Masters in Accounting and Finance

Okay. I have heard good things and bad things about DeVry.
So far, I have no complaints.
Only the second class.
The reason I am going here is because I cannot afford to go to school during the day and loose my medical and dental that I have from my current job.
Soo, I have learned that one class for my masters is almost an equivelant to the credit load I was taking when I obtained my bachelors.
Only complaint- I am running very behind on my writing class…

Thanksgiving

November 25th, 2009

It’s been a long tradition that when we have Thanksgiving at my parent’s house, we sit at the oak dining room table. We’ve had the table for about twenty years now and continue to take turns saying what we are thankful for.

For me, this is not my favorite part. I have consistently taken the easy way out and simply said “my family and this meal.” Okay, now almost everyone says that and as old as I am, I should be able to express myself a little more eloquently.

This is the first Thanksgiving in four or five years where we will all be home. So that’s one thing to be grateful for. I have a job in this tough economy and with budget cuts and the fear of layoffs in the future; I hope I keep it. Yes, I have my complaints about my job, but who doesn’t? Yet there are many things this job allows for tha I am no so sure I would find anywhere else. I have health and dental insurance, good holidays, work monday through friday and get the time when necessary to take care of family matters.

I have a family who is supportive though sometimes deservedly irritated of my goals fr the future. Who provide the kick in the pants when I sit on the fence for too long in my indescision of which way to go in life.

There really are many things to be thankful for; a roof over my head, food to eat, transportation, a patient child because I admit I am not always ont he ball with being a parent), good co-workers and wi-fi.

So now the day before Thanksgiving dinner, it is not the shopping for my part of the meal or the crowds in the stores, or finding time to prepare my salad and appetizers that causes me stress. It’s saying what I am thankful for without sounding cheesy, corny, greedy, giving away too much or ungrateful.

November Blog Chain- Writer’s survival list.

Okay, so it’s the first week of November. I am once again participating in Abosolute Write’s Blog Chain. This month we are following the theme of lists, more specifically what we as a writer need in order to write. Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for their patience this month, I kinda let this fall through the cracks and didn’t pay attention to time. Sorry!

Time, would be my number one. I squeeze writing in everywhere, at work at home, I’ll think about it. Just not while I am driving, that could be bad.

Reading, something to read is always nice. I just have to stop the reading sometimes and get to writing.

Allowing myself time for procrastination. I have to day dream a little sometimes or not look at the narly twist in my plot in order to go forward.

Space, a place to spread out helps. Usually I don’t have much space so the corner of the couch or the floor works in a pinch. So does the desk at work on break time.

Paper and pen (pencil fades). Yes, because my computer cannot go everywhere with me I use paper. I actually like the mechanics of physically writing and can keep up with my ideas better. I have learned, write on one side of the paper, then everything will paste into the notebook better.

When at home, my computer unless it’s not on, then paper and pen.

A plot and characters that hold my attention, if I am interested in what they are doing and where they are going, I can usually write on anything anywhere and not have the first half of the sentence left from the last time I wrote.

And something to drink; coffee, tea and water all work.

PS: a deadline of somesort helps me too. Otherwise I follow the “one day…” thought about writing.

 

PARTICIPANTS

1. DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
2. shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
3. Lost Wanderer – http://lostwanderer5.blogspot.com/
4. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com/
5. Ravencorinncarluk – http://raven.youareannoying.us/
6. Bsolah – http://www.benjaminsolah.com/blog/
7. Charlotte49ers – http://www.amandaplavich.com/
8. Angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
9. truelyana – http://expressiveworld.com/
10. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com/

AW September Blog Chain

This month we are receiving three words from the person in line before us. I received sleeping, stolen and camping from bsolah. Well here goes….  (I have to give a big thanks to my beta reader Tracey. Don’t know what I’d do without her.)

“You.  Have.  Got to be kidding me!” I sat down hard at my desk and stared at the pile of documents and folders neatly stacked in front of me. I was going camping this weekend, if you can call air conditioning, a soft bed and room service camping. I did not want to deal with extra projects today. Last night, when I left, my desk had been spotless. Somehow between when I left and then came back this morning, this mess had shown up. Glancing at the handwriting on the note attached to it, I knew who was responsible.

Tessa peeked her head in the door before walking in. Not two seconds later, Anne came in with tea and shut the door.

“What is all of that Jane?” Tessa asked me, taking her seat in front of my desk. She and Anne were my assistants, slash friends, slash support. Anne handed me my tea and then took her seat. Normally, I would sit in my chair, but the pile of unknown files would be in my line of sight if I did that, so I sat on the desk in front of the pile.

All I wanted was a few moments of stolen quiet. Sleeping. Sleeping would be good, really good. I wasn’t planning to go far, just to one of the hotels in town. I had reserved one of the company’s suites at the Ritz.  I looked behind me and slumped, “Okay, what’s the news?”

“Well Boss is out,” Tess fidgeted, obviously not wanting to tell me something. “So he left Cain in charge.”

I tried, I really tried, but I couldn’t help glaring upon hearing this. “Why wasn’t I told?”

