3 weeks and counting

this time it is a count-up, not a countdown.

been here for 3 weeks now. got internet at home today. couldn't be more excited to be connected and not paying 10 bucks a day for internet access at starbucks. we also got cable and a phone. wow, welcome to the world peeps!

finally, i am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. i am on the last chapter of my study book. not that that means i am done studying, it means that i can move forward with more review. gotta look at some calculations and herbals and stuff like that. today, i plowed through the rest of the antipsychotics, asthma/COPD, vaccines, and part way through the antimicrobials, which i am not a huge fan of. but getting there....and definitely entitled to a weekend off from studying. and the weather looks wonderful this weekend. however, this is not something totally reliable. the weather here can turn on a dime. i don't think i have ever used that expression before, but i think that is exactly what i was looking for.

what else? our big accomplishment last sunday was getting a washer. in new zealand, they have a website called trademe, which is comparable to ebay/craigslist. everyone uses it to buy and sell everything, look for flatmates/apartments, cars, etc. so, we bid on a washer and got it for 100 smackers. and i think i mentioned this in an email, but we are super excited b/c we have never had a washer and dryer before. we have always has to use the communal laundry facilities at our apartment complexes, minus the 3 months that we lived with my aunt and uncle. honestly, everything is bigger in the usa too. my aunt's washing machine is huge. ours is tiny. it fit in the back of our honda civic hatchback with no problems at all, and it only holds 6kg.

i think the weather is getting warmer here. when we first got here, i was freezing. actually i still wear 3-4 layers a day, but it is warmer though. but when the sun shines, it is fantastic!

we are getting in the christmas spirit here. they are already putting up the trees and decorations and playing the christmas music. no thanksgiving here, but mike and i are cooking dinner for alec and elaine. it will be nice to have more people to eat with this year. last year, we grossly overestimated how much food we needed for just the two of us. we have to get to a butcher and request a turkey though b/c it isn't as readily available at the grocery stores. but we are planning to do the whole turkey day feast; i can hardly wait. i am still having a hard time thinking about a warm, sunshiney christmas this year.

anyhoo, i am in the middle of rereading to kill a mockingbird. me and my cozy air mattress have a date tonight, cuddled up with my book.

have a good one....