2014 Goals

Long ago, I decided not to have resolutions at New Year's - I felt that it set up for failure and disappointment.  Part I my yearly ritual, after Danielle leaves for home and I start to feel the melancholy that inevitably follows, is to look forward to the new year and set a list of goals I'd like to achieve.  Some of them fit in with a larger plan, i.e. Graduate School, and some are purely for the immediate future.

Even though I did not write them down in a formal blog post, there were several things that I mentioned throughout the year.  So, to begin, let's take a look back at last year's 2013 goals:

1. Buy a House - this was most definitely achieved in 2013!
2. Quit Hallmark - an ongoing goal for several years, but finally achieved in July of 2013.
3. More creative writing - I have one story I've been working on this year.  Mostly when I'm in an airplane and have nothing else I can do for 2 hours.
4. Europe Trip with Danielle - we made it to London, Cardiff, and Dublin with Andrea in May/June of 2013.
5. Pay off Credit Card Debt - refinanced with some student loan money and then wracked it up again  :(
6. More contact with friends who live out of state- didn't do so well on this.  Because of goal#1 I didn't even make it down for my annual visit with J & H.

All in all, not a bad year for my goals.  There were so many things that happened it's difficult to remember it all now.  Dad was able to legally wed Stepdaddy M in Maryland.  My sister graduated from business school and we took our youngest cousin to the ceremony in Atlanta.

2014 has some big shoes to fill, but I think it will be just as fantastic as this year.  New Goals:

1. Focus more on experiences and less on things
2. Writing more during breaks from school.
3. Plan one additional monthly event for the Scotch Sippers meetup.
4. Go to the gym 3 times a week during breaks and at least 1 time a week during the semester.
5. Paint the living room and/or master bedroom before the start of the fall semester.
6. Have a housewarming party/birthday party.
7. Listen more and complain less
8. Apply to jobs in the accounting field
9. Budget more effectively
10. Plan a big trip for end of 2014, possibly early 2015.

Some of these are very practical and some are pie in the sky.  Really curious to see where the new year leads and what I will be able to accomplish for myself.

Au Revoir Hallmark

After 14 years at the Hallmark Store, I've finally hung up my apron.  I started out of high school, to help pay for college and my first car.  When I graduated it became my part-time job to help supplement the income from my full-time job and pay down student loans.  When my company folded unexpectedly, it was there to offer full-time hours while searching for a new job.  Once I was on steadier feet, it helped me get my credit in order so I could buy my house.  Then, it was a security blanket - something stashed in my back pocket to protect me from the dark. 

The women that I have known through the years have taught me so much about life and friendship.  They helped me grow up and were a substitute family when my own was unwelcoming.  My first realization of my own mortality happened with the death of my manager's daughter (I was 21, the girl was 18).  With the passing of a co-worker in our main office, I've seen the new generation of Hallmark girls experience the same realization (Our co-worker was 32, the next gens are 18-21).  I know that I have contributed to their maturation as much as those that helped me.  We've seen marriages, divorces, and pregnancies over the years.  We've welcomed people back when they were down on their luck and then wished them all the best when they find a better opportunity.  We've developed bonds with customers and looked for them at our major events year after year.

My chapter in this story has come to an end, but the book is not yet finished.  There will be so many other women to pass through those doors and life will continue to go on inside those walls.  The cramped back room with minimal storage space for product, larger than expected shipments, late night stocking and display changes while management is cursed.  Friendships will flourish, secrets will be shared and kept, confidence will be gained.  People will be stretched to their limits, pick up extra hours to makes ends meet, and some will move on.

School Planning (Spring 2013-Semester)

I created a spreadsheet to list all of the required classes, and the estimated semesters I would take them, to see when my potential graduation date would be.  If I only take two classes a semester and give myself a break for the winter (meaning I take two classes in the Summer as well as the Fall and Spring), then I could graduate in 2017.  If I take three classes in the Spring or Fall for the undergrad requirements, I could graduate in 2015 or 2016.  I don't want to push myself to the point of breaking, but I honestly think I could have handled three classes this semester.

