I know, I know...its such a surprise

Ummm, you may or may not be aware by my St. Louis Blues were knocked out of the playoffs by the LA Kings....yeah, its was disappointing and a sad night when they lost.  I had some major thinking to do over the weekend and Sunday night I had to decide if the Red Wings pulled off a game 7 win against the Ducks, would I root for them in Round 2.  Decisions!  Decisions! 
I watched the first two periods of the game Sunday night but then I fell asleep and even missed the little celebration going on right next to me in bed since Red Wings fan stayed up to watch the entire game.
I woke up Monday morning and while I was getting ready for the gym I checked the score of the game just to see if Red Wings fan would be excitedly happy or if I should avoid all conversations with him until he had time to grieve over his beloved team and I was glad to see that they did pull off the win!  As soon as Red Wings fan found out the Wings first game of round 2 would be Wednesday night, somehow that became our weeknight together this week.  As you can probably guess, I'm on board and rooting on the Red Wings in the playoffs and yes, tonight we're watching the game.

Hey....I have to earn brownie points somehow even if I'm wearing my Blues t-shirt.  LOL

The cat is out of the bag

It's been 2 and a half months since the guys found out about Red Wings fan and me and finally over the weekend when we had our Saturday Night Girls Night, I spilled the beans to KP and B. Dilly.  Sure they pretty much knew something was up but there was always a little bit of doubt for them too since I did deny and make excuses for any "suspicious activity."  But over the past few months, I have felt guilty for not enlightening them on all of my happiness and telling them about all the exciting things I've been up to since January so with a night of just fun girl stuff planned, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to fill them in.  As luck would have it, KP beat me to the punch and got it out of me.  Incidentally while this all was happening, Red Wings fan was in Chicago at a bachelor party but checking in with me via text throughout the night.  I told him the girls finally knew and he started joking with them via text too.
It was a huge weight lifted off of me and we can finally act normal when our group hangs out outside of work.

Yesterday another surprise came about as I was on the way to have lunch with my Aunt and Nicole when I unexpectedly ran into my Dad and his new girlfriend as I was leaving home.  It's only been over the last couple of weeks my Dad started dating.  And this is a bit crazy (not in a bad way!) because in the time my parents have been divorced (19 years), I have never known my Dad to date, at all.  I'm happy that he is finding happiness as well and really all I want for him is to enjoy life.  As luck would have it, Dad was driving to show his GF where I lived.  They were out and about and I guess close enough to drive by.  He wasn't expecting me to be outside and getting in my car so the somewhat awkward meeting occurred.  She's super nice and I think is the type of person my Dad needs.  I just hope the next time I see her I'm more prepared.

Last night when Red Wings fan came back from Chicago, I spent nearly the entire night talking about all of the weekend's excitement.  I also talked his ear off for about 40 minutes before he got here since I called him after lunch with my family.  I'm sure he was ready to go back to work this morning just so I would be quiet for a change.

Lots of hockey & even more randomness

I wish I knew where the last two weeks went because anymore, I blink and here we are over halfway through the month of April, past tax day and I'm focusing on everything I need to take care of before the month of May rolls around.
So let's see if I can at least recap the last 2 weeks....
The weekend after KC, we headed over to my Mom and Michael's for dinner to celebrate Michael's birthday.  I made dinner (my new signature dinner according to Red Wings fan...cheesy chicken spaetzle) and we got hooked on playing silly word games on Mom's iPad the rest of the afternoon.

I finished up the last few sets of taxes I owed to people and decided at the first part of April that with my current work schedule there is no way I can keep doing as many sets of returns I've done in the past.  I may keep doing a few for friends and family but I'm definitely cutting back, especially since now my weekends are fairly busy too.

Last week a tornado tore through my old neighborhood taking out homes and apartments within a couple blocks of my former apartment.  The storms were bad enough here to make the National news and friends of mine in other parts of the country who weren't aware of my big move last year texted me to make sure I was alright.  Fortunately I was ok and we had no damage at my new place.  It was another instance where I was so glad that I made the decision to move last year!

Red Wings fan's hockey team headed into the playoffs so we spent much of last weekend at the rink for this session's Championship games.  His team finished in 2nd after an exciting comeback win in the 2nd game on Sunday night and then tying 2-2 in the sudden death game before they lost in the shootout.

That goalie was like a brick wall!

Cutest Hockey Defenseman Around!

He shoots! ...And almost scored!!

Unfortunately we also had to deal with stupidity on Saturday night while we were at the rink.  Someone broke into Red Wings fan's car and ransacked it looking for his wallet and phone but fortunately I had them with me like I do every game and the idiots walked away with nothing; however they did mess up the door locks enough that they do need repair.  I hope whoever was dumb enough to do something like that gets what they deserve!

