I now only have 4 days of working left!!!!! It is such a surreal feeling to know that Chany will be here in 48 hours, I'll be in Orlando by Saturday and home within 3 weeks.
I'm starting to get bummed about Em not realising that I'm leaving, which is no doubt a better way than her knowing and being sad. I just hope she remembers me.
Am also sick, again! Lucky me. Can't wait for Orlando because I think the warmer weather will get it out of me, it's so bloody cold here at the monent that it isn't funny.
That's all for now.

i procrastinated packing until 10:30pm last night. repacked twice, and need to do it again today. but space bags rock. my suitcase is the problem, even more specifically, all my scrapbooking stuff is causing me a weight problem! even though i haven't even weighed it, i just know it's over weight. i should've been picking up 50 pound weights and working out how my muscles reacted to them so i could know when i picked up a suitcase.
but, a highlight to my morning is that i can walk without hobbling like how i was yesterday...

a box of all sorts

so australia day has passed. which means the hottest 100 has gone through, and i haven't heard half the songs. so am now listening to it. am loving lily allen, i need that cd lozz if i don't buy it before. reminds me of san diego, driving with the windows down!!!! mind you the cd is realised on tuesday here so i might buy it... but i also want ok go's cd.

oh oh oh. had my goodbye party thing last night! tristin, from season 3 of beauty and the geek was our waitress!!!! i got a picture with her. i'll attach it. today i am very slow, my feet hurt from my shoes, even though i spent the day wearing them in, and obviously doing what i call the "columbian butt shake" used a few more muscels than i'd anticipated. but damn i think i did it well!!

anyway, so as debbie drove us home last night i was thinking about how many fantastic friends i've made being here. and the fact that i came over with no intention of making friends for life, just for the time i was here. i've ended up with more good friends than i probably had in high school. i'm also nicer than when i was in high school. ah, the wisdom of old age. was a good night though, ended up not being able to say goodbye to a few people, so will have to catch up with them through the week, probably next friday.

it's all about the packing this weekend, but am taking a break to call mona (before i've even started - am doing that after this) and going to a pavlova party tonight at sarah's, our little australia day celebration!!!!
happy weekend

Me and Tristin!!

Rodolfo looking hot with enlarged lips!!!

Pick the person not from Columbia...

Banging my head against a wall

With only 8 days to go - no I haven't been counting, I did the math when I was trying to talk to Alex about something - I feel like my patience is now strengthened from this whole year, but tired. I can no longer deal with Alex and her bad attitude. She's pissed at her grandma but she calls Pat to tell on me (I feel like a kid) because I said if she can't live up to her end of the bargain (come home from playing at Morgan's and do her study, like she promised) then I wouldn't allow her to play next week after school. Anyway, after calling Pat she comes down stairs and starts working on her art project and I eventually ask her about the phone call and she tells me Pat said I have to help her with Social Studies study for the test tomorrow, so we have dinner, I do that and she doesn't try so I'm like I'm not doing this because she doesn't want me to and she isn't cooperating. When she goes up stairs I go before I finish work to discuss with her what the problem is, we seem to be having a good conversation, she seems to be understanding why I feel upset about her attitude and I said that in my last 6 days of working I don't want it to be like this. That's how I figured how many days I have.
On top of this Alex bullshit I had an email from mum today who told me Rachel isn't doing so well. Which made me cry. And cry. Hopefully it's just stress and she'll get back to 100% once I get home, that's not an egotistical thought either, it's just that I know she misses me a lot and wants me home.
So I'm done. I'm literally done with the bullshit I have dealt with. I almost want to say that I no longer want to have anything to do with Alex, but how do I say that? So of course I won't, I'll deal with it for another 6 working days and then be done and leave. And it sucks because I really like Pat, Matthew and Em and don't want to this last week to be tainted.
I just realised that the Hottest 100 is on Triple J so am listening to that, praying it'll calm me down.
So that's it for me. Oh, I finished my D.C album as well!! So now that's done I can pack!

Insomnia

I am suffering from insomnia. It's the worst thing in the world. Laying there, knowing I'm dog tired, wishing I could just go to sleep but being so damn awake that I can't. It's stress no doubt, but part of the stress is from not being able to sleep.
This weekend Sarah came over and yesterday we went to the mall and I showed her Archivers, then we went to Nine West and I found an awesome bargain on some flat sling backs but couldn't buy them because I didn't have a credit card and not enough cash on me. Then we came back here and did scrapbooking. Then I went to dinner for Matthew's birthday with Pat and her family. After that I spoke to Chany and home. I really miss Rach.
Today Sarah called me after 11 and she came over again and we scrapbooked. Before that I'd gone back to the mall and bought those shoes!! We did more scrapbooking, my D.C album is almost finished, that means I'll be able to pack properly soon! Kellie, Marcella and Maria came over and hung out while everyone else was out at Matthew's birthday party then left when they came home. So now it's 7:30 and I think I'm going to go down and do some more scraping before maybe watching a DVD or just going straight to bed to try and sleep.
That's al for now. Oh, I've decided I'm going to move to MySpace once I'm home, that was my weekend in a nutshell!

