New Year's Resolutions?

I've never been big on New Year's Resolutions. I hadn't really thought about any until just now. My biggest problem is I might follow through for a short period, but once I forget the first time, it will be downhill from there. I'm going to do a little brainstorming and make a list of things that would be nice to do to improve my life in 2011.

1. Take my vitamins more regularly (daily)
2. Make my bed daily (as soon as I get out of bed)
3. Hang up my clothes as soon as I take them off and put them away in the closet (my bad habit is hanging them on the closet door)
4. Cook at home more often (this could be really challenging with busy season approaching)
5. Eat breakfast each weekday morning (this will require keeping milk in the house for my cereal...I really hate going to the grocery)
6. Be more creative with lunch options (I don't like prepackaged frozen lunches that much)
7. Complain less to Mom (she has enough on her plate without hearing about things not going my way)

Ok, this is a long enough list. I'm not fooling myself into thinking that I'll actually follow through with even half of this list, but it's something to work towards! :)

Quick Post

I'm working on a catch-up post since I haven't written anything in a month, but the words don't seem to be flowing today. Maybe I'll get over "blogger's block" before long!

I had a nice Christmas with my family and was once again spoiled by my family's generosity. I'm especially looking forward to setting up my new home theater system--I'll finally have powerful enough speakers to drown out the sounds of the girl who lives above me! :)

I'm looking forward to spending some time with my family and decompressing some before busy season starts at work. I'm not going to get to spend much time with my family especially between February and April, so I need to make this time count!

I'll try to get a better update together soon and not wait so long before posting again!

Until then...

Pretty Boring Lately

My life outside of work has been pretty boring lately…should I just say non-existent?  I’ve been getting lots of chargeable hours which I hope equate to a bonus in mid-January, but my life has basically turned into wake up, work, come home, eat, crash, repeat.  It doesn’t help that time changed and it’s dark between 4 and 5 everyday. 

The best thing coming up is going home Wednesday night for Thanksgiving.  I’ll be home Wednesday night (late) through Sunday afternoon.  This will be the longest I’ve been home since August.  I’m not sure how much rest I will get since Thursday will be cooking all morning (hopefully, a good nap in the afternoon), Friday is the big Auburn v. Alabama game, Saturday we’re going to Huntsville to see HP and have a nice meal and then Sunday we’ll go to church and it’ll be time to head back to start another week at work.

It’s really hit me lately how much different being an “adult” is from where I was this summer when I was still a “basically” care-free college student.  I don’t think I fully appreciated a week off at Thanksgiving, nearly a month at Christmas (if your exam schedule cooperated) and a whole week for Spring Break.  I sacrificed summer vacation throughout college between interning at TVA after my freshman and sophomore years and then being in school the next three summers to graduate on-time after changing my major at the end of my fifth semester.  Oh, yeah…I took a class at NWSCC the summer after my freshman year too…forgot about that English lit class.

I’m really looking forward to next January (2012, not 2011) because my PTO (Paid time off)/year goes up to 25 days…right now it’s 20 and I know that sounds like a lot, but it’s really not that much when you factor in that we don’t get sick leave or comp time.  Right now, I get my 20 days (13.33 hours/month) plus 8 paid holidays (NYD, Memorial Day, Labor Day, 2 days for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and a flex day I can use at my discretion…oh wait, there’s one more…maybe Fourth of July??).

Ok.  Enough complaining.  Well, maybe a teensy bit more…I still have work to do and it’s almost 11PM.  I worked yesterday and then ran errands like a crazy woman, so I didn’t get everything I needed to do for Monday accomplished.  Being the over-achiever I am, I can’t stand to go to work without doing everything I said I would do.  So, as a result, I have at least an hour’s more work to do.  I know, I know…I should have gotten it done earlier in the day…procrastinators unite…tomorrow! :)

Hopefully my next post will be more upbeat and have some cute Thanksgiving pictures…I’ve been sorely without inspiration since Emma has been on an extended vacation since around the middle of October.

A Little Scared

Last week, I worked 52 hours.  Monday morning, I asked my Mentor was that about as bad as it got?  Her response…”a little worse.”

Maybe I should just call it quits now.  I’m so tired from day 9 of consecutive work.  I don’t know how I will function come next Tuesday when THE report is due.  Excedrin and it’s ingredient, caffeine, are going to be my new best friends.  Maybe along with some 5 Hour Energy?

And for those of you who are wondering why I’m complaining when I’m home at 6:41…the documents we requested didn’t come in today, so we didn’t have what we needed to move forward.  Tomorrow night is probably going to be the longest night ever.

Now…time to eat and then sleep.

*Note: I’m not actually considering quitting.  I’m just really not looking forward to January-April.  At least I should get Sundays off.*

Quick Check-In

I’m sitting here trying to psych myself up to take a shower and get ready for work…yes, you heard right, work on Saturday.  My first Saturday of my full-time career.  Good thing I like what I’m doing, right?

I’m hoping to be home in time to watch Auburn take on the Care Bears…Rebel Black Bears…whatever.  I sure hope the team is ready and doesn’t have the big head from all the recent publicity related to the big #1 and Cam’s Heisman hopes.  It’s a game by game thing, but I’m afraid we won’t stop to smell how sweet it is at the top until it’s over.  Knock on wood and all that jazz…I’m becoming so superstitious!! :)

Ok.  It’s now the latest possible time that I told myself I could wait until to start getting ready.  Time to get to work so I can get home!

Busy Week

I’ve survived my first big deadline at work.  This was actually the third big deadline to pass since I started work, but the first one that I had any returns to prepare. 

I had most of my work done between Monday and Tuesday.  I kept getting new returns at the last minute, but that was ok.  They weren’t too complicated and it was nice to have something to do and be useful.  One return on Tuesday only had front pages of source documents and completely skipped some documents we knew we needed.  I requested what we needed and we were told we would have it by Fed.Ex on Thursday morning.  Of course, it was almost lunch before we got it.  The pages I needed were now front and back, but some items were missing.  Luckily, they were items that I could find based upon last year and published government information.

