Junk Food Eviction

When shopping for desk food, I normally don't realize where I'm spending my money. Just recently I noticed a few pounds being added onto my waistline, along with daily headaches. Let me explain...

Not my desk, but close enough :-)

There is usually some form of junk food in my desk drawer. This drawer houses Oreo cookies, apple sauce, miniature Snicker bars, sunflower seeds, Pringles and candy canes. My coworker who sits right next to me has boxes of cereal at her desk. The other intern in our office keeps bringing Starbucks to work, on top of the occasional cupcakes/cakes that are brought in.

My daily routine at work includes periodically checking my Blackberry, adjusting student accounts and stuffing my face with this junk food. Not only this, but I rarely take my lunch to work and watched my debit card rack up over $250 in fast food charges in a little over a month! When I first started this internship, I was onto a good start... bringing my lunch everyday, using my break time to study or read and just learning everything there is to know about our office. Now that I'm used to things and can understand/interpret things a lot better, I have fallen into a slump. I guess this is what happens when there isn't much empowerment on the job. Not enough room to make changes or implement new ideas since everything is done by the book. Therefore, I need this 'excitement' in my day. My work day has been minimized to reading mindless news articles, magazines, eating junk food and shopping on my lunch break.

2010 has got to be a much better year for me! I've already decided to try new healthy snacks like apples sprinkled with cinnamon, bananas and peanut butter, 'desk-made lemonade' consisting of a few squirts of lemon and ice water. Not only will this save me money, but it'll also help me feel better. I'm also enrolling in a hip-hop dance class with my new intern friend.

I guess being able to train the new intern who starts in January will add a little excitement to my day and help with my binging activities.

What's the Dress Policy?

A few weeks before I began working at my internship, I received a letter stating all of the company policies... my pay rate, the dress code policy, my work hours, etc. Seeing as to how I've never worked in a highly professional area, my "work clothes" were minimal. So with my last check from AH, I went and splurged on a few nice pieces to dress up what I already owned. A few pair of dress slacks, a couple pairs of shoes, and a few neutral colored tops. I was really dying for blazers though. I didn't, and still don't own any blazers.

To our surprise (mine and the other intern), the dress code we were given was a bit skewed. On the first day, we were both over-dressed. She had on high heels and a business suit, and I was dressed in a similar manner. It took us about a week to realize that that policy was simply a hoax.

Since I've been here, people have worn leggings, layered tank tops under jackets and blazers. I even noticed my SUPERVISOR wearing flip flops on a warm fall day. So much for a dress code policy. What sparked this buzz in my brain was the fact that one of my coworkers is absolutely outraged at the fact that we can't wear jeans to work. It's really confusing because our policy is already a bit relaxed, so what more should she be asking for? In my opinion, not a lot. I've also realized that I like to dress up a lot more than I like to wear jeans. They've become a little uncomfortable for me, but hey... to each it's own! It just gets frustrating hearing her complaints all the time about our inability to wear jeans. Come on now, as much as she makes, she should consider wearing suits everyday! Your work is minimal, you're making more than the value of your work, so what's the complaining all about??? Attention-seeker maybe! Let's keep some level of professionalism in our offices. That's all!
                                   
                              VS

Motivation from All Angles

Something that many of you may not know about me is that I'm very self-motivated. The key to remaining driven and at your best is to stay motivated at all times. A lot of individuals wait for the moment of inspiration to become motivated. Instead, try creating that moment as a dream and always strive toward that dream.

You can gain motivation in various ways. Reading, writing, singing, dancing, working out, going to school, working, knitting... Whatever it is, abuse that outlet to get where you want/need to be. I'm highly motivated by reading, writing and going to school. These 3 things drive me daily. I read about what's going on around me and in the world, whether it's about economics, finance, or poverty. I try to read for pleasure as well. I'm currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and recently finished Precious by Sapphire.

There's also a very useful site for women, and I subscribe to their daily newsletter. It's called Little Pink Book. The newsletter has very useful and practical information. Just today I received a newsletter titled 'The 2010 Financial Checklist'. The newsletter contained a checklist of where you should strive to be financially, grouped by age. According to Little Pink Book, I should be setting goals, learning to budget, calculating my monthly income, subtracting my expenditures and contributing to my savings. All of which I have been doing. So I'm right on track!

Come the winter time (which has snuck up on us Michiganders), I'll be volunteering as a tax preparer for low-income families through the Accounting Aid Society. I'm very excited about this, as well as my 40-hr work week, 2 night classes and my internship course. Along with finding a job after my internship is over, and preparing for my last 4 classes as an undergraduate!

Basically, motivation is what keeps me going. It's what wakes me up in the morning, after which I've had a long night. It makes me appreciate life and actually gives me something to live for. Because I know that all of the things that I am doing right now are bettering me as an individual and will allow me to be an asset to society, and to teach these things to my offspring.

What are things/ways that you stay motivated? Inquiring minds want to know!

Tips and Tricks for Women: Winter-Proof Your Car

If you live in an area similar to mine (Michigan... Midwest) or maybe even the East coast, some of these tricks from Woman's World may come in handy. I'll be trying some of these myself, because there is nothing worse than your locks freezing causing you to be late for work.

**Keep your headlights clear with car wax

• The wax contains special water repellents that will prevent the messy gunk from accumulating on your lights. This technique lasts for weeks.

**Ice-proof your windows with vinegar

• Mix 3 parts vinegar with 1 part water and spritz on your car windows at night. Vinegar contains acetic acid which raises the melting point of water- preventing water from freezing on your windshield.

**Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray

• Spritz cooking spray on the rubber seals around car doors and rub it in with a paper towel. Oils in cooking spray prevent water from melting into the rubber.

**Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream

• Shaving cream creates a protective film on the glass that prevents fogging. Spray some on the inside of your windshield and wipe it off with paper towels. The cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers.

**Get unstuck from the snow with your floor mat

• Stick the rubber side of one of your floor mats under the spinning tire. It provides the grip you need to get going.

**De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer

• Put the hand sanitizer gel on both the key and lock. It contains alcohol, the main ingredient in most commercial de-icers. The sanitizer must be at least 60% alcohol, otherwise it's ineffective.

**Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol

• Wipe them with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This can cut the buildup of grease and grime, the main culprit that prevents wipers from working.

!!!!!!!!! New GAB Contest !!!!!!!!!!

So after much thought on my behalf, I realized that my last contest was a little too demanding for my readers. You guys need something simple, something that doesn't take long to do! Honestly, I wouldn't have participated in my own contest :-(

So to make things easier for you, I've designed a better contest (at least in my opinion). Since tis' the season to be jolly, I'd like for everyone to share their funniest holiday story. It doesn't have to be long in length; the only requirement is that it's FUNNY!

THE 3 FUNNIEST STORIES WILL BE POSTED ON MY BLOG! THE 50TH PERSON TO SEND IN THEIR STORY WILL RECEIVE A $50 GIFTCARD TO THEIR FAVORITE STORE FOR CHRISTMAS!

**Disclaimer: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest ends Friday, December 18th at 5:00p EST.

Now there's something to pass on!

Cupcake Misfortune or Abusing Power

Sunday evening was an eventful for me. One in which I baked 60 cupcakes, split up for my job, my boyfriend's job and my mothers. Laundry, reading for class and video game playing with my boyfriend were some of the other events that took place. To top things off, the cupcakes were a new flavor that I was trying: Lemon cake with chocolate icing. I even went so far as to decorate the cupcakes with Wilton decorating tips! They were marvelous!!!

Monday morning I took in my pan of cupcakes, about 15 to be exact and had one for breakfast while I read The Economist. My normal course of work on Monday mornings calls for me to work in the 'vault', a secluded room with one computer, currency counting machine, and our cash vault. Those lovely cupcakes sat in the front office, waiting patiently to be devoured by one of my coworkers.

