Last week in review

• I started e-mail correspondence with a rabbi at a local Reform congregation, hoping to set up an appointment to discuss learning about that aspect of my heritage and possibly starting to attend services and Torah study. We are having a hard time finding a time when we will both be free.
• I received my financial aid, got caught up with my bills (mostly), and put a significant chunk into savings for moving expenses and furniture once I graduate.
• I contacted a reputable credit counselling service (non-profit, of course) so I can reduce my monthly payments and get them paid off sooner. We have set up a start date of February 1st.
• I got a nasty phone call from Citibank's henchmen threatening to sue me and do all sorts of nasty things to me. It was upsetting, but Michael, relying upon his experience in the financial industry, reassured me that I will probably not get sued. It is in their best interest to work with me and get paid, rather than not.
• Sugarfoot had her first veterinary appointment this morning after I found blood in the litter box. She registered her objections all the way to the examination room. The vet suggested that she could have an infection or a parasitic infestation. Running all the tests would have cost nearly $400, so we decided to treat both without running the tests. This cost just under $100. The only challenge left now is learning how to administer a pill to a cat.
• The spring semester begins tomorrow. I need to meet with the anthropology undergraduate advisor to correct some minor misclassifications of past classes on my transcript and to remove my minor. Then I can pay for graduation.
• Tim Buckley's long out-of-print sixth album, Starsailor, is now available on iTunes!
• Jnana Records is releasing a five-disc charity compilation benefiting Médecins Sans Frontières for $24.99 plus shipping! It includes tracks by Damon and Naomi, Matmos, Devendra Banhart, Jarboe, Six Organs of Admittance, Edward Ka-Spel, Larsen, Vashti Bunyan, The Angels of Light, Jad Fair, Antony, The Hafler Trio, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Nurse With Wound, Shirley Collins, Current 93, Thurston Moore, Marc Almond, Simon Finn, Jim O'Rourke, Ghostigital, Coil, Ghost, and lots, lots more.
• Last Tuesday signaled a good start for 2006 in terms of new music. The first domestic release of Sia's Colour the Small One, Standing in the Way of Control by The Gossip, With Love and Squalor by We Are Scientists, and Morningwood's eponymous debut all left me wanting to hear them again. I'm not aware of anything decent coming out tomorrow, but the 24th of this month has me salivating. We will finally see domestic release of 2005's albums by Clearlake and Test Icicles, new stuff from Cat Power, Ariel Pink and The National Trust, and the long-awaited covers album collaboration between Tortoise and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.