.

So, to save me from having to pick it up just now, I'm going to share a recipe i like.

Honey mustard dressing-
scale it up or down depending on how much you want- part= heaping T is just about right for one big salad.
Pricing reflects what I pay here, for imported stuff, in NZ dollars.

1 part each

• Hellman's or Best foods Mayo
• Whole grain, brown or dijon mustard
• Honey

3 parts light flavored oil- I used olive, but anything works.
sprinkle of salt.

Toss it all in a blender or food processor, or in a cup and use one of those wand blender thingies. mix it up untill it's all nice and together. test the flavor and add more honey or mustard, depending on what you like. Eat. And for bob's sake, don't use that stuff that looks like schoolbus yellow paste!

cost-

• mayo- .17
• mustard- .17 to .30
  
• honey- .10 to .50
  
• oil- .6 to .24

Price range is based on brand/ type. Soy oil is cheap, olive not so much.

But unless you like miracle whip, don't try it with NZ mayo, which tastes closer to that than regular mayo- too much sugar, I think....

So it's not that cheap for salad, but if you want to use it to dip your veggies in, or coat chicken, or something, it works out pretty good. And it tastes better than the crap they sell in the stores here. actually, if you only put one or two tablespoons on a burger, or whatever, it's pretty cheap. I just use too much dresing.

Got my practical back

Not quite sure what they were looking for on some of the questions, now that I look back over it. Deff. more than I gave them.

I don't know. Somehow, I prefer to come out of a test certain that I screwed up, then be pleasantly surprized when I pass, than think I rocked it, only to find out that I missed one or two more points that I think I should have. Thinking you've failed miserably gives you that happy feeling when you pass- even if it's only with a 50.0001%.

when I think I've done well, I mentally assign a number, based on my (apparantly) backwards american system of assigning grades, in which an A is 90-100, B 80-90, C 70-80 and so on down to fail at <60. So even tho an 85 might be an A here, it still feels like a middle of the road B. And a 76.whatever feels like a C. Which is close enough to failing in my mind that it kinda brings me down. Ya know?

Meanwhile, unless the rest of the class kicked some serious butt on the test, here it's a B+. Now if that's not grade inflation, I don't know what is....

In general, looking at my numbers, and knowing what I can and have done on tests, I'm looking at something between 1c, 1B+ and 2A-'s or else 1pathetic fail 2 b's and a b-. I'm really really hoping not that second one. I don't need any more pathetic fails.

Ah well, another week and a bit of studying for this, then it's off to NY, with built in summer school studying time on the plane both ways. With some actual work (new concept for me, ok- it's taking a while to really sink in....) I should be able to pull off at least an A in that damned summer school class. Heck, a chunk of the grade is homework. About half of which I could probably do now. And the mid-term only counts if it raises your final grade. And I *am* retaking the labs, I think- no reason to miss out on half a dozen or so points just because I'm lazy. Maybe they'll let us make caffeine this time....

Ok, back to studying and waiting for my new jeans. And cleaning. And playing neopets games. And re-doing my grade calculations. And my budget for NY. And my budget for the summer. And looking at furniture. And .... yeah.

j.

Woo hoo! a flat!

For those of you reading this in North America, it's gonna sound a little strange, and really nice.

I got my flat. Me and 4 other girls, it should be... interesting. Man friend promises to visit regularly to offset some of the estrogen (or oestrogen for you freaky wierd spellerers out there). Starting to sort out the furniture. We now have one (1) sofa for five (5) girls. I think we'll be adding to that over the summer/ year.

But for the part that will amaze people at home. Renting in NZ is weighted for the renter, rather than the landlord. My rent (since I know you're all enthralled) will be about $60 a week. oh, yeah, they charge by the week. My deposit- called bond here- is $120, and is registered with some govt. agency. Over summer, probably because this is a student town, and a student flat, rather than normal rent, I pay what is called a retainer, of 8 weeks half rent. Or $240. For the whole summer.

So, in order to move in and cover my rent untill the **middle of February** all I need is $360. Not first last and deposit. Not credit check. Not background check. No private investigation and 3 referances. Just $360. And I get a third of that back when I move out- assuming we don't burn the place down. And it's even in a safe neighborhood, on a quiet street, halfway-ish between school and town. Right on the main bus line. It has bike and car parking. It has a gas station around the corner, and three golf courses within a couple miles. And a park just down the road.

Except the m/f mix, it's freaking shangri-la. And I'll have it mostly to myself this summer, since most of the rest of them will be off doing other stuff. Just like everyone else in this town.

Watch this space next year for cat-fights and crazy girl drama! I hope not. I'd almost rather live with 4 guys and guy smell than 4 girls and girl drama. Ah well, at least it's got 2 bathrooms.

j.

procrastination and a sleepless night.

It's 20 to 5. I'm still up. I was exhusted at 9, crawled into bed, and then could not sleep. Put on movies, still no sleep. Stared at the wall for 3 or 4 hours, still no sleep.

I'm blaming stress. I only have 4 or 5 days 'till my first exam, and every time I start to get drifty I think about that, my pulse shoots up, and I start doing the totally unatractive gasping thing. Very not good for long sleeping.

So since I can't sleep, am I doing the endless list of stuff I need to work my way thru that begins with studying and ends with packing? nope. Not even close. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with mom- who's man-friend is getting his tonsils out- then wandered the 'net for 20 minutes, before realising that what I really wanted was to watch the Kenya clip. Because I like it. And it's cute. And it reminds me I've got to get back over there.

Warning- that link contains an addictive song. With cute dancing animals. And Norway. which I am dancing along to as I type this. It might be time to cut the caffeine/ sugar out of my diet. Like I didn't know that already.

Yeah, so no sleep for me. And not enough concentration to study. And way too wired already to even think about popping some ginko. Give myself a freaking heart attack.

If I were a running kinda girl, I'd be out doing that. It's taking all of my vast lazyness to keep from doing crunches and stretching and whatnot. I need to bounce. I get the feeling, tho, that the person who lives below me might not appreciate that very much. Not at 10 to 5 in the morning, anyway.

j.

Now! with more procrastinating!

SO I went to the store and bought junk food. Because I insist I'm going to be back in shape before I leave for NY- in about 2 weeks (no, of course I haven't started packing). Then I came back and checked the mail again. Still no jeans.

Did I mention that for the first time *ever* I've actually put on the freshman 15? or 10? or whatever the hell it is these days?

So yeah no jeans. So I watched part of a movie and munched some chips, and played some more space traders, which is an outstanding game for palm os, and a great way to turn a tool into a super toy.... Then I wandered over to clear up some more questions on the stupid project from hell, then back here for more procrastinating. With games this time, on the computer. I know where all the states go- sort of....

But between that bit of goofing off and this bit, I did my favorite-ist type of putting stuff off ever- I went to craigs list, and went to a big city, and read the m4w casual encounters page!

How totally desperate do guys have to be to post the same ad 10 times in one day? don't they get the hint, or are they just that needy.... And why the nekkid man-parts? I really don't want to see all the hairy man bits of strange men... And damn, Why, when the bits look like a failed alien experiment, do they still post them? I mean, sure it's amusing for me- in a kinda ewww sorta way- but isn't that bad for the guy? isn't it more likely to get no response?

