ChARLaTTe'

The future year...

2011-09-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Now that I've listed past events/accomplishments, I think it's appropriate to tell about a few future events/goals that I hope be able to work on in the coming year. Yes, this is kind of like a New Year's goal list for me but it seems highly appropriate because I fee like I'm starting this year over with a fresh, clean slate. Here it goes (in no particular order of importance):

- Read books...as many as I can.
- Read the BOM... and lots of other church books.
- Attend the temple at least once a month...beginning this week.
- Be active in my ward... as soon as they will let me go.
- Write more blog entries...starting with these two today.
- Stay in contact with good friends and family...while studying I have truly stunk at this.
- Make lots of girlfriends and do lots of girlfriend things...studying again sucked this out of my life.
- Meet the man of my dreams (who treats me like I'm the woman of his dreams)... he must be out there.
- Go on lots of fun dates...this should hopefully help with the one above.
- Learn lots of new home makeover ideas...I should learn lots of these while fixing up the Sandy house.
- Learn to have more patience, to be more Christlike, and to look for learning opportunities in crappy situations.

I'm sure I'll think of more later but that's all for now because I'm getting tired.

This past year...

2011-09-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

This past year has been crazy with lots of emotions. I use to think that life was really easy for me. Everything just seemed to fall into place and then God decided he need to give me a wake up call. All I have to say is, "I'm listening now!"

Here are a few things I've done in the past year:

I've taken all four of the CPA Exam tests. I'm now waiting to hear back on the last two. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that I passed, but we'll see by the end of this month. Then all I need to do is take a state test, send what ever else in that I need to and I'm a CPA. Yahoo! The feeling of almost being at the finish line with this goal is a amazing.

I planted a huge garden that has been incredibly proliferate. It must have been that manure that hauled all the way from Idaho in my car trunk. At least that's what I told my co-workers my secret was. My neighbor Dave says I must be singing to it. But alas, all I have done is water it.

My new concrete driveway was finally sealed. I woke up early one morning and put 2 hours of sweat into rolling the sealer on. If someone ever asked me for a good workout idea, I'll tell them to pretend their sealing a driveway for two hours. I was completely exhausted the entire rest of the day.

Most recently, I've made an offer on a short sale in Sandy. My mom and I will be co-owners. It's going to be a ton of work for at least two to three months after I close, but it will surely pay off in the end.

I have at least another week or so of hiding out from all things social, so now we'll see what else I can get myself into during that time.

What Matters Most...

2011-01-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

Girls Girls Girls

2010-05-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

This week I threw my first bridal shower.

My dear friend, Krista, got engaged just a short while after I did. She threw me a bridal shower so I threw her one... with some help from our friend Andrea.

Here's a pic with just a few of us remaining near the end.

It was lots of fun. The funniest part was reading to Krista some of the comments she made while opening her gifts...and telling her that this is what she will say on her wedding night. Lol...very cute.

All I Want Is You...

2009-10-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

Theme song from Juno. I think it's pretty sweet. :)

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and green
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and green
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea

By Barry Louis Polisar

The shortest distance between two points is a zigzag line

2009-09-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

The month of perfection…

So, this month is the month of perfection in the University 7th Stake. Here’s the list if items that I need to accomplish to be perfect this month, along with my results so far:

1)Daily prayer and scripture study - I’ll start this tonight! ...better late than never!
2)Regular exercise- Lots of walking on campus! Does that count? However, I did make it to the gym yesterday. … Hurray!
3)Register and attend institute
- I did sign-up and go once, but that was last month and now there’s not time for it.
4)A mission experience (extend an invitation)
- I did remind one of my non-Mormon friends about all of the LDS people in Orem, where he is looking at future employment. It wasn’t anything big, but I bet it got him thinking a little about the Mormon church.
5)Everyone ask someone on a date—and GO OUT!
- Does being asked out on a date and going count? If so, check!
6)Attend the Temple
- This will be accomplished hopefully sooner than later…
7)Attend all Church Meetings
- Consider this done. Seriously, I should not make up excuses to make only sacrament!
8)100% Home and Visiting Teaching
- Don’t know whom I teach yet, or I’d be all over this one!

Most likely to inspire us to work on these goals, the sacrament speakers in my ward, a high councilman and his wife, were assigned to speak on the topic of perfection. I don’t recall all of the highlights from the wife’s talk but it was pretty much on different aspects of perfection. The husband, however, put a twist on the topic. His talk was based on a book he read titled: “The shortest distance between two points is a zigzag line.”

This really caught my attention and I made a point to remember more details after that. The author, Sunukjian, describes several situations in which our plan for getting from point A (where we are) to point B (where God wants us to be) is different than God’s. This, I thought, describes my life all too well (no details will be divulged), but I’m sure most of you can relate. The husband gave the analogy of climbing a steep hill with many switch-backs. There may be many switch-backs but the road will eventually lead to the destination. Has your life been one perfect shot towards the finish line or is it like mine, full of twists and turns that give life its ups and downs and good times and bad times?

The moral of the story (from Charlotte’s point of view): While perfection is a noble and respectable goal to reach towards, holding on, learning from, and enjoying each corner of the zigzag path will make the whole trip worth it.

What does your path look like?

We applaud your stamina!

2009-04-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I called a company that administers retirement plans and heard the funniest on-hold message ever! I had called and asked to be transferred to a specific person and while waiting for the person to pickup a message came on that said, "If you've been on hold long, we applaud your stamina." That was it. The person I was waiting for answered shortly after that. When I hung up I must have giggled about it for at least an hour every time I thought about it. I even told the guy in the cube next to me; he probably thought I was stupid, but seriously, most on-hold messages try to convince you that they'll be there shortly so, don't hang up. Or they tell you something about the company or play music, but not this one. They must get a lot of people hanging up or something. Too funny!

Well there you have it. This is what has been entertaining me while I put in long hours at work. :)

Spring!!

2009-03-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

Yes...Spring has arrived! I don't think I could have missed that memo last week with so many cute, original remarks about it scattered throughout all of my friends' facebook status updates. In the spirit of Spring, I've updated my blog background to make all of my readers feel springy inside (this includes me). Hope you like it!

Spring is a time of growth and new beginnings. Yes, this is when lots of babies seem to be born, two of which will come from the accounting office where I work. The rumor is that our office seems to have a constant flow of babies produced there and this year is no exception. With this being the case, our conversations (well, at least the women's) often turn to pregnancy topics (or maybe this is just because we're women :)). Being a single, childless female, and working way too much, the idea of having a child seems way to foreign to me at the moment, but I listen anyway and take mental notes while the conversations play out. You never know, maybe one of these centuries my time will come. :) BTW...Congratulations to my sister-in-law for expecting her first in November!