Mid-way through my work, I decided to take a bathroom break and noticed that my pan of cupcakes were gone! The pan and all! I found my supervisor in the hallway giving MY cupcakes away to students in the lobby without asking MY permission. When I returned to the office, she called me into her office to say: "You work in an office of fat women who are trying to watch their weight, so I had to get rid of your cupcakes."

Excuse me! But if I recall correctly, everyone that I work with are fully grown women and do not need a third party to decide whether they can have a cupcake or not. I'm sure that if people were watching their weight so closely, then they would have sat on the cabinet for the remainder of the day and I could have taken my cupcakes home to enjoy them with my mother! Our office consists of the front and the back. The back office workers weren't even offered a cupcake, which would have been the nice thing to do. If I wanted to make cupcakes for the students, then I would have put the pan in the hallway for them!

The interesting thing is, I'm not the first person to bring goodies into the office. I can recall several times in my 3 months here where other people have brought in cupcakes, brownies, lemon tarts, cake, etc. including the supervisor whom gave mine away!

This one little incident caused me to have a bad day at work. I couldn't believe that she did that and am convinced that that was an abuse of power! What do you think?

The Power of Initiative

I know I've been hiding under a rock lately, and that is due to a few factors. My relationship with my boyfriend has been a little rocky, I recently had to drop a class :-( and my mom hasn't had a car for almost 2 months, causing me to rely on everyone for a ride to work and school.

Well, since I had to drop a class, I'll have to retake it next semester along with the other 2 classes that I was already scheduled to take. That is a recipe for disaster, which leads me to my point. I've been catching on pretty well to my work in Accounts Receivable at my job, and was really looking forward to sticking with what I know next semester. But there's a slight dilemma. The other intern also wants to stay in Accounts Receivable for our second term. But one of us has to go.

On Tuesday, we both had an interview with the Accounts Payable department. It seems as though they were really encouraging me to come to their office due to my high level of experience, and the fact that having AP experience would really boost my resume.

Now, I'm really excited to find out which one of us was selected to go to AP next semester! Even though it'll be a change of pace and atmosphere, I really think I'd enjoy it. I'm always up for a challenge!
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GAB Rant: Interracial Dating

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a somewhat day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

This subject may be a tad bit touchy for some of my readers. However, it is an extreme issue in my opinion. I am in an interracial relationship and recently (today actually) stumbled upon an article that I believe to be complete CRAP!

Here's the link: CRAP!

Since when does it become OK for a justice of peace official to dictate who he/she will or will not marry. That's a serious issue in my opinion! Aren't there laws out there to prevent such ignorance?

I mean seriously, this guy denied an interracial couple a marriage license because he was 'looking out for the offspring'. Really??!! If people have an issue with interracial couples and their children, then that's the problem of that individual. Such couples should not be denied the right to be officially married simply because society doesn't accept interracial children.



I have interracial friends, and I don't treat them any different than I treat my other non-interrational friends. I know that doesn't mean that everyone in the world will be like me, but neither does it give me the right to discriminate against them because of who their parents are. That's a serious issue with society today; people are too worried about what society thinks! Who cares??? People make up society, therefore it is the ideals of the people that form the perception for the whole. Action needs to be taken against idiots who believe that they have the power to regulate and create their own laws.

I understand that this particular justice of peace THOUGHT he was doing the right thing, but what person in their right mind really thinks that?

I guarantee that if my current relationship does result in marriage, there is ABSOLUTELY no way that I will tolerate such belligerent behavior from someone whose job title includes the word 'peace'! At that point, you definitely need to go over that persons head! The law should be uniform, and the last time I checked there was a high percentage of uniformity in the US. He should receive the most severe punishment, whether that includes jail time or losing his job.

Was he really upholding the standards of his title/position, or was he misusing his power and breaking the law? What do you guys think?

The Truth About Sweetest Day!

A few days ago I mentioned to my boyfriend that Sweetest Day was around the corner. Him, forgetting dates as usual, had no idea that sweetest day was coming up. I'd be lucky to get him to remember our anniversary. Anywho, he mentioned to me that Sweetest Day is for the guys, while Valentine's Day is for the girls. Now, this wasn't the first time that I'd heard such gibberish, but I really wanted to know the significance behind Sweetest's Day.



What I found is very astounding! Sweetest Day is really about doing something 'sweet' for another individual; doing good deeds out of the kindness of your heart. It's about showing people that you really care about them, and since most people associate caring with gift-giving... there you go!

There's no wonder that our University hosts volunteer events every Sweetest Day! It's amazing that I was really freaking out about what I should get my boyfriend this year! Who am I kidding??? I'll get him something, along with my parents and siblings :-) Anddddd, if I'm not swamped with studying this weekend, I'll also volunteer!

How will you celebrate Sweetest Day???

GAB Rant: The Price You Pay...

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a somewhat day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

Looking at my student loan statement makes my teeth cringe! I realize I may be paying these back for a longggggg time, and it saddens me. But that's the price you must pay for a credible education!
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Is Corporate America the Place for Me?

This morning I checked my Blackberry for interesting news from The New York Times. Usually I skim the titles and rarely find anything interesting, but this morning I took a different route.

Reading is one of the most efficient ways to keep up with the world, so I have decided to read at least one article a day. However, what I read today shed a whole new light on my life.

Throughout this recession, scandals and frauds have been popping out of the woodworks. The article today was about Simmons, the large mattress manufacturer. The company plans to file for bankruptcy, but the catchy part is why... Check this out:

The company has been primarily owned by private firms, all seeking to maximize their profits. Therefore, they issued lots of bonds and took out tons of loans. This made the company seem profitable, when really they were floating in debt. The stockholders put up little to nothing of their own money to keep Simmons running smoothly, however they issued ridiculous amounts of dividends to themselves and stopped making the interest payments to the bondholders.

Now, doesn't that sound corrupt to you? Someone starts a company with $5 of their own money, and borrows money from their friends to keep the large company running. They promise their friends that they'll pay them interest on the money they invest, and all of a sudden they stop making payments. Then they issue large sums of money to themselves and fail to repay their friends. That's pretty iffy to me!

It makes me second guess my decision to try out corporate America. Although I know that this issue is only one of the many, but how do you really know what companies are good or bad? Do you just take your chances?

What do you guys think?

GAB Rant: Absolute Disgust!

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a somewhat day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

I have never seen a ladies restroom look so disgusting in my life! I expect this in a men's restroom, but not so much so. I'm not even sure that men could be so nasty.
I despise public restrooms, especially ones that aren't kept up properly. Isn't that what janitors are for? People weren't taught to have manners only in their own homes; you should take those manners with you everywhere.
Not everyone was raised with manners though. Tisk, tisk :-/
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Aldo Goes Green!

This entire week I've worked an early shift, so the other intern and I have been spending our lunch breaks together... Shopping! This turned out to be a great thing since both of our birthdays were this week. That's right, GAB turned 22! And so did Intern Girl.

Anywho, so what better thing to do than shop! We did a lot of window shopping this week until today. I had the urge to treat myself considering I hadn't did much for my bday but pay bills :-(

I invested in a really cute sweater and an adorable pair of black flats from Aldo. What amazed me with Aldo was their innovative 'bags', which are nothing more than your shoe box with a string handle on one end! How freaking cute, and a very unique way to go green...

What are some other small things we can do to help the environment? Share your ideas!
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Free Fun!

So I know all of you guys love saving money. Yeah, right! But I've discovered a few ways for you other GAB's to save for your future and have fun at the same time!

I like to call it 'Free Fun'... There are tons of places to look for this type of fun, and many ways to create free fun!

My biggest issue is being in a relationship with both of us being full time college students, paying for tuition and books. I won't lie, it is hard to find a deal for dates. And it's even harder trying to do fun things on a budget; you feel restricted! So here's a laundry list of things to try with your significant other or friends, your choice:

1. People in college towns- there is ALWAYS some type of function going on on campuses. Most of them are free and open to the public. Try an open mic night or karaoke bar.

