MarineBluePsy

@sjoh197 @rhombusbombus Yeah it is a bummer. I didn't assume I'd be besties with my cohort, but I figured we'd at least gel ok and everyone would be past the "omg I don't know how to be a grown up" stage and the "omg I have to panic about literally everything because the world will end if I'm not perfect" stage. I planned to try to meet people in other programs regardless which is why I signed up for a few campus sponsored events that are for all grad programs. Funny how in undergrad I would have thought it was so lame to sign up for a campus event and now look at me hehe. @hippyscientist You will never find a consensus on tipping in the US because each person feels differently about it and the cost of living varies across the country. Me personally, I don't tip service people that are self employed. Why? Because they control their own pricing and costs and if they wanted a tip it needs to be built into their rate. For someone I see regularly, like my hairstylist or massage therapist, I am happy to give them a Christmas gift. Anyone who makes commission (car salespeople, real estate agents, apartment leasers, some sales people, etc) doesn't need to be tipped either as they would much rather you refer your friends and family to them. As for waiters/waitresses and bartenders I have no problem tipping them if they're doing their job well or going above and beyond. Many of them are only making federal minimum wage or less per hour which cannot be lived on anywhere. I have however noticed more restaurants are shifting more of the waiter/waitress duties to an automated process. For example a friend and I went to a well known burger chain and had to place our order via a machine on the table. The waitress came by with water and then promptly left. My friend and I waited for 30 minutes with no food and no employees around to ask what was going on. A few minutes later we spot our waitress and ask her where our food is. She disappears and reappears with a free appetizer and says she doesn't know how much longer it will be (and doesn't explain the delay either), then disappears again. 20 minutes later a completely different person brought our food out. We enjoyed our food, chatted and the next time we saw our waitress was when our plates were empty. We asked for the bill and she told us to use the machine on our table then disappeared with our empty plates. Now sure she is most certainly not paid a living wage, but neither of us could figure out why we actually needed her or what she did to justify a tip.

Today I had to spend the entire day with my cohort and I'm just now realizing how misleading the whole interview process was. During my interview weekend I met most of the people in my lab and got a lot of insight into how they all function and thought it was great. I wouldn't be the only old person and they all have lives outside of the department. It wasn't until today that I realized that I won't really interact with any of those people (so why did I have to be interviewed by all of them?!) because they'll all be graduating in the next year or two. My cohort is nothing like them and the whole day felt like I'd crashed a freshman class. Yep I'm the old person with enough life experience to just know how to function and not be overwhelmed by the deadlines and rigors of the program. A lot of their questions were addressed in the zillion emails and weblinks we've been given since committing to the program and I had to refrain from facepalming. I get not having memorized everything, but it's a general rule of thumb to check your various resources for the answer first before bothering professors. I was literally counting the minutes until we were free to go and I'm skipping the social outing tonight because I'm sick of their faces. I'm still trying to figure out how to make this place tolerable and figured I'd at least feel in my element in my program, but I guess not.

Well if he's a watch guy that seems like a cool one. My guess is he'll love it because you gave it to him.

I loathe the word processing software on Mac and that ridiculous Doogie Howser diary style font on everything so for me they were never an option. I'm happy with my desktop - laptop - computer lab combo so far. Don't rush through the purchase, study reviews and price comparison shop so you're more likely to be happy in the end.

Well research it like you would a hotel. Read all the reviews carefully, contact the hosts with any questions you have no matter how trivial they seem, study the cancellation/refund policies, and have a back up plan just in case. I even scanned the internet for complaints about Airbnb and the bulk of what I found were hosts who had guests trash their homes or cities that were upset about not getting taxes from the income made.

Yeah its definitely an adjustment. At my location the hosts live onsite and rent out 3 rooms so it feels kind of like a hostel. Given how much I like my own space I knew this would force me to get out of the house to explore and home hunt whereas in a hotel I'd stay in and order room service for a few weeks lol. There are locations where the hosts aren't onsite or are just on vacation or its a guest cottage or something. Finding something for 2 people does make things a little more challenging though.

