Bah.

I'm sorry, I've been lazy. I have had the time to write but I haven't been in the mood.

There's nothing much new going on. I have one lab course that bursts my neuronal cells. Flow cytometry, where we have three lab times and need to write three reports AND we have practical exam after those three times. And I really didn't understand those graphs we got out (I did know what they ment but I couldn't wrtie a thing about them), I needed to stare at those pics for hours and hours and now I need to write a the second report today. I also should get my theisis to a point that I could give it to the first check. But as the lab course needed so much of my time and made my head ache, I haven't been able to write it. I'll try to do something during next week after I'm done with the third lab report. Though it does look quite good already, there's enough pages, lots of results and some new things too, and I have some ideas...

I'm still being most of the time lazy during the weekends. We do some laundry, clean the house and cook. Then I watch Tarmo playing or play Sims2, sometimes go to my friends place to sing Singstars or have party. Though I haven't been drinking much. I got another phone bill and now I can't afford to eat at the university. Luckily I don't have such a courses that I had to be 8 h at the university, if I have long day (ie 6 h) I do something to eat at home and take it with me. I already got bored (after almost two months, not a surprise...) to the food I made (pasta/noodels with crushed soy and dried mushrooms with some random sauce) and I bought potatoes and made soup. I also found some very cheap fish rissoles (yummy!) that had their last date but I put them in the freezer. So that's my food for the next two weeks, after that I need to make something else... But I don't mind cooking. I love it. And now I can be at home (most of the time) and decide my own rythm. It's nice. Though I do go to do some sports almost every day (except during weekends) and sometimes I go to see my friends at the university (and drink coffee with them). So, nothing new.

I had a really bad day at the beginning of this week. Or evening to be proper. After a long day at the university I got home and there was the bill waiting for me. That got me in the bad mood because I realized then that now I can't afford to go and get my driving licence this Spring/Summer. That was my dream as long as I had the money but now I don't have it anymore... I don't know if I have time to go and do the lisence later, as the PhD studies will take so much time and I'm going to continue the taekwondo. It makes me sad because I would've wanted to be a driver too so that Tarmo wouldn't always need to drive, as we need to buy a car this year. Anyway, because of this bill I was getting really mad at myself and snapped to our kitties :( Then I felt so bad because really they didn't do anything THAT bad, went to bed and soon Tarmo joined me. He noticed immediately that I was miserable and just hugged me for few hours and I cried. (It made me feel even worse as it didn't make me feel better, I just kept Tarmo awake too...) Finally he fell asleep. I slept for few hours and felt miserable the next day too. Then I made some desicions and I felt better.
It's always money that makes me sad. I'm so used to deal with my things in a way that I have money to eat. And I've always had some savings to use if my other money isn't enough. Now I had made so much savings that I could go and get my drivings lisence and then I had to take money from there. I could continue to save money there but now there's no money I could save from as I need every penny of the money I get in order to eat. And after I get the paycheck, I need to pay my student loan and we need to buy few new furnitures and the car. And after we have all that, I'll start saving to a new computer (as this one is getting in the point that it will break soon) and then I'm going to start to save for our own apartment. And then it's what, 2012?? And at least then we need to move to a new (hopefully our own) apartment and need to start paying apartment loan back. Argh loans make me feel like I didn't have money at all! I hate when I need to loan money. But I understand that I need to get the loans if I ever want to live in an apartment of my own. And me want to!
Yeah, big problems again. See, this is why I don't write, I start brain storming and then I have a book. Bah. And I'm not in money problems. As I said, I have savings. I just don't want to use them :D But I will, I love food and eating too much to stop it ;)

I really need to get some clothes on and finish my breakfast and start writing the damned report. Oh yeah! One really good thing has happened, I've lost some weight! And I'm starting to get back in shape, yey!

ps. Sorry for the misspellings, I'm too lazy to check...

Traveling

So, I got a letter from Iowa University. And more paper from our International Office. And I just reserved my flights! Well, most of them. I send a request to Kilroy if they could get me a flight which didn't show at their database from Finland. I don't dare to book the US flight myself through internet since I'm sure there will be all kinds of problems. So I hope I can get all my flights via Kilroy Travels.

But so far I'm now in Chicago. Here's my travel plan:

Helsinki - Dublin
07:40 am - 08:50 am

Dublin - Chicago
11:50 am - 2 pm

Chicago - Iowa
9:10 pm - 10:05 pm

The last flight isn't sure yet but I hope I can get that flight.
I'm a bit concerned about the Dublin, since I have only two hours to be there. The thing is that if the flight is delayed or there is some kind of other problems. Or I get lost at the airport or or or... But that was the only good flight for me.

