How good is the feeling of waking up on a Sunday, thinking you have to go to work, before realising that it is actually still the weekend. Best. Thing. Ever. Really.

Yesterday was actually a rather glorious day - blue skies, sunshine, the works (yeah yeah!). I spent most of the day eating, actually, which is never a bad thing. I started off going down to for some food down on the strip at Liquidity bar. The dim sims were so great (see?) and followed them up with some chocolate cupcakes from Cupcake Parlour (i'm so going to miss that place!). Spent a few hours nerding it up at my apartment & dying my hair blue black (& consequently staining bathroom, towels, fingernails etc). Got all dressed up & went out to SOL Square last night for dinner & beers at Fish & Chips bar then watched Oz get wiped by the Kiwis in the tri nations rugby. Had a few quiet beers over at Cartel afterwards before heading back to mine. Phewwwwwww.

Not much planned for today - might hit Ballantynes (department store) to look for some pressies for the boys mother & brother (upcoming birthdays & such). Ok. It is now caffeination time. Caramel latte STAT!

Oh oh oh & I have more anxiety inducing news relating to UK visa but I'll save that for another day when I'm not shaking like an alco in anticipation of coffeee....

Ok so in exactly 8 days I leave Christchurch, that’s 6 working days, which are the only type of days that matter to any government office – like say the British High Commission in Wellington. I guess you could say I’m getting slightly anxious with regard to the process of my UK working holiday visa application. And yes I am all too aware that applying for it so late in the piece in no ones fault bar my own. That doesn’t ease my mind any, unfortunately. Still. Visa First (the company through which I applied, basically just so they could check my crap and increase my chances of actual acceptance) told me there is a turn around of 15-20 for visas usually. So my timing for possible processing kind of just scrapes in on the lower end of that scale. From the date the British High Commission received my application to the last date I can receive it (while still in Christchurch) is 17 working days. Technicality much? How can it actually take that long anyhow? Efficiency is the name of the game people. (/end bitterness over fact that I am pulling double and sometimes triple shifts and yet people in visa office certainly need not work this hard). Am hoping aforementioned bitter rant does not wreck my karma and screw up any possible positive resolutions in way of accepted and received application.

I need to receive my *hopefully* accepted visa application and passport (yes, I currently have no passport, it is with the British High Commission too) before NEXT Friday. Because I leave Christchurch to road trip up to Auckland … and fly out of Auckland to London 2 weeks later on Friday 22nd August. So – I won’t be returning to my apartment in Christchurch, meaning if my application and passport arrive after next Friday … I’ll have a hell of a time trying to get them… being as I’ll be living out of a campervan for the time between leaving Christchurch and flying to UK.

To rectify this awful wee pickle I’ve found myself in I’ve been trying to get in contact with the big wigs in visa applications at the Embassy in Wellington. I phoned the general enquiries line and they gave me an 0900 number to phone instead, informing me that I would be charged $3.30 for the joy of using that 0900 number. They also suggested I send an email. So I wrote up a big wanky sounding letter reminiscent of the fact that I’ve spent the last week doing legal assistant work…and I sent the email off. A few moments later I received an autoreply informing me that they would endeavour to reply in 5 working days. That takes us to next Tuesday at the earliest. Yeah. Ok. That would be too late, buddy, seriously, if my query could wait a week, would I even be making said query?

So I tried calling the number, redialing for most of yesterday… and most of today. Busy signal everytime. Can’t begin to tell you how frustrating it’s getting. The hotline is apparently open until 8pm so I’ll keep trying until then. Anyway, the shitty thing is that even if/when I do get through … it’s still not definite that my little situation can be helped. As in, I’ll probably get through just to be told that there is nothing anyone can do to speed up the process and stiff shit, deal with it. Uhohs.

Looks like I might have to change my flight date and either fly back down to Christchurch to pick up my paperwork… or pay for reception at my apartment to courier it to… somewhere… or stop off at Wellington & pick it up from the Embassy (?) on the roadtrip from Christchurch to Auckland …. Or postpone trip indefinitely? … AND those options are assuming I even get granted the damn visa. If they deny me then I truly am up shit creek without a paddle, aren’t I? Buggar.

Please Universe/British Visa In Charge People in Fair Wellington Town: grant & deliver me a visa to England land this week? Or next, at the latest. Seriously. The end is in sight so I'm feeling a wee bit nervous about UK stuff at the minute. Me & the boy are set to leave Christchurch in 2 weeks. We'll then trip around NZ for another 2 weeks, then fly to England. So that means I have two weeks to recieve my visa... & then... well, not sure exactly what happens if I don't get it sometime in the next two weeks. Or erm, if I was to not be granted it at all. That would suck. & change the plans for the nxt year of my life. Not sure how, but I'm sure it would. Time will tell, right? Anyhow. The L Word is on. And I got me some perving on Jenny to do.

