Loves and Loathes of September

Loves:

• Our engagement party is this weekend! Our lounge and dining area currently looks a little unkempt (and is likely to start looking more so) as I finish off the DIY part of our decorations. I'm glad I decided to outsource a couple of things - the reality is that it is sometimes better to pay someone else for their time than to try and do it yourself. Even with working two thirteen-hour days this week (less than will be usual) I've still managed to get in bed at a decent hour and avoid tears - yes, I am about nine years old inside!
• The beautiful sunny days we've had recently - hard to love this when the wind is literally blowing a gale but the fact that we've had a few lovely warm days must mean that proper spring is on it's way, right?
• That Liv Bambola has confirmed that she is coming to the wedding! This is something that friends of mine who aren't as web-connected really don't understand... Liv knows me better than a lot of the people I am friendly with in real life. She's been in my life for my change of careers, when I met the man of my dreams and when I realised that he was the man of my dreams. Along with others (you guys should know who you are!), you've experienced both the light and the dark sides of my life - not just my "public face". Through DM conversations on Twitter and Facebook love, you've become not just web friends but real friends. So as hard as it is to understand, there are some of my ladies whom, although we live oceans apart, I would love to be there for my special day. That's why I'm so excited that she has confirmed that she can come!
• Seeing a metal rooster in a garden store and thinking "Knock knock, motherf**ker" - hand up if you know what I'm talking about :)

Loathes:

• Finding out that yet another person dear to me is dealing with cancer... honestly, f**k cancer. I don't swear often on the net, but it totally applies. Stop ruining people's lives!
• Spring Mating Season as a teacher - proven fact, as the weather gets warmer, the student population suddenly gets a lot more coupley and the PDA gets a lot more full on. I wish I was joking... I'm really not. I'm considering getting a spray bottle - hey, if it works for domestic animals, should work on people, right?
• The plateau... I'm plateaued at around seventeen kilos down. I really need to lose another ten at least before would be happy but this is so frustrating. I'm getting to the point where I'm sabotaging myself to stay here - "If I'm not going to lose anything or gain anything then I may as well eat what I want". Yes, I'm aware that sentence makes absolutely no sense... it really makes me question what in me makes me think that way.
• Money - it's not that I loathe money itself (it definitely has good uses) nor am I loathing the lack thereof (I'm actually not too badly off at the moment). I guess I'm loathing having to think about it... loathing adjusting wedding budgets, loathing the thought of extra money and the sensible things I should do with it instead of blow it on fun stuff. Ha ha, maybe I'm just loathing being a grown-up :)

What are you loving and loathing this month, Scribblettes?

What I want...

Lately I've been overwhelmed by a Verucca Salt type urge to buy an iPad - "SB, I want a 16G iPad and I want it NOW". With some upcoming tutoring opportunities (and a very generous hubby-to-be that believes I should see some of the fruits of my labour), this might become a reality. I thought in the same little "I want, I want..." vein (or should that be vain? LOL), I'd compile a list of what I'm lusting over at the moment!

1. White 16 Gig iPad - to 3G or not to 3G, that is the question

2. The Natasha Tablet Case from Forever New - how could I not?

3. High-Low Hem Silk Animal Print Dress from Forever New - I would feel so glam in this!

4. A course of microdermabrasion - my skin's texture is just awful at the moment

5. A pair of pants that didn't feel baggy - put on my "tight" jeans today only to find out that they are no longer so... this losing weight bizzo is expensive!

6. A concession pass to yoga lessons - Chandeleah has got me wanting to try hot yoga! I think I might try their hot yin class first!

7. A new swimsuit - nothing too sexy, something that will hold the "girls" in place while doing aquarobics... I very nearly had a wardrobe malfunction last session!

8. A new home office set-up - this will definitely have to wait until the business makes some money!

Phew, it feels good to get that all out! I don't feel quite as needy anymore! In my experience, when you put it out there it's far more likely to happen - whether you believe it's God or the universe, I'm sure you've had a similar experience!

What are you wanting at the moment, Scribblettes?

A bigger stretch...

