Out-of-Control

It is now official. I leave Australia on June 19th. I also arrive in Phoenix on June 19th (gotta love time zones). So keep that date posted people! I'll be back in the US soon!

How is it that only when you are thousands of miles away does shit happen? Here I am in Aussie Land and what happens? I get an e-mail from my bank informing me of insufficient funds. Hum, I think, that can't be right, when I paid my credit card I had some cash left over, whats going on? Well I go onto my online banking site and find that someone has gotten hold of my card information and has been making little, $20-$21 purchases. I'm not exactly thrilled about this, so I try to call BankOfAmerica. I'm still on hold and have been for about 10 minutes now. They disconnected me last time, and I"m on direct dial international... which is going to be costly. Thankfully the card is also a visa, so if I have to wait any longer I can call the visa office down here and see if they can deal with it instead. Fucking hell, I'm supposed to be working on my thesis, not waiting on hold because of some asshole! Grrrr.... **angry**

Fuck this, time to call Visa...

I don't know what is going on with me but I just haven't been updating any of the sites that I'm on. For some reason I have just been avoiding use of the internet, I have hardly even sent e-mails. This seems quite strange for someone living in this day and age... Maybe it is because of this excessive use of technology that I'm getting a bit tired of keeping up with everything. I haven't even downloaded any music! My iPod hasn't been updated in months! This is the most unsual part of my avoidance of all things technological. In fact I don't think I've enen used the microwave in a while... damn...

Anywho I've finished my 2nd chapter in my thesis, and by finished I mean rough draft. I'm about to meet with my advisor to discuss my next chapter and what schools I should be looking at for my PhD. Doesn't that sound thrilling? Basically my life is quite thrilling right now. It is getting fucking hot again down here and most of the day is spent in hiding from the heat and sun. Work starts up again on Friday (thank god! I am in need of some cash) and that is about it.

I tried doing the Great Ocean Road last week, but that was a horrible dissapointment. I don't remember if I blogged about this yet, but basically it really shouldnt' be called the great OCEAN anything because there is very little ocean along this road and more cattle and sheep than anything else. Actually, no, scratch that, more fucking black flys than anything else. It was just bad... I have also come to the conclusion that there isn't much to do here, except drive through desert wasteland and the occasional farm. Maybe that is why people are so nice down here, since there isn't much to do people are fairly relaxed and content with the beaches, the vineyards and the small music festivals that come around from time to time.

Alright I'm about to be late for my Barbara meeting...

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this. I have a new email address. Basically Yahoo has just gotten odd. I'm not getting emails from people and the spam is just out of control. So I now will be using : vickmcgill@gmail.com

I have returned to the land down under. I left Phoenix on a 3:49pm flight on the 12th of January and arrived in Adelaide at 10:30am on th 14th of January (actually only about 24 hours of flying). Gotta love crossing that international dateline, it just robs you of a day going one way, then it feels bad about it, so it gives you that day back when you cross it again. How thoughtful.

It is just after 6pm, and I'm feeling sleepy. I need to keep myself awake. I will not let jetlag get to me!!! I can say that all I want, but we all know that jetlag is just one of those things that will always be there when one crosses time zones and it will always be something that demands attention. Thankfully Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel are running all sorts of shark shows, cause its Shark Month, so I can learn while keeping myself awake. One warm and fuzzy fact that I learned thus far is that sharks are most likely to attack in shallow water when visability is poor. It is in this particular location where 85% of all attacks take place.

MMMM, the mexican is making dinner and it is starting to smell yummie. We realized that someone left the propane open on the grill so we can't use the BBQ tonight. The tank has to be refilled. Oh well, luckily we are creative and know how to use an oven. No one will go hungry here.

Damn I am tired, I have no idea as to what I'm babbling on about. I should probably take the computer away from myself so that I cannot continue with this nonsense.

Alright here is the deal... I didn't plan my trip home to the States. And now I must suffer because of it. Rather than seeing everyone I wanted to see I can only travel to one of the places I had originally intended to. Being that I have no cash, and time is limited (especially since almost everyone had a week job) I am only able to be in Minnesota. I know, it sucks because I don't get to see everyone back in Boston/NYC/Philly. But unfortunately tickets were up around $700 due to last minute fares and they don't allow the use of frequent flyer miles unless you book at least 28 days in advance. So for everyone on the East Coast, sorry I cannot make it, which I'm totally bummed about. (Actually it totally sucks)

Anyway I will most likely be back before this year ends :) And Vicky, I left your b-day gift back in the land of the Aussies, so I'll send it when I get back there. I swear I am such a fucking space cadet. The time leading up to arriving in the states had been such a chaotic mess that I just didn't even organize simple little things. Oh well, I have 2 weeks from when I return and when I have to start my job again, so I'm hoping to use that time to get my life back in line. I have to work on my thesis, I want to have most of my third chapter done before the end of January, which mean I have to stop obsessing over chapter two and get moving on the next.