2. Some cities have lawn movies. Just make sure to bring a comfy blanket and pillows, or lawn chairs. If you own a laptop or portable DVD player, you can create your own lawn movie at a local park with movies that you already own.

3. A lot of cities or towns are near bodies of water, both large and small. Take a walk along the water, or skip rocks across a river. If you're into fishing like me, invest in a fishing license.

4. The fall is here, which means winter is almost here. Check out a local cafe for free music by local artists/bands.

5. What girl doesn't love mani/pedi days??? My girls and I do this on a regular. We set aside an evening to have virgin daiquiris, watch chick flicks and do AMAZING pedicures! Don't forget the cute polishes that you can make using colors that you already own.

6. Free fun can actually put money in your pocket. If you have talent, enter into a talent show. In this case, you could win money and have fun!

Basically what I'm saying is that you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to have fun. In some cases, you don't have to spend much of anything. That money that you're saving could be used to treat yourself to something really nice down the road!

What are some other ways to have free fun? What type of activities go on in your area that are relatively inexpensive? I'd really like to know :-)
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Where Has GAB Gone?

No worries followers! GAB is currently getting things together. I'm adjusting to working full-time and taking 2 classes, on top of trying to maintain a healthy relationship with my boyfriend.

I'll be back on Monday with personal updates, date ideas and an unbelievable way to make a bad day work out for the better ;-)

Stay tuned!
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Blogger's Block

I don't know about you other bloggers out there, but it's hard to maintain two blogs. Here I am trying to blog for my University, as well as my personal life as a GAB. This has been one of the toughest feats of my life.

Here's why: Blogging for the school has been an incredible experience. I walk around campus and find things to blog about instantly. Things that I would have ignored had it not been for my opportunity to share with others. I can capture animals in still life, photography... the best way to capture life's small moments. I can document the bloom of a rose outside of the library, or the falls of the Rouge River right behind the Henry Ford Estate. Or, the fascinating student-ran functions on campus. There was always something... when I was there.

Now that I'm working a full-time job, I am beginning to feel the distance created between myself and my University. It is a distance that I have never felt. It is the feeling of almost being a graduate. It is the feeling of soon losing something that helped to mold me. Therefore, I barely have anything to talk about. We're only required to blog once a week, but I'll try my hardest to write down every experience that I had while being active on campus and blog about it later. Having this list will give me much to talk about! There is no way that I've crammed my entire college career into a few posts over the past year (this is my second year blogging for the University).

My personal blog, this one, is important to me as well. It's like my online journal, there to vent to. Here for my excitement and happiness. This is what I want to do... entertain my readers with drama, laughter and real-life experiences. It gives me fulfillment (aside from dancing <3), and is an outlet for future reflection. I hope everyone who reads both of my blogs can gain from my mistakes and successes the same things that I have.

Enjoy!!!

GAB Rant: Don't Take Advantage of Me!

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a somewhat day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

Until today, I seriously thought that I was the only one in the office whom the person 'above' me on the totem pole pushed all of the work on.

I went to lunch with the other intern. She turns out to be silly just like me, and I think we'll become really good friends after spending so much time together at work.

Anywho, to the matter at hand. Our supervisor basically pawns all of HER work off on us. Before we can finish our current tasks, she's already signing us up for other things to do. This afternoon she told me that I'd be alphabetizing 10,000 student refund checks. Are you kidding me??? I didn't sign up for this type of work, and if I recall correctly that's her job anyway!



Seriously, she sits at her desk all day emailing her friends about her failed attempts at getting pregnant, and texting on the phone. She laughs all day long, when no one ever says anything funny. Oh, oh, oh! Then last night she did the work that I normally do in the morning when I first come in. There are two steps to this part of my job, in which she failed to do the second portion. When I asked her about it, she told me that that was my job. I'M WELL AWARE OF WHAT MY JOB ENTAILS. Therefore don't do my work if you're going to do it in its entirety and then look at me like I'm stupid! I don't have time to go back and figure out what she did and didn't do; especially since I'm doing all of her work anyway!

It really urks me when people try to take advantage of interns. We are there to learn and build on our current skills and knowledge. Not to be slaved by other workers, or talked down to. I really don't understand it. But then again, many of the people that I work with have never worked as an intern. Therefore, they have no idea what it is like to be at the bottom.

I wish they'd get a clue though.

GAB's W.O.W- They May Never Know...

GAB's W.O.W is a monthly feature that will provide insight into a particular issue, and maybe help some of my readers. These will usually be things that affect myself or people around me. Enjoy!

Sometimes it's hard for people who've never had to struggle to understand a person who's struggling...

I know this to be true because I once had to have this conversation with my boyfriend. It was one of our more difficult arguments. One day I mentioned to him that I started to save money. Given my financial circumstances for the past 3 years or so, I was proud to say that to him. However, our levels of understanding the term 'saving' were a bit skewed. It meant a lot to me to place my entire paycheck into my savings account and not have to worry about paying any bills late, because this time they'd been paid early :-)

That is one of the ways in which I struggle. Like many other college students, I struggle to juggle bills and pay for books/tuition. I drive a used car that I pay a note on, so we know that that costs money each year. My mom and I basically take care of my grandmother and are responsible for getting her to work every day. It's a lot; more than what my bf vouches for. I'm not saying this is a negative manner, we just live two different lives. I have my issues and he has his.

So, last night when I overheard his younger bro's gf crying because of her situtation, I wanted to console her. She went on to tell his little bro that she wishes that he had to deal with the things that she deals with. I understand where she's coming from. You want the person you're in love with to understand you; in a sense you want for the two of you to walk in the same shoes. But in all actuality, things will never be that way. The ones who struggle will never understand why people are selfish and self-consumed, and vice versa.

It is really something hard to deal with, and the resolution comes with time. When you are 100% happy with your life, there will be no need to be flustered about things and soon those tears will be of joy. We have to appreciate the life we were given, and remember where we came from. Only then will we be appreciative of where we're going in life.
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Mobile & Email Blogging

Guess what my lovely followers?!?! I finally figured out how to blog from my phone and email! As a matter of fact, this post is from my Blackberry!!

So now there will be more posts throughout the day... Just to keep you guys entertained :-)

Enjoy!
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First Week = Success!

My first week of work was great! But some of the questions that students ask are just ridiculous! I don't know how many times this week I've heard: "where is my refund check?" I mean, seriously, I'm starting to think that students are only going to school so that they can get a refund check. Not thinking about the fact that they'll actually have to pay that money back in the future.

Anywho, I've been learning a great bit of information and am asking less questions than I did on the first and second day. I think after next week, I'll be good to go. Classes start for me next week as well; I have two classes that both meet once a week UGH! One of my professors even sent the syllabus out two weeks in advance, so yes I already have homework. Go figure!

On the bright side, I have an amazing internship to look forward to each day, and I'm more equipped for the upcoming semester than ever. I think I've finally learned how to study LOL!
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GAB sees Bling!

I figured I'd see weird things everyday at my new internship, or rather odd things I should say!

Our office is located in the basement of the building (no sunlight, eh?!), between the registration office and the financial aid office. Therefore, we see just about every student that makes their way into the basement of the building. There are also computer labs and the student ID photo booth down there, so it's jam-packed from 7a until well after I leave at 4:30p!

For these past three days, I've been learning a mix of jobs. Mostly the job of the last intern whose last day was yesterday, and the remainder dealing with students who have questions about their accounts. While sitting at the window yesterday, I seriously thought I was looking at something off of a VH1 reality show or something. It was roughly 75 degrees outside, and not a cloud in the sky. Why was there a girl wearing rubber rain boots??? I'm sorry, and I'm no fashionista, but dress appropriately or run the risk of looking like a complete idiot!

