Newly Discovered Bliss

I've recently discovered that I love working in bed. Love.It. Had absolutely no idea until about a month ago. Right around when I moved into my new condo. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I don't care.

Now, as much as I love it, there are still a few obstacles to making it the absoute best thing since sliced bread.

First, when I had my cable installed, I didn't through very clearly where I wanted the DVR installed. I ended up having them put it in the living room. In hindsight, a BIG mistake. That I need to get corrected so that I can do all of the cool things you can do with DVR from the comfort of my bed.

Second, The work space has a lot to be desired. Now, I have a lap desk, that serves it's purpose pretty well. But, what I really want is this:



It is a beauty to behold - available through the greatest store ever invented for readers - Levenger. This little wonder can be used on either side of the bed and can adjust to several heights. It's also strong enough to hold a laptop computer. Which, by the way, is the key to my love of working in bed. Right along with the whole wireless internet amazement.

What would we do without modern technology?

I'm slowly learning that it's the little things that make people the happiest. Small steps. That's what counts.

New Beginnings

The day has finally arrived! I am closing on my condo this afternoon. I'm still not excited about it, but I think that's because of knowing that my luck tends to run very thin. I'm sure that my excitement will grow throughout the morning, as I treck to NOrthern Colorado to pick up the cashier's check for the down payment. Once I am done signing those 5,000 papers to take ownership of my condo, it's then off to pick up more moving boxes that a friend of mine has been saving at his work.

And then? An actual evening out where I get to socialize and have some fun with another friend of mine. Comedy Works and then dancing at The Stampede. I haven't done either of these things in ages.

Tomorrow is more high adventure as I go shopping for a new car. An SUV in order to grow my business to where I want it to be. And, of course, a bigger payment. And higher insurance. And more gas.

Ah, to begin life anew!

Occasionally, Things Go Well

In just under 48 hours, much progress has been made in my world! I got the second insurance check today, which will get deposited tomorrow. I got my closing scheduled for next Friday and there is only one more piece of information that is needed to finish that up. My apartment has been getting cleaned up a little more each morning. I had a very fun and relaxing dinner with a friend this evening and now I am home getting ready to tackle all of my outstanding to-do items for my business.

It's amazing what a couple of days will do!

Physical Clutter is a Reflection of Mental Clutter

I read this statement today and it pretty much hit me like a ton of bricks. My personal living space has gotten out of control (again) and I haven't been able to figure out what my problem is. This statement is the only thing that has made any sense to me in the last month. And it's little wonder.

I am currently trying to close on a house, which includes all the minute detail involved with finally separating myself entirely from my ex-husband. Plus trying to pick a moving date, coordinating the escape of my current lease and deciding whether it's just easier to hire movers than to attempt to ask anyone to help me to move, which, incidentally, has never worked in the past. It usually ends up that it's just me and my dad moving me somewhere. Super fun and entirely too tiring.

I am also trying to research cars to buy, which is a lot harder than it sounds. I'm running out of time to do this and the stress is building. Quickly.

Still dealing with the theft from my garage. I did get the first check from the insurance company so I can get my electronics replaced. They are giving me a huge hassle regarding replacing all of my business product. I now have to provide and excel spreadsheet with each item written out, the retail price, my cost, and whether each item is net or retail. Did I mention that I've already submitted a list of everything stolen? And that I had to get SP Corporate involved? They had to fax a letter to the insurance agency explaining that I purchase things at a discount and then sell them to customers at retail price. Hasn't American Family Insurance ever heard of running a business?

I am starting to not like my day job. At all. I can't stand the fact that I own my own business, where I make every single decision, and yet I have to stand at a copy machine during the day and take orders from other people. I hate it. And there's nothing I can do about it.

I am trying to run a business in my spare time, which is eating me alive. I am so tired all of the time and can't find the energy to stay awake after I get off from my day job to do the customer service that my customers deserve. I booked 4 parties on Thursday night. Have I mailed anything out? Have I followed up? I haven't even written the thank you note to the hostess from Saturday afternoon and it's already Monday.

And I'm supposed to be training to do a 150 mile bike ride in July. I can't fit in going to the gym.

Somewhere in here I have to find the time to pack up my apartment in preparation for the move. Which I can already tell will be put off until the night before the movers arrive (since I will probably just hire them, since it's easier than depending on people).

