Sam, the Koala Featured in the YouTube Video Below
(Rach - I vote for an Animal Cops: Australia!!)
Maybe it's because things are in order? Maybe my promotion and (slightly embarrassingly) large raise (that is smacking the crap economy in the face) has given me a boost? I dunno. I think it's the fact that I have a plan.
First of all. Bushfires.
Here's a link to the Australian Red Cross. Just put your Visa in there and let 'er rip.
The exchange rate is about 1.5AUS Dollars to 1 USD just FYI. And naturally money is money when it comes to credit cards, of course. I forgot totally charging stuff in Costa Rica AND at the airport in Nairobi when I needed 14, 700 Kenya Shillings to get my bags to London, good ol' Mastercard neatly made the conversion and I got charged $186 USD. Of course it took about 6 months for the charges to get on my statement, but still it worked out.
Anyways I am giving to the ARC in good faith. I have not donated anything (money, blood, ANYTHING) to the American Red Cross since Katrina, since I found out that the "here's a debit card preloaded with cash for your survival" cards were spent on tattoos and tv's and the other money was completely mishandled. While I did have guilt about this, I realized after that that I should've just given the money to several bloggers who had lost their homes to Katrina who didn't want money necessarily but had lost basic supplies like pots and pans and towels and sheets. My $100 would've been so much more effective there! ANYWAYS I digress. Since I don't know what is needed/anyone directly affected by the fires, I'm going to donate to the Australian Red Cross.....the end.
Secondly, for all the pets, livestock and wildlife caught up in the mess, there's the RSPCA Australia faction. I'm sure many people have seen this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XSPx7S4jr4
I hadn't even thought of the animals in the wake of the death and destruction but suddenly it hit me - these poor things were just hanging out in their tree or den or whatever, and then all of a sudden out of nowhere a big f*cking fire just swoops in and burns everything. Then after it's over, if they survived, they don't understand how to get help. So on pay day tomorrow, I'll be sending some cash to the RSPCA as well. I know there is more than one organization helping wildlife there, but the RSPCA seemed best equipped to handle international donation on their site, as another very appealing rescue group had a donation page that was limited to Australia.
For crafty folks, there is another option for helping out the creatures by making a joey pouch. I'm not sure how practical this will be for people overseas, but I'm going to keep up with this blog as I imagine in the months of recovery that are to follow more supplies will be needed for the influx of creatures that are coming in now.
So there's that. Of course I like to be hands -on with the helpage but sometimes money is the best you can do at the moment, so I'm going to go with it.
As for Kenya, I haven't heard anything from my friends, but that is not out of the ordinary whatsoever. I *feel* that they're ok, and that's just going to have to be enough. I admitted to Jamaal how much I miss it though. It was good to tell him, you know, so he knows that I'll be back there at some point. Perhaps more than once. Of course it irritates me significantly that I'm so in love with the place. Why didn't I study abroad in Costa Rica or British Columbia? Or even Europe? Helloooo so much more accesible. Annoying. And why did I have to love it so much? I mean, I've met people I studied abroad with who told me that looking back on the experience they pretty much hated it with the fire of a thousand suns. Me? Cripes, it's only my family and my man keeping me from picking up my roots and replanting them in the middle of east bumblef*ck Kenya. UGGGGGGGGGGGGH. And of course I've been around since then to places I've like, but have never felt the same pull. Costa Rica? Gorgeous, fantastic, affordable, kind people, tasty food, sans political uprisings, sans rampant disease of varying severity, sans animals that could kill you in one fell swoop (ok they have jaguars...but still), sans the need for guards with AK-47's when you drive on the highway or camp...and how did I feel about it? I liked it. I'd go back. But......
Yeah.
It's not Kenya.
Ridiculous.
I should get a job that sends me there once a year. That'd do it. After a couple years in a row I could probably even stand a year off. Hmmm.
Anyways.
In wedding-related and other ridiculously superficial news, I am sending the shoes back. The fact that they looked so busted on my feet is kind of sad and tragic because I love them in the box, love how the soft, supple Italian leather feels....but when I put them on? Oh it's a whole lotta ugly. MEH.
The shoe quest will continue. I have 20 months (watch 19 months from now I'll be like "so I still have a month to find XYZ." LOL. For now I am going to Sephora to buy perfume and something to exfoliate my lips cause they are nast. Oh and soap for my grandma. She is very bitter that Philosophy discontinued their Amazing Grace bar soap and was all "*sigh* I'll just use Dove" but I am going to look for remnants at Sephora and/or a replacement soap. I mean, not that Dove isn't good, but it has been fun taking part in this small indulgence because I'm the only one who works near a Sephora and feel special when I get sent on a special soap-gathering mission (what am I 7 year old, basking in the grandma love for getting soap? LOL). Oh and then I am going to buy some clothes. I had been putting it off cause the cash flow was low and combined with the unconsolidated student loans? KILLER. But now with consolidated loans, more cash, and the linings of at least 3 pairs of pants ripped out so that they're now see-through, I'm caving and taking myself to Ann Taylor Loft for some moderately-priced women's wear. Maybe a blouse. Maybe some dark jeans (I've started to kill my special "these are nice enough to wear to work" jeans). Hmmm. Some flats would be nice too. Oh. Better not get carried away. Gotta remember I'll be putting those donations through tomorrow!! And getting a manicure.
Oh I am such a bad person, LOL.
3 comments:
As for a lip exfoliator... get Benefit's. It's awesome. Plus it comes with a silky lip balm, too! (I work for ULTA, which is like Sephora but we have a salon and they don't...) It's called lipscription. It's amazing.
Thanks I'll have to try it! oooh an ULTA just came to the area down in Plymouth! I haven't been there but my sister has a couple times to pick stuff up for me and it seems like their prices are waaaaaay better than Sephora's...maybe it's time for a fieldtrip :)
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