It's Time...

Okay, so I've been out of college about 4 years now. I have grown as a person. I now know things like how to pay bills, what to look for in an apartment-mate, what is important in a lease so that your landlord can't get away with not patching a leaky ceiling that expands every time it rains, and how to deal with car insurance when your car is no longer the shiny, complete, and functional motor vehicle that it once was.

I've learned things that college never even taught me. I've brandished my degree on resumes and I'm pretttyyy sure that it was influential in landing me my first job (at least I hope so, or all that crap about getting-an-education-because-it-moves-you-along-further-along-in-life is all for naught).

Know what I haven't done? Consolidate my 5 student loans. Yep! Now, it's not because I haven't tried, mind you. i have tried a few times to do it. Something has been holding me back...okay - it was me. Let's face it, there are two things that I don't understand (well, there are probably more than two, but for the purposes of this blog, let's just say two, okay?). Those things are Student Loan Consolidation and Health Insurance. People in this industry make it SO DARN HARD to figure out what the heck is going on. I'll leave the health insurance schpiel (spelling?) to Michael Moore, but seriously - can't someone get together and make a resource for people that haven't taken classes and had certification in student loan finance-ese? Please?

Well, given that I did a budget (again) and realized that I should cut my monthly expenses, I realized that I have been putting off doing this consolidation. And you have to understand that when I say that I "realized", it did take a supreme perfected effort to ignore the fact that I needed to consolidate, given that several people currently mock me about it...

So, I took the plunge and did my application online with Sallie Mae. I signed and submitted it today. I am asking you all to hold me accountable - I'll be posting if I hear from them and what requirements I have to do (you know - blood of the first born child, original birth certificates, a certifiable bond) and then hopefully this will be the last and final time I have to have this numerical cloud hanging over my head. One can only hope...

Here goes nothing! 7th time is a charm!

Onward and Upward!

So, Friday July 27 was my last day at my previous employer...It was SO weird to leave - mostly I feel like I'm just on vacation and will be going back. It's so odd to leave a pattern of life that has been a part of me since the end of my college years! I already miss my co-workers...but thankfully, we can still hang out since we live in the same state. I really hope that I can after all of this, 'cause they are cool people and I like them. :) I, being the cheesy person I am AND the dedicated blogger, took a picture of my boss, my manager and myself. Here we are!

After 3 weeks finishing up at work, I decided to take an impromptu road trip to my home of 18 months when I was in 5th grade and see one of my long lost friends, Tammy. She is now living only a few blocks from where my old house was and has a husband and two cute kids...Zoie and Zade. Here's the thing, people - I haven't seen her for 8 years. My family and I drove through and went to her wedding before dropping me off to college. Let me tell you, people do change in 8 years...but they DON'T change too...(if that makes any sense).

This was my first roadtrip EVER by myself. There's something about having a sidekick on these long driving trips that really makes it go faster and adds peace of mind. But, seeing that it wasn't snowing, I decided I and my trusty Saturn Ion could make it through. And we did! Here's a few pictures for you...

Uh-oh...

*Sniff*

Going Green...

Not to re-visit the ugly past, but remember my first post complete with pictures of my poor little car that got rolled over on my way to Colorado? Well, as you probably know from the subsequent posts I got a new car...another Saturn Ion in the green color. I'm not as crazy about the green as I was the silver-blue, but it was on sale and green is better than some other colors so I felt that I did well (as far as I know, they don't make a pink Saturn Ion yet, so I was out of luck).

With said new car and the help of a stellar Uncle, I am fully equipped with all the new upgrades including satellite radio (which has since been discontinued as I could not in good conscience spend $20 a month for music that I can listen to for free on the real radio), a place to plug in my iPod mini and OnStar.

Now, don't get me wrong...I fully appreciate all of these things. But (and I'm really not high maintainence, I promise!) I miss one teensy tiny little feature of my old car. This is the CD "repeat" button. I love that little button with all my heart. It helps me to milk my favorite-song-of-the-moment for all it's worth.

Here's the way my music process happens. I hear a song on the radio, in a store, etc. I search it out, download it and play it over and over and over until I know all the lyrics and the harmony parts (what?? background vocalists are people too!). Then I get tired of it and move on to the next song that gets blessed by my interest. Several weeks, months or years later I hear said song that I used to love to pieces on a mix CD and I think to myself "That song sounds sooo familiar! I like it a lot..." and then I revive my interest again.

