Grateful for a Good Relationship with our IT Guy

Sometimes I think that my cubicle at work is in the best spot. I'm next to a good guy to chat with and on the other side is our IT guy, Ron. Ron is great and a genius when it comes to computers and our accounting software that we use. Sitting next to him, I see how others treat him and I do not envy his position. Not that anyone is mean to him, but it's usually and "I need this and I need it now" kind of thing. I think he gets really stressed out sometimes. Well, I have learned the best way to get Ron to do things for me quickly. I let him know my problem but I usually say when you can get to it and he then does it right then and there, if he can. It's great and I'm always very grateful to him which I know he appreciates. Others have seen his quick response to me and try to get me to help them because they are unsuccessful. Ron likes to joke with people that he'll put their problem on the list and will probably get to them in a month or so or whatever. He's totally joking but most everyone is not in the mood for that kind of joke. Like I said they want to hear that it will be done now. Well, he doesn't respond well to that. So now these two guys I work with usually call me when they have an IT problem if they feel Ron is being unresponsive and I usually help them out and ask Ron for them and he does it. It's really great to have such an important person in my corner. Very powerful. I'll try to use the power for good though.

Grateful for Midday Soda Runs

I'm Back! I almost posted a really negative and depressing post the other day but I thought better of it so you're welcome. Back to focusing on the good in life.

So I admit it I need caffeine to get through most days and as the weekend approaches I need it more and more as work is weighing on me. There is no vending machine in my building. There is a cafeteria but as it is owned by the church it is strictly caffeine free. There is however two options for my caffeine fix. One I have been utilizing since my first days at work and one that was just introduced to me this last month by a newbie.

For the first: we work with a company on the fourth floor (we are on the sixth). They have a very large and fully stocked break room (ours is a closet in comparison). The canned sodas were 35 cents a can and bottled water was 20 cents. A steal! I know. They have the best variety so everyone is happy. The price has since gone up to 50 cents a can, not sure about the water, but still far cheaper than a vending machine and the money goes towards their sub-for-santa every year. So they don't mind that we come and contribute for soda. Did I mention that they also have a variety of candy (though I know where their free stock is that they use for meetings) but I don't partake of that stuff anymore. My new cubicle neighbor loves his caffeine as well and I was super excited to show him my treasure. The only downside is that he shared it with the other three new guys and they like to go down together. Chris would usually just pick one up for me if I gave him money and vice versa but the guys use it as a small walking break. They sometimes forget to include me so I have voiced my complaint and Chris tries to remember me. Most times I'll hear the guys talking about going and I wait for my invitation and if it doesn't come I just invite myself along. I think it's kind of funny that a pack of us hit the fourth floor for soda. It must look really funny to the people that work there.

The second option: Chris and other new guy Mikko (he's Finnish) like to go to Maverick down the street when they don't have change for the fourth floor and fill up their refillable cups. I would never have thought of walking all they way there but its really nice, but I probably would not make the walk by myself. We kind of pass by unsavory characters. My first venture out with them we pass by a bus stop crowded with people and a fight broke out and the guys were bumping into people all over and even knocked down this old man that works as a missionary with us who is extremely frail. He was okay but kind of scary.

These soda runs have really helped me bond with these new guys which I really need because I can't seem to give up my lunch hour to eat with them instead of scouring the internet or watching shows online. Chris and I talk a lot during the day. I really like working with him. He lets me whine to him and he vents to me about all our frustrations. That's usually what we do on our walking breaks/soda runs. We bitch about work and our boss. So it's somewhat therapeutic, physically active and we get our much needed caffeine.

Grateful for Cousins Weekend

I look forward to this event every time we start to plan it. I don't know if we ever thought that we would do cousins weekend as often as we do, which is every couple of months, but I do not complain. I could do it every weekend. Okay, maybe not every weekend. Every other weekend!

It's always been made up of Aly, me and Julie but sometimes we have Katie and/or Kristi join in too which has been fun and spices things up a bit. I think most people would think our get togethers are really uneventful and they can be, but we like it that way. We are there to spend time together in the most lazy way possible. This last weekend, we stayed at Aly's house (this has become the norm) and we sat and talked, cooked our own meals and did a little grocery and jewelry shopping and watched movies. So relaxing and I definitely needed to get away from the drama in my house but it kind of followed me because I couldn't make my head stop thinking about it. Aly and Julie were so good to listen to my troubles and then distract me. I'm so grateful that we trust each other so much and we can reveal things to each other that we can't tell others. It's so comforting. I love this little tradition we've started and I hope it never ends.

Grateful for my cell phone...

