Our list of demands

As you probably know, rock stars get to specify a 'rider' when they are making an appearance somewhere. This makes sure they get everything they want and are treated like the stars they are. As April and I are even more important than rock stars, I figured we should get our own list up. I may add things to this as I think of them, so check back often, otherwise next time our vacation will be to New Zealand instead!

1) Tomato paste (the non-exploding kind)
2) Ketchup (For April, not because I have gotten to like it instead of tomato sauce..............)
3) Schweppes traditional creaming soda
4) Diet lemonade (the Australian lemonade or lemon lime soda for our international readers)
5) Tomato paste
6) Barbeque Shapes
7) Light and tangy chips
8) Tomato paste
9) the apple juice I like
10) Golden North honey ice cream
11) Kangaroo
12) Tomato paste
13) Nippy's Orange juice
14) Fruit loops
15) Barbeque fixin's for our first night (As April just called them in her incredibly cute accent - Sausages, burgers, chops, enough potatoes to feed a small army, potato salad - Oh, and make sure they are good butcher sausages and not from Coles)
16) Mayonnaise (actual mayonnaise like Hellmans, not the Heinz salad cream)
17) BACON!!!!!!!!!!!
18) Fritz
19) Chicken and ham for sandwiches
20) Twisties
21) Cheese slices (low fat, American cheese if they have it)
22) Boysenberry ice cream
23) Carton of Coopers Sparkling Ale
24) A non-flat Pavlova for our first night
25) Warm blankets and lots of pillows
*26) Balfours pasties and sausage rolls
*27) Oil free sunscreen  

Additionally we have a list of things you must remove from the house:
1) Vegemite
2) Kira
3) Wheat bix (I have scared April with tales of soggy wheat bix)
4) Instant coffee
5) Mom's cooking
6) The cold
*7) Exploding tomato paste and any remnants from such explosions

Good news and bad news

The good news is that I was awarded the Quassi Pre-doctoral assistantship yesterday. I get paid the same as a normal assistantship (I think) and I will probably lose my great office, but it will give me a lot more freedom to work on my own stuff next year and I won't have obligations to any faculty members. It is also a competitive position so it will look great when I am on the job market. So I am very very happy about that.


The bad news is that I got all my immigration papers in order so I will be coming back to the States after my trip home. Sorry about that.

18 days to takeoff...

So, my dissertation proposal is due today.  Brett has been a lifesaver the past week going above and beyond the call of duty helping me.  I am still sick (seriously, am I ever going to be well again??), so it's a struggle to just keep moving and to try my best to meet the deadline (it is for turning it in to my advisor so he can give me feedback before it is sent to my committee prior to the oral defense on June 10th). 

I know that once I finish it though I will be SO ready for a break. Of course, I don't get one.  I immediately have to finish all my cramming for sitting for my comprehensive exams this Thursay and Friday.  But in 96 hours, we might be able to get a bit of a breath.  Just until I start stressing about how to prep best for my oral defense of the proposal and my comps answers.

In other, happier, news.  We have exactly 18 days until we get on a plane bound for the land down under.  I am super excited.  I was hoping to get some shopping and stuff done before we go, but at this rate, I think I'll be satisfied with just getting on the plane in one piece. 

P.S.--> So, Brett tells me this week about the immigration paperwork that needs to be filled out for him to be allowed back in the country after visiting home.  I PROMISE to make sure this happens...(though from what he tells me, Lyn wouldn't be that disappointed if there was a mix-up and he had to stay in Australia a few extra weeks/months). :-)

I'm famous!

My professor forwarded me a news story about our article that we got published:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/04/unemployment-up-divorce-down_n_857503.html

It actually mirrors our article quite well, which is not always the case when the media reports on academic research. And it's only in an on-line newspaper, but that is more attention than I thought it would get!

Done with Classes!!!

Officially done with classes!!! I just handed up my last assignment and I am now due for some much needed relaxation.

In lieu of a proper post (and in honour of mother's day), here is an article about how Australia is the second best place in the world to be a mum:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/04/3207010.htm

Kangaroo Island Days (fun details)

So what do you do when it is 2:30am and you still have 1/2 your grading left and 12 hours to go and feel like crying?  You go and look at all the pretty pictures of Australia as inspiration to keep going. 
Just over a month left before our trip.  I'm looking forward to it all, but esp. the Kangaroo Island Days.  Maybe because Brett has talked it up so much.

*Map of KI

We are staying at Waves and Wildlife Cottages: "The cottages are set on 80 acres behind the cliff directly surrounding Stokes Bay Beach with no roads in between. Much of the property remains natural bush land which is home to large mobs of the Kangaroo Island Kangaroo which graze around the cottages every evening. At the beach penguins, dolphin pods pass by and occasionally we spot a seal or two."   Not sure how much of this is true in Aussie Winter. 

But I bet the views really are this beautiful year round...



A.B.D. or Bust (but Australia one way or the other!)

So, it looks like I have my dates (almost) finalized for my written comprehensive exam and my oral defense of said writtens and my dissertation proposal.  I will spend two whole days in a tiny room writing like crazy during the week of May 23rd, and then four hours talking circles around said answers and my proposal sometime between Jun 6-9.  About the only thing keeping me going at this point is knowing that once I finish those hurdles, I will officially get to be A.B.D. (all but dissertation) and more importantly I will be just hours away from hopping a plane to head to Australia. :-)