Relocation... to do or not to do?

I'm not even going to lie, I suck at being a great blogger :-/ It is what it is though! When I have content, I do share :-)

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the country's 3rd largest city. That's right, Houston, Texas! Also known as H-Town. First things first, if you haven't visited Houston before- shame on you. I am embarrassed to admit that this was my first visit. I have family there, that once resided in Wisconsin. I missed them dearly, and thought that a trip to visit was in order.

After stepping off the jet and viewing the sunshine, I was sold. The next 3 days only added to my undying want to move from shitty Michigan. Anywho, as I learned over the next few days Houston had much more than sunshine to offer.

The quality of life is so much better. Upon approaching my cousins apartment building, I thought we were passing by a resort. It was that nice! Not to mention my other cousins apartment, fully equipped with valet parking, a theater, full gym/sauna/steam room, with a beautiful view pretty much Houston in its entirety. I feel a bit robbed here in Michigan. The value of your money in Houston goes much farther, so far that I'm actually considering moving there. Unlike other cities I've visited, I felt at home in Texas. I didn't feel separation anxiety from my parents, and I didn't feel alone because I already have family there.

Let me give you lovely readers what I call "you only live once" reasons for possible relocation...

Houston, TX...

Michigan...

There isn't much difference in salaries, but you definitely get more for your money. The price difference in the above apartments is about $400, but I can definitely justify the extra cost. Check out all the amenities included with the hot-to-trot spot in Houston:

You pretty much can't get this anywhere in Michigan... Texas-1, Michigan-0. In the words of Charlie Sheen... Texas is WINNING!


Have you ever visited a city or country that made you have a change of heart about your living situation?

A Little Flirting Goes a Long Way

Christmas is around the corner, and departments are shuffling to host their annual Christmas parties... Our company is no different! We've had Ugly Sweater parties, Charlie Brown Christmas parties, Secret Santa parties. You name it, we've had it.

Nonetheless, these events consists of a bunch of jolly people spending hours in the kitchen the night before preparing potluck dishes. Now I'm no fan of potlucks due to an issue at my last company's holiday party, but I participated again this year. Hey, it's free food!

Anywho, apparently the IT department at our company had a rather large party yesterday, the same time as our Secret Santa party. They were baking cookies in the dining kitchen, heating up platters. Mind you, a business is ran through this kitchen- it's our cafeteria! They were definitely violating... Well, we ran into the kitchen culprit on our way to warm my delicious mac and cheese when she stopped us to say "are you warming up food? Be careful because the chef is being a real asshole. He's been biting my head off left and right. He is NOT in a good mood today". I wasn't worried, Keith (the chef) lovesssss me...

Sure enough, as the violator watched from the hallway, I pranced into the kitchen, gave Keith my prettiest smile and prolonged the pronunciation of his name "Heyyy, Keeiiiiittttttttthhhhhhhhh! Do you think you could warm this up for me?"

"Of course! Anything for you". Kitchen culprit stormed off, and our party went off without a hitch!

Girls, you better learn how to friendly flirt at work ;-)

Love,

GAB
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Creeper Update

Well guess what... the creeper has left the building. Our company has now moved to a new location and within a week of us moving, he had put in his 2 weeks notice. I was overly excited about this until I learned that he lives in my neighborhood, and it is very possible that I may run into him outside of the work setting that may warrant even more awkwardness!

On a joyful note, GAB will be back in full effect after this week is over. I have a ton of things to do, including a major project, 2 final exams, my grandmothers retirement party, sorority initiation, dinners and game nights. Needless to say, there isn't much time in between to blog so I won't even commit to doing that for at least another week. Good news is, I'll be off of work from Christmas Eve through the Monday after New Years, so I'll have plenty of time to catch everyone up on my life, share some awesome stories, introduce new GAB features, and much, much more!

I Won 2 Blog Awards!

How shitty is it that I won a blog award wayyyyyyyy back in August and September, and I'm just now acknowledging them??? But better late than never right!

So here goes... I was awarded by It's All Random, who by the way has a bomb blog! Love it... and thank you!

I'm supposed to thank the person who awarded me, sum up my blog in 5 words, and nominate 10 other wonderful bloggers...

5 words to sum up my blog: SPORATIC, exciting, truthful, beneficial, inspirational!

10 other wonderful bloggers... (I'll get back with this, since I've been absent from the blogosphere)... I promise!

