The company at which I work held its annual convention in Orlando about a month ago; I did not attend, but my mom did. When my mom and the other office attendees came back, they were very excited to share a new habit that they had learned from a guest speaker. This speaker said that he no longer asks someone how they are doing, upon saying hello. Instead, he opens with "tell me something good." His point was that people will often focus on the negative when given a wide opening; by narrowing it down to the positive, people stop to think about it. Since that lesson, many coworkers have changed their ringtones to the catchy 70s song (which I get stuck in my head a lot) and my mom and I greet each other each morning with "tell me something good."
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a super bubbly, always positive, cheerleading type of person. I'm not incredibly social and I am not a big hugger. That being said, I've worked very hard at being happy (and I don't think that happiness requires any of the above) and I love that I start each day with a good attitude. I make a conscious decision to have that attitude and I think it spills over into all aspects of my life. It's great to see the good things that happen when you open yourself up to those possibilities.
For the past 2 1/2 weeks, I have been focused on eating right and exercising because I am trying to get in shape. I'm not doing anything drastic (a combination of lean protein, fruits, veggies, and the gym does wonders!) and I've lost five pounds so far. It's not easy, but I think that having a smile on my face has helped me. My head has gotten healthy; I want my body to match.
Oh, and yesterday I got great news from my accountant! Basically, I owe significantly less than I was expecting to (I knew I had overestimated, but I didn't know how high I was), and that money can go toward wedding planning and be a basic safety net. Do I think that having a good attitude magically lowered my taxes? No. That's math. But I do fully believe that I notice these great surprises when I'm happy and I don't let bad news send me into a tailspin.
None of this is an exact science and I still slip into bad moods here and there. I'm sure I'll use this blog as a venting place on occasion. In the meantime, I will stay in tune with the positive stuff and keep thinking of my something good.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday Meme
I'm about to go make dinner, so I am giving you a quickie meme for now. I have a handful of memes I'd like to do, though, so hopefully I can start remembering to post them on Mondays. Enjoy!
One Word
Where is your cell phone?
Desk
One Word
Where is your cell phone?
Desk
Your hair
Ponytail
Your father
Birds (my first thought was "underground", so I tried to be nicer and less funny)
Your favorite thing
Food
Your dream last night
Forgotten
Your favorite drink
Captain
The room you are in
Office
Your dream/goal
Kellerman
Your fear
Regret
Where do you want to be in 6 years
Seattle (currently leading the "where to move" contest)
Muffins
Mimi's
Where you grew up
California
The last thing you did
Work
What are you wearing
Pink
Your TV
On
Your pet(s)
Maniacal
Your computer
Vista
Your life
Wonderful
Missing someone
Dumpy
Your car
Paid
Favorite store
Target
Your summer
Fucking HOT (sorry, had to break the one word rule to make it clear how much I hate the summers here)
Your favorite color
Blue
When is the last time you laughed
Earlier
Last time you cried
Forgotten
Favorite food
Cheese
Place I would rather be right now
Hotel
Ponytail
Your father
Birds (my first thought was "underground", so I tried to be nicer and less funny)
Your favorite thing
Food
Your dream last night
Forgotten
Your favorite drink
Captain
The room you are in
Office
Your dream/goal
Kellerman
Your fear
Regret
Where do you want to be in 6 years
Seattle (currently leading the "where to move" contest)
Muffins
Mimi's
Where you grew up
California
The last thing you did
Work
What are you wearing
Pink
Your TV
On
Your pet(s)
Maniacal
Your computer
Vista
Your life
Wonderful
Missing someone
Dumpy
Your car
Paid
Favorite store
Target
Your summer
Fucking HOT (sorry, had to break the one word rule to make it clear how much I hate the summers here)
Your favorite color
Blue
When is the last time you laughed
Earlier
Last time you cried
Forgotten
Favorite food
Cheese
Place I would rather be right now
Hotel
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Scattered
I have been feeling very scattered lately, so maybe a post about my randomness will help me focus (or at least do some prioritizing). Here goes nothing...
