Year 2, Day 6: 9/17/12 - "Stay Gone"

"Stay, stay right where you are

I like it this way, it's good for my heart.

I haven't felt like this, in God knows how long

I know everything's going to be okay

If you just stay gone..."

-"Stay Gone" by Jimmy Wayne

When Orientation Isn't Orientating at All!  Today was my FIU orientation and I left feeling as if nothing was accomplished.  Usually during orientation, you get your benefits in order, sign your paperwork, and of course, find out about the mission, vision, etc. of the university.  We did the latter but not the former.  I still have to do all of my benefits sign ups before a certain date, or I don't get coverage.  And get this, they don't have immediate coverage here - I don't get coverage until October 1st and that's only if I get my form in and pay for it up front (that's right, no payroll deduction allowed).  Of course, that means I pulled a muscle in my back tonight when I got home (I blame those chairs they had us sitting in all day).  So hopefully this will get better quickly because I can't go to the doctor anyway unless I want to just pay straight up.  Here is also what happened during orientation today:

• There was no parking and no information on parking given to me beforehand.  When I got there I had to pay for metered parking so that I could go in and find out what to do.  They gave me a temporary parking pass (yay!) but there were no available slots at the building where the orientation was scheduled, so I had to venture out on campus on my first day.  I got lucky and found a spot, but really FIU?
• Continental breakfast is more than a pastry!  Could we at least have had some fruit or some juice?  And no snacks?  I was starving by the time lunch rolled around and then again by the time we left.  Luckily I brought my own fiber bar and apple - but what if I hadn't?  I'd likely have passed out!

• I don't get a paycheck until the end of the 1st week of October, which means I'm screwed in terms of paying my rent and my bills that always come due at the beginning of the month.  I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do but I'll have to figure something out.  I blasted through my savings on the move (deposits, etc.) and I know there is no way I'll get my reimbursement by then (it took them nearly 3 weeks to reimburse me for my interview trip).  I definitely don't need this stress right now (especially since I can't go to the doctor if anything goes wrong!).  I'm trying to think things through and I'm hoping something will come to me by the end of this week - I'll have another week to do something before I run into a major issue.

Shower, muscle relaxer and bed are on the agenda for tonight.  I hope tomorrow is better because today was not a good start!