Altho the nice cleancut guy looking for an LTR in the casual encounters forum was very amusing. His photos were even fully clothed. Scary.

So.. back to putting stuff off. I think I'll start working out a menu that uses up all the food in my part of the fridge. And maybe I'll vaccuum my room. Or not. So.. now I just have to figure out what to do with a whole frozen fake duck, some broccoli, wonton wrappers, cheese and a big thing of mayo. Oh, yeah, and the yoghurt and beets, and....

j.

Things I've learned this week-

In no particular order- and yes, I know, there's nothing about bio, stats, or p-sychology in there- that's because I haven't actually started studying yet. Or packing. Or looking for furnature. Oops.

• I need a break
• I don't have time to take it now
• Procrastination, like crime, doesn't pay.
• I *don't* need to watch that movie/ read that book *now*
• When you're too cheap to buy your textbooks, you gotta get to the library to check them out *while they're still there*
• Beer is good
• Drinking soda and munching junkfood will not help me get in shape for NY. It will help me get in *a* shape, but not one I want
• Bicycles are evil, and are patiently plotting your downfall every second of their pathetic, non-motored lives
• Bicycle seat at the right height makes it a lot easier to ride
• Mens bicycle seat, however, be harmful to the girly bits
• You gotta believe- in the outstanding ability of the mets to screw up when things were going so very well
• 3-5 weeks may actually mean 3-5 months- splurge on the flat rate envelope!
  

So, no, my new jeans are still not here, and I've developed wicked lust for the sweaters and the car coat at gap.com, and my bikini hasn't shipped yet, and might not before I leave the states. But other than that, everything's good.

Oh yeah, another thing I learned? You don't want the brand new, just out of training call center rep who not only doesn't know what she's doing, but also can't actually speak english yet. Tho she was *very* helpful, efficient would have been nicer. And she forgot to give me her "american" name.

All in all an amusing call. Deff. better than trying to talk to the automated dude at united. I hate that guy. A lot. (learned this more than a year ago, so not this week)

j.

freaking project

Actually, freaking MS Word.

Did the update my computer was screaming at me for. It now runs slower, and word won't open. Wait, no, I lie. It will open. But then I can't do anything with it. It opens frozen, thinking, and stays that way. This pisses me off. It's only office 90something or other. It should still work fine! it's not that different from the most recent one, except that it's paid for, and was free to me.

So anyway, I had to redo the whole damned thing that I was sending off to the group today. Yes, I even had it (mostly) done. The whole thing. Which took me several hours more than it should have, and I get the feeling I'll be hearing back from them on the ref's, since some of them are sketchy at best.

Totally off subject- I really really really wanna watch walk on the moon, but I don't have it with me, and even if I did, I'd have to switch regions on my dvd drive. Gotta pick up an external one while I'm home, I guess....

j.

Let the studying begin!

It's study break. I might have mentioned this already. I, unfortunatly, am really really good at the break thing, not so much the study part, so....

In order to not feel bad about spending a huge chunk of money, and two weeks of total happiness back home, I need to do well on my exams. And not spend more than another 5$ on food before I go. Since it's only about two and a half weeks untill I go, and I, as usual, have enough food for 4 hungry men/ boys for months, the food thing shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Sudying, tho...

To give you an idea- it's been study break for... oh, 6? 7? days now, and I still haven't actually done any *studying*. I checked my grades. I goofed off online. I found a place to live. Now,tho, I need to study.

What do I mean by study?

Well, first, I need to finish up the stuff for the Group Project from Hell. So hunt down my referances and finish up some critical summaries and annotated biblo-BS.

Before or after that's done, I need to read 1/2 a psychology book, and flip thru the powerpoints for the lectures that go along with it. Then I need to look at the suggested areas the test covers and see if I can tell myself all about them from 8 different angles. Or at least have some idea what the discussed idea/ item/ whatever actually *is*. I give this 10 hours max before I'm ripping my hair out.

And I need to go thru a stack about an inch and a half thick of (6 to a side, double sided) powerpoints and associated readings from, oh, every bio anatomy and physiology book ever published for mammals, make sure I can answer the questions/ know the ideas behind the main points, and go over the random other stuff that always seems to show up in these classes. This is easy 20 or 40 hours of actually being interested. Maybe even more!

And then, or perhaps, and first- I need to teach myself all the stats stuff I was too lazy/ bored/ annoyed to learn during the semester. which is, oh, most of a book, a stack of powerpoints mostly straight from the book, and this online book thing that's gotta have another couple hundred or thousand pages of crap, all of which I have to learn well enough to pass the damned exam, and pass it well. Without spending any time on this at all I already want to gouge my eyes out. So I'll pace myself on this one. Figure I can cover a week of class in 3 hours, right? so I'll do one hour three times a day untill my head falls off. every day. ick.

So, knowing this, what am I doing tonight? Well... common sense would tell me to go thru at least some of the stats stuff, since it's online, and I don't need the library for it. Or go over some powerpoint slides for one of the other classes.

What am I actually doing? Probably taking a shower, washing my hair, cleaning off my desk, and watching a movie or three... maybe casablanca. Or pitch black. Something nice and brainless. I can study tomorrow. Since it's a holiday and everything is closed. Maybe I'll skip the desk cleaning. I can use that to procrastinate tomorrow. Can't do it all at once, ya know- I'd have to actually do the important stuff!

j.

I got a place to live!

And it's huge!
and it's not a rat shack!
and it's not in a total student neighborhood! no nasty student gheto for me!

The kitchen is midgetly, and in a sort of shed out front, but it's really not bad. The living room is huge, there's plenty of parking, and it's about halfway between town and school just off a main road. When I'm lazy I can still take the bus, but I can easily bike it, as well. Both ways!

I was, like, totally sure they were just never gonna get back to me when they told me they had some other people looking too, and would text later today...

what? me? lacking confidance in my sparkling people skills? dude, If I thought I could stand the boredom of people doctor school, I'd make a kick ass pathologist. Or maybe radiographer.

So anyway, I have a flaaa-aaat, I have a flaaa-aaaat! Now I just need to swap money back, get a job, and start looking at furnature.

Which reminds me- things boys are good for- moving furnature, moving just about anything heavy, having vehicles to move heavy stuff in, opening jars, removing icky nasty bugs.

Hopefully I won't need that last one. Really hopefully. Icky nasty bugs.

And it's pet-ok. Even tho I'm not getting a pet. Nope nope nope. I am not getting a pet. (I give it two weeks, anyone else wanna guess?)

But the kitchen is tiny. Really tiny. That's ok, at least it won't heat the rest of the place if I go on a mad baking spree in the middle of the summer. Tho now that I think about it, the heating abilities of an inside kitchen might be pretty nice here, summer or winter.

Now, however,m it's time to check the mail and get my soda for today. I'll quit next week.

Oh, yeah, and don't buy avocados from Countdown. somehow they are green on the outside and brown on the inside, all at the same time. amazing.

j.

I hate flat hunting

So I went and looked at another place today. Sounded really promising. Untill I got there, and they were less than thrilled, *and* had, in fact, already told someone else that *they* could have the room- oops.

