What Am I Doing?

Here I am, so excited to go back to school. And I’ve loved every single minute of it so far. Someone please explain to me WHY I decided that I wanted to go for Business Administration? Actually, I know why. I wanted to go for my backup plan. My backup plan in case my dreams as an author and/or journalist fell through. The backup plan that included opening a bakery at the lake. Ugh. What’s going on with me?

While yes, I have enjoyed going back to school, I want to go for classes that would help me for what I really want to do (i.e. creative writing). I don’t have a business brain and I’m not customer service savvy. If I did open up my own business, I’d have a partner that ran the business side while I took care of doing what I do best. Create the designs, make the items, experiment, experiment, experiment.

While this has absolutely nothing to do with the actual businesses classes (currently I have one and the teacher is awesome), it’s still not what I want. When will I start doing things for me and stop doing things cause I think they make more sense? Or better yet, stop worrying about what people think.. who cares if this is the 4th time I’ve changed my major? Or the 3rd time I’ve gone back to college because the first two times I wasn’t happy with what I was learning then, either? So Nursing, Information Systems, and Account weren’t for me. Big deal. I’ve said I would be a writer since I was 16. Maybe it’s time to start doing instead of saying.

On the other hand, it could be the medicine for my sinus/ear infection talking. /sigh

Recipes to Try: Sausage Apple Strudel

Ingredients
1 can (10 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cinnamon sugar, divided
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith or McIntosh, thinly sliced
5 frozen BOCA Meatless Breakfast Links, chopped
4 KRAFT Big Slice Mild Cheddar Cheese Slices

Pat pizza dough onto bottom of 15x10x1-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar.

Arrange apples in lengthwise row down center of dough; top with chopped links. Fold over both long sides of dough to cover filling, slightly overlapping edges of dough in center. Pinch ends of dough together to seal. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake 15 min. or until golden brown.

Prepare and bake as directed. Remove from oven. Immediately top with 4 KRAFT Big Slice Mild Cheddar Cheese Slices. Let stand until slightly melted.

Recipe To Try: Ghiradelli Chocolate Souffle

Yield: 2 large or 4 small servings

2 ounce(s) 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
2 teaspoon(s) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoon(s) plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoon(s) plus two teaspoons milk
1 egg yolk
2 egg whites

Directions
Heat oven to 350 F. Brush two 1 1/2-cup or four 1/2-cup ovenproof ramekins with butter; dust bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. In double boiler over hot water, melt chocolate with milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cool for 5 minutes. Whisk egg yolk into chocolate mixture. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; add remaining 2 teaspoons granulated sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. With rubber spatula, fold one-fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites. Divide between prepared ramekins. (Soufflés may be prepared ahead up to this point and refrigerated for up to 2 hours. Bake straight from refrigerator, adding 3 minutes to baking time.)
Bake 20 minutes for large ramekins and 15 minutes for small ramekins. Remove from oven; dust tops of soufflés with powdered sugar, using heart-shaped stencil if desired.

Movies 2012

It’s official.. I need to find a movie buddy that has off the same days as me and is willing to pay 50/50. So many movies, so little time.

Movies to See 2012

1. Contraband

2. Underworld: Awakening – okay, I admit, I’m a little sad that Michael is dead, but meh..

3. One for the Money – I loved Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, so I’m taking my mother and we’re going to watch it. WATCHED – I might even call it a definite buy for when it comes out.

4. Man on a Ledge – I’m not sure if I really want to see this, but I’m going to add it to the list simply because I’ve seen the trailer for it about 200 billion times.

5. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menance in 3D – Lucas totally should’ve went with Episode IV as the first one in 3D.

6. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

7. The Raven – I’m a big fan of Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry, so this sounds like it may be interesting.

8. Scary Movie 5 – I’m a sucker for train wreck movies.

9. The Avengers

10. Dark Shadows – Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter – need I say more?

11. Snow White and the Huntsman

12. G.I. Joe: Retaliation – I grew up in the 80s.. can’t you tell?

13. Total Recall

14. Resident Evil: Retribution

15. Rise of the Guardians – this just sounds like it’s going to be comical.

I read there’s going to be a Kill Bill: Vol 3 (estimated 2014), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters (2013), and a Ghostbusters III (unknown, but shows Anna Faris, Eliza Dushku, Bill Murray, and Sigourney Weaver – sounds hilarious). Along with Thor 2 (estimated 2013), a new Highlander (2014), Mortal Kombat (2013), and The Lone Ranger (2013 – with Johnny Depp & Helena Bonham Carter).

Movies I want to see that are already out – Season of the Witch, I am Number Four, Drive Angry (I have this movie and cannot find it since I bought it!), Red Riding Hood, Your Highness (sounds like a stupid plot, but comedic), Dylan Dog, X-Men First Class, Green Lantern, Ironclad, Cowboys & Aliens, Contagion, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and Colombiana.

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Christmas

I have a very large family. My mother was the oldest of 10 children. Most of those children have 1 – 2 children and most of their children have 1 – 3 children. Trust me… it’s a really big family.

Every Christmas, however, it’s normally me, my mother, my mother’s sisters, and part of their family. AKA, me, my mother, my aunt Kathy, her husband Charles, my aunt Carolyn, her granddaughter Janiya, my aunt Tammy, her husband Chris, and their daughter Taylor. Definitely not the Christmases of old when EVERYBODY was there. Imagine cramming close to 70 people in a tiny house. Don’t know how my grandparents did it..

