Just some stuff

Eeek, haven't updated since last Wednesday. Usually as I get busier my post frequency increases, but the lat week or so my busy-rating has been to high for even that to happen. Work in particular has been crazy busy the last three weeks or so, combined with an essay and two IT assignments. It's all getting a bit better, but I've still got an essay due next week on Thursday that I haven't started. At all. So we'll see how that goes!

I've got lots to report, so I'll just keep on typing until I'm done.

The most exciting thing of all: I'm typing this entry on my new shiny laptop! I've had an Asus for just over two years, but it's unbelievably crappy and really completely inadequate for what I need - i.e. I need to run more than two programs at once without the stupid computer crashing on me. So after a bit of looking around, I ended up getting a really good deal on a Dell Inspiron 6400, with a few upgrades to make it wonderful and shiny and all-round tops (namely XP professional, a partioned hard-drive, and 1x1024MB of RAM, rather than 2x512).. So! I am now the proud owner of a brand spanking new Intel duo core laptop, with an enormous hard-drive (100GB), internal wireless, kick-arse speakers (can't believe how loud they are!), and what Natalie's calling white speed-stripes down the sides. Now I'm enjoying setting it all up and customising everything just to my liking. I love new computers - everything's clean and organised and *working*!

What else has happened... I went shopping today, and was actually successful! For the last two and a half years or so (!) I've been looking for a decent winter coat, but have failed dismally. But today - success! After all that time, I ended up getting one for $65 from Target, everyone's favourite bargain store. It's really just a basic black coat, but it's exactly what I wanted, and at a much more reasonable price than the $400 I was considering spending in David Jones a week or so ago! I also got a top for $15 and a map of the US for $10, so all in all a pretty good day.

In other shopping-related news: I've been using the Clinique 3-step skin care system since I was about 15, and absolutely love it: it's so bloody simple that I just do the whole thing on auto-pilot now, every morning and most nights. I always get a bit of a shock though when I go to restock, like today when I paid $127 for bottles of clarifying lotion and moisturiser. I justify the expense by saying that those two bottles will last me over six months, at least, and that I got one of those free gift bags because I'd spent over $60. I don't think I've ever actually bought mascara in my life, simply because I just use the ones I get free in these clinique bags. Also, the stuff is fantastic, so I don't feel overly guilty about spending so much money!

I have all kinds of things to say about The West Wing, the final episode of which aired on Sunday night in the States (and which it's possible I have watched!), but I think I'm going to leave that for another post, a post with possibly a tad more coherence and, you know, structure. Until that post, have a look at this person's West Wing 'thank you' list - it's a little sappy and overly-serious, but it lists some of the great moments that came out of seven years of wonderful television.