Last night we ended up having a Wednesday night date night, complete with random gift-giving.  Since I didn't have any MSU gear yet, Red Wing's fan surprised me and ordered me the coolest shirt online.  What's actually really funny is that I had been looking at ordering a shirt myself and hadn't gotten around to it and without saying anything to him, he ordered the exact shirt I wanted.  (Brownie points for the BF!)
I gave him a set of Bobby Flay cookware and new knives.  The cookware came a few days early and he took those home Sunday night but I brought the knives over yesterday.

Yeah, that's not my body....still working on my curves!

Bobby's the best according to Red Wings fan.

Tomorrow night we were lucky enough to get my Dad's tickets to the Blues game.  So the two of us and Mr. and Mrs. S are going to the game and for a Friday date night of sorts and then Saturday the 4 of us are going out to dinner to celebrate Mrs. S's birthday.  It should be two great nights capped off with seeing Em's performance in her high school production of Annie on Sunday afternoon.

Now if we could only get the weather to cooperate this weekend.  Right now it's not feeling much like spring with the cloudy, rainy skies and temps in the 40s and low 50s....I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will scoot out of here quickly too!

Nothing beats a Peep

Red Wings fan and I survived the weekend together in KC or I guess I should say, Red Wings fan made it through 72+ straight hours with me and didn't leave me in KC on Sunday.  Actually we had a great time all weekend despite Michigan State Spartans to Duke on in the NCAA tourney on Saturday night. 

Catching the MSU game at the Flying Saucer

We partied in the Power and Light District (I sang karaoke!), went bowling, had drinks in Westport, visited Union Station, shopped at Crown Center & the Kansas Outlet mall, drove past the Kansas Speedway and ate at some good BBQ spots and other novelty restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.

Grinders - as featured on DDD

Leftover pizza for Sunday morning!

We got back on Sunday afternoon with time to spare and we were able to spend Easter with my family.  As if my family wasn't cool enough, but Red Wings fan got to experience the holiday hospitality of my Uncle and Aunt and remarked to me on our way home that my family is awesome.
Not only is my family awesome though, so is Red Wings fan.  When I got to his place Thursday after work, he had an Easter surprise for me.

Peeps!!  And marshmallow eggs!!!

And now I am in marshmallow heaven!

Meet me in KC

We are off for Good Friday so technically today was our Friday at work.  Red Wings Fan and I decided to take advantage of the extra day off and settled on taking a road trip to Kansas City for the weekend.  We have no set agenda besides catching the MSU-Duke game Friday night and for the most part we're just playing it by ear....enjoying BBQ, seeing some sights and finding some time to relax.  Believe it or not, while the trip is only 4 hours from STL, this is still the first time I'll actually do more than just drive through the city trying to get to a final destination on the other side.
Besides our overnight trip to the mine months ago, which was nothing more than a work trip for both of us, this is the first of a few weekend trips planned over the next few months.
I finished packing my bag, gathering snacks for the car ride and making sure we're ready for the 3 days ahead.  I guess the only thing left to do is hit the road....

365 days later

Today was my 1 year anniversary at work. 
Crazy to think that one year ago, I walked in scared and unsure if I could handle the job in front of me but excited for the challenge and hopeful that this position would renew my love of Accounting and number crunching. 
One year ago, the guy who has now stolen my heart, was just another random co-worker who barely said 2 words to me on that first day but was more than willing to buy my lunch when the group took me out as a welcome present. 
One year ago, I couldn't tell you anything about metric tons or short tons or how many tons a railcar can hold.
One year ago, BTU, SO2, Ash, Moisture and quality price adjustments were all words with no meaning.  Today these things affect nearly everything I touch in my department

I work hard and I typically work long hours but I am content and happy with my decision to accept this position.   I've learned so much about my job, the industry, myself, and really life in general.  Most of all, I'm proud of how far I've come after 365 days.

Restaurant Impossible Revisited

Remember back in November when I got to experience the "Reveal" part of Restaurant Impossible?

Tomorrow (Wednesday) night at 8 pm CT or 9 pm ET for my loyal readers (Hi Joel!), the episode featuring the Caseyville Cafe will premiere on Food Network.  With not knowing what clips from dinner will be shown or knowing much of the back story, I'm excited to see the show!  My DVR is set, the watch party is planned and my bodyguard is prepped should the paparazzi get out of control on my way into work on Thursday morning (ok, just kidding about that last part!).  Not only was the dinner absolutely delish, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so very glad I got to be a part of the experience!

Can I Really Do This?

One year ago today I called my best friend at 4:30 in the afternoon crying hysterically as I was having the worst day ever in my Accounting career.  I had already secured a new opportunity and had planned on giving my two weeks notice on Monday.  After spending nearly every day of the last 6 months in misery, I asked one question, "Can I really do this?" 
I got a really simple answer, "You've already secured your future, you're the unhappiest I have ever seen you....what do you have to lose?"
And with that, I walked back into work, typed up my resignation letter and at the end of that work day, I turned in my keys and officially resigned.
I walked out of the building with a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders and I've never looked back or regretted my decision to leave that dreadful place.  Six months of my life wasted at a company that never gave me a shot, never allowed me to grow and most of all never made me feel welcomed.