I’ve noticed, as we’ve drifted further apart over the years, that the family that still makes an appearance for Christmas are the only ones that I still associate with. I won’t cut off (most) of my family if I see them, but I won’t stand around and talk, either. The family that still makes it into my life are hilarious, though. How many families do you know that will argue over video games (the adults, not the kids) and go from talking about drugged out wife beaters to how most beauticians are sluts? I really do love what’s left of my little family. They will most definitely keep us all entertained.

Customers

My day started off very well.. awesome customers. I was complimented twice on my politeness and how much they had enjoyed talking to me. Then we get to the final hour.. yelled at twice over the website not working until one man got ‘very angry’.

There’s not really much I can do over a website that I agree sucks. So my day was headed a bit downhill, then I got a phone call from a New Yorker. He decided to carry on a conversation with me about buying bullets and as he was hanging up the phone, I heard him telling his wife ‘nice lady’. Thank you, sir, you made my day much better!

End of the Year…

I can’t believe it’s already December. Three more weeks until 2012. So much has happened this year… Now is the time to forget all the bad stuff and think about the good stuff.

1 – Back to work, with insurance again! Yay.. which led me to getting my teeth fixed. (Long story short, infection in my gum line thanks to stupid former dentist.)

2 – I also got to spend time with my mother, who finally retired.

3 – Finally got all my finances straight, and my bills are all caught up.

4 – Got a Kindle! Love my Kindle. <3

5 – I turned 30. Honestly, I never even imagined myself past 20 long ago.. turning 30 was … wow.

6 – I got a raise at work. That was very nice.

7 – Finally got to start THE book in NaNoWriMo! (THE book is the one I’ve been writing in my head for the last 11 years.) Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it, but it has a nice start.

There's a ton more, but I'm at work and can't type it all right now..

Giggle Worthy Hijinks

Just some things that have gone on at work that make me shake my head and giggle.

Tuesday 12/06/11

Customer emails us to find out what amount she has on her gift cards. (These are old gift cards and our new, improved website now prompts you to enter a PIN, which the new cards have, but the old cards do not.

I email the customer back and let them know the amounts on the (old) gift cards.

Less than 3 minutes later..

The CFO of the company has emailed my boss with a question.

“Just curious, where did we get this info?” Attached to the body of the email is the email between myself and the customer for the gift cards.

My boss has attached the CFO’s email with “Where did you get the info from?”

I replied “From the Check Gift Card Balance link.”

I explained to my boss how you could get the old card balance and he sent up my response to the CFO, who responded with “Oh.”

I’m not a stupid person. If there’s a flaw on the website that will allow me to help a customer without a lot of headache (i.e. emailing up to corp), I will exploit it. Watch them remove it now. /sigh Just leave it alone, people!

The second email is just too mind-boggling to go into, but it dealt with a customer that had his wrong order cancelled and the one he didn’t want was still being processed. Corporate never received the information for them to cancel any order, but magically one was cancelled. Corporate also couldn’t pull up one of the orders, but I could see it just fine. I’m still not entirely sure why they emailed me and told me whatever it was they told me, but I still don’t get it. Reminds me a bit of one of my free writing attempts. :S

Monday, 12/05/11
This email was simply copied and pasted with all information taken out. As a note.. it takes about two minutes to check to see if a card went through.. per date. Unless maybe you have a really outdated system?

From: Boss
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 01:34 PM
To: Me
Subject: FW: Customer

At the bottom you have Dec 3rd Sunday. Did this take place Saturday or Sunday?

Thanks

From: Head Guy at Company
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 12:25 PM
To: Boss
Subject: FW: Customer

See below.

From: Finance Guy
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 10:05 AM
To: Head Guy at Company
Subject: RE: Customer

Was the attempt on Saturday Dec 3rd or Sunday Dec 4th?

From: Head Guy at Company
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 9:58 AM
To: Finance Guy
Subject: FW: Customer

From: Boss
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 8:19 AM
To: Head Guy at Company
Subject: FW: Customer

Head Guy at Company,

Could not locate any order under the below information. Can you please research.

Thanks
Boss

From: Me
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2011 2:48 PM
To: Boss; Boss 2
Subject: Customer

Customer Information
Item# ——-
American Express ending in —- exp. 01/17

The money was taken out of the card, customer is sure that it was a [company] order, but he has received no confirmation and it’s not in CSC. Can we see if an order was attempted and didn’t go through or anything? It was placed between 8:30 – 9am EST on Sunday, December 3.

So..

Randomly, pictures of my car smashed all to pieces can be found here. They may not be pretty for the weak at heart. Just kidding… mostly. The fireman in a couple of the pictures is my ex. He was cutting the battery cables since there was a large hole in the battery and he didn’t want to get acid on himself. Thus, the fireman suit. Yes.. he is a fireman. Yes.. I like men in uniform.

They still don’t know if my wrist is broken. Apparently it was too swollen for it’s 3 xrays. I’m 99.99% sure that it is not broken. I can move it and it doesn’t cause extreme pain you’d associate with a broken bone. But I’ve never had broken bones before. Except my toes, but toes don’t count.

I have subdermal hematoma. Not subdural hematoma which is a brain injury, but Subdermal. Per Wikipedia – A hematoma is a localized collection of blood outside the blood vessels,usually in liquid form within the tissue. And Subdermal, of course, is under the skin.

In layman’s terms, I have a giant ball of blood on the left and right side of my stomach from where the seat belt was. The right side is the worse. It’s about the size of a softball (okay, maybe baseball.. just feels like a softball in my stomach). The one on the left side is about the size of a quarter. Apparently, it’ll take 4-6 weeks for the blood to disperse.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t internal bleeding bad? Anyways, not gonna think about that right now..