Great birthday!

I really had a nice and relaxing birthday yesterday! I went to dinner with my mom to Kobe, and stuffed myself on shrimp, scallops, and steak - NOMMY! Fell into a food coma on the couch, and I'm back at work today - having an awesome quiet day because my boss is on vacation! Yay!

I was right! I am getting a bike from Johnny for my birthday! I'm so excited! I can't wait to go try it out! :) Its going to be so much fun! I'm now busy looking up biking trails to test out in NJ for Sunday. Hopefully the weather man is not lying and the weather is going to be as awesome as they are indicating!

Tonight I have a busy night. My goddaughter is making her confirmation - it was moved to this night because Bishop Borders died last week - and since I'm also the teacher, I have to be there. Which means we are going to be late to the bullroast and shrimp feast that we're going to. But it is better late than never. I actually invited a whole bunch of people to go, but only my friend Michelle and her husband Tony wanted to go, and responded. So they'll be there tonight as well! yay!

I also think we are going out to sushi today for lunch! NOM! :)

I can't wait to see Johnny! I'm so happy! I had a weird dream that he was wearing a 70s style tux and a long curly wig and he proposed to me for my birthday - WEIRD! hehe

I also have work to do today for my practicum project - I'm so excited for it! I actually have to email my client and get on the ball with that! :) Yay! :)

It's My BIRTHDAY!!!!

I just noticed that I need to change my profile information on my blog, I'm no longer in my late 20s... I'm in my early 30s! Today is my 31st Birthday! WOOT!
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I'm having a much better reaction to this one than my 30th - that one hit me hard! But I'm keeping it really low key today. To be honest, I hate throwing birthday parties for myself, because it just seems very vain... but to each their own! Tonight I'm going out to dinner with my mom, and then I'm spending the weekend with Johnny. I still don't know what he got me for my bday, but I think I have a good guess - we'll see if it comes true! (I'm guessing Bike.)

My coworkers were sweet, with the most awesome strawberry shortcake from the local yummy bakery... I'm also going out to lunch with 2 of my coworkers. My birthday present to myself was getting my car worked on and detailed. That thing hasn't been cleaned in over a year, so it was worth it! yay! :)

Well... here's to another year of life! Thank God! And definitely to living in the moment!

Back at my Desk

I never thought I'd be so happy to see my desk in my cube. I guess its because I know that I'm working a normal schedule and not the crazy one I've been working. Its just the second week of the roll-out and I'm already tired. I think it has to do with being there for over 12 hours each day. I think I will be fine if I'm the one actually doing the training, and not just observing. To sit in the back of a classroom and just watch is as boring as anything. The facilitators try to include me, as I wrote the material, and they defer to me on some points that they may not know the answers to... but still. Going forward I will actually be the one teaching, so I should have more energy around that. Its hard to be "on" for 12 hours, teaching from 8am-5:30pm, but with set-up and clean-up, it easily gets to 12 hours, for 2 days in a row. I at least get a resume boost for this.

Anyway, on another note... Tomorrow is my Birthday! :) Where in the world has this year gone? It felt like yesterday I was having anxiety attacks about life and turning 30... yet now I feel like I've been through a rebirth and I finally have my priorities straight. I know who I am, or at least I know more about myself, and I'm getting better with managing my boundaries. I'm not having a huge blow-out party like I did last year. I just really don't have any energy for it - as there hasn't been time for me to really plan anything. Actually, I'm not having a party at all. Mom is taking me to dinner on Thursday night, John is coming down on Friday and we are going to a Bull roast/Shrimp Feast, and then we are heading back up to NJ on Saturday morning for a birthday party for his niece and nephew. I get my present from John on Saturday, which I still don't know what it is. I'm supposed to be getting a hint in the mail any day now, but I haven't gotten it yet! I'm feeling low-key this year... don't get me wrong, I love my birthday and I love to party, but I just really don't want to plan my own party. hehehe I'll show up if someone wants to have one for me.

I'm also challenging some of my facebook friends, and John and I made a pact, to lose 10lbs by the end of June. I think if we take it in chunks, it will work. I've gained 17lbs since December. That sucks. I was actually down to a smaller size, and now that size is a little tight on me. I want to be there again! Plus I have more to lose. But I think stress at work has incensed me to make choices that weren't very healthy. Being mentally tired after being brow-beaten all day just urges me to want to eat and not exercise. But its a new day, and a new outlook on life!