This spring I'm going to celebrate the birth of my new backyard! It's been a seriously long-awaited event! Along with my new backyard, there will be a new large storage shed thanks to some free labor from my soon-to-be retired neighbor (I seriously have the nicest neighbor ever and hope God gives him tons of blessings!). I hope everyone is ready for a few BBQs in my backyard when it's finished. Pictures of the project will soon be posted.

International Night!

2009-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm in the midst of tax season, I still try to get out and socialize once in awhile. For my socializing last weekend, I headed up to the University of Utah's Crimson Nights. I was shocked when I walked inside and saw a sea of people from different nationalities. My shock led me to think something like this: "Geez, where are all of the white people?" (Yes, I have a very simple thought process.) After a few minutes of looking around, I noticed the huge banner hanging above the stage that read "International Night." At that point, I almost walked out, but then I realized what a great opportunity this was for me. After all, I have not rubbed shoulders with very many people from different nationalities in my lifetime. So, for the next hour or so I sat and took in all of the cultural events going on. I might even qualify this experience as my trip out of the country for the year (lol) since I'm pretty sure it won't happen. Yep, I just crossed that goal off my list. Here are a few pictures:

Four baskets later...$50,000 richer

2009-03-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

What are the odds of you making four baskets in a row, increasing distance with each shot? ...mine are pretty slim, but apparently my uncle's aren't. Coming from a guy who only shoots a few hoops with his kids now and then, this we was pretty much amazing... Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoWaOWbfLtc

Blog Beautification & Goal Check!!

2009-02-21T19:35:00.001-08:00

So, a couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law informed me that my blog was in desperate need of a makeover. As you can see I've finally gotten around to it. What do you think?

Wow...is it almost March AGAIN! My oh my how time flies! I'm about to turn 27 and I'm not quite sure what I've been doing all of my life. It seems like just yesterday was my freshman year of college. Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing? Am I where I'm suppose to be? Certainly, I can't be the only one who wonders this once in a while.

Two months into the new years seems like a good time to review the New Years goals.
1) Read/listen to the BOM, D&C, Pearl of Great Price, and Bible - Hmm, I just finished 2nd Nephi...this is not going so well. NEEDS WORK

2) Attend the Temple once a month - I missed this month, but wait, the month isn't over yet! I still have time.

3) Practice the Piano 2 Hrs each week - I practiced today for an hour. NEEDS WORK

4) Survive my first (taxes only) tax season - Doing well so far, but it's only begun.

5) Complete MBA program at UofP - I finish the last class in May - YAY!!

6) Complete prerequisites for MAcc program at UofU - My plan here is to register for all three of classes in the summer to see the syllabus for each class and then decide whether I can handle all three in the summer. If not, I'll have to finish in the Fall, which I really don't want to do if at all possible.

7) Write one blog entry a week - I have obviously failed miserably. NEEDS WORK

8) Get married before I'm 29 - I hope this isn't a far stretch, but we'll see. NEEDS WORK

9) Learn to country dance/ Go once a week - Starting next week, I'm going to be posting Studio 600 get-togethers with friends. I can hardly wait.

10) Landscape my backyard and fix the sprinkler system - This will either happen in late April and early May or or September and it might only be the landscaping this year.

11) Put new siding on my house - This will have to wait for next year.
Sell my house and buy a better one - Again, this will have to wait. I'll give it two or three more years then I'll sell.

12) Collect tons of songs for my new phone. NEEDS WORK... actually, I just need an iPod.

13) Go on one cool vacation out of the country (My roommate says China is cool!) I think I'll hold off on this one and go with my brother and sister-in-law to Brazil next time they go.

14) Go to Hawaii - This may or may not happen. I'm thinking I'd rather buy a 42" TV before I do something like this.

15) Have a blast this summer (boating, hiking, bike riding, camping)! Hmm, due to school, my summer might have to start in late August after summer school.

A few benefits...

2009-02-07T14:40:00.000-08:00

In these times of economic uncertainty, most Americans are stressed about keeping their job, finding a new job, making ends meet a with less income, or finding their next meal. A comment the other day led me to think about some of the benefits of recessionary times. Here's what I've come up with:

1) Less junk mail: Banks have tightened their lending policy thus significantly reducing the number of credit card offers I get in the mail each week.
2) Thanks to #1, many trees are being saved resulting in better air quality.
3) Cheaper Gas: Who doesn't like filling up for only $15!?!
4) We can now sort of relate when our grandparents talk about the great depression.
5) Financial planners (and accountants) aren't so nerdy anymore. I knew you shouldn't have bought that SUV. A rainy-day account would have been a wiser choice. (Yes, you know who you are.):)
6) Maybe more people will listen to Suze Orman (or me) now. :) suzeorman.com - check it out!
7) Many arrogant males (and females) have put their pride away in a mere efforts to survive.
8) Those who have been scoffed at for being financial savvy are now enjoying their financial freedom because they are self-reliant while the former scoffers struggle.
9) Most people are a little kinder and long-suffering to the situations of those less fortunate.
10) We are now forced to use our minds to be creative in generating income. Some of the greatest ideas were invented during tumultuous times.
a. The electric razor
b. The car radio
c. The supermarket
d. The cotton tampon
e. The chocolate chip cookie
d. The laundromat
f. Monopoly
g. Xerography
Here's the website for history on the listed items:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/12/1205_sb_necessity/index.htm

Can you think of any other benefits?

2009 Goals

2009-01-01T00:12:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the new year, here's my goal list in no paticular order:

Read/listen to the BOM, D&C, Pearl of Great Price, and Bible
Attend the Temple once a month
Practice the Piano 2 Hrs each week
Survive my first (taxes only) tax season
Complete MBA program at UofP
Complete prerequisites for MAcc program at UofU
Write one blog entry a week
Get married before I'm 29
Learn to country dance/ Go once a week
Landscape my backyard and fix the sprinkler system
Put new siding on my house
Sell my house and buy a better one
Collect tons of songs for my new phone
Go on one cool vacation out of the country (My roommate says China is cool!)
Go to Hawaii
Have a blast this summer (boating, hiking, bike riding, camping)!

Catch-up Post

2008-12-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

So, it's been awhile since I last posted a blog. A lot has happened since then. Here's a brief overview:

I spent two weeks cramming for the GMAT and got a 590!! The average GMAT score at the University of Utah is 600. This means I have a good chance of being accepted!! Hurray! I'll also apply to BYU, but I don't think their schedule is going to work for me. They only accept MAcc students in the fall and during the first winter semester, a lot of classes are required, which would practically require me to quit my job. Non the less, I still need take three more prerequisites before I can even apply to the UofU and two more before I can apply for BYU, so I'll see what happens between now and when I'm ready to apply.

Since getting a good score on the GMAT, the partners at the accounting firm where I work have treated me differently. It's amazing how one simple good score can prove to people that you are smart or at least smarter than they thought you were.

