Holiday Party!

This Saturday we had our work holiday party. It was a lot of fun. We got free drinks (I might have had a couple too many!) and got to bowl or play pool. Oh, and there was lots of yummy food. Here is Dylan and Natalie... one of my most favorite couples. :)

And me and Natalie :)

Here is Nicole and I drinking some Reisling :)

Oh yeah... that's my bum... I am an awesome bowler. Haha j/k... I am horrible... but it is still fun!

Nicole won the drawing! Yay Nicole... maybe she'll let me be her date. :)

All in all it was a great night... I love my ofice and am so blessed to be surrounded by such great people every day!

My Pre-Christmas Festivity

I never thought I was very artistic or crafty growing up. I was never very good at art (even though my mom disagrees). But I love love love making cards. Here are a few from last year. I don't have pics from the ones I am making this year, but I may post them later. I made all my cards for the staff at work last year. I also started in November. :) I don't know if I'll have time this year because I have been super busy, but we'll see. I think it's a pride thing, since I did it once I want to do it again, but I'm also trying to be realistic. Wish me luck... or help me to be humbled and know that maybe my pride could take a hit. :)

Where Have I Been?

Most who read this may not care... but 3 weeks is a long time for me to not update my blog. I try not to go longer than a week. I read someone's blog who said it's hard to update if you don't have kids, aren't traveling and really don't have much to talk about. That is rarely me... the not having something to talk about part.

Honestly... I've been going through a tough time. Not b/c of me, but a friend of mine is making some choices I don't agree with. No big deal, right? Get over it, Jess. But, we work together and her choices were affecting me and the other employees. To be kind and fair to my friend I am not going to air her dirty laundry on my blog... that wouldn't be very nice. Anyways, shit hit the fan on Friday and people found out about the situation.

Honestly, though, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I don't like secrets and lies. Who does? I felt like this big secret was a huge rift between all of us at work. It was awful! And, not that I talk about the situation, but I'm not forced to lie to anyone anymore. And keeping secrets is basically lying to people.

And it's over. She may still be doing her thing, but it doesn't affect me anymore. I don't agree with it, but I'm still going to be her friend. When people make choices I don't understand, I try to remind myself, I probably don't know the whole story. I love my friends, and until you hurt me, I will always stand by your side. Even if you hurt me, that is what forgiveness is for. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a pushover. I may not forget what happened, but I can move past it if you ask me. And, I think that is important. I am still learning about friendship and what I am looking for in my close friends. I try really hard to surround myself with good people. I find myself being a lot happier when those around me are positive people, who want to live good, happy lives. It sounds silly, but I've met a lot of people who thrive on drama. But, high school is over, and drama is not cool anymore.

All that to say, I'm back. I even felt like I couldn't really talk about life on here in case she read it. This whole secret has consumed me for the last few weeks because it was wrecking so many things at work. But, I don't care anymore. The secret's out. It's not my secret and if she reads this that's okay. My blog isn't private because this is me. I make no apologies for who I am. (Unless, I am doing something bad, or really screwing up and need to apologize.) This is my outlet, my online journal and whoever reads it, makes that choice. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Also, if you have a private blog... I am not against them. I don't have kids to protect... it's just me. I may one day feel like I should have a private blog, but for now, there's nothing to worry about. (Although, my mom would probably disagree. :) Okay, done rambling... sorry to bore those who read this... just had to get this out.

Back to School

I'm going back to school! Or, at least I applied to go back to school. Something, I NEVER thought I would do. I did well in school. I never disliked school, but I hated studying and being forced to learn a lot of random stuff I didn't really care about. So, when I graduated from college I remember being so glad I would never have to study for another test again! The classes I hated most while in college... accounting and economics. What am I going back to school for? An undergrad accounting certificate to fulfill the accounting credits I need to take the CPA exam. WHAT???? Not only am I going back to school, but I am going back to do classes in the field I was worst at!

Haha... isn't that how life works. When I got my first "real" job they wanted to promote me to the accounting department. I declined and quit (for other reasons). I worked at a hair salon because my dream was to open my own salon and spa one day. I was going to get some experience, go to beauty school and get started on opening my own. I lasted one whole year at the salon. I hated almost everything about it. (My best friend Shakira and I say that our friendship is the ONLY good thing that we took from that place.) I hated the superficiality, the fakeness, the emphasis that beauty is only found in how you look, what you where and how big your diamond is. Oh, and of course how well your hair is kept... color/foil every 4-6 weeks to make sure your hair is root free. Granted, my hair was fab... but my heart was broken. I just never felt good enough. And aside from a few unique people this was the accepted atmosphere: Look good=you are good.