Why the hell do they even put the ads up/ tell you to come over and look at the place if they've already found someone?

Or, rather, if they don't think you're what they're looking for, why the hell can't they just say "um, I don't think you're what we're looking for". Is it really that tough? Sure, I'm a little scatty sometimes (stop sniggering), but it's not like I'm going to flip out if someone tells me they don't think I'd fit in, or I don't have the right dangly bits, or... whatever.

or even just tell me when I call that you've already got someone! that way I don't have to travel all over this freaking crappy town looking at places that aren't even available!

With that said- anyone got a spare room? I don't want a rat shack, but it doesn't have to be a palace. just under 80/ week, not full of 18yo's and not surrounded by partiers. Oh, no crack dens, either, please.

I know people in this dratted town are reading this thing- I see you on my visitor log. so if you know anyone with a room (within the above limits, that is) they need to fill, email me at lazyjaynster@gmail.com

please?

I hate flat hunting.

j.

a mysterious package!

So I woke up from my nap- soda free day #1 has been cancelled, btw, I don't have time to sleep 18 hours a day untill I get over it- and checked the mail, cause, see, I'm waiting for a package.

Two pairs of jeans to be precise. That i ordered waaay back in august, when I realized that what I brought just wasn't gonna make it. That I had shipped to my mother. Who was then supposed to speedily ship them to me in one or two large flat rate envelopes.

Short side note- the USPS has these things called flat rate envelopes. They come in small and large. You can cram them full of whatever fits, and so long as it's less than 4 pounds, and the thing closes, your stuff airmails its way around the world. In 3-10 working days. large ones cost 9.50 each, small about 5.50.

So my mother, I suppose, decides that the jeans, which I've told her I really really need, and I've described the flat rate package thing, and told her to use my money card. So anyway, yeah, she ships them sea mail. 3-5 weeks, if they don't fall off the boat, or get lost, or what ever. And it probably cost her about 15$.

So anyway, It's been about three and a half weeks since she sent them (and she's the speediest sender I have in my family- Hi mom!) . Theoretically they could show up any day now. So I'm super checking the mail. Like 4 times a day. Because one pair of jeans with holes everywhere, one pair cut off at the knees, and one pair developing a hole just to the inside of the front pocket are really not ok.

So today, there was a package slip! I was sooooo excited! I was sure it was my new pants. (yes, I do live in a fantasy world, why?). So I went to fetch my package, which I was sure, certain, 100% knew, had to be my jeans. And get soda. Damned soda.

And it wasn't. It was my extramural book for summer school. All o-chem all the time. assignments and everything.

So I guess i have something to do on the plane now, when I go visit home after finals, since I sure as hell can't play with my computer without a screen.

Yep, I can read my chem stuff, and make lame-o flash cards. and get really really drunk on cheap free wine.

maybe tomorrow they'll get here, and I can figure out why I bought brown cords when I only own black shirts...

j.

Things to take with you when moving to NZ

Or anywhere far far away, actually.

What? me? project due today? However could you tell?

If I got to pack all over again, what would I bring?

Well, starting out with clothes, because they're practical, and far less likely to get you lectured at customs, I would bring-

• Wifebeaters! comfy, good for sleeping, eating (in, eating *in*), cooking, laundry, riding bike, under lab coat, or those days it's just too much effort to put on real clothes.
• dickies, levis or wranglers, or any other type of trouser-y thing that's cheap at home, since they're all in the $100+ range here, and the size selection sucks.
• More jeans than I brought. If you're an odd size too, you might wanna bring more than three pair slightly to very worn jeans. And then *don't* cut one pair off at the knees.
  
• Warm clothes. I don't know if I've covered this enough yet, but.. it gets freaking freezing here, and damp, and windy. Bring sweaters. And coats. And tights. And extra long sox.
• A decent outfit for going out in. i didn't bring one, so had to spend a pile of dollars on something that'd cost about $40 at home.

And now for the fun of - food!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Ranch dressing packets. The cheap ones, small, compact, light, useful, you can never have too many
• Kraft mac and cheese- even just the cheese packets, which I think you can buy from somewhere, but I don't know where- mac and cheese here tastes funny. But not like clowns
• Doritos.
  
• French onion mix. they have regular onion mix here, but not french- how do you make onion dip without french onion mix?.
• SF sourdough starter. For that yummy flavor you can't get anywhere else.
• Chipotles in adobo. Not available. I looked. And looked. And checked on line.
• a couple cans of black beans

Also much lusted after (by me) is a tortilla press. Tortillas only come in flour here, and usually flavored, so no fun for other stuff. And at 5 bucks a bag/ box (for taco shells) it's cheaper and easier, and fun, too, to make your own.

Oh, yeah, and common sense stuff-

• Books- $6 smutty books are $17-30 here. I went into the bookstore, spent $39 (with 10% student discount) and walked out with two (2) paperbacks.
• Music
• flash drive
• SD or other memory cards (soooooo expensive here)
• camera!
• US postage, in big and small chunks- you can mail letters/ post cards from US embasies/ consulates if you have US postage. At domestic rates.
• A pda, if you use one- the accessories are easier to get at home, and the toy, I mean tool, itself is cheaper- even factoring in the exchange rate.
• More Money!
• A bottle or two of that woolite for dark clothes if, like me, your wardrobe is mostly black (now a rather faded icky gray).
  

Ok, now that you've got a pile of stuff too big to bring, and no socks or underwear, I'm off to play on my project.

j.

What can you get in NZ for $20 at the store, and ~$60 flat shopping

Groceries will look wrong, I know.
I spended a whopping 20 dollars (ok, actually $19.44) and now you lucky bastards get to hear what kidna junk I got. It's to help you budget, honest. Not just because I like showing everyone my junk food filled shopping list (note- no soda this time... I give it a day)

so without further whassname, my groceries

Yummy gourmet potato chips, 5oz 2.08
baked beans, about 12oz 4 @ .67 ea
tortilla chips ~14oz 2.50
refried beans ~16oz 3.05
aspergrass ~9oz 2.43 (I can get it from an office in aghort 3 for $5, but never have cash)
8oz onion .43 (monster onion beast)
zuchinis ~2lbs 4.28 (reduced in little baggies)

(yes, I live on this kinda stuff)

and a pack of black ball point pens 1.99

cause the absentee voter thingy says I gotta use black. So I did. Oh, yeah, I voted- Will you? (but no cute sticker)


And for $60 ish in rent?

i looked at a place today. Big. Really big, huge yard, all kinds of plants, fruit trees, all that crap.
67/week.

It's not even in a total student neighborhood, so it's quiet.

Problems?

no heating, damp, icky, needs to be painted, they don't really trim the lawn as often as they should, and they seem to be running a zoo there.

Two fifth year vet students, a masters student (who's leaving) and a science/ business major (graduating) have:
a dog
a cat
some birds
two rats
a chinchilla
and whatever's living in the attic.

It's also kinda rather run down, but at 67 a week, i really don't know that I can complain. So on my list it goes, and I'll check out the other places at about 60 a week. Ones where they don't do the whole "we each cook one night" thing. Because I'll end up cooking for everyone one night, and for me every night. Damn my veggie-ness! but not enough to change.

ugh. want soda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

j.

last week of lectures!