I struck gold....or in my case, black gold in my current position.  I work hard but I'm appreciated for all that I do, I have amazing friends who I can count on daily and I was lucky enough to meet a great guy who I can share my free time with....yep, walking out that day was the best decision I could have made.

A special dinner date

It's been nearly 10 months but tonight I'm finally trying to bridge the "Linds from the past" with the "Linds of the here and now."  Coco and I had been friends the entire time I worked at the trucking company and even after I left, over 6 years in fact, but around mid-May last year, I decided I needed to move forward and get some other things worked out and we drifted apart.  I can't say that was the best decision or even a somewhat good decision on my part but it happened.
A few weeks ago, my bro started working at the trucking company and ran into Coco.  She told him to have me call her when I had some free time.  After thinking our friendship had deteriorated so much over the last nearly 10 months, I was shocked that wanted to know how I was doing and wanted me to check in.  We've played phone tag, text tag and emailed back and forth and finally tonight Coco and I are going out to dinner to catch up and hopefully move forward in our friendship.  I'm excited for the chance to get to talk to her again.  We went through so much together the first years we worked together and I'm anxious to fill her in on all of the new happenings.  But most of all, I'm hopeful of reviving our friendship.

Wednesday Night Watch Party

Tonight's one of the nights Red Wings fan and I have been looking forward to for a few weeks.  In fact, we both put calendar events in our phones to make sure we didn't miss it and Sunday we decided why not have a watch party together for the Season 3 premiere of Duck Dynasty.  You won't find cooked squirrel or duck at our party but I am making dinner (perhaps even Louisiana themed!).
As far as the rest of the night is concerned, well I guess you can say we'll...

Gotta love the Robertson clan!!

Productivity at its best

I had to take the afternoon off of work today to go to court about a speeding ticket I got about a month ago.  Unfortunately, it wasn't one of those, "plead guilty, mail your fine to the circuit clerk."  No, it was a "take an afternoon off of work, sit in a jam-packed courtroom and wait for your name to be called to face humiliation."  Luckily for me, it only took about an hour for them to call my name, me to ask for court supervision, get my fine and take care of paying the courts.

I knew today was going to be busy at work with month-end close on Friday and export invoices needing to go out so I decided even though I was taking a half day I'd bring my laptop home, see if I could get it to connect to my new wi-fi and spend the rest of my afternoon taking care of anything that came up once we received info we needed in order to invoice our customers.  Sure enough at 4:15 the info required for our billing came through.  I sent MW a quick message telling him I was online and I'd get it squared away before 5 pm.  He was surprised but thanked me for staying on top of everything given I had the afternoon off.  A few minutes before 5, I received a response from our customer, they received our invoice and have the multi-million dollar payment set for next week.

This just may have been the most productive work afternoon I've ever had while being home. 
 Oh and I vacuumed and cleaned my bathroom on top of it.

Ms. McGyver at your service

At the company holiday party I finally met the River Terminal manager I work with on a regular basis.  I'd talk to him at least a few times a week the previous 8-9 months and it was nice to finally put a face to the voice.  When he met me, he informed me that I was probably one of the nicest people he's ever worked with.  I'm always pleasant whether he calls or emails me and I've always been helpful.  I was appreciative for the compliment and really thought of it nothing more than just trying to help a fellow co-worker so we both could successfully do our jobs.
A few weeks ago he asked me to send him more mailing labels so that he could get his invoices and other paperwork to us in a timely manner.  I sent him sheet after sheet after sheet of mailing labels in hopes that I wouldn't slow him down should I not be able to send more before he ran out again.
Today I received a package with one of my labels on it.  I was surprised since typically he send me just normal envelopes but this was in a bubble pack.  In the bubble pack was a box with a note saying, "Lindsay, Thanks for all you do!"
My gift you may ask:

I opened it and smiled. And since the girls call me Ms. McGyver, I added it to my keys right away.
Sometimes just being nice has its rewards and I'm now set with my handy dandy key chain tool.
 

As promised

The winter weather came through the 'Lou as promised yesterday and while this picture looks blurry and out of focus, this is actually how bad visibility was yesterday afternoon.  For some of the work fam it look anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours to get home for regular commutes that usually take 15 to 45 minutes.  Luckily for me, I stayed about 8 blocks from the office and didn't risk driving any further in this mess.  It also saved me from a crazy commute into work this morning even though a lot of the roads did get plowed overnight.  And to top it all, I was lucky enough to have my car cleaned off for me this morning and gullible enough to believe that it all melted off my car even though the car parked in front of me was covered with 2-3 inches still.  Hey...in my defense it still was early in the morning, my brain wasn't fully functioning.
Hopefully this is the last of the winter weather around here, I'm ready for spring and warmer temps already!

State of Confusion

In the last week I've received notices from both Missouri and Illinois reminding me that my license plates expire next month and I need to renew my tags.  Missouri sent my notice to my old address and it was forwarded to my new one.  Illinois sent the notice only to my new address.

