When it rains, it pours

My last Sydney update was very melodramatic and worrisome...blah. Time for a change.  Here's what happened within the span of one week:

• I was accepted for my Grad Plus loan (in addition to my Stafford loan)
• I applied for and then received my student visa
• I bought a plane ticket to Chicago for February 3rd
• I bought a plane ticket to Sydney (stopping in LA and Fiji) for February 8th
• I researched and booked a hostel for one week in Sydney
• Bought extra insurance and student ID card
• A HUGE weight was lifted off my shoulders!

So thats all the major things I needed to do to get to Sydney, and they all happened within a week, most within one day, ha!  All thats left are loose ends:

• Deciding which bank account I want to keep and closing the other
• Canceling cell phone service (a fee I don't want to pay...ugh)
• Transferring car payments to Jessica's name
• Remembering what I'm forgetting

So that's about it.  Seems almost easy now.  I may kick myself for saying that in the future, but for now I'm ridiculously calm about the whole thing.  I'm not even worried that I don't have a place to live yet, lol.  My plan is to go with the mindset of a backpacker.  I'll pack my bare essentials to take to the hostel with me.  Once I find a place, I'll have the family sip my other stuff out to me, though at this point I don't even think that will be very much stuff.  I'm looking at the things in my room, which I remember being sooo grateful to have and thinking I don't need any of it.  I need some clothes, a journal, a book to read, ipod, computer, camera and toiletries. Thats about it.  Anything else I need I can buy in Sydney.  They have Target there...I'll be fine :)

"The problem with life is there isn't any background music"

I want a soundtrack for my life.  Actually, I suppose I am slowly creating one, though it wouldn't make sense to anyone else.  And I say that's okay, cuz its my soundtrack.  I have a number of mixed cd's that are labeled simply by when they were made, Spring 07, Winter 08, etc.  I'm about to make a Fall 09 cd, and thought since I shared all my favorite books** I would also share my favorite music (not that anyone cares, lol).

**I should have noted in the previous blog post that those are my favorite Young Adult (YA) books.  I do read (occasionally) adult books, and I have a fair list of favorite adult books that I plan to share sometime.

Fall 09 Soundtrack:

Muse.

 Not gonna lie, I got into Muse because of Stephenie Meyer.  I know, I'm a junkie.  I knew a little of them before, even saw them at Lollapalooza.  But bought this album because I liked the single, and figured it had to be good.  And I was right.  It's a little crazy, there's some orchestra stuff going on, but I can excuse it.  It is on constant play on my ipod.


Spinerette

 

This is a Jake recommendation.  He recommended one song, and I prefer to have entire albums.  I listened to the previews online, and downloaded, and its awesome.  Kinda reminds me of Hole.  Anyone who loves girl rockers will love this :)  I especially love the song All Babes are Wolves.  Jake actually recommended Ghetto Love, Baptized by Fire, and Sex Bomb.  All very good.

Teddybears

 

Another Jake recommendation (the boy does a lotta driving listening to XM radio).  I only have three, my bank account limited me from purchasing all the albums I wanted at once.  Different Sound, Cobrastyle, and Punkrocker.  All three sound like different bands.  One is a uses pieces of a Kid Rock song.  Punkrocker is my favorite, "cuz Im a punkrocker, yes I am."

Metric

I only know one song on this album, "Help, I'm Alive."  If you were at my going away party or anywhere near my apartment at the end of my stay, you heard this song.  It's awesome. I've heard good things about the album, but I've been so obsessed with all my other music, I haven't gotten around to downloading it.


New Moon

Stop, before you judge, hear me out.  I saved the best for last.  Whatever you feel about the movie, the soundtrack is AMAZING.  Seriously, with all the money they had to throw at this thing it had to be epic.  All the songs on the soundtrack are originals, so you won't find it on other albums from the bands.  There are a lot of heavy hitters on the album (Thom Yorke, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, etc).  Before you say you don't like emo, let me tell you that its not all depressing.  I tend to find sad songs beautiful, but the soundtrack was supposed to come from different characters' points of view, therefore, not all depressing.