* Regarding Mrs. Chili's comment about whether I need fertility treatments to get pregnant (and no, I didn't consider the comment crude at all)...I don't necessarily need them and Jersey and I are still discussing that topic. We've talked about possibly having a cousin of hers donate to me and a cousin of mine donate to her; that's the closest we can get to combining our DNA, and we kind of like the idea of blending our families like that. We've also talked about having a friend or acquaintance donate. Our biggest hesitation is in avoiding any legal loophole that could have someone trying to come back and claim their child later. That freaks us out.
* I'm waiting to hear back from my accountant so that I can find out how much money I owe to the government. While I definitely owe money, I'm excited to find out how far under my saved amount I will be. In other words, I've got X amount already saved for taxes, so X - actual total = money that can go into the wedding fund!
* Wedding planning is fun and not terribly stressful because we booked a venue that includes almost everything we need (dinner, bar, DJ, photographer, flowers, etc.). Jersey and I are trying to figure out the guest list, which is so difficult because of all the people that don't fit neatly into a definite yes or a definite no. We are also working on our registries and finding pictures of cake designs and bouquets that we like. At first I was worried about finding a officiant to do the ceremony (or getting a friend ordained to do it), but then I realized that this isn't going to be a legally recognized marriage anyway, so we should be able to have any friend of ours perform the ceremony with no official status.
* Knowing that we are paying for a wedding/reception next spring, and that we would like to have a baby soon afterward, makes my current job insecurities even worse. I know I've been lucky to do so well over the past year, especially in an industry that has so notoriously fallen apart recently. I've held on to my job, despite changes that have been made in my company (and despite the lack of support from some powers that be), but I'm now facing another challenge to my position. I get nervous not knowing what could happen day to day.
* Partially due to my job insecurity (and partially because I just miss it), I am thinking about going back to school. I'd be looking for an online program, or at least something that is mostly online, so that I would be able to maneuver around my current schedule. And, yes, I am disciplined enough to be able to handle online courses. So, what degree? I haven't gotten that far yet. I want something that will give me a solid (marketable?) career skill; right now I can only fall back on administrative work and food service. Obviously something in a field that isn't going anywhere would be nice, too. My BA is in psychology, which is a nice start for a lot of other things. If I'm leaning toward anything right now, it's probably an MBA. I'm open to other ideas...
* Along with the idea of going back to school, and where I may find future jobs, is the fact that Jersey and I will almost definitely be moving away from Las Vegas within the next five years. I've never particularly liked it here and she hates it. The only reason I'd want to stay is because my mom is here, and while that is a HUGE reason, it can't be my only one. We are doing a (very) preliminary search of different places right now, just so we have some ideas of where we might end up (and because I like to do lots of research before I make decisions). Current possibilities include WA, CA, and CO. There's an outside chance of New England. We'll see.
So that's where my mind is at. My biggest problem is combining too many of these thoughts into one big mess. Focus!
* Regarding Mrs. Chili's comment about whether I need fertility treatments to get pregnant (and no, I didn't consider the comment crude at all)...I don't necessarily need them and Jersey and I are still discussing that topic. We've talked about possibly having a cousin of hers donate to me and a cousin of mine donate to her; that's the closest we can get to combining our DNA, and we kind of like the idea of blending our families like that. We've also talked about having a friend or acquaintance donate. Our biggest hesitation is in avoiding any legal loophole that could have someone trying to come back and claim their child later. That freaks us out.
* I'm waiting to hear back from my accountant so that I can find out how much money I owe to the government. While I definitely owe money, I'm excited to find out how far under my saved amount I will be. In other words, I've got X amount already saved for taxes, so X - actual total = money that can go into the wedding fund!
* Wedding planning is fun and not terribly stressful because we booked a venue that includes almost everything we need (dinner, bar, DJ, photographer, flowers, etc.). Jersey and I are trying to figure out the guest list, which is so difficult because of all the people that don't fit neatly into a definite yes or a definite no. We are also working on our registries and finding pictures of cake designs and bouquets that we like. At first I was worried about finding a officiant to do the ceremony (or getting a friend ordained to do it), but then I realized that this isn't going to be a legally recognized marriage anyway, so we should be able to have any friend of ours perform the ceremony with no official status.
* Knowing that we are paying for a wedding/reception next spring, and that we would like to have a baby soon afterward, makes my current job insecurities even worse. I know I've been lucky to do so well over the past year, especially in an industry that has so notoriously fallen apart recently. I've held on to my job, despite changes that have been made in my company (and despite the lack of support from some powers that be), but I'm now facing another challenge to my position. I get nervous not knowing what could happen day to day.