I was also awarded by my good friend Thoughts of a Randomista- love this chick! She gave me the BFF Award:

Excerpt about me for this award:

"The BFF award goes to my good friend Girl About Business. Gab is a really a great friend all around. If you need someone to rant to about work, relationships or just someone to kick the shit with, she's your girl! I love her blog because since her and I are in the same professional field, Gab gives good advice about what to do when you are in a weird position. Her stories are witty and hilarious. Plus, she was the first person who actually encouraged me to blog! Gab, thank you so much! I appreciate you!"

Thank you Boober!

Work Creeper

I must admit, I've never encountered a creeper in the workplace until now. I've known them to exist, but luckily never had to deal with one. You know, the person that makes you feel extremely awkward, that's undressing you with their eyes, making random conversation with you, being overly friendly to you opposed to other employees... Yea, that person!

Well, at my job we have a big finance team that consists of several small department, like payroll, accounts receivable, billing, etc. The departments obviously sit together, and the company has recently gone through some changes- merging with another company, integrating the two companies, bringing in new employees from the other location... Blah, blah, blah. Well, a lot of individuals on the finance team at the other location were offered positions within the new company and turned them down, with the exception of one person. THE CREEPER!

I got a weird vibe from him the very first time we had a finance team meeting, and he's been weird ever since. Let's start with the first encounter... "The waist side hello"- you know, when someone tries to get your attention by gently touching your waist. Usually done by someone that you know, or are close with. That wasn't the case. Instance #2... "The shoe compliment"- yes, he complimented me on my shoes and instantly my brain tracked back to that moment in Legally Blonde when Elle tapped her foot at the gay witness at the water fountain. Same thing went off in my head, until I overheard him talking about his children. Instance #3... "The i-don't-have-anything-else-to-say conversation" so he'll always make a point to ask me about my weekend. On top of that he pulled the race card on more than one occassion...

In so many words, he tells me that we're almost matching one day (when clearly, we weren't even remotely matching). Then he starts up this weird convo about how he's wearing the colors of his "homeland" (New Orleans clearly is a hometown, not a homeland!). He goes on to say that he shuld have been black; black men have it easier when it comes to going bald. If you didn't know by now, GAB is black, African American. Why would you make a comment like that?

Icing on the cake, this douche lord puts his arm up next to mine, starts talking about how he was upset that it rained this past weekend cause he couldn't lay in the sun... Followed by "I have some competition. I'm almost there", in reference to my complexion! OMG!

So now I'm to the point when I want to report him, at least to my manager. I'm sure she'll direct me to HR, but how- being the only black person on the finance team- can you "anonymously" file a complaint? Of course their going to use whatever I tell them in their case against him, and it will no longer be "anonymous"...

GAB needs major help! Anyone ever had to deal with this? How did you handle it?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Inspiration: Operation Beautiful

'm a big magazine reader, simply because I'm into fashion (although I'm not a trendsetter, and would rather blend in than stand out). That's definitely something that you guys didn't know about GAB. Anywho, I'm perusing through the September issue of Glamour Magazine when I come across an article that has inspired me. It is called Operation Beautiful, and it was started by Caitlin Boyle who battled with her weight and depression. Basically, she wrote a note to herself and to anyone else who might read it that said "You are beautiful"... simple and sweet :-) It helped her get through her roughest moments, and it serves as a spotlight for women and/or men who may be struggling with their appearance, have low self-esteem, or are simply having a bad day.

You can see below some of the notes that people are leaving across the world. I encourage everyone to join in on the movement. Grab a pad of Post-It notes and a sharpie marker, and start to grace everyone with your encouraging words!

Do it for you, for your coworker or boss, for your mother or sister, do it for your best friend or your worst enemy, do it for the young girl in school who "doesn't fit in", do it for the battered woman who can't leave an abusive relationship, do it for a stranger or a homeless person. The point is to do something that could be life changing, and join in on a positive revolution to encourage and inspire.

Here is the one I left in the women's bathroom at my job this morning!

Can We Get a Manicurist Over Here???

I don't know what it is about some men and their lack of awareness concerning their appearance. Allow me to elaborate... nice slacks, dusty folded up tennis shoes, and a wrinkled polo shirt. Were you going for a casual look or just an "I don't give 2 shits" look???

But my absolute pet peeve is a man in the office with dirty nails. Key words: in the office! We don't work at a construction site, or as carpenters or landscapers. We use calculators, pencils, paper and computers all day. The dirtiest one can get in an office setting is accidentally pooping their pants, or not washing their hands after a finger-looking-good lunch! So I don't understand how a guy can have such filthy nails!