Correct me if I'm wrong but if I surrendered my Missouri plates and Registration and Title when I moved to Illinois and re-titled my car, shouldn't Missouri know this?

It's nice to know the State of Missouri says on top of these sorts of things.

And don't worry, I'm renewing my tags in Illinois in March.

Confirming suspicions

It's been official to us for a few weeks now, actually I'm guessing closer to 6 or 8 weeks but it became official with some of the work fam friends last night after I was sent a pic of Red Wings fan.
The guys were attending management meetings down south the last few days and in their spare time, found the time for dinner and drinks out together.  Of course, while Red Wings fan was gone, he was checking in and texting me as they had breaks in their agenda.  Last night, the guys were celebrating the end of the meetings and got a bit silly in the meantime.
This pic was sent to me by one of the guys with the caption.  "Red Wings fan is missing you"

Sorry for the super dark cell phone pic!

Little did he know at the time that yes, Red Wings fan was texting me while they were having drinks.  He spilled the beans to them last night (I can only imagine how that came out given the state they were in when they got back to the office today!).
But as they say, the rest is history....all of their suspicions have been confirmed and we've decided to give dating a go.

I'm still not totally accepting of the fact that he is a Detroit Red Wings fan, but I'm looking past that little detail for now.  He does get extra brownie points for being a hockey fan in general though and for liking most, if not all of my cooking so far.  :)

Happy Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras weekend in the STL...what an experience!!  The streets were packed and it was super chilly on Saturday but we had a blast.  From the 10 am drinks at the local bar and shuttle ride to Soulard to the delish hurricanes and afternoon get together at the local market and coffee shop and then hanging out at Red Wings fan's place, the day was one that involved a lot of laughs and so much fun.
I didn't get as many pictures as I thought I would but it definitely was great hanging with these guys!

Not the French Quarter, but....

With turning 30 this year and seeing how fast my life is going, I decided to start doing things I've always wanted to but never either found the time to do or was too busy or scared to try.  This weekend is a big weekend here in the 'Lou.  While it may be hard to believe, our city has one of the best celebrations for this time of year.  Sure, it's not New Orleans, but this Saturday you will find me in Soulard, watching the famous parade and celebrating....

The Red Wings fan, my bro and a few of his friends will experience the STL celebration.  It's a first for all of us but I can just about guarantee it will be a great time and definitely a memorable one!

Beads, Hurricanes and Cajun Creole Food....sign me up!

I guess I've waited long enough...

Since the start of the new year, I've taken a different approach to everything going on in my life.  Working as many hours as I do and now planning most of my weekends and free time after work, I haven't been nearly as obsessive or overly anal about every little detail of my life and I've especially not been as on top of it as in years past with finishing my taxes super early.  Crazy coming from a girl that used to thrive on calculating her tax return on January 1st.....
In any case, I decided that since it is February and my free time is few and far between, I better get to at least looking at my taxes.  My federal return was super simple but living in two states and working in the city, I had a bit more to do to file my state returns.  Luckily, after sitting here for a few hours, I got all of my credits and non-residency forms filled out and I think I'm good to go.  I'll review the state returns one more time tomorrow but its just about official...my taxes are finished!

Now, let's see how many people "remember" I'm an Accountant and ask for help this tax season. 

Really though, I think I just might "forget" that I'm an Accountant until April 16th

Scenes from a 30th birthday

Here are a few pics of what it was like for me to turn 30 yesterday....

Flowers and a balloon from my cousins

My decorated desk at work

Wearing the decorations my work fam left for me

Isn't this how every 30 year old celebrates at work?!?

The weekend birthday celebration was a success as was my actual birthday yesterday.  Fun with friends, time with family, celebrating a Blues victory on Sunday night and then a "low-key" birthday night in last night proved to be the best way to celebrate turning 30.

If you're reading this post...

....I actually turned 30 years old today.  The world did not end, I did not have a nervous breakdown for hitting another decade and I didn't go out and party like I was 21 again.  Nope, I took my birthday in stride and realized that turning 30 isn't as bad as I previously thought in my youth.  Nope, 30 is great!  I have amazing friends, an incredible family, a job I adore and overall a fantastic life.

Tonight I'm taking it easy, enjoying this new age.  Happy 30th to me....I can only imagine what the next 30 years of my life will bring!!

At 30 you finally start to catch up to those dreams you’ve been chasing for the last 10 plus years.  ~Bonnidette Lantz

Princess for a day? Not for me!

The girls at work called me crazy for planning my birthday dinner with my Dad's side of the family and actually cooking everything myself and even baking my own cake.  They think everyone else should be letting me be a princess for a day and I should just sit back and enjoy some relaxation.  Yeah....in true Lindsay fashion though, that isn't what I want!  After a fun Christmas with my fam and wanting to show off what I can do in the kitchen, I'm once again cooking a Sunday afternoon dinner for everyone before going to the Blues-Wild game with my Bro and the "Former Red Wings turned Blues fan"  (Shhh! He doesn't know the Blues are his favorite team just yet!).