* Partially due to my job insecurity (and partially because I just miss it), I am thinking about going back to school. I'd be looking for an online program, or at least something that is mostly online, so that I would be able to maneuver around my current schedule. And, yes, I am disciplined enough to be able to handle online courses. So, what degree? I haven't gotten that far yet. I want something that will give me a solid (marketable?) career skill; right now I can only fall back on administrative work and food service. Obviously something in a field that isn't going anywhere would be nice, too. My BA is in psychology, which is a nice start for a lot of other things. If I'm leaning toward anything right now, it's probably an MBA. I'm open to other ideas...
* Along with the idea of going back to school, and where I may find future jobs, is the fact that Jersey and I will almost definitely be moving away from Las Vegas within the next five years. I've never particularly liked it here and she hates it. The only reason I'd want to stay is because my mom is here, and while that is a HUGE reason, it can't be my only one. We are doing a (very) preliminary search of different places right now, just so we have some ideas of where we might end up (and because I like to do lots of research before I make decisions). Current possibilities include WA, CA, and CO. There's an outside chance of New England. We'll see.
So that's where my mind is at. My biggest problem is combining too many of these thoughts into one big mess. Focus!
Friday, March 13, 2009
So Confusing
Because I am the type of person who likes (loves?) to plan things out, I have been doing some research into all the ducks that Jersey and I need to have in a row before we have a baby. We aren't getting married until next spring, but we'd love to start a family shortly thereafter. Since we can't just do things the natural way, it will take some work to figure out fertility treatments and all that fun stuff. And before any of that happens, I need health insurance.
Yep, that's right; I'm uninsured and have been for years. Some of that has been due to my own laziness (though there was a time when it was a choice between insurance or power/gas/water, so I kinda had to prioritize), but now it's time to get my shit together and get covered. Since I'm an independent contractor, I can't get any of the super cool group insurance that includes maternity coverage; I have to apply for an individual plan and almost none of them will cover maternity stuff. I've looked at different options, but a lot of it is confusing!
I seem to have three options at this point. First, I can get a plan that includes maternity coverage. It would be relatively expensive (about $200 more a month than a plan without the coverage), but at least it's all there. I'm hesitant about this mainly because it could cost me extra money after I'm done having kids and that would be a waste. But shouldn't I be able to find a more basic plan after I have a baby? Obviously I don't want a gap in my coverage, so I'd have to be careful, but I wouldn't be the first person to switch insurance plans, would I?
Option two would be to get basic coverage without maternity, but add on a supplemental policy that would essentially reimburse me for my maternity costs. It seems like doing something like this could work really well, or something could completely fall through the cracks and I'd get screwed. I'm nervous about everything becoming too complicated if I try to coordinate separate policies.
The third option is what a coworker suggested (she is also an independent contractor and has a two-year-old). She kept her basic policy for herself and paid all of the maternity costs out of pocket. Apparently, if you negotiate with the hospital as soon as you find out you're pregnant, it's possible to get a MUCH lower fee than what hospitals charge the insurance companies, and you can make payments throughout the pregnancy so that it's not a huge lump sum cost (sorry if that whole negotiation thing is common knowledge; I've been fortunate enough to not have to deal with hospital bills). Still, my understanding is that it could come to a total of $6000-$10,000, and that seems worse than paying the extra money for the expensive insurance policy.
Ugh, I am definitely going to contact reps from all of these companies, but does anyone have an experience or advice on any of this? I need to figure it out relatively quickly, because I know some of these policies have 12 month waiting periods and we would like to start fertility procedures next May or June (and, yes, I know the fertility stuff won't be covered). Please let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions!
Yep, that's right; I'm uninsured and have been for years. Some of that has been due to my own laziness (though there was a time when it was a choice between insurance or power/gas/water, so I kinda had to prioritize), but now it's time to get my shit together and get covered. Since I'm an independent contractor, I can't get any of the super cool group insurance that includes maternity coverage; I have to apply for an individual plan and almost none of them will cover maternity stuff. I've looked at different options, but a lot of it is confusing!