Especially when it works which it decided to be difficult today. Wow, it's almost been a week since I posted. I don't know why but I kept forgetting to do my post also, it's been kind of hard to think of things. I sat here for five minutes trying to think of things. I can think of things but nothing that I feel like posting about. Then I got a little negative and started looking around and think about things that I wish I could be grateful for. Mainly that my phone service keeps crapping out so I can't send text messages so sorry Julie. I tried several times to text you back. I would be grateful to have reliable service all the time. It's not very often but it is still pretty annoying.

I would be grateful to have a clean room right now or the energy/motivation to clean my room.
I would be grateful if it was the weekend already.
I would be grateful if I could find a movie that is missing and I'm not sure if I lent it out or not.
I would be grateful if I didn't fear confrontation and didn't care what my roommate is gonna do when I put a tv out in the living room.

I am grateful that my other roommate is with me. It's nice to have someone like me in the house. I think this whole tv thing has created a bond so that's nice since I wasn't really looking to create a friendship and she really wasn't either. It's too bad that it seems like we bonded together against Tamara but hopefully she'll come around and we'll all get along better and hang out more together.

Sorry this was a little bit of a downer which isn't the point of these posts. I'll try to be more positive tomorrow.

Grateful for an Amazing Mother

It's my mom's birthday today. Though I am more grateful for her everyday than I can really express, I figured today would be a good day to try. First off, she is so strong. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been to raise two little kids on alone (with wonderful help from friends and family) and accomplish all that she has. She put herself through school to get a better job and be able to support us. Honestly, I can't really say that I wanted for anything. She did everything thing she could, I think, to make us feel the best that we could. We got to go school clothes shopping every year and get nice stuff, we went on vacations and so many other things. I know my brother and I took a lot of it for granted but we always knew how good she was to us and still is.

She taught us good principles and morals but never too strict. I've always been so grateful at the trust she put in us because I never wanted to ruin that. I'm still amazed when I think of the freedom we had. Sure there were rules, but nothing out of the ordinary and if we made mistakes there were consequences but we were pretty good kids on the whole. Other than the constant fighting. I don't know how she handled that day in and day out with me and my brother but I always felt comforted when she got home.

In my adult life I've definitely strayed from the beliefs I was taught but she was always there to talk to and reassure me. I never felt judged or disappointed in. When my brother and I have needed her she has always been there to help us out whether financially or emotionally. She is one of my bestest friends. I love her so much. Still in my late twenties she takes care of me and I feel safe like when I was little. I love our talks and when we laugh together, that is seriously the best thing. I love that we hold hands and cuddle (somewhat especially because it drives my brother nuts) I can't even imagine what it could be like to not have her around, a phone call away. It's a nightmare I have often.

I've barely even touched on all the things I am grateful for, but mostly I'm just grateful that she is in my life. That she was chosen to be my mother. I thank God all the time for that. She is my rock. Love you Mom. Happy Birthday!

Grateful for a friend's welcome

I've been going over to Melanie's house a lot lately, mostly to get away from mine. We just hang out and talk and watch t.v. together. It's been really nice. I think our friendship is becoming a lot closer because of it so one good things is coming out of my living situation. Also, she gave me some really good advice tonight which hopefully I can gather up the courage to put to good use that could maybe make my life here at home more bearable. We'll see. Mainly just forcing the issue for either my new roommate Jen or I to put one of our t.v.s out in the living room. My other roommate Tam does not want that at all and we haven't had one in the four years I have lived here but I think the tables have turned and now there are two t.v. watchers living here so she may just have to deal with it.

Anyway thanks Mel for letting me come over and listening.

Grateful for a little success

So one month has gone by and let's see how I did on my resolutions. Well this last week everything seemed to go to crap. I was forgetting to pray, read my scriptures and skipped out on the last two hours of church last week. Also, I missed a few days here and there of my everyday grateful posts. I'm a little bummed about not sticking with the praying and scripture reading but I'm gonna give it another go this month. I think working a month at a time is a good way to go. As for the grateful posts I'm trying to keep up with it but some days it's hard of think of things, not that there aren't a ton of things to be grateful for but it my day was kind of bland I don't realize what those things are. Also, I'm a little forgetful. Loralee once told me that it takes 21 days to create a habit. I haven't yet found that to be true. Either I haven't stuck with something for 21 days which is quite possible or I am extremely resistant to good habits.

But on to my one success and it's a good one. I hit my goal of losing ten pounds this month! I was so worried when I weighed myself yesterday morning and then this morning which was the one that counted, because I hadn't been eating very great, still smaller portions but with what seemed to me to be some pretty major slip-ups. But I was still going down. Oh my heck I was so happy. Now I just have to do it again this month and I'm going to try incorporate more exercise by renting those fun dance exercise videos from netflix. Hopefully, if I mix it up then I won't get bored. If I keep going at this rate then I will be at my highschool weight by July.