What I do on my Summer Vacation

So far, I've gone shopping in New York, eaten my way down the east coast of the US, snacked my way through SFO, loafed about the sydney airport international terminal, written many whiney posts and e-mails, frozen, baked, done some grocery shopping, eaten out too much, ignored my homework, done my homework, and read a lot.

Oh, yeah, then I signed up for this movie delivery rental service like netflix only on the other side of the world, with more cost and less selection.

Which brings me to what I've been doing for the last couple weeks-

I have been on the biggest CSI binge ever, but now it must come to an end. I know, I can play the horatio drinking game with the first three disks of CSI Miami, but after that, they've run out, and I need to switch series. Damn them for not having more. Two seasons vegas, 1/2 of the first season of Miami, and none of NY- what'll I do? Without CSI, how do I study? it's just interesting enough (2nd time thru) to keep me awake while I read the (very boring) chemistry book. I suppose I could hunt down the other law and order-y stuff they have, but... but... they don't have much, and I'll run thru it.

Guess I'll have more time to study, huh?

j.

communication

The university sent me a cute little "happy birthday" e-mail, with a photo of a birthday cake. Gee, thanks, all of the pretty with none of the taste. And to make it even more personal, they put my student ID number at the top of it, so I'd know it was meant for me. Good to know they've got that all automated. I mean- good to know they care.

One of the flatmates is coming by tomorrow, bringing her mother, for some interview since she's changing majors. That'll be interesting. I don't think I've seen her since we signed the lease. So... beginning of November?

And to make things interesting, a story-

A couple months ago I bought a little whiteboard, because whiteboards are useful, when you've got who knows how many people living in a place, where you may never actually *see* anyone. This morning there was a note about the dishes- Fine, I did mine, and a couple more- I use the same four or five every time, since I'm a mushroom-allergic vegetarian, and the others are mushroom eating omnis. If they'd label the dishes that hadn't had mushrooms on them (I'm not into the puffy hive covered look) I might have done more. Or maybe not- bacon grease is a bitch to get off, and the smell on my hands makes it tough to eat (ooh- shiny new diet idea).

So I go back out to the kitchen and there's a *new* note about how the (cleaning) flatmate didn't know we were only supposed to do our own dishes. And then a short rant.

Dude- I've been in the house all day- if there's a problem, why can't she just wander down the hall, poke her head in my door and say "hey, why didn't you do the rest of the dishes?" Is it that difficult to actually *talk* to a person, instead of leaving a snarky note? Ugh. Guess I gotta go talk to her now. Sometimes, I wish people would be less "fake pleasant" and more "real pissed off". This whole hiding what you feel thing, then avoiding actually confronting people about it, yeah, it pisses me off.

But then- I come from a loud family.

j.

I'm feeling bored (and sleepy) so I thought I'd put up my student transaction thingy from this past year- plus what this next semester is going to cost me. Dratted school- raising rates. And at one point that 52k NZD was about 28k USD. Dratted exchange rate. Doing nasty things to my debt level.