So, as of right now, I am registered for ACCT301 (Intermediate Accounting), ACCT341 (Cost Accounting), and PHIL371(Business Ethics).  I'm hoping the accounting classes won't be too difficult, especially since it's been over a semester since I had to think that way.  My current accounting class is Information Systems and focuses more on the processes than the recording.  My other classmates recommend taking Cost Accounting and the first Intermediate together as they are complementary, so hopefully that's true.  But I will have class on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights.

I think I definitely need to let Hallmark know that I need to focus on school and my day job.  I'm hoping I can get my finances in order enough that I don't need the second job at all.  It's also going to be more money for the semester and overall I'll pay more out of pocket.  But if it means I can get my degree, and a better salary, sooner it's probably worth it.  Mostly, I'm just worried about stressing myself out too much.

Writing

The guy I've been seeing has been incredibly supportive on a number of levels, but has mentioned on more than one occasion that I should focus more on writing.  I let him read my story about my character, Ianthe, and he found it to be very entertaining.  Apparently, it has the benefit of being easy to read and engages the reader in the story. 

I have a lot of my story up on Live Journal, though my privacy settings are set so only my friends can see what's posted. When I first started writing the story, I would let the girls at Hallmark read pieces of it.  Their enthusiasm helped spur me onwards with the work and I wonder if I should start posting on this blog.  If I'm getting feedback from people genuinely interested in the characters/story it would keep it fresh in my brain and encourage me to write more often.  My concern, however, is plagiarism.  I've read through more than one entry of Cleolinda Jones' journal where she has had to battle people claiming her movies in 15 minutes as her own.

Not to say that my writing would be nearly as clever as hers or incite that level of plagiarism.  I just would hate to have someone unknown take my characters and accomplish what I have been thus far unable to do with them.  I think I am also afraid of having the negative feedback that inevitably comes with posting anything creative or personal on the Internet.  Even though the story, itself,  would not be a personal account of anything, it's still very much a part of me that would be exposed to the general public and people can be cruel.

I've attempted to read some of the recent fiction that's on the bestseller list and I realize that writing doesn't have to be the crafted artistry I appreciate in novels, but I don't know if I would be personally satisfied with writing something less than perfect.  Of course, nothing is perfect and that's a ridiculous statement.  But I do have a certain level  to which I hold my writing and I would not want to put out something half-baked.  But I also know that I have the talent within myself to write something better than what I've seen on the shelves recently.  Unfortunately, in order to prove that, one must actually write and produce something for comparison.

So I'm back to wondering if I should risk writing unfinished works here in an attempt to complete something for an actual publication.

A Crossroads 2

I have to call and set up an interview for this week.  Turns out that my transcripts and mostly accounting background didn't scare off the powers that be at the Grant Writing job.  I am still unsure of what to do should this interview also go well and they potentially offer me the position.

Part of me feels so disloyal and deceitful.  I mean I like my job and my on-site supervisor.  There is no reason I would seek out another job, this opportunity just happened to find me.  But I also know that if they had to downsize for any reason, as much as they like the work I do and value me as an employee, it wouldn't be personal.  So I really can't view this the same way, should I actually get a job offer that presents a better opportunity.

Things I know about my current job:

• I've been doing the same thing for the last three years.
• There was talk of promoting me to something, but that disappeared when my old boss left for a different job.
• I don't have a clear cut path for promotion or advancement within the company
• They will pay up to $5000 a year for my business school education
• My current salary is about $45K a year - with bonuses and school reimbursement

So I would need to determine what this new job would pay, then what kind of career ladder we're talking about.

B-School Prep: Quizno's Article on NPR

On the ride into work today I heard the following: Quizno's NPR Article.

It really made me think about the degree I am attempting to pursue as it involved the flow of business.  An interesting perspective on franchises and corporate offices, too.  I haven't really thought about how Hallmark and my store interact on the financial side of things.  My focus is limited to the monthly inspections we get from the corporate office to make sure we're maintaining the Hallmark Core Values.