Grrrr

I wrote up a post last night, pressed "Publish Now" and suddenly Blogger was down. And the post was lost.
Anyway, I've been sick the past couple of days with a cough and sore throat. Yesterday I was feeling pretty low but I've woken up today and think I'm on the mend!
I received some bad news last night. My bank has been trying to contact me at home for the past couple of days so I rang them back and it turns out my credit and visa debit cards have ben "compromised" and cancelled. I thought I was going to faint. So when the lady asked me if I use them much I told her I desperately needed the cards for my trip so they're going to get them to me ASAP in registered mail. Just spoke to Kellie who said her host mum's mum had called last night saying the same thing happened to her and it was TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I love Marshalls. Now I will only use cash when I go there.
In regards to uni I deferred. I went from umming and ahhing, to accepting, to then finding out that going full time meant a 5 days week which meant I would have to move up there and now, at this point, I have sent them my letter of deferment. I will wait and see what the next two round of offers brings for me (maybe another offer, from RMIT, fingers crossed), and if I get nothing then I'll apply for mid year entry into RMIT, maybe Vic Uni and depending on my mood, possibily Melb Uni
Anyway, it's 10am, I start work now.
Nothing planned for the weekend. It's my second last weekend. Must scrapbook.

I got an offer!

Well, who would've thunk it? Yes, I mean thunk by the way. Anyway, I got an offer for uni. The University of Ballarat has offered me Education. Wasn't my first preference, was hoping for RMIT and I can't defer for only 6 months, I have to defer for a whole 12 which kind of bums me. So with all that I am going to defer but I am going to find out if I can still apply to RMIT directly for their mid year intake. RMIT suits better for the fact that it's only about 15 minutes away, whereas Ballarat is going to require a 3 hour commute each day, or looking at boarding somewhere a couple of nights a week. Am happy but a whole year is a long time in the world of Kelly and I am prone to changing my mind quickly...
Anyway, apart from that last week was up and down with me. Started to really think about what going home meant, after the whole surprise aspect. Was a little depressed but then spoke to mum who made me feel bad about how I was thinking. Not deliberately but she was hurt by my feelings.
Saturday I spent the day napping, was extremely tired after watching two movies on Friday night then calling Chelle. We went to the ice hockey game on Saturday night. Was so fun! The puck flying over the glass was a bit scary because I didn't want to get hit by it! Chicago lost to Hamilton but I wasn't phased, not like I support either team. Hamilton were rougher anyway, constantly in a penalty.
On Sunday I went downtown with Sarah to the Museum of Contemporary Art. I don't whether it was from tiredness or "contemporary art" but I ended up with a bad headache. I really don't do art much. Unless it's photography. I like photography. But that "intellectual" shit? Not for me. After that we had a sundae, went to American Girl Place and checked out the 3 levels of dolls there and then headed home. I wasn't feeling well.
Woke up this morning to snow, obviously I was overjoyed by that (not) but had to work so Pat and I went with the kids plus Eric sledding. I only lasted an hour, the snow, wind and my cough was getting to me big time.
So that's me for the time being. My back hurts from being on the computer so long and I'm tired again.

Postponing AGAIN

Ok, went downtown today and due mostly to lack of sleep ended up with a shitty headache bordering on migraine so I am again postponing the post I suppose to do last week because I'm not feeling well and just want to go to sleep. Plis my best buddy Em just came and joined me, making it impossible to type!!

Was planning on doing a decent post tonight but I'm so bloody tired that I don't think my space cadet self is able to actually manage it. Will do one tomorrow night as I plan on having an early night tonight and being bright eyed and busy tailed in the morn.
Hope everyone and everthing is well.

Busy weekend.