No doubt her rain boots were multi-colored to match her radical baby doll tee... but she also had on one of these bracelets in every color that was on her boots. Red, pink, dark green, lime green, yellow, orange, blue, sky blue, etc. I mean, she seriously bought out the beauty supply store of all of their rinky-dink bracelets. And I know these came from the beauty supply because I laughed at them one day when I saw them, thinking to myself "what person would really wear this clunky mess on their risk?", rolled my eyes and kept going. Obviously, she LOVES them!



That made my day LOL!

First Day; Chair Swinging Competition

Man, I've been waiting for this day for an entire month. The anxiety finally wore off last night, and I was able to get a great nights rest before my first day on the new job. Went to bed at 10:30p, woke at 6:40a; a nice 8 hours and it was much needed! I showered and got dressed, primped in the mirror, curled my hair to perfection and grabbed my lunch!

7:50a- the parking lot was already 90% full. Construction is being done in the staff parking lot, so everyone must park in the raggedy student parking lot. UGH! Not to mention I've heard stories of peoples' tires being stolen off of their cars in broad daylight. Anywho, I trekked across campus to my place of employment, and was amazed at the line for the financial aid office!

9:00a- a fight broke out. YES A FIGHT, AT A COLLEGE CAMPUS! There was a verbal/physical altercation between a group of guys about someone's girlfriend, and next thing you know fists and chairs are being swung at each other. OMGoodness! I couldn't believe what I was seeing... The things people do when they are well aware of their surroundings. That is definitely grounds for expulsion, but the culprits got away before campus security could get there! They were slow as molasses!

For the remainder of the day, I sat with my trainor, and was informed that I'd be replacing her once she left tomorrow. Right now, I'm in charge of the bus card program which is just a start. I also learned how to add holds to student accounts and process tuition payments.

The second part of my internship should be a little more interesting though. I'll be verifying/paying bills for the school, doing random audits of offices on campus, posting journal entries and such. I'm very excited for what's to come, and I know I'll gain tons of valuable experience!

Wanna ask me more questions?! Leave me a comment! I'll keep you posted!

Last Day Woes :-(

Yesterday was officially my last day at AH (although it was supposed to be today), and I must admit. It was a lot harder to say goodbye than I thought it would be.

These people I'd only worked with for almost 3 months somehow took a toll on my being. First off, working there took me out of my comfort zone at my last job. It was exhilarating to be thrown into an already well-functioning organization and grab the internship by the horns. And that's just what I did. I blended very well with the culture of our office, and everyone took to each other. I blame this on the fact that many of the 3 of the people who worked there were related, so that made the atmosphere a lot more relaxed than usual.

Since it wasn't planned for my last day to be yesterday, I wasn't able to say goodbye to some people. Most of which I'd worked the closest with. Them being the 2 head accountants and intern fax-boy (who I'm going to miss dearly). My supervisor even hit me with an unexpected exit interview, at which he asked me for recommendations for improvement. I had none; I felt that my stay at AH was well worth it and I gained a lot of practical experience that I may not have gained on my own. Guess what?!?! I can now add to my resume that I am very familiar with property management software like BostonPost and MRI. That's always a plus. I can also add that I've reported utility costs for the past 6 months in order to cut utility costs at our property sites. The list goes on and on.

But most importantly, I can say that I enjoyed my stay. No, I didn't leave with a bang like I expected. And no, on my last day I wasn't able to choose what we had for lunch. If I did, we'd definitely have Leo's Coney Island. However, Hogan's was nice. I even got a salad this time, YUM!

I will miss my coworkers, free lunch, random trips to our partner site for trainings that have nothing to do with me, stuffing/sealing/adding postage to 500+ checks every week, facebooking the other intern while he sits behind me, walking up 3 flights of stairs each day in order to say that I 'exercised', listening to the accountants bad mouth each other when one wasn't around, everyone's cell phones ringing extra loud with the many variations of ring tones (house music, Taylor Swift, the ice cream truck!), my supervisor walking around with his shoes untied, the CEO and Executive Director yelling through the office at their Administrative Assistant, the random emails about people having unauthorized programs on their computers, the grunt work, the work that made me smile, the CEO's story of when he sold Hoover vacuums door-to-door in order to provide for his family only for his wife to leave him (you had to hear his sales pitch, HILARIOUS! He even remembered it after 45+ years!)... I could go on forever, OH I can't forget the unlimited cola and water!

With each experience that you have, you take a little bit with you. I know that my experience at AH was invaluable. It hasn't hit me yet that I'll probably never walk foot into that office again. Maybe it'll hit me when I step foot into my new office on Monday.

GAB wants ADVICE: Retreat Favor Ideas!

GAB wants ADVICE is a feature that I'll utilize to gain a little more insight about situations that I find myself in, or maybe advice for a friend. Please leave your advice and comments :-)

Did I mention that I'm a sorority girl??? Well, I am if you didn't know. I've taken on the role of Special Events Coordinator for our sorority, just to get my feet wet in the event planning industry. So I've been planning everything from talent shows, sisterhood retreats, formals, founder's day brunches, alum ceremonies, etc.

Well, this Sunday is our 3rd Annual Sisterhood Retreat and I have no idea what to dish out this year for favors! Here are the things I put together for the first two retreats:

Year 1: Note pads, sorority pens and candy bags... I know, kinda cheesy!

Year 2: Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie mix in cute, decorative jars... A step up from the year prior!

Year 3: Who knows... HELP!!!!

GAB wants ADVICE: Lunch Ideas

GAB wants ADVICE is a feature that I'll utilize to gain a little more insight about situations that I find myself in, or maybe advice for a friend. Please leave your advice and comments :-)

A week from today I'll be leaving AH to embark on new territory. I'm ecstatic about this, but there's one dilemma. The founder of AH likes for the employees to be in the office at all times during the day, therefore the company purchases lunch for everyone, EVERYDAY! Obviously this won't be the case at my new job.

I'm in a bit of a pickle. I want to save more money and buy less junk/fast food for lunch. My biggest goal is to figure out some type of lunch plan for the week. I'd like to stay in the $20/week range and take a brown bag lunch to my new internship.

Any easy-to-cook, inexpensive lunch ideas?? More on the healthy side, please!!

Wise Decisions

For the past 6 or 7 months, I've been trying to convince my mother to go back to school. I felt that she needed to broaden her horizons and realize that there is more to life. Education is one of the best outlets for people, and I know she'd benefit from going to school.

She surprised me 2 weeks ago when she informed me that she'd applied to a local community college. I had already helped her with her financial aid application; the hard part was actually getting her to go and apply. Well, she was accepted into the Business Administration program and I am so happy for her!

Yesterday, she went to take her entrance exams and speak with a counselor. She even registered for classes! I'd been registered for my fall classes since March. However, I was shocked to see that the difference between my 9 credit hours at my university and her 9 credit hours at her community college is $3,753.69!!! That is a crazy amount of money to pay for school.

I didn't realize how ridiculously high college tuition really is! I am the first in my family to attend college, so I didn't have anyone to tell me the benefits of attending a 2-year college and transferring. I'm sure I wouldn't have nearly as much student loan debt as I have now. However, there are other things that you need to worry about like whether or not all of the credits will transfer. And I guess that makes up for the difference in cost... NOT!

EXPLAIN TO ME THE DIFFERENCE!

GAB Rant: Nastiness is Not Your Friend!

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

Ladies- I can't speak for men because I don't share public restrooms with them. But ladies, if you're taking care of business in the ladies room, please don't rush out of the bathroom in embarrassment without adding a drop of soap or water to your hands. What's there to be embarrassed about? Everyone has bowel movements (excuse me, not my most endearing topic), and if you don't then something is wrong in that case.

It's absolutely disgusting for you to rush out of the bathroom, in fear that I'll see you and know that you were the one who cleared out the entire bathroom. However, I'd like it much more if you'd just excuse yourself, and do the proper thing. WASH YOUR HANDS! Wiping them off with paper towel does not equate to them being clean! I feel like I shouldn't even have to rant about this!

P.S. I saw your shoes ;-)

Love,
GAB!