Only one more organised meeting for the year, then I'm done until final exams in two weeks!

Still need to work on my comm sci project (don't take this unless you really really have to) and my biometrics project (likewise).

In happier news, I have my baby back, but not fixed. and the guy at the fix it shop told me "you can still use it, so I can't give you a letter saying you can't." Which totally ignores the fact that the only place I really need the damned thing is in class. Tho if the school is willing to give me someone to write my notes and everything else that runs thru my mind during lecture, as it runs thru it, without me having to turn it into out loud words, that would work too. but since I don't think they have totally psychic note takers, and that stuff is only for domestic students anyway, I don't think it's gonna happen. ah well, too bad.

Oh yeah, something that might be of interest to those of you out there thinking of coming to NZ for school. At massey, at least, disability services only works with domestic students, so if you're from anywhere not NZ, you're SOL. Or that's what I'm getting from them, anyway.

I can't wait- 2 whole weeks of vaca... er... studying...

Oh, anyone know anyone looking for a flatmate?

j.

Super deal thru wellington

anyone who happens to be reading this, trapped at massey- check expedia for flights if you don't have tickets home for "summer" yet- I got welly to NYC via sydney on united for... something like 1000US inluding taxes, which beats what STA could get me by about $500. Don't know if it's still available, tho.

j.

Not dead yet!

Really quick like, 'cause I gotta dash if I'm gonna make the train-

Picking up laptop (still broken) today. In wellington.

Lots of work to do still, like biometrics project. Very mad at self for getting talked into classes I hate because they are "easy". Want to slam head into v. soft wall for about 20 minutes for being such a dumbass. Need to write BS for ethics paper thing. Will do on train, type in and send off to group person-type when I get to wellington.

Need to study. Will do it later.

Is it summer yet?

j.

Laptop lessons

So, they finally tracked down the damned screen. It's going to cost about $1990NZ to replace- that's $1900NZ in parts (the screen) and $90 (about an hour) in labor.

So I'm sending it home, I think. Fred ex, probably. Or maybe I'll be going home myself.

Anyone wanna send me about 1200usd? I take cash and cash. and small change.

So the lessons I learn from this are

• don't be a freaking klutz!
• Don't drop heavy stuff on the expensive toy
• don't be cheap when paying huge piles of money for the expensive toy- get the extra coverage
• When klutzy, extra coverage isn't optional, it's necessary.
• always, always, always just skip over the aussie parts dude. He doesn't know what he's looking for anyway.

Um, oh, yeah, and- get the loan thing going the second week they're "looking" for the part, so you can get the replacement before the end of the school year.

j.

one step forward, three steps back, or pastry school anyone?

Ok, so.. I'm trying to get organised. I'm trying to actually do the stuff instead of just sitting there staring at it for hours, thinking about what I could be doing instead. I even bought a PDA to try and get myself organised. I give it a week before it's lost or broken, or one big mess of games and stuff.

So I had this biometrics test today. For which I studied not at all, which isn't really much worse than studying for it, because just looking at the book makes my head hurt. A lot.

Yeah, I failed it. got the first page right, then... um... it got much much worse. So much worse.

So I think I'll be working on that, and showing up to the assistance times, and reading the book more, and, um.. getting a brain transplant, 'cause otherwise, I am so failing that class.

In other news, pastry school is looking better. Or back to Wyoming. As an abject failure. I could do 3 more years in WY, couldn't I? I mean, really? maybe? perhaps? Ugh, I don't know. I do know that I need to pull off decent grades here or I can't even get back in there. Like passing everything. And I don't know for sure if I'm gonna.

Any one wanna trade brains with me? maybe? please?

Hell, at this point, I'd settle for getting my damned laptop back, so I can get my notes organised in some kinda me-sensical way.

ugh.

j.

some light at the end of the long dark scary computer free tunnel

but with my luck, it's just a big angry train heading straight at me.

So the fix-it people still can't find the part. Or rather, their supplier still won't call them back about the part. Note, one spiffy quick call to fujitsu us, and it coulda been fred-exing its cute little way across the pacific. If I do this again, I think I'll just buy a new one. they could build it and ship it to me in waaay less than half the time. And then I could just ship this one back to mom... she'd love me for at least a week.

but, on a happy note, the fix-it guy says to call on wednesday (also known as.... 4+ weeks after I dropped it off) and they (or someone) should have some actual info for me.

Let this be a lesson to all of you going overseas for school-

Unless you already have a notebook, try not to buy one before moving. They are a total bitch to get fixed. I'm assuming that ease of fixing changes depending on what country you happen to be in. The NZ system seems to work rather like the southern US system, and you'll note that neither is a financial or technological powerhouse.

Does this mean that I'd order a replacement from over here?

Hell no! they're far more expensive, totally not willing to customize, and honestly, I want the one I want, not the one they happen to have made up there in the shop. It's like buying a car off the lot- sure, you can take it home today, but it's only got a tape deck, and maybe you don't like automatics... damnit, I want the 6 disk changer and the w00t! l33t! clutch thingy, and damn the wait!

dude, if I'm paying 5 grand for something (NZ$) I'm damned well gonna get what I want. just silly to cut 1 or 2 hundred bucks on something you should have for at least 4 years- that's just silly. plus, if you get exactly what you want, you don't go shopping as soon after- you're happier with what you got, dude.

wow, I opened *and* closed that paragraph with the word dude.

What will I do with the next computer, tho?

you bet your ass I'm getting the extended international warantee, and twice as important (and twice the price) I'm getting my grubby little paws on the 3 year, no questions asked, international coverage for the damned screen. I don't care if they have to carry the fucker by hand, walking thru burning desert and swimming shark infested waters to get it to me, I want that damned part!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry- get testy without my baby.

j.

Projects and summer school

I knew I shouldn't put things off again, oops. This thing has got to read like a train wreck at this point.

So what's up here? It's looking like spring. I've found a guy to hang out with (read that how you choose). I hate my bicycle. I hate biometrics.

speaking of biometrics, I really need to stop putting off the reports for that class until the very last minute, or I'm going to fail it. I need to actually do them, is I suppose what I'm saying. Staying and putting myself deep into the pit of money owed really does me no good if I just keep fucking up. Although at this point that seems to be the only thing I do well.

Anywho- My projects are all getting to the point that I have to pay more attention to them. Mainly because they're due soon, or worth more, or needed to keep me in the range I need to even bother staying here. If I oops too bad, I might as well just go home and go back to hel-mart.

Summer, though, I'm going to re-take chem, I think, extramurally. I don't think I need to take an on-campus class, tho there is this week or so I have to show up and re-do all the labs, which is really not a problem, 'cause I enjoy chem lab, whatever I might say to the contrary. Which means that for the most part my summer plans are the same. I just have to find internet access more often, and cart a big boring book around with me. Ah well.

It also means I get to take out more loans. One class means smaller loan, two means bigger. Hmmm... Two gives me more chances to up my gpa thing, tho... ah, decisions.

speaking of projects, I need to print out a copy of the questions for the poster project, eat lunch, and shower before lab- I have an hour an a half. I wish me luck.

j.

freak occurrence

So...