Friday was a massively shit day. When I say shit I mean the shittest day. Alex decided to have a couple of psychotic episodes, and was a bitch. She was being rude and ignoring me so I said to Matthew and Emily let's get in the car because we're all ready to go out and from there she had a complete meltdown and ended up being psycho. It happened again in the arvo but not to the same degree and that was over the flipping game cube and her deciding to ignore me again. Pat told me she'd be apologising to me but has yet to happen, is it wrong to be holding a grudge against a 11 y.o? I can't help it, I just really don't like her much. And Pat seems to think it's normal but mum said to me no kid she's ever known has behaved in that manner when they're 11. It really isn't normal behaviour, and if it's normal for American kids then I won't ever be raising kids over here because it really isn't normal.
Anyway, moving on because when I think about it I get pissed again. Yesterday I went to the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College. Was a small space but I saw some great pics, a particular exhibition by An-My Le was fantastic. All the exhibitions focused on some aspect of the war and military in Iraq and Afghanistan and hers happened to be focusing on the Marine training at 29 Palms for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Basicaly they simulate the war to train the Marine's for it. Very good pictures.
Last night I went and saw the Freedom Writers, which was really good, I recommend it. I actually didn't move in it, which is major seeing as I have a major fidgeting problem. Maybe it's because I didn't eat popcorn? I don't know. It was good anyway. Today I am off downtown again and I want to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art. Need to look up how to get there. I'm going to be late.

The worst news possible

Due to my lacking in knowledge of world news I have been reading whatever is on the AOL homepage when I get on the net in the headline section. Today I read about a man saving another man in the NY subway system after the saved man had a seizure and fell onto the tracks. I then read about a settlement between a cruise company and a wife about her husband who went missing on one of their cruises during the couples honeymoon and then I flicked to the entertainment section and read bad news. Horrible news. Devastating news. Oh but first, I should point out, I didn't even know that Saddam Hussein had been executed until a friend actually in Iraq had casually mentioned it in an email. Knock knock Kelly. Anyway, the terrible news. The OC has been axed. It's final episode will be Feb 22. This is shocking. I don't think I'll ever be able to replace it. Am terribly upset about it.

But moving on because I don't know who really cares. I went for my massage yesterday. Was great, apart from the massage itself which was on a pain level of 1 - 10 at 11. My back, neck, shoulders and front bit, the decolletage or whatever it is, is so damn tight and painful that I couldn't relax during the massage. The face bit was nice though. And then afterwards I used the steam room, never been in one of them before, and loved that! Then I had a lovely shower and used fancy Aveda products (not as good as head and shoulders in my opinion, my hair feels a bit dry from it) and it was delicious. Well worth $120. I could quite easily slide into the life of spa hopping.

Today the kids and I set out early to Milwaukee to go to the childrens museum. Became slightly 'displaced' in downtown Milwaukee thanks to the exit I was supposed to take being closed due to road works. So I easily recovered from that to then discover Mapquest had given me directions to do a left turn at an intersection where you can't do a bloody left hand turn. Stumbled upon the museum by pure bloody default 20 mins later. Matthew was telling me to ask for directions (I told him to never lose that quality) or call mum, then he told me he was going to tell me (not because he was being mean but because they all thought it was great, Em was even getting into it). He was throwing in the smart comments of "oh this looks familiar, oh that's why, we drove down here just a minute ago!" But the museum was good. I enjoyed it. Miss being a kid when there's all those cool things to play with. Will go back with Em before I go (we have a pass that Pat bought that gives us a year's unlimited access to the Kohl's, Chicago and Milwaukee Children's Museums.

Then we hit the road and I swiftly got us onto the expressway. After doing drive thru Mickey D's we got home and I did crafts with Alex and Matthew, made cupcakes and then relaxed while they played Game Cube before I woke Em.

Am planning on getting into the Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday with Kel. No chance I'm going to get my scrapbooking done. I looked at the schedule for the next few weekends and realised I'm probably going to have to work a couple of the Saturday's. Time's flying. Oh, and yesterday Cultural Care called me to say they fucked me over with my flight. Not their words of course. Am now flying United again, I'll kill someone if I don't have a TV, and have a 2 hour layover in Syd. Which means I'm either gonna need credit on my credit card or Aussie cash. I was pissed. I am still pissed. I like Sydney but wanted to fly straight to Melb. But it gets in the same time as the Qantas one, which means the Qantas one stopped there anyway and didn't say anything. Would I be more pissed knowing when I got on the plane or now? Don't know. Probably won't ever know.

Come to think of it I don't know why our homepage is the AOL one...

Pics attached from today.

I'm going to have a good night.

My year started off with the title line as my mantra and yes, I did actually have a good night. I went downtown to Navy Pier with Andrea, Alejandra, Marce, Maria, Sarah and Judith. We saw the fireworks which were no where near as good as the July 4th fireworks, and also not as good as the fireworks back home for NYE. But I still celebrated it. It was nice to do something (not that I plan on doing it the usual way again). We missed the last train home and were stranded in the city. But I still remained calm. It had something to do with the mantra I'm guessing. We ended up catching a CTA train to Cumberland and the legend Sarah picked us up and drove us out of her way (by out of the way I mean she wasn't even supposed to be getting into a car and driving because she was walking home from the train station...) to Lake Forest (about 20 mins away) so we could al get in our cars and drive home. But I still had a good night. By good night I mean it wasn't a disaster and I spent it with good friends.