one last shift

tonight is the last time i'll ever have to go in to hospital as a student (pending exam results).

this is a momentous occasion!

(alternatively, the next time i have to do a night shift, i won't be able to sit at home blogging 40 minutes after the official start of my shift)

generation gap

I woke up totally dreading the multitude of errands I had to run today. Cold, rainy weather should be reserved for sleeping in, not for collecting visas, meeting professors, and entertaining relatives.

I cheered myself up by reflecting on some amusing conversations I've had with three gentlemen over the past month or so.

Conversation number 1, pre-breakfast tutorial:

me: so, dr H, have you ever heard of pokemon*?
consultant: pokemon... ah yes, I think I read about them in the paper the other day.
me: so what are they?
consultant: it's some creature that's being chased by ghosts
me: err... no. i think you mean pac man.

Conversation number 2, online conversation with dad:

me: haha ok. i might do that
dad: ok. do what you think is best.
me: ok cool np
me: (np= no problem)
dad: thanks for the explaination! I'm going to take a shower then hit the books.

Conversation number 3, meeting with prof:

Prof: sorry I'm late, I was caught up in a meeting...
Me: oh no that's fine! I was just updating my diary anyway
Prof: that's a physical diary; a paper diary
Me: (cheerfully) That's right! I'm old school. At least if anyone releases a huge electromagnetic pulse like in the Matrix, I'll still know when my appointments are.
Prof: tt could also be a Farenheit 451 situation
Me: erm, not sure, I haven't watched that movie
Prof: it's a society where they burn all the books instead
Me: er, oh, haha... yeah well I suppose there's always that alternative

Finally, I have just realised that Casting Crowns played at this year's Hillsong convention. I'm totally devastated that I missed it.

Looks like I'll be needing more amusing conversations to cheer me up.

*speaking of pokemon, I think Sherbet is secretly a pokemon. The only word she knows how to say is her name.

i'm great, thanks!

yesterday, a colleague of mine asked me how i was, to which i automatically replied "not too bad, thanks". he stopped what he was doing and remarked "you always say that".

how true. why settle for such a mediocre response? why not "i'm great!"

i actually am great. it's approaching the end of the year, and i've finished all of my practical assessments. there are only two written exams between me and graduation, and three weeks for me to study for them. i'm not feeling particularly stressed, and my timetable isn't exactly demanding.

according to the latest AMA magazine, i should even have good health parameters as a result of living in close proximity to a very nice park.

following exams, there will be a week of relaxation (ie re-reading the obernewtyn chronicles, including the Sending), followed by a week of formalities and festivities. and then i'll leave for my grad trip.

so...all in all, this really ought to be the time of my life. i don't have reason to feel anything less than great.

ask me again :)

{well clothed, well loved, and too well fed}

p.s. owl city, you've done it again.

camera trends

i am the proud owner of a panasonic dmc-tz10. i loved this camera so much that when it broke, my dad went out and bought the same camera. well, hopefully an upgraded version, but it looks pretty much the same to me.

having said this, i do realise that people who use DSLR cameras tend to take much more beautiful photos- that is, if they can be bothered bringing/using their cameras. personally, i don't like lugging things around, so i am sure i would fall into the secondary category and not end up with any photos at all.

i was just clicking at random online shopping sites and came across the Pentax Optio WG1. how amazing does that sound? but i don't know very much about camera specs, so i figured it could end up being extremely dodgy. the last pentax i used was a black and white film camera... probably safer to trial one out in person. but then a couple more clicks brought me to the Panasonic Lumix FT3.

a lumix, like my favourite little camera, except indestructible!

apparently it even shoots 3D photos! i can't really imagine this... holographic photography?? putting aside my initial impulse, i can't really justify getting one of these cameras. i already have a reasonably new, perfectly good camera. and the last time i went swimming was in January.

days like this

today was one of those days where from the moment you wake up, you know that everything is going to go wrong.

...So you plan for it.

You double your estimated parking time, because the rangers all know your number plate
You reverse and make turns slowly, because everybody's forgotten how to drive
You drink lots of fluids, because you know you'll develop side effects from your injection
You run your errands around your family's schedule, because you'll be the designated driver today
You keep your eyes on the ground, so you don't end up stepping into a pile of poop
You try to dress nicely, because you'll have to take a photo with a pimple on your forehead
You pick all of the safe options, because you don't want to accidentally end up under investigation

and when somebody shows you an act of kindness, you trip over your words as you thank them, because you're so surprised.

it's funny how on days like this, we value things so much more.

vacation planning

really looking forward to my upcoming four days off. now that i've only got one shift to go, i feel like i am going to survive it. i also think that the cost-benefit ratio of working the weekend shifts is in my favour- instead of working five days a week and getting two days off, i work an extra two days and double my time off. :O nice!

i used to wish i'd chosen a shorter degree so that i could graduate earlier, but now i realise that life would have been a lot more taxing without all of these endless summer holidays. regarding the upcoming vacation, i am currently trying to decide between a week-long road trip and bumming around at home. you'd think this would be an easy decision to make, but it's not!!!

Reasons to go
- i really, really want to go to exmouth/ningaloo reef
- limited opportunities/leave once i start working
- won't be able to go as a large group due to said leave issues

Reasons to stay
- should really spend more quality time with my pets and family
- help mum out with the housework so she can play more golf
- save $$$ since i'm going overseas
- will have more time to catch up with friends/sort out misc admin stuff/pack instead of cramming it all into grad week
- way too tiring; might just want to bum around and R&R at home and recharge

senioritis

according to wikipedia, "a colloquial term used in the United States and Canada to describe the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school, college, and graduate school careers". hmm.

i am really, really tired. i also have a rather long adjustment time, so short rotations are not particularly good for me.

the faculty ball was held last weekend, and there were a few comments on how we can see the finish line, we're almost there, it's been a long haul, etc etc. but it didn't really feel that way to me. i was too busy analysing the assessments i'd just done, cataloging all the things i'd forgotten to say, and thinking about the assessments to come.

it feels like i have been doing this for way too long. stop the world, please, i would really like a break.