Stuff and things

It's been quite a while since my last entry.  Work is keeping me extremely busy.  Our doors open for business 2 weeks from today and I can't wait for life to get back to normal.  Nothing too exciting has been happening, just coming home from work and falling asleep while watching CNN.  Which brings me to the purpose of this blog.  Typically, I'm not too intrigued by politics.  This year is an entirely different story.  We're in the middle of the 2008 election.  Obama and McCain are running against each other.  A couple of months ago, McCain named Sarah Palin as his running mate.  There is so much media attention in this race and it seems as though everyone has very strong opinions on who they think should be the next President of the U.S.  I've been tuned in on a regular basis to watch debates, updates, and interviews.  I'm still not sure why out of everyone that is capable, John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his VP candidate.  She has hardly any experience and doesn't have a very good track record.  When interviewed, she comes off as a complete idiot.  Some people love her and I'm confused as to why.  Some say that she seems like a good person and relates well to the country.  To me, a persons ability to help run a country isn't determined by me feeling comfortable having a cup of coffee with them.  I want someone who's going to get the job done and not be afraid to stand up for what is right.  I believe that some don't support Obama because he's black and some don't support him because he's very intelligent.  When he speaks, he's articulate.  Our country isn't necessarily accustomed to having a President that can complete an intelligent sentence, since the past 8 years have been filled with mindless drivel and idiotic comments.  I could go on and on about my beliefs this year, but it only gets me fired up.  Election day is next month and I can't wait to see the outcome!

The envelope game

So, before I left Kansas, my friends held a funeral in my behalf.  It was so much fun!  I walked in and they had a shrine to me with candles and my ashes.  Each person at the party took turns telling what they were going to miss about me, like I actually was dead and would never return.  Dubya is always so creative in her party planning!  We had funeral type food, such as "funeral potatoes", that were sooo good, we had green jello with marshmallows (typical Mo food!) and a couple other things.  After the funeral commenced, we had time to play some games.  Dubya had been telling me about a super fun game that her friend made up.  It's called the envelope game.  The way it works: each person has an envelope, they write a question on the outside.  They pass each envelope around and each person puts an answer to the question in the envelope.  Sounds boring, right?  Well, the answers to the questions have to include someone that's in the game.  It was kind of confusing at first, but it got to be so much fun.  We all had to promise before the game started that we wouldn't get offended and that we were all just joking by the "zings" we were throwing at each other.  Once everyone has had a chance to write an answer to the questions (without letting anyone else see their answers), the game leader collects the envelopes and reads all of the questions and answers aloud.  Below are some of my favorite questions and answers.

Who's most likely to let themselves go after marriage?  You know, gain weight, get ugly...

-Morgan because his wife will tell him on the wedding night "never again"., 

-Brett, he's already started

-Jacob, he won't get a pretty girl, so he'll have to ugly up

-Missy, but how can you let yourself go when you never had it together in the first place?

-Some of you have done it BEFORE marriage!  Yikes!

-Is it already happening?  You aren't even married Suzy!

-Jake, he tries so hard already, he won't be able to keep up the maintenance!

Who would you want to go on a road trip with?

-Suzy...if it's an overnighter!

-Morgan, so he can bring his guitar and sing more depressing songs

-Greg, if I had ear plugs!

Who's likely to be a dirty mistress?

-Missy is a dirty mistress

-Jake, the sex change is coming as soon as his hair gets long enough.  Fake hair, not okay.  Fake everything else...perfectly fine.  And who is dirtier than Jake?  Exactly!

-Missy, she currently is...with her boss!

Who's most willing to make out with someone of the same sex and like it?

-Whitney, she's so desperate and is willing to do anything!

-Morgan, I'm pretty sure he did enjoy it.  Ask Jake!

-Suzy because she'll be sick of her guy friends not making  move, so she'll make out with a girl to get noticed

Who's most likely to be arrested and for what?

-Missy, indecent exposure

-Sadly Suzy, she stole my heart

Who would you like to be your super hero and why?

-Whitney, she'd be Super Boob Hammock girl.  She can make anything disappear when strategically placed between her super boobs!

-Julie, she could be the invisible woman.  Let's face it, the less we see of her, the better!

Who's most likely to pick up a prostitute?

-Whitney, I mean she picks herself up every time she's down

-I dunno, but Jake is most likely to be a cross-dressing he-she prostitute

-Suzy, only if the prostitutes name is Jake...wink!

After reading all of that you probably think that our friendships are so twisted, but try it!  It's so fun!

Life in Pittsburgh

Ok, so I finally moved to Pittsburgh.  After months and months of waiting, it happened!  Hoorah!  I left Kansas almost 2 weeks ago and the moving company is finally bringing my belongings today.  No more sleeping on an air mattress in an empty apartment.  Dubya and my friends threw me a funeral before I left, which was fantastic.  I'll be adding a post later about an awesome game we play.  It deserves it's very own post!  I've been working out of hotel offices for the past week and will be doing so until the end of next month.  Then I'll finally get to move into our brand new building and my brand new office...can't wait.  