Are you collecting ear wax? Digging for gold in your nose? A chronic butt scratcher? Really, what is the cause of such evil in the workplace? Another peeve of mine is people who run out of the bathroom after only RINSING their hands.

We have got to be more mindful of the things that we do regarding our personal hygiene. It's takes a lot to get a rise out of me, and those two things definitely put me on edge.

Winners from 100th Post, $100 Post Giveaway

I would like to thank everyone for entering the giveaway... moreso for loving GAB. As stated before, winners were chosen using a random generator. The wait and anticipation is over, so here are the results:

1st Place: 1 Year Subscription to Cosmo Magazine

Pretty Unfamous

2nd Place: "On My Own Two Feet" book by Manisha Thakor

Jess

3rd Place: $20 Panera Bread Giftcard

Nicole

4th Place: $15 Walmart Giftcard

Jessalyn

All of these chicks have pretty sweet blogs, so it wouldn't hurt to congratulate them AND make a slight detour to some new awesomeness in the blogosphere!

 To claim/receive your gift, please email your:

Full name and Full mailing address to

gab.life@yahoo.com

I hope you all enjoy :-)

Bloggerstock: 1 Postcard, 1 Person

Hi ya'll! My name is EmDottie. I'm being featured on GAB's blog today because of this thing called Bloggerstock. It's basically where bloggers pick a topic and do an orchestrated guest blog web ring thingamajing. Engineer in Heels is guest posting over on my blog. This months topic is about writing a person (dead or alive) a postcard. There are too many interesting people that have come and gone that I'd like to communicate with. I mean, Malcolm X,Marilyn Monroe, MLKJ, Cleopatra, Moses, Obama, Bill Gates, Spike Lee...

I wrecked my brain for a quick second to figure out who I wanted to write. In middle school I did a book report on Hatshepshut (one of the very few successful female pharaohs of Egypt) and I've been obsessed with becoming the ruler of the world ever since. (Probably doesn't help that my ancestors are from Egypt anyway. I could've been related to King Tut or something, haha.) She ruled for about twenty two years. One of the more interesting parts of the story is when her step-son Thutmose ends up killing her. Nobody knows for sure, there wasn't enough evidence to prove that he killed her, then there are stories that said he poisoned her. (Sounds like some soap opera type stuff if ya ask me)...

ANYWAY, so if I could write a postcard to her, this is what I would write:

Dearest Hatshepsut,

How ya doin?! So I wanted to pick your brain about ruling the country. (I plan on running the planet one day and I need some advice.) How did you deal with your son trying to kill you? (Well- obviously not that well...) What tips would you give a young girl hell bent on ruling the world? If you could go back in time, what would you have done differently? Who should I keep as my right hand man or should I have one? Have I missed anything? Do inform.

Thanks Hatsy!

-Emdottie.

Ok I probably won't call her Hatsy but that's a long ass name to include on a 3x5 postcard mmkay?
So sound off. Who would you try to contact if you could? What would you ask?

Thanks EmDottie for such a hilarious post, and do check out her blog. It is very interesting, cool layout, some of THEE best topics!!! To see who I'd write, check out The Ginge... like NOW :-)

GAB Rant: Nasty Mess

So the other day, I'm being nosey over in my coworker's cube... I mean, I was really looking for a pair of scissors.

See, she's been out of the office for 2 weeks... 1 week on vacation, 1 week at another one of our locations. However, in between her 1 week vacation and 1 week of work, she stopped by the office to "check up on some things".

Y

 Yes, that is what we call here in America mold

So you mean to tell me that she didn't see this shit sitting next to her keyboard like I did? Or she just didn't care to clean it up? I'm still trying to figure out how you leave a half cup of coffee on your desk pre-vacation. I like order and cleanliness, and my coffee cup is of importance to me. I like a clean coffee cup when I walk into work, I hate disgusting ass coffee rings in my cup, and I despise people who have the mentality that there-was-coffee-in-it-before-so-I-can-just-add-more-coffee-on-top-of-the-gross-rings-and-yesterdays-last-bit-of-coffee!

I mean, to each it's own... but there is a such thing as cubicle etiquette, even when it's your own cubicle. Don't believe me? Check out the forum I started about cubicle etiquette at 20somethingbloggers. If you're not a member already, you probably should be. I'm just saying :-)

100th Post = Amazing Giveaways

***Extension***

See bottom of post...

So, remember back in March when I posted the 100 Random Factoids about GAB? Well, if you scroll allll the way down to #101 you'll see that I mentioned a giveaway to celebrate my 100th post, so here it is!