Also, on Thursday, we had lunch brought in.  Apparently, there are several Jim-n-Nicks in Tennessee.  It made my day to have some barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese, cheese biscuits and of course, chocolate pie!  It’s funny how a little bit of Alabama really made my day.  Of course, after everything I ate, I was just about sick and needed to walk about ten miles to work off all the calories.  It was worth it though! :)

Friday, we had college recruits in the office to interview for internships and full-time positions.  I was assigned, along with two other people, to take two recruits to lunch.  I needed to drive and, of course, I had planned to buy gas on the way home from work.  Instead,  I got to leave work during the day to go get gas and it didn’t require me to take time off! :)  We went to lunch—unfortunately we had a miscommunication and two groups made reservations at the same place and we didn’t get to go where I really wanted to.  Oh, well…

After lunch, a client brought his information in around 2 and it had to be out the door before we left and in time to be postmarked with 10/15.  The return was quite simple, but the phone call after the return was prepared wasn’t quite as simple.  Luckily, I was more of an observer while the manager did most of the taking with the client.  We ended up conferencing in the firm manager (the partner in charge of all the other partners)—he is the signer for this return.  I hadn’t participated in client phone calls except to request information before, so this was a learning experience for me.  I’m grateful for the experience, but I hope not all conversations are that complicated.

After work, I raced home to take Emma out and then went back out to meet some of the girls from the Tax department at Cheekwood.  We went to see the Chihuly exhibit.  It was really pretty—even though we went off-roading nearly the entire time.  We weren’t too concerned with ropes and signs that pointed us in the “correct” direction! :)  I think it would have been nice to get to the exhibit before sunset so you could see the sculptures both in the light and lit up after dark.

All in all, it was a busy week, but good.  I survived a deadline and I feel a little more prepared for what’s to come in the spring.

I’ve got cleaning to do this weekend and I have promised to pay more attention to Emma this weekend since she’s been alone much more than usual this week between horrible traffic this week and my Friday night plans.  I’ll really miss her, but this week confirmed that she needs to vacation in Florence during busy season.  She’s a snow bird, so she’s going south!

My List of “Good Companies”

Lately I’ve been really frustrated with my experiences calling various companies and dealing with their customer service representatives.  You have already heard me rant about Charter.  Unfortunately, Comcast (my cable and internet provider in Nashville) is only marginally better.  I’m really hoping to get AT&T or DirecTv in my new house late next summer.  I haven’t heard anyone that I can think of complain about service from either of these companies.  I really like the idea of free HD and DVR from DirecTv.  I just can’t stand to pay Comcast any more, so I just have almost the most basic cable and internet service with no HD and no DVR.  Since I can watch almost everything on the internet, not having DVR isn’t that big of an issue—just a convenience thing.

Back to the subject of this post—good customer service.  About two weeks ago, I got a notice from Nashville Electric that my payment didn’t go through because my checking account showed closed.  I called immediately to try to fix the problem.  I found out that I didn’t enter my account number correctly and it was an easy fix with the help of a polite and friendly customer service representative.  So, about a week ago, I get another letter saying that I was being assessed a $15.00 charge for a returned payment.  I wasn’t happy about this, so I called to see if the fee could be waived since it was simply a first-payment mistake with my bank account.  The customer service representative was very nice and quickly got approval to waive the fee.  They didn’t have to waive the fee, but I felt like it was an honest mistake and not worthy of the fee.  Luckily, I was able to make them see my way and get out of the extra fee.

My second example of good customer service is at Banana Republic.  Specifically, Banana Republic online.  I placed an order maybe three weeks ago and the pants didn’t quite fit correctly.  I returned them yesterday, but the store didn’t have any to exchange.  I placed another order last night and had a 25% off plus free shipping coupon.  That coupon expired last night, so I had to use it before midnight.  This morning I woke up to a 30% off plus free shipping coupon.  Since the difference was over $10, I decided to call and see if they would adjust my bill or cancel the order so I could re-order with the additional savings.  The representative was polite and quickly got approval to adjust my bill.  I just have to wait until my order ships to make sure I was billed the correct amount.  I know it sounds silly to go through this trouble for less than $20, but, with my new “big girl” budget, every penny counts!

So anyway, I want to say “Thank You!” to Nashville Electric and Banana Republic for being polite, efficient and not raising my blood pressure to stroke levels.  I’m now on the lookout for other companies with good customer service—I’ll keep you updated!

Charter Strikes Again

I’ve got to vent a little bit.  Feel free to skip over this if you don’t want to hear a little complaining.

So, when I canceled my digital cable and internet at the very end of July, I had a refund due.  I turned in my cable box and left a forwarding address to send my refund check.  They assured me I would have my check in 6 weeks or less.

So, I’m still getting bills from Charter showing no current activity.  Just the credit that they have still not issued to me.  So I called today and asked where my money was.  Apparently, SOMEBODY didn’t finish filling out the form.  So, now the clock starts again and I should receive my rebate within another 6 weeks.

Also, our condo association in Auburn pays for basic cable.  I didn’t want to interrupt this service, but I didn’t want a Charter account anymore.  Apparently this is impossible.  I know it’s possible because this is the way things were before I upgraded my service.  I’ve told them that if I get another bill, I’ll be calling the corporate headquarters.  We’ll see if that scared them…doubt it.

I don’t love the Comcast service up here, but it’s so much better than Charter.  I’m hoping I can get DirecTV or AT&T when I buy my new house next summer.

That’s all the complaining for today.  Sorry you had to listen to that.

Routine

I am very much a creature of habit.  I wake up around the same time each day.  I get ready in exactly the same order each day.  I like to pick out my clothes the night before so a clothing disaster doesn’t derail my morning routine. 

