Today was a great day.
For the past three weeks (well actually, ever since I got the call from Red Mango that I would be off the schedule until further notice) I've been kind of nocturnal. Nothing to do all day, why not sleep? Why not watch youtube videos and play Temple Run 2 until, three, four, or five in the morning?
It makes me feel like crap, honestly, waking up for the first time after noon.
So for the past few days I've been waking up earlier. ( by earlier I mean 12:30 but hey, jet lag won't be as bad this way maybe).
Today I knew I wanted to get stuff done, and I actually had a plan.
I quite enjoy going out shopping by myself, on my own time, with my own pace.
I just recently started packing for my trip, and came up with this list of things to get.
If I have a list of things, I generally look at it and say, "hmm, these things will be cheapest in Walmart."
So I make the trek over to the bad part of town and go through our weird Walmart.
I felt like such a girl today, because everything I bought was for my hair, skin, and face. I got shampoo and conditioner, sun screen lip balm, sunscreen for the face, sunscreen for the body, moisturizer for the face, liquid foundation, makeup removing cloths, body wash...everything. It was kind of a kid in a candy store situation and it was out of control for a bit but I got it together and knocked down the final price. I was guilty about having all of this stuff, but then I said, hey, I haven't really exploited half of these products ever before in my life so I'm overdue, and also, they'd cost literally 3x as much if I bought them in Australia. They're also not very big so I'll either use them up or I can just donate them to Emily U if need be.
I like how I'm justifying all of this to you, dear reader.
I also found a bathing suit!
Here's the thing, I am plus size, I have a long torso, and it is nearly impossible for me to find a bathing suit that fits and is decent looking. I am very lucky when I find one that fits - and when two fit in one trip, it's a good day for me to buy a lottery ticket or something.
The last bathing suit I had, I got in Kohl's. It was a swimdress, and I had worn it in the ocean several times, so I threw it in the machine to wash. Ha! My swimdress turned into a swimpromgown.
All summer at Silver Bay I had to hold it up on the sides like I was wearing a curtain or going up the stairs to accept an Oscar for "Best Display of Horrible Laundry Judgement".
Good old stretched out black fabric wouldn't hold up to a hemming job (particularly if I did it) so I've been on the lookout for a bathing suit. But no one has had them out yet, and those that did, have only had tankinis.
I don't understand tankinis. the only thing they have going for them in my opinion is that they're easy to change. have one pair of bottoms and then two or three tops. Mix and match. I think they're just trying to be as modest as a one-piece but then appeal to those who can't afford / can't find more than one and get bored with colors. I don't like them on me, because they don't fit long torso.
In that spirit, it was a joy to find a swimdress in Walmart today!
I then came home and had Taco Bell for dinner, which if any of you know anything about me, you know that it is always Taco Tuesday in my house and I have a crazy toxic love affair with Taco Bell (and the intestines of steel that accompany eating it faithfully for 22 years). Is that TMI? or a reminder of common knowledge?
My day has only gone a tad downhill since I haven't gotten any response to my job applications yet. I started up the laptop for the first time in a few days just so that I could start applying to a few more. I found one that I really want, so I want to write a fantastic Cover Letter - Resume combo that lands me at least an interview. I'm hoping I don't get faced with the dreaded "absolutely no working holiday visa applicants" scenario that has been cropping up every now and again.
Dominos Pizza, actually has so far had the most emphatic denial of all working holiday applicants.
Now I'm keeping up with my normal streak of going to bed late, seeing as it is almost 3:30 am.
Tomorrow I will be bringing down the suitcases and summer clothes, really getting everything organized, because I am flying out on Tuesday!
So I guess next week's Taco Tuesday dinner will come from Dallas Fort Worth airport. Hope it's good ;)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
A Plague On Both Your Houses, Priceline
Welcome back, you glorious reader.
Let me start by shamelessly pointing out that the title of my post is a reference to Romeo and Juliet and/or Shakespeare in Love (a movie that I hasten to point out, I bought in FYE for a modest $2)
(It also reminds me of the fact that while in a haunted cemetery tour in Edinburgh, we were warned that most of the buried had been killed by the plague - therefore covered in plague bacteria - so don't touch anything) but the real point of this blog is my short rant about Priceline negotiator.