To show my appreciation for all of my readers, all of the comments that you make, all of the insight that you give, all of your friends that you send over to my blog to follow me... I'm giving away $100 worth of prizes today. That's right... $100 big smackaroos!

Now, why would I have such a huge giveaway? Well, first off my blog gives me an immense amount of inspiration. It is usually an email that I receive or a comment that someone left that fuels my new topics. Secondly, this isn't a giveaway blog... so a once-in-a-while giveaway is perfectly fine with me. I'm not in the business of luring people by giving things away, otherwise I'd be doing this all the time. I'm not looking for additional clicks, because I don't advertise on my blog (except for my own personal ads, hehe). I love to be associated with, even if it is through my blog, with relatable people that appreciate my content. 100 posts is a definite milestone for me, and I appreciate all of you who have followed me on my journey and will continue to read what I have to say!

Enough with the gibberish... here's what I'm giving away:

 ♥ 1 Year Subscription to my fav magazine, COSMO ♥

 (I love LC, hence the cover of her and not Britney Spears)

♥ One of my favorite books, one that I live by- On My Own Two Feet by Manisha Thakor... def must read ♥

♥ $20 gift card to Panera Bread ♥

♥ $15 gift card to Walmart ♥

Here's how you can win one of these awesome prizes... simply comment on this post. It could be anything about GAB, something you love about my blog... something you dislike about it... what you'd like to see more of... topics that interest you that you'd like featured... Just comment, and you'll be entered into the drawing (random generator). Tell your friends about it, link to this giveaway through your blog, post it on your FB page, or twitter... whatever!

Giveaway ends Friday, July 23rd 30th, 2010 at 11:59 EST.

There's Nothing Like a Challenge

It's hard being at the bottom of the totem pole... bottom of the barrel... bottom of the food chain... being the intern, that is. Being the ONLY intern. But I guess I'm better off than the temps since I'm actually on the company's payroll.

Speaking of temps, there's one in our department who has been there since January. He's kinda like the permanent temporary employee, so to speak. Bad thing is, well bad for him... good for me- I'm taking all of his work, which means that sooner than later he'll be getting the boot. On top of that, there were 5 positions open in our department; 4 of which have been filled by newcomers. The 5th by me... so, where does that leave permanent temp??? Hitchhiking on the side of Corporate Dr. It's definitely an awkward feeling knowing that everything that you are learning once belonged to someone else, and that person is slowing watching their responsibilities and duties being taken away from them. Soon, they'll be taking his laptop and stapler away from him. Poor permanent temp :-(

Well, I get an invite to a meeting about 3 days ago informing me that I'd be taking over some account reconciliations, and will be responsible for them this month forward. There are 6 accounts to be exact; I guess they believe in my capabilities enough to give me such a significant amount of work to do. So I get into the meeting today, and it played out just as I thought it would. Everything was basically laid out for me.. the basic format, what to look for, the file paths, etc. I won't lie, I was excited. This is the first real accounting duty that I've had. The past 4 weeks that I've been at MC, it's basically been file maintenance, scanning, disposing of and transferring fixed assets. But now, I have a true responsibility each month- my 6 reconciliations are kinda like my babies. I have to look over them and maintain what happens to them, nurture them... feed them with journal entries, and clean up after their mistakes.

It wasn't until about 1.5 hrs into the 2 hour meeting that my adrenaline rush was stabbed in the neck with a sharp, unidentifiable object. Remember being a kid and after misbehaving, you have your game taken from you or you're told that you can't go play outside. Yea, that's how I felt when I was told that 4 of my babies were cake walks... simply plug and chug recon's, copy and pasting formulas. No real investigative work going on there. So I'm sitting there with 4 super easy recon's and 2 that will kick my ass come Monday.

It almost felt like they were taking my job back from me. Weird, I know... one cool thing though is that one of my accounts is an accrued litigation account ~aka~ a pending lawsuit that I'll be monitoring!

Hmmm... I'm definitely looking forward to that, and the return of my boss who I'm sure will have plenty for me to do since she's been out of the office for the past 4 days!

TOAR: Crash Course to Corporate TAKEOVER!!!

For all of my readers who are wondering who the hell TOAR is, she's one of my good friends from college. We both have interesting blogs/lives, at least that's what we like to think hehe! Sporadically, we're going to tag each other's blogs with stories guest posts. So, everyone raise your champagne glasses to TOAR's first post on GAB!

Hey Everybody!