Which brings me back to the state of my personal living space. Disaster. I can't manage to take the trash out. I have 6 rolling toolboxes sitting in my living room because I'm afraid to leave them in my garage for fear that they will get stolen. There are piles of paper everywhere and I never have time to deal with any of it. I can't even put away things that I have purchased recently - it's all just sitting in the shopping bags. I don't know what my problem is, but it's getting to the point where I am becoming paralyzed by the mess.

Calgon can't even take me away from my own hell.

Will I Ever Catch a Break?

I can't seem to win in the game of life. Every time I turn around, there's a new obstacle to hurdle. Even when things seem to start going in a really great direction, something happens.

This morning, I went to my garage to load up to meet with my mortgage broker and founf that it had been broken into. Unbelievable!!

So, instead of just loading up my car, I have to call the police to file a report, talk with the management office to have locks changed, notify all the credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on my accounts, call all of my banks to alert them, change all of my online passwords and every other thing that is associated with this mess.

And what was stolen? My product demo. And part of my inventory. And my I-pod. And my Palm Pilot. And batteries - that I just bought yesterday. And a bunch of cds.

Can't I please just catch a break?!?

Well, at least I know how it will turn out!

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

It's Official - I'm Addicted

to the t.v. show '24'. I just started watching the first season on DVD and I'm HOOKED!! I have to send the first one back and actually WAIT for the next disc. Might be easier to just start buying the seasons and keeping them for myself!

Round 5. And Counting.

It's snowing yet again in the metro area. Shoveling has officially commenced. I was able to get out of the house for about an hour today to run a couple of errands. I probably could have gotten away with not going out, but it was good to be able to see whether I could do it or not. For the second week in a row, I've had business meetings canceled due to the weather - which is getting old, fast.

Apparently it's a good day to finish my taxes.

Enough Already - Sheesh!

It started snowing again today. For the fourth weekend in a row. It's also wicked-cold out there. So cold, that I only went out and shoveled once. I'll pay for that decision tomorrow morning, I'm sure. This snow is SO OLD!! We're not used this "snow staying around for days" thing in Colorado. We usually don't mind a big storm here and there, because USUALLY, it melts away within 2 days and then we can wear shorts again until the next snow fall. But, this is ridiculous! I'm not even a homeowner - I'm just a renter - and I've had to shovel a lot of the white stuff this year. Good grace, I hope when I own my place, I don't have to shovel this much. Ever.

I'm going a little stir-crazy today, can you tell? My family held their monthly breakfast today and I called the parentals to tell then that I wasn't going to make it. They (no, my mom) tried to send me on a guilt trip for not going. Didn't work, though! I stood my ground and said 'Nope - not going to drive in this'. Of course, if a party had been at stake, then I would have been there!! Gotta love perspective!

Ten Words

I was given an assignment by a friend of mine to come up with ten words that start with the letter 'R'. Then I also have to explain why I chose that particular word. So, here we go:

Reason - there is a reason that everything happens. Even the bad things. We may never understand or even know the reason, but it's out there and at some point we will all be better for all of those unexplained things that happen to us.

Right - From the immortal words of Professor Dumbledore, "the time will come when one will have to chose between what is right and what is easy." I think this phrase sums up everything I have experienced in my world over the last 3 or so years. And I dare anyone to argue the point with me.

Rich - We all dream of being rich, but I think that we forget to define the word. It means so many different things. I have realized, slowly, but surely, that although my bank balances dip into the red zone more often than I would like, I am still rich. I have a job. I have a wonderful business opportunity. I have family and friends that I know support and respect me - and even a few that I know love me. I have a place to lay my head at night, a pantry filled with too much food, a car that runs, pets that adore me, and aspirations to motivate me. I am rich in every sense of the word.

Resourceful - It seems that whenever a challenge comes my way, things all fall into place and I end up on my feet. Hmm, maybe I live a more charmed life then I give credit.

Relax - this is certainly a state of being that I am always striving for. Happily, I think that I am at my most relaxed when I am at full speed. I seem to thrive on getting it all done with seconds to spare. I wonder what it's like to get things done ahead of time.

Relations - so many meanings for this particular word, as it relates to me and my life. With family. With friends. With business associates. With lovers. With those who may bless me in the future.

