I'm still alive -- I promise!
The "official" countdown has started and I have 45 days until I retire! And to be completely honest -- I'm totally freaking out!
I'm sorry I haven't been blogging and I have to admit that I've been stalking all my regular reads. I'm reading everyone's blogs, but I'm not leaving comments.
My life is all crazy-like right now and once things die down a bit, I'll be a regular blogger and comment leaver again.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
My life is like watching the Three Stooges in spanish!
I'm sorry I've been absent, but I've got some good excuses. hahahaha!
First of all -- I ended up getting bronchitis and an ear infection and was out all last week. It just so happens that the first thing I was told when I returned to work 3 weeks ago was that practically everyone and their brother's uncle had been sick. Well it only took 2 weeks of me being back to catch something from someone. UGH!
Other than that -- I'm still in the process of planning my retirement ceremony, feverishly attempting to find a job (I think my resume is posted a shmillion places), trying to finish my physical and all the other random things I have to get done in the next 79 days. Yes! Only 79 days until I retire! Who would have thought that retiring would be such a pain in the tuckus! You would think that the military would make the process easy for those people who have stuck it out and served 20 years -- or more for some -- to retire. But --- NOOOOOOOOO! This is possibly the most work I've had to do at one time my entire career.
Sorry -- I'm done venting.
On the upside, Saturday I went out and bought that "power suit". You know the one that you only wear to job interviews and job fairs. God bless Vonni for this one. She has to be in business attire everyday, so she knows how to shop for this stuff. We went to Macy's and I ended up finding a great simple black suit and a shirt (which is ruffled, pink and with polka dots -- I have to keep a little bit of "me" in there somewhere) for only $280. Then I found a fabulous pair of shoes at Nordstrom for $169 (I'll post a picture later). So, in total, the entire outfit cost $450. Not too bad. The cherry on the sundae of this day was this whole endeavor only took 90 minutes! WOO HOO! We had the rest of the day just to shop for "fun"! But, I ended up not buying anything more but a Dior lip gloss. I passed all my good shopping karma over to Vonni.
I know I always end up promising that I'll blog more and this is going to be the last time I'm absent for this long -- but this time I'm not. My life is a little nuts right now, but I will try and blog when I have some free time.
p.s. I'm going to try and catch up on my blog reading/commenting as well. :)
First of all -- I ended up getting bronchitis and an ear infection and was out all last week. It just so happens that the first thing I was told when I returned to work 3 weeks ago was that practically everyone and their brother's uncle had been sick. Well it only took 2 weeks of me being back to catch something from someone. UGH!
Other than that -- I'm still in the process of planning my retirement ceremony, feverishly attempting to find a job (I think my resume is posted a shmillion places), trying to finish my physical and all the other random things I have to get done in the next 79 days. Yes! Only 79 days until I retire! Who would have thought that retiring would be such a pain in the tuckus! You would think that the military would make the process easy for those people who have stuck it out and served 20 years -- or more for some -- to retire. But --- NOOOOOOOOO! This is possibly the most work I've had to do at one time my entire career.
Sorry -- I'm done venting.
On the upside, Saturday I went out and bought that "power suit". You know the one that you only wear to job interviews and job fairs. God bless Vonni for this one. She has to be in business attire everyday, so she knows how to shop for this stuff. We went to Macy's and I ended up finding a great simple black suit and a shirt (which is ruffled, pink and with polka dots -- I have to keep a little bit of "me" in there somewhere) for only $280. Then I found a fabulous pair of shoes at Nordstrom for $169 (I'll post a picture later). So, in total, the entire outfit cost $450. Not too bad. The cherry on the sundae of this day was this whole endeavor only took 90 minutes! WOO HOO! We had the rest of the day just to shop for "fun"! But, I ended up not buying anything more but a Dior lip gloss. I passed all my good shopping karma over to Vonni.
I know I always end up promising that I'll blog more and this is going to be the last time I'm absent for this long -- but this time I'm not. My life is a little nuts right now, but I will try and blog when I have some free time.
p.s. I'm going to try and catch up on my blog reading/commenting as well. :)
Monday, March 17, 2008
Check it out!
This is going to be a short one today -- but my Aunt just had her grand opening of her online jewelry store Black Catz Design. She makes some really nice pieces that are great as gifts or for yourself. Plus -- her prices are uber-reasonable.
She gave me this set for my birthday last year:
She gave me this set for my birthday last year:
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Week and Weekend in Review
My first week back was pretty productive. I finished my resume {all by myself, without the help of a resume writing service} and posted it on several websites; compiled my "to do list" for my retirement {there's a lot that I still have to get done}; and decided that I'm going to have a retirement ceremony on June 20th after months of wavering back and forth on whether or not I wanted all the hoopla. The good news is that my Dad, step-mom and Aunt and Uncle will be coming to Baltimore for the ceremony.