I just want to thank GAB for letting me use her blog for my random writing chaos that you will read in a few seconds (or minutes depending on how slow you are lol jk) My name is Lynn and my "webhome" is Thoughts of a Randomista. I am a 21 year old college student studying Financial Accounting/Reporting and Accounting Information Systems... (we have fights frequently because crap doesn't like to balance, URGH!) Anyway, I like to blog about Twilight ♥TEAM EDWARD ♥, Movies and Entertainment, Relationships, and Random-Disgusting-Raunchy-EMO-Hilarious things that may come across my path while living in a big city like Detroit, Michigan - which happens frequently. In a nut shell: I talk shit. GAB and I have been friends for about 3 years and have taken countless accounting classes together. I don't know what I would have done without her. Now she is off making ARAB MONEY without me. (No racial pun intended, it's just that yall are ballin').

Now, back to what's important: CORPORATE FRICKIN' TAKEOVER!?

I have been interning at a HUGE not-for-profit company in Southfield, MI as a Business Process Analyst. There are 4 other interns in the department with me: Gina, Karen, Bill, and James. Gina, Karen, and James are GREAT to work with but Bill, yeah – I'll talk about him in a few. Gina and I are like best fricking friends now! You know when you are around someone so much you get annoyed? Not with her – It's easy as Sunday morning, especially considering we share a cube.

The company had a tornado drill in the first week to "protect its employees in case of an emergency." It was great not only because "it was for safety precautions," but because we were all stuck in a stairwell for about 15 mins and I got meet a lot of new people within the first day! You know- the average 'BIG WIGS' lol. We also had a lot of reading to do to get caught up on current business processes. BORING. We recently finished the planning phase for a big project mandate by getting locked in a room for days to "tie up loose ends."

When you are stuck in a room…..

With the same people…

For 5 days…

You start to notice things.

HUGE, BALL BUSTING, IRRITATING, RETARDED THINGS!

For example, a contractor named Nick has to disagree with everything – kinda like Bill who I will cut a new hole into in a short while. Nick and I had a tiny conflict because as you know I am an intern, bottom of the barrel, and apparently with a "TREAT ME LIKE SHIT" sign stuck on my frickin' forehead. I'd been talking to Nick and it seemed as if he isn't paying attention – which was cool with me; at this point, I didn't care. Then he just blurted out "I am paying attention to you." I said, "Ok….." and continued with my thought. Then this dumbass states "I act like an ass when I don't care about what people are saying to me." In a very assertive-I'm-gonna-kill-you-bitch-firm voice while looking him dead in the eyes, I said: "Ok, well you might want to listen to what I have to say." He looked terrified and shocked because I am an intern and I shouldn't have said anything. HAHAHA – HOW MUCH RESPECT DID I EARN THIS DAY!?

So I do not like Nick already and since he has to disagree with EVERYTHING, it didn't make it better that he obviously hates interns. In this room, he disagrees with the new ideas or old ideas that needed to be validated, he would look around the room as if he is looking for someone's approval or to see if anyone is agreeing with him. But OMG, DON'T LET THE NUMBERS BE WRONG! Another contractor Greg– his subordinate, made a table and some of the numbers were off by a little. He asks Greg "Did Bill come up with these numbers?" WDF, just because he is an intern doesn't mean that they are wrong because he did it! Everyone wanted to continue viewing the table to get the basic understanding of it and Nick would not let Greg hear the end of the wrong numbers. Every five seconds – "those numbers are wrong so we can't make a clear decision." "Since the numbers are wrong…" "the numbers are wrong…"

OK BITCH, WE GET IT! THE NUMBERS ARE WRONG! CAN WE JUST MOVE ON?!

Anywho, Bill and I attend the same school. Thankfully, I never had a class with him because he would get on my damn nerves there too. Bill is the guy that is so analytical, he can't have fun. He asks questions about everything. "Why did you do that?" "Why can't you do it this way?" "Why do you laugh at ridiculously long-words-that-no-normal-human being-can-physically-pronounce-and-you-don't-know-the-meaning-to?" – Because bitch, it's funny.

It's what, why, how with him all the time – it pisses me off. Bill asked me "Why is your facebook private?" I told him that in all honesty (this is a true statement) I have hater's and stalkers that like to do mean things to me on facebook. Then He asks "why? Do you have something on there you don't want anyone to see?" My response to this was, no! It's nothing like that – I just like to be in control over who see's what and who adds me as a friend. This is the obvious answer, right?

WRONG! This dude said "You must be insecure."