I'm excited to have everyone over to celebrate and equally excited to spend the evening catching my first Blues game at Scottrade this year.  The only thing that would make this day better is if the Blues could give me a win tonight.  That would be one awesome birthday present!!

Let's Go Blues!!

Yep, I'm hooked too!

One week ago, I called the cable company and set up my DVRs.  Tonight I'm finally getting around to using them and I picked a great show to record first....

Source

Yep, like much of the rest of the country, I've become hooked on this show and have been trying to catch up on the first two seasons before season 3 airs later in 2013.  After tonight I'll have 4 episodes to watch.  That will keep me occupied awhile considering all of the other stuff I'm also trying to catch up on at home too. 

And now, at least with the DVR, I can record everything I've continually missed on tv lately.

Oh when the Blues go marching in...

Found this posted on Facebook by one of my friends and all I could do is giggle....

Tonight's finally the night!!  And while I wasn't lucky enough to score tickets to this game, you can bet I'll be catching as much of the game as possible while out with the work fam.
I've been giving D. Rob trouble all week and the fun will continue tonight when we're celebrating KP's 30th birthday and he's rooting for the WRONG team.  He may be from Michigan but that doesn't mean he can't root for the Blues!  Hopefully after tonight's game he'll see the error in his ways and start rooting for the Blue Note.
In any case, you can bet I'll be chanting, "Let's Go Blues!"

Birthday Shopping with Dad

Yesterday afternoon Dad and I went shopping for my birthday present....

No, he didn't buy me Chef Robert Irvine, but he did get me a brand new 37" flat screen tv.  After being behind the times with my big boxy 27" hand-me-down, I'm finally accepting that its 2013 and embracing more of the technological advances.  Coincidentally enough, while we were out shopping yesterday, I also decided it was time to upgrade the 19" tv in my bedroom and bought a 32" flat screen for that room as well.  Once I finally make a decision to upgrade, I'm wholeheartedly moving forward.
Now I just need to call the cable company and get my new HD digital receivers.  I'll do that this week so I can take advantage the all the features my new toys offer which is perfect for the start of hockey season next Saturday night!

Ringing in 2013

Day 1 of 2013 and I've already caused a stir by falling out of my "Routine Linds" personality.  I ended up going out for New Years Eve and brought in 2013 with friends.  And unlike "Routine Linds", I decided to stay with friends rather than making the trek back home at 3 am.  The stir was caused when I wasn't home this morning and then didn't answer my phone (because it was in my purse on silent) for hours (I was a party animal and slept in far longer than I expected this morning) because this is not typical behavior for this girl..  I apologized for causing such worry and then tried my best to make the rest of the day less stressful on everyone else.

Another other exciting part of my day....my purchase off of Amazon.

Source

Yep, tackling a new culinary project via Coolio.  This started as a joke last night and then we decided why not try it out.  I'll keep you posted on the results of the recipes attempted

Oh and by the way, for those of you counting down....29 days until I turn 30.  OMG.

Adios 2012

I can't believe its already the end of 2012.  It seems like I was just reviewing 2011 and thinking about all of my goals and aspirations for 2012. 2013 will bring a brand new bunch of experiences for me and a 30th birthday to boot.  I found an annual end of the year questionnaire on the web and decided for giggles and grins to complete it just to put some sort of review together for this year.  It definitely was interesting putting this together, so here's my recap of 2012 in questionnaire form:...

Annual End of Year Questionnaire

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
2012 was definitely a year of change for me – new job, new car, new friends, new place to live, but probably the biggest and only thing I’d never done before was buy a brand new car, fully financed by my savings account in March.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year?  I didn’t have firm resolutions set but each year I try to just be happy with the life I’m creating for myself.  This year was definitely a major change to find that happiness and overall I think I succeeded.  As I head into 2013, I’m facing a 30th birthday and figuring out the next stages of my life.  I hope to increase the happy life I’m creating for myself.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? It seems many of my Facebook friends, mostly from my high school days had babies this year but I wouldn’t consider most of them close friends anymore.  My friend Joe did become a proud papa in January, I’d say that’s the closest friend I know with a 2012 arrival.

4. Did anyone close to you die?  Luckily for the first time in a couple years, no, no one close to me passed away in 2012.  Whew!

5. What countries did you visit?  The great country known as the United States of America.  I haven’t left the states since I was 17 years old.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? I honestly don’t think I lacked much in 2012 after I made changes.  I have to say I have been fairly content with how the year panned out.  If anything, I wish I had more confidence in who I am but that’s a given every year.

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? My birthday happy hour and karaoke celebration on January 27th; March 9th – the day I quit that horrendous job; March 26th – the day I met the coolest work fam ever

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Taking on this new position and actually feeling that I’m making progress in learning my responsibilities and being beneficial to the company.

