Archive for the ‘(Wo)Men at Work’ Category

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It’s funny cause it’s true.


2010
02.16

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work, Family Matters, Holiday Fun | 5 Comments »

Richard: “If I had 76 farm dollars I’d buy you an unwither ring.”
Me: “That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

*****

Did you all have a good Valentine’s Day? I did. I really love Valentine’s Day, even if Richard and I don’t celebrate it together. Richard doesn’t believe in celebrating Valentine’s Day on Valentine’s Day, and gets really frustrated with the commercialism of it all. While I respect his opinion, I wholeheartedly disagree, which made for kind of a depressing Saturday, as each of us tried to get the other one to understand (so we said. I really think that we both kind of wanted to change the other’s mind).

The thing is, I am not frustrated because I want flowers, or an expensive gift. But here in the Pacific Northwest winter can be pretty bleak. After Christmas the days just sort of go gray, and wet, and colorless from January to March. Except for two weeks in February, when the world is filled with red, and pink, and HEARTS! Oh, how I love hearts. It’s too, too exciting. I love everything about it.

And it’s not just the romantic love that I celebrate on this day. I love to celebrate Valentine’s with my family and close friends as well. And with myself.

This year, to prepare for Valentine’s I bought myself the pretty purple flowered dress you can see two posts below. I spent Saturday night painting my toenails pink and watching The Time Traveler’s Wife. Love. I have actually watched lovey movies all weekend.

I slept in very late on Sunday, and then I woke up and got all dressed up. I drove down to Hello, Cupcake and bought a little Valentine treat for my mom, brother and I. I bought them each some raspberry chocolate cupcakes, and a vanilla with vanilla buttercream for myself. And, (ssh! It’s a holiday!) I may have bought a yummy coconut one for after everyone went home. Mmmm.

I cleaned my apartment to spotless, while listening to Lady Gaga on my iPod. All the while thinking of my yummy treats.

We went to the movies and saw Valentine’s Day, which was very cute, albeit totally predictable in so many ways. Who cares? Oh, how I love love! It was a good day.

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I am ready for the work week to be over, and it hasn’t even started. I’m making mini changes in my life to try to adapt better to my work environment. I want to start waking up at 6:30, giving me an hour and a half to get ready to go to work. I want to do two walks a day with the dogs (I’ve been lazy with the cooler weather). I would like to do some yoga or stretching OnDemand before getting ready for work in the morning, as well. I have a hard time staying centered and focused while I am at work. I think if I feel like my personal life is more centered and under control, that will transfer to my professional life (I hope!)

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This weekend I will be without Jude, because he is staying at my boss’s house from Thursday until Monday. Oh, how I will miss him! But…. BRYAN WILL BE HOME! So hopefully, I won’t miss him too much. I am so pleased to see my brother before he ships out to Afghanistan. I am very… sad about him leaving, but I’m glad he’ll be here, and especially thrilled he’ll be here for my mom’s birthday.

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Okay. That’s all for now. Night guys! Sorry so sporadic!

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do you ever feel like all you do is complain? i do.


2010
01.21

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work, Day to Day | 2 Comments »

I feel like lately all I do is work nonstop, and I really wish that I had more time to nurture myself. I feel like my house is a mess, my dogs are a mess, life is not as neat or organized as I want. And by life, I guess I really just mean my environment. Because you know, my interpersonal relationships, finances, etc, are actually just fine.

My goal this year is to… encourage sensory extravagance in my own life. I want to save my money for pretty things that look, smell, taste good, and make my existence more… something.

Bah, I don’t know. I’m not describing myself well. Just… less wasting money. Less useless crap from big box stores that will fall apart, is poorly made, or looks like something everybody else has.

*****

Enough complaining.

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I adjusted my work schedule, and I’m excited to try it out. My new schedule involves working four ten hour days a week, and enjoying a three day weekend every weekend. Exciting stuff. I really think it’s going to help improve my mood, which will improve my job performance, and it’s also going to be nice to spend one less day commuting, and also less money on gas.