Mom didn’t understand for the longest time why I wanted a clock on the vanity in my bathroom.  I need to know what time it is so I know if I need to step it up an notch to stay on schedule.  I know what time I should be out of the shower, what time I should have my makeup finished and what time I should finish drying my hair.  I know, I know—I really sound neurotic now! :)

I have a less regimented nighttime routine.  It includes various things like taking my contacts out, taking my medicine and taking off my makeup.  However, I can do it all in practically any order as long as the contacts come out before I remove my makeup.

Ok.  This was random.  I just was thinking about how structured my life is and thought I would give you all a little more insight into how weird I am.

The Volunteer State

Today I officially became a resident of the Volunteer State.  No, this doesn’t include a mandatory membership in the UT fan club.  I’m still an Auburn girl through and through, but I will cheer for UT as long as they aren’t playing Auburn.  Since that only happened once in five years at Auburn, I don’t think this will be a serious problem! :)

I got my driver’s license, voter registration and library card all during my lunch break.  I was really worried about the driver’s license thing because I’d heard horror stories about having to wait for hours to get service.  Luckily, I had all the necessary paperwork and was in and out in about 15 minutes.  They said it was really slow there since it’s the first of the month and most people had not been paid yet.

Now, I have to find out where my polling place is and get informed about local and state politics in Tennessee.  I know there are many more “blue” people in this state than Alabama.  Unfortunately, the Mayor of Nashville is “blue” and I believe the Governor of Tennessee is “blue”.  Maybe I can be part of the force that changes the map to “red”! :)

You may wonder why I bothered to get a library card?  In Davidson County, with a library card, you can get online music downloads and audiobooks.  Also, there are some books you can get in PDF format.  I think the website said you could get 5 downloads per week for songs and you get to keep them forever.  With audiobooks, you have about 3 weeks—similar to checking out a paper book.  I think it’s a really nice service, but I have yet to use it yet.  I’ll get back to you with a review!

Two in one night…now I’ll probably wait two months before my next update!

Halfway there

I’m so glad we’re halfway through the work week—I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to the weekend!

Work is going well.  Monday was really slow, but I’ve been busy since then.  I think I have learned my lesson about asking for work…now I have more than I can handle!  Actually, we’re supposed to email our managers when we’re slow…the only problem is that I got work from five managers! :)

Right now, I’m working with another department trying to better understand a new client and all their businesses (they have a lot).  I worked all afternoon with them and I am so exhausted!  It’s really making me appreciate MY job (in the Tax Department) and I’ll be so happy to get back to my desk and the work that I am at least somewhat familiar with.  :)

Tomorrow, I’m going to the Titans’ last preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.  I’m really excited for several reasons…just to go to the game, of course, but especially because Mom and Dad are coming north to go with me!  Even though I’ll only see them at the game and I’ll go straight to sleep after, it’s so nice that we are close enough to go to events like this.  They will take Emma home Friday morning and I will follow after work and spend the Labor Day weekend in Florence.  Speaking of Labor Day weekend—I’m so excited for the paid day off on Monday!  One of the great perks of being a salaried employee! :)

Sorry I don’t have any new pictures.  I’m going to have to take some of my apartment for Grams and Grandaddy, so hopefully I can manage some before long.

It’s not even 8PM yet, but I am so tired.  I think Emma and I are going to bed soon.  I still have to clean up the kitchen from dinner and other random things, but hopefully we will be asleep by 9.  Ah, the life of the working girl!

Long Overdue Update

Last time I wrote, I hadn’t graduated yet.  Since then I have turned 23, received my Master of Accountancy degree, moved out of my condo in Auburn where I’ve lived for four years, moved to a new city and state and finally begun my very first big girl job.  Wow—what a run-on sentence!  But that only begins to capture the whirlwind that is my life lately! :)

  We never managed to all look at the same camera! :(

Just got my copy of the creed.  We get the real diploma after the ceremony.Just shook President Gogue’s hand.

I found Uncle Mark and the camera!

It wouldn’t have been the same without Morgan

The night of graduation, most of my things were loaded onto the truck.  We thankfully had help—two of my wonderful next door neighbors helped when we found ourselves in a bind.  They worked as hard as possible and wouldn’t even take a dime.  I certainly would not have asked them if I didn’t intend to pay them.

Tuesday morning we finished packing my last few things and started the long drive north.  I was alone in Mom’s car and headed directly to Nashville while Mom, Dad and Emma had to stop in Florence first to pick up some furniture.  I got here, signed my lease and started unloading the car around five.  Everyone else arrived around six and it took until 10:30 to finish unloading the truck.  That was a day!

Wednesday Daddy had to leave and Mom and I had lots of boxes to unpack.  Honestly, Mom did most of the work and I will be forever grateful to her for making this place comfortable and as much like home as possible.

Dad came back late on Friday.  Things were pretty much done here except for hanging curtains and pictures on the walls.  We only hang things with the Engineer’s help! :)  Mom and Dad left Sunday afternoon and Emma and I were on our own for the first time in our new state.  I went to Church on Sunday (It was so huge, btw) and did a little shopping before the cable man came to hook up my cable and internet.

Monday was the big day—my first day of work!  Of course, it was also the first day of school in Davidson County, so traffic was a nightmare.  It took an hour and fifteen minutes to go fifteen miles.  Coming home was slightly better at about an hour.  Mom was here when I got back to pick up Emma and do a few more things.  We had dinner and then I went to bed.  Mom and Emma left Tuesday sometime after I had to leave for work.  The drive has gotten a little better—especially since I’m leaving before 7 now.  I get to work really early compared to everyone else, but I get things done!  I’ve gone to sleep between 8:30 and 9 every night and I have to finish this so I can get ready for bed!  I can’t function at 5:30AM without lots of sleep!