9. What was your biggest failure? Letting people manipulate me and make me lose faith in most of humanity early in the year.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?  No and thank goodness!

11. What was the best thing you bought? My new car!  :)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?  My own! I definitely celebrated the highlights of my year!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?  Some of my former co-workers, no explanation required.

14. Where did most of your money go? Bills between moving and just everyday expenses, it definitely took a good chunk of what I earned

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?  Being off for two weeks before starting my new job in March, seeing Nickelback with Nicole in May and moving in July

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?  Because everyone used it one way or another, Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?  Happier, I’ve finally accepted all of the unfortunate things that happened towards the end of last year.
b) thinner or fatter?  Exactly the same by some phenomenon! Worked my butt off for that too!
c) richer or poorer?  Richer, thanks to some very smart financial planning

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?  Earlier in the year, I wish I would have had the confidence to stick up for myself more with my “so-called” friends.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?  Crying over the things I could not control and just trying my best to live through them without melting down.

20. How did you spend Christmas?  At home on Christmas Eve with my mom and Michael and at my Dad’s and Aunt and Uncle’s on Christmas Day, I also spent time catching up with some really great friends via text throughout the day.

21. Did you fall in love in 2012?  Truth be told, I’m so scared to fall in love again after my dilemma last year.  I’m being very cautious when it comes to my heart.

22. What was your favorite tv show?  RestaurantImpossible

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?  Hate is such a strong word, yes there are people I dislike now, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I hate them.  I hate their actions more than anything.

24. What was the best book you read?  Honestly, I didn’t have a whole lot of time like in years past to read, I have just about finished the 50 Shades trilogy and while others consider it a literary nightmare, I was alright with it.  It was an easy read and entertaining enough to let me escape and just read for enjoyment.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Gangham Style  jk!!  I would have to say the newest Shinedown album Amaryllis

26. What did you want and get?  My Step 360!

27. What did you want and not get?  My steel-toed boots, I couldn’t find a pair that I actually found fashionable and fully protective (yes, I’m picky!)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?  The only one I saw, All In-ThePoker Movie

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?  I had a happy hour with some of my closest friends and family and then did karaoke with my Bro.  I had a fantastic time turning 29!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?  I plead the 5th.  LOL

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? I tried to be stylish but keep to a budget.  No off the wall purchases for me but I did make sure I looked professional for work and at least semi-fun on the weekends.

32. What kept you sane?
My friends, I’d definitely be lost without them.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?  Chef Robert Irvine, not only is he a brilliant chef, he’s a super cool guy who is down to earth and helps so many with his restaurant remodels and other good deeds. Top notch fella in my book and his arms are AMAZING!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?  I try to stay out of the political discussions but with this being an election year, everything got under my skin in some way or another.

35. Who did you miss?  I still miss Broccoli.  I miss having someone to take care of and do nice little things for just because I wanted him to know I cared and was thinking about him.  He helped me through the good, the bad and the ugly for nearly 4 years.  This year I was on my own and I survived but it just wasn’t the same.

36. Who was the best new person you met?  There are a handful of them, all being members of my work fam.  I have formed some of the coolest friendships with them in just a short amount of time.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012? Nothing in life stays the same, roll with the changes, make the most of every situation and live the life that makes you happy.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.  This isn’t meant in the way she’s singing about but for me, it’s overcoming every obstacle this year and moving forward to be happy with my life.

From Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger:

You think you got the best of me
Think you've had the last laugh
Bet you think that everything good is gone
Think you left me broken down
Think that I'd come running back
Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

I hope your 2012 was an eventful and pleasant one and that 2013 proves to be a healthy and  happy New Year too!

Jeopardizing My Gold Stars

Right now I'm watching the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl game -- TCU vs. Michigan State.  While I'm a huge NFL fan, I haven't watch a whole lot of college football and considering I went to McKendree, who until recently was not even an NCAA team (Division II), I never really paid much attention to the bowl games besides the fact that they had so many of them with a variety of sponsors.
Somehow, *someone* convinced me to watch this game tonight and not only am I watching it, I'm rooting for Michigan State.  They haven't shown much promise against TCU so far and I'm sure hoping me being a rookie bowl watcher doesn't bring the Spartans bad luck.  I don't want my gold stars retracted so they definitely need to win!
Let's go Spartans!!


UPDATE:  Michigan State came back and scored 17 in the second half to win 17-16 over TCU.  Woo hoo!!  And good news for me, I didn't lose my gold stars!  In fact, I think I even earned a few more!!  :)

Christmas Recap

With 6 out of the last 7 days off of work, why don't I put this time to use and give a recap of my Christmas.  Given how much this time of the year typically stresses me out, I was somewhat glad to have some extra time to prepare, especially since I had my Mom and Michael over for Christmas Eve.
So without further ado, here is my Christmas 2012 photo dump:

Christmas Eve Dinner - Garlic & Herb Pork Loin, Roasted Potatoes & Veggies

Christmas Eve Dessert - Whipped Chocolate Cheesecake

Present from Mom & Michael - Hot Sauces from Around the World

Dad's Gift from Ryan -- Ever Seen the Movie Paul?!? (It's Dad's Fav)

My present to Bro - Wool Peacoat

Remember when I asked for this? Santa Dad brought it!