They day after I took the GMAT, I started two MBA classes. They have definitely been challenging for me and I have had to sacrifice my social life, but I'll be glad to only have one more MBA class after these two!

I had a family Christmas party last weekend. Below is a family Christmas picture we took to give my Mom. Jonathan from my ward was kind enough to go with me. I was a little worried that I'd get some kind of lecture from my Aunts and Uncles about not dating or not getting married. Thanks Jonathan!

Random Thoughts

2008-11-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

I had added almond flavoring to my pancakes this morning. They were delicious!

My neighbor to the south turned his Christmas lights on tonight. My neighbor to the north is putting his up. I wonder how much it would cost to have someone to put up Christmas lights for me? Growing up I use to be the one in my family who put Christmas light up. Now I always seem too busy or too lazy. I should just do it.

I need to bathe my dogs but I keep putting if off. Maybe I'll do it tonight.

I read a funny Christmas poem in the reader's digest the other day and wanted to post it on here, but now I can't find the magazine. How do things just disappear like that? Maybe I should just go to the library or bookstore, find the poem and copy it down. :) Here's one I got in an email the other day:

I made myself a snowball,
As perfect as can be,
I thought I'd keep it as a pet,
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas,
And a pillow for its head,
Then last night it ran away,
But first-- it wet the bed.

My brother John bought his kids a Maltese dog. I forget what they named it, but I'm pretty excited to see it when I visit for Thanksgiving. Maltese dogs don't shed. I wish Chihuahua's didn't shed.

I'm not looking forward to tax training seminar all day Monday and Tuesday. I went to a seminar the other day that only lasted 4 hours and I was completely tired of it after two hours. I think I should sit in the front so I'll pay attention and stay involved instead of getting distracted by all of the people sitting in front of me.

A Venting Drama Friday

2008-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

As a follow-up to my last entry, I'll explain "the rest of the story." So, as I said, I stopped talking to this female co-worker and I even blocked her on my IM because she likes to chit chat on it about stupid stuff while I'm trying to do my work. The very next day she starting comparing our schooling again and I flipped out and told her, "You know, I don't want to discuss this topic with you. Please go back to your desk." She of course got offended and told me to never talk to her like that again. I said "Whatever."

In short, she emailed asking me why I was frustrated. I replied and said I was definitely frustrated with her but I needed some time to cool off and that I'd reply tomorrow. I composed a rather mean email calling her a few choice words and sent it to our partner to get her opinion. She replied saying that I wasn't wrong in being upset, but she said that I should tone the email down some and she reworded a few parts. I used most of the words the partner gave me, un-capitalized the parts a I had capitalized and sent the email.

Naturally, my co-worker was ticked off and responded with long-winded rebuttals to each accusation I had made. After a few emails back and forth I decided I had better be a little nicer and told her that I was sure we would get along fine if she would keep our topics to non-offensive ones and told her a few of my imperfections to make her feel better about herself. (every so often I forwarded an email chain on to the partner I had complained to...she was out of the office with all the other partners on their annual retreat). She was happy I was going to be nice to her and I suppose the day ended on a better note.

Here is the moral of this story for all female co-workers and co-workers in general:
1) Don't compare yourself (looks etc) to other co-workers on a daily basis. It's annoying and can be offensive.
2) Don't talk about yourself and your achievements 24/7. The rest of us think we're pretty d$#% smart too and it will likely piss people off.
3) Don't constantly be IMing co-workers about non-work-related topics when they are trying to do their work. It's annoying.
4) Don't try to create division in an office where most people are trying to work as one big happy team.
5) Don't try to convince co-workers over and over again to get something they don't want. No mean NO. -- Seriously, I don't need Aflac coverage no matter how well you organized the information. I would have gone to the meeting if I wanted it.

On a happier note, I went Ice Skating at the Gallivan Center last night; It was beautiful! I love this time of the year because of all of the beautiful lights and decorations.

Rant about a Co-worker!

2008-11-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

So, first of all I need to explain my drab-looking layout. The other day I realized I could copy and paste cool layouts, so I gave it a try. As you can see, it failed miserably and I reset my blog to the default setting. Since then, I haven't had time to try again (and I still don't), so everyone will have to deal with it for a little while. Now on to my rant...

So, I'm sure most of you have dealt with co-workers who are a few cards short of a deck (to say it in the nicest way possible), but I think the economy is really affecting one that I'm working with currently (I hear the suicide rate increases in times of recession/depression). Her paranoia and lack of self-confidence has led her to start calling me stupid (e.g., she says crap like this to me: "do you even have an accounting degree?"...I should have replied, "Are you stupid?"), claiming she is the smartest person in the universe (she's the expert of experts on everything), and even telling other co-workers not to ask questions to certain other co-worker because they don't know what they're talking about.

Clearly, I ain't no idiot, so I tattled (yes I'm a tattle tell and proud of it) to a partner. Apparently, this has been going on for a while, and I am not the first to complain. To shorten this up, I've stopped talking to her because I'm tired of being insulted and, needless to say, she is freaking out. The other co-workers are finally catching on and are starting to make fun of her. I kind of feel sorry for the girl, but when she makes life crappy for the rest of us, I'd say she needs to be given the boot.

If any of you were confused in my anecdote, here are a few details to clear it up: I am the newest employee at my work. One employee moved to a different state and two, me and another guy, were hired to replace her. This has stretched our workload so everyone has less and the troublesome co-worker thinks I was hired to replace her.

...dont' we all just love drama!

...To be continued...

How does she carry all that weight?!

2008-11-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about the weight on my body; I'm talking about the bag on my back. Let me explain: In an effort to break free from the under 40K income bracket, to become and expert at something, and to get into a "real" graduate program (UofU or Weber MAcc program), I've decided to hit the books once again to conquer the GMAT. Yes, this is work I'm doing on top of my current MBA workload and full-time work. Now days you will see me lugging along a rather large backpack filled with my study materials that throws my small frame out of proportion--that is if you see me at all. :)

Despite the attempts by my bishopric to "get me more involved in the ward," I've decided to take time to invest in myself. An education is something that I will have the rest of my life. My philosophy right now is that the sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can play. Consequently, I have dedicated the month of November to GMAT studying and MBA work.* Although I'll take a few breaks for a ward temple night and the UofU vs. BYU game party. Boys, don't be affended if I'm not interested in a second date (can we just be friends for now), and girls, don't be affended if I'm not at every girl gathering. There is a time and a place for everything. Hurray for education!

*The month of December will be dedicated to MBA work because I'm going to take two classes. February through Apirl will mostly be dedicated to tax season, but I will definitetly make time for friends and fun!

Conversating - questions answered

2008-10-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Quite awhile ago a friend posted a list of relationship questions. Here are my answers. Enjoy!

