6/28/07

You've got to be kidding me....

I'm bored at work (again) and started looking hrough the Lucky Magazine chat forums.....I came across one post that is bugging me.

Someone posted "What's in your purse!" and started off talking about every damn thing in her purse. I've never been so bothered/disgusted. I mean, yes, I have a coach purse/wallet/blah blah blah - but to put all that online cuz it's "something to do?"

It's pretty much along the same guidelines as the other one i found last week "What are you wearing!" People would even discuss the name/color/shade of makeup they had on. It was just as horrific as watching the Paris Hilton interview last night that I don't know why I watched. I really don't know why.

6/27/07

I'm not here for your entertainment...

I've been dealing with stupid people on the phone today. Or maybe it's the heat that's causing the irritation. It's almost 100 today. Luckily I work indoors. Thank GOD. I can't believe it's almost July. Next week is the 4th of July (and awesome block party with Shortie's neighbors) and the summer season (for me at least) is finally here. I know it's been hot and everything for awhile. But I soon might be dusting off the bbq and have some people over. But then again, it's much more fun to go to someone else's house (use up their AC! lol).

That's one thing I'm not looking forward to. Last year the bill was over $100 each month. I'm working on saving money, but I refuse to suffer in a hot house. Last night I didn't get home till 9-ish, so by then you could just open the windows and let the breeze in.

My co-worker came back this week. Yesterday actually. I told her about how we're working with India and she has similar thoughts on it. We still just can't understand why he's so supportive of it, other than the fact it'll bring in revenue. But I'm still bothered.

In other "fun" news - I bought the new Kelly Clarkson cd last night. So far, so good. The last song on there is a bit....different. But I like the sounds on the songs. A few are pretty different. But I know I'll grow to like them - that's what happens with a cd. You get it, start playing it. But the songs are unfamiliar and you're not sure if you are really into it. Over time, you learn the words, the music is more familiar, and then you can't get it out of your head. Only 40 more minutes till I can hear it again on my drive home. woo hoo. And hey - thibank yibou fibor yibour pibatribonibage.

6/25/07

I need 1 more day off.....

It's monday, I'm at work, and I could really use a day off. I know I just had 2 off. But 1 more isn't too much to ask ~ is it?

Friday night I saw Knocked Up. That is one of THEEEE funniest movies I've ever seen. I also got some sun on Saturday, had a girl's night in that night (ate A LOT!) and then yesterday relaxed and had dinner with my mom & sis.

But why am I so tired? Don't know. Maybe it's all this heat. Heat makes me want to sleep. I woke up today also, with a horrible headache. So that's not fun. Plus I got an invite to a friend's bridal/wedding shower that's in 3 weeks, and not really a lot of time to find an inexpensive flight to go up north.

Shortie, me, and our men have already booked our hotel for the wedding that's in October. We're hoping Shortie can make it - she'll be 8 months pregnant at the time. But we found some great rates on a hotel because of the advance notice. With the wedding shower, Shortie doesn't think she can make it, another friend (who I was hoping to stay with up north) will be out of town....and the flights are more than I would have expected. So, at this rate, I think I have to decline. I just wish I had an extra week or two notice to reserve a great deal. But I know it's not the bride's fault - she's not planning it ;o)

And what the hell happened to 2007? Next week is the 4th of July? How did that happen? But, I did get my FAFSA filled out to pay for grad school. They apparently think I can afford to pay $13k a year for school. LOL. ya right! Loans - here I come!

6/22/07

Mixed thoughts...

Last week, we started getting calls from India. But my boss actually took them. Apparently this company out there does recruiting and offers a 3 day trial to see if you like what they can find. You send them an open position, they'll pull resumes and send them to you. If you like the selection, and you feel they are good candidates, then after the 3 days you can hire them...for $11/hr.



My boss talked with our VP to see about trying them out. They decided to give them a 3 month long contract. When we started getting calls from India, my co-worker and I had our own thoughts on it...But we thought maybe my boss wouldn't like them after 3 days and drop it.



