ANDDD I'm Back...

So it has been a while since I have posted. I can honestly say that my lack of postings has been due to sheer laziness. My mind has been running a mile a minute no doubt, but I just haven't been able to get those thoughts down...or haven't wanted to I should say. So here it goes...

-The recession is pissing me off. I am so tired of this gloom and doom attitude. I recently interviewed for a promotion within my company. Because the economy is basically in the toilet, there were 10 people interviewing for 1 position. I got the call this week saying I did not get the job but was in the "Top 3". So disappointing. I am annoyed because I know that if we weren't in a recession, I probably would have gotten the job. The manager told me to job shadow because there are probably going to look to hire in Q4. Q FREAKING 4. Awesome. I just hate knowing that I was on the cusp of getting this job. Everything happens for a reason and unlike many I actually have a job so I know I shouldn't complain. Ok enough about that.

-Now onto a juicy work topic. I have a co-worker who is having an affair with a married man. She is seeking my advice and telling me how miserable she is. I cannot seem to listen to her problems without judging her. Ladies, I don't care what anyone says....he will never leave his wife and you never want to be the other woman. Infidelity and adultery are sins in my book and I just cannot listen to her story anymore. To me, what she is doing is wrong and it is making my work environment tense because I simply cannot look at her the same. How do I be a good friend/confidant when I do not agree with ones decisions? A difficult struggle I am having here.

-I have spring fever. Bad.

-I really want to loose 10 pounds before wedding season begins. Anyone from the South can relate to why a single girl wants to look good at someone else's wedding. You never know who you could meet....

That's all I have right now....I am planning on getting better at posting.

Getting with the program

My junior and senior year of high school I decided to do weigh watcher. It was great, since then I have been on and off the program but I must get back on. I am officially the biggest I have even been and all I can say is that it is embarrassing. I hate seeing pictures of myself and I don't think I look like my self.... AT ALL. Now at 23 (almost 24) I am going to get back into the swing of things and find myself again. The key for me is writing down everything... everything. Ramit over at iwillteachyoutoberich.com has a book coming out and the other day I was ready pieces of chapter 1. Why Ramit was trying to make a point about saving money where is comparing saving to gaining/loosing weight. (I ordered his book I think it is going to be great for people my age)
I digress....

The point is that saving money is like weight control - it doesn't happen over night but when we diligently work and overtime we will achieve our desired results. I really liked this analogy - to the point. He also states that writing down a budget is just as important as writing down what you eat and I couldn't agree more.

the finance major that I am likes black and white.

So I started to look around online to try to find some others going through the weight watchers journey to find some motivation. I found Mrs. Classic. She talks about her journey thought ups and downs of weight gain and loss - finding motivation and weight loss tips. A few days ago she posted about planning out her points so that she doesn't look aimlessly in the frig and end up making a bad choice. Keep up the good work Mrs. Classic!!

I bought a journal and I am going to write down that enters my mouth so that I can calculate the points.

I am also going to work on planning my meals ahead of time so that I don't crash and burn at night when I make it home after hours and hours of work.

How depressing……

I think that this pictures says is best…

Ouch…..

Not that I am going to be using this money at time soon but it is just depressing that I have earned more on my savings account then I have on my 401(k)

The Extra Paycheck

Now I normally don't consider paycheck as 'extra money' but recently my company changed accounting practices and now I receive 26 paychecks a year rather then 24. At first I noticed that my bank account balance was less then normal but I have adjusted. In April I have a three paycheck month - yippee!!!

Now here should I put the extra money? Emergency Fund? Travel Fund? House Fund? Moving Fund? Gift Fund?

any advice?

I think that I am going to put about $500 in my gift fund then I will have that much to spending on all the weddings/showers I have this summer. I am in one wedding and already know of two others that I need a gift for. The two that I am not in may just get a gift instead of being graced with my presence because they are about 5 hours away and lets face it - I doubt I will be able to make it.

THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING ON A GIRLS TRIP..... BELLE 2 - WE MUST!

But then I get to day dreaming about homes and decorations.... but that's another post.

Hotel Living....

For the past month I have been living in hotels. Sometimes i am fortunate enough to stay at the same place for a few days - but the weeks that really get to me are those weeks with a different hotel every night. Plus driving between towns.... exhausting!!

Tonight I am in Orlando - enjoying a glass of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio - my favorite - but lets face it, I am way to cheap... no.... frugal to spend $25 for a bottle of wine when I can get a giant bottle of Bella Sera for $13. But when I travel by myself I tend to splurge a little becuase actually I don't know why - because I deserve it!

I have been working 80-100 hour weeks - hence the lack of posts - and I am so ready for this project to wrap up.... well am i? I feel like SO MANY people I know are loosing there jobs these days that i need to just be thankful that i have a job.

Even bloggers like Laura have felt the impact of the recession. Congratulation Laura on your new job!

work-aholic???

it has been a while.....



and it will be a little while longer....



this will be the fourth weekend in a row that I have to work... that's right fourth.



But with the current state of the economy I am thankful I have a job. I really do love my job there are just times when the 90 hour weeks start to drive you MAD.




I spoke with HR this week as well - I was supposed to roll off my current project in august.... yes august. And to my shock I received a new roll off date of March 2 - LOOONNNGGGG story short. Part of the response - 'we would like to extend you in FL. Ideally, that would be the best scenario since there are fewer openings across the board right now. Given your flexibility though, it does make it a lot easier.'




So maybe I will be here in the south when it gets warm enough to sit out in the sun in February.






PS. the art project that I worked on turned out - ummmm - OK. They kind of look child-like but I think with a good black mat behind them they could turn out.

Finding my Passion

Last week I happened to catch the Oprah Winfrey episode with the Olsen Twins. The episode was very interesting because I rarely take anything away from watching Oprah. I get a bit annoyed by her attitude that she is God and is inspiring the world. However, she made a statement that somewhat stimulated my mind. Not necessary inspired my mind, but stimulated.

She was discussing the start-up of the Olsen Twins' fashion line and how they got started. They stated that they simply just loved fashion and it made them want to join the industry. Oprah then said that "One should focus on their passion and turn it into a profession" That statement really got me thinking about what my passions really were.

Lately I am starting to wonder where I need to go in my professional career. Can your passions be confused for your loves/likes? For example, I love shoes and fashion. Does that mean that I need to try and find a career in the fashion industry? When I entered college, my love of travel inspired me to major in International Business and focus on Spanish. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, I lost sight of actually using my major and skills in order to just simply find a job.

And now, I am sitting in a cubicle and have not used my Spanish for anything other than evesdropping on the hispanics in grocery store line. (Sometimes I like what they are saying, and other times I don't) I am not passionate about what I am doing and am confused about where to go from here. I am also starting to wonder if it is worth it in this struggling economy to take a step back and evaluate/find my passions?

Reflection starts now. Passion, is it the same as liking/enjoying something? How do I translate my passion into a career? Someone should really write a book on this.