Ups and Downs and Girl's night.

Oh wow... I have been way to absorbed into work lately. I just about started this blog with
A: Life is going pretty well, but money issues are dragging me down.
R: On the plus side, I had an absolutely fabulous weekend and girl's night
A: However, I totally spent too much while on said girl's night.
For those non-work people reading this, we log our calls using the format of A: action (what we say) and R: response (what the customer's results are.)

Girl's night was a total blast though! My mom, me, and my 4 sisters all went over to my Aunt Diane's for haircuts, which turned out fabulous. I also got to see some of my cousins, which I haven't seen in a very long time.

After haircuts we went shopping. Shelli and I introduced everyone to the glory that is Victoria's Secret. My mom hasn't had a really well fitting bra for at least 5 years, and was kind of reluctant to have them measure and size her, but we did finally get her into the dressing room. Next thing I know, I hear her exclaim in delight "It fits! This is so comfortable! Can I wear it out?" The sales ladies were happy to oblige, and with much gusto my mom strutted out of the dressing room, shooting her old bra into the garbage can in a marvelous three pointer, heralded by the applause and laughter of the sales ladies and the rest of the people in line.

After that we went to Charlotte Reuse, right in the middle of their buy one get one free basics sale. This is where I wasted most of my money. After that was dinner at Chinese buffet, then 5 minutes in Kohls, where the rest of my money was spent. We finished off with Robin hood, which was really good until the last battle, which made me really angry at the filmmakers and their politically correct agenda.

Crafts, Houses, and Careers

Sadly, still no luck with the craft room. We have to get new lights for it at the very least, and every time I plan to go out there it always seems to be raining. I know I'm being a huge slacker with it, and I'm intentionally avoiding it, so I just need to get off my butt and do it!

I am so excited to buy a house! It won't be for several months yet, but it looks like it is going to work out. We just talked to our amazing mortgage guy, who really thinks we can manage it. We're looking for a house that has a finished upstairs but an unfinished basement, so that we have enough living area to live in while we work, and it would give us the freedom to do repairs when we can afford them.

I'm feeling kind of wishy-washy about work right now. I love the people I work with, I mean you cannot find a better group, and the benefits are wonderful, but I really don't want to do tech support for the rest of my life. I started down this career path due to a couple of things:
1. It pays pretty well, especially for someone without a degree
2. My dad has worked with computers for as long as I can remember, and I grew up learning from him, so I had an edge when it comes to understanding the programs
3. Tech support is generally way more lenient in things like dress code, desk decorations, and a relaxed attitude than a lot of other jobs.
4. I have great people and communication skills that I have been working on through speech and debate since I was in 8th grade, and it shows in my calls.

However, there are several reasons why I don't want to work in tech support
1. My degree in progress is in communications, not computers.
2. Being behind a desk all the time is doing my figure no favors.
3. I don't know if it's just ego or what, but I would like to be in a job where I make a difference, and can see the effects of my efforts
4. I want a career where I could fully support my family if needed.

I'm really really considering becoming a mediator. They are the people who try and negotiate court battles and arguments before they go to court - IE, they help prevent people from feeling that suing someone is their only option. My aunt and uncle have just started, and they love it! I've considered being a lawyer, teacher, counselor, and motivational speaker in the past, and this job would combine elements of all of them, while utilizing my talents, and fulfilling my career needs. Who knows, this may come to nothing, but I am really getting to the point where I feel it would be something I could really get into.

Updates

Sadly, still no luck with the craft room. We have to get new lights for it at the very least, and every time I plan to go out there it always seems to be raining. I know I'm being a huge slacker with it, and I'm intentionally avoiding it, so I just need to get off my butt and do it!

I am so excited to buy a house! It won't be for several months yet, but it looks like it is going to work out. We just talked to our amazing mortgage guy, who really thinks we can manage it. We're looking for a house that has a finished upstairs but an unfinished basement, so that we have enough living area to live in while we work, and it would give us the freedom to do repairs when we can afford them.

I'm feeling kind of wishy-washy about work right now. I love the people I work with, I mean you cannot find a better group, and the benefits are wonderful, but I really don't want to do tech support for the rest of my life. I started down this career path due to a couple of things:
1. It pays pretty well, especially for someone without a degree
2. My dad has worked with computers for as long as I can remember, and I grew up learning from him, so I had an edge when it comes to understanding the programs
3. Tech support is generally way more lenient in things like dress code, desk decorations, and a relaxed attitude than a lot of other jobs.
4. I have great people skills that I have been working on through speech and debate since I was in 8th grade.

