Buying a Laptop PC for the First Time.

I needed to buy a laptop that was relatively inexpensive and receive it quickly.

I think I succeeded.

I decided to go with the Dell Inspiron 15. If I ordered directly from Dell it wouldn't ship until February 8th. If I ordered from Best Buy I wouldn't get the 1 year of service. So I decided to get a refurbished machine from Dell's Factory Outlet.

After a lot of research and comparisons, I went with this: Dell Inspiron 15 with 4GB Memory, 320GB hard drive, 15" LCD screen, Intel WIFI, dual-core processor and a built-in webcam. The top/lid is a cool Midnight Blue! Oh, and did I mention I should have it in my hot, little hands by February 3rd? Can't wait!

Right before I checked out I perused retailmenot.com and found a coupon code with a 67% success rate. It saved me $74.85!!

So, my final purchase was $445 including shipping and tax. Brand new with all the specs that I got runs around $650. Hopefully this "new" laptop will be just the thing I need.

A Big, Long, Good Day

Today (err Jan. 26th) was uber crazy and uber full. Here is a list of what I did:

1. Woke up and ate breakfast.

2. Showered and got dressed.

3. Compiled documents and all items necessary for a trip to the Korean Embassy.

4. Went to church to work for an hour.

5. Around 10:30 AM I got on the road to head to D.C.

6. Stopped in Mechanicsville for gas, cash, and to get a FedEx envelope.

7. Arrived at the Korean Embassy in D.C. around 2:00 p.m.

8. Submitted my visa application, passport and all the required documents.

9. Interviewed successfully for my visa.

10. Left D.C. and drove to Springfield to pick up some boxes for my parents.

11. Drove to Potomac Mills and did a little shopping.

12. Met up with my dear friend Christina for dinner in Stafford.

13. At 8:30 PM I was back on the road headed home to Hopewell.

14. Arrived in Hopewell at 10:30 PM.

15. Opened a package with the 50mm lens I ordered!

16. Scanned parts of an old book Christina and I found. See scans here.

17. Now it's time for bed! (12:41 AM).

First Post of the Year!

Phew...it's been scarcely over 15 days since I last posted here, yet it seems much longer than that. Or maybe it's the way time sometimes comes to a standstill, and a day is as a week.

I'm still waiting on word about my visa. Apparently the school is working on it but they are in no hurry since they feel they have plenty of time. Yes there still is time, but I hate to leave things to the last minute and I still need to get an appointment at the Korean embassy once I get my visa number to apply for the actual visa. Does that sound a tad confusing? It does to me, which I think is why I'm so anxious to get on with it! Still, "patience child," I say to myself. All will work out as the Lord has willed in His sovereignty.

I've also been sick more or less since the big snowfall we had in December and I'm now on my second round of antibiotics. Hopefully these ones will do the trick. I am so thankful for medicine! As soon as I get my energy back I will hopefully have the courage to really tackle all the belongings I have here and do a good pre-departure sorting. There's no telling when I'll be back!

Other developments have sprung up in my life and overall I have so much to be grateful for and excited about. I'm still enjoying my secretary job and it's been really cool getting to know more people at the church. I also recently discovered that a friend of mine will be staying in Korea for her second year of teaching ESL. The best part is that she and her husband will be working and living in the same section of Seoul as I will be! This news was so amazing to hear and I am all the more eager to get things ready so that I can fly over to Korea and get started on this next phase of my life!

I'm going to do my best to stay optimistic and hopefull. All things may still work out.

p.s. I just got word that I should get my visa issuance number in another week and a half. We shall see.