Well, I think that just about sums up what’s been going on lately.  I hope to take some pictures of my apartment soon, but I’ll have to be here sometime when the light is still decent first! :)

Changes

This weekend most of my life for the last four years was packed up.  I’ve lived in the same house for four years and now it’s time to move on.  I’ve lived here longer than any other place besides our home in Florence.  Well…to be honest, I’ve only lived in two other places…one semester each in two different dorm rooms.

I’ve got five days left here before I go home for a short break.  After spending a little time at home and celebrating my birthday, we’ll come back here one more time as a family and I will graduate and finally receive my Master’s Degree.  The very next morning, the next adventure starts as we will drive up to Nashville and move me into my new home for the next year.  It’s almost a waste to fully unpack since I’ll be moving into my own home next year.  Hopefully the next move will only be a few miles instead of across state lines!

I’m excited about Nashville and work, but I’m also getting a little nervous.  I also am starting to realize that things will never be the same again.  I think it’s just part of life, but when I finished high school, I was so ready to move on.  Once I got here, I finally realized just how good I had it living at home in Florence.  I’m afraid the same thing will happen when I leave Auburn.  I think what I will miss the most is not having extended Christmas holidays anymore.  I haven’t had a summer break in three years and I worked the two summers before that, so I don’t think I will miss the summer “breaks” so much.  I think it’s going to be a rude awakening that I might just take Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off.  I think it’s going to much harder to get into the Christmas Spirit if I’m working up until the holiday.

Well, I have a project, a research case and two finals between me and Graduation.  I think I can do it! :)

Current Events

Sorry for not writing in forever.  It’s been busy lately with school and I haven’t had much interesting to say.

Counting today, I have nine days of school left.  Next Thursday I have my Tax Research final and next Friday I have my Advanced Investments final.  I also have two cases and a quiz for Tax Research and one project for Advanced Research to get done before then.  I’m going to try to do one of the cases, the quiz and the first half of the project tonight and, if I’m lucky, I can start packing tomorrow for the BIG MOVE!!

I’m going home for a few days next Friday so I can celebrate my birthday with family and then it’s back down here for Graduation and moving day.  Starting August 10th, I’ll be a Tennessee resident. 

Emma is doing well, but is suffering with the South Alabama heat.  She’ll be much better when we get home and she gets a haircut!  I’m hoping it will be obvious that she’s gained a little weight when her hair is shorter.  Last time she was groomed, I was scared by how thin she was.  We have since visited the vet and changed her food to something with much more fat in it.  I would love if she had gained a few ounces before her annual vet visit at the end of August.

Anyway, I guess that’s all for now.  I’ll try to put up Graduation pictures and pictures of my new apartment in Brentwood once I get settled.  That reminds me that I need to call Comcast or I might not have cable or internet for a while! :)

Big News

I GOT A JOB!!! :)

It’s in Nashville and I start much earlier than I honestly expected…less than seven weeks until I start the next part of the journey.

I feel like humming “I’m a big kid now” all the time!

More details to come…

Happy Birthday (A Day Late)

My sweet Grandaddy celebrated his 91st Birthday yesterday!  What an accomplishment is that!

Grandaddy and me after my undergraduate Graduation last August

It was a HOT, humid day and I don’t know why I didnt’ take my sunglases off. 

I sure do love the person in the picture with me though!

I talked to Grandaddy and sent him a letter through Mom.  I’m not good with the post office and realized I didn’t have enough time to send a card and it arrive on time.  Oh well…I’m sure he liked my note just as much as he would have a card.

Happy Birthday Grandaddy!  I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck*!

*Our saying when I was little*

Weekend Plans

Emma and I are going out of town tomorrow afternoon.  We’ll drive to Florence to spend the night and then Mom, Dad and I will drive up to Nashville on Friday.  Emma is staying home with a babysitter since she doesn’t like car rides.  I don’t blame her, but she needs to learn to be a better rider.

I have a second interview at an accounting firm in Nashville.  Hopefully, there will be good news after my interview.  We’re also planning on doing a little apartment hunting Friday afternoon since I won’t really have many more opportunities to look before I have to make a decision.  Really, M&D may have to preview places for me and then I’ll make a final decision.

We also get to visit with G&G this weekend.  I didn’t plan on getting to see Grandaddy again before his birthday, so this will be our little birthday celebration.  We won’t be celebrating, per se, since there won’t be any cake and ice cream (or Grandaddy’s and my preference, watermelon), but we can enjoy each other’s company just the same.  I’m always grateful to spend time with him.

Sunday, we’ll say goodbye to our Senior Minister and his wife as they move on after 8 years to another church appointment.  This is going to be particularly hard since they live down the street from us and have been such good friends.  D especially has been a godsend (literally) for our family and a dear friend to Mom.  New ministers are part of being Methodist, but we will especially miss D&G.  They are one of a kind!

We’re going to have a busy weekend, but I hope to get everything done with a little time to breathe worked in there.  Maybe I can stick my feet in a pool too—if I’m lucky! :)

Happy Birthday to Emma

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Dear Emma

Happy Birthday to you!

Baby Emma is TWO today!  I can’t believe that the tiny little 1.5 pound puppy that we rescued from the woods and snakes is now a 3.5 pound bundle of preciousness that has been with us for the last 21 months.

When we first got Emma, I thought I would never connect with her and I thought she would never develop a personality.  I was so wrong.  It took a while, but now I can’t imagine my life without her.  I can look at her and tell what she wants and she’s so attentive to my moods.  Her sister couldn’t stay with me any longer so she picked a sweet baby to help heal my heart and let me love again.

I’ll post pictures of Emma’s birthday weekend photo shoot later.  I’m going to try to get some more tomorrow if the weather cooperates so I’ll have more to choose from.

Emma the Roly Poly

Emma got a haircut a week ago last Friday.  I knew she was skinny, but I was shocked when I saw just how skinny she was.  I like the “teddy bear” look on her, so it had been a while since I had seen her without her fur coat.

