Struck By Serendipity

Life has given me some lemons. Most of them rotted in my fridge until trash day.

Looking Back December 29, 2009

Filed under: Holidays — Jan @ 9:19 pm

2009 was a great year. 

It was easily an improvement over my crappy 2008!

…I graduated!

….I passed half of the CPA exams!

…I grew as an individual & learned a lot about myself.

…I set new goals and put outdated plans behind me.

…I was a good doggy mom to my precious boys.

…I got to spend a lot of time with my parents.

…I learned to open my heart again, which was difficult.

…I bought a dining room table. (Yes, that’s a 2009 acomplishment. Don’t ask.)

I had fun.  I laughed.  I loved.  I learned.  I grew.

I’m looking forward to everything 2010 has to offer as well.

Happy New Year!

 

The View Outside My Window December 16, 2009

Filed under: Randomness — Jan @ 10:27 am

I recently woke up to the most awesome scene in my front yard.  Well, maybe I shouldn’t classify it as “awesome” considering there is a deceased person in my driveway.  But it was hilarious. 

 I took about a dozen pictures, each time becoming a little more paranoid that someone from the funeral procession would notice my camera’s flash in the window or hear me laughing hysterically.

 

Look closely, folks.  And don’t judge me too harshly for laughing until I was crying. 

 

 

 

Fact November 25, 2009

Filed under: Dogs, confessions — Jan @ 1:20 pm

Fact:  You know you’re a bad singer when even your dogs leave the room during your duet with Kelly Clarkson.

 

A New Weight Loss Challenge November 24, 2009

Filed under: I'm an Idiot, confessions, real life woes — Jan @ 1:00 pm

Screw 10 pounds in 10 days or whatever the latest gimmick is.  Last Friday on Oprah, Ray Romano declared that his personal record for “morning pee weight loss” is 3 pounds.  Basically, he weighs himself before and after peeing in the morning & he once lost 3 pounds.

It’s possible his weight loss was due to standing on the scale in different positions or not doing the math correctly, but I have an overwhelming desire to BEAT 3 POUNDS.  I’m embarrassed to publicly admit my competitive nature on this self-induced “morning pee weight loss challenge,” so I’m declaring it in the blog-o-sphere.

I’ve been drinking huge amounts of Crystal Light each evening to prepare for my weigh-in each morning.  My problem is that I pee immediately after waking up before I’m alert.  For the last 3 mornings, I’ve needed to pee so badly that I’ve forgotten to do my pre-pee weigh-in.  I remembered it mid-pee this morning, which was too late to get an accurate measurement.  Hopefully I’ll remember soon because my bladder is not enjoying this competition.

Consider yourself challenged in the First (and Last) Annual Morning Pee Weight Loss Challenge.  E-mail me your results and the winner will be announced later.  Who’s in with me?

Yes, this post is categorized under “real life woes.”  Don’t judge me.

 

My Life Outside of the Blogging World November 23, 2009

Filed under: Running — Jan @ 9:16 pm

(I know the title may catch some readers off-guard, but it’s true.  I have a life outside of this wonderful blogging world that has kept me from blogging lately.  Hopefully real-life will slow down soon & I can return to regular blogging.)

 

My 5K went considerably better than I thought it would.  I ran the whole thing & finished 16th out of 50 girls in my age group.  Towards the end of the race I came upon a girl about my age (ie. “competition”) who was walking & I asked her if she’d like to finish with me because I’m a supportive, awesome person.  She began jogging next to me & then began to take the lead.  WTF?!  I was being nice and encouraging her and she has the balls to try to BEAT me?!  Hell no, folks.  I then began running faster, and we continued this back and fourth thing until we ended the race in a DEAD SPRINT.  I won.  (Woo hoo!)  …but then I almost passed out and slowly made my way to the side of the street where I sat watching the stars in the sky in my head.  Every muscle in my legs & butt then cramped up.  I guess you could say that it was a bittersweet victory, but I think it was worth the pain I felt for the following three days.

 

With the exception of the few minutes I spent running the 5K, I’ve spent the rest of my free time over the last 10 weeks studying for my CPA exams.  I’ve developed accounting-overload induced ADHD.  In case you missed my Facebook update with 5,432 exclamation points, I PASSED MY FIRST EXAM! 

I take my second exam this Monday, so with the exception of a Thanksgiving dinner & a few Black Friday sales, I will be spending the next 5 days cramming for what will hopefully be another “victory” in my nerdy accounting world.

 

First 5K of the Season November 11, 2009

Filed under: Running — Jan @ 11:46 am

Tonight is my first 5K of the season.  I’ve run approximately 6 miles since my last 5K in April to prepare for this event.  It’s been too hot in Florida to run, so I have a legitimate excuse to cover for my illegitimate excuses for being lazy.

Tonight isn’t just any 5K.  It’s a 5K over a bridge & back.  When I pointed out to PC that this meant I would literally be running uphill both ways, he promptly pointed out that it also means it’s downhill both ways.  I guess I’m just not a “glass half full” kind of person when it comes to torturing myself with an ill-prepared race.

While a cold front is coming through tonight, I don’t think it will be cool enough to pull out the lucky orange pants.  You may recall I started a trend last year:

Colusa Bug Chase 5K 1.24.09 I editedColusa Bug Chase 5K Jan 15 years ago edited

Turkey Trot 2008 2

I’m thankful that I will get to run in the cover of darkness for this race.  My goal is to simply finish it without walking.

Wish me luck!  :)

 

 

“Glitch” November 3, 2009

Filed under: Just Ignore me While I VENT, Work — Jan @ 3:24 pm

I work with a lady who constantly screws up.  She spends more time trying to fix her mistakes than she does doing things the first time.  Unfortantatly, she’s rarely able to resolve her issues herself, which means people like myself spend a lot of time fixing her problems.