But I got all my flight much cheaper than I expected! Cool! About 700 euros. And do notice: the traveling time will be LONG! All the times are in local time so I'll be on my journey about 24 h!!! A long way to go... And all alone.

I should fill the Housing Application and send it to Iowa as soon as possible. I had some questions about it and sent them to the local International Office contact person. Now I'm just waiting for her answer so I could send the application.

I should also fill the ISEP applications and I'm going to do it today after I've spoked with mom (she should call in any minute).

I got this wonderful thing there (actually two). I can get my courses from undergraduate AND graduate level though I'm going to be an undergraduate student there. And I got meal stipend. So no meal plan. So I can go to shop my own food or if I'm lazy I can go eat to the cafeteria.

And I'm going to share my room with one person and the kitchen and bathroom with four people. Not impossible.
Here's the floor plan:

Though I don't if the floor plan is really this kind (bunk beds or single beds etc.).
I'm going to stay at the Iowa House Hotel for the weekend (I'm going to be at Iowa at evening on Friday) since the residence halls open only when the orientations begin (on Monday).

I'm so happy that I've had so much information. It's beginning to get organized in my brains and I've a quite good image of what I'm going to do, where I'm going and when. I've still been lazy and not downloaded the BiTa pics, and I'm not going to do it now either since I'm going to finish some applications.

It's really good that the paperwork is quite easy to do and all the information are available and I know people to ask my questions. Though one has to see some effort to get the exchange place, it's quite easy when you get it.

And I did some apoptosis experiments today. We'll fix the cells tomorrow, on Friday and if necessary, on Saturday too. Finally I got to play with manganese (I did my Candidate Thesis about it). It's fun but it really needs some brains and when you have been in lab for a six hours, there isn't much brains left to do anything else.

But now some paperwork...

Excitement

I really don't get it how these weeks keep passing by so quick! It's Friday again!
And only two days to go and we get engaged. I'm so happy!
We've planned the party a lot and we did rent Lillukka for us. Next week I'll have to do all the cakes and all. Luckily I have Thursday free and then I have time to do the food and cleaning.
This weekend I should read for the virology, I'll have an exam about it next Tuesday.

And I have such a problem. I don't know how I will do my hair and makeup, no to even mention my clothes! I thought I'd curl my hair and leave it free and do dark eye makeup since the lip makeup will wear out while I'm drinking and eating. And I'll put my new skirt but I don't know which shirt I'll wear! Well, maybe I'll figure it out.

I'm waiting the reply from the University of Iowa. I keep thinking that they won't take me there and I don't get the exchange place! I hope I get the information about it next week. They said that we'd know it on the beginning of April. And it is it then! And I try not to think about it. I just get too excited.

And I got my Master's Thesis lab BOOK! It's black and so nice! I covered it and made a piece of paper on it so it is easier to see what it is. It's SO nice! I feel like I'm doing something important when I write something in it. Though I have my old notebook where I scribble my notes while working, another notebook for my self (because the lab book won't be mine, it will go to my university). And it's nicer to write all my doings neatly so that I can memorize what I've done easier. And speaking of it, I should go and update my nice lab book and cover my note book...

I did it!

I got through it! I got through it! I feel so much better now. Ah! And the sun shines again.

And I get new glasses in two weeks. I went to see new glasses and found nice ones and got even to the opticianist too. No wonder my head have been acing. My seeing has gone worse a lot. I used to be -1.75, now I'm -2,75! The glasses aren't that cheap that I planned they would be, but not too much either. I have afford them (just and just). "Only" 236€. And I bought a christmaspresents for my parents (not as good as I had wished I could buy, but I just don't have the money). Mom did say that I shouldn't buy anything, but how could I do that?! I love giving presents.
I bought them calendars and some stickers. I put for mom stickers for every week and more stickers for her birthday day. And for dad I put stickers for his birthday day. Childish, but it is supposed to be so. And I bought a birthday-christmas present for Tarmo too.
So, now I have spent all my money. Hope that I won't get any sudden expences. The kitties must be vaccinated, but I have the money for that. I'm glad that I don't have to pay everything for them, since theu are Tarmos kitties too.
I'd have an exam next monday but I decided that I won't go there. So I don't have to read for that this weekend. So I can do all the things that I would supposed (or had supposed) to do. Some little essays and tasks. So I can read next week.

I was subculturing the SH-SY5Y cells on my own today. And it went good. And we watched old cells with Reija and wondered were there myelin. I asked that from Tuula and she got excited becouse no-one knows that. So that could be examined too. And she asked would Reija be interested that too. And she is. So now we have a new member and I have a good "colleaque" whom I'll work with. Since now I have been working mainly on my own. And it's boring.

But today I'll do nothing. NOTHING. Period.