After spending up large on gifts and experiences in January/February I settled down last night to look at my bank accounts. Mixed emotions really... it was pay day so I paid off my credit card - that in itself shows a better grasp on my money, that I can pay my credit card off every fortnight. I know some people are able to go without credit cards but I love being able to shop online and earn rewards points at the same time.

But...

(and you knew there was one of those coming)

by the time that I had paid off my credit card, and transfered money to SB for bills (they're paid out of his account) and factored in that my car needs some rust repair before I can get my Warrant of Fitness (and this needs to be done by the end of the month!) my formerly plump bank account started to look a little on the slim side. I had been contemplating have a spending splurge to get myself set up for winter but the car has to come first!

I'm still living with a small bank account, feeling the repercussions of a long period of studying and this really limits me when it comes to expenses that are out of the usual. I've got to the point where I'm not stressing about how to make ends meet but I am still having to be cunning about planning the timeline for when each pair of ends will be meeting (stretching the metaphor, I know). It's time for a "go hard or go home" goal here people!

By May 14th, I will be out of overdraft!

You saw it here first people! With an fun budget of $50 per week and some careful planning, I can do it!

Goals Update - Feb 2011

Goals are nothing without accountability so I am updating how well I have done to date!

1. Lose 22 of the 31 kgs I have left to lose - only lost 1.4 kgs in January, less than expected. Amping my efforts up for February!

2. Get out of debt (apart from student loans) - I can definitely see the progress in this so far, feeling much more at ease. SB and I have also set a financial tone for the year so that we can reach our goals.

3. Organise a monthly social event with all my girls - All set for Wine Club this Friday!

4. Exercise at least three times a week - Have stuck with this aside from the week in which I had stitches in my arm.

5. Have monthly filing/organisational binges - having one this Sunday! I had hoped to have it on the last weekend of Jan but it was just insanely busy (three major events)

6. Take the stairs whenever possible - my attitude to exercise has definitely changed... I'm feeling more and more that it is something that I want to do.

7. Dry-brush before every shower - not 100% but I definitely feel better when I do, more energetic

8. Moisturise daily - again not 100% but definitely more than I used to. Can totally tell the difference in my skin!

9. Read 52 books this year - 10 so far!

10. Spend less than $60 per clothing item this year (except bras and dresses for extremely special occasions, ie. weddings) - all good so far! Have a wedding coming up this month and I'm waiting until the last minute to buy the dress. Hoping for a couple of really big loss weeks.

11. Make more - definitely trying to do more at home meals, make more of our own entertainment at home - it definitely helps with goal number 2!

What about the money, honey?

I just had a really weird conversation with one of my friends.

This Christmas it has become more clear to SB and I that with our combined life, having a combined bank account would be really handy. My work is more flexible and I'm often able to run more errands - a large amount of the Christmas presents we've bought have been discussed by us and then bought by me. Not to mention the pain-in-the-rear it is with his weekly budgeting and my fortnightly pay and the inevitable 2nd Tuesday night discussion of how much I need to transfer to his account to cover bills. It might work for others but for us, we've decided that when we decide to combine our lives officially, we may as well combine finances.

SB is in a considerably better financial position than I am (I know, on the web it often seems like things are the other way around) - he left school and went straight into employment, he lived rent-free (only paying expenses) until we moved in together. He has no debt from car purchases or student loans. I on the other hand... was pretty much in the financial pooh when we got together. All up, five and a half years of study had drained the well dry. My credit card was maxed out and my car (which cost me at least the purchase price in repairs in the four years after I got it) had ensured that I had stayed in overdraft pretty much as far as they will allow a student to go. A year later, the credit card is paid off and I'm attacking the overdraft... slowly.

Which leads me to the conversation I had today. Facebook chatting with a friend, she told me she was getting Subway today. I returned with I was eating what we had at home because we're trying to save money. She asked why and I returned with the fact that we are planning on merging our accounts but that I want to pay off my overdraft first. I did not expect the reaction I received. I got told that it was too soon (even though we will have been together over two years when we finally do merge the accounts), that it hadn't worked for her other friends (we don't even know their situation) and what if we broke up (uh, not planning on it)?

