Another week come and gone

Well I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! I know I had a great weekend -- no matter how busy it was. Santa was good to me and I finally can have the chili and margarita party I've been planning since I moved into my apartment now that I have a crock pot and blender! jk! Everyone knows margaritas go better with queso dip rather than chili. Anyway the weekend was a complete blur for me. I started out at my Dad's on Christmas Eve, then drove back to my Mom's and then to my Uncle's and then came home with a car packed to the roof at like 9 at night on Christmas night. Needless to say, I didn't want to do anything the Monday after Christmas even though it probably would have helped me a lot today if I would have gone in to work for a few hours.
Like the past few weeks, today was a complete mess. I don't know why Wednesdays are a crazy day for me. Every other department has a fairly slow day on Wednesday and I get slammed. Of course this week it didn't help that I only had two days in our corporate office and that I'll be down in the sticks for Thursday and Friday again this week. I shouldn't complain though. This week has to be better than last in that regard. Last Thursday was a complete disaster for us at work. I got up early on Thursday morning all ready for my 2.5 hour road trip and emailed our Executive Assistant at like 6 am because I forgot to get payroll numbers before leaving Wednesday night and started to get psyched for learning the billing cycle. As soon as I'm getting ready to walk out the door at 7 am, I get a call from our E.A. and she tells me that both people in billing called in sick and that I probably wasn't going down to train in billing that week. Then I get a call from M saying that our boss had decided that it would be better for us to just stay here and get our own work done and that she would come pick me up in like 5 minutes. So that was fine. I was pleased with being able to go into work up here because I had a million things to take care of anyway. So she picks me up and we get to work and start on our normal Thursday duties. J came into the office for a bit on his way back from picking up his truck up here. It was a nice surprise too because we didn't think he was going to come into the office and we were already suffering from J withdrawals. We ended up talking to him for a few minutes and then find out that the President of the company wanted M and I to go and work on billing in our other office because the billing department couldn't close down for 2 days, especially at the end of the year. So at 9:30 in the morning, we packed up everything we were doing up here and get things set for everyone else and head out on the 2.5 hour drive that we were supposed to make 2 hours prior. We got down there at 1:30 in the afternoon after making a few stops and started on billing right away and ended up working until after 7 that night. It was an extremely long day and after dinner we came back to the hotel and decided that instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we were going to party. Well there are not many places to party down there so we decided to go to the gas station and pick up a few things to drink. Yeah...they don't sell liquor at the truck stops down there so not knowing where else to go, we call J (since he lived down there for 6 months) and ask him where the nearest liquor store is. Not knowing exactly where we were anyway made it that much more fun too. We ended up finding it after J was able to decipher our location and lead us there while he himself was driving down to visit family in Arkansas. Come to find out the only liquor store down that way is a drive-thru one. KICK ASS! That was awesome! So we got our drinks and headed back to the hotel and ended up staying up way too late that night talking and trying to figure out the meaning of life. I know Josh thought I was absolutely nuts because he called me a few times while out Christmas shopping wondering what I wanted for Christmas and I was completely in another zone....not because I had too much to drink or anything but I just had a million things on my mind and I was ready for some fun rather than think about Christmas. I tried convincing him to make the 40 minute drive down but he had too much shopping to get done in only a few hours but I promised him another hotel party this week and I'm hoping he'll come by and visit, especially since we haven't seen each other in about a month and a half.
M and I and even our boss ended up working on billing again for a few hours on Friday and then made the trek back home. We made the drive back in record time too....2 hours and 10 minutes and that's even with stopping for gas! We just wanted to get back home because it had been a stressful two days. This week we're in for a treat again because Friday is the last day for one of the people in billing. I'm scared to death to think what is going to happen for the next few weeks but we will survive. We always do...but its still just scary to think about sometimes....I think that's why I have gone out for a few nights this week already. M and I are trying to get pumped to take over this stuff. Last night we went to dinner and then tonight we hit a happy hour for a bit and just talked and tried to be each others support system. I'm really thankful to have someone who understands exactly what I'm going through right now with work and we work so well together anyway. I'm truly lucky to have her as a friend.

So that's that. Not a whole lot is going on otherwise. I'm planning on behaving myself this weekend with New Year's....or at least that's my thought right now. I have to work on Monday next week and close out 2005. Hard to believe 2006 is so close already -- hard to believe so much has changed for me in 2005. Thinking back on it....in 2005 I acquired my first "real" full time job after graduating in December; quit that job for a better position as a full fledged accountant in July; moved into a place of my own; went on a weeklong vacation to DC with Josh; lost one of the most important people in my life (my Grandpa); met awesome coworkers, many of whom I consider some of my closest friends; became the queen of the dance floor (thanks to my buddies J, C & M); and even spoke up and told the owner of the current company I work for my ideas for helping our business succeed. I don't think I would have been outgoing for even some of that last year at this time....my how things change in a years time! I'm sure some of you have seen the difference lately too.