I'm taking this class. (ok, I'm taking 4 classes, but...) This class for which I never, ever, ever go to lecture. Any family please ignore that last sentence. For family, never ever ever means always, faithfully, even when I don't *have* class.

So anyway, yeah, I don't go. And since the first week, I haven't read the book. And I'm not sure I even read it then.

Had the mid-term this week. 75 multi-choice questions. P-sychology. In order to prepare, I read my e-mail, goofed off online, read the fake doctor, and read thru (and by reading I actually mean scanned while flipping thru other things) the powerpoints.

I probably spent all of 45 minutes preparing for it. Maybe. Perhaps.

I got 61/75. That's an 81.something%!

That's me an 15 other people over 80%. What the Fuck? The test wasn't that tough. I finished in less than 30 minutes. How totally braindead (sorry to anyone who failed the test who's reading this) do you honestly have to be to fail an intro, survey, *p-sychology* test? it's not even like it was short answer!

non-representative fake-question example-
Q. The human brain:
a. is a basketball
b. has a fore, mid, and hind brain
c. eats monkeys
d. is made of cheese

Now, using this non-representative fake-question, I will teach you all how to take a multi-choice test.

First, one answer will be total BS. In this case, it's answer a. (no arguments, people) It's obvious that for peoples brains to actually be basketballs, their skulls would have to be much, much larger.

Then one will look possible, which is answer d (and quite probable in many people), but it's still not the "real" answer.

Then you get two, which both look soooo right- b and c in this case. And this is where it gets tricky. Usually your choices will look more like "b. does eat monkeys, c. does not eat monkeys" and then you're really screwed.

but since this is a p-sychology class, we know the answer won't be the biology one, so it's obviously not answer B. Or is it. Um... at this point I suggest small change. Nickels or ten cent (or whatever) pieces. Heads is b, tails is C.

And my half dollar says the answer is C. The human brain eats monkeys.

Note, I don't actually take tests like this- the other students get really pissed off when you're flipping a coin every 20 seconds. Guess it's distracting. And I'm too young to die.

Still, freaking 81%? WTF were they thinking?

Oh, and for those of you wondering, the mean was 49.3 (67.1%) and the standard dev was 10.6 (14.5%). Freaks.

Oh, for anyone really scared (or scarred), with my total BS lab report that puts my total grade atm at 74.8%.
And all I had to do was show up.

it's times like this that I really gotta wonder about the value of putting in even an extra hour a week (giving me an average of 1 hour 10 minutes a week spent on this paper outside class). Would an extra hour or two of studying really have helped me out that much, or would it just have made me paranoid, or wasted time. Ah well.

j.

angst, angst!

Ok, I forsee a small Problem.

Baseball related, again.

Sorry, still sugary and caffinated. And hungry now, too. Really hungry.

So anyway, the mets are still kicking ass-which I like and gives me all sorts of bad ideas of places I *could* study over "study" break. Like an airplane over the pacific. and LAX, and... yeah.

Problem tho, is that the Yankees are also doing waaay well. And no offence, subway series would be cool and all, but... I'd have much better ticket getting chances if the freaking tigers are in. Or perhaps not. I mean, how often do the tigers go to the series? Really?

All of which ignores the whole mets + post season =big freaking choke.

Erm, um.. yeah. Um.. I mean
You gotta believe.

So.. anyone got ticket prices wellington to NYC round trip for less than 1k USD inc. taxes/ fees?
way less?

Daddy? I love you, wanna buy me airline tickets and baseball tickets, and pay for my hostel bed and food money, and....

j.

Bounce. bounce bounce bounce

So... I had my most recent visit with my magic eye doctor lady. I finally am fitted for contacts. She's put me in slightly cheaper ones. Cheaper ones I could probably get at home, or even *from* home for about half the price I'm paying here. But anyway, I'm finally fitted.

But to get fitted, I had to be there (awake, oddly enough) at 9.30 this morning. Which means I have to be up *before* 9.30 this morning. Before 8.30, even. So I went to sleep at 6.30 last night (I was tired, ok? it's that midnight CSI watching, it catches up with me).

And then I woke up at about 4.30 this morning. Which wouldn't have been bad, but I'm too lazy to get out of bed untill I have to, so I stayed in the nice warm bed, under the nice warm comforter and fluffy down sleeping bag untill about 7, when I put my contacts in and climbed back into bed. I made the bus, by the way.

So anyway, a hungry j. got downtown, where she bought some bread. And a choco croisant. But that's not what makes j's go boing boing boing.

Or bounce bounce bounce, either.

Oh, no. j. had an extra ten minutes, and there's this starbucks on the corner I had to wait on (for the light people, geeze...). So I got a huge mocha. And then I dumped in a pile of sugar. Then I chugged it. Mmmmm. Chocolate and sugar... and caffeine. Yummy. On an empty stomach. So I'm bouncing.

A lot.

And having trouble typing straight. But that's a problem anyway. Good thing I've only got the one lab today. Maybe I should work on that stuff I have to do for next week now. Or maybe that'd be a bad idea. Hmm...

Speaking of that lab- it's a nutrition-y lab. We're looking at satiation based on timing and size and ingredients in meals. And then we're doing a smell/ tastetest. which is the one I get to do, since while they told us that if we had food restrictions we should email "us" they never said who "us" was, or gave an e-mail or phone number, or anything.

So we're supposed to fast for 4 hours before the lab. Or was it 6. Oh well, either way, I cheated. since plain coffee doesn't like my stomach, I had the chocolate-y sugary roll thing. But yeah, fasting, so no putting anything else in my guts to slow down the coffee. I'm going to be crashing soon.

Hmmm.. so yeah, coffee= bad.

j.

Stuff

My baby is in Wellington. Been there for a week, it has. They can't find the part. The supplier is looking, but hasn't gotten back to them. baby might be taking a trip home. And I'll have to get a new one. Silly Kiwis.

In other news, I'm still working on the contact lens thing. I mentioned that, right? Yeah, contacts. Tried a pair for a week or so, went in today, they weren't quite right, so she's testing me in a different prescription. I get to go back next week. Again.

With my luck, the ones I eventually get will be the most expensive contacts on the face of the earth. The whole earth, not just this oddly overpriced bit hanging off the end here.

In other other news, I need to ask about (re-) taking chem over the summer extramurally. Dunno if ti's allowed. If it's not, dunno what I'll do. If it is, I wanna see if I can take a class in wellington too- since I'd only have to be here for the contact course week-thingy. I should probably ask, huh?

Oh, yeah, and I've written myself a schedual, so I hopefully do all the stuff (which isn't really that much, but is very very boring) that I need to get done to do well enough in my classes to not end up back home, stuck at hell-mart for the whole of the rest of my life.

Not that Wyoming isn't nice and all. I'd just really rather not be stuck there. Place is the freaking twilight zone. No, really.

Ok, gotta pretend to prepare for monday's presentation, later monday's project meeting, tuesdays test, and other project due on the 18th.