The first leg of my flight is to Dallas Fort Worth airport. While researching my flights to Australia, it was already decided that myself and Emily G were moving into Emily U( now B post-marriage)'s house - and I had two options: a layover in LA, or a layover in Dallas.
Dallas! Then I could fly with Emily! Boom.
But then, considering the flight is ~17 hours and only runs once per day at 10 pm, it was reckless that the connecting flight from JFK would land in Dallas at 8:30 pm - in FEBRUARY aka Snow Month.
I didn't want to gamble, so I asked Emily if she would be okay with my coming the day before, if she wanted to stay with me in a hotel or if she wanted to meet at the airport or whatever. So she said sure, let's get a hotel.
Just this week she used Priceline to get a cheap rate on this really convenient hotel that she stayed in during her previous study abroad airport business (she was in Japan while Emily U/B and I were in London). Priceline rejected her first bid for being too low, and then the next bid was accepted - but with the $20 or so in fees, it ended up being the same price had we just gone and done it through the official website.
In other words - curse you, Priceline negotiator! William Shatner is a LIAR! Oh look, a commercial for it is on right now. Kaley Cuoco is so pretty. ANYWAY
The site should be called Priceline REJECTOR! (Ever notice how comical and cheesy a declaration looks with an exclamation point?) Plus this hotel is 4-star but doesnt include breakfast? true story. Nice move, Radisson. They've got class for days, apparently.
On top of my flying in a day early, the only direct flight from LaGuardia to Dallas was over five. hundred. dollars. What?? Thats $100 less than JFK to LONDON!! Why???? So I got a flight that lays over in Philadelphia. That'll be fun, especially if it snows on that day as well...good thing I got that trusty insurance...
In other news, I've been applying to some jobs in Brisbane.
I applied to a shoe store, The Athlete's Foot
A clothing store, Witchery
and both Australian Equivalents of Burger King (Hungry Jack's) and Coldstone (Cold Rock).
The thing about a working holiday visa is that it allows me to work, but not to start a career. It is an opportunity to legally work in Australia, but only enough work to fund a long holiday, not to legit steal real jobs from Australians.
I am not averse to retail or food service jobs anyway because they will get the bills paid (minimum wage is $16 an hour), and I'm not staying very long anyway. Also, part of the visa is that I can only work in one place for 6 months. I plan on being there about six months, so that's that too...
In closing, I have a bit of irony to get you through the long week:
One of the first places I knew I wanted to apply to was McDonalds.
1) I might never want to eat it again after (good for my figure)
2) When Devin studied abroad in Australia they offered her $21 an hour
3) I hear they're alwaysss hiring. I could clean the bathroom for $21 an hour. I could drop and salt french fries for $21 an hour.
4) there's that running joke, "the architecture major asks, 'do you want a spiral staircase in your house?', the physics major asks, 'why is the universe so damn complicated?' the liberal arts major asks, 'do you want fries with that?' " I figure why not become part of the joke.
I go on the application online, and I start filling it out, entering our new address, name all that jazz, and then it had a little drop-down box with your documentation allowing you to work in Australia. Choices of Australian passport, australian birth certificate, pending australian citizenship, student visa, working holiday maker visa 8417.
So I'm like, is that the one I have?
I look it up, because when Emily gave me the link for the working holiday visa, only one subclass was available for americans.
It's not that one.
The irony there being, apparently Americans can't work in Australian McDonald's (or slightly less ironic and more likely - they just can't apply online without lying!)
I am more than enthusiastic to be wrong about this, so please if any of you know anything or find anything out about this, let me know!
Let me start by shamelessly pointing out that the title of my post is a reference to Romeo and Juliet and/or Shakespeare in Love (a movie that I hasten to point out, I bought in FYE for a modest $2)
(It also reminds me of the fact that while in a haunted cemetery tour in Edinburgh, we were warned that most of the buried had been killed by the plague - therefore covered in plague bacteria - so don't touch anything) but the real point of this blog is my short rant about Priceline negotiator.
The first leg of my flight is to Dallas Fort Worth airport. While researching my flights to Australia, it was already decided that myself and Emily G were moving into Emily U( now B post-marriage)'s house - and I had two options: a layover in LA, or a layover in Dallas.
Dallas! Then I could fly with Emily! Boom.