What a Week

I knew this week was going to be crazy going into it, but not as much as it actually happened. As a department policy, the consultants have to observe a leadership class two times before facilitating it. I was doing my first observation on Monday and Tuesday of this week, when Murphy's Law took over. The vendor facilitator from Towers Watson was sick, didn't call his backup, so I had to step in. Luckily for all those involved I actually wrote 2 sections of the training, so this rule didn't magically apply to me, and it went off without a hitch. But I almost fell over when I was told that I was stepping in. I didn't prep for that, so they found me a cubby to do some quick studying before I went in to teach it. Then I had a different class that I didn't prep for to teach this morning, because I was so busy trying to keep ahead of the 2 day one I got thrown into. Luckily I pulled that one off without a hitch too... but CRAZY.

I'm finally back at my cube, and I'm counting down to 4pm when I leave for the day. At that point I have to go buy a Marc train ticket, because I will be spending the day in DC observing some more tomorrow, and doing my training to be an admin when I have to fill in for that. Why is it that I have 4 jobs to play in this whole thing, when most only have 2? I'm tired.

Thank goodness for Yoga tonight and then my weekend with John. I think we are going to do some hiking - I need the mental break to just relax and refocus.

Looking good

So here's something female that I noticed... when I have my period is when I actually look my best. I glow, my hair lays right, clothes fit me correctly, and my appearance seems to pull together well.... that lasts up until about 2 weeks before my period, and then I start to look a little more goofy then normal. hehe :) Hormones are a crazy thing.

Anyway, this week is going to be NUTS! I'm off site for the next four days, either observing a class or teaching a class, or learning how to do the admin duties on site for a fill-in for two classes. This week begins the craziness of the huge roll out of classes. We are training twice, sometimes 4 times a week until June. BUSY! I'm either in the classroom for 1 of 4 reasons... facilitating the entire 2 day leadership class, facilitating a 2 hour chunk on technology, assisting for a 2 hour chunk on the technology, or being the admin. Luckily the 4 things don't happen all on the same day, but I will have 4 different hats to wear. I'm also the back-up on a few days, so if anyone gets sick, I have to be ready at the drop of the hat to step-in and facilitate the 2 days of leadership training. I'm going to need a vacation for sure when this is all over! I'm also charged with taking my laptop home with me every night, so I can be ready to go at a moment's notice. I'm definitely living for the break on the weekends.

Friday Field Trip

So apparently the team decided to finish all of the binders yesterday so I can go on the field trip today and not have a reason to stay behind! Yay! :) I love my team. Its relevant that I go, as I'm going to be observing and doing training there next week, but Carol doesn't like me too far out of her sight, because she needs someone here to make changes to things when she dreams up new ideas for how the binders should be. She did that last night. She didn't like one paper in the side front pocket, and waited until we had almost all of them done before telling us she wanted it in a different pocket.... so we had to switch them out. Really? Does it matter? The participants are going to move everything around anyway when they get their binders. Geez! ANAL MUCH?

Anyway, Johnny is coming down tonight and I can't wait to see him. It feels like its been weeks, although it's just been since last Sunday morning. I had to leave early to go teach Confirmation, but we get a 2 full days and 2 nights together this weekend... we should be getting that time together more often since Confirmation is over after Thursday night and I don't have to leave early anymore. Plus with it being daylight longer, no worries! :) I love my Johnny... he's so sweet and loving! :)

I've already started planning things to do this weekend, and I think I'm going to take him to the Visionary Art Museum, since we both haven't been there. Then off to dinner in Hampden to meet my friend Stacey and her boyfriend. Yay! :) That will be fun, I'm glad Stacey will get to meet him. She's my first non-school friend that gets to meet him. If the weather plays along, we may take short hike on Sunday - I got a whole bunch of trail books for John and I to explore from the library.