It was a grueling process to narrow down my favorites because, seriously, the entire album ROCKS, but my favorites include:

• Friends by Phoenix (#1 favorite, this song is great!!)  
• Possibility by Lyke Li
• Satellite Heart by Anya Marina
• I belong to You by Muse
• Done All Wrong by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• No Sound but the Wind by Editors
• All I Believe In by The Magic Numbers.

I'm sure there are other songs that Im leaving out, but I think that basically covers it :)

My poor poor family

I've been dealing with loans and budgets and expected expenses for my year abroad, and OY VEY, do finances bring me down!  I've been in what I call 'cancerous moods' lately, where nothing positive comes from being near me or talking to me.  (I hope that isn't offensive btw).  I feel bad for Sherie and Ben who consistently ask me whats wrong, and I consistently don't want to talk about it.

I'm still on track and everything is still moving forward, thank goodness.  This is a learn-as-I-go process.  But I've applied for the Stafford loan and a Grad Plus loan.  With any luck, I won't need the Grad Plus loan because I'll get the fellowship....fingers crossed. 

Things I wish I had known:

• Pay off all credit card debt before moving to Boston.  If I had done this, I would be saving away everything I earn and not having to waste that money on credit cards!  Ugh, Im soo annoyed with myself about this!
• Sell car for serious mula!  I didn't sell my car thinking I would want it when I return.  This was dumb.  I don't know that I will return, or that I will need a car when I do.  I should have sold, made an easy $5k and been done with it.  Instead I am leasing it to Jessica, which means I'm not paying for it and get it back when I return, but I forgo the cash.  Duh!

Things I have learned:

• My undergrad loan can go into deferment while I'm a student.  Sweet!  Though this will add to the debt I am in on the other side....
• I want to live a life with as few monthly payments as possible!  Right now I'm fighting the urge to just pay off all debt I owe completely to have a clean slate.  (Car, student loans, credit cards).  This would normally be a great idea, except I need the cash for the coming year...
• Apartments in Sydney are paid on a per week basis.  Kinda strange.  Also, they are mostly dorm style (i.e. 2 bedroom apt with 4 roommates)
• I'll be spending my New Years Eve (favorite holiday) alone on the couch.  This is mostly because I don't have the cash I originally thought I would (see things I wish I had known).  But more so because, everyone was right, and it is crazy to spend the money to go to Edinburgh when I'm trying to save to Sydney.  But MAN would that have been AWESOME! (adds to the cancerous moods)

Sherie keeps telling me that my time in Boston is supposed to be a "head-down-and-hard-work"  "save as much money as possible" time.  To which I respond, "Yes, it is.  But that doesn't mean I can't mope about it."  Which is basically what Im doing by writing this entire post.

With that, I'll take my cancerous mood to bed.

My Favorite Books

I've had the idea for this blog post for a few months now, and only now getting around to it.  Its a bit overwhelming.  In the last year I became an avid reader.  To the point where my roommates thought I was depressed cause I spent all my time in bed...reading.  Most of you know this all started when I read Twilight in August of last year.  I started reading the book in order to prove to my friends that they were silly for being so obsessed with a high school book.  It took about 50 pages before I was hooked.  h-o-o-k-e-d.  I read it in 3 days, then immediately read it a second time in 3 days.  The following books in the series had me just as hooked.  It was a revolution in my life.  Since then, I have found a number of books that I not only like, but am head over heels, irrationally obsessed with.  Twilight was only the beginning.  Here are my favorite books:

Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

Hunger Games on the surface seems to be for a younger audience.  Don't let that dissuade you.  The writing is great, the characters and amazing and complex, and the underlying messages of the book make me want to use it as a teaching tool.  It is set in a futuristic post apocalyptic America from the point of view of a 17 year old girl, Catniss, from the poorest area of the country.

Hunger Games reminded me of my favorite "make you think about the way you think about things" like The Giver, Handmaids Tale, and Oryx and Crake.
  

When I read Hunger Games, I didn't know that it was series.  I was so upset when it ended I literally threw the book across the room.  Then impatiently waited a year for the second book, Catching Fire.  Catching Fire lived up to the first, and now I impatiently wait another year for the third and final book in the series.