My Aunt and Uncle will be flying in while my Dad {who wouldn't fly even if he had wings} and step-mom will be making the 15-hour drive from Milwaukee. So I started doing research on hotels in the downtown area. The problem is that it'll be the beginning of peak tourist season and all the rates are higher. No one in my family really cares about the rates, but I do. My Aunt and Uncle will be flying in Thursday night and leaving Sunday morning; and my Dad and step-mom will be driving in on Thursday night/afternoon and leaving Saturday morning. So their trips are going to be really short and why pay THAT much for a hotel. My Dad has to be at work on Monday, and like I said before, wouldn't fly even if he had wings. The towers that I live in have 2 guest suites available for guests of the residents. They're uber-nice. Basically they took a 750sqft studio and a 1000sqft one-bedroom apartment and made them into hotel suites. Plus they're inexpensive. Only $85 and $95 a night. I told my Dad about this and the first thing he asked was if he could smoke in the room. Well of course he can't and shot down that idea. So my father would rather pay $100-$150 more a night just so he can smoke in the room! Ridiculous! It'll be summer and he can take his ornery ass outside to smoke! Anyway, now I have to research for available smoking rooms. I'm going to get the larger suite for my Aunt and Uncle. They won't have a car so it'll be really convenient for them to be staying in the same place that I live.
Ugh! I'm done ranting about my father's stubbornness!
Anyway, at around 2pm on Friday I'm sitting at work and all of a sudden I start feeling really crappy. My body aches, my head hurts and I'm completely nauseated. When I first got to work on Monday, everyone told me that practically the entire office had been sick. Great! My first thought was that I was getting sick. That's all I need after everything I had been through the past 3 months. So I went to my boss and told her that I felt like crap and I really needed just to go home. Of course, because my boss is AWESOME, was fine with it. I think the first week of work and running around finally caught up with me. Which sucks, because I really wanted to go out this weekend. I decided that I needed to decompress on Friday and maybe go out Saturday night.
So here's what my uneventful weekend entailed:
Friday: I got home, took a shower, couched and fondled the remote all night.
Saturday: I woke up with my head still pounding and thought that maybe if I got my blood flowing I would feel better. So I'm off to shop! Of course! I didn't buy much, but I did get this really cute dress from Gap {I normally don't shop there} and a necklace from NY&Co.
But even shopping didn't make the headache go away! I headed home, grabbed some lunch and relaxed the rest of the day. I also did laundry that afternoon. I could do it on Sunday morning, but if you don't get up at 5am, all the washer/dryers in the laundry room are already taken. My friend Heather called to see if I wanted to do something, but I had to tell her "no" and that maybe on Sunday she could come into the city, we could go have lunch and then come back to my place and watch the St Patty's Day parade {it goes down the street right in front of my tower}. Then I texted Jamie and told him that I wouldn't be going out that night.
Sunday: I'm sitting here drinking coffee, watching "Hackers", and looking out the window at the gross day it's going to be. It's supposed to rain all day. I think I'm going to cancel with my friend Heather. I really don't want to be walking around the city in the rain.
I'm hoping that the week coming up will be a little better. I've got a busy schedule, but at least the first week back is over. Although I still haven't gotten used to waking up at 545am yet!
How was everyone's weekend?
My Aunt and Uncle will be flying in while my Dad {who wouldn't fly even if he had wings} and step-mom will be making the 15-hour drive from Milwaukee. So I started doing research on hotels in the downtown area. The problem is that it'll be the beginning of peak tourist season and all the rates are higher. No one in my family really cares about the rates, but I do. My Aunt and Uncle will be flying in Thursday night and leaving Sunday morning; and my Dad and step-mom will be driving in on Thursday night/afternoon and leaving Saturday morning. So their trips are going to be really short and why pay THAT much for a hotel. My Dad has to be at work on Monday, and like I said before, wouldn't fly even if he had wings. The towers that I live in have 2 guest suites available for guests of the residents. They're uber-nice. Basically they took a 750sqft studio and a 1000sqft one-bedroom apartment and made them into hotel suites. Plus they're inexpensive. Only $85 and $95 a night. I told my Dad about this and the first thing he asked was if he could smoke in the room. Well of course he can't and shot down that idea. So my father would rather pay $100-$150 more a night just so he can smoke in the room! Ridiculous! It'll be summer and he can take his ornery ass outside to smoke! Anyway, now I have to research for available smoking rooms. I'm going to get the larger suite for my Aunt and Uncle. They won't have a car so it'll be really convenient for them to be staying in the same place that I live.
Ugh! I'm done ranting about my father's stubbornness!