WDF am I supposed to do with that?! Bill almost died that day.

What I learned about the Corporate world is - - Everyone is an Asshole. There are BIG assholes and little ones. But the real challenge is:

Are you going to let someone RAPE YOURS? Hahaha.
 

Thanks for reading. Follow/ Comment... It makes us horny!

Life on My Own...

Who ever thought that I'd spend majority of my day, aside from being at work, browsing websites and apartment shopping instead of actually shopping for myself... i.e. like clothes... I have a huge walk-in closet, enough space for 4 of my wardrobes, which makes me want to cry everyday since I can't fill it with fun, fabulous clothes right now.

Instead, I'm covering my dry erase fridge calendar with bill due dates, and huge green $$ notes to encourage me to keep going. There isn't much I love about living alone, aside from coming and going as I please. But I did that anyway... I LOVE grocery shopping and cleaning up. Basically, I love being domesticated. I've been here almost 2 weeks and the only things I've cooked on my stove are eggs, bacon, and boiled Ramen noodles. I finally used the oven today to warm up last nights pizza. Whhooooooooo! Making progress.

And it is a little scary being alone, 100% of the time. Sometimes I catch myself watching the clock, wondering how I could possibly be so lonely out here. Granted I love the fact that this is all mine, it is super damn boring. There are no clubs, no scenes to join, no cliques, not even a decent mall for miles. Even with my best friend here, it's still kinda lame since she's studying 90% of the time.

I spent the first 11 nights here with the living room light on and the ironing board pushed up against my door. That only put me more on edge, so I exerted my freedom and ability to live alone by removing the ironing board and finally turning off the light.

Value City pissed me off yesterday by only delivering one piece of my sectional... what kind of mess is that? They better have a free lamp, or table vase for the inconvenience. On a lighter note, I just love my job! I definitely couldn't have asked for anything more. And the fact that I can come home on my lunch break, eat a sandwich, take a 45 minute nap and still return to my desk on time is the best thing in the world.

PS- Central air is the ish :-)

Love, GAB!

From Mommy to Me...

Have you ever considered the morals and guidance that helped to mold you into the person you are today? I'm sure most of us don't think beyond our actions, but those very actions happen because at some point in our lives we were taught or conditioned to be/act in a certain manner. A lot of the things that I do are shaped by the things that my parents taught me, particularly my mother. In this post, I'm going to highlight for you all of the significant things that I was told by my mom along with things that I learned from her...

There is more than one way to make money... Nothing irks me more than a person that doesn't try, or dishes out an excuse for everything. Things are not going to fall into your lap, and frankly I don't want them to. I love knowing that everything that I have, I worked hard for it. No one can take that away from me. If a full-time job was not in line for me, 2 part-time jobs would have to suffice. If no one was hiring in my area, I'd use my skills and knowledge to tutor people.

Sell yourself... You have lots of things to be proud of like high school graduation, completion of your college degree, promotion at work, successfully completing a marathon, etc. It's only boasting when you're not asked... but if someone wants to hear about your accomplishments, don't be afraid to tell them.
-Respect yourself and others will follow suit... If you present yourself in an ugly fashion, don't be surprised when you get the short end of the stick. Snooty attitudes and I'm-better-than-you vibes are a sure way to lose respect in almost every situation. Take a step back, look in the mirror, and decide whether you would like yourself. It will serve you justice!

Never have too much pride... Please do not mix pride with proud. They are spelled differently for a reason. I had to learn this on my own, with a little guidance from mommy. At one point in my life, I refused to ask for help. I relied heavily on my mother to make it happen, and when she couldn't do it or I couldn't help myself I'd just go without. Although there has always been people in my life who want to help me, I failed to accept their help and go the long route. Simply because I like to earn what I get, and by taking from others even at their own will, I feel like I am selling myself short or that I'll owe them something in return. I never want to be indebted to someone else. EVER! Mommy's lesson was to never be afraid to receive, but I taught her something too...

... Nothing in life is better than giving! My mom is astonished at how much I donate to charity, how many hours I volunteer in the community, or how often I participate in outreach services or seek the opportunity to help others on my own terms. All of the work that I've done for free was self-sought. No one forced me, but I'm always felt obligated to give back.

What are some ways of life that your mother (or father) instilled in you? I'd love to know!

Friends vs. Wallet

Today, I stumbled across The Blog Carnival at 20something bloggers which is terrific because I always miss them. The topic of this carnival touched home, and it runs along the lines of living up to others lifestyle. Now my situation can be looked at a few different ways, but I'll let you decide.