Shiver 
by Maggie Stiefvater

I picked this book up serendipitously.  Just browsing around Borders killing time, liked the cover, read the back, bought it.  Whoever told us not to judge a book by its cover was feeding us crap!  The cover is awesome, even cooler once you read the story and study it some more.  Once I started reading, I read it in 1 night.  ONE  night, after work, 6pm to 1am. Done. Love.

The book switches point of view between the two main characters, which I really enjoyed.  Personally, I hate reading in the third person, so this was right up my alley.  The writing is good and much attention was paid to the details.  My only complaint was that it was too short.  The last quarter of the book seemed a little rushed, but the fast pace did make it easier to whiz through it.

Even better....they just released the cover of the sequel!  I didn't even know there was a sequel when I read it. Shiver could have stood alone, but the sequel makes it even better.  The catch is...doesn't come out til next year.

Oh the waiting.....

Vampire Academy Saga

by Richelle Mead

I held off reading this for a long time even though I had read good reviews.  It was the first vampire book I read after Twilight, and I was not a vampire person, and didn't want to become a vampire person.  But I eventually read it, and it just kept getting better and better.  There are 5 Vampire Academy books out now.  And each book is better than the one before it.  The 5th book came out this fall, and I was still thinking about it for a week after I read it. 

The series starts out following two best friends.  Kinda nice for the main character to actually have a life.  Most the books I've read have been about loner girls who don't have many 'normal' relationships before something supernatural happens. 

House of Night series
by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Warning: this series is addictive.  The books are short and breezy.  I love the story.  It gets complicated and completely evolves from innocent high school students to a group of kids trying to save the world.  The length of the books and the plot make me think it would be a good TV series, Buffy-like.  And I loved me some Buffy.  House of Night ups it a notch or two because instead of one brooding hot vamp, there's multiple brooding hot vamps (and a human) who having me changing teams a few times in each book, hah!





More to come...

Sydney update

Since I'm posting pictures of Elle Belle and Sammie (see below) I should probably also include an update on my Sydney Status. I've been hesitant to put anything up about Sydney because my confidence level on getting there changes daily, and drops significantly at least once a week.  Basically I'm afraid if I say everything's great and on track, I'll jinx it.  But if I write about all my worries anyone who reads this would A) yell at me; B) placate me; or C) think I'm insane.  Possibly all three!

Anyway, so far, things seem to be working out.  A few major hiccups include when I thought I applied to the distance learning program and wasn't actually going to Sydney.  Also when I thought I could only take out half of what I need in loans, therefore not being able to afford going to Sydney.  And most recently when I thought I missed the deadline to accept because I was so nervous to actually commit with money.  All scenarios have been taken care of, and were either misinformation on my part, or an over active imagination, also on my part.

So as of now I have accepted my offer from the University.  I have also paid the deposit (well the 5% Im required to pay as a 'loan student'), applied for financial aid, signed the MPN, and I am currently awaiting my eCoe (electronic confirmation of enrollment).  Once I am approved for financial aid and receive my eCoe I will apply for the student visa.  I might have to buy the plane ticket before then, but I'm not worrying about that right now. One thing at a time.

My former boss (you know who you are) is not going to be happy when she learns that Sydney is not offering me any type of assistantship to help pay for tuition.  I can apply for work when I get there, but there are no guarantees.   That being said, I did apply for a fellowship.  An awesome, amazing opportunity, right up my alley fellowship.  It is not through the University.  Rather it is through the American Australian Association.  Ever heard of it?  I haven't.  Until my sister, Sherie, serendipitously received an email from a list serve to all UCLA MBA alumni promoting this fellowship.  It is for American students wanting to study in Australia in certain fields and plan to bring what they learn in Australia back to the United States.  As I said, right up my alley.  So fingers crossed.  Or per a conversation with Yolanda, Nanci and others: legs, arms, and hair crossed too. 

That's all I know for now.  If I get the fellowship everyone who's ever met me will know it.  And if my life implodes, I'll probably just hide out for awhile, lol.  Until then...

Why I'm here

After being in Boston for two months, I feel its about time I can post a baby blog without feeling guilty.  Don't worry, I am only posting the best of the best random pictures from the last two months.

Up close and personal with cowpoke Samantha.