I was a bit stunned at the reaction - this isn't something that we've taken lightly. It's not even something that we're doing right now and we're still working on the fine tuning of when it will actually happen. I don't expect his investments to be counted in the pool of "our money" until we're married. As we get closer to the actual merge I have no doubt that there will be many more conversations about what will come from the "ours" account and what will come from the "his and hers" accounts.

I understand she's concerned... I understand for every positive experience that people have had, there's probably someone who has had a negative experience too. What is getting my goat the most is that she didn't even give me the chance to explain all of this.

Scribblettes, what's your experiences with money mergers? Have you had strong reactions from people too?

Long weekend...long shopping list.

It's a long weekend here in wee old NZ and it's sure living up to the name "Land of the long white cloud". On the upside we've managed to get up to date on a lot of the shopping we needed to do but the malls are packed and anything that required using a fitting room got postponed until there is a bit more room to breathe in the mall.

Bought:

• New boots (Number 1 Shoe Warehouse) - not sure whether this store is NZ exclusive. Great place for cheap shoes - doesn't hurt so much when they need resoling after one season. Take note, Hannahs, your fall-apart shoes should be half the price.
• New sheets - this winter has felt sooooo cold and the only flannelette sheeting we had was a hot pink sheet set from my early uni days. A little emasculating for SB. Two new sets of suitably gender neutral sheet sets on sale for 60% off.
• New hairbrush - was cleaning out my hairbrush the other day and realised I couldn't remember when I purchased it. I'm sure that there is a life cycle for these sorts of things... does anyone know? Anyway, bought a new "ionic grooming" brush - have no idea how these things work but my hair looked smoother :)
• Two cans of dry shampoo - my hair goes on the fritz if it's washed more than two times a week but sometimes you want to look polished and fresh. Batiste to the rescue :)
• Bike lock - needed a keyless solution to locking the gate on our driveway. Ghetto-fabulous combination bike chain to the rescue :)
• SB purchased some headphones for use with his iPhone - we ended up choosing some from the Skullcandy line I first heard about on NubbyTwiglet.com
• I bought a new keyring - my old one bit the dust and spat my keys everywhere. New one is gorgeous, with just a little bit of bling and a hidden compact mirror.

The one thing that has been an epic fail so far is trying to find decent winter dresses. I'd hoped to get a couple for our Christchurch sojourn but it seems that in NZ you need to dress more masculine if you are heading to cold climates. I had such high hopes for this dress but it made me look completely chestless - and let's face it, it's one of my finer features.

May the search continue... have any of my Scribblettes got the down-low on where to find winter dresses? My only requirements are long sleeves, black or jewel colours and flattering to a larger bust. Let me know!

Holiday Plans

Now that I have a full-time job and SB is able to take his vacation time, we wanted to have a nice long winter holiday. After tossing around many ideas of holiday locations, we decided on Rarotonga. We contacted our friend who is a travel agent and got pricing for the trip. It seemed affordable but we would have to save the money very quickly (from my first couple of pays) to ensure that we were able to go. Being a teacher has the downside of having to take annual leave during the holidays and it is best to book early. SB's workmate is getting married in Sept/Oct so those holidays weren't an option. July it was.

We then got the email saying that all the cheap flights had gone and we were now looking at NZ$500 more for what amounted to the same holiday. We looked at other holiday options in tropical locales and thought we had decided on one... but it just didn't sit right. SB and I were walking along in a local shopping mall a couple of weeks ago and realised that the thought of this holiday was stressing us out rather than relaxing us. We still want to take our tropical overseas getaway but we're willing to wait.

That still leaves the winter holidays and we would both like to get away - it's been a year since our last proper holiday away together and I will be coming out the other end of a long term (11 weeks, the kids will go crazy!). We wanted somewhere that we wouldn't really be able to do just a weekend, we wanted somewhere where there would be a chance of snow and we wanted somewhere where we would be able to relax for at least part of the time. So...

We're going back! We both loved the pace of Christchurch last time we were down there and with my little sister living down there we have even more reason to go. We're flying in and driving straight up to Hanmer Springs, staying for two nights and then plan to drive back to Christchurch via Kaikoura. We'll then spend another four days in Christchurch, checking out some of the attractions outside the CBD and visiting my sister at the Army Camp out at Burnham. I'm looking forward to it more than I could have hoped and I'm so glad that we made this decision. We won't be sunning ourselves drinking cocktails on the beach in a month and a half but we'll be relaxing together in some beautiful places and that's what matters the most to me.