Shelly got me reading the most intense books of all time!  The Twilight series.  I'm almost embarrassed to say that I'm actually reading them because basically they are teenage romance novels.  Eek!  Shelly convinced me to read the first one "Twilight" because it was awesome.  I was very leery of this, because all in all I'm not a big reader.  I never have been.  In school I would buy the notes from the books so I wouldn't have to read them!  So, I read "Twilight" (about 500 pages) in about 3 days.  I couldn't believe it!  I got sucked in.  Then I decided that I HAD to read the next one to see what would happen.  I read New Moon (almost 600 pages) in 1 day!!!!  Seriously?!  I started Eclipse last night and read about a third of it.  I don't know what it is about these books that just lures me in, but I'm obsessed!  I'm sure there will be posts dedicated to these books.  The 4th book just came out and I can't wait to get it, and then she's writing a 5th as well!  I guess it's good that I have these books to obsess over because as of right now, I have no friends!  Boo!  

I'm moving to Pittsburgh!

Finally!  I got offered the HR Manager position in Pittsburgh!  I'll be moving at the end of this month and am super psyched about it.  I'll be going out for a house/apartment hunting trip in the next couple of weeks and hopefully be able to find something perfect for me that's not in the ghetto where I'd hear gunshots all night.  Yikes!  Seeing how I've never been to Pittsburgh, I don't know what to expect.  Missy lives here with me and it looks like she'll be moving back to Indy to be with the family.  I can't wait!

Am I moving, or not?

As you may know, I am a very career driven person.  My career is pretty much the focal point of my life.  Some may disapprove of my lifestyle, or mild obsession with my work, but I am one of the few that can honesty say that I love my job.  I go each day ready for whatever is thrown at me, because no 2 days are the same.  I work with great people and feel a great accomplishment from my day to day successes.  I have been working with the same company for almost 6 years and have been in my current role for almost 4 of them.  I haven't had much disappointment with my career up to this point, because my company is awesome!  However, I'm stressing out right now!  I'm totally putting the cart before the horse here, but this is causing severe anxiety!  Not good!  I've put my name in for a job transfer.  At first I wasn't too excited about the new location, but after having done extensive research and putting lots of thought into it, I finally started getting excited about the possible opportunity.  The city is perfect for me, it's closer to my family and it is a new challenge.  I've been here for 2 years and have learned a lot and really would like the chance to apply what I've learned to a new position.  So, here is where the anxiety is coming from: I don't know if I'm going to get the job!  I hate the waiting process, it's killing me!  Of course, I feel that I'm the best candidate, but then again...who doesn't think that about themselves?!  I interviewed this week, and should be finding out for sure next week.  I'm convinced that I'm going to have bleeding ulcers by then or have a panic attack!

Shelly came into town this weekend to have a girls weekend.  We just hung out and did a whole lot of nothing!  It was awesome!  She came in Thursday night and left Monday.  My favorite part of the weekend was Saturday.  We went to the day spa, it was awesome!  We got facials, massages, body scrubs and body wraps.  Heavenly!  

Child friendly?

I went out with Dubya this evening and we had quite an adventure.  I can't describe all of the things we experienced in this post, but there is one event that stuck out to me.  We went into a relatively nice restaurant to grab what we thought would be a nice quiet dinner.  We were seated and immediately heard the screaming of a young girl at the table next to us.  Our waiter came, we ordered food, we were conversing and having a relatively decent time.  Again, the disruptions ensued.  Throughout our meal there were tantrums thrown, drinks knocked over, unnecessary screams, demands for attention, crying, refusal to eat her food, etc.  I thought back to a recent discussion I heard on a local radio station.  The topic of discussion was on places that are/aren't appropriate to take your children.  One of the radio announcers said that children should be banned from restaurants so that innocent bystanders don't have to suffer from the dronings of angry children.  I believe that his opinion is a bit extreme, yet has some validity.  An Applebee's, in my opinion is child friendly.  But, why do people feel it's necessary to take their children to upscale restaurants?  Are their kid's taste that developed that only 5 star restaurant food will do?  Do kids not eat mac and cheese or pizza anymore?  I have no issue with well behaved children, I rather like them!  I just get annoyed when people bring their unruly children out and interrupt a meal that I pay good money to enjoy.  If I would have acted in any way as this little girl did, I would have been removed from the restaurant immediately by one of my parents until I was able to control myself.  I don't have children, so I'm not the expert on how to deal with them.  I may find out later that the solution to these problems are not at all what I think they should be.  But, nonetheless, currently I am a single person that enjoys quiet time and the ability to converse without disruption while I enjoy a meal.