Elliot models the new outfit from Grandma (this picture was taken two months ago, but ironically enough she wore that outfit today as well)

Driving the car at the Children's Museum.  Samantha loooooves all form of transportation at the moment.  If she were a boy she would be obsessed with Thomas.  In fact I felt a little bad about the gender discrimination and went out to buy her a Thomas, until I found out that that little blue train cost a whopping $11!!!  That. Is. Insane.  Elliot is adorable in this picture and I have a hard time remembering that she's only 3.

"Lap Assie. Lap. Lap.  Peeeassss."

You're cowboy boots ain't got nothing on these.  Holy cute factor.

Pardon the blurriness...it is a camera phone.  But yea, that's right...Sammie's rockin out Da Bears!

Elliot the Blue Fairy for Halloween enjoying some ice cream at the school party.  I love her costume :)  And Samantha was one cute scary giraffe.  For more Halloween pics check out Sherie and Ben's blog. 

Last but not least:  The face Elliot makes when she's really excited is amazing cute and funny.  This face is accompanied by a scream when she hears such things as "We're having red beans and rice for dinner"  or "You're going to get to see your cousins, Alex and Zoe."

This time the face happens to be at her candy loot from Halloween :)  Also very deserving. 

I should mention that I'm incredibly bummed that I seem to have lost a few cute pictures of Elliot, which were the inspiration for this blog.  At the end of my first "Kassi Home Day" Ellie, Sam and I made a pirate ship out of my boxes that had arrived from UPS that day, all my scarves, all the blankets in the house, the broom, a few chairs, and a slew of stuffed animal friends.  Pictures included Elbow in my blue floppy hat as her Captain's Hat with Curious George as her co-pilot.  Yea. Cuteness.

New England in the Fall

New England in the fall is pretty awesome.  Fall in general is awesome in my book (when its not 30 degrees outside that is).  A few weeks ago we took the girls apple picking...

Sherie and I had to climb the hay mountain and coax Ellie and Samantha up.

 She really shouldn't be tall enough to ride this giant tricycle!

Sammie LOVED the bouncy house :)

 Is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen?!

Cheesy and great!

 People say we look alike, what do you think?

All the apples we picked made for the perfect opportunity for me to take my new domestic life up another notch.....

 

Look! Home-made pie crust!!

7 cups of apples

Ben cut the apples, but no worries, I did everything else.

 Ready for the oven!

I am a domestic goddess!!!

 

And it was yummmy :)

My favorite place on Earth

Or at least one of them.  And the first time I've seen it in the fall, which is truly when its in its glory.

 

 

 

 

 I learned that I can take black and white (and sepia tone) pictures with my camera!  Soo excited!!  And isn't Sammie J adorable?!

All thats missing from this picture is a latte and cell phone in my hands, haha!

 

This is a better "Best Auntie in the World" picture!

The Real World?

I've been telling myself that when I get wireless I would be start blogging again.  Well Ben fixed my wireless.  Though before I get to my other ideas, I have to vent a little.  A lot of complicated issues seem to be popping up all at once.  I want to write about them, but as Sherie told me last night they are lame and boring.  Here is a short short synopsis:

• My identity was stolen.  Someone got my credit card number and charge $300 to a Walmart in San Diego.  Coulda been worse.  Im actually really happy with Chase with the way they handled this.  The fraud department called me to alert me to a suspicious charge, then told me how to go about getting reimbursed for the money.  It all worked out pretty well.
  
• Unrelated to my identity theft bank account, I opened a Bank of America account.  I opened it online,  but they didn't provide me with my information (account number, etc).  I go to the bank to inquire, I end up closing that account and opening a new regular checking account.  Except that they opened a small business account!  I don't know what small business I have, babysitting while waiting for grad school is hardly considered a business.  Ugh.  Sooooo annoyed by this.  Ben offered to go to the bank with me tomorrow to get a regular personal checking/savings account.
• Finally got wireless on my computer, and now that Im back on my laptop I remember the issue I was having with the keyboard before.  Randomly and without warning the control key will activate and depending on what Im typing, some command will happen (usually if Im online a new tab will open whenever I push the T button.  I spent an hour online with Dell yesterday as they tried to remotely fix the problem. Last night it didn't seem that the problem was fixed, but today, it seems to be all better.  Fingers crossed.  Samantha did drop my computer on the floor today, maybe that helped?
• The doctors office sucks at tranferring medical files.  Chicago told me to wait until I got to Boston and have them send CHicago the request for medical records.  Then I got to Boston and they said to have Chicago send the medical records.  But they refused to talk to each other.  Super annoying.
• Trying to get Jessica on my car insurance without the rates sky rocketing has been an issue that is not easily resolved.  I finally got her on my account, and I added my education status to the account to and the rate actually decreased!  I dont know why they didnt have my education status, but apparently Ive been over paying the last three years.  Dammit.  But now I have to get them to take the monthly rate our of her bank account.  I sense another headache coming my way.