Pepper Mill from my Aunt & Uncle - I'm modeling like on the Price is Right!

Nicole wearing one of her presents

Em getting into her tunes!

Annual Sibling Christmas Pic

My Appetizer for Christmas Day - Pepperoni Pizza Roll

Overall, I had a successful Christmas Eve night with my Mom and Michael and a relaxing Christmas Day at my Aunt and Uncle's house with my Dad, Bro and my cousins.  I was also able to take the day after Christmas off -- that typically never happens and while it was nice not to have to get up super early to head into work, I definitely paid for the extra time off when I got back to work yesterday.  It was a 12 hour day trying to get everything back in order for the end of the month and really the end of the year.  I toyed with the idea of stopping in for a bit today, but after careful consideration and a push from the work fam, I decided to keep today as a day off and just bust my butt next week.  (I do believe a deal was struck too and someone offered to help load my trains and barges from today and the weekend first thing on Monday morning.  I may or may not hold him to that!  LOL)
As far as the rest of the weekend goes, I'm playing it by ear and we'll see what kind of plans I come up with for New Years' Eve.  I have so many thoughts and ideas but we'll see what exactly pans out.
Hope you had a fantastic holiday and are enjoying this last week of 2012!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2010

From my family to yours, may your holiday be merry and bright!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Christmas Eve, 2012

 "Today I caught myself smiling for no reason...then I realized I was thinking about you."

"I get the best feeling in the world when you say 'hi' or even smile at me because I know, even if it's just for a second, that I've crossed your mind."

Found these as I was poking around online over the last couple of days and I can't stop thinking about how true they are.  In fact, I think they've become two of my favorite quotes.  Both are author unknown, but they definitely are bringing the warmth I need to my holiday season.

Time to put the finishing touches on my Christmas Eve dinner....

Ready for Christmas

I think I'm just about ready for Christmas.  I finished wrapping gifts last night around 8:30 after spending the afternoon in full present-mode.
I posted this pic on Facebook last night with the caption:

Finished wrapping presents for my fam and yes, the ratio of presents to my tree is severly disproportionate. Of course, my little ceramic tree is only a foot tall!

Who knew my pic would cause such a stir with the work fam.  Not in a bad way but we had quite the comment thread going on about presents, my tree and all the jokes that come from our group.  Since yesterday was the last day of work before our holiday break, I brought my work gifts in for the work fam.  The girls got "McGyver kits" (mini manicure sets) and body butter, the boys got chocolate "coal" and lottery tickets and JP got "moose munch" and lottery tickets and I made a tray of chocolate chip cookie bars with chocolate ganache for our group.  It was just a small way of saying thanks for making the last 9 months of this year 10,000% better than the first 2.5 months. 

Today after my Saturday morning workout, I tackled cleaning up my entire place and getting it ready for Mom and Michael's visit on Christmas Eve and finished buying the last of the ingredients I needed for our dinner on Monday night.  Besides actually cooking everything, I think I'm set for Christmas Eve.  I'm just hoping my dinner turns out better than these did....

Cookie Fail!!

Earlier in the week when I was pressed for time, I tried cutting corners and saving myself some time by using refrigerated cookie dough the other night rather than making my own and my cookies turned out not quite as planned.  (Note to self: Trust your gut and make your own dough even if it takes a bit longer!)  Those are supposed to be sugar cookie blossoms but they spread way more than I wanted them to.  I'm sure they still taste good but they looked like an HR violation, so instead of taking them to work this week, they're just hanging out at home waiting for my family to mow them down at either one of our Christmas gatherings because to them it doesn't matter what they look like as long as they are delicious!

Rounding up the good stuff

I feel almost like a broken record with each new post.  Life is still super crazy busy and I think I've spent all of 1 day at home in the past few weeks.  Finally today after a short workout and a quick visit with my Dad while he was at work, I've been able to spend the majority of today at home in my comfy sweats and finally got back on track here a bit.
In no particular order, here are some of the great things that happened from the past 11 days:
- Enjoyed a fun-filled Christmas party with the greatest work fam -- socialized, danced and had an all around fantastic night

My Party Dress!

- Celebrated Christmas early with my extended family
- Learned that not only do I have off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I have two other days off during the holidays courtesy of my generous and grateful boss
- Planned Christmas Eve at my place with my Mom and Michael (this is a first for me!) and confirmed my Christmas Day plans with my Dad, Ryan, Aunt, Uncle and cousins.
- Finished my Christmas shopping  (YES!!!!)
- Spent time hanging out with friends and making new ones
- Found this lovely drink:

Source

- Passed on my love of Food Network and all things cooking and enlightening others on the fundamentals of "repurposing."  (don't worry, inside joke)  No word on if its gonna stick but considering the text message I got a bit ago, perhaps I'm changing some non-culinary ways.  LOL


In any case, I'm heading into the two busiest weeks for everything.  And mostly, I'm just hoping I stay focused and sane through the holidays and year-end madness...I just need time and the weather to stay on my side.  It was 61 degrees here in the Lou yesterday, let's keep it that way Mother Nature.  And Father Time, don't let me down either.

