Recent Events

It appears as I haven't written anything in a while...I shall fill everyone in on the last week or so:

First off, you can start celebrating, because YES, I did quit smoking...again. Too expensive and smelly...always easier to quit when you're sick, though.

Amazingly enough, work is going very well - the Eagle has been unexplainably cheerful and kind the past few weeks since the Traitor left, and I have to say it is a vast improvement. So no new jobs on the horizen yet. But as always, I'm still keeping my eyes open.

And at this point, I don't care who knows it - I have joined Weight Watchers again; using the focus of having to fit into a bridesmaid dress next year as my goal - I REFUSE to have to have a special one made just for me. It is going extremely well as I lost 5.4 pounds my first week!!! I'm so excited, I just KNOW it's going to work for good this time! I think I started just in time to look relatively good for summer next year. I can't wait to be able to post a new picture on my blog of the new me - so keep your eyes open early next year when I've dropped at least 20 pounds!

Other than that, things are nice and quiet here at home - scared myself silly watching the "100 scariest movie moments" last night at midnight...by myself...all alone...in my house...not too bright. At least I didn't have nightmares; I actually ended up dreaming that my brother and I were on Trading Spaces, and I was redoing his basement in a Southwestern theme with Vern as the designer...

Sick Again?

Okay - I was out sick last Wednesday...and now I'm sick again. I'm not staying home, because I have too much to do, but all day yesterday and this morning, I feel like I'm about to cough up a lung. Perhaps this would be a good time to quit smoking......again......

News Flash!

My brother is engaged and his fiancee asked me to be a bridesmaid!!! How cool is that? I'm slightly worried that my sister will be a little miffed, because I wasn't a bridesmaid at her wedding over 10 years ago...we shall see...

It Never Ends

I went back to work today...and wished I hadn't. I should know by now that it just doesn't pay to get sick. Today was just a work day from hell. And it can only get worse tomorrow. Tomorrow, I play collection agency girl and try to get a lot of money from people who don't want to give it to me. It's my LEAST favorite thing to do in the world, and yet they seem to think that by telling me I keep having to do it, that I'll like, forget I hate it or something. Which is why I'm looking for another job. Still. If you know of an Office Managerial type position that doesn't require Accounts Receivable, I'm your girl. I suppose I have to just suffer in the meantime. Ellen often asks me what I hate about it so much; I don't really have an answer to that. All I know is that a) I hate being on the phone for ANY reason, and b) I hate asking people for money, be it personal or professional. You put that together and that's my version of hell. If I end up there in the afterlife, you'll find me in a fiery pit, being forced to make phone calls to angry customers all day trying to collect money.

Sniffles

And what did my little jaunt this weekend do? Got me sick, that's what. Gaaah. I hate being sick. It was either the trip around the lake, my mom, or my nieces. Grumble grumble grumble.....

In Search of Autumn...

It started out quite harmlessly...all I wanted to do was drive around and see if the leaves were changing here in Northern Virginia yet, and if so, get some pictures.

I started close to home; driving down to Manassas; where all the parks COST MONEY to get in - forget THAT.

So I decided to explore Centreville a little bit; after all, I've lived here 4 years and still don't know my way around really well...

But I ended up back on the Fairfax County Parkway, so I decided I'd go where I'm more familiar with the area, and drove to Springfield. Nothing much there, and it was almost 1:30 and I hadn't eaten lunch, so I started back toward home, and decided to make a last minute stop at Burke Lake Park; I lived in Springfield for close to 6 years and never went there. It's a park with a lake, there will be trees, right?

Well, yeah...and at first it was great, although I was a little self-conscious about trying to take pictures when everyone else was there to exercise, apparently. So I started meandering around the lake trail, thinking, "oh, this is so pretty - I'm going to have to come back when later when the leaves really start to change..." but in the meantime, I just kept following the trail - water was pretty, and all sorts of weird and interesting plants and stuff were around - I haven't been outdoors in a while, so I was enjoying the fresh air and sunshine...and the trail kept going...

After a while, I'm starting to think that this lake is slightly bigger than I thought it was...and I kept walking...pretty soon, I get to a clear area on the trail and see a sign that has some cryptic marks on it denoting different trails around the park, which I couldn't really decipher, so I figured I'd just go around the lake and end up back where I started...except that apparently it's about 5 miles to go all the way around the lake. AND I had no idea where I was in reference to my starting point, and since I also have no sense of direction, so there was no chance of leaving the trail and finding a shortcut...so I figured my best bet was to just keep going. After seeing a few squirrels, a deer which sparked the interest of a dog that almost pulled a little boy's arm out of his socket when he took off after it, and quite a few ducks, I realized that this was no longer a nature stroll - this was a friggin workout. I come to look at pretty leaves and end up walking over 5 miles. I have never seen a sweeter picture then when I first glimpsed my car through the trees toward the end / beginning of the trail...

Who knew leaves would be so much trouble?

After it sprinkled for a little while, the sun finally came out...when I realized I was still 3 miles from my car... 

The leaves are JUST starting to change in Northern VA 

Relatively near the beginning of my journey 

Limbo

So the meeting with the Managing Partner went well....I think....

Some things I told him surprised him, others didn't; then he kind of surprised me when he said, "I told [the traitor] 3 weeks ago that if he had made up his mind to leave, then leave; don't make me jump through hoops and try to be creative to try to get you to stay. So I'll ask you the same thing - are you going or do you want me to try to see what I can do?" Needless to say, I was a little surprised - perhaps a little bit too much ego regarding the necessity of me being there to keep the company running. At the same time, I completely understand what he means; if I were in his shoes, I'd probably do the same thing.

So the job search is officially on hold....until next week....

Work, work, work

So there have been no new developments in the search for a new President of my company, although the partners are seriously doing some suing action against the traitor.

Meanwhile, much to everyone's surprise, disbelief, and maybe even a little disgust, I have decided to meet with one of the partners sometime this week to see if I can salvage my job. I know, you're all thinking, "what the hell?!?!?" I'm not saying I will stay indefinitely, I'm still looking around for another job, but this is a great opportunity to make some changes that would make my staying there more palatable. Long shot? Yes. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Don't You Hate it When...

Everything in your life seems to be moving in a direction that is good...you meet with your therapist to discuss the last six months of your life and realize that things are really good. You finally have a handle on what's going on and what you need and want to do...

and then everything falls apart.

You get to work and find out that the President of your company has quit to go work for your major competitor (can we say "traitor" boys and girls?), which means that your previous boss that you HATE has indeed become your boss again. Then you realize that the guy you started to like really doesn't like you like that and you're left feeling like a reject. And that company that had been emailing you every day for a week for a possible job has fallen silent; signaling rejection in the work world as well. Don't you hate it when that happens?

No?

Must just be me then....

Then again...

Okay, maybe I was being too optimistic. My possible future employer hasn't responded yet. Maybe they don't really like me. Maybe she's out sick. I went home early today because I was sick. Yeah...yeah...that's it. She's out sick...