I seem to have three options at this point. First, I can get a plan that includes maternity coverage. It would be relatively expensive (about $200 more a month than a plan without the coverage), but at least it's all there. I'm hesitant about this mainly because it could cost me extra money after I'm done having kids and that would be a waste. But shouldn't I be able to find a more basic plan after I have a baby? Obviously I don't want a gap in my coverage, so I'd have to be careful, but I wouldn't be the first person to switch insurance plans, would I?
Option two would be to get basic coverage without maternity, but add on a supplemental policy that would essentially reimburse me for my maternity costs. It seems like doing something like this could work really well, or something could completely fall through the cracks and I'd get screwed. I'm nervous about everything becoming too complicated if I try to coordinate separate policies.
The third option is what a coworker suggested (she is also an independent contractor and has a two-year-old). She kept her basic policy for herself and paid all of the maternity costs out of pocket. Apparently, if you negotiate with the hospital as soon as you find out you're pregnant, it's possible to get a MUCH lower fee than what hospitals charge the insurance companies, and you can make payments throughout the pregnancy so that it's not a huge lump sum cost (sorry if that whole negotiation thing is common knowledge; I've been fortunate enough to not have to deal with hospital bills). Still, my understanding is that it could come to a total of $6000-$10,000, and that seems worse than paying the extra money for the expensive insurance policy.
Ugh, I am definitely going to contact reps from all of these companies, but does anyone have an experience or advice on any of this? I need to figure it out relatively quickly, because I know some of these policies have 12 month waiting periods and we would like to start fertility procedures next May or June (and, yes, I know the fertility stuff won't be covered). Please let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Success!
When asked about my guilty pleasure here, I mentioned that one of my guilty pleasures would be occurring in the upcoming weeks. In another post, I mentioned that I was going to try to make sushi at home. Alas, my guilty pleasure and the sushi-making collided and I'm sure you are all totally intrigued (or disgusted) by that image.
My guilty pleasure started several years ago, when I was living alone in an apartment, approximately 15 minutes from my mom's house. The Academy Awards were coming up, and we had a history of watching them together (even when we were 3000 miles apart during my college years, we'd IM throughout the telecast). I mentioned that it might be fun to get all dressed up in formal wear and watch all of the red carpet hoopla. I even decided to cook a mulit-course meal. With that, my mom and her (now ex) boyfriend came over in their gown and suit, respectively, and I served stuffed scallops, orange-glazed chicken, spinach rolls, and apple crisp; all the while, we enjoyed the spectacle on television.
Since then, we've continued the tradtion, some years more elaborately than others. Last year, my relationship with Jersey was sitll new, but she jumped right into the silliness and we ate pizza and breadsticks in our pretty dresses. It's always been fun and goofy and I look forward to our annual Oscar celebration.
This year, my mom had to be in Orlando for work, so she couldn't join us for our party. Jersey and I planned to just hang out together and do our own thing, but then her best friend decided to fly in from California and dress up with us! I figured that I had a great opportunity to make sushi for the first time, and studied proper sushi techniques extensively. Everything was a success, and here are the pictures to prove it...
My guilty pleasure started several years ago, when I was living alone in an apartment, approximately 15 minutes from my mom's house. The Academy Awards were coming up, and we had a history of watching them together (even when we were 3000 miles apart during my college years, we'd IM throughout the telecast). I mentioned that it might be fun to get all dressed up in formal wear and watch all of the red carpet hoopla. I even decided to cook a mulit-course meal. With that, my mom and her (now ex) boyfriend came over in their gown and suit, respectively, and I served stuffed scallops, orange-glazed chicken, spinach rolls, and apple crisp; all the while, we enjoyed the spectacle on television.
Since then, we've continued the tradtion, some years more elaborately than others. Last year, my relationship with Jersey was sitll new, but she jumped right into the silliness and we ate pizza and breadsticks in our pretty dresses. It's always been fun and goofy and I look forward to our annual Oscar celebration.
This year, my mom had to be in Orlando for work, so she couldn't join us for our party. Jersey and I planned to just hang out together and do our own thing, but then her best friend decided to fly in from California and dress up with us! I figured that I had a great opportunity to make sushi for the first time, and studied proper sushi techniques extensively. Everything was a success, and here are the pictures to prove it...
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