Current Transactions

Due Date	Reference	Details	Debits	Credits
21/09/2005	055425	05 myMassey Payment		-9000.00
13/02/2006	INSUR	INSURANCE CHARGE	222.50
28/02/2006	S37	0612 Building Levy Palmerston North	15.00
28/02/2006	S01	0612 Enrolment Fee Palmerston North	40.00
28/02/2006	S25	0612 Student Services - Palm North	80.00
28/02/2006	S92	0612 Student Assoc MUSA 0.4-0.79	157.00
28/02/2006	TUTCP4	0601 162101 Biology of Cells	2250.00
28/02/2006	TUTCP4	0601 199101 Biology of Anima	2250.00
28/02/2006	TUTCP4	0601 123101 Chem & Living Sy	2250.00
28/02/2006	TUTCP4	0601 124111 Phycs fr Life Sc	2250.00
02/03/2006	INSUR	INSURANCE DISCOUNT		-30.00
27/03/2006		J		-5578.58
27/03/2006		J		-6375.52
31/03/2006		J	11469.50
30/06/2006	S92	0612 Student Assoc MUSA 0.4-0.79		-157.00
30/06/2006	S91	Student Assoc MUSA >= 0.8	170.00
31/07/2006	TUTCP4	0602 161130 Biometrics	1875.00
31/07/2006	TUTCP4	0602 175102 Psyc Natural Sci	2250.00
31/07/2006	TUTCP4	0602 123102 Chem & Mat World	2250.00
31/07/2006	TUTCP4	0602 123102 Chem & Mat World		-2250.00
31/07/2006	TUTCP4	0602 194101 Ess of Mam Bio	2250.00
31/07/2006	TUTCP4	0602 119155 Comm in Sciences	1875.00
01/08/2006		J/USD15000.00		-24019.22
08/08/2006		J	15756.32
17/08/2006	INSUR	INSURANCE CHARGE	192.50
01/09/2006		J		-192.50
30/11/2006	TUTCP4	0603 123101 Chem & Living Sy	2250.00
07/12/2006		J		-5062.92
12/12/2006		J	2812.92
			$52665.74	$-52665.74

Future Transactions

Due Date	Reference	Details	Debits	Credits
26/02/2007	TUTCP4	124111 Phycs fr Life Sc	2325.00
26/02/2007	TUTCP4	164151 Intro Spanish I	1937.50
26/02/2007	TUTCP4	194241 Physiol Control	2325.00
26/02/2007	TUTCP4	117255 An Hlth, Bhv, Wl	2325.00
26/02/2007	01	Enrolment Fee Palmerston North	40.00
26/02/2007	92	Student Assoc MUSA 0.4-0.79	157.00
26/02/2007	25	Student Services - Palm North	84.00
26/02/2007	37	Building Levy Palmerston North	15.00
			$9208.50	$0.00

maybe not interesting, but it's amazing what goes on and off that thing in a year....

j.

Crazy time and an offer-

I have 31 days untill my chem exam. I just realised that today. I think I'm gonna be sick. And that has nothing to do with the orgy of contraband food I had for dinner. (Thanks, R., the mac n cheese mix is yummy). It doesn't even have anything to do with my newly re-aquirred diet pepsi habit. I don't think.

More like, I don't think there's any way in all of hell that I can be ready by then. Even if I do actually *open* the books I borrowed from the library, instead of just admiring their lovely covers from across my bed (no furniture, people- bed= bed, chair, table, desk, etc). And next week is my lab thing! I should be studying!

Um... maybe after CSI.

Now- I'm sure a couple of you sneaky lurkers are coming here. And it's kinda obvious (well, to me anyway) that the "photo tour" isn't showing up anytime soon (damn that "work" stuff), so, in its' place, I offer a free walking tour of all the places you probably don't want to know about- like the only place I know of in town where you can get rootbeer. Or the Rugby Museum (free). Or the student bars (not free). Or the grownup bars(also not free). Or the local bike shops. Or whatever. If you're coming for feb, let me know, maybe there'll be a couple of you- I can kidna... er, meetup with you before you get too lost. Maybe there's more than one of you, and you can all meet in one place- not just in e-mail!

Heck, even if you're not showing up untill june or july- drop me an e-mail now (or then) and I'll show you around. Maybe even drag someone else along. Unless, of course, you all just read this for the trainwreck. In which case- Yay! Stalkers! I never had any of them before!

Ok, back to the chem. rassa sassin frassa rass.

j.

school stuff. And stuff.

So, I finally sent out an assignment that's been sitting around, done, for weeks. I feel so much worser now. Picked up a couple books for my chem-learnering- the recomended textbook, and this one called... um... organic chemistry demystified. Amazing how much more sense the study guide makes when you've got the text, too.... Yay for the orgasmic chemistry. Also printed out more of the stupid assignment sheets, so I can send the rest of my assignments.

Only about 5 weeks untill my final, you know.