Anyway, at around 2pm on Friday I'm sitting at work and all of a sudden I start feeling really crappy. My body aches, my head hurts and I'm completely nauseated. When I first got to work on Monday, everyone told me that practically the entire office had been sick. Great! My first thought was that I was getting sick. That's all I need after everything I had been through the past 3 months. So I went to my boss and told her that I felt like crap and I really needed just to go home. Of course, because my boss is AWESOME, was fine with it. I think the first week of work and running around finally caught up with me. Which sucks, because I really wanted to go out this weekend. I decided that I needed to decompress on Friday and maybe go out Saturday night.
So here's what my uneventful weekend entailed:
Friday: I got home, took a shower, couched and fondled the remote all night.
Saturday: I woke up with my head still pounding and thought that maybe if I got my blood flowing I would feel better. So I'm off to shop! Of course! I didn't buy much, but I did get this really cute dress from Gap {I normally don't shop there} and a necklace from NY&Co.
But even shopping didn't make the headache go away! I headed home, grabbed some lunch and relaxed the rest of the day. I also did laundry that afternoon. I could do it on Sunday morning, but if you don't get up at 5am, all the washer/dryers in the laundry room are already taken. My friend Heather called to see if I wanted to do something, but I had to tell her "no" and that maybe on Sunday she could come into the city, we could go have lunch and then come back to my place and watch the St Patty's Day parade {it goes down the street right in front of my tower}. Then I texted Jamie and told him that I wouldn't be going out that night.
Sunday: I'm sitting here drinking coffee, watching "Hackers", and looking out the window at the gross day it's going to be. It's supposed to rain all day. I think I'm going to cancel with my friend Heather. I really don't want to be walking around the city in the rain.
I'm hoping that the week coming up will be a little better. I've got a busy schedule, but at least the first week back is over. Although I still haven't gotten used to waking up at 545am yet!
How was everyone's weekend?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
"Hi-ho Hi-ho. Off to work I..."-- Screw it! Work sucks!
Really -- I'm not dead. I just started work again after almost 3 months of being off. It's been a rough, let me repeat, rough week.
I promise I'll post something this weekend when I actually have some time and when I'm not completely exhausted.
I promise I'll post something this weekend when I actually have some time and when I'm not completely exhausted.
Monday, March 3, 2008
YARG! I feel nauseous...
I've come to the realization that I'm scared poop-less about retiring! The Navy is the only thing I've known for the last 20 years.
I need to write my resume and I'm being a total and utter procrastinator about it. Why? Because, I don't know how to write one! I've never had to. I've had 2nd jobs before (bartender and Victoria's Secret) but I didn't need a resume to get hired.
I'm getting so worried about this that I'm literally making myself nauseous. It's got to be the combination of retiring after 20 years of job security (that's enough to make me sick right there), having to write this resume, finding a job that will, at the least, pay me enough to live the life I'm living now and possibly having to relocate. UGH! I'm getting nauseous just typing about all of this! My Dad (who, I think, might have multiple personalities) tells me that it's good to be nervous about all of this because that means I'll be prepared for anything and that I have realistic ideas about what could happen. But, then he tells me that I need to put my "big girl pants on", stop bitching, and get off my ass and just get it done. And then he turns back into "understanding Dad" and tells me that I shouldn't be worried because with all my professional experience and military background that people will be searching me out as I get closer to my official retirement.
Yesterday I was talking to my friend Kris (she's in San Antonio) and I mentioned that I was online that morning and came across a resume writing service provided my Monster.com. She suggested that I do some more research and totally invest the money (probably around $300) to have my resume written for me. She did almost 8 years in the Navy (we met in Rota, Spain almost 12 years ago!) and she said that she wished she would have had her resume written for her when she first got out of the military. Monster.com provides a service dedicated just to military members transitioning into the corporate world. They'll take my military transcripts and put it into "corporate speak" in 3 different forms and write my cover letter for $329. But I still need to do some research on other resume writing services.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Friday, February 29, 2008
I've Been Hit!
I'm blaming this all on Mrs Twink -- I've just been tagged by CAG. {hahahahaha!} Be prepared to read the responses to questions that you may or may not want to know the answers to:
What is your occupation?
I'm a Russian and Serbian/Croatian Linguist for the U.S. Navy. But -- I retire in August of this year after 20 years -- so who knows what I'll be doing afterwards.
What are you listening to right now?
The t.v. -- I'm watching "Clean House" on the Style network.
Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes. My father even made me take my driver's test on a stick. He claimed he wanted to make sure I knew how to drive a car. I think he just took pleasure in torturing me on the hills.
Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Jamie. I had to vent about the dating scene.
Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes! And I haven't even met her yet!
Favorite drink?
Non-alcoholic ... hands-down -- Starbuck's coffee! Alcoholic ... Grey Goose and tonic with two limes.
What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football. I love the Green Bay Packers. Go Brett Favre!