Group Projects- OH, THE JOY!

Like some people, I absolutely despise group projects. Not necessarily on the job, but definitely in the classroom. I feel like my entire college career has been bombarded with useful group projects, while I'm paired with useless people!

Let me tell you all about my recent Corporate Finance Project. Ready for this? On the second day of class, a guy that I know asked if I'd had a group yet. Of course I didn't, since the project was just announced. He's a great student, so I knew being in his group would be a good idea. Plus, I didn't know too many other people in the class. Everyone that he had picked for our group, he knew them, so that was great! Unfortunately, he dropped the class and left me with 4 other random people that I had never seen before!

Not knowing their work ethic, I signed up to be the Group Leader. The project had 3 parts, one part that needed to be done by two people (it was pretty extensive). Anywho, I assigned the 3 parts to 4 of us, and the PPT and report write-up I assigned to the last person. Great, right? Everyone knew their portion of the project in ample time!

So, one of our members had a conference to attend and another project to work on. She missed two weeks of class, and upon her return she sent an email to the guy who was helping her with that extensive part of the project. But, she emailed the wrong guy! This email was sent this past Sunday, and the project is due tomorrow! The guy who she mistakenly emailed leaves class early every day, usually during our 15 minute break. So it was no surprise that during the 2nd half of class last week, the professor was going over the lesson for his part of the project. So yea, he missed it. She even gave us information that we wouldn't be able to find! He answered no emails all weekend, and no one had his phone number!

At this point I'm sure you can tell that my blood was boiling! We all agreed to meet yesterday, 2 hours before class. Guess who didn't show up until 20 minutes before class, with the wrong part of the project done! You guessed it!

By this time, I'd already given up hope on this guy and began to work on his part, since I'd been done with my stock analysis for over a week. I was really just trying to give people the benefit of the doubt. Come to find out, the other guy in our group hadn't started his portion either (yes, 2 days before the due date)!!! Can you say infuriated????? Very much so!

Yesterday after class, everyone got together and helped each other out. To my surprise, the project is 100% complete, PowerPoint, report and all!

This has really taught me to put a little more trust in people and their abilities. It has also taught me to have a little patience. Maybe group projects aren't so bad after all :-)

Ever had a group project dilemma??? Tell me all about it!!!

The Pressure Is On!

I'm going to cut right to the chase. From 9/06 until 6/09, I've worked for a tutoring office at my university as an Office Assistant. So there's no surprise, given the amount of time I'd been there, that my supervisor had grown attached to me.

She was a small, Russian lady with a thick accent, who moved to the States 12 years ago. Once I decided to move forward and take the internship at AH, I realized that I needed to help her find someone to replace me. I'd promised her that I'd stay the entire summer, but working 7 hours a week just wasn't going to cut it for a Girl About Business. So, my options were to either stay there and find a second job, or find a new job altogether. The latter won, obviously.

Off on a tangent: I had planned to return to my old job for the Fall semester, even if it was only for a few hours a week. See, I'm also a work-study student, so I can get a grant to cover tuition if I have an on-campus job. So that's my only reason for considering to stay. Anddd if all else failed with my current internship, or new internship, I'd have somewhere to rest my butt for bucks ($$). However, everything worked out! I got the new internship, paying more and more hours, AND in my field of study. So last Thursday, I made the dreaded call to my old supervisor to see how she'd been doing, and to give her the bad news! Yes, me not returning is BAD news to her!



After chitchatting for about 20 minutes, she kinda figured out from my joyous tone that I'd gotten a new internship, and I wouldn't be returning to work there. But, I forgot to mention, I found someone to work for her this summer and was expecting for this girl to be a little more mature. During our little chat, I learned that the girl is not eager to work, she's not a self-starter, and she's pretty much a bland character. All of which I had no idea of. So basically, I set my sweet little boss up with a LEMON!

She's now requesting 'SOMEONE LIKE ME' to fill the position for the Fall. I hate to admit it, but I don't know too many people who'd actually deal with her. Not in a bad way though! Like I said she's sweet (very), but she has a very thick accent and this makes her a little standoffish! She grew on me, seriously!

So this is going to be a hard task, since most people I know aren't qualified for work-study, already have jobs, or want something more exciting. What a dilemma... I hate to leave her hanging with that LEMON!

Dental Envy!

Do you have a phobia? Well, I do. My phobia is all things medically related. You know, the doctor, dentist, gynecologist! I just hate going to the doctor, it's weird I know!

Part of the reason behind my non-obsession with this profession, is that I always feel like something may be wrong (even though it never is). I start to make myself believe that something is wrong with me, even when it's not! It's absolutely pathetic.

A few months ago, my boyfriend forced me into the nearest dentist office. I had a crater in the middle of one of my back teeth. I mean, the cavity was ridiculously big! But it didn't bother me at all. So I scheduled an appointment to see the dentist, and was told that I'd need a few fillings and a root canal on that horrible tooth!

I couldn't believe it, so I got a second opinion from my boyfriend's dentist. Instead, he wanted to save my tooth (thank you very much!), and gave me a filling. WOW, that was a very painful ordeal. I had nerve-wrecking pain for an entire month! I was constantly popping Advil, Vicodin, anything to help make the pain subside for a while. Eventually the pain went away, but not for long.

I returned to the dentist a few days ago after noticing an abscess (spelling, eh?) on that "saved tooth". Wake up call! I still need to have a freaking root canal done, which I also learned is a 3-step process! Why on earth do I need to go to the dentist 3 times for a root canal??? I don't understand.

Anywho, so this gut-wrenching appointment is scheduled for the 29th; just 2 days before my first day at my new job! I'm really hoping that this root canal doesn't interfere with me functioning properly. I'd hate to start my new job in pain.

Taking Advantage!

Whew! That's usually the sound that I make after an exam, so yes, I just had a finance exam! And I think I aced this one as well; if not, I'm sure it's a high B.

Anywho, our supervisor is on vacation this week, so us interns are on a vacay as well. How sweet?! Not really though, because as happy as I am to have a break, I hate not making money. Nothing irritates me more than the thought of my next paycheck being short, and this time by an entire week's pay! YUCK!

But not to worry, at least not now! I called the CC where I'll be interning for the fall to find out my start date. Technically I'm not supposed to start until September 9th, but they want me to start next week! Go figure! So I'm super-stoked about that... Shopping for cute blazers and heels is underway. I sound like such a girly girl HAHAHA!

Since I won't be working this week, I'm going to take advantage of this free time. I'm usually spending my spare time with my boyfriend, but I'm going to try some new things this week. Starting TONIGHT! Tonight is 'Girls Night', so myself and one of my girlfriends will be getting together for strawberry daiquiries, manis and pedis, and a nice chick flick! That's a perfect night, especially since we rarely have any time to hang out.

Tomorrow is clean up day LOL. I'll be doing all of my laundry, dusting, cleaning out my car, etc. Wednesday... class, then who knows after that??? Thursday, I plan to sleep in and do some reading (personal, not educational). Friday, SHOPPING! Saturday, beauty salon for a cute new cut! Oh, and somewhere in between, take my mom to apply for school!

Sunday, relax with my bf because I can see that the ridiculous amount of time that we spend together will be cut short, very soon :-(

GAB Rant: Illegal Procedure!

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

Today, I arrive at work at 8:30a, my scheduled time. The other intern whom I share an office with, arrives 7 minutes after 9a, as usual! Seeing as to how he was hired as an accounting intern, yet has never taken an accounting course in his life, explains why there is rarely something for him to do when he comes in. So he sits and reads sports blogs and listens to sports radio the entire time he's here. A huge distraction to me, who's actually doing some work here!

Anywho, our supervisor asked him to make a check run around 9:35a to our partner site, which is about 3 miles away. I asked him if he could stop at McDonald's and grab me a sweet tea on his way back. No biggie!

