Finally, 2009 is done!

The past couple of days I have felt an excitement slowly building inside of me.

2009 is thisclose to being over.

Some things have happened recently that really have me excited for the new year!

I shall list them below.

Things that I am excited about:

I ordered a sleeve for my laptop so I could carry her (name pending) to school.

My grades were posted and I got two "A"s which really bumped up my GPA because I replaced a horrible grade from younger days.

Our crappy, noisy, and rude neighbors are moving out! (As I type as a matter of fact!)

I mailed a letter to a certain negative male in my life asking that he not contact me anymore thus leaving me more energy to tackle 2010.

We (Dwayne and I) are starting a Biggest Loser plan! Cookbook purchased, trainer time reserved, yoga mat on the way. (Me, doing yoga...so exciting.)

School starts Jan. 14! (5 classes and a lab- am I crazy? YES! and I love it!)

I added more to my little glass family! (See below.)

Morris, the mouse.

Things I am not so excited about:

Jan. 8 I'm having my wisdom teeth removed. Sedation dentistry, all four out at once. (But truth be told I am kinda excited because I love going to the dentist for cleanings and check-ups and now he can't give me that disappointed father look when he sees they are still in there. Yay!)

So, today to fully celebrate and embrace the incoming year and set fire to the old- I do something I normally don't do.

I went crazy.

I felt/feel like Martha Stewart.

My first stop was Wal-Mart. Got stuff to make rotel courtesy of a recipe from a blonde. Then got stuff to make brown sugar bacon smokies- from the redhead's pal.

Flowers, cheesecake, etc.

Second stop was the liquor store.

Champagne. (Classy!)

The last stop was my fav store- The Dollar Tree!

Got party hats, necklaces, horns.

I flew home,tons of bags, but felt so homemakery/excited/awesome.

Cleaned up, put fresh flowers in a vase on the table.

All dishes done, all trash out.

Rotel made. Smokies made.

Set out party items for easy access.

Sliced strawberries for the Champagne.

I even downloaded Auld Lang Syne on itunes!

It seems so small but it has been a long time since I've felt like putting effort into something like this and it really excites me!

What does every girl want for new year's?

Flowers, Cheesecake, and Champagne!

Now, we are on a blue moon watch and it just feels perfect.

My other life.

I am completely addicted to a game called Animal Crossing:City Folk. You create your own city and character and make a living picking fruit, fishing, collecting fossils, collecting shells, breeding flowers, etc, etc. It is all so much easier than real life. (I mean seriously, I paid off my house with money from picking fruit and collecting fossils!)

Every 30 minutes a balloon floats above you that has presents attached and if you have a slingshot (which I totally do) you can shoot them down and have the presents for yourself.

(Ah, theft!)

My character is named Sassy because she is supposed to be me. My town is called Zazoo and I'm not quite sure why. I think she looks just like me.

I was fishing tonight (only 10 fish away from being a fishing expert, fyi....) and realized the only person who has ever seen my other life was Dwayne. So, I decided to post a couple of pictures.

Since it is December and the game is played in real time the evergreens are strung with lights and there has been a recent snow fall..... so I made a little snowman.

(Me and my snowman. Don't you love evergreen lights and the Northern Lights in the sky?)

(Me as Sassy in front of my house.)

I know this guy!!!

I don't know who caught this magnificent creature on film but I applaud them!

This guy was found on www.peopleofwalmart.com and I KNOW him!

Ok, well I don't personally know him... but I've seen him many, many times at my Walmart (Old Fort Parkway) and recognized his sweet buns!

I have often thought of taking his picture while perusing the fruit pretending like I'm not staring but never have.

Murfreesboro is on the Internet map! YEAH!

Can I PLEASE be related to these people?

Isn't she lovely......

Nothing says Christmas like.....

.......a secondhand mini-tree!

Fridays with Manda

Look what I did! Oh yeah, festive door hangers.

According to FedEx my laptop is "out for delivery" so on this cold and rainy day I have my front door open. This way I can stare out the storm door leaving no chance I will miss the FedEx man.