Also I have decided to continue my education. You are all going to think I am mad, but yes I am going to find a new school and have a new major. This time I want to work towards my PhD in Education with a focus on curriculum development for vocational programs. Sounds thrilling, doesn't it? Well I'm keen on the idea. Now I need to work on finding a school with that program, so a program similar to that, I can work out the details later. But yes, more school for Sam, and hopefully a school that is somewhere I have yet to visit.

Currently I am in Minnesota visiting Rachel. I am seeing the twin cities and it is fun. Plus it snowed! I saw snow for the first time in 2 years. I know, it has been two years since I was in a place with snowfall during winter. How crazy is that? Anyway that is about it for now. I'm kinda sleepy and tomorrow is another travel day, kinda. I get to entertain myself while Rachel is at work then we are doing dinner before I have to get to the airport for my 9:30 flight to Phoenix. On my way here the headwinds were so strong that the flights were delayed 30 minutes. I'm hoping that isn't the case returning, an extra 30 minutes of flying with hardcore turbulence is not how I enjoy spending my Monday nights; then again I could be alone on that.

Once again, sorry East Coasters, I'll try to give some of you guys calls later on this week (I have my dad's cell, 602 228 4450)

I'm back in Arizona now, but not until after 40 hours of airport hell. It started around 3:50 am Adelaide time on Wed 27th and ended abour 8pm Phoenix time on the same day. In between that there was 'and you have a layover in Auckland, but since it is the same flight number it wasn't shown on your itinerary', projectile vomiting from the guy sitting behind me, Melbourne customs(our flight attendant accidentally sent us there, but we didn't actually have to be there), turbulance, 2 hour layover in Auckland with 4 different security checks, 12 hour flight where my personal TV didn't work half of the time and the food options were fish or lamb, LAX where you arrive at terminal 4, then have 5 minutes to make the 20 minute journy to terminal 1 to make a connecting flight while dragging luggage and trying not to kill people because airports don't sell advil in australia and you are on day 6 of a fucking killer period and all you want to do is curl up and die, flight home's engine gets hit by a loose baggage container which damages said engine during the back away from teh gate part of the trip sending you off the plane and into a line for rebooking, when you arrive to your desination your luggage does not even though they promised to have it on the next flight it take almost 3 more hours before it does arrive and by this time you have been in airports for 40 hours and awake for close to 46.

Yep that was my travel day. Now I'm in Arizona and working on trying to figure out plans for going to the east coast. I have no idea if I will since it is fucking expensive and I just spent $2300 on my ticket back to Australia. Oh well we will see....

Well in just over 12 hours I will be heading back to the USA. Yep...with the magic of time difference I leave from Melbourne and LA at 12:45 on Wednesday the 27th of December. Gotta love the international dateline. I should be in Phoenix by 3. I'm thinking about doing the Boston area on the 7th of January. I have no idea if Philly or NYC is on the agenda...

Xmas was fun. Jose, Cillian and I had our own xmas present opening. It was good fun, with good gifts. I have family xmas present opening when I get back to AZ. Two days of xmas presents in on year! How great is that? After the pressie opening we had dinner. Lots and lots of dinner. Infact my stomach is still full. We had turkey, roast beef, roasted garlic mashed potato, stuffing, cranberry sauce, salad and gravy, lots of gravy. Oh and then there was pie, ofthe pecan variety and chocolate cake with creme anglaise. Yummy yummy yummy, too much in my tummy.

Ok, back to My Name is Earl... I got it on DVD :)

Time is flying by at a rediculous rate!

Xmas is a fucking week away and I'll be flying back to AZ in just over a week! I cannot believe I've been here for almost a year, it is just crazy, absolutely crazy. Hannukah began the other day and my roommate made dinner. Well thats what it should have been, it ended up being a spinach and mayo dip with break and potato pancakes. I brought dessert (apple crumble). That was dinner. We (Cillian, Jose and I)were shocked and absolutely speachless. I'm still in slight shock.

Anyway, I still don't have any concrete plans as to traveling to the East Coast, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. But for all of you over there, keep Jan 5th to 10th open for me:)

Thats about it. Life has been filled with xmas present shopping, working, thesis writing and the ocasional beach visit.

Oh yeah, I saw Borat the other day. I was horribly disapointed. I was expecting something a bit more than seeing two naked men throwing themselves around a hotel and the occasional comment about Americana... It just didn't live up to its reviews. Oh well...

Well all, I do not, as of yet have cancer!

I just had my doctor's appointment and it looks like I'm almost healthy again. Xena was borderline tumerous, and has the potential to grow back. If it does then I'll have to have the ovary removed, but it looks like if that happens, it might not be for a number of years. So for now all is going well in the health department.

Happy Thanksgiving for all those back in the states! Eat lots of turkey and stuffing for me :)