Before college, I did not care what I wore or what type of purse I carried. I frequently shopped at Payless for shoes and Claire's for jewelry and purses. Once I joined a sorority in 2005 and was introduced to the lifestyle of some of the women, it easily rubbed off on me in a way that I was not conscious of. No longer did I shop at lower end retail stores, I began shopping at Coach, Guess, MetroPark, ALDO, etc. Anything that was out of my means was fair game. I tossed away my cheap bags, and bought my first Coach purse. I carried the same Coach purse for over 2 years, simply because of its name and the fact that it looked better than anything that had ever adorned my shoulder before. It became apparent that appearance is/was everything, as most of them drive the best cars and buy the most elaborate/expensive clothing.Which leads me to my next point...

...there are some things that women cannot sacrifice, and each of us has our own guilty pleasure that we can't live without. Mine is hair, nail and eyebrow maintenance. I shriek at my desk just imagining not having a perfect manicure, or an overgrown hair in my eyebrows. Chipped nail polish is a no-no, especially if wearing sandals. So yes, if I was down to my last $20, a $13 manicure and $7 eyebrow waxing is in order. May not be the most frugal way of living, but it is definitely something I've grown accustomed to and can't live without.

However, after becoming more responsible for myself and my expenses, I realize that that lifestyle is not for me. I've severely cut back on mani/pedi days, and although it takes 3 more hours than my stylist I've been perfecting my hair at home.

My pockets have thanked me! So to anyone attempting to fit in, or living a lifestyle according to the means of others, you should really consider reevaluating who you are and what truly makes you happy, and seek personal fulfillment from there. Making those changes for myself led to a Financial Fitness Score of 73, meaning I'm on the right track for being in great financial shape!

Love GAB :-)

Disclaimer: This post is part of the 20SB Blog Carnival: Friends & Money, sponsored by Charles Schwab. Prizes may be awarded to selected posts. The information and opinions expressed in this post do not reflect the views or opinions of Charles Schwab. Details on the event, eligibility, and a complete list of participating bloggers can be found here.

I Have to Grow Up Sometime

GAB made the biggest transition of her life today... She packed her belongings, moved away from her family and boyfriend, and is now sulking in her misery. Watching my family go back home, 70 miles away was one thing. But to watch my boyfriend leave was absolutely devastating... As a matter of fact, he's been gone for about 10 minutes and I'm still crying.

How could something so wonderful in your life be the root of so much loneliness? I really had to grow up today... I've had to make real grown up decisions, and I've traveled to a place unfamiliar to me- where I know absolutely no one. I wasn't told that it would be easy, but I definitely didn't think it would be so hard. That's when you realize that you are your own being, but people help to make you who you are. I try not to bicker with them so much, and assert my adulthood... But maybe I'm one of the selected few who should have waited to leave home. Granted I'm responsible enough to handle this lifestyle, but am I ready?

Well, I guess at this point I have no choice but to be. I have to make my apartment my home, and enjoy it because this is what I asked for. So excuse me in advance if my next few posts seem a little sorrowful, I'm going through a phase that hopefully will subdue very soon :-)

Wish GAB luck in her new life!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

GAB Life Updates

Good evening to all, live from my Blackberry :-)

I forgot what it felt like to start a new job... To be the "newbie", the need to be shown where the bathroom is or where to hang your coat, how to log into various programs (the most difficult for me) and getting acquainted with so many people!

To make matters worse, I had lunch today with 3 coworkers; two of which I couldn't tell you their names! On the flipside, I've been given a great amount of responsibility these past 2 days and am so excited to learn and do more.

A little about this place... It is the epitome of Corporate America... Cubicles are taller than me, closed in and very secluded. The company actually blocks access to all outside email providers, Facebook, Pandora... This is nothing like my old job at CC. I'm sure there is some kind of firewall or cell phone blockage in the building since my phone literally dies after 3 hours of being at work and not using it for more than a minute. So far, I have 6 different passwords for various programs and software work-related. But those sound like complaints to me, so... Let's reflect on some cool things likeeeeee...