Do you believe that “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”? Definitley
What do you think is your best quality? My Dedication
What is something that really bugs you? Non-committal Guys
Are you good at saving money? Typically, although sometimes I splurge
Do you like making things? I love it!
Do you believe that people are mostly good or mostly bad? Mostly Good
How much is too much to spend on a car? <$18,000 - Buy used!
Do you recycle? Yes
What would you do if your spouse started gaining a lot of weight? encourage weight loss
How do you feel about the dentist? I'm glad I have insurance
How do you feel about getting shots? scared at first but they're really not that bad
If polygamy were reinstated would you be interested? not unless our prophet did it and then I might slowly consent.
How much of a risk taker are you? financially - very little, i do my research first. athletically - sort of.
What do you think about gambling? dumb
Do you have any regrets in life? yes - tons
What do you think about Walmart? Nice place, but I've preferred Smiths Market Place lately
If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be and what would it be of? Shoulder, Turtle
How do you feel about body piercings? Too many looks ugly. I have 5, but only use 2.
What are your thoughts on marrying a person of a difference race? It depends on each persons background.

What are your opinions on:

waking up early- Not too bad if I go to bed early enough

staying up late- I don't like to, but sometimes it happens

performing- I'd like to some day

board games- fun interactive activity

ice skating- fun

wives/mothers working- stay at home to save society or work from home part-time

his and her duties around the house- should be equally shared

amusement parks- okay once in awhile

sky diving- scary

kissing on first dates- not worth it, but depends on the guy :)

Spandex- ugly

motorcycles- save gas, but you're stupid if you don't wear a helmet!

long distance relationships-suck! even phone relationships suck - spending time together is the very best way to get to know someone.

credit cards- deceitful - too many people get sucked into spending money they don't have

cooking with wine- have never tried it, but might some day

living in a foreign country- could be interesting

tattoos- dumb

French kissing- fun and will be more fun when I'm married

Orange juice not from concentrate- tasty

diamonds- nice

artificial Christmas trees- convenient - I bought one not too long ago

card games- entertaining

politics- confusing

homeschooling- send them to public school

herbal remedies- some might work

abortion- shouldn't be done unless the mom's life is at risk.

the death penalty- some people deserve it

ultimate fighting- lame a male thing

caffeine- good and bad

plastic surgery- dumb, be happy with the way you are unless it's absolutely necessary

keeping a journal- it's this blog now

rated R movies- bad, even PG-13 are bad now days

swearing- I try not to

giving money to beggars- I would rather give food

If you HAD to have one cosmetic procedure, what would it be? I would probably get implants, but I would not date a guy who likes me because of them.

October 08 Pics!

2008-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a slideshow of October Events.
- My garden finally produced one crookneck squash. Next year will be better.
- I dressed as a cowgirl for the ward Halloween party.
- And...my tree lost all of its leaves in one weekend. Two neighbor boys helped me rake them all up in only two hours last night.

Pros and Cons of Being a Tax Accountant

2008-10-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

I've only been in the Tax Accounting world for a couple months now, but I'm beginning to see the pros and cons of continuing my career in the field. Here is the list I've come up with so far in no particular order:

Pros
1) When it's not tax season, I can work part-time to be with my kids more (someday).
2) The pay-scale is a little higher than that of regular public accountants.
3) I can easily take my work home or just work from home.
4) Work is not mundane. There is always some new twist to a financial tax situation.

Cons
1) Winter is consumed by tax season.
2) Winter activities will hardly exist mid-February to mid-April.
3) August through October 15th will also be rather busy.
4) Tax law can be very intense to learn.
5) Clients are often a pain in the rear.

Saved by the Distribution Center

2008-10-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

There is a first for everything...unfortunately.

So, Saturday, I had to meet with my group for school, but on my to meet I had decided to run a few errands. My first stop was at Smith's for some Mascara. I pulled into the parking lot, and as most of us do, I tried to find the closest parking stall I could. I happened to spot one near the east entrance about four stalls from the front of the store. I quickly parked, grab my wallet and keys, and mindlessly starting walking toward the store. Being just after lunch on a Saturday the parking lot was a bit busy. As I approached the main intersection before the store, I heard a whistle, which caught me off guard. I looked up to see a man in a large red pickup truck driving by. I knew the whistle had definitely been directed toward me when the man gave me a smile and a little wave. I almost smiled back but the scary thought of having a stalker went running through my mind. Instead I didn't acknowledge him and went into the store.

Nearly ten minutes later, I had purchased the mascara and was on my way out. Exiting on the West side of the store, I had to walk across the parking lot to reach my car. The whistling man I hoped had long since left the parking lot. To my dismay, I reached my car and had just barely sat down when I looked up to see the man driving right in front of my car! My thought was "aaaahhhhhhh....crap, he's stocking me!" Again, the now scary man gave a "I'm cool" smile, a nod of the head, and an eyebrow raise. At this point I'm a little freaked out. Hoping to lose the guy, I quickly started my car and headed off to my next destination, the Distribution Center, which was only a block away. As luck would have it, the closest car stall was three rows away. I parked. Before I even had a chance to lock my car, I saw the man driving by the rows of cars not too far from me. He must have kept an eye on me to see where my next destination was. At this point, I was ticked at him for stalking me. He gave me another nod and in return, I gave him a glare, made sure he heard the honk of my car as it locked, and walked as quickly as I could toward the store. Knowing...or rather hoping that an LDS guy wouldn't be circling a Smiths parking lot trying to pick-up on girls, I hoped he would notice the store I entered and would give-up on me.

On my way out of the store, I had planned to stop and look for the stalker first, but as I opened the door, he drove right in front of the store. Maybe he didn't get a clear view of which store I had entered but he knew for sure now, and it must have triggered the thought "she LDS" because as I walked toward my car he dove out of the parking lot. It was really a good thing he did too, because I was about to call the cops on him. Unfortunately, when I dug through my bag I didn't have my cell phone.

So, this incident has a few lessons:

For charlotte and girls in general: Always carry your cell just incase you need some backup in situations like this (a can of mace might help as well).

For guys: Don't try to pick-up on girls in Smith's parking lots for a few reasons: 1)It makes you look like a total loser. 2) It freaks girls out! 3) It's a classic red neck "here's your sign" type scenario.

After telling this story to my group members, they told me I should have started picking my nose or taking pictures of him and his truck with my phone carmera.

Any other stalker diverting techniques?

Disoriented

2008-10-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

My garden is harvested and the leaves are now changing to bright, beautiful colors as they usually do in the fall. The cause of these changes is through the natural rotation and tilt of the earth around the sun. The earth is now tipping away from the sun versus tipping toward the sun when summer is approaching. Each year this rotaion seems to cause me to lose some sleep, which was the cause of the situation I ran into, or rather fell into, last Tuesday morning.