If Airbnb is in your area then see if any of the hosts prefer long term guests (like 4 weeks or so). I'm doing this and am glad I did. Now I can really learn my way around without feeling trapped in a crappy apartments lease or paying super high hotel costs.

I spent the first half of summer working, preparing to move, and dealing with a zillion unexpected setbacks. The second half will be spent learning my new city, getting settled into my program, etc. Throughout I'm bingewatching tv shows and reading books for fun.

After 30 hours of airline hell I finally made it. Seriously everything that could go wrong did go wrong... delays, malfunctions, cancels, reroutes, a thunder storm, and getting stuck overnight in nowheresville. *sigh* My Airbnb hosts are really nice far more accommodating than I expected so I'm glad I went this route. So now I can just focus on getting set up here. You can do it! Make a plan and cut way down on the farting around. If you've been working diligently all this time 3 weeks is plenty to finish and then get in that oral exam. All that stuff is totally up my alley, but given my aches and pains and open wounds the only thing I can do is something for my hair. I did see my hairstylist for the works which was nice. I agree planning a trip would be a nice distraction and a reward so I'll put more thought into that. You can do it! First quit answering the phone. I found when I started ignoring anyone demanding my time and just not getting that I didn't have time to spare that it was easier to focus on what I did need to do. Tell you mom you're going on holiday in September in America, it's called Labor Day weekend and its amazing. People bbq, go boating, and sit around on their rears with an alcoholic beverage of choice. And 3 houses??? How did that even happen? As for the school stuff, just pace yourself and set a schedule. You can do a lot more than you think if you're organized.

I'm no tech expert so others will hopefully chime in, but I am mostly a PC (you mean a desktop right?) user and shop around on sites like New Egg and Tiger Direct until I find a refurbished one that is priced right and has the components I need. I recently got a laptop and went the same route to get it. The laptop will be for trips home or to conferences mostly since when I'm on campus I'm fine using the computer labs there. The bulk of my work is done on my PC at home. As for when to buy books, I personally buy them as soon as I have the funds especially if I have to order them, so usually 6-8 weeks early. I can't stand to not have my books in advance because I dislike seeming unprepared. Also I've had multiple experiences where online vendors aren't forthcoming about their inventory and after my payment has cleared I'm told my books are on backorder. Buying ahead of time also gives me time to comparison shop between the campus bookstore and online sites.

It'd be nice to have this relative or any relative help, but they really can't. They don't have money, a car, muscles to lift boxes, or even time to take off work to help with anything so I didn't bother asking. I still haven't told everyone I'm leaving yet, but that wouldn't motivate them to suddenly lead better lives and become people I can count on. Normally I'd just say screw it and go for a spa day, but there's no money for that at the moment and I'm not healed enough anyway. Instead I'm thinking it might be nice to take a vacation during winter break. A real vacation, like out of the country somewhere. I've never been out of the country and that along with my lack of an estate plan (it's in the works now) bothered me most after nearly dying. I'd have to go alone, so I'm trying to work up the nerve. But there's probably plenty of deals and things if I shop early and my funding is generous enough to allow for such a thing if I don't go to crazy. Hmmmm.....

Seriously what is with all the people thinking they can make demands on your time as if you have nothing else to do?! I'm moving this week and given the whole car accident mess I couldn't take off any time to get things sorted out. So I'm working 2 jobs, not sleeping well, not physically at 100%, it's 100+ degrees here, and a relative of mine literally called every day this weekend bugging me about lunch, dinner, coffee, etc. I didn't even answer the phone because previously I flat out said I'm tired, it's hot, I'm behind schedule, I ache, etc. I saw her the weekend prior when I also didn't really have the time and I'm like seriously get a clue! You're not helping me do anything and everything I need to do is taking me twice as long, so go away! I already expressed that I'll be coming back later in the summer to settle some of the things I can't complete now and we can get together then. I get wanting quality time, but I'm flat out exhausted and don't even have quality time for myself. When is my vacation?! Glad your mom is ok though, but wow bunking together in a small space? That doesn't sound fun. Hopefully she can get everything squared away and back on the road soon.