But then, considering the flight is ~17 hours and only runs once per day at 10 pm, it was reckless that the connecting flight from JFK would land in Dallas at 8:30 pm - in FEBRUARY aka Snow Month.
I didn't want to gamble, so I asked Emily if she would be okay with my coming the day before, if she wanted to stay with me in a hotel or if she wanted to meet at the airport or whatever. So she said sure, let's get a hotel.
Just this week she used Priceline to get a cheap rate on this really convenient hotel that she stayed in during her previous study abroad airport business (she was in Japan while Emily U/B and I were in London). Priceline rejected her first bid for being too low, and then the next bid was accepted - but with the $20 or so in fees, it ended up being the same price had we just gone and done it through the official website.
In other words - curse you, Priceline negotiator! William Shatner is a LIAR! Oh look, a commercial for it is on right now. Kaley Cuoco is so pretty. ANYWAY
The site should be called Priceline REJECTOR! (Ever notice how comical and cheesy a declaration looks with an exclamation point?) Plus this hotel is 4-star but doesnt include breakfast? true story. Nice move, Radisson. They've got class for days, apparently.
On top of my flying in a day early, the only direct flight from LaGuardia to Dallas was over five. hundred. dollars. What?? Thats $100 less than JFK to LONDON!! Why???? So I got a flight that lays over in Philadelphia. That'll be fun, especially if it snows on that day as well...good thing I got that trusty insurance...
In other news, I've been applying to some jobs in Brisbane.
I applied to a shoe store, The Athlete's Foot
A clothing store, Witchery
and both Australian Equivalents of Burger King (Hungry Jack's) and Coldstone (Cold Rock).
The thing about a working holiday visa is that it allows me to work, but not to start a career. It is an opportunity to legally work in Australia, but only enough work to fund a long holiday, not to legit steal real jobs from Australians.
I am not averse to retail or food service jobs anyway because they will get the bills paid (minimum wage is $16 an hour), and I'm not staying very long anyway. Also, part of the visa is that I can only work in one place for 6 months. I plan on being there about six months, so that's that too...
In closing, I have a bit of irony to get you through the long week:
One of the first places I knew I wanted to apply to was McDonalds.
1) I might never want to eat it again after (good for my figure)
2) When Devin studied abroad in Australia they offered her $21 an hour
3) I hear they're alwaysss hiring. I could clean the bathroom for $21 an hour. I could drop and salt french fries for $21 an hour.
4) there's that running joke, "the architecture major asks, 'do you want a spiral staircase in your house?', the physics major asks, 'why is the universe so damn complicated?' the liberal arts major asks, 'do you want fries with that?' " I figure why not become part of the joke.
I go on the application online, and I start filling it out, entering our new address, name all that jazz, and then it had a little drop-down box with your documentation allowing you to work in Australia. Choices of Australian passport, australian birth certificate, pending australian citizenship, student visa, working holiday maker visa 8417.
So I'm like, is that the one I have?
I look it up, because when Emily gave me the link for the working holiday visa, only one subclass was available for americans.
It's not that one.
The irony there being, apparently Americans can't work in Australian McDonald's (or slightly less ironic and more likely - they just can't apply online without lying!)
I am more than enthusiastic to be wrong about this, so please if any of you know anything or find anything out about this, let me know!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog, all about the forthcoming adventures to be had in the great continent of Australia.
Australia? What? Yes, that big island down there, one of the closest countries to Antarctica yet the hottest country I'll ever willingly go. The land where some of the nicest people on earth bid each other G'day as they ride to work on kangaroos and never leave the house without safari gear and a bandana kerchief. (totally kidding).
Why am I moving to Australia? Because I can. It's reason enough for reason to take a back seat.
Who will I be with? Emily 1, Emily 2, Emmily and Cal! We will be living in a cute modestly priced four-bedroom house in the city of Brisbane. Emily 1 and Emily 2 are from Hollins, Cal is the new husband of Emily 2, and Emmily is a lovely Australian native.
If only my name were Emily as well, then we could have color coded everything and a travel channel reality show, "Adventures of the Emilys" or "Emilys Gone Wild" or some other crazy Emily/Australia pun I can't think of right now because it's 1 in the morning.
