It's been a bit of a trip down memory lane. I finally got around to getting all my important papers together and I purged every leaf of paper with my name on it from each and every one of the cupboards, closets, shelves and drawers in the house. I mean, I'm all grown up now! Yeah, it seemed like an appropriate time, too. I've put it off for too long.

Amongst the pile now sitting on my bed - in need of major sort-age - are my RTA Learner Driver Logbook (complete with 30 mins of drive-time logged! Pretty pisspoor considering that I got my L's in December 2002), a Red Cross Blood Service Youth Donor certificate thanking me for participating (even though I didn't donate any blood - I turned up and all, but they wouldn't let me due to regulations regarding donor male-to-male sex) and a First Aid Certificate which needs to be renewed in July. And I think I see Navy and Air Force information booklets from way back when I was considering joining up.

(Aside: I understand why the Red Cross Blood Service would have rules regarding who can donate blood, even if they are a little silly. I mean, what makes male-receptive anal sex different to female-receptive anal sex? A topic for another blog I suppose. Anyway, I would love to donate blood but it's either that or go celibate for twelve months.)

Most of it, though, is school stuff: reports, the School and Higher School Certificates, and letters from the Board of Studies and UAC. Even a Meningicoccal C school vaccination card.

While my mates in the year 12 class of 2004 are currently waiting for their university course offers, I'm looking over my course preferences on a UAC letter dated November 9, 2003. I just think how things could have been so different if my UAI (University Admissions Index - a ranking for those hopeful of getting a University place) was just a few points lower. In order of preference:

1. Bachelor of Education (Secondary: Science)/Bachelor of Science at University of Sydney
2. Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Science at University of Newcastle
3. Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Education at University of New South Wales
4. Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Education Secondary at University of Canberra
5. Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary)/Bachelor of Science at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga
6. Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching at University of New England
7. Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Science Education at La Trobe University
8. Bachelor of Science at University of New England
9. Bachelor of Science at La Trobe University

My heart was set on Newcastle Uni. It would have taken me far away from my life as I knew it. It would have forced change; at the time I felt like I couldn't escape what my life had become unless the big arm of UAC made me make the move. And it would have taken me far away from my family, far from where they could bother me. And there are great beaches in Newie.

I don't know or can't remember why I ended up putting USyd at the top of the list. Things would have been majorly different if I hadn't. And in March I start my second year there. Here's to living it up, a better work ethic and better results this year, eh?




Talk of blood donation has got me thinking. Why not have a blogger blood drive? I mean, we have the Melbourne Bloggers trying to outdo us Sydney Bloggers with the Melbourne GrogBlogging. There's a major blood product shortage in Australia at the moment, and a little more inter-city rivalry couldn't go astray, could it?


Listening to:
Title: Look What Happened
Artist: Less Than Jake
Album/station: Borders & Boundaries
Length: 3.41