Oh, and I gave in and registered for next semesters classes. I'm going with a mix of interesting, usefull, and gotta. So a welfare/ nutrition class (how much what per cow for this much milk/ meat), the physics class I didn't bother to actually work at last year, first semester spanish (I'm sure they'll adore my accent), and.. um... some physiology course... control systems, or something? I dunno. anything to avoid invert zoology. I admit, I am grossed out by most inverts. Give me snakeys any day.

j.

and now for something completely different.

Sorry about the potato-centric nature of my posting lately. It's just that they're cheap, and ya know, potato, mellon, and something else hit with a mellon baller, then with carrot matchsticks would make a pretty neat home-made molecule building kit.

Anyway. I've been reading all about stereochemistry (but not learning to spell it). So I'm obviously not at all interested in talking about it.

so Instead, I thought I'd give you guys a quick run down of all the things you should never ever ever do with the english language. In approx. order of annoyance, from most to least.

1. Confuse poisonous with venomous. It's very simple, but so many people get it wrong (including a poster in my bio lab a couple years ago, but excluding the OED). I know of no poisonous snakes. It's just not common. In order to remember, and save me the hassle of both correcting you, and tattooing it on your forehead, if you bite it and you die, it's poisonous, if it bites you and you die, it's venomous. example- you will not meet any venomous mushrooms. But you can have poisonous *or* venomous frogs and toads. Yum. so quick-like- bad snakes = venomous, belladona= poisonous. ok, so the poison thing also counts for things that get on your skin. Same idea, tho.
2. Forget to use the verb "to be". In france they kill you for it, I think. With stale bread. In the US, you just sound like an idiot. A backwards idiot. When you are talking about something which needs doing, or is in the future, you use it. No, really. Not " the laundry needs done." Needs what done? needs doing, maybe. Needs *to be* done, yes. If someone asks you what you wanna do when you grow up you don't tell them "I want an astronaut." You tell them you want to be one. Important here, people. If you actually want an astronaut, then you say "I want to be an Air Force Wife." See, that "to be" thing again.
   
3. say "hey peoples" when talking directly to a group. Or "there were peoples there." Please. Just don't, it's so very wrong.
4. Insist on using "y'all" then refusing to conjugate properly. Just because you insist on speaking like an ignorant fool doesn't mean you need to be one. Y'all is singular, Y'all's is singlular possesive. All Y'all is plural, All Y'all's is plural possesive. Learn it, use it (actually, please don't).
   
5. Talk LOUDER TO PEOPLE WHO TALK "FUNNY" OR DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH. Acents and foreign languages don't cause hearing loss. You don't need to speak louder, you need to speak sssslllloooowwwweeeerrrr. And use actual words. They don't teach up to the minute slang in english for beginners.

And there you go. In approx. the order in which they drive me batty. Now spelling, that's just silly- there were "correct" spellings for very few words before wierdos began collecting them and deciding how things were spelled and where. Thus webster and his american dictionary, and oxford and their brittish spellings. I get the feeling the brittish had more type available, since they went crazy with the extra letters. As long as it's (almost) understandable, I really don't care about spelling or punctuation, Tho I admit that huge oopsies make me wince. But I worship at the alter of the comma splice. yum.

There you go- more than you ever wanted to know about the english language. Lucky you.

ok, back to csi/ sleep.

j.

A new and different flatmate problem.

So, at my new flat there are 3 of us (most of the time) for now. We all have a problem. A terrible problem. We all like grocery shopping. Way Too Much.

I bought more food this weekend, tho I said I wouldn't. Mostly junk, but still. I want to buy more.

One of the flatmates put out stuff they bought for breakfast, then went grocery shopping, and forgot it. They're having pancakes now. I don't know how we don't die of food poisoning. We're all terrible at keeping stuff at the right temp. We must have super strong intestinal stuff. Well, except me and the milk thing. Working on that.

Kinda funny- they think I should cook more asian food. I thought the rare chinese junk food I did was enough. Tho I haven't made sushi in a while. Might need to get back to that. Yum.

Other than that, tho, no cat fights, no screaming messes, no problems with who buys what. Kinda laid back and nice. Of course, We're all slobs, but what can you do, right?

j.