Monday night I went to bed at my usually time, around 11pm, but then I laid there and laid there, not being able to fall asleep. Around 2am, I had had enough, and resorted to my usual home remedy for this illness - I switched to the other end of my bed to change the gravitationl pull on my body. Soon after, I was sound asleep. Unfortunately, when I was awakened by my alarm no more than four and a half hours later, I did not remember where I was. I quickly reached in the direction to turn off my alarm, but my alarm was not there. Instead, my body went tumbling off my bed, toward the floor, and was only slowed down by the smack of my left cheek bone against the side of my printer stand and my arm crashing into the printer. My only thought after realizing what had just happened was, "oh man, that's gonna to leave a mark." I sluggishly got up, hit snooze on my alarm, and crawled back into bed. I then proceeded to hit snooze every 7 minutes for the next hour. Yep, kinda strange, I know. I finally got up when I heard one of my roommates up. I immediately, still half asleep, went and asked her if one side of my face look different from the other. She looked for a second and then exclaimed, "oh yeah, what happened?" That was not comforting news, as I had not looked at my face since the incident. Fortunately, my swollen cheek wasn't as bruised as I thought it might have been, but it was definitely swollen. I then showered, dressed for work, made sure I covered the mark with plenty of makeup, and headed off to work.

Gotta love mornings like these!
Today, my cheek is still a little tender and swollen with a little bruise mark.
Maybe this similar thing happened to Madonna....or not. :)

Mormon Culture Traditions

2008-09-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight, with some girlfriends from my ward, I attended the General Relief Society Meeting prefacing Semi Annual General Conference to be held next weekend. The evening began with dinner at the Lion House Pantry Restaurant. Arriving a little later than planned, we found that the female-populated line nearly extended out to the main sidewalk. Apparently, this is a popular place to eat before a womens' meeting at the Conference Center.

Some women in families or groups of friends probably make it a tradition to eat at the Lion House Pantry before the General Relief Society Meeting every year. There was even a sign outside the door that read "Open Late," so to encourage those who don't make it before the meeting to stop by afterwards.

Similar traditions seem to be fairly common in Mormon culture. Some families, for instance, make it a tradition to eat at the Crossroads Mall before a Saturday morning session of conference and again afterwards as they wait for traffic to clear. In my home ward, after the General Preisthood session, the men would always treat themselves to Root Beer floats.

What kinds of Mormon culture traditions do you have?

Garden Goodies

2008-09-26T16:06:00.001-07:00

Far left: Green squash, small pumpkin, or hybrid of quash, pumpkin, and waterloupe (I know a pumpkin is a squash but I don't know what the big green thing is so I just call it my squash. I don't think it's an accorn squash. Anyone know what it is?)
Far right: Watermelon or Cantaloupe... I call it a waterloupe.

My waterloupe sliced open has seeds like a watermelon, yet it certainly doesn't look like a watermelon from the outside.

I'm guessing this is the result of some kind of genetic crossover between my watermelon and cantaloupe plants, both of which did not produce at all besides the hybrid thing. This is another demonstration of why you should not plant lots of garden plants in a small, small area. Although, some other plants are producing prolifically, despite their cramped growth area: namely, the zucchini and the big green squash.

Kill Them With Kindness...And Then Strut Your Stuff

2008-09-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

As some of you might know, I recently transferred to a new job and it's been a bit of a challenge. Now, I love a good challenge every now and again, but when I'm trying to bring myself up-to-speed in a new position, the last thing I want is to be beaten down with verbal abuse. Well, I might be over exaggerating it a bit by saying verbal abuse, but it wasn't kind words by any means. Now, maybe I should have expected such treatment going into a company as the least educated and least experienced (most co-workers have a MBA degree and CPA license), but needless to say, I was caught off guard. Fortunately, after a bit of ranting to a few friends, I have quickly analyze my situation and come up with a solution that seems to be working so far: kill them with kindness...and then strut your stuff. It's pretty self-explanatory. This week has been significantly better. Has anyone else ever used this tactic?

Garden Update

2008-08-25T16:31:00.001-07:00

I may have jumped to a conclusion in a previous blog when I said that I must have inherited my Grandpa Aldridge's green thumb - I haven't harvested very much yet! As you can see from my slide show, my garden is growing pretty well so far. I have harvested a few zucchini and strawberries, but that's it so far. Overall, I think my first garden has been a great learning experience for my future gardens. Here are a few things I've learned that may help some of you future gardeners out there:
1) Thin the corn more so they will not take nutrient from each other.
2) Plant corn somewhere where all will receive equal sunlight (you'll notice some of mine are quiet a bit shorter than the others because they didn't get as much sun).
3) Pumpkin plants are HUGE! Give them plenty of room to grow.
4) The same concept in #3 applies to squash and watermellon plants.
5) Setup on automatic sprinkling system so I don't have to water everyday. You've got to be creative when you're lazy! :)
6) FINALLY, MORE ROOM! - I have one big mass of leaves and can hardly tell whether there is something growing beneath them. :)

David Aldridge Family Reunion 2008

2008-08-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend my Mom came to town for an extended period of time (she's usually just in and out), so we decided it was high time we had our own little family reunion. We packed up some food, headed up Provo Canyon, and took the Vivien Park Exit. We drove up that road until we came to South Fork Park. It was perfect!

Here are some pics from it!

My First Garden!

2008-08-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

So, this year, almost too late into the season, I decided to plant my first garden. Now, I'd seen gardens planted before, but this was the first time I'd planted my very own and to my surprise I discovered that I must have inherited my Grandpa Aldridge's green thumb - it's growing remarkably well, considering the lack of attention I'm giving it besides it's daily water. The pictures below show a little bit of the labor that went into getting my garden plots ready and the first shots of my starter plants and corn sprouts. I planted corn, lettuce, beats, radishes, crookneck squash, zucchini, peas, pumpkin, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, and cucumbers.

Now, my garden is nothing compared to the one my Mom is growing this year and the one my Grandpa Aldridge use to have - theirs are/were ginormous compared to mine.

Gratitude & Faith

2008-02-17T16:41:00.001-08:00

Today, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. This is a drastic change from what the weather has been like for the past two months; snow storms have been coming one right after the other. Last week we actually had five sunny days in a row for the first time since before Christmas! Oh, how I love to play in the snow, but oh, how I hate to shovel it off my driveway.

Anyway, on to what I really wanted to write about--gratitude.

This week I'm grateful for the hand the Lord has in my life, specifically for giving me intelligence, health and motivation. Last year I received three job offers, but chose the one that just felt right (maybe the up-to-25% bonus helped a little). Last week I found out that my bonus will actually be 60% of my gross (I get it this Friday!). Not very often do people stumble across a job that just throws money at them. I'm so blessed! I will now be able to pay off all my debt and make a large payment on my mortgage.

Speaking of my mortgage, I'm also so blessed to have my house. Over three years ago, all the pieces just fell together when I needed to find a new place: my brother gave me some cash to hold for him, and I found a great realtor that helped me make the first few repairs to make my house livable. I barely made it by that first month, but somehow I knew everything would work out.