Yay….

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Now I have to brush my doggies and watch Criminal Minds. Yay.

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Things I am excited about:


2009
10.30

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work, Family Matters, Friendship Rocks, Points! | 1 Comment »

So when I am at work I keep a running to do list in my portfolio of things that need to get done. I’m a busy girl, and I don’t want to forget! I used to do that in my personal life, before I went back to school, when I had more free time because I only worked three days a week. I would create these massive to do lists, and then be up all night trying to accomplish EVERYTHING! My therapist at the time, Dr. Bob, came up with this brilliant solution to my staying up all night channeling my not-so-inner OCD. Instead of completing the whole list in one day, I was supposed to take 5 or 6 things from the master list and put them on a smaller list. This way I could feel like I’d accomplished something without staying up until 5 in the morning and then sleeping through my therapy appointments.

Well. I decided today that I didn’t feel like coming in to such a daunting list on Monday. But the list was daunting today, too. So I took off all the things that I wasn’t really willing to do next week. Things that would probably fall into the cracks if they waited. I put them on a smaller list. And you know what? That WHOLE list got done before I went home today. Whoo Boy, I felt accomplished. And when I rewrote my list for Monday, it was smaller than it’s been in AGES. Awesome.

Hi, have I told you all before that I’m crazy?

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I keep forgetting that today is Thursday, not Friday. This is because I have to work on Sunday, so I am taking tomorrow off. I’m excited to not have to work tomorrow, but I keep forgetting and thinking tomorrow is the day we pick Joe up from the airport. Yeah. It’s not. And I know it is going to be really hard for Joe to come back home, and it’s going to be really hard for him to restart his normal routine. I don’t have any idea how he feels. I know that if my mom were to die, well, I’d probably lose my mind. Or my dad. Either one.

(I mean if my dad were to die as well. Not that if my mom were to die I would lose my mind or my dad. The two are not interchangeable here. But you probably knew that.)

Anyway. It’s gonna be hard.

But his birthday is on Sunday, and he is requesting that we pick him up from the airport on Saturday with birthday presents in hand, and all go out to eat. He’s so precious. And he’s flying back with his oldest brother, Geoff, who is a year younger than me. We grew up together, and I’m excited to see him again. I had a good time with him when he came up to visit last summer.

*****

I also want tomorrow to be Saturday because I have my Halloween outfit all planned. And by Halloween outfit, I simply mean a black and orange outfit for during the day. I have no freaking clue what I am going to wear when I go out with Dana on Saturday night. Except for a blond bobbed wig, purple butterfly wings and purple eyelashes, because that’s what she bought for me. Other than that? No clue.

Maybe that’s all I’ll wear. (Insert wiggly eyebrows here). Yeah. No.

*****

Currently: getting ready to dim the lights and watch Me Without You in my pjs while eating Cheddar Jack flavored Cheez Its. Three points for 25. And you know? I happen to have exactly three points left.

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This place is madness.


2009
06.15

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work | 2 Comments »

So I’m in the market for my dream job. As it turns out, my dream job happens to be getting paid to sit on the couch in my pajamas while watching Twilight, and maybe taking some sewing breaks. For this to happen I will need a couch, a new sewing machine, and a mysterious benefactor. Anybody interested?

I thought not.

Although, I had a taker at work today. If only he’d been serious. My life’s goal would be complete.

You’d think that with goals like that I would be making fiscal wealth a prerequisite for the men I date, and yet I continue to date for love instead of cash.

2 comments

It's a lazy day.


2009
03.24

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work, Creative Endeavors, Day to Day | 2 Comments »

So, work is better.  Like, infinitely so.  I am relieved.  It was beginning to be a challenge to get up in the morning.  I’m still not as confident as I’d like to be, but you know what?  I’m still relatively new, and that confidence will come with time.