Now I am rich...

No, unfortunately I haven't won the lotto... wouldn't that be nice? But since I established myself as a relief teacher I've been earning more on average per week than I did in my previous incarnation as a marketing and PR assistant. Compared to my student wages it really has been "OMG that is soo much money". I will freely admit that I am not used to it. And now that I have gained a full-time position until the end of the year, that sort of money will be coming in on a regular basis. Part of me is still goggled eyed at the money that arrives in my bank account (doesn't help I get paid fortnightly so it is an even larger number) but part of me knows I have to take action with this cash - spend it wisely if you will.

Talking with SB, we have decided on three major priorities I will focus on this year:

1) Getting my bank accounts back on track - embarrassed to admit it but my holiday job did not prvide me with the income that I had hoped for over the summer break. I had also made the assumption that I would get a teaching job that started Term 1. First goal (to be accomplished in the next two months) is to get all accounts sitting back in the black.

2) Overseas holiday - yes, SB loves me so much he's willing to hop on a plane with me again. The last couple of years have been rough for me with study and Mama Scribbles' illness and so we plan on laxing out on a South Pacific island for five days or so - Rarotonga is currently winning in the destination stakes and we're finding it likely that we will have to go in July, so plans will have to be made shortly.

3) New car - well, new old car. An automatic transmission so that commuting is not such a pain in the ass. I think that SB would like this to come before the holiday, but we compromise. It will still be happening before the end of the year.

So I'm socking cash away for that, plus for an emergency fund. But I do want to enjoy some of this cash, so how do I reconcile these lofty goals with having fun? I weigh up what I'm going to buy against the enjoyment that it will give me. This morning was a bad morning - I mean, a really bad morning. So I splurged on a mocha from the cafe at work and the effect it had on me was absolutely worth the "unnecessary" $4. Buying clothes that make me feel confident and professional, buying extra food so we can provide a great (and responsible) party experience for our friends this weekend, shouting my boyfriend dinner when I get my first full-time paycheck - all feel good options and as long as I keep maintaining steady progress towards my goal, I'm happy. Your thoughts, Scribblettes?

Being alternative doesn't always pay...

Literally.

With the relief teaching and some casual shifts at my old arts centre job, ends should finally be meeting. New Zealand is slightly odd in charging you higher income tax on whatever job you take in addition to your main job. Working for the Ministry of Education (who pays all teachers in New Zealand) is considered my first job and taxed at the appropriate level for my income generated while the arts centre job is taxed at 33%. Still, as a couple we can still manage.

Unless I don't get paid.

Approached in the staff room today by the Payroll Officer of High School #1, I was told that she had forgotten to submit all relievers' pay. Ergo, a full week worked at said high school would not be paid next pay day (I worked at High School #2 the following week for three days and get paid fortnightly) and was that okay?

I don't like to make people feel bad, but I had to tell her that it was not okay. I have to make my half of the rent, my half of the bills, my half of the groceries. My parents have been generous to me up to now but are having to help my sister out with payment for her car as well as having car problems of their own. As SB and I are only in a dating relationship (not engaged, married, etc) I feel uncomfortable about asking him to shoulder any extra costs. It's not okay... I need the money and I need to be paid it when it was meant to be paid.

I try not to pity myself - I know there are parts of being a teacher that I miss out on due to the path I have taken. Being paid automatically is only a very small perk. I miss out on getting to plan my own classes. I miss out on being able to build relationships with students and having the same influence over them that their classroom teacher has. But when I made the resolution for February that I was going to be more proactive, I made the decision that relief teaching was better than no teaching.

The school has petty cash that may be able to cover this... but now, we wait.

Waiting... on my world to change...

I always find that my writing frequency decreases when I am in a bad mood. I guess that it is that I don't want to come across to the internet as a big whiney baby. "There's always someone worse off than you" keeps running through my head at an alarming rate. The fact that I was wanting to chew off my fist out of sheer frustration this afternoon begs to differ. So I give you the option now of stopping reading this purely self-indulgent pity party of a post if you want... now.