There are some materials/merchandise we must purchase directly from Hallmark.  The cards are the obvious example and honoring the gold crown coupons is similar to Quizno's buy one get one free deal.  (Because the coupons are only allowed to be used on Hallmark merchandise and we have to buy that directly from the corporation.)  Though we are reimbursed for the cost of the items sold so it's not like we're out that money like the Quizno's franchises.  We just don't make a profit from the sale of those items, so it's a loss of potential income I suppose.

I kind of feel like an apprentice watch maker on his first day.  There are these inner workings that I have taken for granted my entire life and learning some of the basics has widened my perspective of the world.  All this from just one Accounting I class, imagine what I could do with an entire Masters Degree!

The Times, They Are A Changin'

I saw a post on Facebook today that made me realize I'm moving into the next phase of Hallmark life.  There was a time when the "kids" would get together after work for some much needed down/bitch time.  We would go to dinners together, or hang out at some one's house, etc.  There was a time when I was invited to those.

I completely understand the need to have fun time with one's co-workers outside of work, especially at Hallmark and especially at Christmastime.  That being said, there are certain people that wouldn't make it the cathartic experience it needs to be.   I've usually straddled that line; hanging out with the "kids" or  relaxing with the "ladies."  But I might have officially crossed over that "kid" line.  I am not upset that I wasn't invited, that's not the point.  It's just a realization that time progresses and things move on.

It's sort of a Hallmark No-man's land.   I'm not quite old enough to be part of the "ladies,"  I don't have their life experiences or worries.  And I don't have the same perspective that the "girls" have anymore.  I have more concrete worries and responsibilities; a better understanding of how things work or need to work.  Hallmark isn't my career but then it's not my until I'm finished with school job either.  All the "girls' I started with, twelve years ago, have gone off into their respective careers and started families, etc.  It was about my age when my decade buddy left Hallmark to have her first child.

I wonder if she felt the way I do about Hallmark when she was in my shoes.

December

I'm starting off December with a cold I caught from my sister while visiting her for Thanksgiving.  After a week of progressively worse symptoms, despite my attempts to self-medicate with DayQuil/NyQuil/Mucinex, I finally went to the Target Clinic this past weekend.  It was actually a pleasant experience.

I had some free time before my Hallmark shift and knew I had very limited PTO at my day job, so I got out of bed earlier than I felt like it and went to the Target near my Hallmark job.  I figured even if the wait for the Clinic was ridiculous at least I would already be in the area for work.  The wait was exactly half an hour and they gave me a pager so I could walk around the store or go get some tea in the café.  This proved to be the best part of the service they offered, simply because walking around kept my sinuses clearer and allowed me to feel a little less miserable.

It was determined that I should have anti-biotics.  Now, I hate to take anti-biotics unless absolutely necessary.  They are over prescribed, pumped into our farm animals, and we're in danger of letting the bacteria evolve past our ability to treat it.  But having gone more than a week with my usual cold medicines and developing a nagging hacking cough after about a week of trying to treat this, I realized that maybe there is more going on than the common cold.  So I surrendered and started the anti-biotic yesterday.  Fortunately, I can already say things are looking up.  I don't think I'm quite back to singing ability, but my voice doesn't sound like my smoker grandmother's either.

Now, I am sitting at my desk trying not to cough as often as I need to.  I know how annoying it is for everyone else in the office and I've even had one girl ban me from her area entirely.  Apparently, when I get sick even if it's only for a couple of days, because I have the immune system of steel, it's really bad and it takes everyone else several weeks to recover.  Most of us have used our PTO and are just trying to make it through these next three weeks as quickly and as healthy as possible, so I understand her paranoia.  But it still hurts my feelings a little bit.

Layaway

Photo courtesy: TheTruthAbout via Flickr

I saw a commercial last night for the return of Layaway at Wal-Mart.  My Hallmark store has always offered layaway, especially during ornament season, but we've seen a definite increase in the number of customers utilizing this service this year.  So I thought it was interesting when I saw a Big Retail Store returning to this service as well.  It truly is a sign of the times and the struggling retail industry.  No one really wants to use their credit card, or they have already used it to the max, but they want to provide a decent holiday for their families.  So layaway provides a reasonable alternative.