And remember, Only 11 more drinking days untill international talk like a pirate day! (that's september 19th for those freaks out there who've never heard of it. Google, people, goooo-gllllle!)

yargh!
j.

update-y goddness!

So I found a place that can fix my baby (that'd be computer to the sane of you out there) in wellington. So I'm going in on tuesday to drop it off, and probably put down some obscenely huge deposit. But eventually I'll get it back(the computer, not the money). That would be really nice. Really really nice.

In other news, I am a total screw up. I have two papers due tomorrow. One is just a lab report (worth something like 20% of my total grade). The other is this stupid essay thing I've put zero effort into. You could even ask allan about it, if you knew him, and He'd tell you how totally crappy my BS draft was, since I sent it to him, and made him read it. I guess I'll be doing that this morning, then, huh?

Test on thursday night. had two last week- one in biometrics (which I passed, but barely) and one for mammal bio lab (which was open notes, and I have no idea how I did). The one this thrusday is for mammal bio lecture. I've got to actually study for it. I can't screw up.
I gave an oral presentation last week in lab. The people watching laughed, but I don't know if they were laughing with me, or *at* me. Ah well, hopefully I did ok on the damned thing. It was worth a whopping 1 or 2 percent of my total grade... um... yeah.

What else... Hmmm.. have to give a 7 minute seminar the week after break- so about two weeks from tomorrow... Oh, yeah! break is next week! so happy!

right then, movie time, I guess. I promise, those of you who care, I will be tracking down a computer with skype on it soon, really, to pick up messages left in the month plus since I made my screen pretty in a bad way.

j.

bleh kinda day.

Hmmm.. nothing much happening here. Mid-terms start next week, assignments have been handed in, roommates have changed. Computer's still not fixed, but at least I have the money to do it now.

I don't know. I mean. Ugh. The classes I'm taking this semester are... boring. Really really boring. And the instructors give assignments and things, then don't cover the info for them untill the day before they're due, or maybe a couple days after. How the heck are we supposed to do them right? And then they don't tell everyone the same time or place to turn them in, and... Ugh.

Pastry school is looking pretty good right now. I can deal with hot icky kitchens for 14 hours a day. This sitting on my butt in a boring lecture with someone who has no presence and just reads from the book is killing me.

Well, that and the re-re-relearning how to write an essay. Why the hell can't they just give us a style sheet? would it really kill them?

See, the problem with professorial types is that unlike real work, where you get halfway thru something you need to turn in, and the boss walks by and says "what the hell is that, that's not what I want" and you get to start over, you have to turn it in here first, and *then* eventually you get it back with the what the hell is this stuff all over it, and like a 2/10 for the grade. Because, for some odd reason, what people put down as what they want *never actually is* what they want. Bastards.

So yeah. Pastry school.

And did I mention I was running out of jeans?

ugh.

j.

wtf?

Right, so... not a lot of americans come to NZ for school. Like none. And even fewer stick around for more than a couple months. And the US, its people and habits make a really big easy target, right?

now, not to sound like a really whiney obnoxious american, or anything, but why on earth do the lecturers feel the overwhelming need to point out, each and every class, just how superior they are to anything done in the US? and usually with rather ill informed opinions? I don't mind a bit of good natured ribbing, I can deal with that.

but between the prof's taking pot shots (remember, big easy target, different measurement system, spelling, pronunciation, etc) and the idiot 17 year olds who hear my accent and start spewing (again, uninformed) oppinions about the US, and bush, and me as a person from the US, who therefore must have voted for bush (while wearing my repub. for voldy shirt, which really makes me wonder about the education received in NZ), I'm really getting sick of it.

Why the hell can't they bitch about the brittish for a while? or the french, or hell, those crazy whack-jobs just across the tasman? The biggest, easiest target is not always the best choice, and when you're trying to impress others, and look smart, hitting the same point over and over again, on the same big, easy target (think something a blind 2 year old could hit) you just look like an idiot.

This is where my father would say something like "they're just jealous", but I don't think that's really it. Scared maybe? Hmmmm...

j.

random school randomness. oh, and a bit of a rant.

quick dumbass statement for those who haven't run into it yet- dropping heavy things on laptop screens leaves one without laptoppy goodness.

onward!

So my classes this semester kinda sorta rather really suck. Like huge big bad. Communications is teaching me to write an essay. You know, like high school? only more expensive? and with "this is a paragraph" tossed in for fun? Biometrics seems to make no sense, but that could just be me- we read about the importance of stats to scientific work, then... um... at some point we're supposed to learn how to manipulate them, but it hasn't happened yet, and I think my first assignment is due next week. Psych is starting to look really tough, well, the way they discribe it, anyway "this class has a very high fail rate, higher than they expect, and we don't quite know why".

gee, thanks, I really needed to hear that. I'm hoping it's because you have to be able to write a coherent essay in order to pass the class, and most of the kids here haven't written anything more challenging than a 5 minute lab report since 9th or 10th grade. Mammals at least looks interesting. Well, except for the project. Did I mention those? so far two classes have a group project- yes, group. I'm about to shoot myself, but hey, I need to save some fun for later, right?

I forsee me doing none of the work, followed by me freaking out, redoing everything they've done, then having them offed by the local wino (if I can find one) so they don't bring down my grade. It'd be really nice. in a bad way that means I won't do it, of course.

Anyone wanna send me about $1000 us? I'll put it to good use, honest, repairing my computer, and... um... buying food... and... um.... paying some grad student to write my papers... er, um, maybe not that one... how about and paying my bills and rent?

stupid freaking student loan-types.

Maybe this week....

j.

First day blues

Well, first class is going… well, slowly. The psych guy is… not the most interesting lecturer I’ve ever had. Not the worst, either, but…, yeah, not the best.

To make it better, he just spent 20 minutes telling us how we really, really, really need to learn how to write psychology papers- and that bunches of people don’t pass the class because they couldn’t write an APA paper with a guide and a photocopier. We have to get at least 50% on one of the papers- we need to look like we’re trying. How bad can a paper really be to not even be worth 50%?

I are rote paper wut wuz no gude.

Ok, maybe not quite that bad, but honestly- how bad does a lab report have to be to be worth nothing? And ho wmuch should I worry about this, seeing as he went over it about ten times. For 20 minutes. I really really hope the class just has like, magic moron magnet abilities. But with my luck, no, it’ll just suck. And I still want to know what the fuck you do in in a psychology lab.

In other news, I have this song stuck in my head, that won’t go away, and the only place I ever, ever, *ever * hear it is charleston. And I sure as hell am not going back there anytime soon. Sorry anyone reading this from chuck. Bicycling drunk off a cliff is somehow waaaay better than spending 36 hours in airports and on planes just to get drunk.

j.

Movies- great cultural ambassador- not

so I passed enough classes that I don't think they'll kick me out. And I've been watching movies...

And I was a bad bad bunny and went out and bought a pair of shoes. Girl can not live in doc's and sneakers and flipflops alone. Nope, she needs black heels too.

