Oh Happy Day...

Oh happy day... Oh happy day.... *sings*

It's pretty darn obvious that I'm in a good mood. Why?

Cos my work visa came through! YEAH! After months of going through paperwork, waiting and anxiety if I'll make it, I DID! WOOHOO!!

So now its figuring out if I can cancel my return ticket (one which I bought when I came here) and get some refund. If not, it might have to be a trip to SG and a quick cheap flight back. The 1st option is the best.

I've always felt a little inadequate cos of my lack of erm.. paper qualifications (I know its a shocker.. Ms Anti-Social-Conformist). I emailed a couple of local schools here. Since I'm not a local, apparently I can't study part-time without a study visa. Now that is just a bunch of bollocks. So I've been searching the net for an online or correspondence school. Did I find one?

Hell yeah!! www.sessions.edu It's a great place that has all the courses that I'm interested in.
Only thing is that well it'll be about US$9000 to sign up. It's heck of a lot cheaper than studying in NZ as an international student, but it's a big enough sum to raise blood pressure (lowly graphic designer here...). But that amount is till 30th Sept.. it's gonna go up after that. Wonder how high the hike will be. Hhmmm...

So it's eyes, toes, fingers, arms, legs and tongue crossed that I'll be able to scrounge up the money somehow. This week's lotto is $20M.. definitely gonna get a ticket. Winning even a little bit of it, would be enough for me. Enough to pay for that course, to get a glass tank and aspen bedding (I know.. pampered creatures.. but pine is bad for them) for my mice, driving license, a dog (I love creatures... :D)... That's all..

I thought I'd be somewhat cheeky and add a donation button. So if there's anyone out there with spare change, who would like to help a budding graphic design, do donate.

LOL.. now how narcissistic can that be.. well I suppose nothing ventured.. nothing gained... :D

Insomnia

It's 2:48am... and I can't sleep.

Thoughts on my work.... printer screwing up... that I should have my own images up and ready. Which means I have to go through all of my photos and sort the good ones...going through thousands (okay...hundreds) of my images, sort, pick, edit.. the whole shebang... it's kinda overwhelming.

Thoughts on personal work ... websites - 2 of them... blogs - 4 of them.... multiple accounts on flickr, gmail... working on ways to promote myself as an artist... yet realizing I don't really have the experience nor the portfolio to show it... wondering how I can explore my creative side.... am I stretching myself too thin?

Then come on the thoughts that I should be doing more... and that I'm a lazy c*** for not doing so. Aahhh... the screeching of the inner critic... how erm... sweet the sound...

They say that the worst critic is yourself. Well since I don't have a mother-in-law I suppose that's true.

Munching on ridiculously salty salsa-flavoured nachos at this hour isn't good... well I suppose I could try and make myself a cup of hot choc to try and fall asleep.. but it's too hard..

And inner critic says 'lazy b****'... *sigh* ... so how do I shut her up? *ponders deeply*

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

On a roll...

Gosh.. I'm on a writing roll here. 2nd one in 3 days.

So what's been happening since then that has my fingers itching for the keyboard?

Let's see....

Work:
Bad - Printers went kapoot (ie broke down). Can't really call in the technician from the co. we lease it from, cos well we owe them money. (can we help it that we make all of our money at the end of the year??)

Good - More artists signed up. Yay! Was at the local market today and found 2 artists who were keen. Got rejected by 1, some grumpy looking feller who didn't seem interested in selling his stuff.

Personal
Bad - after 4pm last night, discovered that I was as broke as I can be. Had $6 in my card, was gonna use that to get some bread. Instead, had to use that and then some cash (well mostly coins) to pay off a somewhat large (well to me it was) library fine. So its under $10 (barely) but I got to borrow stacks of books.

Good - Person who bought a book on mine finally showed up to collect and pay me. So got $7! Not broke anymore. What even made me jump for joy was that I checked my SG account and lo and behold I had money. Good ol government, coming in at the nick of time. And more than I expected too. Did another check on the exchange rate and Hallelujah! SG dollar's stronger than NZ. *relieved somewhat hysterical laugh* thank goodness for that.
So now I can pay the excess power bill (winter was cold and it's obvious that I'm gonna pay dearly for it. $60 extra. ouch!). Yippee! Can afford to sit here in the cafe and drink an Ampio (that's super large to all you phebians)
And glass panes so I can put them together to make a glass tank for my mice. The plan is to have 2 litters (from Eve and Dawn). Then partition the glass and have same sex boxes.

So... that's that for now.

Spent the day soaking up the sun, reading, with a cat purring on my lap, before bititng and scratching my hand cos she was disgruntled that I wanted to move. Jeez talk about a cat with issues.

Suppose that's it for now. Other revelations to come as the days pass....

Keep watching the Just E channel *says in a loud salesperson-y voice*

..... yeah yeah.. lame I know... but somebody's gotta be...

Ah Finally....

Ah finally... I decided to something with the 3 blogs I have. Well 3 I have set up. Yes I have 3. What are they for? I have no idea. Only the future can say, and at the moment it's got laryngitis.

Things have been speeding along over the past 2 days. Decided that it's high past time that I blurbed it all out to the world. Narcissistic of me, but then who isn't? Really...

Work:
- Busy preparing for upcoming trade show. Planning and designing catalogues, organizing databases, designing products.. At the computer most of the time (with a couple of *ahem* well-deserved snoozes on the deck.. soaking up the much missed sunshine)

- Just by chance, managed to contact the manager of an art organization. Before the company was kinda plodding along. With her contact and mass-mail to her members, we got 5 enquiries in the same afternoon! Shall I ever doubt the god of networking again? Nope. Never. All hail thee....

Personal:
- Still in NZ. Slowly plodding along. Much has changed. Personality.. more mellowed. Perhaps its the environment. Surrounded by greenies. (no I haven't been infected by them). But there is something about NZ that makes you more laid-back. More at ease.
Great scenery. Crisp fresh air. It's bliss.

- Pets! I got a couple of mice. 2 female mice (brown - Dawn, black - Eve). That was the first lot. Then I got 2 more female mice (came with cage). Black spotted - Dot, White - Bim (LOL I couldn't resist). And just recently, I got 2 black male mice. So do I intend to breed more mice. Oh yeah! Only with Dawn and Eve though. My first attempt at matchmaking. I wonder what the results will be like.

For now they are dating. In Habitrail OVO (cool as) pods and right next to each other. So they can see each other. Tried to put them together (like a blind date). Oh man.. the squeals... They weren't of delight.

So introductory phase it is. Dot and Bim shall remain in the wire cage, with each other for company. Until the baby mice have been weaned. Well then it's gonna be a group affair.

The plan is to get a glass aquarium. Maybe a big one, partition it. One for the males and one for the females. Have I gone overboard and sketched out the details? Yes I have. Have I gone beyond the step of sanity and blue-printed the plans? Nope. Haven't reached that stage...yet...

Tis 1am... I should be asleep. Instead I'm aggravating my RSI and spilling my guts for the world to read.(not that I think anyone will be particularly interested in my tale..)

Oooppss.... brain just went 'Ppsssstt... sleep time. I need my sleep now! You f'in lazy c***! NOW GODDAMMIT!!'.... tis best I heed it.

Toodles for now *signs off, wincing at the internal cursing and yelling*