Our Layaway sales haven't just been for ornaments either, which is surprising to me.  On November 6th, we will have Jim Shore for an in-store signing event and customers are already making their purchases.  We've had people layaway pillow pets, jewelry items, and other holiday gifts.  Our selling point, particularly for the ornaments, has been that we'll store all your holiday stuff for you while you make layaway payments.  (We don't have a strict schedule, you just have to pick it up by December 1st.)  It makes it easier to hide gifts from family members.

I remember when I was younger, my dad seemed to always have a layaway at the local K-Mart.  We even had school clothes on layaway one year.  I can understand why Credit Cards became the popular form of buy now, pay later though.  With a card, one could take the purchased items home right away whereas layaway requires a little more patience.  But a major benefit of layaway was the lack of interest rate and the ability to pay for an item in full before receiving it for use and destruction.  How many people have holiday debt they continue to carry from year to year for items that have long since been donated or thrown out?  Also, if one was unable to pay for the layaway in full there was a minor penalty at the store but one was able to get back most of the money that was paid.

I'm glad to see this make a comeback.  Overall, I think it will be a healthier option for our holiday over indulgences.  Of course, we need to pare back our spending habits overall -  I speak from the heart on this one, having made many of my own poor choices, financially speaking - but this will at least alleviate that credit card burden so many are carrying around.  It provides the ability to purchase things one can legitimately afford.  I think it will also cause many people to really consider their purchases if they don't have the immediate gratification a credit card provides.


Layaway Making A Comeback - MSNBC Article
"Retailers to Revive Layaway to Entice Budget Conscious Shoppers" - Fox Business Article

My Jem Costume!

I don't know if I'm sold on the wig just yet.  I promise to post pictures once I get the make-up and accessories figured out.

Hallmark Ornament Premiere

We're gearing up for Ornament Premiere at Hallmark.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Ornament Premiere is always the second or third weekend in July, at least it has been the last 12 years I've worked here, and customers are always shocked to see Christmas six months before the holiday.  Most customers groan and say something not terribly witty about it.  But there are those die-hards that buy their ornaments as soon as they come out because they are Collectors.  This is, personally, one of my favorite Hallmark events and not necessarily because of the ornaments though I do buy my fair share (and probably yours too.)  I love this event because I get to dress in costume and pretend to be something else for an entire day.  I go all out which means I get placed at the door and don't have to ring a single sale the entire day.  I'm not sure why the other employees haven't caught on to this yet.  It started as a way to wear my expensive Renn Fest Costume more than once a year.  Once I realized the added benefit of not actually working the entire day, I was sold.



from tomopop.com



This year, I need to come up with a theme that will be both fun for the other employees and allow me to wear my brand new Halloween Costume that I commissioned the lovely Cherrypievintage on Etsy.com to make for me.  If you are not familiar with this costume, and should be if you're reading a 30th year blog this year, this is the Jem outfit from Jem and the Holograms.  Yes, that's right, I am going to be Truly Outrageous.   Now I just need to find a pair of Jem Star Earrings, a Pink Rocker Wig, and sparkle tights.  If I could persuade my sister to dress up as Kimber and her girlfriend to dress up as Stormer, this Halloween could be epic.  "Tell me I'm crazy, Maybe I know, but I believe in Happy Endings."

Kimber and Stormer





Flat Tires and Anti-Theft Devices

Yesterday had to be one of the worst days and only because of about two hours of the entire day.  I came out of work to find that my tire was flat, not completely but enough to be of concern.  (I had filled it with air the night before, so clearly it's a slow leak of some kind.)  I have never changed my own tire before, but I understand the mechanics of it and I was ready to take care of this myself.  So I pulled into a gas station and got out my tire kit, full-size spare tire, and manual.  I had no problem pulling the bolt caps off the tire, jacking up the car, or taking off 4 of the 5 bolts.  It was difficult work, to be sure, but I was able to get it done.   Then I started to remove the fifth bolt on my wheel and realized it wasn't like the others.  It had a weird shape to it and wouldn't budge.