Anyway, Emma has never been a good eater.  Apparently that’s just part of having a poodle—especially a tiny one like her.  The next Monday, Mom and I took her to our vet that we LOVE and Emma got some new food with a higher fat content.  This food is duck based instead of chicken based like her old food.  It’s also 13% fat compared to 3% in her old food.  To make a long story short, she LOVES it!  She’s eaten more in the past week than she would have eaten in at least two weeks.  I think she’s already gaining a little weight.  She was 3 lbs 6 oz last Monday and I would like her to be around 4 lbs.  She has her annual checkup around the end of August/beginning of September so we’ll see where we are then!  We might need diet food before long! :)

Long Time, No Blog

I don’t really have an excuse for the lack of blogging.  For a while, school got too intense and due to end-of-semester craziness, there wasn’t much good to say and I don’t want to look back on bad/stressful things later.  Then, I went home for two and a half weeks.  I spent some quality time with my family including some very special time on the patio swing with Grandaddy.  So now I’m back in Auburn.  Summer classes started yesterday.  Graduation is in 80 days.  I don’t know yet if I will walk or not…part of me wants to, but the other part of me doesn’t want to unless my two closest friends do.  I’m pretty sure one of them has decided not to, but I haven’t finalized anything.

I’m so ready to move on with my life, but so many things are up in the air: where I’m going to work, where I’m going to live once I get a job, do I buy or rent.  My condo here in Auburn hasn’t sold yet…we’ve had basically no interest which is so frustrating.  We’ve been on the market for three months or so and it’s only been looked at once. 

The thought of packing everything up here is so overwhelming.  I don’t even know where to begin.  I know I want to rent a U-Haul or something similar though…the drive back and forth is too much and I just want to get it over in one trip.  We brought things down initially in several trips over the summer and I’m not keen to repeat that.  I have absolutely no idea how my entire life here is going to fit into my bedroom in Florence until I go *somewhere* to work. 

I like to have things figured out, all my i’s dotted and t’s crossed and generally have a plan.  I think this whole experience is designed to teach me patience and that I can’t control everything no matter how much I want to.  Maybe soon I will have at least one answer about where I’m going to work.  Is that too much to ask??

Not much to say

I was doing so good for a while about regularly blogging.  I seem to have writer’s block right now though.  I can’t think of anything good to write about.  I also haven’t had time to take any pictures of Emma lately.  Maybe after classes end in a couple of weeks I’ll have pictures and more interesting things to talk about.

Still nothing on the job front.  We have the School of Accountancy Advisory Council on Friday and I’m hoping that this will be a good opportunity to meet some potential employers.  I really want to get a job nailed down soon rather than worrying about it all summer.  I’ve already been worried about this for nearly a year now and especially since last September.  I’m not a patient person and I really like to plan far in advance, so this has been a trying time for me.  I don’t like uncertainty and I need to know “the plan” for after Auburn.  No offense to my parents, but I really hope “the plan” doesn’t lead back to my old bedroom.  I have too much stuff! :)

Emma is BACK!!

Emma is here in Auburn with me!  I couldn’t be happier to hear little toenails on the floors!  We are planning on some cuddle time this evening as well.  It will take some time to make up for a week and a half of time apart.  She’ll be here with me for two and a half weeks, then she’s going back on vacation for about a week (I think).

I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at school today.  That, however, is neither here nor there.  The point is that Emma could sense that I was upset and just curled up and let me hold her for a few minutes just so I could compress.  She’s such a sweet girl!

Reunited and it feels so good… :)

Can’t sleep

On my last night for a while to get to bed early, I can’t sleep.  Yep, it’s midnight and I’m still wide awake.  I really wanted to be asleep by 10, but obviously that didn’t happen.  I guess my body is just used to staying up late after the last three months or so of Becker plus regular classes.

Emma is still in Florence and “little pink Emma” is not cutting it anymore.  BTW, I got a little pink stuffed poodle for Valentine’s Day and she’s been “trying” to keep me company for the last week (eek—that long!) that Emma has been on vacation.  I’m so ready to get my Emma back with me.  Hopefully this weekend if my parents and grandparents haven’t filed for permanent custody! :)

I’ve got to try to sleep again.  I want to clean house tomorrow and I have to go to school for a group meeting at 1:30 before class at 3:30.  I really need to get up early if I am going to get everything done that I would like…who am I kidding?  Getting everything on the list done is something that only happens in the movies and in my dreams!

Off to hopefully get some ZzZzZzZzZzZz’s!

Final Review Over!

After 10.5 hours at school, the Becker Final Review for Regulation is over.  I am positive it was helpful (our instructor was GREAT), but I am completely exhausted.  I had intended to do some work tonight, but I think I’m going to watch a little APT at 8 (the Britcoms) and then call it a night.

I’m going to try to make the 8AM Easter service and I’m not sure about the parking situation, so that’s another reason to get to bed early!

Beautiful Friday

It’s been a beautiful day today!  I’m sad I spent the majority of it in an office, but that’s the way things go, I suppose!

Auburn is starting to thin out with all the students and I’m sure many families going to visit their loved ones for Easter.  Too bad I’m not one of the lucky ones.  I’ll be spending all day tomorrow in an intensive review for my exam on Monday.  I have to study all day Sunday too, so this isn’t much of a weekend. 

I’m feeling pretty burned out, but I am trying to remember Ms. Murphy’s beginning of Becker speech…”You can do anything for 15 weeks.”  I’m also sad that my favorite professor is retiring at the end of the semester and moving away.  Even though I wouldn’t have had her again before I graduate, I will miss our long conversations about life and our dogs.  She seems happy and I know that is the most important thing—not me selfishly missing her before she’s even gone.

Anyway…enough of my complaining.  I think I’m going to go sit on the balcony for a little while and enjoy some sunshine!