That seems to be the way things in life usually work for me: I think things through logically, say a prayer, and then go forward, trusting in the Lord. When I think about this I usually reflect back onto a talk by President Bednar in 2000, the first summer I was at Risks College. The following is a section from his talk:

"But I imagine many of you may be like me; I would rather have the evidence before I act. President Packer's description of walking to the edge of the light and then a few steps into the darkness is most vivid. Imagine a beam of light that surrounds us. God instructs, "Take a step into the darkness," and we respond, "First, move the light and then I will take the step." God instructs again, "You take the step and then the light will move." Faith is the assurance that precedes the act which ultimately yields the evidence.
As we walk to the edge of the light, I testify and promise that the light will move. When I was your age and wondering some of the exact same things that you are now wondering, I never would have imagined that someday Sister Bednar and I would be at Ricks College serving as we are now serving. I know the light moves as we walk in faith to the edge of the light."

Educated at the University of Phoenix

2007-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

LOOK - I've already written 12 blogs in two years and this one makes 13. What can I say, I am on a roll! hehe... j/k

After one look at my blog entries, one would gather the opinion that I don't write very frequently. I must admit that up until August, that was indeed the case. However, since starting the University of Phoenix's MBA program in September, I have been writing papers most weekends, averaging 5 pages each.

Here are some thoughts I have thus far on my education at the University of Phoenix:

Good Points:

Small class sizes
All materials are available online, including the Library and tutor center
Fast paced learning and quick completion of the Masters Degree

Bad Points:

No Quizzes? - Since when were quizzes not involved in the learning process?
Team projects - It's hard when your teammates are slackers or just plan not very smart (to say it in a nice way), which seems to happen frequently at UoP.
No review of the previous week's reading in class - Does the teacher even know what we read?

Although I put no quizzes in the Bad Points section, I'll have to admit that it would be pretty hard to get all of the paper writing, reading and quiz preparation done each week and keep a normal life. "Normal" may not be the right word, though. Perhaps "sane" would be better. Among work, school, home, dogs, friends, church calling and dating, I'm pretty strung out.

The light at the end of this education tunnel is in 2009, I'm sure it will be here sooner than I think.

Car Repair Rant!

2007-09-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

If car salesmen had access to repair shop reports, I'm sure that would be a great source of income for them. After the report I got from Toyota this morning listing all of my car's suggested repairs, I just might be an easy sell for a new car. Right now those new Camry's and Passat's are lookin' mighty fine!

Here is the list of suggested repairs:

Toyota's Repair List

Outside Mirror - 201.88
Outer Door Handle - 186.88
High Beam Light - 50.66
Power Steering Flush - 89.99
New Fuel Filter - 99.95
Brake Fluid Low/Flush - 99.95
Tighten Motor Mount - 75.00
Some Valve is leaking - 105.95
Distributor O-Ring is leaking - 45.95

Tune-up - 130.00
Total - 1,086.21

Prior Big O's Findings
Right CV Boot - 99.00
2 new back tires before Winter - 150.00

Total - 249.00

Grand Total - $1,335.21

Here are some of the questions I've been pondering since receipt of the Toyota report:

1) How much do other people usually spend on car repairs?

2) How many people feel they've been scammed or just paid too way too much?

3) Do do-it-yourself car repair books really help the average "I-don't-know-anything-about-car-repairs" person figure out how do repairs?

4) Do I dare try?

5) Is it worth my time?

Future Blog: Details on my experience using a do-it-yourself car repair manual. Seriously, car repairs cost way too much! Check out this website, http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/, to see how much you were charged for labor.

DEAREST MOTHER, I LOVE YOU!

2007-05-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day. A day to reflect on all she has done, all she does, and all she will do. A mother is a genial woman; she is always putting those who matter most first in her life, selflessly and caringly giving guidance to those who have been entrusted to her care. At least that is the way we hope most mothers are.

Ryan and I stumbled upon an interesting situation that has left me concerned for the lack of one mother's roles. Last night we made a quick run to Smith's for a few necessities before the Sabbath. While searching through the frozen foods section, we noticed a young boy and his even younger brother approaching, the older boy looking as though he wanted to ask us a question. In my mind I thought he might ask us to help him find something in the store or maybe for some money to buy his dinner for the night. Ryan and I were both in shock when, instead, the older boy asked if we would by him some cigarettes if he gave us the money. Ryan responded, "Well, I don't smoke." The boy responded, "Well, I do." A long pause filled the air as Ryan and I thought about the situation at hand. Not only was this boy asking us to do something illegal, but he was also asking us in front of his younger, elementary-age brother. The pause ended when Ryan said, "I wouldn't feel comfortable buying them for you." The boy, now feeling very uncomfortable with his situation and a little depressed that he wouldn't get what he really wanted, said, "Oh, okay." and quickly hurried off.

In church today, one speaker told a quote by Ronald Regan that states, "If not now, when? If not us, who?" I wonder if this has been in the mind of very many mothers when disciplining or teaching her children correct principles. If they don't learn the correct path in life when they are younger, when will they? If I don't teach them now to do what's right, who will?

Where was the mother of those two children we ran into at Smiths? Was she selfishly out with her friends, not caring about her children? I will never know the circumstances that led that boy and his younger brother to us that night, but I wonder how they will turn out and how they would've turned out had they been given loving guidance and direction by a caring mother and father.

Thanks for your guidance, MOM. I love you!

HI THERE!

2007-04-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'M BACK!

Just when you, my blog-reading fans, were about to give up on me, I'm back to give you yet another thought provoking blog that will touch your life forever.

... hehe j/k. My blogs are cool, but not that cool! Well, actually, I'd hardly even call them cool; let's just say they're okay for a beginner. :)

Anyway, today's word of the day is ERRANT. Were you ever an errant child growing up?

Here's the definition:

errant \AIR-uhnt\, adjective:
1. Wandering; roving, especially in search of adventure.

2. Deviating from an appointed course; straying.

3. Straying from the proper standards (as of truth or propriety).

4. Moving aimlessly or irregularly; as, an errant breeze.

And here's an example:
The year 1565 finds him at Ferrara, the city where our errant poet will spend the most stable years of his life.-- Anthony M. Esolen, introduction to Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso

To answer my own question, if you ask my mom she might say I was an errant child on occasion, but come on, aren't we all? I believe that any child with a since of adventure is going to be errant once in a while. In fact, I believe childhood is the best time to be errant just as long as it doesn't lead to permanent behavior. Good thing I got out all my errant behavior out when I was younger, because now there are way too many responsibilities that can't be neglected.

None the less, responsibilities shmosabilities...It is almost summer time! Soon the warm weather will be calling my name.

Hardscrabble

2007-02-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

hardscrabble \HARD-skrab-uhl\, adjective:.