After approaching her about her latest series of errors, she sent out a mass e-mail with corrected information along with an explanation:  “There was a glitch in the reporting yesterday.”

I’ve spent the last hour talking myself out of replying, “Yes, a ‘glitch’ named Sara*.”  (*not her real name)

I guess it goes to show that I’m way more evil than the 22% the Gemantriculator calculated.  However, if you had an entire inbox of somebody’s else’s mistakes to fix, you may be tempted to do the same thing.

Back to work…

 

My Gangster Parents October 30, 2009

Filed under: Ahhh Crap., confessions, family — Jan @ 7:00 am

Gangster Parents

Next time you accuse me of being a dork, please understand that it is genetic.

This is a picture of my parents trying to look “intimidating.”  My dad and his friends send “funny” e-mails to each other accompanied by themed pictures.  In this e-mail, my father was trying to show his friend that he would be a good consultant for his friend’s new contract with Homeland Security.

Seeing this picture brought me back to the embarrassing period called “childhood.”  My dad had two goals as a father, (1) to raise good kids, and (2) to embarrass the hell out of us at every chance.  After almost 27 years and thousands of miles separating us, he continues to embarrass me.

Retirement has left my parents with way too much time on their hands.

What’s the most embarrassing thing your parents did to you OR you did to your kids?

 

My Real-Life Ghost Encounter October 28, 2009

Filed under: Holidays, confessions, family — Jan @ 9:37 pm

I grew up in an old house on the edge of Bloody Hill, where the deadliest battle of the Civil War took place in 1861 and General Lyon was killed. As a result, I heard more than my fair share of ghost stories growing up. My older brother and his friends even went on “ghost-hunting” outings at night.

Thinking logically, I don’t believe in “ghosts.” I’ve always believed in angels, but not ghosts in the way they are typically described. However, one summer in the early 1990’s that all changed.

I was sitting on the edge of our pool by my babysitter with my feet dangling in the restricted deep-end, facing the house. My brother and the babysitter’s brother were playing in the water. All of a sudden, I noticed a faint outline of a man standing in the doorway of the back door. There were no features visible; it was a transparent fog-like outline with distinct edges. He was tall, several inches over 6 feet.

After he saw us staring, he turned and ran away, going through the kitchen. As he passed the closed kitchen window, the curtains blew.

I turned to my babysitter just as she looked at me. Her face was as white as mine probably was. We confirmed we had seen the same thing and called the boys out of the pool to discuss what happened. Being the logical individuals we are, we decided that we must have saw a shadow (even though I knew darn well it wasn’t a shadow). We slowly edged around the house in a huddle to see if there was a car in the driveway. There was not.

Later that summer the same fog-like figure came into the living room and turned up the stereo. I saw the volume dial move as it got louder. He then ran from the room as quickly as he had arrived. I stayed under a blanket on the couch for the remainder of the afternoon.  (In hindsight, I can’t blame him. We were rocking to Michael Bolton).

My parents hated hearing the ghost stories and eventually fired the babysitter for “putting ideas in our heads.” I didn’t find out that they, too, had experience with this ghost until 13 years later.

My dad slept in the basement guest room due to his surround-sound snoring. He acknowledged that the ghost bothered him that summer, as well. The ghost banged on the walls, turned the t.v. on and off, and flashed the lights during the night. Eventually, my dad spoke to the ghost, telling him that although he wasn’t afraid of him, he was scaring the children and needed to leave our home.

My dad told this story to our neighbors last year. Our neighbors looked at each other in shock, asked what year this occurred, and then told my parents that at the end of the same summer in question, their house had become “haunted.” They too, eventually asked the ghost to leave and had no further problems.

So, believe what you like. …And have a happy and safe Halloween!

 

Adapting to Curve Balls October 24, 2009

Filed under: divorce, real life woes — Jan @ 6:32 pm

I quit playing softball in 5th or 6th grade, well before girls my age learned how to pitch curveballs and change-ups.  I had mastered hitting the slow-pitch, knowing the mechanics needed to hit the ball successfully.  But a curve ball?  I had never seen such a thing.

Life for me was very similar growing up.  I was a happy, carefree child.  My biggest stressors were what to wear to school and how to annoy my big brother.  While my friends were suffering through their parents’ divorces and living in unhealthy home environments, I was fortantate to have supportive parents and no worries.  I got scholarships while my friends worked three jobs.  I was in love while my friends were heart broken.  Everything was easy.

While I’m thankful to have experienced a great youth, I’m now learning that I missed out on an important lesson…  I never learned how to adapt to curveballs.

Reality slapped me in the face about a year and a half ago when my ex did some horrible things & left.  It hurt me and I honestly haven’t been the same since.  He rarely even crosses my mind anymore, but the psychological damage I suffered due to his actions have taken a toll on me.

Since that day, I have suffered from anxiety & mild panic attacks.  I get stressed easily & allow it to affect many areas of my life.  After dealing with the anxiety for a year & not being able to control it, I decided to try therapy.

It’s been an enlightening experience.  I’m still not sure what to make of the lessons I’m learning, but I’m becoming more aware of why I am the way I am.  Although I always leave sessions thinking I have more problems than I did when I arrived, I think this route has potential to help me grow into a more well-rounded individual.  (Let’s just hope it happens quickly, because I can’t afford this guy for very much longer!)

I’m hoping once the weather cools down, I can return to my two favorite de-stressors:  (1) jogging and (2) relaxing on the beach, listening to the waves crash at my feet.

What’s your favorite way to deal with the stresses of life?