BUT, while I was there, they offered me a job handling their money. I learned a lot and when I started to look for a new job, the recruiter I went through suggested we look in the accounting area. I felt like I had been pushing to stay away from that area. I quit the first job, the second job got my feet wet, but did not really convince me I should dive into the accounting world. It sounded so boring. But she said the one thing that encouraged me... in a bad economy like we have now and had in 2008, there were jobs in this field. Enter my second interview the recruiter got me at Robinson Tait. It was a law firm. My dad is a lawyer and I had no desire to be in the legal field. It was in the billing department. Once again, not interested, but let's see where it goes.

I fell in love from the moment I stepped into the office. I just had such a good vibe about the place. I wanted the job so bad!!! So, when they called me with an offer the next day, I immediately took it! I started the next week. That was almost two and a half years ago. I started as the Accounting assistant (which just meant I did almost all the billing). They were really far behind and I got them caught up on three months of overdue billing in just three weeks... I'm not bragging, but explaining the realization I got: I was good at this! I loved the challenge. Everytime I got a little bored they would say, we are going to give you more work. Today I am the supervisor of the accounting department. That's right: department! I have two people working with me doing the job I started all by myself. I love it. And, learning that I love it made me want to get my CPA.

So, all that to say that I love the crazy roads life takes you on. I wish I could carry my success and optimism in my professional life to my personal life, but I'm working on it. All this has also taught me to never say never. Unless you like having to eat your words... cause I'm eating mine now. :) But I am really excited to get started. And, this is just the beginning of this journey because taking the CPA exam will be a feat in and of itself, but one step at a time right? So, although I won't be getting another degree and won't wear one of these again, this is one of my favorite graduation pictures and I can't wait to feel like this again. :)

The Story...

I went in for my procedure last Tuesday. I got all checked in... said bye to my mumsy and headed into the "room". Changed into the sexy gown, made sure to hold it shut so the world wouldn't see my bum as they did when I was in the hospital ten years ago... but that's another story. :) I got the IV in and laid down on the hospital bed as they prepped for the procedure. I was going to be consciously sedated during the procedure. They started the meds and got working. I was having an ERCP. They go down the throat with a camera and then pull out the gall stone. Well, apparently they did not keep my meds high enough because 10 minutes into it I was way more conscious than sedated! I started to sit up, felt all the appliances in my throat started freaking out saying "UUUUNNNGGGHH" or something like that since my throat was clogged with tools. They said, "We're almost done, we're almost done!" and upped my meds and I was back out. OMG... traumatizing. I was happy to wake up and see the doctor. He said, "It went well, but we couldn't find the stone." I'm sorry, "What?" I went through all that FOR NOTHING??? He's like, "Maybe you passed it." Oh, so you don't even know? Wow...

So, after all that they still know very little. My side still hurts sporadically and I get to pay the bill for an unnecessary procedure. FABULOUS. But seriously, I am glad I am okay and all went well. It was just a really random few days. Here is what it probably looked like on my insides. Enjoy the nastiness below. :)

Surgery

Tomorrow I am having surgery to remove a gall stone. I have been in pain since last week Sunday, so I am ready to have this out. It is a minimally invasive surgery that they do through my throat. Sounds pretty cool if you ask me and I only have to stay in the hospital overnight. I am super busy at work, so I just need to get back to that asap. I think I am a bit of a workaholic b/c I think about it way too much. I just like everything to get done and when I can't it stresses me out! Anyways, wish me luck!

Not Good At This

I hate dating... I'm no good at it. I'm 27 and I'm not looking for a fling. I want a relationship. I want a commitment. I hate playing games. I'm gonna be honest with you, please just be honest with me. I'm probably still single because I don't play these games. Girls like bad boys... but a lot of the time, the good guys are just as used to dating the bad girls that when a good one comes along they just don't want to stick with it. They want the bad girl because that's what they are used to. I hate it. I just want the prince on the white horse to come carry me a way. Tell me he loves me. And mean it.