Mine are that kinda retro 40's style, you know, with the small rounded toe, plenty of wiggle room, and a nice pointy heel. T-strappy maryjanes. not really buckling or strapping, they have elastic. And a 3+ inch heel. Just what I needed. There's nothing like towering above the seething masses. Now if only I could get jeans with tiny knees and a 38 inch inseam, so my feet weren't on display for everyone in them. I mean, shoes are cute and all, but... I really don't like the way it looks when my ankles are poking out of my pants above my shoes. And I can only tug my jeans down so much before things start sliding out the other end.

But that's not what I want to talk about this time. Nope.

Some of you might have realised by now that, like a silly freshman, I am living in student housing. Being an international student, they let us have self catered housing, I guess they figure if we're able to find our way here, we should be able to feed ourselves too? I don't know.

Anyway, I live in a sort of appartment complex with all these other international students, mostly fully enrolled, but the occasional year abroad type too. Right now I think I'm the only American. There are maybe 2 others in the court who speak english as their first language. We all watch TV in the common room.

NZ not having a huge entertainment industry, most of the programming is imported. Most english language TV comes from the states. Movies too. Being the Official Representative Example of America, I get all the silly questions, usually showing up while watching some movie, like "is american high school really like that" or... "american dating is like that?" or "is america really like the movies" or... yeah, you get the idea.

Being asked if the family on malcom in the middle is like a real american family threw me a bit, tho..

Sitting at home, back where everyone has *some* real idea of what the US is like, it's tough to imagine people taking the actions of movie characters so seriously, I mean, I don't expect to turn a corner and run into some scary dead guy on a screaming dragon monster who's chasing some short furry kid with a ring while I'm here, and I didn't expect to run into crazy men dressed up like knights while I was in the UK, but maybe most of the world doesn't think like that.

I'm sure if I watched, say, Fox news, I would have expected to be shot getting off the plane in Cairo. Or catch the Hiv from the falafel I had for dinner that night ($.20). Or to run into hot manly secret agents in london. Or have the tube station explode around me. I guess maybe if you don't have any other information to work with, you go with what you see. Movies and Sitcoms being the world's fox news on the US is a scary idea.

Which reminds me, I really need to read up on NZ history- I keep running into all these things that I just don't get. And that's not even touching the whole "day off for queens birthday" thing. I mean, I've been in the country for, what, 4 months? 5? and I don't even know why they're a commonwealth, not a colony, or whatever, what it's been. I mean, if you don't know what someplace has been, how can you have any kind of clue what the people there think?

Ok, see... (wandering again, I know) I run into people who've been here, right? For, oh, 3 months, or 6, or whatever, as travellers, working, or doing the semester abroad thing. The things I hear from them are, like, "there's lots of cool stuff to see" or "the people are really nice" or "there's really good pot, you should smoke it *all*".

Very rarely, if at all, do they make any kind of comment on the way NZ seems to be, well, kinda determinedly backwards. And it's not a bad thing. It's just... Here, at this school, anyway, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on science. Across all the campuses, unless I've missed something. I mean, you *can* do a fine art degree in wellington, but... they seem very geared toward science. And not just any science. It's a lot of ag science. Animal breeding, genetics, botany, all leading to very set areas.

Someone told me a friend of theirs had moved here, loved it, said it was just like the states in the 1950's. He thought they meant fashion-wise. It's not that, though. It's more a... I don't know, standard of living, certainly, tho that's changing. It is kind of a time warp, though. I think it's the available goods. At home, for example, there are what? 50 different brands of salad dressing? in like 20 flavors? here there's maybe 5 brands, in 4 or 5 flavors. Don't buy the domestic ranch dressing- it tastes like they made it in miracle whip- then added sugar. People in my classes couldn't understand why I'd want *frozen* brocolli, for bob's sake.

It's like someone built a time machine and grabbed NZ 60 years ago, and is trying now to force them to catch up. And they don't want to.

But yeah... The kids from japan are easy, but what do I tell the rest of them when they ask "is america really like that" when we're watching some crazy movie?

j.

Predictions of sudden painful death

Ok, so normally when those religious types (you know, the ones that tell you you're a bad person?) talk about that end of the world crap (in a next wednesday at 10 kinda way), I totally ignore them. Well, ok, so I laugh at them first. A lot. Loudly. Where they can hear me.

But then I ignore them.

Unfortunatly, in the course of human events, etc and so on, things change.

The end of the world is coming. No, seriously. I got proof! It's all baseball standings, but that's proof (no, really). The tigers (you know, detroit? you don't know? oh- well... yeah...) waaaaay out in front. The mets (you know, that *other* team in NY- the one that enjoyed killing the '86 hopes of the red socks? yeah, that one.) - dude, winning.

This is bad. It might not be this year, it might be next year- after all, the cubs and pirates are still in good customary low spots. And I bet their fans are properly appreciative, too.

But damnit people! I like cheering for losing teams! Anyone can cheer for winners! I mean, hell, look at how many people cheer for the yankees! and they aren't even hot anymore! (sorry, girly moment- won't happen again, I don't think)

But when you go messing with my accepted way life works, I really don't like it.

Ok, I lie. I don't mind if the Mets win. Hell, I love the Mets, and not even in a girly, "wow, that guy looks really really good" kinda way- more in a wow, i've like, totally loved this team since I was a lame little kid kinda way. I *really* don't care if the Tigers win. Actually, I don't much care about the tigers at all- mostly as a joke. But I swear, if the Mets go to the damned series this year, while I'm trapped on the ass end of the earth, I'm going to be really pissed off. Really really pissed off. Because somehow I don't think "but I have to go to NY to scam tickets for the world series" is a good enough excuse to get them to sign off missing labs and agree to larger loans. They just don't seem like that kinda people. And I'm not even getting into the freaking vet program this year! (note, if I were representing NZ in some sporting event, I could have just about all the time off I wanted/ needed)

So yeah- Mets, no series untill I can go. And no building lame ass pretty new ball park. I don't care what it has, or what it looks like. It's bad enough that the 4th oldest park still in use is shea. I mean, hell, people- After wrigley and fenway, and yankee (probably out of order and no doubt misspelled) comes shea- built in the freaking 1960's people.

Ok, fine, so it's ugly. So it's in the way. So it's oldfashioned, and surrounded by roads that make that loop around london look like a kids game. That doesn't mean you can knock it down before I get to go.

Opps. I mean,... it's an important part of baseball history, damnit!

Wow, I've wandered a bit. I think maybe I should stop now.

But yeah- Mets and Tigers way out in front = bad. Very, very bad.

j.

Oh, and if-- since there are 20 guys in the dorms over break, and 3 chicks (including me)-- we have to watch sports *all day long* every single damned day, could they at least have more hot guys in the sports I gotta watch? Scary guys playing rugby is boring. Fat guys playing golf is just wrong. Ugly guys playing soccer is unfortunate. Ladies tennis is just cruel. Come on, people. I know there are hot guys at Wimbledon. There have to be hot guys in the other sports too! If it's all I get to watch, please, can't it at least be visually interesting in something other than an "OMG, I'm never eating again" kinda way? Please?

life and whatnot.

So my mother is disapointed in me. As usual. She said she could slap me. Or punch me. But I think what she meant was that She really hates listening to me fuck up my life, and if she thought it would work, would like to try to beat some sense into me. But it wouldn't work, so she doesn't have to worry about that.