But no. So now they're recruiting for us. And I don't believe this is right. I told him. I said that in my opinion, I don't agree with it. He replied that they can help us keep our jobs. But at what cost? I mean, so many people lose their jobs here because of out-sourcing to India. I mean, we work with some of these folks to find them new jobs because they lost their old ones. While I would like to keep my job, I don't necessarily agree with the path we're taking to get that done.

6/21/07

My shredder is possessed

My shredder at work just started going off by itself. I think it's possessed.

Make way for the student!

Well, I had a great interview yesterday and was accepted into the program. Registration for classes is in July. And the way the actual class times are set up is pretty cool. The program was created many years back. It was a small program at first, and there's not much funding that is provided by the state. So, a few years back, the department was receiving pressure to increase the size of the program to balance the demand for those wanting to enroll. They couldn't afford to bring on any more staff, so they did something different.

Instead of having each class last 15 or so weeks, they cut them all down to 8 or 9 weeks (each class only meets once a week). They were then able to have the class go weeks 1-8, and then 9-16 to allow double the students - and having the teachers show up the same amount of time. So, I'll only have one class at a time - 1 the first half, and then another the 2nd half. I might do 3 classes for Spring - I'm going to see how it goes for Fall. But I'm very excited!

In the next few weeks, I'll be receiving the official notice of acceptance, register for financial aid, get student loans (again), contact my loan company to say that i need a deferment (yay!) and then buy my book(s) and also get a new laptop. I've decided that mine I have is too large to transport (it has a 17.5" screen...) so I'm selling it, and then going to buy a macbook. Through the bookstore, the laptop itself is about 250 less than buying it from apple (student discounts) and I can also purchase software at a discounted price.

Oh, I can't wait to shop! I'm such a nerd for these kinds of things. Office supplies - love it!

Also, yesterday I finally went to the DMV and ordered my new license with out the restriction for corrective lenses! It felt so nice to take the little eye exam! Nerd again, I know. But now at least it's proof that I have normal eyeballs!

6/19/07

Tomorrow...

Well, tonight I spent preparing for the interview tomorrow for the MPA program. I finished up my statement of purpose - which was actually a bit more difficult than I expected. E$ and Shortie helped me out. I just felt like everything I was writing was really awkward. J told me I was just over-analyzing. But I can't help it. It's sort of in my nature.

So, I emailed it again one last time to E$ and Shortie. Then I got sucked into the web. I started checking myspace, sending Shortie comments, looking at blogs, all kinds of things. It was just so difficult to focus on the task at hand. But I managed. I wrote out some answers to questions I might hear. It seems funny. But it helps to bring your mind to a particular time or event or something that you can recall. The one thing E$ asked me about was to tell an interesting/funny story thing. Something that isn't too awkward or corny. I'm still working on that one. I do love our wedding story - parts make it funnier (like when my new pants busted open at the zipper - and we couldn't get them off...And did I mention this happened outside and I had to walk about 50 feet to get inside to the bride's room? Ya...that was fun).

But I have a few things in mind. And I have my little portfolio/padfolio thing with all the documents I need. I have my outfit in mind. I am going to get it all ready before I head to bed. I need some extra time in the morning...Today I couldn't get my ass out of bed before 7am. So that can't happen tomorrow!

6/18/07

One step closer...

Got the paperwork on Saturday for the MPA program....And I've scheduled my interview for 10am on Wednesday. Looks like I won't have to take the GRE (yay) and just have to finish up my Statement of Purpose letter. Fun times!

6/15/07

I'd like a do-over

I wish I didn't get out of bed today. Maybe if I slept in really late, it would have been a better day. Not that it's horrible. But it's not good. I'm getting bothered pretty easily. Manager's being impatient, realizing I forgot to send out some emails yesterday, my sister sending me stupid IMs, just not too fun. And what's worse - we got paid today. Even THAT can't put me in a better mood.



I think it started last night. Well, not last night, but the afternoon? I had such a great day with the excitement of grad school. Then I got a call from my cousin about our other cousin (not his sister) and how she put up these disgusting pics of herself on myspace. I really don't want to get into the history of why we don't really like her anyways ~ but it just bothered me. Then I go home, and I tell J how I'm needy. He says he'll be nice. lol. But no. I ended up making all the dinner. Partly because I just wanted to do it in quiet. He watched tv. We ate. Oh, I think we almost had an argument. But he wanted to avoid it cuz he knew I was just looking for one (that happens when I'm grumpy).