Money Money Money...

... must be funny, in a rich man's world.

I am a compulsive planner, as some of you may know (it's not exactly a secret :D) and I struggle when I come up against a wall where I can plan no further. Having looked up the ERO reports for all the high schools in the error, selected which schools I am keen to work with and having prepared CVs and subscriptions to job sites... it's now just a waiting game until those jobs become advertised. I can't stress about my registration yet - we can't apply for it until November - so my mind has turned even further ahead.

My student allowance runs out at the middle of November, leaving me to subsist purely on my work wages (which, btw, is not a lot). My work contract expires just prior to Christmas. I'm not likely to get paid from whatever teaching job I find until the second week of February. I had a mild-to-moderate panic about this last night... at least a month (and probably closer to two) with no income at all.

SB is being lovely and volunteering to help me with my bills. My parents will help out too. But part of me feels pathetic that at 24, I can't do this alone. Saving to cover the period I have off is a nice idea in theory, but I don't have enough left over at the end of the week at the moment to make a significant difference. I'd like to find a secondary job, but I need to know my end dates (i.e. when I start teaching) before I accept any work.

What it boils down to is that I need to find a teaching job for next year and then work backwards, hopefully finding some employment that can work in with that. I need to suck things up and accept the help of my parents, telling myself that this will be the last time I ever need their assistance. I need to appreciate SB's offer and let him help where he can. Most of all, I just need to focus on the here and now... let the other pieces fall into place as it comes.

Still, if anyone knows of any summer jobs...

But everyone else seems to have their $#!& together...

Photo Credit

Come join with me in the ranks of the socially retarded! Raise your hand if you are not where you had always planned and hoped to be. Say "aye" if you are completely happy with how your life is going BUT.

Life is so easy to measure by what we haven't done or what we don't have. Daily, we're shown in different ways by different people how far behind we really are. Just today, two different people's travel pictures have made me realise how little of the world I've seen and reading a friend's blog about how her plans for children has made me realised just how far off that dream is. Reading A cat of impossible colour reminds me that my slack ass is yet to craft anything worth sending to a publisher at all (another life-long dream - but I love your inspiration, Andrea, don't get me wrong!). I walked out the other end of the grocery checkout yesterday to see a leaflet on houses under $300,000 and it reminded me that I don't have a home to call my own. All this talk of engagement and marriages makes me look at my naked left hand and sigh... As I've discussed recently, patience is not my strong point. I want all of it and I want it now.

What's my antidote? Reasoning and planning. How does this work?

• Travel - most of the travel pics that make me jealous are people on their OE. An OE has just never appealed to me. If I'm going overseas, I want it to be purely on holiday and if that means that it takes me a while longer to get to exotic European destinations so be it. I'm also making travel a priority in my financial life, saving for my travels to Sydney next year and a trip to one of the french polynesian islands (as a 25th birthday present) in 2010.
• Marriage and babies - I can't plan anything for this. In fact, planning to be married and have children by certain ages is part of what has me feeling socially retarded. With this I just have to put my faith that this will happen at the right time and with the right person - I reason with myself that being unmarried and child-free is better than being a divorced, solo mother (not that there is anything wrong with that, I just don't feel that its a path I could handle very well).
• Writing - this is a bit more of a challenge and if I'm going to be perfectly frank, it's something that I just really need to get my ass into gear on. When I get sad about this one, I remind myself that I only have myself to blame - there is absolutely no one and nothing but a lack of time set aside stopping me from achieving this one.
• Buying a house (and other big financial goals) - I have to appreciate that there is a finite amount that my student dollar can stretch and that I made the choice to go back to university in order to pursue a career that I am truly passionate about. Here again, planning helps. My hope is to save my dosh over summer break 09/10 and the first six months of 2010 (with full time money!!) to buy a replacement car for my old bomb and then save furiously for a downpayment on a small wee house or unit that I can cover the mortgage myself. I've got this urge to have a place of my own... regardless of size :D

So this is how I handle being behind where I want to be - it also helps to talk to others and realise that regardless of what goals they have achieved, there are areas that they've fallen behind. So share with Aunty Scribbles... where do you feel you're lagging behind?

