Testing video for my new rotary blog...

Hey guys, this was a video I took at the space centre... I will be posting all the unedited things on this site, and linking to my new Rotary blog, which will have more formal, edited things on it. SO this is just a test! How lucky you are to be my guinea pigs! New blog is www.RotaryScholarClaire.blogspot.com ... try it.

xox

i wish

I wish I had a lamborghini Galado....(sp?)

Or a ferrari enzo. Or maybe a just lots of money. My gosh unemployment gives you big dreams!

So the wedding is over - I officially have a sister-in-law, which makes Nikki my sister-in-law's sister. But I like to say I just got 6 new sisters and 2 new brothers, regardless of their law-ness and step-ness and almost-step-ness. Telling stories about your siblings when there is only one is boring. The ceremony was beautiful - I held it together and refrained from becoming the blubbering mess I usually am when I am happy, so that's good! Photo's will be on Nikki's page and we're all tagged on Chris's facebook, but my camera stayed in my bag at all times. Silly puppet. The reception was great also, I played some piano and Annabelle sang (we did Alicia Keys, No One) and Jute and Gaz seemed to really like it so that was good. This is the most boring account of a wedding ever. My creative writing skills SUCK. I think I am tired. It was an amazing day anyway.

BLAH.

I neeeeeeeeeed a job.

Career-ize

Hey guys! I am just in Rotorua for the weekend so thought it was about time for an update for all my friendy friends.

I got my final semester marks back - they're okay, but not great. B, B+, B+, and an A. That gives me my BSc though, so I am happy! I am working in Hamilton at Convex Plastics, which is an amazing innovative company that manufactures blown films for plastic bags, packaging, and banners. I am a Lab Tech there, but am involved in a really really exciting project on biodegradable stuff - my specialty :D It is awesome to be asked for my opinion and knowledge on various things, and people are so encouraging of my creativity. I can't wait to get back from the U.K. and get into a job with a company like Convex - forward thinking and innovative. The big boss has even said he is happy for me to use Convex time to work on my own personal engineering invention I want to look into! I am really happy there, and really excited about my career.

In January sometime I will be heading down to Wellington to live with my brother Gareth, his fiancee Juliet, her sister Nikki (of Tales of the Red Headed Devil Child fame), and the Devil Child herself. I am very very excited!! Apparently I get to live in the dining room as the new house they found is only a three bedroom. No worries though, now that I have finished study there will be a noticeable absence of the massive green desk and the huge bookshelf of texts, so my belongings will be able to fit into the small room. Just trying to find a job down there now, so if anyone knows any companies that might want a girl with a degree in materials and process engineering and environmental technology, give me a yell. I am hoping to get something in the environmental side of things, like water treatment or landfill design, just because it is an industry I won't be doing my Masters so it will be good to get a taste of it. Mmmmmm, wastewater.

I have attended several Rotary meetings as part of the Ambassadorial Scholarship I have. My sponsor club in Rotorua (Rotorua Sunrise) is really exciting, I got to do a little introductory speech to them and that was cool. I also went to the Hamilton East club, and the Te Puke club. Everyone has been so so welcoming - I spoke at the Te Puke club and I almost cried when I was thanking them for the scholarship - I am so overwhelmed and happy that I have been given this amazing opportunity, I can't describe how grateful I am towards the Rotary Foundation. All the money I will be getting is from Rotary members, normal people, funding ME! to travel and study! I really hope I make Rotary proud.

So this weekend, I had a garage sale at my house in Hamilton. Jenna came round with a carload of her stuff, and we spent from 6:15am to after lunch sunbathing outside the garage and selling things. Then we sorted out the stuff left over - big ticket items we are going to put on trademe, and all clothes and shoes that didn't sell we boxed and are going to take to Habitat for Humanity. So check out my trademe listings, they will be up in a few days. Then I drove to Rotoma for Johny's birthday. He would have been 23 today. His death is still so raw, I am dealing with it a small bit at a time. I miss him a lot - just knowing I will never get to see his goofy smile again is really hard. Some other day I will tell you things I remember about him, but not right now.