She does have to worry, however, about ending up with another dog. She's been looking. Just the one sweet red golden retriever is not enough anymore. She is interested again. I always knew she wasn't a one dog woman. So she's looking at rescuing what is best described as a possible golden- dane cross. It is a huge puppy with big feet, that boxy giant-type breed head, mostly black fur, and a white patch on his chest. And he's 5 months old.

I told her that if she doesn't want him, she can ship him to me- I'm sure I could find something to do with him- like pet him and love him, and spoil him, and feed him, and chase him, and let him take over my bed.

Wow, I need a freaking dog.

j.

random, totally

Studying is good. Studying is important. Studying is a great way to not fail.

Wait, let me repeat that last one again- it's kinda important.

Studying is a great way to NOT FAIL.

Therefore, I am not studying. Well. Kinda

Actually, I'm taking an extended break from studying. Since about last week sometime, actually. Oops. Maybe I should be an art student after all. And see a shrink. And I don't have a personality. It's a nasty horrid lie. Really.

And a polite way of saying I'm a scatterbrained, freaky, nutso wackjob who's flighty as all hell.

But other than that, a great way to relax while studying that I've found is to read engrish.

Yes, Engrish, helping people relax since, oh, 2004 at least. With yummy bad translations, and all sorts of things you don't want children to see. Ever, if you can help it. But nothing about all your base are belong to us.

Which brings me to my next bit of procrasti... er... study break relaxation... yeah, that's it.

Finding neato geeky t-shirts. Like this one, that I shall some day be sappy enough to give to someone, who will then stare at me like I have two heads, and one is trying to eat the other. Well, people already stare at me like that, so let's say 4 heads involved in some little brainy shouting match with sticks. Yeah, that's it.

Hmmm.. maybe I would be a good art student. They don't even look at really crappy science grades in art. Hell, I could probably sell it to them as a great chance to see a different part of the world, you know, build up my life experience (of failing), and gain new perspective. Or some such total bull. Yeah... Now if only artists actually earned real money. That'd be nice.

See, I generally avoid artists and art. Not because I dislike them, oh no. That would make things far simpler. If I didn't like art, or artists, life would be far less expensive. Instead, I have to avoid art and artists, because art makes me aquisitive. And that really doesn't work when you're in school and insist on everything you own being light enough to carry by yourself while sprinting through the airport. (not that I meet that ideal right now... I can't really sprint at all. I turn this rather funny shade of scary and get neato blue lips, and make this creapy gasping dying sound. It's not pretty- And the golf equipment doesn't help, either)

So yeah, I hang out around artists, and I see art, and I think, wow, I really wouldn't mind waking up to see that painting (or pot, or photo, or...) across the room from me for the rest of my life. So yeah, art = expensive. Or illegal.

But I've wandered. Studying makes people pass. Or sleeping with the person who gives out the grades, but... yeah... no offense to any New Zealand types reading this, but... dude, you people are rather lacking in very hot professors. Unless they're all hiding in some department I'll never see. In which case, damn, people, send them over! I need aesthetically pleasing background people, and they're in scary short supply. And if one of them could read my notes off to me... yeah.

Oh, back to smutty boo.... er, chem, yeah, chem.

j.

exams and tough decisions

Well, with half my real exams done, and just two more and the way lame-o fake SAT left to take, I have to say my confidance in even being allowed to stay in the country is rather lacking.

Physics was... um.... I think the best word is bad. It was in what might as well have been a gymnasium. It was a huge echoing hall, with ranks and ranks of tables. Like bad-movie SAT's, or something, with every sound twice as loud, and drafts, and... yeah. Very glad that's over. But I did get to see all kinds of wool samples, since the big drafty room from hell is in the "wool" building. Funny that....

Cells, well, cells was about as tough as I expected. I might possibly have BS'd my way to a C in the class, but doubt it was much better than that- the best I could do is like a 69 or 70 on the entire test, and I *know* I got some of them wrong. Like very wrong. Tho I am pretty sure that the chick who ate the franken-burger isn't now transgenic. Yeah.


So the way this goes now is- if I passed cells (but I don't think I did) and if I pass chem (but I don't know if I will) then I can stay and take the classes that someday lead me back into the vet program. I basically have longer to raise my GPA rather than having to get A+ on everything.

All for the bargain price of about 20k us, all inclusive.

Or with those grades I can go back and Wyoming will probably let me back in. I could take art classes- which neatly avoids most of my problems with normal classes- mainly that there is less very boring reading to do... not none, and that doesn't make it easy- if I wanted easy I'd finish the crap I need for an english degree... now that's easy.

And that I can do, getting a BA of some sort, in about 2 years. At which point I'm eligable for most of the european schools. Heck, I'm probably eligable for them now, if I just had a damned degree. And all that degree getting goodness for less than 30k us.

I shouldn't be looking at this from a money point, I know. I just... I don't know. New Zealand is nice and all, and I love the school itself, and the people in the vet department are really great, but... wow, the rest of it sucks. It's forever and a pile of money to get anywhere, it's expensive for what you get, they're all freaking short, the government treats us like an ATM, and the Financial Aid lady would make a nightmare carreer DMV worker look like a cute cuddly kitten.

Of course, I'd be back in wyoming... Hmmm... ah well, this would be so much less stressful If I actually thought the miracle fairy would come down from the place where all the food is yummy, and get me into vet.

Tho I guess you could say I did it to my own damned self...

ok, back to studying- I have a test tomorrow.

j.

clothes (for studying in)

As usual these days, I should be studying. But I'm not.

What I am doing, is trying to decide if I should drop junk food and sugary soda, or just buy all new clothes.

Tough choice, I know. I mean, if I force myself to eat healthy, all I get is healthy eating, and people telling me I look like an animated corpse. If I keep eating junk, I get bad health, yummy food I don't have to cook, and all new clothes. Oh, and fat, but that's kinda off to the side, ya know?

Now normally, I wouldn't worry- I usually have a lovely selection of clothes, some of which show off my belly, and some which don't, but with the strict luggage limits I gave myself (must be able to carry on my own- all around town) I had to leave some things behind- like a second pair of size six jeans, for comfyness. And sweat pants, but I fixed that one.

Which brings me to my problem.

My favorite jeans- the ones that were so very soft when first I tried them on, that I had to buy them. The ones that tore across the backs of the thighs, so most people would stop wearing them. The ones so perfectly soft that they were like wearing flannel pjs- they ripped finally up from the crotch, to the zipper, and are now not wearable in public, even by me.

Which leaves me with two pair of size 4's and these thin stretchy ones I picked up in Cairo. And all are a little tight.

Have I mentioned here yet how very much I hate shopping for jeans? It may have something to do with the freakishly long legs, but I think it's more that I just hate shopping for jeans. Nah, it's the leg thing. I walk into a store, grab a pair that I know won't fit, they don't fit, I feel stupid. Repeat. By the end of the day, I'm ready to chop my legs off, just to get pants that end within an inch of the ground. Closer if possible. But no, my ankles must hang out. They must be on display, they must be ready for sudden painful flooding.

I hate shopping. Healthy food and cooking it is. Meh- cheaper anyway.

j.