Not Much to Report

There’s not much going on here besides studying.  Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly difficult due to the beautiful weather we’ve had the past few days and the burnout that comes with the end of a semester.  I think we have four more weeks after this one, but I might be mistaken.  The only real countdown I have now is Graduation.  It is 131 days from today counting weekends and holidays.  I don’t know the class days and frankly that’s not important since weekends and holidays are study days too.

Another reason for nothing exciting going on is that Emma is on a little vacation in Florence.  Mom came to get her last night and they left around lunchtime today.  I’m so attached that I couldn’t stand not seeing her again today so we used the webcams in our laptops so I could talk to her (and watch her sleep…she had a long day)!

I have the next section of the CPA exam on Monday.  It’s Regulation which covers Tax (thank goodness for something I like) and Business Law.  Unfortunately, it seems like my Business Law knowledge has disappeared in the two years since I took the class.  It’s not that I don’t remember anything, but I’m definitely rusty.  We also have a 8+ hour intensive “Final Review” that a special instructor with Becker is coming from Atlanta to teach us.  It’s Saturday, so needless to say I won’t be going home for Easter.  That has me sad, but it’s a little glimpse of reality since I will be lucky to go home for one day during Easter weekend when I am a Tax Accountant.  Anyway, Saturday is the main reason Emma has gone on vacation since she can’t make it from 8-6 (or later we’ve been warned) without a trip outside.

Well, this is getting long and is beyond boring.  I think I’ll call it quits for tonight and get back to studying.  I do like my sleep and I’ve set some goals for what I must do before bedtime tonight!

Email

I have 3% of my Gmail storage space occupied.  That doesn’t sound like much.  However, I have just spent a significant period of time organizing and deleting emails and now realize that I keep way too many emails that are no longer necessary.  Of course, I need to keep records of bills I have paid online, but do I need reminders of sales from Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic long after the sale is over?  I think not.

My resolution (nearly three full months late) is to keep my inbox free of useless emails and to file away emails I need to keep in a timely fashion.  There’s no need to have thousands of emails uncategorized in my inbox.

That is all.

Goodbye Spring Break

It’s been fun and I’m so sad it’s over.

I don’t know how 10 days has gone by so fast.  I have to go back early tomorrow morning to get there in time for class and Becker.  We have three more classes and an 8-hour review before the next exam.  At least Regulation has been much more enjoyable to me so far.  I’m not sure how much fun the rest will be since it’s business law, not particularly accounting, per se.

I don’t think I will be able to get back to Florence again until May and that’s not a good feeling.  Since I work every Friday, it’s terribly hard to drive home on Friday night around midnight and then have to leave Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.  I guess I was spoiled last Fall when I could come home Thursday afternoon.

Time to get things together to go see G&G and say goodbye for this trip.  I’ll have to do better to call daily and have more patience.

Until next time…

Is it Spring Break yet??

I am so ready for this break.  I know I was only home last weekend, but it’s high time for a long break at home where I actually have enough time to relax.

I have to get through two more Becker sessions, a midterm and work before I can finally start the trek northward.  I know it will come sooner than later, but right now it’s a bit like a child counting down the days until Christmas!

I am such a homebody.  I really can’t wait until I can move closer to home so it’s easier for us all to be together.  Five years five hours away is much too much to bear and I’m counting down the days until I’m *hopefully* within my desired two hour radius of home!

156 days and counting…

Drumroll, Please…

Friday evening, I got my score…and I PASSED Financial Accounting & Reporting!  Most of my classmates got their scores on Wednesday so I was more than anxious to finally know the outcome be it good or bad.  Thankfully, my score was good enough and that section is now in the past!

I took Audit Friday afternoon and I won’t know the results for three or four weeks.  Also, the Monday after Easter I have Regulation.  It’s going to be a busy few weeks, but we’re halfway done with Becker! :)

Almost Audit Time

So, I am procrastinating as usual and thought a blog post would be much more interesting than studying for Audit.  I’m so glad I’m a Tax person!  I really hope I pass this section because I’m not sure I can stand studying this material again.  Real audits have to be much more interesting than just studying how an audit works in theory!

Anyway, the exam is Friday in Huntsville.  I scheduled it at noon so I won’t have to worry about fighting morning traffic.  Unfortunately, I will have evening traffic to deal with.  At least I won’t be in any more of a hurry than rushing home to, hopefully, enjoy a frozen margarita at Casa! :)

There’s lots to be done between now and Friday and I imagine that I won’t be sleeping a lot.  I’ll just make up for it on Saturday and Sunday when I don’t have anything else to do besides enjoy my family and work on another project for my Capstone (dumb name) class.

I’d appreciate any good thoughts and well wishes anyone wants to offer up.  It’s been a stressful weekend, for reasons other than this test, and I could use some good “vibes”! haha

Happy (Belated) Birthday!!

 

My Grandmother’s 87th Birthday was this past Wednesday.  She was still in rehab recovering from her fall that happened three weeks ago yesterday, but my parents and Grandaddy tried to make a fuss over her anyway.

Mom made cupcakes for her to share with the other patients and staff.  I thought they sounded wonderful and I wish I had been able to eat one!  They were yellow cake (my Grandmother’s preferred cake from a box) and were covered with chocolate ganache. 

These cupcakes have a backstory.  They are a modified version of a cake that has a long story behind it.  My Grandmother’s  favorite cake is yellow cake with chocolate icing.  I think this is her favorite because this cake represents good times with her older sister who passed away in the last few years.  Aunt Loverda would call when she was ready to leave Haleyville and Gram would put the cake layers in the oven.  When Aunt Loverda arrived and the cakes had cooled, she would get out one of Grams’ iron skillets and cook the icing.  We hadn’t had one in ages until a few years ago—maybe around the time I went to college when Gram decided to cook them again.  I personally think she had forgotten about it because it has been several years since her sister passed away and many years more since she visited my Grandparents in Florence.  Anyway, that cake is something I’m glad that was resurrected and it translated nicely into cupcakes.