I watched them glance at each other and then me. It was the silent language of friends who have been around each other for a long time. Rubbing my eyes, I held up my other hand.

“Wait, let me guess. Boss was glad,” frowning I rephrased that, “Boss was excited that I was finally taking a vacation and told everyone not to tell me Cain was going to be in charge.”

“Got it in one,” Anne looked at Tessa before continuing. “We were all told to make sure you left the office on time. Looks like Cain didn’t get the message.”

“Does he ever?”

Now there was a rhetorical question if I ever heard one. When Boss left and I was in charge, everything went smoothly. It wasn’t because I was a great leader; I just left things the way  Boss ran them. His nephew on the other hand? When Cain was in charge, everything got very interesting and not always in a good way.

We finished talking about the division of assignments that needed to be handled while I was out the first of next week, and then Tessa and Anne left. And now I had a pile of unknown files sitting on my desk. I did not want to start. So, I had another cup of tea.

Finally, I could no longer in good conscience avoid my work. I got up, started the computer and pulling the note off the top of the pile, sat in my chair. The note, written in Cain’s precise, block print read…

‘Jane, these are the proposals we talked about last time my uncle left on a business trip. Please double check them and provide the supporting data needed to make my numbers right. I don’t remember where you keep all of the statistics in this office. ‘

Didn’t remember or didn’t want to look for the files?

‘I have meetings today so I’ll stop off at your room this evening.

Cain’

I leaned back in my chair and groaned. This was going to be an all nighter, no sleep. Well, I wouldn’t be where I was if I wasn’t good at what I do. Besides, he didn’t really know where I was staying, did he?

I pulled open the first file and realized that the reports were well put together, just a few adjustments and printing of some of the data was needed. I worked methodically, double checking my numbers, and eating my lunch when someone brought it to me, though, I don’t remember what my lunch was or who brought it. When Tessa and Anne came to chase me out of the office at five, I had completed half of the work, saving the rewrites for the weekend.

Tessa and Anne walked with me to my car. Tessa eyed the pile of files I put on the passenger seat. As I went to get in behind the wheel she pointed out, “You won’t get any sleep if you take those with you.”

“It’s the only work I’m taking with me. I’ll be back on Wednesday.”

I waived out the window as I drove away. By six, I was all settled in my room for the next few days. Feeling hungry, I started to page through the room service menu. I was still searching for something to eat when I heard a knock at the door.

I looked out the peep hole and saw the one person I didn’t want to deal with tonight. Cain. Shoot, he did know where I was. I saw what else he had with him when I opened the door; room service for two and a suitcase.

“Can I come in?”

My words for FreshHell  are : Mabel, teaching, paintbrush.

Camping

Camping is an adventure that you need to take a vacation from. Sadley I must work tomorrow. It is amazing how tired you can become from simply tent camping one night.

It took two and a half hours to leave. I was packed, ready to leave, then needed gas. Got the gas, on the way out of town, the phone call. “Where are you going next?” Well I was going to Wal mart, so go to Wal mart, get what I need and then some. Run back home drop off the requested item, to the storage unit! Yeah.

Spend time looking for all the camping gear. Find it, drive an hour and a half to the next Wal mart. (hmm… possible pattern?) Walk up and down the SUPER Wal mart to find food, dried goods, a flashlight(see I forgot something. The nice lantern type flashlight sitting on my bed back home. It was still there when I got back.) and lighter fluid.

Drive another 45 minutes to the camp ground. Get a tent spot. Did I mention this was tent camping? Not the nice reserve a trailer with a real bed camping. No, the sleep in a sleeping bag on the hard ground trying not to end up with all the blood rushing to your head because the ground is tilted, tent camping.

Got checked in, found a site (close to bathrooms and playground… not so sure that was the best), set up tent and lay out sleeping bags, go back to Wal mart to pick up a charcoal grill and charcoal grill. Who knew that due to all of this hot weather there were no open camp fires. Finally back to camp ground. By now it’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I am tired.

Finish unpacking all of the equipment, prepare grill, get fishing license. Now fishing would be okay if I was only watching one pole. But I spent a half hour feeding the fish bait. Bobber goes down, fish gets away. Fall back for dinner…. drum roll please: HOT DOGS!!! Now aren’t those the best?? I actually managed toasty, crispy, burnt hotdogs. The best!

The campground had a fun family event: Hula dancers. They were great ittty bitty little girls to middle aged women. By that time it was time for bed. Somehow amongst all the kids not going to bed, the guy in the next tent who snores loud enough to wake me up in the middle of the night, I fell asleep.  Thank God for sleeping bags rated at 30 degrees.

Morning. Oh was it cold. Took forever to willingly crawl out of bed and go make breakfast. Luck Charms and bananas.

Get ready for the day, crafts, start tearing down the campsite, playground, make lunch(hot dogs ). Let charcoal cool, go look for golf balls to play miniture golf. None. Next option, swimming. Doesn’t last long, but wastes time. Finish cleaning up tent site, go to icecream social. Head home, realize I am too old to sleep on the ground.

