Catching Up

Recapping last year's missing months in short bursts.

Found an apartment


Went to Boston for friends graduation and got to see Josh and Elise get ready for their wedding day. Sadly couldn't stay but they looked amazing, both of them!

Friends threw me a surprise mini-baby shower. Amazing of them!

Others friendships ended suddenly. Unsure why and it still stings at times, but eventually I'll catch on and move on.

Traveled to Maryland for my sister's big 4-0. They threw me a shower too, got to see some great friends! I miss my peeps =/.

Visit from one of my Florida sisters and her hubby for a weekend. Took silly pics, ate a lot, drank a lot (water for me, red wine for her but enough for the both of us =p).

Getting too big to walk, sit, stand, or sleep in pretty much any position.

Stopped working because I just couldn't anymore. Almost 9 months pregnant by then, big as a whale, with swollen feet the size of cantaloupes - yes, I am exaggerating (more like grapefruit size).

Went to a 4th of July BBQ and danced with my big belly

My mom and sisters came to stay with me for a month and a half to await little peanut's arrival.

I discovered Sherlock (holy Sherlock!), and Orphan Black (my life is now almost complete).

Peanut is here!!! (now my life is complete!). He is tiny.
I am terrified.
Hubby's birthday was mellow this time around.

Peanut is still tiny and also long. So long! My mom and sisters all left and it's just the 3 of us now. 2 of us during the day.

I stare at him a lot and I am still terrified.

Amazed, but definitely still terrified.

I think I am getting the hang of this. Not terrified anymore, just regular scared now. It's a step up :).
Started looking for work everywhere.

Sister from Atlanta visited with her kids for Thanksgiving.

Interviewed at a cool place with a ping pong table, haha!
First time being away from my baby. Not fun - at all!

Birthday was mellow too.

Got the job! Really hard having to leave baby at the daycare everyday and I miss him from the time I drop him off to the time I pick him up. I don't know how others do this :'(.

Christmas was great - at the apartment with brother and family. So fun!

In-laws arrived in the nick of time to ring in the New Year and visit their grandson. Mellow New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Lots of sleeeeep!

This year's update will be in a different post!

I Hear You...

I have been asking for some clarification about my role at work. I was hired for one thing, but because yours truly is soooo skilled and capable (ha!), they immediately started giving me completely different tasks which are now over 80% of my responsibilities. I like the new tasks - Love them - because they are things that I actually went to school for, that I have always wanted to wake up everyday to go do, and get paid for. Except, I'm not... getting paid for them.

I had a big problem with this when I first started working here, because it felt like I was being take advantage of. Then, not so much because I'd calmed down and accepted it as an opportunity to wow everyone with my skills and make it impossible for them not to promote me into that role permanently. I was perfectly happy with working my first full year that way because those tasks were only required of me once in a while. "This is not an every day thing, but once it becomes busier and there are more needs for those tasks to be completed, we can certainly move you into this role permanently, and back fill your other tasks".

So, as the reasonable human being that I am, I said OK. Until they came back at me last week with "this is going to be more prominent in the upcoming weeks. In fact, let's make 3 out of 5 of your goals for this quarter all about these tasks. But let's not change your role or anything. Noooooo... Let's stick to this until you crack.

So, imagine my surprise when the context changed over the supposed transition into the other department. Wouldn't you have asked? I did. And the answer from my boss was: "I hear you".

That's it.

You hear me??? Really? I mean there was no conversation about it. Not even a small edit to slide me into the department to explain why I am doing all this extra work for this department but somehow am still not part of it? Or why now on top of all of that, I have even more responsibilities in the team in question?

I know you're thinking: "Hmmmm!".

Yeah, me too.

So today, her boss was in the office and I - of course - asked him directly (oh, I sure did!). He deferred back to her, she repeated that she "heard me", everyone laughed, but I kept asking. He says we will revisit and we will discuss in depth at my annual review. He feels it makes the most sense to do it then, which is normal and I agree with him.

Only a few months until then so I'll wait and see.

Work Mountain

I've been working at this company in Houston, cleaning up their file room since the end of February. Well after almost a month without system access, and another month of sifting through and organizing files, I am finally done... with the active section. Now time to sort through all the random papers thrown around the file room by my predecessors.

At least I'm not alone in this. They hired someone for my role (yeah, no need to get bitter about it) so we powered through the last of the active files when she started. Now hopefully it will only take us a month to go through the rest of this madness so I can go on my merry way. Until then, Happy Friday peeps!

Whoa! Time flies...

Yes, I know - I have been away the longest this time around, but SO much has happened in the last 7 months... Your girl has been caught up in a whirlwind of emotional changes but thanks to another fan a worlds away, I'm back again baby!! I'll try to sum this up in 7 paragraphs to catch you up with what's been going on so put your seat belts on people!

The program chair for my degree program put in a good word for me so I could join in the Graduation celebrations and walk on stage with family present. We all went to Atlanta and had an amazing time. I think I ate more than I ever have in my entire life, it was that insane! I dearly missed my brother and his family, and two of my sisters who couldn't make it though so I hope we get a real family reunion soon with everyone in tow, lol.

 

We were able to sneak away again, this time back to Houston for Thanksgiving. So much fun! Older sister and her cute baby boy joined us and we all spent the week at my brother's.
Also, unexpected but very happy news ensued :)

It's confirmed! Little Peanut is on its way to us next August... very strange feeling, kinda surreal. I mostly wanted orange juice and eggs at that point - all the time! I remember I was heading into work one day and made it to the complex entrance and decided I really wanted an omelet. I had to turn around and feed my craving :). Needless to say I was late to work, but everyone assumed it was due to traffic and I didn't correct them. Bad girl, haha!