Now - it is time for me to go grocery shopping with my dad. We are going to buy lunch supplies for the week. I get to work at Scion tomorrow, for Convex. I worked at Scion last summer, so will be cool to be back in the lab with all the guys there.

Til next time!!

xx

freeeeeeeeee!!

I HAVE HANDED IN MY ASSIGNMENT ON MALEIC ANHYDRIDE! TAKE THAT!

I am not expecting a good grade, but it was 39 pages of goodness pumped out in a week, so I gotta be pleased with that! I got it in at 4:53pm, 7 minutes before the deadline. Awesome effort I think :D

So now it is the weekend, and I have to do some knitting for Jenna's birthday on Thursday. I don't think she is a blog-follower, but just incase she is, I won't say what I am knitting her. I still owe her flatmate a pair of fingerless gloves for her 21st last year. Basically, I suck. On Saturday night Caleb and I are thinking of going to a social that our dance club is putting on. We went to dancing last night after missing 2 weeks, and we were out of practice! We picked up the new steps the class had learnt easily enough, but our technique was less than good. We've decided that as long as we practice, we can miss every 2nd or 3rd dance class, because we can pick up the steps so quickly. So we might go along this weekend to have a practice and watch some more talented dancers and just have something fun to do on a Saturday night that doesn't involve getting trashed and going clubbing.

The other crazy thing that's happened is that I have had my due dates confirmed for my research project. And they're extremely close. October 15th is my presentation date, and October 31st is when I have to hand in the written report. So I have to get the practical stuff done ASAP - I am going up to Clariant in Auckland in 2 weeks (22nd September) to do all my injection moulding, which means I have to do all my extruding next week. And there's still that 30page literature review I need to do.... I think I'll be needing hypermode.

Lastly, I want to prove how domesticated I am. After the week in Wellington with my favourite family flat, I decided I had to send them some chocolates... And then I decided I should make something. I didn't quite know what to make that would post well, but ended up choosing a non-cook option. See... see...

These are chocolate Oreo's, dipped in melted energy chocolate, and covered in hundreds and thousands.

I conveniently dropped some water in the chocolate when I had just melted a little bit... I couldn't let it go to waste... Please note the awesome apron made for me by the lovely Nikki.

And then I wrapped everything up all nicely, and did some other wrapping at the same time. Wrappity Wrap Wrap. It is also worth noting that there is 3-4 little packages nicely wrapped up inside that big one. I am the master wrapper.

Updatalicious.

Apparently I need to update my blog. According to some beatnik. She doesn't know WHAT she is talking about - me? Update my blog? I shall put her out of my mind.

Now, in a completely unrelated subject, I have decided it is time to update my blog. I have had the last 3 days off, waiting for some chemicals to come into the lab so I can actually do some work. TODAY - they are here - I will pick them up this afternoon and place them in an easily accessible area of my laboratory, clearly labelled with my name and contact details. So for the last 3 days I haven't really done much - did some strenuous aerobics on Monday, followed by a good walk with my flatmate Rach. Tuesday I just sorted out some appointments (ie:booked the dentist) and then went to work. CRAP! I just remembered I have work this afternoon!!! How could I forget! Idiot! I have been off with Emma walking through the Hamilton Gardens this morning, and then came home and did some pilates. It is good to have time to exercise again.

The weekend was awesome - went to stella's mum's 50th ball at their house, worked the bar, drank a little too much sav, sang april sun in cuba with the live band, and then came back to hamilton in time to go out to lunch with alice on sunday. This weekend is Lauren's 21st so should be same story, minus the bar work and the singing. Although, you could twist my arm.... :D

Tonight I am going to the movies with my flat - we are seeing Kung Fu Panda. But now, I have half an hour to get to work and I am still in my work out clothes. Lame - o.