1. Yielding a bare or meager living with great labor or difficulty.
2. Marked by poverty

This word made me giggle; it's such a fitting word for my current poverty-stricken job. My circumstances will soon change, however, because I'm getting a new job. HURRAY! What exactly my new job will be, I'm not sure yet. This coming Wednesday there is a job fair at the University of Utah which I plan to attend and on Monday I have an interview with Meridias Capital to become a mortgage accounting analyst. Soon I'll be able to fix up my home and to buy Ryan lots of stuff (Ryan added the "and to buy Ryan lots of stuff" part one day when were talking about the subject. He's quite the character. ;)).

Now I'd like to talk about something more important, something that a lot more people should consider more important in life - debt freedom. From the United States Consumer Credit Reports and from general observation, I can see that most people don't know what it would be like to not charge almost everything they purchase on a credit card. Just the other day a girl I work with found out her husband had been laid off. She started freaking out and said she will have to work overtime and do all these other things just to make it by. That is not the way our finances should be. We as Americans need to learn to live within our means and to save for the future! Come on people!

Being obedient to our LDS Prophet's council, I have learned to live within my means. If I don't have cash to pay for it, I don't buy it (with the exception of a little splurg here and there). Right now I may not have all the material items that a lot of my friends have, but in all actuality, I have a lot more. Everything I do have (except my home) is 100% mine; this is not something very many other people can say. My goal one day is to pay for a home with cash. I'm not down with paying for my home twice because of interest. That's not cool and not worth it! I'm not working to support lending institutions!

Anyway, that's my spout off for today on giving respect to finances. I'm off to my harscrabble job (on Saturday).

Imprecation OR Consideration

2007-02-03T00:06:00.000-08:00

imprecation \im-prih-KAY-shuhn\, noun:1. The act of imprecating, or invoking evil upon someone.2. A curse.

After a while, he stopped hurling imprecations . . . and, as he often did after such an outburst, became quite remorseful.-- Wayne Johnston, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams

Consideration = Kindness

Sometimes I would like to hurl imprecations at a choice accounting client once in a while, but then I think... what would Jesus do.
I see my last blog attracted quite a few comments from my most frequent reader (and perhaps my only reader). :) Tonight, I hopefully will shed a lighter view on my introspective behavior.

So, recently I've felt a little down in a rut and I've spent some time pondering over it today. Like most humans, I do get down once in a while, but I've thought of a few tricks to get my self back on the road again:

1) Get out and be around people who are happy.
2) Count my blessings. Things could be way, way worse. Relatively, my life is pretty good.

3) Get out and do something fun and interactive.

4) Do some service.

5) Say something nice to someone that will make them smile.

6) Do something nice for someone that will make them smile.

7) Go shopping.

8) Keep busy moving upward and onward to help forget about myself.

9) Take time to reflect and review a days work.

10) Think about other people rather than about myself.

11) Think... kindness begins with me.

12) Pray (I need to talk with God).

13) Read my scriptures (I need to receive guidance from God).

14) Talk with my Family more.

15) Take breaks in my study to enjoy some social interaction.

The list can continue on, but I'm tired. Goodnight.

Eddies of Life

2007-02-02T04:52:00.000-08:00

eddy \ED-ee\, noun:1. A current of air or water running in a direction contrary to the main current, or moving in a circular direction; a whirlpool.2.

Many inanimate systems have lifelike qualities -- flickering flames, snowflakes, cloud patterns, swirling eddies in a river.-- Paul Davies, The Fifth Miracle

So it seems as though my blog writing has taken on the same pattern as my journal writing - I have a bad, bad habit. Ryan tells me that I fit the typical blogger profile of starting a blog, making a few entries and then never touching the blog again (refer to my first blog for examples). I, however, being the determined girl that I am, am bound to defy the odds of becoming a typical blogger.

Have you ever felt like you were going around and around in a circle in your life? If you haven't, I need to get in touch with you to figure out how you do it. Sometimes (a lot of the time) I get caught up in the go to work, come home, go to work, come home, go to work, come home pattern that seems to go on and on and on. This whole get a real job and move on with life has it's ups and it's downs (and it's around and around). :)

One "up" is I get to make a lot more money. One "down" is I sacrifice a lot of my personal time for that money. Less personal time leads to less time spent on the important things in life like reading, pondering, praying, and loved ones; which causes me to get down and feel like I'm going 'round and around. Writing these blog entries has provided some time for pondering and reflection. I've decided that these ups, downs and arounds come as a result of my personal attitude and goals in life. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be." And, oh how true it is.

Golden Handcuffs

2007-01-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

So, to help myself out with learning new words this year, I bought a daily-flip calendar with a new word each day. Today the word is Golden Handcuffs. I was a little shocked when I turned the page to see not one, but two words - "Golden" "Handcuffs." I thought this is a coined phrase not one word. So, I did a quick flip through the rest of the words for the year and sure enough there are no other two word days. Crazy! The authors of my little flip calendar must have thought this one was pretty important so they threw it in.

Here is the definition given for Golden Handcuffs: "special benefits offered to an employee as an inducement to continue service"

On the reverse side of the page is a "did you know" section that gives a little background on the word. It says that I may have heard of the "golden handshake," which means the opposite of the golden handcuffs: "a particularly tempting severance agreement offered to an employee in an effort to induce the person to retire early."

I can see how these two phrases fit perfectly into the workforce. Check out this blog that talks about the golden handcuffs: click here. I hope I never use the phrase "I just received a shiny new set of golden handcuffs." I'm going to be an entrepreneur! Well, as soon as I can learn to spell the word w/o spellcheck. :)

Lately, with the help of a friend and some web surfing, I've found quite a few entrepreneur websites run by women:

KimSnider w/ Kimsnider.com;
Rachael Herrscher w/ http://www.todaysmama.com/;
Kristen Lamb w/ http://www.designitboutique.com/;
Nancy Cadjan from Woodland Hills w/ http://www.signbabies.com/;
Liz Rosenbaum from Orem w/ http://www.scrapbooks.com/;
Erin Olsen from Spanish Fork w/ www.ladieswholaunch.com (SLC incubator owner);
Erika Wilde w/ http://www.stopdirt.com/;
Karyn Grant from Orem w/ http://www.cherishingplace.com/;
Janet Meiners from Lehi w/ http://www.newspapergrl.com/;
Carolynn Duncan from Orem w/ http://www.hundreddollarbusiness.com/;
Provo Natalie Goddard w/ http://www.familylifeeducation.org/;
Jennifer Napier Pierce of Springville w/ http://www.insideutah.com/;
Merri Hackett from SLC w/ http://www.golfcourseartwork.com/;
Melissa Hallenbeck from Spanish Fork w/ Red Hot Marketing Communications;
Stephanie Petersen from SLC w/ http://www.todaysmama.com/;
Carey from SLC w/ Children’s Orchard;
Mary Wilson-Burkett from Orem w/ Coaching Association/Grape Vine Radio;
Kelly King Anderson from Washington w/ http://www.startupprincess.com/

WOW! LOOK AT MY LIST! So many entrepreneurs to learn from! Let the learning begin!