Storybook Land

I loved the Enchanted Forrest when I was a child, which was located off of 40 West in Maryland. It was a play ground with some rides (if I recall correctly - I get confused with the one in PA sometimes) where you can climb on things that were characters from rhymes. For instance, the Old Woman in the Shoe was a slide, etc... I was looking for things to do in NJ with John, and I stumbled upon Storybook Land in Egg Harbor, which is very similar. Actually, the last one I've been to was in New Orleans before the hurricane when I was visiting Brian. They had one in their city park, and we walked through it while visiting the holiday light display. It just reminds me of a different time in my life, when everything was so full of magic. I think John's nieces would love it! Plus I get an excuse to go and ride the rides, as I'm the adult with them! hehe

I'm really excited about him coming down this weekend. I'm going to take him around to a few different places to visit, and I'm looking for a non-hot yoga class that fits into our time-table. We had the hot yoga experience on Saturday and it did not go over well... it was just WAY too hot. I think that was more of a Birkam style, which is intense. hehe

Insanity

So apparently, even though I'm salary and can work whenever, we have to let our boss know our hours, so I've changed mine to 7:30am to 4pm. She works 7am to 6pm, but I'm sorry, I'm not going to work 11 hour days. Especially when I'm not getting overtime from it. That's stupid. Life is too short, and I have too many things I want to do after work to have to be that kind of stressed.

I like being here at 7:30am... its pretty quiet.

The Test

I think right now this is the one of the times when I'm reliving past things in order to learn and grow from them... one of my many tests while on Earth. I say this because every pet-peeve and button of mine is being pushed repeatedly by my boss. On Friday I almost wanted to walk in and proclaim that I quit. Just to see what she would do and teach her a lesson. But she's 63 years old, she doesn't see this as anything to learn.

I hate doing duplicate work, and having to print things over and over again because she wants to change the word aspire to inspire... then back again... or add a space - then take the space away because she likes it better the first time. WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH? Perfect does not exist. And I'm also tired of the unclear directions... "I would make it blue" is not the same as, "Make this blue." I'm supposed to read and not debate and know that it is what I'm supposed to do. Don't give you opinion, I learned that, just do what she says... let her figure out why you did it that way in the first place, that's the only way she'll get it.

I even got moved off the team because the work was finished and I am not supposed to help the technical team - yet they keep calling me back and handing me projects. I'm not supposed to be a shared resource, but apparently I'm shared on all three teams: behavioral, technical, and administrative. Why do I always get called in to consult? Figure it out yourself... that's how I learned. If I was so important, then give me another 60,000 a year!

RA RA....

So I got to sing Bad Romance (mine and John's song - I know, sounds crazy) during our game of Rock Band this weekend at Mark's. It was awesome! hehe :)

Overall I had a great weekend. Friday we did a BBQ with his parents and played Apples to Apples. Mark (his brother) and Gwen (his niece) came over, and she and I played Barbies for a few hours. She is so smart for a 6 year old! She can read well above her age group, and she has an awesome imagination. Plus she is ADORABLE!

Saturday had John and I getting up early to try our first hot yoga class together. We nearly died, but we made it through. It was so hot in there that we spent most of the time on the floor because of the fact that when we would stand we would automatically get dizzy. After we showered off, we headed over to the Bus Stop Cafe in Pitman to each lunch where his other brother works. We then took a great walk around Pitman and down to the lake, and had a blast. After a trip to get ice cream, walmart, dinner, we were off to game night. Unfortunately there was an incident with Mark's step-son as he jumped out of the 2nd floor window in his room. He's severely autistic and they have yet to find a manageable program for him. We heard a crash but thought it was the cat until the neighbor knocked on the door. He somehow got the safety-locks off of his window, and started throwing toys out of there to see how far it was. He then jumped.. breaking his wrist and twisting his ankle. Luckily the neighbor was out back when it happened and heard him crying. They spent the night in the emergency room and John and I took care of Gwen until her other uncle arrived and we got her into bed. Her uncle Chris lives there too, so he was staying with her over night. They had to ducktape the splint on his wrist until they can get a cast on it... he kept taking it off and refuses to keep it on. Poor kid... I keep praying for him.

Kick her

if it is socially acceptable to kick your boss in the face, i think i would be promoted to "head kicker."

Speaking up

I'm getting better at speaking my mind before I explode in a temper... although after holding my tongue for 6 months, I had to explode on my boss yesterday. Its too much to even go into, but I have a few pet peeves. My biggest is to not engage me in a 45 minute conversation where a decision has been made, and then 20 minutes later forget that conversation has happened, and that you just wasted 45 minutes of my life arguing over something stupid if you are not going to remember it. Why even have the conversation in the first place if it is not important to you. It is impolite for me to say it, but I wonder if its age related... all of these women are over 60. Why can I remember things that they can't?