Mom also got some clothes and earrings for Grams’ gifts.  Grandaddy asked us last weekend to take care of gifts from him—not uncommon.  Grams has lost a significant amount of weight lately, so she got a couple of new outfits that won’t fall off her!

Anyway, not many people are able to celebrate a 87th birthday and I’m grateful she’s recovering from her accident and able to celebrate this one.  We might need a birthday cake redux next weekend when I’m home, too!

Under the weather

Emma, not me.  Poor baby was up a good bit of the night two days ago.  I thought she was trying to throw up at first, but then I decided she was congested and was trying to get her throat and nose clear.  Not a good night for puppy or her mommy.

I called a vet in Auburn and of course, we couldn’t get in yesterday.  They said many dogs have congestion now and it’s not bacterial, so antibiotics won’t do any good.  They suggested giving her Children’s Dimetapp (well, 1/4 the child’s dose) which I did.  She seems much better today, but not completely back to normal.  We both slept better last night and I think we are on the road to recovery.

I guess she’s paying for her adventure in the snow without her sweaters and coats!  I think all the fun she had was worth it to her though! :)

1 (hopefully) down, 3 to go

Last Friday, I took the Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) section of the CPA exam.  Before the test I was ready to throw up, but it went better than the nightmares I had in the days leading up to the test.  My scores haven’t come back yet (and won’t for several weeks), so I don’t know yet if the dream that Ms. Murphy would yell at me that she was disappointed in me and then kick me out of the program will come true or not! :)

I was lucky with the simulations I was tested on.  Many of my friends got another topic that I know I would have struggled more with because I didn’t intensely review it as much as would have been necessary.

I thought I would leave the test knowing I failed, so having hope that I passed is a good thing.  We will just have to see in a few weeks when the scores come out.  I’m not going to think about it too much especially since we started the Audit section of Becker on Monday and have the second of five classes tonight.  It was disheartening to think that as soon as I finished the test on Friday, I had exactly 21 days until I would be seated in a similar room in Huntsville doing it all over again.

I’m just praying that, in May, this will all be over and my hard work will be rewarded with a wonderful job that is exactly where I am meant to be.

Snowpuppy

Grandaddy, Emma and I—along with much of Florence—got a snow day yesterday.  Starting around 6:30 in the morning we got sleet then snow which lasted until about 10:00.  We were supposed to go back to Auburn just as it became obvious that the snow would be around for a while.  The roads didn’t clear until around noon and we left around 1:00.  I missed work and one class and it definitely made for a long day, but spending a little extra time with Grandaddy was well worth it.  I hadn’t seen snow in quite a while either, so it was a nice, short-lived treat.  That’s another good thing about living in Alabama, when we get snow (maybe once a year) it’s pretty for a few hours and then melts—we’re not snowed in for days or weeks typically).

Emma had never seen snow before and I expected that she would hate it nearly as much as she hates rain, but I was mistaken.  Her sister hated snow and I just assumed it was something they had in common.  Well, again Emma had to be different and spent about fifteen minutes running at high speed around in the fluffy white powder.

  She was trying to figure out the best place to use the bathroom after she jumped off and discovered the snow.  Not quite sure what to do with it at this point.

Whoa!  What is this stuff?  I really need to use the bathroom and I don’t like wet feet! 

Maybe I can jump in this flower bed?  There’s less white stuff there… 

This doesn’t look like my Gram’s and Grandaddy’s yard…what happened last night?

 

Hmm…this stuff smells like water…and tastes like it too! 

I can’t see!  Why is this stuff sticking to me?

 

Ooh!  I like this stuff!  I found a stick to run with too!  This is great!

 Will you just let me play and stop taking my picture?

 

Surveying my new, white, domain.   I think I like this!

Once we got inside, Emma needed a visit with one of her good friends, the hairdryer.  We melted the ice out of her fur and then she was wrapped in a towel and fell fast asleep.  Playing in snow is hard work even if you are a snowpuppy!

Emma’s new best friend

Emma has a new best friend…a heating pad.  She really loves curling up on it.  I am very careful to keep it on warm so she doesn’t accidentally burn herself.  Another piece of evidence supporting the theory she is really a cat in dog’s clothing!

I had taken it away earlier and turned it off.  She walked over to where I put it and pawed it to let me know she wanted it.  That’s a  new one for her.  She usually only paws me and only when she wants me to do something.  I guess this was her way of telling me that she wanted her friend back!

Cell phone pictures…not the greatest quality, but I wanted to MMS them to M&D.

Less than a week…

We’re under seven days until I take Financial.  Four more study days after today, to be exact.  I don’t think I’m ready, but I will have to be by Thursday night.

My exam is Friday morning either at 8 or 8:30 in Birmingham.  I might need to look up what time it is exactly and how long the appointment is since I have to meet a few people immediately after the exam before going home to hold down the fort in Florence.  After this weekend, who knows what’s going to be going on there (This needs a whole post in itself).

I also need to remember to print out my NTS (notice to schedule) and get my passport and other “approved” forms of identification so they don’t kick me out before I even get the chance to take the test.  I better make sure my car GPS knows where it’s going too since it’s never been to Uncle Mark’s house or to the testing center.  I might need my old faithful portable GPS for backup!

Emma is looking at me like she’s reminding me that I have things to do besides blog.  She says that if I don’t have time to play with her, then I certainly don’t have time for anything else besides Becker.  She’s not the only one who’s looking forward to next Saturday! :)

Wonderful Night

Even though he will never see this, I want to extend my congratulations to Senator-Elect Brown!  This is a great day (night) for America!

Study Study

Becker is quickly taking over my entire life.  I am over half done with the lectures for my first exam.  I am not quite as far with my homework though.  I have quite a bit of reading to do tonight.  My new plan is to read one section in my book and then do those multiple choice questions so I have breaks instead of reading all the material and then doing all the questions.  It gets quite monotonous and I get the feeling that I will never finish sometimes.  Other times, I feel like the test is tomorrow and I haven’t even begun to crack the surface of what needs to be reviewed.