So, the rest of the night went ok. We ate, watched the first Pirates of the Caribean movie (tonight's number two). My alarm went off at 6:40, but I wasn't feeling it. I re-set it for 7. When that went off, I got up, my head hurt, and crawled back into bed next to him. He asked me if I was ok. I said no, my head hurts.



A few minutes later I get up, take a shower, get ready for work. I get to my car, realize I forgot to take out the tri-tips for Father's day (I know, too soon, but my mom swears I needed to take them out this morning), go back and finally get on my way. While driving to the freeway, my gas light goes on. Crap. It's already 8 and I'm still not at the freeway (normally I am practically at work by then). I get gas, and just keep thinking "Coffee's only a few minutes away."



But then I realize, I used the last of the creamer yesterday. Shit. So, I stop at the store. I finally get to work around 8:35. That's pretty late for me. It was just a downward spiral from there. People were just bothering me left and right. So, now it's 4pm, and I'm going home. And I'm going to open a bottle of wine.

6/14/07

Keep the good news coming!

Well, after I made public my decision to go back to school, I started looking more into the program, emailing contacts on the website, all that fun stuff. I also learned that there is a cohort program (same group of students going through the program, attending all the same classes) at the community college by my house. I emailed a person there (pulled the name/email from the site) and she wrote back the next morning that she sent it to the director from the college. I thanked her, then asked if she knew if there was a cohort starting in fall or spring. I was shocked when she replied back saying "Please refer to email below." She wouldn't even take 5 seconds to answer me??? Why was her name on the site as a contact when she wouldn't even help me? Man. Flakey!

So, I sent an email to a person who works directly through the college (not the community college). She was very nice, told me she sent me the packet in the mail, and that "yes" there was still time to enroll for Fall. How is that possible? I have no idea. Most departments have already stopped enrollment for the fall and moved on to those for the spring. So, either they still have room, or they just do things differently? I'm not going to complain.

So, I have this great opportunity right at my feet, practically. I will be completing whatever I need to as soon as possible. I will have to apply (again) for student loans - but can't until I'm accepted. I'm going to take out extra money to pay off my credit cards, buy a new laptop, and other misc. supplies. It just seems too easy/good to be true. Time will tell, but I'm very excited! J has also been thinking of going back, but he can't jump into it as quickly/easily as me. But he'll get there, I'm sure of it!

6/12/07

I might be crazy

But I'm seriously considering going back to school. After attending my sister's graduation, I realized how much I sorta missed it. Then with the job opportunity, I realized I need to get more experience to ensure that when I do decide to make the leap, I want to make sure I'd get the job. What better way then with your Master's? So, I started looking online to see what would be the best route for my career in HR. E$ suggested an MBA. I looked it up online and got seriously intimidated. The course load looked way intense. I have no idea about any of it. I mean, I majored in psychology. It's light years away from the type of business classes I'd have to take. But, I printed out and saved some info to help make my decision.

After dinner tonight, I went to look some more online. I saw that there was another option. There's a program that's and MPA. It's Masters in Public Administration. It's designed for people working in the following fields:

  • Business/Healthcare administration
  • Finance
  • Human Resources
  • Public Safety
  • Social Welfare

So, since I fall into that third category there, I'm going to apply. Plus the great part is that there isn't pre-requisites, except that you've had at least 2 years of work in an appropriate field. I don't know when I can start. If they'd let me start in the fall, I'd do it. I think the program is about 2 1/2 years, so I want to get started as soon as possible! I can't believe I'm going to go back to school. So scary, but so exciting at the same time...

6/11/07

Just quick thoughts..

It's almost lunch time, so here's the quick list of this past weekend, and what's going on....more later when I have caught up from being out of the office on Friday....

