So... I got the yearly letter from Sallie Mae...

But before I get to the point of it, I have to bitch for a second.

They email you these password-encrypted PDF files. You used to have to enter your SSN to view them. But I guess b/c people are scared of identity theft etc they have moved away from that. So now you have to enter some ridiculous code- it's like your 10 digit account number plus your birthday plus the date of your loans. 2 of 3 of which I don't know, and never will. So, the other option is to log in to the website and view it there.

So I go there, and enter my user ID, and try my standard password. It's wrong. Try my other standard password. Still wrong. Take a stab at a third. Also wrong. So then I'm logged out. So I go to the "forgot password" page. correctly answer all 3 security questions. Does it tell me my password? NO. It makes me change it. So I enter in desired password. No good- cannot be the same as any of the last 5 passwords.

Which means I enter something random that I will never remember. so next time this happens, I will not know the password and will have to change it all over again. What a retarded system.

[yes I understand I could just write the password down somewhere, but that is not a good solution.]

But now on to the good part.

So I finally get the letter open. It tells my that my deferment is up 7/14, and my loans will go back into repayment status then. All $182,495.10 of them. At the tune of $700 monthly payments until the year 2038. I can NOT afford that.

So, I go to the deferment page, like I have for the last five years. Click on the "economic hardship" deferment- which requires me to send them a pay stub, showing that my loan payments are more than XX% of my income (I think the requirement is 20%?), and thus not do-able at this time.

And when I click on it, what comes up?
"you are not eligible for this deferment". Why not?
"time limit has been reached".

I guess I'm only allowed to defer for 5 years for economic hardship.

WTF! I still have two years of training left! None of the other deferment options seem to apply, either.

I absolutely CANNOT afford to start paying $700/mo next month.

Shite.

I have to figure this out.

at least my interest rate is still locked in at 2.875.

So, for the first time in quite a while, I had a weekend off and actually took advantage of it!
Friday night went to Dan's mom's place on chautauqua lake. Put his boat on the water the next day. it was cold and really windy, so he didn't catch anything, and I didn't even try. But somehow managed to get totally sunburned nonetheless. Then that night some people from work came over for burgers on the grill, which was totally fun, too.
Then yesterday he put the boat back in the water on the river and we went to strawberry island, where I picked up a fishing pole for the first time in my life- and caught FOUR fish! I totally couldn't believe it. there were a bunch of other boats out there, too, and they were getting pissed at us b/c they weren't catching anything. I don't know what they were doing wrong, b/c I certainly didn't know what I was doing. Beginner's luck, maybe. We were out for about 3 hours, and dan caught 13, compared to my 4. But, I caught the first fish, AND the biggest fish. Woohoo!
Check me out! (and ignore the fact that I look like I need chin liposuction. ew.)


Then last night went to a dinner party in rochester, which was great. awesome food, and amazing wine. It was at a couple's house who both work for wine importers/distributers and have this amazing wine cellar.
We were supposed to come back last night, but were too drunk to drive, so we crashed there, and then met up with some other friends for breakfast this AM, and headed back.

Now I'm back. All in all a great weekend- except that I'm exhausted now.

Welcome summer!!!!

If any of you are like I am (I'm looking at you here Paul) and have a cell phone/ipod graveyard... this site might be good.

They buy your old phones/mp3 players.
They don't give you a ton of money, but then again, it's better than the zero I get paid for having them collect dust in my closet since i can't bring myself to throw out a first generation ipod that cost like $500 new and now is worth about $0.50.

If I turn in four ipods and 3 phones, they'll pay me about $150.

worth checking out...

So... the match is over.
I got my third choice- UConn.

I think I'm about 90% psyched, and about 10% bummed I didn't get number one or two.

But bottom line- I have something. No more worrying about interviews etc.... now I just have to make it til next june without getting myself fired!

;)

some pix that have accumulated lately...


My niece/nephew- due Halloween.


This is right up there with the Acme Nipple Mfg Co. I love it.


A couple weeks ago I went to go see the Reverend Horton Heat at the Tralf. Before going, met up with a friend, who was talking about how last time he saw the Rev, he almost got in a fight with some bikers. I figured he was 'telling tall tales'.
Well, then I actually went to the show, and this sign was posted outside the door.
(then unfortunately I got called to work, and had to miss the entire show.)



The hospital in Portland. Not too shabby, for a hospital.


On one of my interview trips, I walked up to my gate, only to see this. it was like 2 in the afternoon. Not really a good time/place to be sleeping on the floor. It's not like there were no seats available. A few minutes later her ?daughter came up and put a blanket on her. Really? We are condoning sleeping on a nasty airport floor?


The beginning of my airline woes with American. This was one of like 8 monitors. Everything yellow is cancelled or delayed.
yeah.... way to go air travel!


This has been written on the board at work for the last couple weeks.
teehee... cocaine shortage... snort.

And in other news-
My "match day" is wed. At noon I find out where I will be spending 2009-2010. Wish me luck!!! I'm starting to get nervous.

Ok, paul says mp3 uploading is fixed.
Let's see....

Here's the caterpillar song I tried to post a while ago.
I <3 it.

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

... is birthday laptop.
Oooh I am such a spoiled brat.
But this thing is awesome. The multi-touch trackpad is way cool.

And i saw a 1TB drive at Best Buy yesterday for $219, marked down from $350. I think I should go back and get it.

My mom's the best:



And on a totally unrelated note-
This looks cool. Right up Paul's alley, perhaps-

So...
I saw The Police at HSBC last night. (as my dad said, better than seeing them at the station. ha-ha-ha). They were awesome.
It was a great birthday present in and of itself- but then on top of it, we were in a suite, and even a GIANT limo. And started with dinner at Papaya.
Unfortunately I was on call and had to work in the AM, so that put a damper on the drinking, but still.

The Police were my first "favorite band". I think I was in 4th grade when I heard Message In a Bottle, and I went out and bought Synchronicity (on tape). The went back and got a couple of their earlier albums. So I got in on it at the tail end (they disbanded in 84), but you can't really blame me, since I was 8.

So this tour is a pretty big deal. They went on tour in '07, as a 30th anniversary reunion thing. They hadn't played together in 24 years. They said last night the last time they played Buffalo was 1978. (though someone said that's wrong, they were here in 84. I dunno.)

But in any case, I think it's fair to say they're a pretty influential band in music history. I think I would equate seeing this concert with seeing maybe the Stones (except it's actually easier to see the Stones since they still play sometimes).

So I was just surprised when I mentioned at work, and no one seemed even vaguely interested. Who knows... maybe they're too old? But really... who doesn't still start singing "Roxanne" every time it comes on at a bar?!

But, who cares what they think. It was a great show. They only played a couple songs I didn't know. Sting still has a great voice, and Stewart Copeland, the drummer, is amazing.

So... happy birthday to me. It was great. :)

• just to clarify- the limo was not on my behalf. The guy whose suite it is apparently gets limos often- whenever there's a big group and drinking is involved. I (and about 15 other people) just happened to luck out.

Unfortunately it was tough to get decent pix on my phone, but...


Our ridiculous limo


Elvis Costello


The Police