An hour later I get a text saying that he 'ran home because he had a stomach ache'. Ok, I cut him some slack and figured he'd be in in another 20 minutes or so. NOOOOOO! Another hour goes by, no sweet tea & no intern. What the heck was he doing?

Our supervisor then asks ME for his cell number, after he'd been gone for nearly 3 hours with about $300k in company checks!

Seriously, who does that??? In my opinion, this is just taking advantage of your employer! Not to mention that through the program that we got the job, we're not even supposed to leave our worksite during the day! But I'm seriously trying to figure out intern Fax-Boy's (my friend coined him with this name!) malfunction!

DPS Gone Wild!

I'm listening to the radio this morning (HOT 102.7), and heard something about the Detroit Public School system. Being a student of DPS for 11 of my 13 years of public schooling, I wanted to hear what was going on. I mean, if you know anything about DPS, you'd know that they've been shutting down schools left and right. The drop out rate is 75%... yes, that's the DROP OUT RATE! Which means that the graduation rate is only 25%! How ridiculous!

Anywho, to the point of this blog. So the district has an Emergency Financial Manager, Robert Bob (Bob Bob, eh?) who has been disclosing discrepancies in the DPS budget since he was appointed.


Here are some of the new things that he recently discovered:


The district has been spending money that could have been used to keep some of the schools running. The total amount of unnecessary expenses totals about $2.1 million each year.

• This $2.1 million has been spent on health insurance for ineligible dependents, 160 Blackberry phones, 11 unused motorcycles, 97 two-way phones, inappropriate loans to school officials, and a whopping $1.7 million paid to the City of Detroit for taxes when the district is tax-exempt!

More bad light shone upon the city of Detroit. But my philosophy is 'better now than never'. Robert Bob is doing a great job!

GAB Rant: Over-ordering for Lunch!

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

So today, AH decided to order Potbelly for lunch. You know, the sandwich shoppe. Well, this was my first time having Potbellys, so I went light for lunch (I usually do).

Not the other intern... Not only did he take 10 minutes to go over the menu, but he ordered a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. I know that may not sound like a lot, but it was enough for our supervisor to call him into his office for a 'talk'.

This isn't the first time he's done this. The idea is to go with the flow of the office. You don't make your own rules; you blend with what's already happening. If no one else who came before you is ordering food out of the woohaa, then you're not supposed to.

Bring your own snacks to work! Don't expect your employer to provide for your daily bout of the munchies.

I Suck at Working Out!

There's nothing in this world that makes my head hurt more than the idea of having to work out. I'm a very petite young woman, but I have a crazy sized tummy. I mean, you can tell when I've just had a hearty meal. My stomach tends to look about 2 months pregnant :-(

It kinda sucks since my BF works out almost everyday. I mean, he's always doing something. Running, biking, lifting, benching, curling, squatting, something! So, I guess I'm trying to keep up with him a bit just so we can have something to do together. Plus, I need to do it for myself, and he's my biggest motivation when it comes to working out. I never knew what a real workout was until last week...



Last Monday, my BF-turned-personal trainer had me jump rope 500 times! My legs were soooo tight the next day at work that I could barely rock my heels at work. But it definitely gave my legs the tone that they needed. I jumped rope again on Tuesday, and jogged about 5 blocks on Thursday. It wasn't much, but it definitely made me realize that working out IS a lot of work. I have to give my BF credit because he really does a lot.

Here's a great ab workout that you can in less than 5 minutes!!!

So, aside from attempting to eat healthier, I'm going to devote myself to working out at least once a week. My schedule permits that now, so there's no excuse!

I'll keep you guys updated with how that's going :-) Also, don't be afraid to let me know what works for you. Any exercise routines that you can do at home instead of hitting the gym?! I'd love to hear your stories :-)

Giving my Job the Boot...

If you've been following, which I see 13 of you have :-) you'll know that I recently accepted an offer for an internship this upcoming fall and winter semester. You'd also know that I've been interning for AH since the beginning of June.

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but who else will? So, I'll just say it: I'm an asset to all of my places of employment. My supervisors tend to see that I increase productivity for them, and behind the scenes I help to make the office function more efficiently. I'm a problem solver, and an answer-seeker! Now that you know my work ethic, you can see why after only a month plus some, my current supervisor asked ME to stay for another semester. Here's the problem:

Although I love my current internship (who wouldn't love free lunch everyday?), it's not exactly what I want to do. So, while I was doubting my abilities a few weeks ago (before the interview), I talked up staying at AH with my supervisor. So by now, everyone is expecting for me to stay. And I had all intentions of doing so before my recent interview. Now that I've accepted the position elsewhere (and I can't renig), I'm in a bit of a pickle. I don't exactly know how I am going to tell my current supervisor that I'll no longer be staying for the fall.

They're both great opportunities... where I am now, I get A/P experience. Plus, if I stayed for the fall I'd be paying the bills and doing the books for my own property site :-) However, the other internship allows for me to see both sides of the equation. I'll be doing both A/P and A/R, which is even better. Majority of the other students at my university enjoyed their internship there, and it could lead to a possible full-time position after graduation. So I weighed my options, and that's my decision...

I just don't know how to lay it out for my supervisor, because I highly doubt that through the program that I got the job, they'll find another accounting intern as good as me. They were lucky to find me... TRUE STORY :-)

HELP ME!

What Chasing a Guy/Girl can do to your Long-Term Goals!

HAHAHA!

I thought I'd never touch a topic like this. However, it seems to be a problem in my opinion.

Honestly, as a teen, having a boy/girlfriend isn't necessary at all. It tends to be a fad... "Everyone is doing it"... True enough, but what are they really gaining from the individual they're with?

I once told myself that I would no longer date guys who don't have a strong sense of self, LONG-TERM goals, an education, a platform and a clear view of the life ahead of him. Is that asking too much? Not at all. It's worked out pretty well for me too!

What we tend to do as humans is focus on the short-term; what will look/feel good now? But your ultimate happiness is key! Focusing on the now could put a damper on your future. It could cause you to make decisions that could change your life, FOR THE WORSE!

For example... It's senior year and you've just met this cute guy. He has a car, a job at the local bookstore, and he's pretty much content there. You fall head over heels for this guy, to only find out that in August you'll be leaving for an Ivy-league school, and he'll be promoted to cashier at the bookstore. OH NO! What are you going to do 500 miles away from the guy that you think you're going to spend the rest of your life with??? Your solution... "I'll go to a local college and build my life around someone who clearly doesn't have any plans for his life!!!"

THAT IS THE WRONG ANSWER AND THE WRONG ATTITUDE TO HAVE. DO YOU SEE HOW CHASING THAT GUY HAS SENT YOU ON A DETOUR? LOW AND BEHOLD YOU DON'T GO TO SCHOOL AT ALL AND YOU GUYS BREAK UP. NOW WHAT?

This is truly something to think about considering the Fall semester is approaching and a lot of you guys will face that BIG question: "What will chasing him/her do to my goals?"

My advice is to stay true to yourself and evaluate who you are. Take time out and think about the person you want to be. Think about the person you are with, or wish that you were with, and evaluate them as well. If your goals in life don't match the least bit, RECONSIDER your options and focus on YOU!

Cash Advance = Not a Good Idea :-(

I know everyone has been in a bit of a pickle. Low on cash, bills are due, gas prices are rising, etc. And those paycheck advance places sound quite appealing... you know, "we'll give you money and you can pay us when you get paid"!

I won't lie; I've thought about stopping by one of those places. Here are a few times when it crossed my mind: about 3 months ago I had to deplete my entire savings to pay for a car repair. Another instance is when my employer somehow missed me when doing payroll. Then, I didn't have much in my savings, so I could barely live for those 2 weeks that it took to issue another check :-( So yes, the thought definitely crossed my mind!

An old friend of mine used to go to one of these places, and it didn't seem too bad. Kinda like a very short-term loan. He'd take out $500, and would pay back around $530 when he got paid again.