Oh, well.  I am going to try to do as much as I can of F5 tonight and then do my reading for class tomorrow when I barely have any time left.  Knowing that I have to leave in an hour should be enough incentive to read Appendix A of FAS 147…or something like that. 

Until next time when I continue to entertain you with stories of Becker…

Not much to report

Normally today would be the end of my week, but my work schedule has changed and I am now working Fridays as well, so I feel a little disjointed.  I was walking up the stairs earlier when I realized that, had things not changed on Monday, I would have been on my way home for the weekend.  I’m so sorry I’m not going to see my Grandparents this weekend, but I couldn’t do much since I am getting my tuition paid by working.

I got home about an hour ago, took Emma outside and ate dinner.  I’ve relaxed and caught up on my regular websites for a few minutes.  Now it’s time to hit the books.  Becker is like a little person sitting on my shoulder telling me what to do.  Very much like on TV when a person is shown with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other.  The angel is saying time to work on MC, simulations and reading while the devil is saying play with Emma, watch Project Runway and sleep.  I know who’s going to win, at least for the next four months! 

Well, Mom and Dad are coming sometime this weekend to make up for my not getting to come home.  Maybe I will get out my camera while they are here.  I only took one frame over Christmas and I haven’t picked it up since.  Maybe Emma will be in the mood to pose after she gets a bath this weekend? :)

Thoughts on traveling outside the country…

The biggest thing that shocked me was how lax the airports were outside of the United States…well, in Chile at least.

Upon our arrival at the airport to fly to Atlanta, I threw away two full bottles of water I had accumulated over the trip, but simply couldn’t drink.  (I think I drank four bottles not including meals that day to rehydrate before the flight!)  I knew that shortly after checking-in I would go through security and have to discard liquids that did not fit the three-ounce in a ziploc bag rule. 

Well, we got to security and I was in for a rude awakening.  While waiting in line, I automatically removed my shoes and jacket and took my liquids bag out of my carry-on bag.  I proceeded to go through security barefoot and jacket-less like usual and didn’t think too much of it.  However, while waiting for a friend on the other side, I noticed everyone was wearing shoes except for me and other people that were obviously American—namely our group.   This concerned me.

Later, when our group was together again, I overheard a classmate talking about being told specifically not to take shoes off and liquids out of their bag.  They were told, “We don’t do that here.”  He even mentioned that he saw someone drinking water while going through the metal detector.  This elevated my level of concern.

I thought surely there would be another level of screening for passengers bound for the United States.  Well, there was, but it didn’t help to ease my concerns.  After we had our tickets scanned in and you usually go down the jetway to the plane, we waited in another line.  This time, our bags were physically searched, but not very extensively.  My makeup bag was opened and the person peered into it and a gift wrapped in a brown paper bag was ripped open.  That was the extent of my search.

I just wanted to go home and I was determined to sleep, so as soon as I got on the plane on went my sleep mask and I tried not to think of my earlier experiences.

Once we arrived in Atlanta, we immediately went to Customs where we waited for what seemed like forever.  I had no idea so many people arrived in Atlanta between 5-6 AM.  Once we left customs, we retrieved our checked luggage and then surrendered it again for additional screening.  We were also screened again—getting the no shoe no liquids over 3oz search we should have gotten in Santiago.  I had to think this was too little too late and was really pointless if something bad was going to happen.

This caused the events of Christmas Day to really not be a surprise to me.  I guess I was thinking with my rose colored glasses on because I just assumed that the travel regulations we are familiar with in the United States applied to the world, not just our country.  I was sorely mistaken and I will be reminded of this next time I decide to fly.

Where is MY snow?

Big disappointment down here…no snow.  It’s always my luck that it snows wherever I am not.  Since I’m not in Florence, it snows there.  Since I am in Auburn, nothing more than sleet.  I am grateful that we are not facing an ice storm and that people coming back for the new semester this weekend should have safe travels, but I really would have liked a flake or two.

Even though there is no snow, it’s plenty cold here.  I went to the grocery yesterday and stocked up since I haven’t been here for a month, so Emma and I have only ventured out for bathroom breaks for Miss E.  I bought cold weather food…or at least my version of it.  I don’t eat stews and chili, so paninis and baked potatoes will have to do…not together!  That reminds me, I’ve had it for a year or so, but thanks Mom and Dad for my grill pan.  It makes the best paninis!

Becker is moving slowly forward.  I’ve still got lots of homework problems and simulations to complete, but I’ll somehow get it done before Monday.  I know motivation and panic will set in once my regular classes start and a daily routine will certainly not hurt things.  Somehow I always get everything done and this will be no exception!

Time to cook! :)

It’s Been A While

I’m back.  At least intermittently. 

I’m back to blogging and back to Auburn.  It’s just so hard for me to blog at home since I often don’t even turn on my computer for days at a time.

On Monday, my Mac class and I started a journey.  A journey to become CPAs.  We are all enrolled in the Becker CPA Review and have met twice so far.  Each session is for four hours and I can honestly say I am wiped out when I walk out of the BB at the end of a lecture.

We have seven more sessions (3.5 weeks) before our first exam…Financial.  It’s going to be a long and bumpy ride, but hopefully at the end I will have everything except the experience requirement behind me before starting work.  Considering many of my colleagues at my Internship were still studying while working, I can say with complete certainty that having this behind me will relieve a huge burden from my shoulders when I finally get a job.

Speaking of jobs, if any of my readers know of any Accounting firms that are hiring in Birmingham, Huntsville or Nashville, I would love you forever if you would put me in contact with them.  The job search is not going well.  I have emailed many firms in Huntsville, but have yet to even get a “We’re not hiring now” email.

Ok, I better go.  As we have been told many times, if we are having fun over the next five months, we are doing something wrong.  Time to hit the books for the night!

And a final note: Hook ‘em Horns!!