Blog Interregnums*!!

2007-01-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find myself making so many goals that getting them all done seems impossible. Hence, I breach the continuity of my daily blog writing goal and a few other goals. To maintain punctilio** in my everyday tasks, I have to continually make mental and physical lists of the things I need to get accomplished. Elbert Hubbard once said, "Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal."

While growing up in a desert hinterland*** in Wyoming, I remember watching quite a few of my highly intelligent classmates throw away their future because they did not focus on their goals in life. Some absolute slackers would do amazingly well on tests or at track meets and then do nothing with the talent. I've always wondered what they could have become if they had only tried to really do something with their talent. On the other hand, you have people like me who try, and do only mediocre, but I won't discuss that here. :)

In closing, a thought by Aristotle: "Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals."

Three new words (from dicionary.com):

*Interregnum- Any breach of continuity in an order; a lapse or interval in a continuity.

**Punctilio- A fine point of exactness in conduct, ceremony, or procedure.

***Hinterland- A region remote from urban areas; backcountry.

2007 Goal: One New Word a Day

2007-01-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been mingling with some highly educated friends who like to use large words - you know who you are. :) Being the type of goal-setting person I am, I've decided, "if I can't understand 'em, I'll join 'em." So, not wasting any time, I'll begin with the word of the day from dictionary.com:

exegesis \ek-suh-JEE-sis\, noun;plural exegeses \-seez\:
Exposition; explanation; especially, a critical explanation of a text.

Example: These are tightly argued, crisp exercises in literary and cultural exegesis which make perfectly clear the brilliant patterns of language and oftentimes strained analogic thinking of the poets.-- review of Made in America, by Lisa M. Steinman, in the Journal of Modern Literature

My example: Can anyone give me an exegesis on why the Cayman Islands are known for their financial services? Wikipedia can.

Back from Grand Cayman!!

2007-01-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm back! After a month of being lost at sea, in a world of warm weather, tourism, and banking - a world unknown to many people who live their entire life without venturing out to explore new cultures. My skin is tan, my hair is bleached blond, and ... I just snapped out of my daydream. hehe... A month in the Cayman would have been paradise, but actually, I've been back for a few weeks now. My trip was neither a month long nor a week or five days long. Due to an unexpected roadblock, my trip was cut short to a brief three day stay.

Long story short, I didn't have a state authorized birth certificate so I couldn't even leave the SLC Airport until I had one which took two days to get because The Idaho Bureau of Health Policy and Vital Statistics doesn't have a service counter anymore due to lack of funding (kind of silly if you ask me considering how important it is to get "vital" information quickly at times). Luckily, Delta rescheduled my flight twice for free and I arrived in Cayman two days after my friends. Here's the overview of my Cayman adventure:

Day1 (1/2 Day Friday) - Shopped at the downtown tourist stores, unpacked, napped after my long flight, kayaked behind our town home, ate Barracuta and Plantain cooked for us by our islander friends, went to bed early

Day2 (Saturday) - Woke up late; went out on one of Captain Marvin's boats which made three stops: the first two were to snorkel and look at fish up close, the third was at Stingray City to feed and touch the stingray; went to the Turtle Farm; stopped to see Hell (lol...a volcanic area), went to a soccer game (Em and I slept the entire game in the car); stopped at the local LDS Branch on time to catch the end of their Christmas program and dinner; ran into some friends from Ricks college at the Branch; went for a walk along the beach and buried Beron, Robyn's islander friend

Day3 (Sunday) - Went to church, had the first discussion with one of our Islander friends and the couple missionaries, played card games, took pics around our town home, went to bed early

Day 4 (1/2 Day Monday) - Packed, Robyn dropped Em and I off at the airport, Robyn went back to get June, Robyn and June took too long to get back and missed the check-in counter by 5 minutes and couldn't get on our flight to Atlanta, Em and I flew to Atlanta giggling about our crazy vacation adventures, June and Robyn had to pay to reschedule their flights.

So, as you can see, my vacation was no where near a month long, but I sure packed as much activity in as possible and learned many lessons on international traveling. If you can't guess what one of the first things I did when I got home was, I'll tell you - I applied for a passport. I plan to do more international traveling/adventuring and I don't want to end up left behind at home again.

CAYMAN ISLANDS, HERE I COME!!

2006-12-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

Can you tell I'm a little excited?! Tomorrow night I'm off to the Cayman Islands with two of my girlfriends from college and one of their friends. It's going to be a blast!

My excitement is a little dulled, though, because at the end of last week I contracted a cold that is still lingering with me. I've tried to sleep it off and just take it easy but it hasn't left yet (I don't think cleaning my bathroom ceiling when I should have been resting helped, but I couldn't stand to look at the disgusting water-drip spots anymore.). Tomorrow, before I leave I've signed up to donate blood for the Red Cross. I hope that doesn't weaken me more. I wouldn't have signed up had I known I was going to be sick. Oh, well, I'll just have to see what happens.

At work I've been trying to get everything done in order to have a smooth transition into my vacation. The main thing I wanted to accomplish was the new version of Wasatch Powderbird Guides CBS-ASP which is their online bookkeeping software. Mission accomplished! Friday I got it up and running and turned it over to them for the final touches and continual updating-hurray! That was a huge burden lifted off my shoulders.

One last thing: HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!
Ryan Byrd threw a great Dual B-Day party with his friend Ben on Friday night that turned out fantabulous! Two thumbs up to the host and B-Day Boy!

Welcome to the World of Blogging!

2006-11-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog posting! Can you believe it - I've joined the blogosphere! My inspiration comes from my dear, dear friend Ryan Byrd, a savvy blogger and a friend from college, Brian Cobb. Now I need to grow my "web," so if you're one of my friends - past, present, or future - add me as a link to your blog site.

While trying to come up with a "cool" URL address for my new blog site, I went through quite a few names. One of which I was really hoping would be available, in fact, was not- charlottegrace.blogspot.com. Because of my curious nature, I had to check out who had taken "my" URL address? So, I went to the site, as you can too, and found that a lady is making a blog for her baby who at the time was not even born yet. --- how crazy is that! Some people go way overboard. Needless to say, she has not posted anything in two months. What a waste of a cool URL address I thought to myself. The next URL I tried was also taken - charlottesweb.blogspot.com. The person who made the site had good intentions, but gave up quickly; only one blog was posted and that was way back in June 2001.

I hope to continue my blog posts for a while. I figure it is a good way to keep a little journal, practice my writing skills, and keep in touch with my friends all at that same time. Multitasking is the way to go!