So I'll leave you all with those thoughts for tonight. I have to finish packing for good ol C-town tomorrow. If you're down that way...call me and you can come to our hotel party. ;) Anyway, Happy New Year to all! May 2006 bring you good health and happiness and lots of time for "kickin it!"

Well, where do I start?

It's been over a week since I have had a chance to update and it's not because there is a lack of things going on in my life. On the contrary...I have been working about 55 hours a week and trying to get ready for Christmas and have a little fun in the meantime. First off with work -- the last two weeks have been the most stressful weeks I have had in a long time. Besides taking care of my regular job, I have also been going down to the office in Southern Missouri to learn billing since our billing department decided to turn in their resignation a few weeks ago. Last Thursday and Friday ended up being a complete blur and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to show the two new people that willl be starting in a few weeks everything that they need to know to take over these jobs. I know there is an easier way to a lot of what they have been doing down in our other office but it's figuring everything out the way they have been doing it and then coming back to our office and trying to tweak it a bit. If that was the only thing I had to do....heck no I wouldn't have a problem, but besides that I have my usual routine as well as finishing up projections for the end of the year and getting everything ready for 2006.
Last Wednesday was a good example of how frustrating things can get sometimes. I was minding my own business, knowing what needed to be done before I headed out on Thursday for the other office and about an hour into my day, everything changed. I felt like I was running around the office trying to meet deadlines and feeling like I was falling farther and farther behind because more problems were arising. At one point, trying to get to the fax machine, J turns around and says, "smile and cheer up - you're doing a great job." That did make it a little better, especially since he flashed that killer smile at me. :)
Speaking of J, he headed for our Laredo terminal last weekend. M, C, J and I all went out for one last hurrah last Friday night and we had a blast. It's going to be hard knowing that we all won't be here to party like that for at least a year or so, but we had fun while it lasted. Dr. Zhivegas was playing at the bar and we spent most of the night out on the dance floor shaking our stuff. It was sad to see the night end.

Also last week was my company Christmas party on Wednesday night. Not a good night for a Christmas party when you have to make a two and a half hour drive the next morning, but still it was a lot of fun. I spent part of my evening talking to the owner of the company about ideas I have for the next year and he spent the rest of the time telling me of things that they have in the works. Most of my co-workers were making fun of me for talking with the big boss for as long as I did, but it was really nice to get to talk to him considering he barely knows me and or what I exactly do for the company. I will say though that he was impressed with some of the ideas I had regarding payables, receivables, billing, financials, etc. I guess college did pay off! I have decided (in like the last 2 months or so) that I need to be more outgoing and work for what I want. I can't sit there and take a back seat role because I do have an important job and I need everyone's cooperation. I think eventually this new outlook will pay off for me. Who knows...I may have already wowed one person.

And finally because I need to get ready to pack my stuff for my little roadie tomorrow....I've spent whatever time I've had left over after work and partying to Christmas shop. Finally, I have everything bought and wrapped and all I have to do now is deliver them and that's what Saturday and Sunday are for. Saturday I'm driving out to my Dad's and spending Christmas Eve with my Dad's side of the family and then Sunday morning I get to drive back to St. Louis and spend it with my mom and step-dad for a few hours before heading over to my uncle's in Southern Illinois. It will be a busy day but a great time with my family. Hopefully everyone likes their presents too! Monday will be my day to relax....or bake cookies since I have promised to send a batch back into work for the fleet managers and a batch down to Laredo for the terminal. I'm such a nice person!

Anyway, I hope Santa is good to everyone. Merry Christmas to all!

Party Planning Committee Succeeds!

My first major party planning event came off without a hitch and ended up being an awesome evening! So awesome I still can't feel my feet from all of the dancing I did! It turns out that we were able to get just about everyone in the office out to celebrate J's big promotion...a task that had not been accomplished until just last night. Even the President of the company and Controller spent a few hours out "kickin it" as my co-worker M (she's the other part of the party trio along with J and I) keeps mentioning. Really though, the night was great. It was packed at Syberg's but we managed to get a table once everyone got there and we scoped out a huge group leaving. After the band started playing at 9 I don't think anyone of us (by this time the group was half the size) stayed at the table for more than one song. Everytime a new song would come on and one of us would try to head back....we'd pull that person back out onto the dance floor. I don't know how many times I would be dancing with J and then he'd tell me that he needed a break and he'd walk back to the table and I'd pull him right back out there because another good song was playing.