Can I just say, yesterday I wore my knickers inside out for the second time this week. I discovered this at like 8pm (yeah, didn't take me long AT ALL!). I am so retarded in the mornings. Anyways, ready for another fab day... off to Starbucks for another writing session .... & tonight I have 2 jobs to go to, usual night job plus another quickie (2 hours or so, getting paid for 4 hours, gotta love that), taking minutes for some market research meeting. Fun times.

EDIT: Success! I have just lodged my Aussie tax return, and if the etax estimater thingymabob is accurate I will have a nice 'ol refund deposited into my account in a few weeks. Sweeeeet. Need all the pennies I can come by, damn pounds! Oh oh oh and in other money/pounds/english related news, my flatmate got a little notice that a courier had arrived for her today.... I am kinda hoping that the receptionist at my building put the notice under the wrong door and the courier was actually for me... and the package was in fact my visa... cross ya fingers for me?

Today has been one of those super fabulous days where the stars were aligned to provide a perfect combination of productivness & relaxation. I slept in until 9:30am, got up & headed to starbucks where I spent two hours writing and drinking caramel lattes, then I lunched with my boy (home made lasagne, real food! not from microwave!!)... & this afternoon I posted my writing from this morning on TL, actually took my own advice and decluttered my room ... & have just returned from doing groceries so that I didn't have to eat butter on toast or instant noodles for dinner (seriously. have had enough). Oh & confirmed work for right up until I leave for NZ road trip. I got shit done & I feel fab & it's 5:13pm meaning I still have 3 hours until I need to be at my night job. I win at life. Fully.

I think I'm impressed with all thats going on with TL at the minute. The readership is growing.... I am getting more uniques every day, more subscribers (my subscribers just about doubled last week) & loads more comments. I am also being nerdy & loving twirl, the twitter client, that I downloaded earlier today, it's very cool. (ps: if anyone that reads this has twitter, add me, I'm treslola)

I still haven't heard anything about my UK visa, but am trying to tell myself that no news is good news. Right? That's what they say. Whoever 'they' are. Anywho. *smiles* I'm sure all will be good... Hope it will be as me & the boy booked our flights the other day. Did I mention that? We are flying Singapore Airlines. Hope they do better than Luftansa and actually deliver my bags to Heathrow rather then leaving them half way. But yay! Flights... it's like three quarters real. That last missing quarter being the visa, kinda essential. Not sure of plan B yet (as in the one that kicks in, in the event of the powers that be declining my visa application), shall formulate if necessary.

How hot are the veronicas? So hot. Right? Like Mia Kirshner from the l word. Hottie.

Customer Service Rep today, Legal Secretary tomorrow... tis the life of a temp. Keeping my fingers crossed that an approved UK visa gets couried my way this week. Though that may be all too eager on my behalf. In other travel related news, I have been researching campers for me the boys road trip from Christchurch to Auckland.. and I think we can get a good price on a Jucy Camper with a shower & toilet (kinda icky but will save on hostels & shit, I'm poor enough as it is let alone deducting road trip money then converting whats left to pounds, I'ma be livin' on crusts when I first get to the UK ... or goon. Probably goon.)

Anyways. Rambling. Go see my new TL article! It's .. like. ... rad. Or something. Lordy I am beyond sleepy. I'll write something more literate tomorrow. After coffee. (Had a good latte at the Gift Fair job this morning. Suprising considering it only cost me $3.50, bargain!).

OHmyLORD. I have not felt so full since like yesterday when I consumed 24 dumplings for dinner, yes really ages. I am attributing this feeling of bloated, indigestive disgustingness to he garlic naan I had over a curry lunch for the boy. Curry & me are good mates, I only ever have a mild mango curry anyhow so it never upsets me... garlic on the other hand, no go zone for me, I usually have plain naan but garlic naan came with the neato lil combo I had & I hate causing a fuss asking for menu variations. ANYWAY. Feel less than fabulous so am flat out getting some relaxing in before heading to Job #2 in an hour.

Overall, today was an extraordinarily productive day. I spent 2 hours in Starbucks writing an article about body image for TL. Also taught someone learning english that the correct expression when someone sneezes is "Bless You" (yes, random). I went to my biometric appointment at the immigration office. I booked my flights (via singapore, oi!). I sent off my documents and passport to the British High Commission (bye bye passport!). Did some groceries. & organised work for tomorrow, sunday and possibly 3 days next week with my recruitment agents. Tomorrow is reception... don't particularly like reception gigs, not much room for error... and it's corporate law so I have to at least look like I know what I'm doing - so hopefully its a quiet office with an uncomplicated switchboard.

Aight. So thats all from me, off to watch tellie and such (yay, shortland street!).

PS: I can't believe Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel broke up! I thought they were so cute together. ...Does that mean I get Sarah now?