We will be on the look-out for a fifth roommate whose name starts with "H" so that we can call ourselves, "C.H.E.E.S.E."
So I imagine that everyone I am allowing to receive the link to this blog will have some minor interest in these Australian adventures.
Maybe it'll convince you to make the bold move to another country because you can.
Maybe it'll be the only pieces of Australia you will see. (but lets hope not!)
Maybe you've been to Australia and want to live vicariously through me. (talking to you, Devin :P )
Maybe you're just bored and my ramblings might give you a chuckle or five at some point.
Any reason you have clicked on this link, be forewarned:
I talk about myself a lot, I blog when I'm feeling a full range of emotion, I might get explicit, I whine, I rant, I ramble, I'm politically incorrect...sometimes correct...you get the idea. Just don't be surprised if at some point you're like, woah Sarah, woah, reel in the crazy a bit.
Some of you read my London blog, and I'll make the promise now that this blog will be a bit different. I'm re-reading my blog from the London trip, just shaking my head at how worried I was around this time. On this exact date two years ago, I was worrying my little head off about how we hadn't been told where we were living yet.
Well I can say that we have a house in Australia :)
I've been applying for jobs, I've been preparing my clothes and my things and everything. I'll even start packing tomorrow probably. I don't know what it is about this trip but when I went to London, everyone was more excited for it than I was. This time it's the opposite.
I'll admit I don't know anything about Brisbane. I don't know what's there besides a river, and our address, Emily and Cal, and lots and lots of big spiders. It's a place of pure discovery, which is just the best. I don't know what to expect, so I can't possibly be let down. (I'll probably find a way...if for no other reason than to keep this blog interesting for you).
I'm moving to Australia indefinitely, and I can't wait.
Australia? What? Yes, that big island down there, one of the closest countries to Antarctica yet the hottest country I'll ever willingly go. The land where some of the nicest people on earth bid each other G'day as they ride to work on kangaroos and never leave the house without safari gear and a bandana kerchief. (totally kidding).
Why am I moving to Australia? Because I can. It's reason enough for reason to take a back seat.
Who will I be with? Emily 1, Emily 2, Emmily and Cal! We will be living in a cute modestly priced four-bedroom house in the city of Brisbane. Emily 1 and Emily 2 are from Hollins, Cal is the new husband of Emily 2, and Emmily is a lovely Australian native.
If only my name were Emily as well, then we could have color coded everything and a travel channel reality show, "Adventures of the Emilys" or "Emilys Gone Wild" or some other crazy Emily/Australia pun I can't think of right now because it's 1 in the morning.
We will be on the look-out for a fifth roommate whose name starts with "H" so that we can call ourselves, "C.H.E.E.S.E."
So I imagine that everyone I am allowing to receive the link to this blog will have some minor interest in these Australian adventures.
Maybe it'll convince you to make the bold move to another country because you can.
Maybe it'll be the only pieces of Australia you will see. (but lets hope not!)
Maybe you've been to Australia and want to live vicariously through me. (talking to you, Devin :P )
Maybe you're just bored and my ramblings might give you a chuckle or five at some point.
Any reason you have clicked on this link, be forewarned:
I talk about myself a lot, I blog when I'm feeling a full range of emotion, I might get explicit, I whine, I rant, I ramble, I'm politically incorrect...sometimes correct...you get the idea. Just don't be surprised if at some point you're like, woah Sarah, woah, reel in the crazy a bit.
Some of you read my London blog, and I'll make the promise now that this blog will be a bit different. I'm re-reading my blog from the London trip, just shaking my head at how worried I was around this time. On this exact date two years ago, I was worrying my little head off about how we hadn't been told where we were living yet.
Well I can say that we have a house in Australia :)
I've been applying for jobs, I've been preparing my clothes and my things and everything. I'll even start packing tomorrow probably. I don't know what it is about this trip but when I went to London, everyone was more excited for it than I was. This time it's the opposite.
I'll admit I don't know anything about Brisbane. I don't know what's there besides a river, and our address, Emily and Cal, and lots and lots of big spiders. It's a place of pure discovery, which is just the best. I don't know what to expect, so I can't possibly be let down. (I'll probably find a way...if for no other reason than to keep this blog interesting for you).
I'm moving to Australia indefinitely, and I can't wait.
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