Being the accountant that I am, and now taking a finance class, it has come up in my textbook. Let me explain to you why I will NEVER go to a cash advance establishment. Hopefully this steers you away as well (I'm not trying to put anyone out of business, but come on!)

First off, you need to understand the 'time value of money'. So let me give you a brief synopsis. A dollar today is not the same as a dollar in the future; you know, inflation and all of that blah! Hence, we need to use the 'time value of money' to value what some future payments are worth today, or what some present amounts of money will be worth in the future. Here's the equation (sorry for getting mathematical with you all, but you'll see where I'm going soon!) for the future value of money:

FV = PV x (1 + r)^t

Now here's the problem: you walk into one of these cash advance places, and you want to take out $150 for incidental expenses; just to hold you over until the next pay period. In exchange for this $150, you write the establishment a check for $180. The agreement is that you'll pay back the $180 in 15 days, and this doesn't seem like a large amount of cash to repay. I mean, it's only $30! But at what rate are you paying for this money? How much interest are you paying? We'll use our equation:

So, the FV is the amount you're repaying which is $180, PV is the amount you're getting today which is $150, t is equal to 1. Let's plug and chug:

$180 = $150 (1 + r)^1 ----> divide both sides by $150
1.20 = 1 + r ----> subtract 1 from both sides
.20 = r or 20%

20% doesn't seem so bad, does it??? But remember this is for borrowing the money for only 15 days! What does this mean??? That the annual percentage rate (APR) is RIDUNCULOUS!!!

APR = .20 x 365/15
APR = 486.66%

Yes, you read right! That measly 20% for 15 days equates to 486.66% a year!

So, let's see: you borrow that same $150 on January 1st, 2010. If you don't make any payment until December 31, 2010, this is what you'll be paying:

PV = FV/(1 + r)^t
$150 = FV/(5.86666)^1
FV = $879.90

Yes, that's right, you'll be paying back nearly $900 just for borrowing $150!!!

That makes me think twice about credit cards too, and no... I won't be stopping by any of their convenient locations. $900 just about covers one class at my university. NO THANKS!

Ponytails are For the Office

Yea, I said it! Ponytails on women are not just sexy for the gym. They are sexy every day of the year, in pretty much any style you can choose.

I prefer myself with a ponytail. My hair is long (almost mid-back), thick and currently jet black. Humidity does NUMBERS on my hair, my curls usually fall, and I'd rather wear my hair bone-straight than curly ANYDAY!

But rumor has it that ponytails should stay at the gym! I found that highly disappointing considering I rarely visit the gym, yet I rock a ponytail pretty much everyday. I don't know what it is, but ponytails definitely do something different to my appearance.

For one, they don't hide your earrings. I'd die without a pair of earrings on (well, maybe not die, but I'd sure go back home for them!). On a boring, I-forgot-to-do-the-laundry day, some women need a nice pair of earrings to spruce up their lacking wardrobe. But who wants to hide those bedazzling earrings under a ton of hair? I KNOW I DON'T!

Ponytails also accentuate the eyes. Depending on how tight you wear/like your ponytails, they could pull the skin on your face a bit causing your eyes to appear more beautifully. It also makes you looks very exotic (not in a sexual way). When I wear a ponytail, my boyfriend compliments my eyes. DON'T FORGET THE MASCARA THOUGH!

You can wear many different styles of ponytails to fit your mood, attitude or even your getup!

Here are some of my recommendations for the office pony:

If you are wearing a suit, are having a conference with your colleagues or meeting with a potential client, I suggest a low ponytail. One that touches the back of your neck- like this one:



For a day when the office is more laidback, say... free dress day! Or with a nice flowy skirt and 3/4 length sleeved blouse- a mid to high ponytail like this one (with or without the bang, however, WOW the office with a tossled bang):



Obviously for an office party, you'd want to look as beautiful as Brittany Snow, so try this one:



HERE IS A GYM PONYTAIL, AND YES THERE IS A DIFFERENCE! A GYM PONY IS LOOSE AND CAREFREE. AN OFFICE PONY SHOULD BE SLEEK AND POLISHED!

Got It!!!!!!!

Wow- so I postdated one of my little stories, but I guess I'll have to go back and edit that post or post it now... Why???

Because I GOT THE JOB! I'm sooooo overly excited and appreciative. I can't wait to start!

I'll be talking to the internship director tonight about the position, so I'll be sure to give you guys all of the juice later today or tomorrow!

Gaining a Bad Case of Anxiety!

I emailed the internship director at my school to tell her about my interview this past Wednesday, and was informed that I should hear something back by the end of this week or early next week.

Talk about anxiety building up! I really want this internship, however, on the flip side- I wouldn't mind staying where I am. That's definitely the power of being a great intern/employee... you'll always have somewhere to go! If I decide not to stay here either, I always have first dibs on the hours at my old job. Obviously that wouldn't be my first preference, but I'd take it because I love(d) my old supervisor!

Barking on new territory is very different though. It definitely takes you out of your comfort zone. But doing this internship has taught me plenty of things that should be done in the office, and things that should not. I've also gained knowledge about property management. So, if I do decide to leave, at least I can take that with me. This summer has definitely padded my resume :-)

Any of you doing internships that you enjoyed? Didn't enjoy? Turned into a full-time position? Tell me about it!

A Night Wasted!

A friend of mine had been promoting an event this past Friday for about a month and a half. So of course she asked all of her friends to come out and show their support. Why not? I really don't do too much partying anyway. Besides, I needed to celebrate my 93% on my Finance exam, and my job interview (that I hope leads to a new internship :-) ). My best friend also came to visit me on Friday, so we decided to go to the party together.

Shopping we went! We went to just about every store for our style at Twelve Oaks Mall, and barely found anything! I have to admit though, I'm usually behind season. I look for summer pieces late in the summer when I should be doing so in the spring! Oh well- a nice pair of jeans and some pumps would have set the night off right! Instead, I settled for a pair of jeans, waist-belt, porcelain flower necklace, cayenne-colored slacks for work, and a pair of cargo capris! Not too much of a shopping experience! I didn't even find what I was looking for...

To make a super long story short: the party was super whack, one of the security guards was a complete jerk, I hate drunk guys and house music, the dance floor was the size of my closet, I reeked of cigarette smoke when I left, the floor was carpeted, ENOUGH SAID!

My friends and I ended up leaving the party after about 45 minutes of sitting down, and we headed to MGM Casino to eat! Yummy- and my first time in MGM. From the looks of it, it won't be my last :-)

Inappropriate Office Attire!

Here is a link to an article that I found very interesting, because I see this just about everyday. Not necessarily at my place of employment, but everywhere.

Check it out here.

Happy Reading!

Finally... A Little Time to Relax

Lately, I've been one busy young lady! Running errands, picking things up, dropping things off, working, going to class, spending time with my boyfriend, interviewing, studying, tutoring, piloting a new website for our sorority, traveling, planning events, wrapping up old ones... YAWN!!! Just thinking about that list makes me tired. I find myself curling up in my boyfriends bed every Sunday, napping for hours.

Sunday is supposed to be the beginning of the week. For me though, it's the end of the week. That's how my body functions. All of the missed sleep from the week... I make up for that on Sunday. I barely have time for myself. But this is the life that I signed up for. Of course I could drop out of school, quit both of my jobs, and leave the sorority behind... but that's the life of a loser in my opinion.

I'm excited for the morning... why, you ask? Well, I don't work on Monday's and Wednesday's. Instead I go to class from 11:30-2:20p. But I can't remember the last time that I had absolutely nothing to do or somewhere to go before class on these days. Tomorrow will be the first morning that I can sleep in, snuggle with the boyfriend, catch up on some reading, eat breakfast... etc.

The rest of the week = I'm not too sure about. But I'll definitely bask in the ambiance of a beautiful morning tomorrow.