Sensitive Skin...

And by this, I don't mean I have an skin that doesn't respond well to criticism :D

I was a late bloomer in my teens; as a result of this, my skin cleaning regime was... well, non-existent. I didn't have the problems with pimples and acne that my friends had, my boyfriend at the time preferred me without makeup on so I didn't worry about clogging pores. I washed my face when I washed my hands, and that was about it. It worked for me right up until the end of high school.

Roll in the uni years. Poor diet combined with undiagnosed PCOS and my skin was at the worst it has ever been. It was never the cystic acne that I know other teens have had to deal with, but it was pretty horrific for me. Combine that with being at my fattest and having these inexplicable (at the time) abdominal pains and I felt revolting! I tried the usual supermarket brands but they didn't do much... I just resigned myself to having zitty skin. I figured it was a punishment for the awesome skin I'd had during my teens.

I started my marketing and PR career and was introduced to the skin care brand Dr.Hauschka. It's more than just a cleanse, tone, moisturise routine - there's a deeper philosophy behind all the treatments. I tell you what, being told to use a moisturising oil on my already oily skin was the most bizarre thing I'd ever heard - but it worked. Every time I had a break out, I'd prime my skin with Normalising Day Oil mixed with RejuvenatingMask and layer my foundation on the top. By the time that I'd take my foundation off at night it was like "BAM... and the pimples are gone" (bonus points if you get that reference). I'd found a solution that really worked. Once my skin was more normalised I switched to the Rose Day Cream Light. Rose oil has a balancing effect on my naturally combination skin.

Fast forward to the start of 2008. BIG problem. I left my full time job and suddenly that price point seemed way beyond what I could justify. While Dr.Hauschka isn't as hideously expensive as products like La Mer, it is imported from Germany and created from organic and biodynamically grown ingredients and the price reflects this. Back to the supermarket brands I went... and my skin went crazy. It felt like this one particular product I had used had actually chemically burnt my skin. In desperation I ran to the pharmacy to find something to soothe my skin and purchased the Trilogy Everything Balm. I was looking for something that would superhydrate my skin and let me move my jaw without feeling like part of my face was going to split off. It worked! More to the point, it was a lower price point than I had expected. I decided to purchase the range to use and I've never regretted it. I'm still yet to work out the miracle concoction like I had for Dr.Hauschka, but my skin is much happier with me :D

What's your skincare routine? Do you have any secret potions that work for you?

Pointless Depression

I just have to share with you guys how silly I am when it comes to that silly old thing called "Money". Being at home I've been able to save a lot of money over the last six months and stop living such a hand-to-mouth existence. I've been happy about the way that my bank accounts/credit card/general financial existence looks healthier and it's allowed me to make exciting plans for the future (January holiday to Christchurch, July holiday to Sydney) as well as cover my irregular expenses - I have a separate account I put money aside in for this, and it covers things like car registration, WOFs and general larger item purchases.

A week ago, I had to fork out some money for car registration (which I'd saved money for, and needed urgently as it had expired already -oooops), some presents (which I had saved money for and were on sale at an insanely cheap price and also needed to be purchased before Christmas) and tickets to Christchurch for January holiday (which I had saved for and were on an insane discount, almost 20% off regular cheapest price). I had plenty of money earmarked for all of this, plus my weekly spending and it was lovely to just be able to make all the necessary payments without having to do a lot of mental mathematics to make sure I'd be able to survive.

That was until I opened up my online banking a couple of days later to make an electronic transfer. My heart just dropped. Where had all my money gone? The hysterical thing is that most of it was still right there. I was all depressed because my account balances were lower than they had been, even though I was only spending money on things I had already earmarked it for. I'm not living on the bones of my butt but it just made me feel so poor. Regardless of how much money I earn in future, I don't think I'm ever going to feel any different about this.

Do any of my readers have this problem? This pointless depression at watching numbers go down even when it is for things you have already planned? Or am I a miserly nutcase?

Blog Action Day - Poverty!