Today is one of those days.  I got home from work today, and I called my mom as I was getting off the freeway.  I had woken her up, and Chris was taking a nap as well.  As I pulled in the yard, two neighbor boys were ringing the doorbell for Joe.  When I went in and let him know, he too looked like he had just woken up.  It’s this weather.  If you look outside, it almost looks like an evening in very early fall, instead of very early spring.  So I took a shower, and put on my pjs.  If you can’t beat ‘em….

I recently aquired some pre-shirred fabric, and I am going to use it to make a top.  It is in the wash right now, but this will be a really easy project.  Basically sew it up the  back and hem it.  I want to get some black cotton, though, and make straps.  I made a dress once before out of a similar material, but my boobs are simply too big to go without, and wearing a bathing suit underneath is cute sometimes, but it would be nice to be able to wear it with a normal bra, so I can wear it to work.  Anyway, black straps are pretty easy.  I just have to actually do it.  And, you know, buy black cotton.  :P

dress1

dress2

I’m about to look at paint samples and apartments online.  The apartments is an obvious one, as I’ll be moving soon, but the paint I am really excited about.  I’ve been given the go ahead to paint my office, which is currently three different mottled shades of baby poop brown, with an awful floral old lady trim up by the ceiling.  So yuck.  I’m pretty stoked.

One last note before I go: I appear to have successfully kicked the Diet Coke habit.  Next goal: no more eating out!  I can’t afford it, and neither can my waist.

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this is what i know.


2009
03.12

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work | No Comments »

Even though sometimes my job is trying, and I get really tired and overwhelmed, I really love working.  I am so thankful to have a job.  Being unemployed for months taught me the value of having a place to go each day, and something meaningful to do.  It is an awesome, almost amazing feeling to know that every hour that I spend at work is taking me one step closer to paying off my debt and setting myself up for the future.

Although I feel a need to remind myself here that this is the future.  I need to live my life, not wait to live my life.

Either way, I love work.  I love  the people I work with.  Even when the day is incredibly hard, like today.

I’m learning about different friendships.  Life is interesting.

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What I love:


2009
03.11

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work | 1 Comment »

picture0016

Wearing red lipstick to work is hot.

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Law & Order SVU is on USA right now!


2009
02.08

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work, Adventures and Misadventures, Family Matters, Friendship Rocks, In Which We Reflect.... | 3 Comments »

Seriously? Could this day get any better?

Today I went back to the vintage store with my mom, grandma and Joe. I showed my mom the dresser, which was awesome, and also found some really fantastic stuff! As Weezer said, I made out like a bandit.

For Valentine’s Day growing up, my mom used to buy candy, which we don’t need at all. Now we buy each other unique stuff that okay, maybe we don’t need, but we can surely use. Grandma found me this card case for my business cards at work. I am so in love with it! I’ve been looking for something exactly like this since I got my business cards in August.

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I also found this fantastic purse at the vintage store. It’s flipping huge!

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It’s called a hippie purse. That cracked me up. When my mom saw it, all open, she said “You could fit a baby in there!” And Chris replied “More like three babies! Jeez, Kate, what are you gonna do? Rob a nursery?” It cracked me up.

We also found this really great jewelry box for only $5. It’s really pretty and in quite good condition! It will look really good on top of my new dresser. I can’t wait to pick it (the dresser) on Sunday.

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After we got back home I headed out to work to finish up my project, finally. Nini went with me, and we sat at work for about three and a half hours, but I got everything finished.

On the way home we were listening to the greatest music. At this point, I feel I have a confession to make. When I was 20? I was a pop punker. I had long hair, dyed black, and facial piercings. I wore Dickies and band tshirts, and clothing I bought in the little boy section of the Goodwill. I wore two pairs of shoes. Hot pink Chucks and checkerboard Vans that I colored with Sharpie, because I was that hardcore. And I listened to… wait for it… Good Charlotte. New Found Glory. Simple Plan. Mest. Love.