According to the owner's manual, this is an anti-theft bolt.  There should be an anti-theft bolt key included in the tire kit or the dealership should have given me one when I purchased my vehicle.  Neither of these things happened.  The only way to get the tire changed is to take it to the dealership and have them do it for me.  Which would have been great on any other day, but all the Volkswagen dealerships are closed on Sunday.  Also, my car is no longer under warranty so it would have cost me money to have it towed anywhere.  Thankfully the Shell Station by my part-time job was able to look at the tire and give me some advice.  They told me that I should be able to fill it up with air and it would get me home.  But that I'd have to refill it in the morning to get to work and then again to get to the dealership in the afternoon.

So it's highly inconvenient.  I appreciate the anti-theft bolt and its purpose, but I am pissed at the dealership for not including the necessary equipment to properly change my own tire. (The gas station guys tried to be all macho and help.  Which kind of pissed me off, too.  They were like "oh, little lady need some help," as if I weren't perfectly capable of doing it myself.)  I didn't even know this was a security feature on the car or I would have made a point to ask for it.  My old Beetle had no such security feature.  Also, looking at the full-size spare I realized just how worn my current tires are and that they need replacing very soon.  Have you ever priced tires?  I didn't realize how expensive they were.

Shaking Things Up At Work

I caught a little bit of a where-is-my-life-going depression this evening.  We've had all kinds of changes at my day job; people have been laid-off, departments have been restructured, and I report to a new boss.  I wasn't too upset about it because the changes made sense.  I work with data entry and inventory management within our accounting system, so it made sense that they would put me with the Materials department instead of the Contracts department where I was.  New boss man seems really nice and easy-going and my day-to-day isn't going to change that much, so it's really not a problem.

But they changed my title.  I was an Accounting Assistant and now I am the Materials Assistant.  Again, it makes sense and nothing is really going to change.  But the requirements for my job, minimum is a high school diploma though they prefer someone with a Bachelor's sort of shook me up.  Then I went to Hallmark and they asked me to check in some product we'd received.  It wasn't until I sat down at the computer and clicked on the Receiving Button that I realized I am still doing the same exact job I did when I was 22.  The title isn't even that different.

Granted, it's for an entirely different company and the benefits/salary are much better than anything I had when I was the Merchandise Assistant at Hallmark.  It did make me wonder if accounting is really something for me, though.  Because I haven't really done any "real" accounting.  And am I nothing more than an assistant?  How do I get out of that?  The whole thing just made me really question if my life is truly different from what it was 8 years ago.  Shouldn't there a different type of growth?

This realignment of departments in the company will give me more opportunities for advancement, but I'm not sure in which direction exactly.  Am I really in a career?  If so, is it the career I really want to be in?

Crazy Cat Ladies and Mommy Issues

Junk Lady from Labyrinth

Last night, we had a customer come into Hallmark at about ten of nine.  (For those not aware, we close at nine.)  Normally, this is not a problem as most people are in and out pretty quickly when it's that close to our bitching hour.  Unfortunately, this is a semi-regular customer and she always arrives about 10-15 minutes before we close and stays until about 10-15 minutes after we've locked the doors to other customers.  She's dangerously overweight, has stringy dirty hair, and always smells of cat urine.  In my mind, she looks like this ------------------->

I know the lady has some issues, nothing serious but I recognize some of the same things my mother has gone through.  I get that the woman is depressed, lonely, etc.  She comes into my store and always buys the most useless things, spends too much, and writes a check.  Again, I have seen this before and sometimes I silently weep for this woman and those like her.  She uses a cane to support herself and always walks as slowly as she can.

Last night, had to be the worst.  I walked up to her as soon as I spotted her and asked if I could help her find something, knowing she would take her sweet time if I didn't.  She asked for the Warm Wishes, $.99, cards and I took her to the section.  I had to wait three times for her to catch up and I counted silently in my head so I could avoid being rude.  After we'd shut off the lights, at 9, and corralled people to the register she took her time looking at the jewelry on the counter.  I politely asked if there was anything else I could do to help and then started ringing out her purchases on a new register to get things rolling.  It was 9:10 when she finally pulled out her checkbook and 9:18 when I walked her to the door.  The entire process was so agonizingly slow that I wanted to scream in her face.  I literally had to choke down my rage as she fumbled in her purse for her license.