Reflection - I am starting to enjoy looking back on the path that my life has laid. For a long time, it was hard to reflect, but I am learning that there is something real to the phrase, "that which does not kill us, will make us stronger."

Real - I love the song by Trisha Yearwood "Real Live Woman". It's an anthem about how a woman comes into her own and realizes that she has more to give than a lot give credit for, that there is true love out there for everyone and that it's OK to not completely bend and break to unrealistic expectations.

Randy - I wouldn't be honest with myself and all of you if I didn't fess up to my wild side!

Ready - After a few rocky years of discovering who I am and where I want to go in my life, I think that I am officially ready to tackle all that will befall me in my enlightened future.

Sick of Snow

We in Colorado have had it with the whole snow-thing. Enough already. It snowed again yesterday - probably 3-4 inches in my neighborhood. I still haven't shoveled - I just keep driving over it, which is bad, because I'm going to eventually just mush it down and it will turn to an ice rink. How fun would that be?

So Long 2006!

I'm actually a little glad to see it go. I was hoping that 2006 would be my year - and boy was it! A year for many changes, not all of them good. So, now is a good time for reflection and to try and plan a monstrous 2007.

What did I accomplish in 2006?

1. Started my own home-based business. It has gone pretty well - I am #1 in sales for my immediate upline and am currently waiting to hear whether I made top 10 on my district team.

2. Graduated from college with honors - A Bachelor's degree in History with a minor in Political Science. This one was a tough one to accomplish, but I am glad that I did it - AND, no one can ever take away my degree!

3. Got laid off from a job that I didn't really care for - and found an even better one to replace it. This was truly one of the best things to happen to me this year, especially considering that through this, I really learned who my friends are. I'm still in contact with those that meant the most to me.

4. Got rid of a lot of "friend" baggage - again, this was due to being laid off. The true colors of those I thought I knew shone through and I am thrilled to have exited stage right from that entire dramatic production. Although, I got text messages from 1 person in a starring role and another in a supporting role on Christmas Day. The holidays - the most weird time of year!

5. I got to know some other friends a lot better and I am very happy to report that I think these are folks that will be around for the long haul. They are the sort that I share a lot of values with and who are also becoming a great support system - people I know I can count on when it really hits the fan. You know how good of friend you are to someone when you are honored to be on the "short-list" of immediate notifications when their new baby arrives.

And, so, some resolutions for 2007:

1. Expand my business by 50% over the course of the year. I did about $17,000 in sales this year and I would love to see that number double, but a more realistic goal is to increase to about $26,000 - this would be in a ramp-up to try for $50,000 in my third year, something that I truly think that I can do.

2. Pay off all of my unnecessary debt in preparation for buying my own place this year.

3. Nice lead-in from #2 - buy my own place. My dream would be to buy back the house that I once had. I loved that house with it's huge kitchen, porch in the front and yard in the back. But, alas, my income is a far-cry from what it would take for that, so I'll just "settle" for anything with a mortgage that isn't any smaller than what I'm currently renting. (For those that need to know - 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, ~1,000 square feet, and a garage). A pantry and linen closet would be nice additions!

4. Exercise a heck of a lot more. OK, so this one is forced from my doctor, but still, it's a goal. And besides, what resolution list would be complete without the "losing weight, eating right, exercising more" lie that we all write down.

5. Make better use of my time. I've decided that my mantra for 2007 will be "How Bad Do You Want It" and my theme song will be the title of the same name by Tim McGraw. Hopefully, this will help me make some better decisions about how I spend my time - as in, "is what you are doing right now moving you closer to your goals?" If the answer is no, then I need to change what I am doing.

Here's to the arrival of 2007 - MY year!!

Yes, Virginia, it IS a blizzard in Colorado

I am currently sitting in my apartment for the umpteenth hour since arriving home yesterday in preparation for the Blizzard of 2006. We'd been getting news reports for a few days ahead of time indicating that there would be a lot of snow. Of course, we all know that weathercasters are the world's highest-paid palm readers. Except this time. This time they ended up being right. And of course, this is the one day every 4 years or so that they live for - the single day that they are RIGHT.

I woke up at about 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning to wet roads. About a half hour later, there was an inch of snow on the ground and the snow wasn't falling down to the ground, but instead, blowing sideways. I seriously debated even bothering to go into work, but being the new girl in the department, I didn't want to show any signs of weakness. So, trek in I did, up and over the Cherry Creek Dam Road (why this was even open, I'll never understand). Wisely, I topped off the gas tank in the freezing wind on the way in - this is important later.

