Cue Annie: ToooooMORROW!!

Ok, so I'm going to try something on this blog that I tried once before and failed miserably (so I got rid of it altogether): adding more than one picture to a post.

"NOOO!" I hear you cry. "It canna be done!" Fear not! If it doesn't work I'll just re-edit this post and include a link to the photos, but that's nowhere near as much fun.

So this week has just been a week of "last this" and "last that", at least for the next 12 months.

First, it was the last time I'll see Jenni for a long time:


It was good catching up and having lunch... and one last grocery shopping trip for old times' sake. Possibly the only fun part about working at NAB was the Wednesday night shopping trip with Jenni for our lunches for the next week.

It was my last trivia night, which ended on a high note with us winning, and legitimately too, I might add- Bob barely even helped us!!

Here's what our table looks like when we leave it every week:



Here's Bob presenting us with our prize money:



And one group shot with Bob. I think the reason it's blurry was that I decided to hold the camera myself...



Ahhh, precious memories!! It may even be my last trivia ever- who knows whether you guys will still be going this time next year??

I also said goodbye to Daniel and Lesia on Wednesday, then Louella on Thursday (no pic cos a certain somebody *coughRachelcough* had my camera).

Last night was my going away BBQ and I'm glad you guys turned up:



I'm sorry I forgot to take a group shot while Kate and Michelle were there, but it was good seeing you both too. So thanks to (in order of arrival) Emma, Mick (for a bit), Angela, Kate, Michelle, Rachel, Emma (again) & Mel, Meaks, and finally Nicole. (<-- Note the different terms for the two of you!)

I also had to say goodbye to my beautiful cousin Laura (like a tiger):



and incase I don't get a chance to get to my computer, I need to say LOVE YOU LONG TIME to Nan, Nonno, Jonas...



and my baby girl Mary-Anne.

Bye Dan!

So, Daniel and I (and Lesia too!) have said goodbye. He's leaving for Denver tomorrow.

That's it! Goodbye! I really don't feel like I've said a "See you in a year" goodbye, more like a, "Okie dokie, see you next Tuesday" (<<--heehee!) kind of goodbye. Hell, it wasn't even a goodbye, more like a see-you-later.

So, that's it. I won't see him til next year. I'll be 22 then. Aged. Wow.

Packing Sucks.

I'm packing at the moment and am not enjoying it. So far things are divided into things I have to remember to bring that may or may not go in my carry-on luggage, my big suitcase that has all my winter clothes in it and the rest of my clothes yet to be packed in the suitcase Auntie Josie gave me, which is pictured above.

So I thought I was going great. Then yesterday I went shopping for all my groceries and stuff that I'd definately need..... and now I have to rethink how things will fit.

Last night was my last trivia too! So sad. I love trivia so much. At least we won, but we knew we would cos it was my last night, but we actually legitimately won!! Like, we had the right answers and everything! Yay team us! GoooooOOOOOO PLANET!!!

(I had to edit this post cos the pics in the last one screwed my page up...)

Soooo....

I edited the post with the swearing because I think I should keep this baby G-rated. Wouldn't want to be corrupting innocent young minds (Mary and Laura, I'm looking at you).

I closed my NAB accounts today and opened a Westpac account because they don't have withdrawal fees for America if you use the right ATM. I'm such a bank whore. I've been with all the major ones. Ah well.

Got an email from F today and she said that soon after I get there we're all going to Martha's Vineyard for a weekend. Apparently that's an island off Massachusetts. (I thought I'd spelled that word wrong because it looks wrong, but according to Word that's the right spelling. What a fug word!) I've heard of it but didn't know it was an island. I'm hoping it's name is correct and it has lots of vineyards on it.... mmmm..... wine..... But still, exciting, no?

Nan made me email them last night because I told her what their last name is and she's all, "They're Italian! Ask them!! Ask them!!!!!" so I did. Yes, the husband's family is Italian. Apparently his family live in Australia - in Adelaide. Shocking. But really, if you're going to immigrate to Australia, wouldn't you move to a nice place???

