TGIF

Well, I have to say, overall it was a pretty nice week. Work is work but my social life has been great. I can’t remember what I did Monday night but I know it was all right. Tuesday night was a nice meal, glass of wine and tipsy run to Borders with friends in the evening. Wednesday was staying home and trying to get caught up on everything I didn’t do all week long, laundry, moving back into my room and paperwork. Last night was sushi with a friend in the valley. And tonight I have movie night with the big bro (Wessawing!).

We were meeting around 6:45, so I had some time to kill after work. At first, I was going to do a little shopping at the local drugstore, but apparently, there was a special on school supplies and there were too many people in the store and I didn’t want to wait in line. So I left without buying anything.

I ended up in a Barnes and Noble bookstore for the rest of the time. I browsed through all their bargain books and that kept me busy for some time. Sam and M, I wish that you would have been there with me, there were so many books that I would have loved to discuss with you two specifically.

Among the bargain books was this little fat book with a gold foil cover. The title is “1,000 Reasons to be Happy.” I picked it up but then put it back on the shelf and kept wandering. But I eventually came back to it again. Now I’ll be honest, I originally went to the bookstore looking to get gifts for others. And I decided that , yes this was a little bit more of a coffee table fun book than a gift with meaning but hey, it’s a gift. It doesn’t have to be for a special occasion, it can just be a “thinking of you” bit of nonsense. I didn’t have any one particular in mind when I picked up this book but I kept coming back to it. So I bought it. As I was leaving, I was thinking about who I would give it to and then, I don’t know… Isn’t it kind of insulting to give a book about being happy? Doesn’t that say, I know you’re a miserable person so I got you a book to help you be happier?

And I figured out that the unhappiest person I know right now is me. If you have been reading this blog then you know that obviously, I am not enjoying my job and home life has been a bit stressful over the past few weeks. So I decided to keep it for myself. I brought it to work today.

It’s along the lines of the “Life’s Little Instruction Book” genre. It is filled with little sayings that are suppose to help you realize how happy you are and where you can find joy in your life. I’m not expecting to get a life altering experience out of this book but it is amusing.

There are different chapters, I guess you would call them. Or rather different categories of quotes and sayings. I have been flipping through the book and picking quotes at random. The quote I will share with you today is from the Work and Creativity section.

“One source of happiness is knowing we are in the right place at the right time to facilitate our own growth.”

Now, this pretty much is a version of, 'everything happens for a reason.' So I am left to ponder what I will gain from this job that I didn’t have before I worked here. As stressful as it can be, if I am meant to be here, what am I getting from this experience?

Well, I have made at least two amazing friends, the one I met last night for sushi and I have a couple other people here that I am getting to know better and better and a couple of them have potential to become friends outside of work.

I have time a couple days a week to write, both blogging, which is the closest think I will have to a journal. I have tried and tired but I am just not one for keeping a written journal on a regular basis. We’ll see how long I keep this up. I just thought that crating a blog would be a handy way for me to keep my friends and family current if I end up moving away for Grad school. It’s cheaper than a phone call and since I may not be able to see people with regularity… Theoretically, I also have time to write for my applications and other scholarly pursuits but I have to be honest folks, that really doesn’t happen.

And I think I am also gaining a better sense of financial knowledge. I have used my time to learn about creating my first budget, maintaining it and balancing my checkbook. Baby steps folks, baby steps. My next step will have to be figuring out this 401K stuff and other financial items I have been neglecting. There is a lot of information out there if you know where to look. I have been using MSN money as a resource. Some of the items I read, I take with a grain of salt but most of it seems logical and straightforward. There is a group called the ladies in red, whom regularly get together and discuss finances. They talk about financial myths that women hold, and how they are tackling financial challenges in their own life. Mostly the group discusses debt (Hence the group name) but they occasionally talk about understanding things like insurance and saving for your first home. I feel like this use of my down time in addition to learning about accounting (okay, it’s more like bookkeeping) for a business has really helped me understand my money better. Because like other topics, finances is one of the things that is rarely if ever discussed in my family. When was I expected to learn this stuff? Was I just supposed to pick it up along the way? I think finances is something you actually have to study and get assistance with understanding as you mature and become more aware of the world around you. The next step after obtaining knowledge then, is to become more active with managing my money.

Last night, I actually went up to my friend’s apartment before we headed out to the sushi place. We stepped into her office for a moment so I could help her with an Excel problem (I hope it worked). While I was there, I noticed she had a sign taped to her computer screen. It was along the lines of “What item am I least wanting to do today?” We have talked about taking control and responsibility for your life on many different occasions (Hey, that’s what life is about when you hang out with a life coach). I know that her theory is that what ever you resist doing the most is the thing you need to tackle the most. So I am going to sign of and start working on the essays for the last grad school application that I need to turn in my March 17th. My plan is to send it before then.

Adios for now.