Last week (Thursday), I sat in another 3 hours of training for work, about how to run 8 different reports! What does this mean? Well, I'm closer to having to travel to different sites for work now. I'm not sure if I should be excited or not. I'm also not sure whether or not they'll be compensating me for my gas expenses. Oh well, that's the joy of work I guess. BTW, this is for that "Special Project" I'll be working on... hopefully it's really special!

Anywho, the remainder of that story will come with time.

Happy Reading!

"He Said I Was Different"

Ok, so we've heard it all before. Whether you're male or female. However, I'm writing this post specifically for my young female readers, because... well I'm female myself!

Today, I will talk about why girls may hear this, some variations of "you're different", how to avoid feeling bad about being different, and the result of being different.

I'm going to group all of my teen readers together (13-18 y/o), so when I speak of 'you', it's not direct, it's across the board.

Scenario: Jane has known John since middle school, and she's always had a little crush on him. When they entered high school together, Jane knew that things were destined to be perfect. John would be her homecoming date, her prom date, high school sweetheart, partner in marriage... blah, blah, blah! Yes, a lot of girls think this far into the future when considering the next potential. Don't be sucked into the hype!

Anywho, Jane never worked up enough courage during freshman year to actually tell John how she felt. Sophomore year rolls around, John has made the JV basketball team and Jane has been secretly obsessing over this guy, for what 4 years now? You'd think that she'd say something by now, to avoid him being swept away for the captain of the cheer squad.

So, mellow Jane (very pretty and smart, might I add) builds up the courage to tell John how she feels. It's Wednesday evening after dance practice, and John is standing outside the gym with his fellow team members. And then the words just fall out, soooo unexpectedly...

"John, I, I, I... I like you,"

"You what??? But why?"

"Well, it's been a while and I just thought that now was the best time to tell you. Can we discuss this over ice cream Friday after school?"

"Sure Jane, I don't see why not. See you then"

Jane runs home, overly enthused to tell her mother, who by the way has known about this crush for some time. Her mothers only words were, "be careful Jane"...

So Friday rolls around, and Jane is waiting for John at the local ice cream parlor, and sure enough he comes strolling around the corner.

"Ok... lip gloss check!"

They chit chat for what seems like forever, and Jane is reassured that this is the perfect match. They continue to go on these random after-school excursions for about 3 weeks, only to come to a screeching halt when John announces over the phone that he can't date her anymore... get this! Because she's different...
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Ok, so of course I have to give my synopsis of this story (yes, it's made up. I didn't mean to stereotype anyone, just written to create suspense and a storyline to follow)... Anywho, back to my synopsis... I know there are some ladies and/or men who have heard this line far too many times and can relate to Jane. And like most, they probably took it the wrong way or out of context.

Let me be the one to say, there is absolutely, positively, nothing wrong with being different! We all want to be different sometimes, whether we want to stand out on our college application, or if we really want that job we've just interviewed for. WE ALL WANT TO BE DIFFERENT.

However, in Jane's case... being different=being an outcast=BAD!

So, what should Jane do? First, I suggest that Jane talks to her mother. I'm sure her mother can alleviate some of the stress behind those words. But most importantly she's going to have to learn to cope on her own. So... I recommend that Jane evaluates herself, list the things that make her different from other girls and explain to herself why these are 'good' things.. Chances are her list looks like this:

1. I'm on the dance team (result: you're in the new dance production at school)
   
2. Involved in student government (result: you're in line to become the new Student Body President)
   
3. I consider myself very conservative and classy (result: hey, the results are endless)
4. I'm a straight A student (result: you've made the dean's list)
   
5. I have green eyes and strawberry blonde hair (result: you're not a blonde, or a brunette... but who really cares?)
   
6. I'm very tall and lean (result: you may one day become a model, or maybe even a basketball star)
   
7. etc, etc, etc.

DO YOU GET MY DRIFT? The things that make you different aren't always bad things. As a matter of fact, they're almost always good things just portrayed as bad things.

Variations of the line "you are different":

• "It's just something about you"
• "You're not my type"
• "I've never had a girlfriend like you before"

I hope I've alleviated some unnecessary stress in your life...

If you have any other stories like this, or have had to deal with someone labeling you as "different", feel free to drop a comment.

GAB Rant: "Guests of Guests Don't Bring Guests"

GAB Rant is where I'll rant and rave about minor and/or major occurrences that I experience around the office- or near the office, on a somewhat day-to-day basis! Enjoy :-)

I heard that line on a preview of NYC Prep on Bravo! And it holds soooo true. I mean, how awkward is that?

Imagine that it's your big day (wedding day), and one of your guests invites his girlfriend who brings another one of her friends, who you happen to not like??? It definitely stirs up drama, and causes unnecessary problems. However, too often this happens, and the crap hits the fan in no time.

Don't believe me? Check out this video: The Hills, Season 5, Episode 1. This isn't even as severe as it could be; however, Heidi is a guest of a guest! Imagine if she brought Spencer as arm candy (UGH!)

This clearly ruined Lauren's fab birthday bash, caused unnecessary tension, and was completely AWKWARD!

For future reference readers, don't allow your guests to bring friends of their own. Because as you can see, the drama becomes never-ending. If you've watched this season of The Hills, this one event spiraled into so much more!

How dare Stephanie???

About That Interview...

I realized that I never updated my readers on my recent interview, so here goes...

It took place at a local community college in their Financial Services department (cashier's office for some).

Let's start the night before though. So I'm preparing for the interview with my boyfriend. We're browsing racks at Marshalls and TJ Maxx for black blazers, since I'm in no position to purchase a really nice suit for myself. Obviously it isn't blazer season or something, because I saw none! Instead I found a really cute pink & white vertical striped shirt and a black sweatervest. I'm not a fan of trying on shirts while shopping because I can pretty much pinpoint what I can and can't fit. So I didn't bother to try on either, when I admit that I should have.

When we got home, I tried on the sweatervest. OMG!!! It was like a black garbage bag on me! It was poofy in the back, and I looked like a public bus driver in that get-up! It was hideous. That's where the power of networking and having resourceful friends came in. I simply called one of my sorority sisters and asked if her mom could take the vest in a few inches to make it a small, because there was no way that I was making a fool of myself in that mess! Her mom is so sweet; she did it at no charge 40 minutes before my interview. I made this decision after my boyfriend tried to convince me that nothing was wrong with the size, it looked just fine, blah! It wasn't until I had to convince HIM that it was hideous that he actually gave me his honest opinion...

Anywho... I get to the school about 20 minutes early, so I sat around until 10 minutes before my scheduled interview time. There were so many students; I couldn't believe it because our university is usually dead in the summer. I guess that isn't the case for CCs... I walk into the financial aid office and was told that the person I was looking for didn't work in that office. GREAT! I was directed to pick up a phone on the wall and call his extension, and sure enough no one picked up. A lady walks up behind me and asks who I'm looking for, and proceeds to tell me that my interviewor is out of town at a conference! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I went through all of that hassle to reschedule... Not yet. Instead, I sat in a computer room waiting for another qualified person to interview me.

About 3 minutes later, a woman approaches me with golden curly hair and a very nice skirt & blouse on. We walked around the office, and finally started the interview. IT WENT GREAT! She ended up being the mother of one of my high school classmates. How ironic?! She seemed really impressed with my work ethic, experience, and skills. Nothing but compliments and smiles the entire time! I wish all interviews were like that... that would be a treat, instead of a headache!

All-in-all, I think I landed the position. Not to mention, I scheduled the interview on the last day so that I would be fresh in the interviewors mind. Come on now, isn't that wishful thinking???

Got any interesting/not-so-great interview stories? Please do share, please!

Also, check out these cute fits for the office:

Too Hot to Trot...

Casual, yet Classy, although I suggest this one with a nice camisole. I'm sure the cleavage isn't a good idea...

I find this interesting, minus the belt... to dress up a plain white button up with black slacks. I think tan slacks would be pushing it...

I love these, in every single color. I'd buy them all if I wasn't a poor college student...