Ciao!! xx

pathetic blog. do not read.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

I JUST WROTE AN ENTIRE BLOG AND FREAKEN DELETED IT! i am going to cry. seriously. i was just up to the part where i say i am having a shit evening. i swore even, that's how bad. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHH

but i feel i must update my avid readers. bullet point form?

Monday - 5 lab reports, in, good.

- 2am finish in computer lab working on comp game

Tuesday - 2 am finish in computer lab again

Wedneday - 5am finish in computer lab

Thursday - 3 hours sleep, catch bus to auckland

- see stell in her graduation gown and cap - yay! so proud of her! really made me think about how admirable it is to have a degree. yes you ashley.

- see mark and blake, mark graduating too. blake = loser like me.

- 15 mins sleep. hurray!

- off to stella's grad dinner at thai restaurant

- wine

- bed at midnight

Friday - awaken. catch ride to hamilton

- write report quickly

- give presentation on computer game

- spend 2 hours sorting leaves, bark, and wood from bags of mulched up tree. hurray. i love studying environmental engineering. This involved peeling sticks with a knife. that was pretty cool actually.

Saturday - shopping with alice

- hanging out with nolan

Sunday - tidy room - epic as. ie: desk still not done.

Monday - another day i was determined to make great. walk to school, and stayed, working, until 5pm. Got home, cooked dinner, wine, was great, until depression set in. got real lonely, had a bit of a bitch about everything, realised i was being a dork, and went back to just being lonely. wrote some poems - not really about being lonely, but oh well.

So the evening has turned out poo. I am sick of being single. 3 and a half years is too long. Where are all my boyfriends? where? Apply within.

-

gearing up for an awesome weekend

Hellooooooo Readers (grand total of 1)

I have had a semi-productive week (it's only Thursday but hey, who works on Friday anyway). I went swimming this morning which was rather refreshing (yay, been trying to slot that word into a sentence for quite a few weeks). For the last few days, inbetween teaching kiddies to play keyboard (part-time job), i have been studying up a storm. However, I kind of think that maybe what I am studying is useless. You know, the time-consuming, high-effort, type of study with no point? Yup, well, that's what I think I have been doing. However, next week I am going to go into the University and doing some Computer Game creating and hopefully this will (somehow) make my Environmental study more effective.

I am quite excited about this weekend. I was going to go to the Hamilton 400 (v8 car racing) seeing as I live in Hamilton and all, and I even got offered a free 3-day pass, BUT I have graciously passed the opportunity on to some Policeman called Jamie who will stay on our couch (he does not object to being mentioned in my blog - I checked). The better offers I had to replace a grease-filled weekend of roaring v8s and smoking tyres were from two of my good buddies, Stella and Jenna.
Stella kindly invited Alice and I to her parents cafe/guesthouse (Out in the Styx in Pukeatua NZ - exquisite, you should try it sometime) for Friday evening and Saturday day - it's in the middle of nowhere, idyllic surroundings, and just perfect for time out. As Stell says when I am stressed and she thinks I need a break - "great food, great views, great atmosphere, great company". So I am really looking forward to that; I always use my holidays for study so I am really lucky to have Stell who forces me to visit her!
The other offer I ditched the v8s for was from Jenna. Jenna and her flatmate Hannah, along with some of their other girl friends, are heading over to Ohope on Sunday morning and coming back on Monday evening, so I thought I would crash their party with my presence. Another chance to relax I think. Am quite looking forward to the weekend!

In other news, I unravelled almost an entire scarf's worth of knitting today - decided it was incredibly ugly and therefore had to be terminated. I saved all the yarn though so that's good. Totally keen on new projects now.

Well, that's about it from me for now. I said I would mention Chris here so he'd feel special (gotta keep my readers happy, they're scarce) so this is officially me mentioning Chris and implying he is a nice guy. Possibly because he is.