As a uni student (especially one who has come from the full time work force) it is so easy to proclaim that you are poor or you are broke... with the cost of living rising, what my meagre income could purchase at the beginning of this year will buy me less now. When friends are buying houses, funding weddings, purchasing boats and you are trying to toss up between going out this weekend and finally replacing that pair of pants that are close to death, it's easy to whinge.
Then you meet with some people that have been administering aid in Nigeria. They tell you a tale of a family haunted by the evils of HIV. A husband made "redundant" from his job that is the only income for his family... his five-year-struggle to get the pay out from the company in which he showed up to the headquarters every day. How their mud floor of their house would get unbelievably muddy whenever it rains and how grateful they were when a donation paid for a concrete floor in the house - that they considered they were living in luxury because they no longer had to wallow in ankle deep mud in wet weather.
This couple then went on to tell me about their children who are currently working in Amsterdam, one of the hubs of human trafficking due to the large sex trade there. They opened my eyes to the fact that there are currently more people in bonded labour (human trafficking and the slave trade in some eastern countries) then there were prior to the emancipation of African slaves in America. These people, often working in brothels or other sub-humane conditions, truly do live in poverty. They own nothing - even the clothing on their backs is not theirs to call their own- and they live in a cycle of fear and recrimination, unable to escape.
I'm living in poverty? Yeah right!

Give: Purchased a "Love Your Body" t-shirt to support EDEN - a network to support those with eating disorders.

Nose back to grindstone...

My lovely mid-semester break is over and I'm back at university. My attendance last semester was somewhat... shall we say "sporadic"?... as we dealt with everything that was going on at home with Mum and so I've assigned myself the task for the latter half of the year of making sure I go to all my classes. I didn't do as well in a couple of the assignments as I'd hoped, so there's definitely improvement that can happen there!

It's somewhat depressing when you receive your living costs from your student loan and pay out about $80 of the $150 on transport alone in the first day... and this is what students are meant to live on. I drive to the train station nearest my work (otherwise I would struggle to make it to work on time a couple of days a week) and then catch the train the rest of the way to the city (45mins still, only in AKL!) In my teaching school interview the woman administering the language comprehension tests told us that ideally we wouldn't work outside of our placements for the year... now considering I pay my parents $125 rent (which would be more - and has been - if I was living with people who didn't feel obliged to keep me LOL) and transport may be even worse next year (multiple transfers or driving my car) I'm not exactly sure how this is meant to work for students who aren't being funded by a partner or kind parents :) Sorry lady, I'm going to have to work! Luckily I have a cruisy job that will let me either take care of my social admin - like you special darlings! - or knuckle down and study if that's what I really need.

And in random little Scribble-ness... I haven't been getting enough sleep lately, and sometimes it's obvious :) I have two pairs of pants that fit well at the moment and I've worn them to the point this winter that they are starting to wear out. I happened to sit down cross-legged in the hallway while waiting for a class yesterday and the middle of my thigh started to feel a bit of a breeze.... sure enough, I look down and there's a hole in the seam about the girth of my index finger. So what does tired old Scribbles do? Sits there looking at the hole and poking her leg jelly through it until it's time to go to class. You can tell I'm tired when something as tiny as this distracts me LOL

Gah... the shops don't want my money

After going for a nice walk and goss through the botanical gardens with my friend PCock we decided to go and have a browse at the moment. I'm looking to splurge on another pair of pants (I have like two that fit at the moment, and they are still baggy as) and a dress that M has told me I have to buy for her daughters' christening. Not as easy as it sounds... I have a "ghetto booty", which means that half these supposed mid-rises are still showing off a good solid chunk of butt cleavage. I found two passable pairs of pants but I didn't love either of them... I got the style number of the most adequate pair of pants but I'm so not excited about them. I found one dress that didn't look like I was going to a funeral or out clubbing (both not particularly apt for a christening) but it was in this ghastly peach colour that made me look like I hadn't slept in a month... le sigh. I've avoided those "mummy-style" shops... but maybe I need to suck it up and have a look. Who knows, I might find something amazing.

Organised!