In other fantastic news, we found out hubby got a job offer in Houston, so within one week, my entire life changed and everything I thought 2014 would be, was now moving to a warmer locale. We flew to Florida for the holidays and shared both news with our family there and I mostly tried to come back to earth from my cloud but it never really happened, lol.

I gave my two week notice at work when I returned from Florida. Bitter sweet time trying to transition everything I was working on while trying to pack my desk, which I actually never did... my friend Scott helped on my last day as I frantically said goodbye to everyone! Shameful.

Packing was a drag and it was awful! Thank goodness for the amazing friends who helped un-mount T.Vs and bar shelves from the walls, and pack up an entire kitchen at super speed! You know who you are, you kick-boxing rock stars!

I made it safely to Houston mid January and spent exactly two weeks lounging on the couch everyday staring at my adorable baby nephew! He smiles all the time!!!!! It's so cute :) We celebrated my sister in law's birthday at home, low key with cake she made but I can't remember which flavor... were there cupcakes too? Hmmmm maybe

Didn't do much for Valentine's day, or at least I don't remember. I guess we went out to dinner the following night? I was pretty much battling chronic sleepiness the entire time so all I remember of the first couple of weeks is that I slept A LOT!

I started to get cabin fever and had to start looking for work again. I found a temp job in HR with minimal movements required but the place is a freaking nut house! Filing system is completely out of whack, but not to worry...SMS TO THE RESCUE!

Got really nauseous for the first time and had to leave work. I was sick the whole day, and it was not fun. I have no idea how other pregnant women survive 9 months of being sick like that, but more power to them!

Brother's birthday was also celebrated low key at home with black forest cake! I couldn't even enjoy it because the baby decided if it doesn't taste like Nutella, I don't want it :( Little brat! lol.

AND NOW... We found an apartment :) Moved in on the 22nd but still a lot to buy so we're crowding my brother's place a little longer, hehe! I don't wanna leave my nephews, but it's time to make room for our little one, and get his stuff put together.

Until next time, VOILA!

The Ninja Diaries

And we're back at it again... I know how you've missed my work adventures. There isn't as much as in previous "diary" installments, but nonetheless, there are some fun moments.

Day 1 (Friday) went by without a hitch. It was busy but we knew we were leaving early so we got all the work done early and answered requests as they came in after that. It got really quiet around 11 and by 1pm, the boss's boss told us to go home and enjoy our holiday weekend.

Days 2 & 3 dragged and dragged and I wrote "come baaaack" on your white board and later on, "don't ever leave me again", and such... but then I erased them b/c of the spies and left only the two you saw when you returned :)

Day 4 - Remember how everyone was given a stack of filing before you left? Well, some of us who do it all the time were in the file room for about an hour and a half and only got through half of our stacks. Others who never do, somehow completed 2 whole stacks in 30 minutes... total. I concluded that the rest of us slow-pokes need to get with the program :/

Later on, I cheated on you at lunch... and then again after lunch...I know. I'm ashamed and I feel dirty - as per my text to you right after it happened. It meant nothing. One thing led to another and before I knew it, we were in my car driving to DD for coffee :(. Thank you for forgiving me by the way, LOL!

Day 5 - I can't really remember what happened or didn't happen then... I think there was more of the fake filing, the randomness, and me being superwoman, ha! No big deal :)

Day 6 - Someone decided it was a good idea to do nothing that Friday. I vaguely recall the inbox being completely out of control and our filing friend disappearing 3 times in the file room. And then there was me... working. Once again, no big deal - same-o, same-o!

So glad you're back!!!!!!!!!

D.E.X.T.E.R.!!!

Don't worry, No Spoilers Below!

I hate when people ruin shows for me so I won't do that to those of you who haven't caught up yet. I just wanted to share my excitement over Dexter being back this past weekend! He's my favorite non-villain/villain on television bar none!!!

Can I just say how much I LOOOOVE the twists on this show? They're just insane! From the first episode of Dexter I ever watched, I loved that they made you believe they would take their time to develop the episode. Then, BAM!!! Ice-Truck Killer leaves little presents for Dexter and then BAM, Miguel Prado happens, and then BAM again, Trinity... I mean, it just keeps going and going and going!!!!

I am very curious to see how they will close out the series though. The finale last season was so freaking intense. It'll be most heartbreaking to those of us who just started watching it. I only started watching it last Fall and yes, I know "welcome to 2006" as a very good friend pointed out, haha! Anyway, I caught up to all 7 seasons within a few weeks and then suffered through the long wait to June 30th with everyone else.

This season looks like it's going to be one of those insane ones already. I don't plan on breathing at all during the time it takes to watch the final 12 episodes, haha! I also expect an insane amount of heart-stopping moments, crazy twists, and intense palpitations. I'm sure they'll build the anticipation WAY up to bid Dex adieu.

Summer summer summer tiiiiime!

S.U.M.M.E.R.!!! It's finally here. Time to trade your pumps for flip flops, sandals and open toe wedges ladies! I tried to remember the last time I was this excited about summer, and I think my living in Florida with year round summers took away that feeling. I am slowly getting back into the groove of loving the temperature change and the anticipation of warm weather.

All this was really to say I had ice cream for lunch and it was delicious... well I lied. I had ice cream for desert but I didn't really eat all of my lunch because I was too excited about the ice cream. Needless to say that in our excitement about getting ice cream, we drove around for 20 minutes to get to the place down the street that is only 5 minutes away. Fail.... but it was delicious ice cream :p

In other random news, I had  to fend off rants about basketball championships on my Facebook wall because friends insist on tagging me even though I don't care about sports, haha! Well, honestly I don't mind bugging them and starting conversations by yelling out "Go Celtics" randomly... just to see what ensues, buuuut I digress, lol.