Have you ever dyed your hair?
I'm with Jamie on this one. You dye Easter eggs and color your hair. Yes. I have colored my hair. I do it now only to cover my grays. Really! I have them!
Pets?
Yes. Two cats. {see blog below for pictures}
Favorite food?
This one is tough. But if I had to choose ... Cornish pasties. If I could choose another it would be sushi.
Last movie you watched?
"The Great Happiness Space" -- a documentary on Japanese host boys, men who are paid to entertain wealthy women in exclusive nightclubs. They're kind of like male geishas.
Favorite day of the year?
My birthday.
What do you do to vent anger?
Call one of my friends and tell them in ad nauseum about it or blog.
What was your favorite toy as a child?
Spirograph. I could sit there and play with it for hours.
Which is your favorite, fall or spring?
Fall. The temperature is perfect, plus my birthday is in the fall.
Hugs or kisses?
Depends on who's on the giving or receiving end.
What kind of pie?
Key lime. Yum!
Living arrangements?
I live by myself in a one-bedroom apartment on the 7th floor of a mid-rise in the center of downtown Baltimore.
When was the last time you cried?
Right before my back surgery when I was in excruciating pain.
What is on the floor of your closet?
Duh! About 30 pairs of shoes! And then I have another closet with even more shoes in it!
Favorite smell?
Freshly mowed lawn and the lake shore. Reminds me of where I grew up.
What inspires you?
The words "Red Tag Sale".
What are you afriad of?
Choking on something while I'm by myself and not being able to call for help and suffocating to death.
Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Cheese w/bacon and bbq sauce.
Favorite car?
Mercedes. I swear I'll own one someday.
Favorite cat breed?
Any cat that doesn't bite or scratch up the furniture. I adore cats -- but I'm also a dog person.
Favorite day of the week?
Saturday. Before the back problems I spent my Saturday mornings volunteering at the Baltimore animal shelter walking dogs.
How many countries have you been to?
About 20. I've been all over the world.
I'm going to tag:
Mlah
Scott
Vonni
What is your occupation?
I'm a Russian and Serbian/Croatian Linguist for the U.S. Navy. But -- I retire in August of this year after 20 years -- so who knows what I'll be doing afterwards.
What are you listening to right now?
The t.v. -- I'm watching "Clean House" on the Style network.
Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes. My father even made me take my driver's test on a stick. He claimed he wanted to make sure I knew how to drive a car. I think he just took pleasure in torturing me on the hills.
Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Jamie. I had to vent about the dating scene.
Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes! And I haven't even met her yet!
Favorite drink?
Non-alcoholic ... hands-down -- Starbuck's coffee! Alcoholic ... Grey Goose and tonic with two limes.
What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football. I love the Green Bay Packers. Go Brett Favre!
Have you ever dyed your hair?
I'm with Jamie on this one. You dye Easter eggs and color your hair. Yes. I have colored my hair. I do it now only to cover my grays. Really! I have them!
Pets?
Yes. Two cats. {see blog below for pictures}
Favorite food?
This one is tough. But if I had to choose ... Cornish pasties. If I could choose another it would be sushi.
Last movie you watched?
"The Great Happiness Space" -- a documentary on Japanese host boys, men who are paid to entertain wealthy women in exclusive nightclubs. They're kind of like male geishas.
Favorite day of the year?
My birthday.
What do you do to vent anger?
Call one of my friends and tell them in ad nauseum about it or blog.
What was your favorite toy as a child?
Spirograph. I could sit there and play with it for hours.
Which is your favorite, fall or spring?
Fall. The temperature is perfect, plus my birthday is in the fall.
Hugs or kisses?
Depends on who's on the giving or receiving end.
What kind of pie?
Key lime. Yum!
Living arrangements?
I live by myself in a one-bedroom apartment on the 7th floor of a mid-rise in the center of downtown Baltimore.
When was the last time you cried?
Right before my back surgery when I was in excruciating pain.
What is on the floor of your closet?
Duh! About 30 pairs of shoes! And then I have another closet with even more shoes in it!
Favorite smell?
Freshly mowed lawn and the lake shore. Reminds me of where I grew up.
What inspires you?
The words "Red Tag Sale".
What are you afriad of?
Choking on something while I'm by myself and not being able to call for help and suffocating to death.
Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
Cheese w/bacon and bbq sauce.
Favorite car?
Mercedes. I swear I'll own one someday.
Favorite cat breed?
Any cat that doesn't bite or scratch up the furniture. I adore cats -- but I'm also a dog person.
Favorite day of the week?
Saturday. Before the back problems I spent my Saturday mornings volunteering at the Baltimore animal shelter walking dogs.
How many countries have you been to?
About 20. I've been all over the world.
I'm going to tag:
Mlah
Scott
Vonni
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