Anyway - I am going breathing with David tonight. Yay! Its been a month since I've been, and I'm looking forward to continuing to clear my subconscious even more. I also want to look into body-psychotherapy. A friend of mine goes to one, and it sounds like an amazing profession. I'm looking into doctoral programs, and maybe that is one avenue that I'll be called to explore. I know, let me finish my masters first - but that happens at the end of this year! :) But I am more called to holistic healing... its a remarkable profession.

I also can't wait to go to NJ tomorrow after work to spend the weekend with Johnny. I'll be home Sunday morning because I have to teach, but it'll still be fun to be there with him. I love him so much! :) I'm taking him to a hot yoga class on Saturday morning, his first, which should be an amazing experience for both of us. Fortunately he is into the mind, body, spirit balance thing like I am, so its good to share that with him. :)

Yarn-fu Princess

That's my new nickname. Hehehe.. John and I came up with it last night and I think I'm going to create a new facebook character page with that name. We crack each other up! This comes after his brother proclaimed that he can't go to yoga with us on Saturday because he has stinky feet... my nickname for him "Professor Stinky Feet." I like it, he finds it amusing, and it cracks Johnny up, so it works! hehe

Spring always makes me feel crafty... as in its a new start, everything is fresh and clean, and the perfect time to make stuff. I have no idea what I want to make, but sitting on a blanket, under a tree, making something, sounds awesome to me. That's my new thing... I like being outside taking nature walks and exercising. This is new for me because I don't usually get along with nature - it burns me and/or bites me. All I need is for something to touch me and the nature experience won't stay for very long, but for now it seems riveting and fun! Once mosquito season starts, I'll be inside all the time! hehe They REALLY like me.

I'm excited about having dinner tonight with Hansa and Stephanie - we are a really good supportive group to have fun at dinner with. We also like wine, and getting Stephanie drunk on one glass is pretty fun! hehe I like girl talk too, I'm sure it would make the casual observer blush!

I'm also looking forward to being with Johnny this weekend - the week can't go fast enough! I love that man.

The weaning off process has been going well.. I haven't noticed a difference in temperament - which is a good thing! I have everyone watching me for a difference, and no one has reported anything yet. I did get grumpy on Saturday, but that was after my cousin was irritating me by continuing to pull my shirt off my shoulder to expose my bra strap to the world, commenting on my driving, and talking about the places I picked to have lunch. He was also trying to make me fall on the subway, because we had to stand, and he was making comments about me being dressed like a tramp - loudly. Umm.... I had a dress on - which was down to my knees. When that wasn't going on, he was trying to tickle me... I think he's jealous of my boyfriend John. Usually he doesn't have to share my attention on these outings, but he was acting out extra to get attention.

Happy and Crispy Weekend

I officially got my first sunburn for the season this weekend while in DC at the Cherry Blossom Festival. And in true "Amy" fashion, its only on one arm, and my chest burn has lines in it from my necklace. Look at me, aren't I stylish!?!? hehe Oh, and I have a very clear watch line too. hehehe I have to giggle, one never knows where the sun is going to burn me. The day started overcast and I had leggings and a sweater on, but once we surfaced out of the metro in DC, the weather was warm and sunny. Off came the sweater, and after walking around the Tidal Basin, I stripped in the middle of The National Mall and took my leggings off. Luckily I had a summer dress on over it. My intention was not to wear the leggings to begin with, but it was so chilly in the morning that I needed them. My years of quickly changing in the back of coat rooms in catholic school for gym class paid off.

I'm so glad that I got to spend the day in DC, with Johnny and my family. Actually, the pictures are up on facebook, and I'll be posting them to picasa soon. After that we went to see my work buddy, Judy, in a play at her church. They did an awesome Easter Pageant called "the payment" (yes, in lowercase). It was AWESOME. The singers and dancers are really talented... as well as the band.

Johnny got to meet my immediate family yesterday at Easter... and his words were, "You really couldn't describe them to me... they were something I had to see for myself, but now that I did - WOW." heheheheheehehe - they are a crazy bunch of people really only concerned with the material side of the world. It always amazes me how they try to find happiness in buying things. And arguing over who bought the best one. My mom, Johnny, and I didn't get involved, we just sat back and let them go!

I can't wait to spend the weekend with him next week - I'm taking him and his brothers to a hot yoga class with me. This should be good! hehe :)