Ok, so that wasn't very short.  But I feel better. Another complicated issue that is coming up is that I have to enroll at Sydney now.  This is hugely exciting, but nerve racking.  I'm just hoping and praying that I did the financial aid stuff right and they dont give me a hard time about that.  We shall see.   

The Bane of the Stay-at-home-nanny/house manager's exitstence

 

That's it.  The bane of my existence.  Just a simple yellow couch.  But this isn't just any couch.  This couch (its hard to tell) is 6 feet long and about 3 feet deep and ooooh sooo comfortable. I love this couch.  In my first week here I quickly learned that when home alone I must, at all costs, avoid the yellow couch.  In fact I really need to avoid the downstairs completely.  Seeing the yellow couch allows it to call to me, saying "Kassi, come lay down, it'll only be a few minutes.  Finish that chapter you're reading, watch just one show on tv."  Then BAM!  3 hours gone!!  Its incredibly frustrating.  The worst part is that its excruciating to force myself up after those 3 hours.  I could easily spend 3 days on that couch and be completely happy.

I also learned this week that my stuff is incredibly important to me.  I was never so excited as when UPS showed up with my seven boxes!!  It helps that the guy had perfect timing.  About 4pm with Ellie and Sammy and bored and tired, counting down the minutes until Sherie and Ben come home.  Then wah-lah!  He's there!  Ellie and Samantha were also very excited for the UPS guys, which Ellie promptly changed to the PBS guy. It was cute :)  

The problem with all my stuff coming....I have no where to put.  I think I mentioned this above. Well here is the proof:

This is my room.  And its a pretty good sized room, a heck of a lot bigger than my room in Chicago.  And this is my room with all my stuff in it.

It may be hard to tell, but in this picture you can count 7 different bags/boxes, which still remain unpacked.  Regardless, I'm a little surprised at how happy it made me to put the few decorative things I packed out, like my necklace doll and sparkly deer from Donna.  Oh, and my awesome alarm clock (even though I can't figure out how to change the time--no matter, it still screams awesomeness).

Still to come: The books I think everyone should read.

Surprise Going Away Maddness

I thought I could fit it all into one post....I was wrong.  On top of my awesome girls makeup party and going away party, my lovely LOVELY sister Jessica planned a surprise dinner for me!  We planned to go to dinner Thursday, my very very last night in Chicago, and I thought it was just going to be me, her and Kevin.  When i arrived we had a glass of wine at the bar waiting for our table, when it was ready, we walk into a private room to find this crew waiting for us:

Jake, me, Neighbor Pete, Jess, Donna, Pete2, Kevin. I couldn't ask for better friends!  I was expecially moved to see Jake and Neighbor Pete there.  Jake lives in Rockford and travels throughout the week for work, it was no easy task for him to coordinate getting there.  Pete though....Pete left his vacation in Michigan to come home just for the dinner and was driving back to Michigan the next morning.  Thats just awesome!

My gents (minus Kevin).  Pete, Jake, Pete

My ladies Donna and Katie.

 

There is love <3

I've hung out a lot with these three the last few weeks (months?)  I will miss them completely.

 This is what a very happy Kassi looks like :)

 

Kevin, Pete, me, Jess.  The best neighbors and roommates a girl could ask for! 

 

Donna and me up to our old shanannigans.

Donna, me and Jess

 

Jess and Jake.  They will miss each other more than they realize ;)

 

Me, Jess, and Jake :)

 

I love my friends!!