I have the bestest husband in the whole wide world!!!

Yesterday was definitely a crazy day. I was stuck on a call about half an hour past my usual shift at work, so I was way rushed getting home in time to workout with Marianne, only to walk in the door and see that Alan had cleaned up the apartment after he got off work to surprise me! Seriously, it was spotless! Now all I have left is some minor organizing in our apartment and we'll be ready to move on to step 2 of my storage unit craft room plan!

Crafting complications

I have seen so many wonderful blogs as of late that illustrate these wonderfully beautiful designs for clothes, jewelry, knitting, crochet, etc. You name it, they craft it. And oh how I want to be one of those cool crafty people!

I am one of those people who starts projects, but never finishes them, or at least not in a timely manner. I used to do art a lot in highschool, but I think I've finished maybe 5 drawings in my whole life. My sketchbooks are full of disembodied heads and headless bodies, all of which I meant to finish but either forgot about them, or thought they were unworthy of finishing because the arm or leg or eye wasn't quite right. My mom will also tell you what a pain it was to get me to finish a sewing project, and half the reason why most of them got finished was because I had to wear them to a school dance or play that very night, and they were always finished one minute past the very last minute.

And yet, despite knowing all of this about myself and my procrastination, despite how untidy and unorganized I am, I am itching to make something. I want to sit down and spend some time doing something productive. Reading definitely keeps me occupied and it doesn't make a mess, but I want something to show for my free time.

So this is my resolve. I have a few steps that will make this possible.
1. Clean my apartment. Why? Because it is messy, and I need it done to feel comfortable starting any other projects.
2. Clean and reorganize my storage unit so that there is enough room for it to be my new craft room. It is about 25ft from my apartment, so I could go there whenever I wish, and it's far enough from my kitchen so I wouldn't snack while I craft. Additionally I've been meaning to clean and organize it anyways, and it would make it so that our apartment feels bigger with any extra stuff organized and usable. Moreover, if I follow through with my past pattern of not finishing what I started, then the mess will not be in our living space. Hurrah for multiple birds with one stone!
3. Set up my craft room. I have a dresser and a table in there that don't fit in our apartment that I can use. Must needs buy a fan for the summer if it's going to be bearable in there. Fortunately there is light and I think there is electricity...ok, that may be something I need to check on first...
4. Start crafting! There's enough space in there beyond what is needed for stuff that doesn't fit in our apartment that I would have all the room I need. I might even share it with Alan, but the jury is still out on that one.

So there's my plan! The electricity could be a problem, but I will find a way somehow! I'll update with the progress.

I < 3 Dr. Elmore!

I tell you what, I am so grateful for Dr. Elmore! I went to him yesterday for the first time in a while. Last time I was there I had major issues with too much estrogen, which fortunately has almost resolved. When I got there he started with the Nutrition Response Testing, which looks totally bizarre, but is really entertaining. My body pretty much screamed at him that I have lead poisoning, and wouldn't let him see anything else until he had taken care of it.
Other than that, my thyroid is really having issues. I have a temporary allergy to eggs and rice, and have some plastic toxicity, but those should be fixed within a month. He also gave me a thyroid booster, so that should really help me feel less sick.

When I grow up...

I had an interesting conversation with Marianne the other day. The topic? What we want to be when we grow up. I know, it sounds kind of weird to ask that question at 22 years of age, but I've never been old enough and experienced enough to really honestly answer that.

I considered being a lawyer in high school. Goodness knows I would probably be good at it, but the schooling is another 4 years, and I don't think it's really worth it for me at this time in my life.

I considered being a teacher, which I would love, but what would I teach? The only subjects that I had a passion for were English, Debate, and Drama, and with those programs being cut at such a huge rate around Utah, I don't know if I would even be in the running, let alone if it would pay enough with just those classes.

I've considered doing something with computers, which would pay well, and I could learn, but it's not my ideal field in any means.

I've considered psychology, but I don't think I could deal with the secrets and the burden of helping fix people's problems, let alone be able to give them the tough love everyone needs at times.

I considered being a mediator, and that one...that one I think I can do. Some good friends of my parents just got into it, and I think it would be a great job for me. It's like being a lawyer, psychologist, and teacher all rolled into one, but lacking the responsibility and take home frustration of each. So that, ladies and gentleman, is my new goal. Wish me luck!