Today is the Christmas luncheon at my former employer..wonder if I could go get a plate and not be noticed?

Now I'm off to put up the mini-tree!

Cheaters always prosper. (or Freedom, FINALLY!)

2009 is almost over and I, for one, am so damn excited.
me stepping on my glasses right before Thanksgiving really pissed me off. (especially since I stepped on them while trying to get them out of the way so they wouldn't get stepped on.)

So, as you all know I planned a great escaped from the horror that has been my 2009.
I made it official by putting in notice at work, scheduled a dental surgery that couldn't be put off anymore, and confirmed classes for Spring 2010.

I was so excited the day I put in my notice and confirmed classes. So excited. I had a plan and by GOD I was going to do it. Nothing could rain on my parade. I was going to escape 2009 without another scratch. (this was after my poor glasses got broken)

To give you a glimpse into my mind that morning...let me share with you an excerpt from an email I wrote my spiritual guide...that kindof explains my hopes for 2010:

So, in January, almost a year to the date that the rug was pulled from beneath me, I am making changes for me. I am quitting my job, a dead end, horrible job, that I hate, going back to school full-time to finish my degree, and going to take more time for me, I'd love to pick up a craft, do some yoga, and definitely exercise. I want to shed my old self and life like a snake sheds its skin. I want to be better, mentally, spiritually, physically, and I want to do something with my life that means something. That means getting rid of negative people also. I was made for something so much better than I am doing right now and I'm going to find out what that is.

My last day at work was supposed to be Jan. 12...see it was all planned... this was how it was supposed to go....

I work through December.
Jan 8th- oral surgery
Return to work on Jan 11
Last day of work Jan 12
School starts Jan 14

Clean, simple, well thought out, well planned...considerate to my employer, etc,etc,etc.

Well, apparently, that was not to be.

Perhaps about an hour after I sent the above mentioned email and was stewing in my self-satisfied juices I get an email from my troll of a supervisor. She informed me that due to be putting in notice (me being considerate to my employer, leaving on a good note, etc,etc) that I would not be paid sick time for my oral surgery. "Oh, dear, it is the policy." (not to mention the fact that I put in my request A WEEK before I turned in my notice....)

This did several things....peed on my parade, made me hate my job even more, and blasted any and all resolve I had to finish December, and made me lose any lingering consideration for my employer.

So, in a big F-U to the year 2009 that has been F'in me around since Jan- I quit.

I quit, I quit, I quit.

I want to sing it like a song, I want to wear it, I want it tattooed in my skin.

I am done. My time has begun.

I am taking December for myself. Wrapping presents, sleeping in, cooking for my husband (I made a turkey!), watching soap operas, relaxing, living, breathing easier.

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Some quick random thoughts:

This week I have finals (one down, one tomorrow night) and am pretty sure I'm getting "A"s in both classes.

I ordered myself a laptop for school- happy school-time to me!

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Now, on to cheaters.....

Tonight I found out from a friend who is still trapped at my previous employer that there is going to be big bombshell dropped soon. Apparently, there are some cheaters in the department. People who have been working the system we use to filter large accounts to themselves for collection- all the while other people (myself included) are hashing through the shit accounts. Funnily enough, the people who AREN'T/DIDN'T cheat were the ones getting written up for not making goals and being put on performance improvement plans. And the people who WERE cheating were the ones being named EOTM and being held up as examples for others to follow.

This angers me beyond belief because I was called into my ex-supervisor's office and questioned about why I wasn't pulling in the numbers these others were. What is the problem? Has something changed? What do you think it could be? (Could it be the other people pulling in $20,000 plus a month are CHEATING??)

This angers me so much I wish that I still worked there just so I could cause a scene at the upcoming staff meeting.

I know it shouldn't bother me because I am free.....(I love saying that....)

But.

it does.

So, I will let it simmer for a bit, have some drinks with my friends that still work there, bitch about it then, and at the close of 2009 let it go.

There will be no room for this type of thing in 2010.

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