Work is surprisingly functional considering all of the windows and the opportunity for everyone to pine for their warm beds and fireplaces at home, or dream of fluffy ski slopes yet to be realized. Then, the snow starts falling even harder and it becomes difficult to make out the cars trying to go by on the highway 100 feet from our windows. It's getting pretty obvious that this storm is for real. So, I decide that I am going to finish up a couple of important things, and then head for home. Til I remember that I have a meeting at 9:00 to help someone upload documents to an internal website. Did I mention that she was in NO WAY prepared for the meeting. And that I had to wait around for her to finish meeting agendas, rename documents, yadda, yadda, yadda, all the while getting a phone call from family saying "quit if you have to, but get home now." Apparently this is serious stuff.

My employer finally decided to shut down at 11:00, which is fine, except that means that about 2500 people are going to be trying to leave all at once. Driving was incredibly trecherous and took about twice as long as a normal commute - but, I got home!! Much better than a lot of other people. Or so I'm told. The worst part of the drive? Trying to pull into my garage! I have to do a couple of awkward turns to get into it, and on a good day I occasionally pull in too far to one side or the other. Yesterday, there was about 10 inches of snow to navigate through. I almost dented the side of the car, but made it in safely. Of course, all of the snow then fell into the garage, covering the sensors, which then wouldn't allow the door to close. Did I mention that I don't own a shovel? Yeah, moving that snow was an adventure.

And so, the snow-in began. Not too bad - giving me the opportunity to finish decorating my house (I've had a nekkid tree in my living room for a week now) and get caught up on laundry. How the hell does that get so out of control all of the time? But, now I am into Day 2 of being snowed in and I'm getting a bit restless. Not because I NEED to go anywhere - work shut down today as well, but because I hate being forced to do anything. Or, in this case, forced to not do things.

Aurora has reported snow of about 25 inches and now my fear is that I won't be able to get in to work tomorrow. Because I don't own a shovel. And now I have to debate whether I want to walk to the grocery store to see if they have any. Nevermind. I just called them and they are sold out of shovels. Of course.

So, it is with mixed emotions that I might be snowed in for yet another day tomorrow. Not that I mind just hanging out, reading and baking cookies.

Freak Flag

I sent an email to a friend earlier, asking about a magazine subscription that I had bought from her daughter a little while back. Haven't received an issue yet, but I also can't remember the time frame that they gave for when the first one will start.

That goofy little email got me thinking about my incredibly ecclectic assortment of magazine subscriptions and how you can really get to know someone based on what they subscribe to. So, here's a little more about me, my "freak flag", if you will, based on my magazines:

1. Cosmo - the woman's bible (and a tax write-off from here on out!)
2. Creating Keepsakes - gotta stay current with the trends - even though I hardly read it.
3. Kiplinger's Financial - I need to get my financial house in order. And it's starting to work!
4. Money Magazine - I need to learn as much as possible, clearly.
5. Consumer Reports - Hey, I'm a woman, and technically we don't care about money, we care about the things that money can buy us, so I might as well be buying the good stuff, right?
6. Time Magazine - because I'm a poli-sci minor and we're supposed to subscribe to this. Actually, I'd prefer to get The Economist, but it's too dang expensive!
7. The Historian - it's techically a book that comes out every quarter with historical articles written by members of Phi Alpha Theta, the honor society for history majors (which I am actually a member of!!).
8. Better Homes and Gardens - I don't even know why I get this - probably because it was cheap.
9. Martha Stewart Living - this one occasionally has a neat idea or two.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more. Notice that there aren't any health magazines? Or food magazines? Maybe that's a clue as to why those to areas of my life are seriously lacking right now. Hmmm. Off to look for and exercise magazine. Any good cooking mags out there? That use normal ingredients?

Rental Life

OK - so I know that I am constantly hating the fact that I only rent and don't have a mortgage of my own. Yet. But there are certainly a few perks to this lifestyle. The main one being that in the even that anything breaks down, I just call someone else and they come and take care of it.