I know that half of my reaction was not this woman's fault.  It was the recognition in her of all the things I dislike about my mother.  That helplessness that makes me want to shout at someone until they cry and learn to be self reliant.  The mismanagement of money, when resources are already scarce.  Then I wonder if this woman has family.  I wonder if the cheap plastic bracelet is going to a daughter or niece somewhere; if it will be thrown in a pile of unnecessary things you keep because you don't want to hurt some one's feelings.  I wonder if that person ever thinks of the above scene in Labyrinth and can relate that character to their relative.  But I would bet money that this woman has no one.  She buys things for friends, or fellow church members, with a sweetness and true soul of giving.  And I remember to count to ten and realize that this woman is not my own mother.  I don't have to be angry with her.  She is a customer in my store and the only thing I have to be is polite and helpful.  So I go a bit over the top, so she doesn't feel isolated and judged, and then she seeks me out the next time she's in the store.  It's a vicious cycle.

There's a First Time for Everything

I have worked at Hallmark for nearly 12 years now.  Of that time, I've been a key holder/night manager for about 9 of them.  In all that time, I've never had to write up a single employee for anything.  Granted there were things that happened that resulted in an employee's termination, but they weren't the kind of things one could prove immediately and write up for their record.

Last night, I caught A.P. using her cell phone at the register.  This is a big deal in the Hallmark world as cell phones really aren't allowed in the building let alone the sales floor.  My manager makes an exception for that cell phone rule, letting people keep them in their purse or locker, in case of emergencies.  But, while on duty, the cell phone is never to leave the back room.  It was only a few weeks ago that I caught A.P. with her cell phone at the register and told her to put it in her locker and never bring it out again. 

Under the Hallmark rules, if I find someone with their cell phone on the floor, I am supposed to send them home immediately and call the store manager to come in and cover the rest of the shift.  Then the employee that was sent home has to come in before their next shift and have a talk with the manager.  Now, I think this is extreme and no one really wants to call the manager in on her night off.  So I give the girls a verbal warning.  I explain what the rules are and what I should do when they break them, but that I think those are extreme measures and hope they realize how lucky they are that it was me that caught them and not the manager who would fire them on the spot.  I make them put their phone directly into their locker and warn them that the next time I see it, I will have to write them up and contact the manager.

Normally, this is the end of it.  If the girls do have their cell phones out on the floor after that, they are sure not to let me find out about it.  Or the instances are far enough apart that I don't remember giving them their first warning and they get another.  But last night, after I had given a verbal warning less than two weeks ago, A.P. blatantly checks her cell phone while she's standing right next to me at the register.  I ask her, "is that your cell phone in your pocket?"  Cause she hadn't exactly pulled it out in the open, but I know the checking messages on the cell phone in my pocket posture.  She reaches into the opposite pocket on her apron and pulls out her chap stick and tells me no, she was just playing with the cap on her chap stick.  I look at her, "Seriously?  Go put your phone in your locker."  Since it was after 8:00pm I did not send her home, but I did write her up. 

The part that bothers me is that, I'm pretty laid back in my managerial style there.  I expect that the basic rules are obeyed and everyone will do their job with at least a minimum effort.  But I am not hyper about it, I don't create a stressful environment and I'm understanding about most things.  I don't like getting people in trouble, but I can't ignore that level of disrespect and I have to do my job.  Twice in less than two weeks, and to be foolish enough to do it right in front of me.  I spend a lot of time on projects and things that will keep me away from the register, so if I know that this behavior has occurred then I know that it's affecting the customer service.

The Hallmark Girls Are Getting Younger

I went out last night to celebrate the birthdays of a couple of the Hallmark Girls.  There was me, 30, and then the next oldest was C, 22.  Three of the girls had just turned 21 and there was the exchanging of ID's and deciding what drinks to get.  It was adorable.  Like puppies playing with fuzzy yellow chicks in a Teddy Bear factory.  It made me think of those days in my own life and the people I shared them with.