The whole UK within the EU always seemed odd to me anyway and I'm certainly no expert on how it all worked. It will be interesting to see how this change will affect travel, imports/exports, the currency, etc.

I signed up for some meetup groups, but it'll likely take time to be connected enough to people to have plans for holidays. I would like to do some sort of community service, but I'm trying to figure out what's out there. I want to do something unrelated to my field, that attracts men, and where I won't get dirty or sweaty. Hmmm. Maybe something music related? I haven't considered clubs or church groups, something to ponder. While not religious I do at times enjoy religious events or services, but I find younger single people are not welcome, whereas divorced or widowed people are fine. Anyone else notice this? Go in early at first to get the lay of the land, then adjust to your own needs once you get the flow of things. Is there a dollar or 99cent store in your area? They have cheap school supplies. Any US holiday will mean sales on furniture and household items. That kind of a mattress deal might be a model that is soon to be discontinued so they need to get rid of it. Labor Day you'll see really good sales too, so don't worry.

I'm sick of packing too! It's a huge pain making sure none of my boxes exceed 15lbs because I have too many aches and pains to lift more and I'm not sure how long this will last. Also I just ordered a laptop and they didn't put any styrofoam or bubble wrap in the box at all. They just plastic wrapped it to a piece of cardboard that held it in a way that it kind of floated in the center of the box. Nothing was damaged so I saved everything and am going to see if I get my desktop's monitor in it. So is anyone else thinking of how to spend the summer holidays in their new cities where they don't know anyone? It seems weird to stay home alone for 4th of July or Labor Day.

Go fart in their office!

Heeheh wine and margaritas is a dangerous combo. I still vote we come up with a more sanitary movement than just bleeding everywhere. I'm still traumatized over that chick who ran a marathon on her period and refused to use any feminine hygiene products. I get that she didn't want to be inconvenienced by stopping and changing it in a porta potty but the alternative was her bloody ass all over the media. I mean honestly! But I digress.... ok so burning is bad for the environment. Well what if we just made t-shirts with a catchy (and not gross) slogan? Then guys could participant and I'm a big fan of men being part of women's issues. Many moons ago I tried one of those daily disposable cups. Ick factor aside the darn things just moved way to much and I'm way to active to be bothered with leaks and such. The gals I know that use these take them out in the shower and since you can keep them in for 12hrs depending on the volume produced that shouldn't be too disruptive to ones daily schedule. If it isn't shower time then pouring it in the toilet rinsing it over the toilet with a water bottle would probably be much easier then waddling to the sink. Maybe your posture improved. I grew about an inch and a half in my midtwenties and my doctor deduced that I was finally standing and sitting upright thanks to all the yoga I'd been doing. I see lots of CVs where women note that their name changed in whatever year. Hardly a big deal.

Yeah ankles generally don't have much fat to act as a cushion, so shots there are gonna hurt. Me thinks your coverage is the problem. If I need a medication my co-pay ranges from $0-$25 and not a penny more. Now when I switch to the health plan at my program my co-pays will go up so I'm just going to hang on to anything I have now that isn't expired. I avoid meds whenever possible so the higher cost hopefully won't be a big deal. Yes most forms of birth control are free in the US. LOL! Poo'd our pants would be such an unsexy look! And while sure we could probably make alternatives out of something else I have yet to meet a woman who does that and isn't stinky. Stinky is also not sexy lol. Instead of not wearing products for a month how about we adapt the whole bra burning thing and just burn pads and tampons? While these items don't eat up much of budget I totally dig the idea of being part of such a movement. So how would we do it? Make one of those social media announcements that goes viral? They sell them at wholesale and bulk stores and you can use manufacturer coupons at many of those places as well.