  • Small towns have their advantages. IE - cheap, but good, food. Case in point - on Saturday E$ and I went to have breakfast at the local airport...It's only really for those people with lil 2 seater planes. Both of us ate for 10 bucks (and it was goooooood).
  • Watch out in Indianapolis - While eating dinner, we saw this guy across the street grab his face as a huge group of people walked past him. Turns out one of them hit him in the face and just kept walking....I later found out this happened to another guy (friend of a friend) - but he was driving in his car! Watch out!
  • Shopping to kill time is dangerous. E$ and I spent some time on Sunday at the Indianapolis mall...more specifically - Nordstroms. Luckily it all fit in my suitcase & carry-on!
  • LAX - even busy at 10pm on Sunday! When our plane (finally) landed last night, we got stuck circling around on the tarmac because there were no available gates for us to pull into. Finally around 11 we were able to off-load by the Delta planes (we were flying Continental).

The major thing that I have to report is that I did decide to go ahead and apply for that job in HR. I worked with E$ on revising and updating my resume. I think I'll either apply tonight or tomorrow. I sincerely doubt I'll even get a call back, but it never hurts to try!

6/8/07

Survived the flight(s)

Well, I boarded the plane last night at 10:45, slept about 2 hours (and not good sleep, I'll explain in a bit). Landed in Cleveland, and boarded a "puddle hopper" plane that seats about 25 people...That was a bit scary. I've never been in a plane so small. It was a bit intimidating, but I made it through. It's 8pm Central time, and I'm still awake. I think we're even going to make it to a movie.

So, on the first flight, I was sitting next to this annowing Tawaiinese (sp?) lady. She spoke very broken english, and didn't sleep at all. She mosturized her face, put on makeup, ruffled with a plastic bag (for what seemed like 30 minutes), she kept hitting my foot. It was a bit unnerving. She didn't even seem to care that I was sleeping.

But so far, this place is gorgeous. Experienced some pretty bad humidity today. When we landed, it was all overcast, and so I thought that meant it was cold too. Nope! It was humid, and gross. We ate at Cracker Barrel and that was a cute place. Delicious bacon. I don't know how they cooked it, but it was awesome! We walked around her college (literally a half a block away) and they have a castle there! It's incredible. It's covered in ivy and there's even little white christmas lights that they turn on during the winter. It's very nostalgic. All of the places I've ever gone to school don't have this sort of charisma. Can't wait to see some of the downtown area tomorrow and then Indianapolis!

6/7/07

The final countdown....

I leave for my flight to Illinois in about 8 hours. I haven't been on a flight longer than 1-2 hours in over 7 years. Scary. And I picked a seat right by an emergency exit. There was this whole thing I was supposed to read about my "responsibilities" should we need to use me. Um, ya, I just clicked "next" real fast. I hope the flight attendants know what to do!

I'm flying out of LAX tonight. It's probably one of the worst airports in America. I usually try to avoid this at all costs. But the air fares are usally cheaper if you're travelling long distances. But, I'll get there about 2 1/2 hours early. Should be plenty of time to get myself through security and situated somewhere. I hopefully can find the gate pretty easily!

But, before I fly out, I have to make a call. It's my second call like this of the week. The dreaded "your job is over" call. The one earlier this week went ok. But the guy's a pretty nice guy, and he's getting some notice and we're helping him find a local job. But this girl, she was the one who didn't show up to work for a few days, is being let go. It's hard because I spoke with her in depth back then about what was going on. And I feel for her. I mean, my mom went through much a similar life. But, sometimes you have to work hard to keep both your work life and your family life going smooth, and not let one affect the other so much.

On a much happier note, yesterday I went on a search for one of those "traveler" pillows - the U shaped ones that you wear so you can fall asleep on planes. E$ recommended it. I didn't find that, but I did find some Reef flip flops. I bought these, but all white. Very comfy. I enjoyed my purchase. And, my mom found the pillow for me, so I'll be sleeping like a baby (hopefully!). Have a great weekend!

6/6/07

Trying not to jinx it....

Well, I woke up this morning to a bit of a scratchy throat. My co-worker suggested it could be due to the odd weather we had yesterday - it was cold & cloudy. The day before it was sunny & warm, as it is today. I'm hoping it is that. But just in case, I took a benedryl on my lunch break....and now I'm starting to feel the effects! Eeeks. Quite a weird feeling. I hope I'm not actually sick, because I fly out tomorrow night to visit E$. I heard being sick on a plane (congested) isn't fun. I can attest that flying while hungover is an EXTREMELY bad idea. Yes, I learned the hard way...