C.D. was the Hallmark girl I hung out with the most at that time, though she was still just C.S. at that time.  None of the girls last night remembered, or even worked, with her.  But she took me out when I turned 21, to Uno's, and bought me a Lemon Drop shot for my first drink.  I was nervous and unsure; almost dropped the lemon wedge on the bar.  And then I decided to just drink the last little bit I'd left in the shot glass, without the sugar and lemon.  I shared this story last night, but none of the girls were interested in shots.  Good for them.

I am in the same role that R.F. was for me.  It's just weird for me to think about.  I am the older, wiser Hallmark girl with helpful tale of my own troubles when they need advice.  They can talk to me about things that they would never mention to Teri and yet I am not in the tight knit circle anymore.  I am the inbetween.

Immediate Life Goals

Today is the last day my friend, LV, will be working with me at Hallmark.  She got a better paying, more demanding, job and decided she needed to quit the part-time job.  Part of me is happy for her, part of me is jealous, and part of me will miss seeing her regularly without having to put in the extra effort.  After the Pampered Chef party at her house last night, I feel better about keeping in touch.  But I am definitely jealous that she has been able to quit the part-time and I think I'll need a few more months before I can comfortably put in my resignation.  It's my dream and she has achieved it.

I go Monday for advising, so I can register for the accounting class for work.  T was not pleased when I told her I'd need Tuesdays and Thursdays off for about 8 weeks, but what can you do?

Back to the Routine

Tonight is my first night back at Hallmark after vacation.  Part of me wishes I had more time before I had to get back into the full swing of my regularly scheduled programming.  But it's end of month at work and mother's day this weekend.

Transcripts, Classes, Reimbursements, oh my!

I went to see my HR representative today.  After my review with the Boss Lady, I figured I should look into what options the company had to offer in terms of educational pursuits.  Turns out that I could get a 100% reimbursement if my final grade is an A and I don't use financial aid.  I don't know what it would be if I had financial aid, but I'll have to look into it if I go to Grad School for real. 
For now, I am just looking at a class over the summer at the local community college. (I've ordered my transcripts from undergrad and will try and stop over at the advisors in the next few days.) It will be Principles of Accounting I, so we'll see how that goes.  If I find it as frustrating as my sister is, then it's probably not the right path for me and I will be back at the starting line trying to figure out what career to pursue.  If it's something that, at least, makes sense to me and I don't completely hate, then it could be a great option as I already have several years in the field as an Accounting Clerk/Assistant.

I just want to be more financially stable and eventually have the ability to quit Hallmark AND afford to buy a house in the next five years.  Maybe these are high expectations, but I have to have something to aim for or I will spend the next ten years running around in circles thinking things are "good enough."

Xpose Fitness

At work today, my co-worker gave me a coupon for her "gym."  I had mentioned that I needed to find one since my boyfriend is moving out of his apartment and into his first house so I'll lose access to his community fitness center.  My co-worker said that she had gone to this great place back in the day and was just starting up again and she thought I would really enjoy it.  When I looked at the coupon, I realized it was for a place called Xpose Fitness.

The whole point behind the Fitness Center is to tone your body through Pole and Exotic Dancing routines.  It mixes Pilate's, yoga, and other traditional routines with these routines for a total body workout.  My co-worker said that she had a new respect for the women that could pole dance as it requires one to lift one's own body weight.  I can barely do a chin-up let alone any fancy dancing on a pole, so I can understand her sentiment on this.  However, I just don't think it's for me.

I am not that confident in my own body to parade around in a class doing suggestive dance moves.  It could definitely help with my flexibility and could help create a certain sense of confidence, but I just don't think I'd be comfortable doing that.  Though, I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't a small part of me that was intrigued by the idea.

I am also curious as to what a feminist would think of it.  Not say that I am not a feminist and don't feel women should be equal, etc., but I don't know that I would label myself as a feminist.  Part of me wonders if this type of fitness routine plays into the whole Angel in the Kitchen, Devil in the Bedroom Stereotype.  And the other part of me thinks that this is a way to reclaim something that exploits women for their own sort of benefit.  But then again, is it playing into that whole set of "Hollywood" criteria that women have to be really fit and a little bit slutty to be seen as sexy?