I have pictures of all of this but some are rather incriminating so I think I'm just going to keep them to myself for the time being. The best picture of the night which I think I'm going to have blown up to poster size is a picture of me and J and C. I wanted to get a shot with those two so M took my camera and I walked in between them to get a good shot all of a sudden I hear from both of them to M to wait until they say 3 and then take the shot because they wanted this one to be the best shot of the night. So I'm standing there....kinda buzzed but knowing what's going on around me or at least thinking I do and I hear, "1....2.....3." On 3 both guys plant their lips on my cheeks and I have a picture of being kissed by both of them. You should see the smile on my face with that one! My coworkers are freaking awesome!!! For those of you that don't know, which I'm not sure who doesn't, I consider both J and C very hot guys. Not that anyone really wants to hear that but it's come up as conversation in my personal office quite a few times since I started working here in July between me and the girls. So anyway, the night was extremely fun.....we all stopped drinking pretty early which is a good thing and for the last like 2 hours it was straight water because we were all extremely warm from the dancing. We all rode back to the company together after dropping another girl off at home and picked up our cars at like 2 this morning and I crashed as soon as I got the pictures downloaded to my computer.

M and I are now trying to devise a plan to get down to Laredo for some weekend to kick it with J and maybe even C if he's down there at the time. Laredo is one hell of a drive from St. Louis but I'm sure that we could find a cheap flight for a weekend trip so we can all still party like we've been accustomed to for 3 or 4 months now. Next week we're taking a road trip to our office is southern Missouri....not a trip I'm really looking forward to next week because I have alot to take care of up here with my job but with both of our people in billing giving their resignation earlier this week, M and I have to go down and learn the billing system until we can hire someone else for that position. Another thing I get to learn for my job...pretty soon I'm going to know the entire accounting cycle for trucking. I guess that's not a bad thing though since I am an accountant and I produce the final work for financial statements and reports but I don't have nearly enough time in a day to be able to do everything I'm learning. I'm working about 50 hours a week as is and I still can't keep up sometimes. But, I also have to look at it in a positive light...they wouldn't have me learn all of this stuff if they didn't think I could handle it and they weren't going to keep me around for awhile.

So that is my exciting evening out and its so sad that my dear buddy J is leaving next week for Texas but like he said he's going to fix up our Laredo terminal and get back up here as fast as he can so he can come back and party with his girls. By the way, M and I are the girls. The rest of the women in our office have a pre-girl status since they haven't gone out and kicked it like the two of us have with him. But what can I say, M and I are party animals! Rock on! :)

Finally, one last note...congrats to my aunt and her boyfriend, well now fiancee. They got engaged last Saturday night while I was out in Highland. I wish them all the best!

It has been a long week!

Finally it is Friday night and I have a night to recover! This past week has been extremely busy and its good to have a few days off now. Nothing new has really happened, I've either been at work, bringing work home or out living it up with my work friends....seems like everything right now revolves around work...but that's ok. I still love my job and the people that I work with. In fact, I'm now in charge of the party planning. J is leaving for Laredo, Texas in two weeks time to become the 2nd man in our Laredo office and I was told to plan the blowout for him. Next Friday night we're having the shindig of the year. I'm actually really pumped about being the party planner. I sent out the invitations today (via email) and I think I got the office excited. Actually they laughed at the invite because I signed it "The Party Planning Committee in Accounting." The girl I work directly with is the other big partier in our company...when it comes to going out after work, usually its her, J and myself. Well we couldn't let J plan his own party so really she has been my co-pilot in making sure everything is taken care of. She's off in Vegas this weekend so I'm left figuring out the remaining details. It should be a great time though! I will definitely post after the party!

As for this weekend, I'm going out to my dad's tomorrow morning and spending the rest of the weekend there. We're working on thank-yous from my Grandpa's funeral with my Grandma and the rest of the family and I'll probably end up doing a little bit of Christmas shopping with my Dad. I would also like to bake my Christmas cookies but I might just wait until next weekend...we'll see how much time I have left over this weekend to accomplish that since I would like to bake cookies for my co-workers, family and friends...and that's a heck of a lot of cookies!

So tonight I'm going to relax and do as little as possible. I think I'm starting to come down with whatever everyone else has been getting sick with and after going out last night after work and drinking with one of my work buddies and getting about 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep...I need a nap and a chance to do nothing for a change.