6/4/07

Just one more night....

Finally after tonight I'll be able to not sleep or be alone again! It seriously sucks. J is having the same sort of luck. He said he doesn't like sitting by himself in the room, with no one to talk to, no guitar to play, no music to listen to. He's decided he can never be a travelling salesman. lol. That is so beyond his normal nature anyways - but it's cute that he came to that conclusion.

Today he was up at the Capitol Clear Speak 2007 - Each year Sacramento welcomes up all the radio stations from across the state to meet with assemblymen, media, even the Governator himself. J was able to get a minute with him this afternoon - which he's extremely excited about. I was too. It's cool he got to meet with the guy who signed our diplomas from college, and who was in one of our fave movies - Kindergarten Cop. That movie cracks me up.

Last night I avoided going to sleep until after 11. I got stuck watching Sex and the City. I never watch that with J around. Before we started dating, I had just gone through a break-up and was watching the whole series on dvd. I think that this is a regular thing women go through. Break up, watch Carrie and the girls. It's therapy - and much easier on the wallet than Retail Therapy. Anyways, he swore (before we even thought about dating) that he'd never watch that with me. I laughed, because I had no clue that the scenario could even possibly ever arise. Anyways, so last night, I put it on. I tried resorting back to the college days when I fell asleep with the tv on (Shortie taught me this bad habit). But I couldn't do it. It was distracting me. Part of the problem was that when I would hear something funny (Friends was on after), I would look at the screen and start watching. See, before I had Lasik, I would go to sleep with the tv on, and I couldn't watch it because that would involve reaching over, getting my glasses, putting them on, and watching. By that time, the joke was over and the scene also. So now that there are no more glasses, it's easier to get hooked into watching it for 2 minutes, or 5 or 10 or 30. So, I had to turn it off.

It's so funny how habits that we thought we'd always have just end up disappearing, or you "get over it." Like, before I'd always leave the laundry for the last possible chance. I could have gone for 3 weeks without it. Usually I had to end up doing it because I had no more room for my dirty clothes. Never thought I'd be turned on to doing the ritual weekly. Also, I'd always eat ice cream. I always had some in the freezer. Now, we barely eat it. I'll have a container in the freezer forever, and by time I remember about it, it's all freezer burned. What else. Oh, I used to always be online - AIM. Now, it's only when I'm at work. Why? Because when I'm at home, I'm with J. I don't chat online. I used to, and it would piss him off. He'd wonder why I'd sit online when we could be hanging out. I get the point now. I'd sneak off into the cyber world instead of just laying around, flipping channels. Now we do that all the time. One channel we love - the travel channel. And learning about cruises. Seems like now that we've gone on one, we want to know all the inner-workings. It's pretty cool actually. How many tons of trash they have, and recycling, and how they have constant power for all the rooms. I am a geek for that kind of stuff.

6/3/07

Kinda Lonely....

I took J to the airport this morning. He is up in Sacramento for a few days. He'll be home Tuesday, but it's kinda lonely around here. Most of the afternoon/night was kinda normal. I mean, he does sometimes keep busy and I'm alone. But he always comes home. But not tonight. Or tomorrow night. We were thinking back on the last time I was the one left here alone. I've left him a few times. I know he missed me. But I think there's just something different with me being home. I know I'll be safe. But it's just different. It'll be a lonely two nights. Can't wait for him to come home! But then, 2 nights later, it's my turn to leave - going to visit E$. So then I guess he'd be the one sitting here, in our place, alone.

6/2/07

Torn

My cousin sent me an email today. It's a job posting for our city for a position in HR. I doubt I'm even qualified for it. I read over the description, the job duties, and I know I could learn and do a great job, but I also don't think I know enough to even be considered.

I'm torn because I have so much going on with my work, so many contacts, relationships, obligations. I like my work environment, like my boss & co-workers. But I also never want to be stuck. I've had 2 major jobs in my life that lasted a number of years. In hs, I worked at a toy store for about 2 years. I loved being there. When I graduated and moved away, I was able to come home and work on breaks. When their management structure changed, I left.