Stop at Starbucks, need coffee! Drive home, unload car at storage unit, unload car at house. 3 hours later, still exhausted.

Support

I have recently had the pleasure of discussing writing with a fellow colleague. Something we share is the wish to become published. We also wish we had a group to write with, that thankfully is in the works. Now we must simply become dedicated and serious. Anything to encourage and support ourselves. 

I am also graced with the support of friends who give honest criticism. It helps that one has an English major and has the tactand confidence to read my work and give me suggestions in a caring manor.  I have to say I spend more time laughing at myself when errors are pointed out to me. I am also learning new things, or rather relearning all those terms and sentence structures I forgot in high school.

So I am in the process of writing short stories for school and researching topics for longer books.

I can go forward, simply because I have this small system of support. Hopefully it will grow larger as I meet new people, and gain the maturity I’ll need in writing to publish.

In this world anything is possible, especially when you have people behind you.

Time Management, Part 2

Staying up until 3 in the morning is not the best way to manage time.

I did manage to get the house clean and post many meaningless comments elsewhere, but not everything I did was what I wanted to do. The downside to such poor management is the total lack of self discipline. I ended up very tired at work.

I ended up very tired at work, relying on venti peppermint mocha’s to get me through the day. Here, miraculously,  is where time management works. I know exactly how many documents I can review in one hour. I know how many I can do on a bad day and on a good day. I know the other projects that are on my desk waiting to be done.

I do data entry. Great place to work, great people. Not so great half asleep. But knowing how tired I am, I choose the lower quota for the day, and spend the last two hours of my work day doing projects that do not tax my brain. Yeah! Time saved, projects worked on.

Now, I have in all of this insanity of staying up until 3 in the morning, managed to complete a writing assignment, start a plot, research writing material, books, authors and what not. I have not managed in time for sleep.

I simple believe that there is not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do. But I have come to realize that time is like a void, or the vacuum effect found on California highways. If there is more than half a car length between two cars, another car automatically gets sucked in there. If there was more time, I would have more things I would want to do, and less time to do them.

A hard decision

06-14-09

Yesterday I had to take my cat in to the veterinarian. It was a sad series of events that led to this.

The night before she had wobbled as fast as she could into the house ahead of me. Which considering she was about eighteen years old, meant she was really slow, and I waited at the door until she went through. With arthritic hips it took her awhile to make it up the stairs to her dinner bowl and water dish. She made it and she was hungry. I’d put her out that morning since it was going to be a nice day. She had always been a vocal cat. She would let me know when she was hungry, wanted out, need attention… You understand.

When I finally got around to getting to bed, she was already there. Normally she would curl up on my hair  ontop of the pillow and I’d have to remove her claws from my head as she got comfortable. But that night she did none of her usual things. Falling over the blankets and her legs she ended up using my arm as a pillow. I remember looking in her eyes and realizing her time was near. Very carefully I petted her and held her, letting her know it was okay.

About three o’clock in the morning I was awoken to a loud merow, and she fell off the bed scrambeling underneath. It was all quiet and I was unsure what was going on. When it finally started getting light out she was making noise. It took me forever to coax her out from under there without waking anyone else. After seeing how she was unable to walk I carried her downstairs and outside. I placed her on the porch, not really knowing what to do. I admit I was panicking. The last animal I had to put to sleep had been a hamster. I went in to let my parents know she wasn’t doing well and they asked me what I was going to do about it. (shock!) I didn’t know. I knew she was old, and she was probably going to need to be put down.

She had crawled off of the deck by the time I went back out. I carefully picked her up and put her on one of my shirts, then went and got her water and food.

I called the only vet I could find open on Saturday and made an appointment. I went outside to find her. The dog found her. She had crawled into some tall grass-like bushes next to the house. She was making some loud heart wrenching cries. It hurt to hear. Mom went out to listen and look, and she knew the same thing I had said. It was her time.

I wish I had just drove in and not waited any longer. My mom went with me. She drove and talked to the cat as she cried the whole way, bumps were painful. After a horendous wait, and numerous checks on the cat in the car the vet finally saw her. The vet listened to her heart looked at her circulation and was very careful not to move her. It was thought that she had a blood clot. The only humane thing to do was to put her to sleep.

 My mom and I said our good-byes and with one last growl she was silent. I remember petting her head and looking at her eyes. She wasn’t there anymore. It was just a body.

…..

Now that I look back on this a week later it doesn’t hurt so much. The room is still empty at night. I sleep longer and better, but it doesn’t feel right. I’m not ready for another pet.  It may be awhile. Surprisingly it was easy to explain to why the cat needed to be put to sleep. Simply she was in plain, and it was merciful to grant her peace.

J Elyzabeth… to get started

I believe there are Miracles.

It just may take time to realize them as such.

 

            People are placed in your life to change events that you may not be able to.

            …to give you strength to change yourself to follow the light.

            …and as a nudge to help you walk off the cliff.

 

            The events may be viewed as harmful

            The strength unwarranted

            And the nudge intrusive

           

            But,

            The Lord knows

                                  and has a purpose for everything.

 

                                                                        Author Unknown