For example - my thermostat will not keep the heat at a human temperature. Don't know why. Don't care. I have the thing set at 79. It still hovers around 60. So, I call and the maintenance maid comes out and tells me that occasionally air bubbles get into the system and so it doesn't work properly. OK fine, just fix it.

Then, this morning, no hot water. None. So, no shower for me - and I can't tell you how icky I've felt all day. I could have run to the gym and showered, but I was running out of time and was going to be late for work. Now I know better than to not doing morning chores in their proper order. If I'd have just gotten in the shower as soon as I woke up, I would have known about this issue and could have gone to the gym. But no - I've developed a terrible habit of doing everything else in the morning first, then rushing to shower and get out the door on time. No more - need to get back into the good habits and out of the bad ones.

So, I had to have maintenance come again to fix that problem. Now I'm waiting for the water to heat up so I can shower. And then probably just go to bed, since I'm so dang tired from dealing with shipping companies today.

I !HATE! UPS

OMG - where to even begin on this nightmare!!! I have been having the worst time with receiving shipments from corporate. Incompetent drivers. The worst customer service. No one to help. None of them care.

Things seem to go fine for a while. I get shipments on time, according to their "tracking" system. The boxes arrive in beautiful condition.

Then it all goes to HELL!! This is what I have been dealing with lately. Boxes that don't show up when they are supposed to - and when you call their 800 number, they have to "send a message" to the distribution center and then "someone will call you back within 60 minutes". YEAH RIGHT!! Never happens. I have been known to sit on the phone for HOURS waiting for someone with half a brain to get me information on a package. Does it ever happen? NOPE!!

I love it when the tracking system says that the package has been delivered and signed for - yet - I HAVE NO PACKAGE IN MY HANDS. How is that even possible? "Well, I'm sorry, but there's nothing more that we can do for you, as it clearly indicates that the package has been delivered and signed for. We no longer have any liability for the shipment." Are you KIDDING me?!?!? I HAVE NO PACKAGE.

So, to try and solve the issue with the terrible drivers, I start having my packages held at the distribution center. This will be much easier. I will just go and pick up the packages and circumvent the drivers all together. WHATEVER!! I had the tracking information indicating that the box was in the same building as I was standing. Yet, the box couldn't be found. I was there for over an HOUR, trying to reason with people. They made me call the 800 number, FROM THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER, so that then I could be placed ON HOLD, while they called the exact same place where I was standing!!!! I'm not even remotely kidding - I was on hold on one side of the room, while one of the employees was on the phone with the customer service center on the other side of the room. HOLY CRAP!!! But, they still couldn't find the stupid box. WHY? Because no one was willing to just go look for the stupid thing!! They kept just looking at their computers. And saying that there was nothing that could be done.

I FINALLY convinced the kid working the counter to go and find someone who would just LOOK AROUND for it. He came back up to the front and said that the dock manager was just getting out of a meeting and to give him 10 minutes to look around the warehouse.

Well - what do you know - about 15 minutes later, here comes the dock manager. WITH MY BOX. Now, why couldn't someone else have just looked around the place an hour ago? WHY? WHY? WHY?

I don't even have a choice in using them - SP is the one that contracts with the shipper. Oh, and while I was at the distribution center, the kid behind the counter let it slip that UPS uses FedEX for its own shipping!! They don't even trust themselves enough to get things where they are supposed to be!!

Here's the kicker - I was venting to my dad and he reminded me that my cousin has worked for UPS for about 25 years and that he is a high-level manager at corporate. Guess who's getting an email from me tonight? Yep. If nothing else, he can give me options on how to handle this situation going forward. Whether he can actually do anything specific for me, I have no idea. But it's certainly worth sending him a little electronic hello!

I !HATE! UPS

New Quest, Old Problem

So, the insomnia bug has hit me again. But this time, I decided to try and actually fix the situation. I went to the doctor and told my very sad story to the NP. I don't think I've actually seen my M.D. in the last 5 or 6 times I've been there. Anyways, she decides that what I need to do is reset my internal sleep clock.

Hmm. OK, sounds good to me. She gave my 2 weeks worth of the sleeping drug Ambien. This is supposed to be some really good stuff - puts you right out and keeps you there for a minimum of 8 hours. She warned me thoroughly about how to use this drug. Make sure that you are completely ready to go to bed before taking the med. Make sure that you have already washed your face and brushed your teeth. It would even be best to take the pill while you are already in bed, under the covers.