Ahem...

So I've calmed down a little since that last post. And remembered to call Magshop today to change my address.

I've also started getting my clothes ready. I've pretty much got a huge pile of clothes sitting on Daniel's bed. I am never going to be able to fit that into two suitcases.

How can you run a business like this????

Ok, so I just called Magshop (the company which handles subscriptions to Cosmo, Shop til you Drop and other magazines), and it had a recorded message saying their offices were now closed. It then proceeded to inform me that office hours are "8am to 6pm."

Erm......WHAT THE????

It's now 5:40. WHY NOT BE OPEN????

Lazy bastards. They just wanted to start their weekend early. Stupid effs. All I want to do is give them my US address to send my subscriptions to, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I can't do that. I'll have to wait for another day.

Erm, ANOTHER DAY IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. I only do these things spur of the moment. It was on a whim that I called. I'll never remember to call and do this.

GARRRRR!

Countdown: 18 Days to Go!

So today my tickets and everything arrived. It also came with a Cultural Care backpack (cos I joined the CC club), 3 phone cards and the contact details of the three other people who will be going at the same time as me. I wish it listed their email addresses, or even their mobile addresses. But no, it's their names and home phone numbers only. I'd feel so weird calling their homes and having a parent answer or something and be all, "Hi, this is Sarah. Is blah-di-blah there? No, she doesn't know me. Yeah, she's probably never heard of me. Sure I'll hold-" beep beep beep.

So yeah. It's all starting to happen, and I'm starting to shit myself...

Oooher...

My passport came in the mail today from the US Consulate with my pretty VISA attached!! Now there's actually stuff in my passport!!! (Stupid NZ not stamping the passport. Bastards!!) So there's one page that's all pretty with a photo of me on the visa (why though?? Hello?? Photo's already on the first page twice) and there's an envelope stapled to the back that I cannot open for fear of DEATH. But now there are going to be four ugly staple holes in the back of my passport. Stupid Americans.

The Beginning

So this is my first post. I don't think there's any point in going through introductions on who I am and all that because it will most likely be people who know me who read this blog.... and if they aren't reading this, then shame on you all!!! ;o)

At the end of this month I'm leaving for the US to become an au pair for a lovely family in Chicago, Illinois. They have two kids, a girl, (we'll call her S) 13, and a boy (he's J) 8.

So far it seems to all be coming together nicely. I've spent all of today at the US Consulate office in Sydney applying for my visa, which was quite possibly one of the most boring and frustrating things I've ever had to do.

But this is nothing close to how frustrating the au pair matching process was. I was matched with six different families. SIX. I felt so unloved by about the third family. The first family I was matched with screwed me around for about two weeks (we were in constant contact, then suddenly they disappeared off the face of the earth!) and then I heard nothing from any of the subsequent families I was matched with.

One day, out of the blue, I was matched (again) and thought nothing of it. That afternoon though, I checked my email, and what should I find, but this:

Sarah, I will try to reach you on your cell phone this evening at 8pm. My name is F, I'm the mother of two chidren, age 13 (girl- also named S)and J, age 8. We can discuss more on the call tonight and I can call back tomorrow after you have some time to think about some questions you may want toask. Hope to speak to you soon.

And she did call. And we talked for about an hour. Well, she talked, I listened, and made intelligent comments such as, "Uh huh", "Oh, OK", "Sure", "I agree" and "Oh of course!" Wow.

Obviously I won her over with my wit and charm, and the next day she told the agency that she wanted me to be her au pair.

And so I'll be going to live with her, her husband (who I've yet to speak to), S, J and a guinea pig.

If you want to leave a comment (and I should hope you will!!! Especially once I'm gone. Don't make me get out the wooden spoon!), I've put the word verification thing on cos I don't want spam.

Love you long time!!!