It's official. I have re-watched every single episode of Gilmore Girls and am ready for the revival. Kinda funny how perfect the timing is watching Rory graduate from Yale and go off to her first real job and all the unknowns it will bring as I'm about to embark on my own journey full of unknowns. A few years ago all of this would have freaked me out and I'm certain I'd have refused to do it. But now I just keep coming back to the fact that I have done everything I can do where I currently am. If I want more out of life, and I do, then I have to leave and I feel more calm than sad about that I guess. Ugh there is no excuse of that kind of sloppiness in emails or not realizing that not everyone lives right around the corner to just pop in. BCC was invented for a reason, use it people! Well the key to natural remedies is patience. Then find out what you're allergic to. For me that's pollen and animal saliva. Nope, not the animal dander or the hair, but their saliva. Then explore your symptoms and accept that you may have to incorporate several items to tackle all of them. So in my natural remedy allergy fighting arsenal I have: local organic honey, rooibos tea, foods high in quercetin, a probiotic supplement and foods high in probiotics, essential oils, foods high in bromelain, and eye saline solution. I also do not have animals and rarely go to the homes of people with animals. Once I got the hang of it I'm symptom free 95% of the time, but when things get out of control meds it is. When I do need meds I'm able to get by with lower doses which is good. LOL! I could probably get into a round of volleyball, but tug of war and relay races? Clearly the coordinators have never read news reports of people losing fingers playing tug of war. Relay races are for kids. Trivia would be fun and more grown up.

I'm worried that will be me a year into my program. I'm so annoyed by the difficulty of making friends. The rock wall sounds fun, its been ages since I've done that. No, but I did switch to natural remedies so that I rarely take meds now. I know a few people who've gone the shot route and the results seem mixed. It takes a few rounds to see any results and for some everything is amazing, for others things are worse, and for a few there's no change.

Awww how sweet, it was trying to give swimming lessons

And you guys?! Well anyone who's interested that is....I think I did it. I think I got everything worked out. It's not ideal and there will be a few bumps over the next month I'll have to smooth out, but I'm going to make it to my program on time and without starving. I've booked airfare and an airbnb that is close enough to campus to walk or catch the bus since I won't have a car right away. I found a great (and affordable!) mom and pop storage place to put my stuff until I've secured permanent housing and then will ship everything later. I'm packing everything in smaller boxes so its easier to lift them with all of the aches and pains I have and oddly it seems that will reduce the shipping costs. I also hired a lawyer to deal with the car accident. They agree that I should be able to just focus on my program and getting settled in a new place while they deal with all of this. It will probably take a year or so to fully settle, but with them taking all the stress and work off my plate that's fine. Now I just have to do that estate planning thing and then figure out the whole physical therapy piece while switching insurance plans. Then after that it'll just be the bumps over the next month. Geez. This is good right? I'm too tired to be excited.

There is also chair yoga! It's great for people with small spaces and/or aren't very flexible. Plenty of youtube videos on that as well. I think you should rethink this duplex. For example.....if you are sick, so sick you can't climb stairs....camp out on the couch and the bathroom is downstairs! The kitchen is also downstairs right? So everything you'd need access to is ready available. 10 minutes to campus is really hard to beat. You could run home for lunch, between classes/research projects, or if you forgot something. As for the roommate thing, if you have a place in mind then you'd advertise for a roommate who wants to join you there. You can state that you'd love to find someone with furniture or willing to help furnish the place. If you go with the latter then do not buy items together. One of you buys the couch, the other buys the loveseat, etc.

I love renter's insurance! For about $200 a year I have way more coverage than I generally need and its for replacement costs. I've never added any of the riders for floods or earthquakes, but am looking into it now. After nearly dying everything is making me a bit paranoid. I'm not familiar with that particular company, but a quote should be free. Get a few, compare them, research reviews, and then decide. Some policies even offer special riders for computers, jewelry, collectibles, etc. Sooooo.....you're set up as his Power of Attorney too right? Well what are the options? We'll help!

There were not as many casualties, but still unfortunate: http://abc7chicago.com/news/42-people-shot-7-killed-in-chicago-weekend-violence/1383393/