Without the key "repeat" button in this process, I feel a bit lost. I have taken to manually rewinding the song...which I suppose is fine and probably strengthens my finger muscles or something. However, I can't help but think that newer isn't ALWAYS better. There are lots of things that endure time because they are classic.

Saturn would do well to heed my advice. I'm just sayin'.

Song recycling. That's green, right? Just doing my part to help the environment.

The Skinny (not the jeans...)

So, it's been a while since I posted last! I have to be honest and tell you all in confidence (so no blabbing!) that I really just haven't felt in a "blogg-y" mood. Now, my family might disagree with me, but I don't think I'm a moody person in general. However, when it comes to this method of communication, I have to feel sufficiently impassioned about a post in order to really carry it off in true Amy style...that's different from Big Willy style, for those of you taking notes. Therefore, my blogging has been inhibited by my state of mind.

Though there hasn't been much on the blog to signify it, a lot has changed with me recently. Well, really one big thing has changed...my employment situation. After working at my current employer ever since I graduated from college, I am leaving to pursue a new line of work. I'm going to take to the stage...I hear they get great make-up. Just kidding of course...

I'm going to start working in publishing as a marketing assistant! I start on 8/1/07 and I am stoked about the whole thing. Certain un-named sources have suggested that I use my new position to try and put this blog into a book. While I don't really think that will be happening any time soon, I AM excited about the possibility of branching out into a new industry and seeing what I'm made of. There are so many options for me and I get so excited just thinking about it. After my first interview with said company, I told my Dad, "This is the job I never knew I always wanted!" And while I can't really shake that nagging feeling that it is a line from a movie (maybe that stage thing IS an option!) it was a moment of realization for me.

I'm so glad that I had the chance to work at my current employer. It's been so good and so stretching for me to be there. At times it was the best of times, at times it was the worst of times (to steal a bit from Charles Dickens), but all in all the Lord wanted me there for a reason and I'm glad to have made some friends and gained some skills along the way.

Now, I'm looking forward to the future and trying to brace myself for the transition that is sure to happen from one industry to another and from small business to larger-than-life business. Luckily (or blessedly), my new boss seems to be amazing and I'm sure they will help me get up to snuff as soon as is humanly possible. After all, it's in their best interest, right??

Thanks for all of you that have prayed with me and for me through these last few weeks and who have given me all sorts of stellar advice to live by. If I ever DO write a book, you'll be in the credits for sure. No telling if it will be invisible ink or not, but the important thing is YOU know, right?

P.S.

Yesterday night I was talking with my sister on the phone laying on my back on my bed. At the end of the call for some unearthly reason I accidently dropped my cell phone on my nose. I'm fairly certain that it's broken.

My mom (the nurse) laughed at me when I suggested that it might be shattered. SHE said that it didn't have enough FORCE to break my nose. Um, Mom? I was there. It had force. Trust me.

Since then I have had no trouble breathing which is, I suppose, a good sign. My sister Lindsay also laughed at me when I explained to her that my nose could be bent beyond recognition. SHE said "I think you would KNOW if your nose was BROKEN." Thanks for that gem, Lindsay. Your support means everything to me.

You will ALL be sorry if someday they can trace all my physical problems to bone fragments jammed into the back of my head. Do you hear me? You will alllllll be sorry.

It's a Girl Thing...

Here's the difference between my sister and I...her idea of a perfect night is to hang out at home alone (with her husband). Mine is to spend time with friends, just hanging out, sharing a meal, movie, etc.

It's 10:28 PM MST. Do you know what I'm doing? I'm watching the Tyra Banks show on channel 42 and bawling my face off as I watch 4 women get made over by Tina Knowles (Beyonce's mom). How did I get here? It was a sloooowwww downward slope of being left to my own devices this evening. :)

Being around people keeps me from completely losing it watching people I don't even know. But seriously, I think there is something deeply emotional about a makeover. Whenever I get a haircut, I feel like a whole new person. Now, magnify that by 800 and you have the power of a makeover...

But do you know what the best part is? It's not seeing the people who got made over with their final look. It's watching the people that nominated them cry on the spot as soon as they see their friend/daughter, etc.

What's next for me? Well, I'm hanging out with some women at my church tomorrow night, so a repeat of tonight's melodrama is less likely to occur. Then again...my next blog might be waterworks during a telephone service commercial. What can I say? It's definately a girl thing.