I am not even a little embarrassed by this. I loved this stuff. Good Charlotte saved my life. I went through a period where my parents were getting divorced, I was unengaged from the most important relationship of my life thus far, unemployed, pulled out of school and not eating a thing. I would sleep until three in the afternoon, and the song Motivation Proclamation was the only thing that would pull me out of bed. I wore pajamas for almost three months straight. Nini and I went on a road trip to Oregon, and this music is what we listened to. So many memories.

The whole way home from work this is what we listened to. It reminded me so much of this time that was so hard, but also so carefree. I miss so much about that time of my life. I miss Adina. I miss my friendship with Donovan. I miss Fox Island, and the big house with my huge room and private bathroom. I miss being ten lbs underweight. I miss being young.

I loved this song.

Also, this commercial is funny.

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Holy Moses, I'm tired!


2009
02.05

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work, Day to Day, Therapy: A Constant Road to Renewal | 1 Comment »

Lately I feel uninspired to sit down and type anything out. I’m not sure if it’s moving back home that’s done it. Lol. Who knows?

So I had to go into work very early this morning to work on a project. Like four am early. Sucked. :P This project has to be done by Monday, and I (like an idiot) got to work and promptly locked myself out of the office! I had to find stuff to do for the project in other areas until my boss showed up and let me in. Nobody in the building had a key. Apparently the semi-master key does not work on my office. Le suck.

Since I didn’t get everything done today, I am taking Friday off so that I can go in on Saturday and finish up. I only was able to work from about 4-9 on the project, and I didn’t get into the office until 6, so not a lot got done. And when I finally left at 4pm, I was so ready!

Apparently I made such a low, insignificant amount of money last year that I am getting it all back in a giant tax refund. Like, dude. I have enough money to move out, and all I did was my taxes. So I’m gonna put it into savings, and stay here at my mom’s for a couple of months paying off some bills before I use it to move out. I was really excited, though.

Speaking of moving out, and money, therapy is finally becoming much more productive now that we’ve tentatively taken the bipolar diagnosis off the table. I don’t think I ever mentioned that. The therapist isn’t sure I’m bipolar after all, and I’m going with that for now. It’s less enabling. More empowering. Anyway, we’re working on goal setting and such. In the next two weeks I have to come up with a workable budget to pay off my bills, and then I have to set an estimated move out date. I’m very excited. I love therapy when it becomes proactive instead of reactive. It must be the social worker in me. Empowerment theory always was my favorite!

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easing back on into normal….


2009
01.16

Posted in (Wo)Men at Work, Day to Day | 2 Comments »

So when I started my job in July I met this nurse who is a part of the management team. She was a bit more reserved than the rest. She was not as welcoming. And she could not have cared less that my dad was her boss’s boss. She wasn’t unfriendly. She just… waited, I guess. For me to prove myself?

I think she is one of my favorite people at work now. I know that when we talk and she says something nice, or caring? She means it. She doesn’t just say things because it’s what you say. And today when she walked past my office she poked her head in to tell me she missed me yesterday when I was in court. And later, when personal stuff was overwhelmingly she gave me a good piece of advice.

Only worry about the stuff you can control. If you can’t control it? Let it go. Otherwise your body builds up cortisol and you start to look pregnant.

Thanks, L. I appreciate your words, and I appreciate that you care.

I should go to sleep. It’s so very hard for me to maintain any sort of regular sleep schedule when I don’t have a bedroom. Or a bed. Lol. Plus, I’m reeling over the fact that I have cable. Angela and I didn’t have cable, and we didn’t even plug in the antenna, so this is huge for me. Although, when I moved out SVU was THE show on USA, and now it’s NCIS and House. F that. I miss my Benson and Stabler.

I’m addicted to my own words. All I want to do is type. I wonder why.

I have to finish moving this weekend. I know it will get done, because it has to, but I’m afraid it won’t. Does that make sense?

Also, I updated the Creative Endeavors page. Take a peek!