OK - these warnings are a little scary - makes me think that the second I swallow the pill, I am going to literally have my head hit the pillow. And in 2 weeks, all will be well and I can get on with my life. Now, keep in mind, that because of the time that I have to get up for work, and then get up even earlier to hit the gym in the a.m. (because insomniacs should always workout at the ass-crack of dawn, so as not to disturb their "schedule"), my bedtime is now 9:00 p.m. I'm 32 years old, with a full time job, a more-than-full time business and my own house to take care of. And I have to be in bed every night at 9 p.m. My first thought? When the hell am I supposed to get things done? Like laundry. And cleaning. And eating. And running my business. (We're skipping the workout question - because no way I can get up that early, leave my house and then be expected to come back and quickly get ready for work).

But, I'm game for this experiment. Because I'm TIRED! All the time. I can barely keep my eyes open at work, which is a problem because at this new job, I actually have WORK to do.

So, I prep myself appropriately on the first night. I can't even explain how excited I am to have this sleep opportunity in front of me. I get all ready for bed and take the pill once I'm all snuggled in and then wait for happy sleep to envelope me.

And wait.
And wait.
And wait.

I think I finally fell asleep about an hour and a half later. This is a new record for me in the falling-asleep time frame. Oh, and no dreaming at all during the night. Which is difficult anyways because I wake up about every 30-45 minutes all night long.

This exact same scenario has been playing itself out for 2 weeks, every night. This amazing drug is CRAP!! It doesn't make you fall asleep. It doesn't keep you asleep.

Oh, wait, except for the couple of nights that I didn't take the drug because I was so fed up with it. On those nights, I laid awake for a minimum of 4 hours, waiting to fall asleep. Even on nights when I took regular sleeping pills. Now, after the third night of this, I called the doctor and told her that I wasn't going to take it anymore. I was promptly instructed to stay the course, because at the end of the 2 weeks, there would be a world of difference.

World of difference is right! I can barely stay awake to drive to work. I'm a total mess. My house is a disaster, there are no clean clothes to be found anywhere. I am getting literally ZERO sleep and still trying to function as a human being. I have a follow-up appointment on Wednesday. If I can stay awake for it, I am going to give that NP an earful!!

The New Frontier

So, today was the first day of the rest of my life. I've made a few behind the scenes changes in the last few days, but today I ventured into. . .The Gym. I actually had a pretty good workout - may arms are going to be sore as soon as they come out of shock.

My cousin is a personal trainer and I finally asked for some advice on how to get my ass going in the opposite direction that it has been going for the last several months. I had to go to the doctor recently to get help with why I can't sleep at night, and of course, there was the required standing on the scale. I cried. No, really, I actually cried. I can't believe where that number is - and it's a far-cry from where I want it to be. Thus, the call to the aforementioned cousin.

Of course, that nasty little number (actually large, but no one but the nurse and I saw exactly how large) is probably the cause of a lot of my sleeping issues. So, it's time to deal with it. I'm clearly not getting any younger which means it is going to continue to get harder and harder to reach the look I want to have. And believe, me I see in my mind exactly what the image is and I WANT IT!!

What's Your Seduction Style.

Your Seduction Style: The Charmer

You're a master at intimate conversation and verbal enticement. You seduce with words, by getting people to open up to you. By establishing this deep connection quickly, people feel under your power. And then you've got them exactly where you want them!

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatisyourseductionstylequiz/">What Is Your Seduction Style?

OK - this was a fun little quiz that I picked up off a friend's My Space page. I loved her background image as well - will have to ask her where she got it from!

Slowly Coming Back to Center

I am finally finding myself getting back in control of my life. I spent a huge portion of the weekend just cleaning up the clutter in my world, both literal and figurative. It's amazing to me how just putting away the laundry makes me feel better about the universe. I am no where near where I would like to be, as is evidenced by the three bags sitting to my left that still need to be put away from my long weekend a while ago, but at least they aren't in the living room anymore.

It also helps that my boss is out of town for the week. Again. This gives me a lot of time to really explore my job and read old files to understand better what my role in the department is. I actually felt a feeling of relief this past Wednesday during a meeting when he told me that I was doing a phenomenal job and he was truly impressed that I have caught on to the department so quickly.

It's so nice to be appreciated!!