We're in a bit of a holding pattern until next Tuesday when Mum sees the oncologist, but we're all doing what we can to get things as organised as possible before then. She'll go on chemo almost immediately so it makes to put everything in place now plus it's really helped me stop procrastinating about some of the things that I needed to do, especially in the financial realm of things. This morning, Mum and I went to the bank. Back when I first left home (at 17) she arranged for me to have a credit card for emergencies off her personal account - not the ones she shares with dad. This has worked perfectly fine for us for the intermittent five years or so, even though she is personally liable for the card I'm good about paying it off, blah blah blah. Heaven forbid that things take a turn for the worst, though, and it becomes a bit more awkward. So the bank has given me a tertiary credit card with the same limit (very low), no fees and they'll do a balance transfer. With both mum and I being there, it was simple as sugar to do. I also changed my Kiwisaver Retirement account to my brick-and-mortar bank after AXA announced that they were freezing all mortgage bonds! They are apparently assuring all customers that their Kiwisaver accounts are fine, but please! It doesn't appear that you can handle the investments that well. It's like a friend telling me they're good for the money because they have $100 cash in their purse, and never mind that they have $1000 in overdraft or CC balances LOL... weird analogy but you get the picture.
The best thing to come out of this morning (apart from the doc-prescribed sleeping pills that will let me continue to be superwoman LOL) though was the bank advising mum that they have pre-approved her to take a LOT of money out against the house (currently owned outright) if she needs to for treatment. This is a huge burden off our shoulders if it comes back that she's HER-2 positive and needs Herceptin - the dumb NZ government will only fund 9 weeks of a full year course - grrr! And we'll worry about the money side of things later, the most important thing is that she gets better!

Leaving on a jet plane...

Well, sort of. Fly out tomorrow for seven beautiful days in Christchurch (well, six and a half if I'm being pedantic). Sooooo busy today and even this post is being typed in at hyperspeed LOL. My boss forgot to submit my timesheet last week so I didn't get paid yesterday (d'oh) so I spent most of the morning rushing around getting the check from payroll (not the same site that I work on), taking the cheque to the bank of issue so that I could be paid the money in cash (rather than waiting for it to clear) and then taking the money to my bank (about a kilometer away from this bank - too short to drive, but a long way to walk when you are trying to be quick about it LOL) and depositing it in. After that I decided to splurge on getting a neck and shoulder massage from one of those little mall kiosks (I've been having some pain, so possibly the best $20 I spent in ages) and got my eyebrows waxed (a necessity, not a luxury LOL). Plugged in my digital camera and downloaded photos for the first time and I'm just about to run out the door to a personal training session... heck knows how that's going to go seeing I've been to sick to go to the gym recently... then it's home, shower, and glamming up for this work dinner in Botany Downs tonight.
In the process of organising to have high tea with a couple of girl friends at the Langham - it's $28 or $54 if you have champagne as well... one of the girls decided at short notice to have her engagement party this weekend and I'm going to miss it (LOL just can't win there) so this is sort of a make-up event. It's a bit of a splurge, but I'm going to be working full-time day shift the week I get back so it's easily covered.
Not quite sure how often I'll get to update this blog while I'm in Christchurch... still love ya anyway :D

God Damn... talk about needing to be wrapped in cotton wool

So it's my first night back at work yesterday, not including the Wednesday that I shouldn't have pushed myself to do yesterday and it all went sweet.... I was locking up the centre and there are swinging doors in between the foyer and the big heavy outer doors. When I go through to lock the outer doors one of the doors always hits me on the ass without fail. Last night I thought that I'd be really clever and grab the door behind me before it clipped me "where the Lord split me" but I underestimated the weight of the doors as they swung back and jammed my fingers. OUCH! I managed to get through the rest of lock up and the drive home without looking at my fingers - I knew if I did I would pass out - and it's just the ring finger and little finger on my right hand that are badly bruised.
Looking at my bank accounts in prep for my holiday and feeling in really good shape! Looks like being laid up ill is a really good antidote for spending! It also appears that I will be getting sick leave for the time that I missed last week and I cashed a check yesterday for a tax refund! Lots and lots of fun money. My friend K is now staying with me at the B&S maison (cousins) for two days, not just one, so will be fun fun times!