Opening my eyes

How do you like our coveralls & hard hats?

I have spent the last day and a half being immersed in the industry that provides me with a paycheck every other week.  And while I enjoy what I do in our corporate office, I got to see an entirely different side to the company I work for by being out in the field. 
I'm exhausted and I was quite dirty when I got home this afternoon but most of all, I'm far more appreciative of all of the hard work each of the employees puts in and the risk that they take when they head underground every day to produce the commodity that also allows me to earn my living.

Above is a pic D. Rob and I had taken with all of our gear on before we headed underground.  Not only were our coveralls heavy but we had to wear industrial boots and our CSE SR-100 breathing apparatus, which when walking down a panel to observe operations, made for quite the journey.
Overall, I'm grateful that I was able to take this trip out of the office and meet some very important customers who hopefully will expand their business with us.  And I'm also hoping that since this trip was a successful one, our boss will let us visit other locations in the near future.  Our customers also had such a good time with our hospitality that they offered to let D. Rob and I take a tour of their facilities as well....I think we can definitely call this trip a success.

Btw, Tuesday night after dinner I also introduced the guys to the wonderful world of Food Network and more specifically Chopped.  Who would have though 3 guys and me would sit in the company house watching 2 hours of Chopped competitions on the projection tv in recliners? 
Not I, said the Sales Accountant with a love of cooking, baking and everything food related.

Reclaiming the title

This cake ended up causing quite a stir this afternoon.  JP's birthday was today and I offered to make a cake to celebrate in the office.  It was a simple funfetti cake with funfetti icing, JP's favorite.  I figured he'd enjoy it but I had no idea that my group would be obsessed with it.
It ended up being an extremely ling, crazy busy day for all of us with it being month-end close and the cake sat mostly untouched until after lunch.  Since then, it's been raved about and now most of the group is calling dibs on having me make their birthday cake.  I guess the funniest part of this is that I had no idea it was so well liked until the email chain started.  Everyone told me it was delicious but I thought they were just being nice.  I ended up getting home a bit earlier than expected from month-end but wanted to check my email through the web access link to make sure it worked before the work field trip tomorrow.  I was shocked to find my inbox filled with so many messages after only being gone 1 hour.
I had to giggle when I saw emails flying back and forth with the subject, "I love you and your cake."
I've already got cake dates of December 11th, January 19th, August 13th, August 25th and again next December 3rd.

I was the cake queen when I worked in trucking and I guess I'm reclaiming that title in my new position....just call me Sales Accountant and Cake Baker Extraordinaire.

This girl can never have too many shoes

Even though today is Sunday, I spent nearly my entire day at work prepping for month-end close tomorrow.  Both of my facilities have to be closed by the end of business tomorrow and since nearly my entire Friday was spent working on a 6 month cash projection for our treasury team, I didn't have time to prepare the way I normally would on the last day of the month.  To top it off, some of the strangest bottlenecks popped up and had to be dealt with before we rolled into the new month.  I do feel like I got a lot accomplished today but I know tomorrow will still be extremely busy and long.
It's crazy to think there is less than 30 days left in 2012.  The year passed in a complete blur....well the last 8 months have at least.  While 2012 started off rocky, I'm going to try to enjoy this last month as much as possible.  Speaking of which, once month-end is complete, this week is jam-packed.  Tuesday afternoon me and D. Rob are headed on an overnight business trip with one of our customers.  This is exciting on many levels for me.  First being that I actually get to go to the field and take a tour of 2 of our locations and one of these is actually a facility I handle all of the sales accounting for; secondly, we're having dinner with these customers and its my first chance of actually getting to experience this and finally, we're staying at the company house, which I've heard is spectacular.
Later in the week is our company holiday party and because I work with the greatest group, we're planning our own celebration on top of the party.  Thank goodness one of the work fam lives just blocks away from the venue, giving us the opportunity to pre- and post-party downtown.

We have a family Christmas party with my extended family over the weekend and then it's getting down to the nitty gritty for shopping, wrapping and getting in the Christmas spirit.  I have to find the time to go out shopping with my Mom and Michael again before it gets too late.  I did give Mom an idea today of what to get me for Christmas and believe it or not, it's not something I ever thought I'd be asking for and she really couldn't believe it either.
One of my wish list items this year....steel-toed boots.

For a girl who wears heels, nearly 365 days a year, these actually are becoming a necessity.  Twice now I've had to borrow MW's wife's shoes.  If I keep it up, I'm fairly certain she's gonna start charging me rent on them.  :)