After that, I got a job in retail. I worked when I was in college up north, and then relocated when I got back here. I was promoted, and stayed there for the rest of college. Well, most of it. In my last semester, I got a great opportunity for a new position at a different retail chain, much better pay, and so I did it. When I got there, I realized I hated it. My work ethic was much differently than theirs. I worked hard, they liked to hardly work. That frustration led to me quitting to get my current job.

This summer, it'll be 3 years that I've worked there. My job duties seem to grow all the time. I like that. I like the challenges and the different things I do. But right now with our main customer, we're at a changing point. The next few months will tell a lot.

I'm only 25, and I know that there's a huge world out there for me. I get scared thinking that I'll eventually have to grow up and move out into a different type of work environment. I can't always have a job where I can work in jeans and flip flops. I'll have to be one day in a more corporate environment. But it's so scary. I want to get myself into the HR field. I believe that's what I want to do. When I got into this job, I told my boss about that. He's been supportive with that goal. Unfortunately, work's so busy that I often don't have the time to enroll in a class or a weekend training to learn more and apply accordingly. But I know I can't stay in the same spot forever. And that's kind of unnerving.

6/1/07

Please Wait While Page Loads

Today's been quite a busy Friday. I've had barely any time to chat on ims or look at TMZ.com. That's sad. You should always have a free minute or two each hour to inspect these. And keep a conversation going on AIM.

I've been waiting on a website to start working again for the past 2 hours. Yesterday, I needed to use the website, but it wasn't working. I figured, oh well I'll do it tomorrow.... It's tomorrow, and now that I have time, it's not working! I've done what I can without it, but it's slowly approaching 5 o'clock, and I have a whole evening of busy things to do.

Tomorrow is (finally) my sister's graduation party from college. She decided last month that she'd like to have a party. She asked my dad and step-mom if we can have it at their house. They said yes. She told my mom, and that started the huge fight of the month.

You see, it's not that my mom hates them (dad & step-mom), or that we didn't ask to have it at her house (well, her's and my sister's - they live together). It was that my sister didn't ask. At all. Last year, when my grandma died, my mom went to the funeral (it was my dad's mother), and then to my dad and step-mom's house after the service. She was extremely nervous/hesistant to go. She hadn't really been around them for that long in many years, and never before to their house.

She was able to brave it that day (mainly due to moral support from her best friend, plus her sister was there too - and wine). She knew it was something she had to do - as most of the people there she hadn't seen in years because of the divorce.

So, with this party, it was now another territory problem. I know my sister should have tried to figure out a more neutral location, but my dad's house was utilized well for my grandma's thing, and so this would be better since it's spring. (although note to self - it sure looks really ugly outside. Weird haziness, but hot).

So, I told her that J and I will drive down with her, stay with her, and then she can leave and we'll stay behind to clean so she doesn't have to go through any not-needed awkwardness. I can understand why she doesn't want to go. I wouldn't want to go to my ex's. I wouldn't want to see the nice house he has, the pool, the things inside....Ever since the divorce (and the legal separation that happened about 6 years prior to the actual divorce) her life has been so hard. Never caught a break. Always in debt up to her eyeballs. Finally, she got out of it, then, she hurt her back, was unemployed for about 9 months, and she's back where she was before. She doesn't own a home, and she just doesn't want to see how successful his life has been...I don't blame her.

Anyways, so my dad was in charge of getting the tables to rent, the main dish (tri-tip) and all the booze (beer/wine). My mom was in charge of the side dishes, appetizers, and dessert. She loves to cook. So tonight is going to be a night filled with chopping, mixing, cooking, cutting, dipping, heating, and storing. I'd tell you what we're making, but it's too many things to list. I honestly don't even know if I'll make it through the night. I feel like I'd be that mom from that Rice Krispie's commercial so many years ago. Although she faked the flour on her face. Mine might be real.

So, it should be an exciting day, hopefully little drama. But with my family, and their friends, and their family - you really can't expect anything NOT to happen.

 

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