... The bathroom... THE nicest work facility restroom ever- fully equipped with an unlimited supply of pads and tampons, even Lysol disinfectant spray in every stall :-) A plush leather couch and a cabinet full of hair products and tools!
... The kitchen... State-of-the-art Paula Dean kitchen straight out of a magazine- patio deck attached!
... Raffle prizes... Some sweet things are being raffled off this month alone... XBOX 360, Wii, Dell laptop mini, vacations, etc!
... Jean and Popcorn day... Every single Friday is basically free dress day. Let's see, I wore jeans and some really cute sandals today :-)
... Laptops for permanent employees- access your work from anywhere as long as you have your laptop!
... There are 4 baby bunnies living and growing in a hole right outside of our kitchen window.
... My coworkers are pretty sweet! They're so nice and welcoming, always checking on lil' ole me :-)
... There is something for everyone at my new job! Any interests you may have can definitely be suited at MC.
... In 3 months, we're moving to a new location. Nice college town, with many opportunities for growth. More collaborative work style floorplan. Lower cubicle walls, more open space, onsite fitness center, and more conference room space! Can't wait to be apart of such a dynamic change within a well cultured organization!

Wish GAB much luck!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Really Big Lifestyle Change!

So as most of you know, if you've been following along... I went apartment hunting on Friday, and literally found a place in less than an hour. I know that may sound weird, but I did my research before I actually went out. I had been calling places for about a week, getting quotes on apartments, distance from work, perks, amenities, etc. I found the perfect place, and since I'm going to be the only one living there I didn't have to worry about compromising for anyone else's needs :-) My boyfriend could be a tad bit picky somethings... I'm just saying!

Anywho, it has central air, a dishwasher, plenty of closet space... I have wayyyy too many clothes and shoes, and the bathroom isn't in the bedroom (which BTW has a nice sized walk-in closet :-) What girl doesn't love that?! Of course with me only being there for 3 months and then on the move again, I had to figure out what things I would be taking with me while being as minimal as possible yet making my first place feel like home. Therefore a little shopping was done to complete "the look"... an aerial rug for the living room, a nice coffee table, shower curtain and bathroom rug set, bedroom vanity, trash can, dishes, towels and general household items. I've spent so much money in Walmart this past week, it is absolutely ridiculous!

Needless to say, I am extremely excited about this new chapter in my life. Sad that I'm leaving things behind for a while, including my family, my wonderful boyfriend and my friends. Good thing I have Skype, a Blackberry and a car for those lonely nights :-) It will definitely be hard adjusting to making my own meals, being 100% responsible for myself, making sure my ENTIRE home is clean, getting to work on time, buying groceries, paying rent, car note, car insurance, cable/internet, electricity and gas bill, gas for my car... Ugh, that lists looks even uglier than I thought. Well, I'll be rolling with the punches that life throws at me and will be sure to keep you guys posted on the goings-ons in my renovated life :-)

But until I move in, I have a to-do list like none other... jury duty tomorrow, final exam coming up, first day of work on Thursday, Father's Day on Sunday, Going Away Dinner, andddddd actually packing <------ I do not look forward to this!

On the bright side, tomorrow is a new day for new opportunities and new lessons. 

A New Life Begins in Just a Few Days...

After impatiently waiting on a call back on Friday, I began to freak out about the job I had interviewed for. Monday rolled around and still no call from the Talent Manager, which didn't seem normal of her since she's always prompt. Well, I took it upon myself to give a follow-up call just to see where things stood as other employers began calling and emailing me about other opportunities. In a few short words, I NAILED IT! I got the internship and couldn't be any happier.

This didn't come with issues though. As soon as I got the news, I had to crack down on apartment hunting. I definitely have to find something this week that will be ready for move-in by the end of the month. Believe me though, I am scared as shit. And it doesn't help that I just read an article in Cosmo about a man stalking a woman at her apartment :-/ I've never lived on my own and I'm almost 23 years old. I guess that's my fault though... I should have went away to school as planned. But I am so eager to get away from the city life and live something a little less fast-pace. I'm moving to a little country town in Michigan, close to the border of Ohio. Nothing but farms and cornfields for miles, with a corporate building standing tall in the middle of it all. It's a quaint little college town that to my surprise offers a lot of advantages. Utilities, as well as internet is included in most of the places I've searched and I am excited to check them out on Friday!

Not to mention I had to sit in a medical center today for more than an hour for a drug test... UGH! I've also been contacted by FedEx who apparently attempted to deliver a package to my home from my new job, but had the wrong address. Actually, they had the right address, wrong zip code. So they were literally on the other side of the state with my package... funny stuff! I'm still trying to figure out what it is though! I start next Thursday, and soooo not looking forward to the hour and a half commute 3 days out of the week for the next 3 weeks. My apartment will be my best friend....

Have you ever had to move for your job or for an awesome opportunity? What was the hardest part of moving for you?