7 (More) Things About Me

So, I know that I recently did a blog with 10 things about me, but Amy has tagged me to do seven things about me. So here goes:

1. I like to garden.
2. I am a Christian and I struggle to hear God's will for my life daily.
3. My favorite color is red, no pink, no red, well, whichever one I feel like that day.
4. I enjoy scrapbooking and I have WAY too much stuff for scrapbooking.
5. I drive a truck (I know, so redneck).
6. I am the financial secretary at my church.
7. I am not very good at cleaning or decorating, which leads to a very unorganized house. :o(

The rules are that I am supposed to tag 7 other people but most of the people I tagged last time have never done theirs, so I am going to stop the madness and not tag anyone new. But, if any of you slackers that I tagged before who didn't do it still want to, feel free. (And, I say slacker with the utmost love in my tone).

Kitten Watching Birds

Of course, you can't watch just one video on YouTube, you get sucked in. I found this one and it is too funny. Our cats actually will do this exact same kind of meow when they are watching birds. Sometimes they meow out loud though, too. Look at the look on this kitty's face. She (I think it's a she) wants those birds so bad! I am sure she can just taste them!

Houdini's Cat

Scott emailed me this video the other day and I just had to find it on YouTube to share it with my blog readers. I love it! It just goes to show that cats are mostly made of hair and "rubber"!

Easter Goodies - Have a Blessed Easter!

Who Could

Resist
These???

Chirping Chicks

Bunnies

Both found at the Betty Crocker website!

Our family will be enjoying these tomorrow along with my green bean casserole. Too fun...and YUMMY!

glitter-graphics.com

glitter-graphics.com

New Toys

We ordered a couple of new things for our cats the other day:


They now have a source of running water all day long! We felt like they might not be drinking very much water during the day because they prefer the running water from the tub. Cats are supposed to have water all day long, so we got this fountain. First, Maxwell stuck his paw in it, then he tasted the good, clean, filtered water! Scott took yesterday off and he said that he has seen both cats drinking out of it! So, I would say it is a success. The little blue thing you see hanging over the edge is a little seed pod of wheat grass that is supposed to grow and be good for their digestive tracts and prevention of hairballs. I hope it works. Hairballs are gross!



We also ordered them this toy, which is not exactly what we thought it would be, but it's a good idea. It is a hollow ball that has a squeaker in the middle and it has these little mice that pop out as it rolls around. You can see them checking it out here.

Funny Faces

When you take a lot of pictures of someone, you are bound to get some bad ones or some that are just funny. It's the same with cats. I have made a slide show of the funny faces and scenes I have captured so far this year. I hope you find them as funny as I do!

First Day

Today was my first day at S1. I felt much better today than I did after my first day at Pike. Everyone is really laid back, but it sounds like they have their stuff together. I haven't really started working on my job yet, but I did start some training. I like everyone. We have free fountain drinks, two of the single-server coffee maker things with oodles of flavors of hot chocolate, coffee, and tea, there is a pool table and a foozeball table (I have no idea how to spell it) in the kitchen, and a tv! The office is really nice and in a good area, so I am happy so far. Yay!

Sloppy Cheeseburgers

Sloppy Cheeseburgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained (I would start with 1 can and see if that's enough for you, then open the second if you need more)
onion to taste (or onion powder)
1-2 tsp. minced garlic (or garlic powder)
½ - ¾ lb cheddar cheese, cubed

Method:

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, drain. Add tomatoes and allow it to all cook down (maybe 10 minutes or so). Place cheese cubes on top of mixture and allow it to melt (it will melt faster if you put a lid on it). Serve over toasted hamburger buns or toasted loaf bread.

NOTE> This is a recipe that my mom used to make all the time for us. Daddy loves it (he does it all up with diced onions, ketchup, and mustard, but I think that it is perfect without all that stuff). So, I don't know if she made it up or got the recipe from somewhere. I love sharp cheddar cheese, but Scott thinks that it's too overpowering, so I use medium cheddar. This truly is a 30 minute meal (or less). It does not take long at all!

I'm sorry I don't have a picture to post with it!

Marcy's Cookies

Everyone just loves it when I make these cookies - and they are always so surprised when I share my "recipe"! Here goes...

Ingredients:

2 rolls of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

1 can of Betty Crocker Whipped Vanilla Frosting

Little round multi-colored sprinkles

Preparation:

Leave the cookie dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut it. Preheat the oven according to the cookie directions: I think it's 350*F. Slice cookies fairly thick; I usually get about 18 cookies out of a roll, I think, but you can make them as thick as you want. Cook them for 4 minutes and then rotate the pan, set the timer for 4 more minutes. I usually end up cooking them for 8-10 minutes. You will see that the bottoms might be turning a little brown. Remove from the oven, and let them get pretty cool before removing to wax paper or cooling racks - otherwise they might fall apart. Let cookies cool completely. Stir frosting and frost cookies liberally. Sprinkle with sprinkles before the icing has time to dry. I usually store them in one of those metal 9x13 cake pans with a lid with wax paper in between. Those little round sprinkles are really the best for this type of job. The rest don't sprinkle as well. I have done an ample amount of research on this.

So, there you go. Now you know my secret. I could not make a sugar cookie from scratch to save my life, true story!

I took these cookies to church this past Sunday and I had leftovers! However, I feel that this was the case because a certain elder who happens to lead worship on Sundays was absent!

AAADD

I received this in an email forward several years ago and felt that it explained me perfectly. Then, my friend Christina posted this on her blog and then my friend Stephanie from Pike forwarded it to me in an email. I do not think that it is age that has me acting this way...I think that I really possibly do have ADD that was just never caught as a child...just think how I'll be when I get old!

AAADD- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS.....PLEASE READ!

Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder. Somehow I feel better, even though I have it!!
Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water. I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, the flowers don't have enough water, there is still only 1 check in my check book, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming

WAIT -- IS THIS CALLED MULTI-TASKING????

Fighting Like Brothers Do

Here is a video I took last month of the cats fighting with each other. It's funny that I was able to capture this because, as you'll see, Sampson is the aggressor in this particular fight and it is usually quite the opposite. It's still funny to watch. If you turn up the volume, you can hear Sampson screaming at Maxwell.

Ooohhh....Aaaahhh....Mmmmmm

I LOVE tulips in the Spring. However, I cannot get bulbs to grow very well, so I purchased some!



Aren't they so pretty and happy?

My De Oro Lilies are growing up so fast! Look at how much they've grown since a few weeks ago when I uncovered them!


Mmmmm....I love Coke. We found these cool glasses at Publix the other day. We bought 4 each of two different designs. I bet these would also be very good when used for a Coke Float.

Unemployed

So, I am unemployed for a week. I actually did go to work yesterday and I think that they are paying the few accounting staff that are left for the next two weeks if they work, but I am done at Pike. Please note that this is not their decision, the creditors have to make these decisions, and it is difficult to get permission to spend any money from them. But, I am going to enjoy the next 4 days that I am unemployed. Then, I'll start at my new place on Monday, the 17th. The company is called S1 and they make software for banks and other similar software applications. It sounds very interesting. It is a place I feel that I can grow and learn a lot. Thanks to all of you for your comments and your prayers.

Quick Update

I was given a job offer to make what I said I needed to make in order to accept the job. It is still a small pay cut, but it is worth it to have the good location! I have accepted pending a review of the benefits they will offer me. It feels good to be wanted! There seems to be a lot of room for growth here too!

Update

I just wanted to do a quick update on my job situation. I had an interview on Tuesday and they called my recruiter immediately in order to set up a 2nd interview with the Controller. So, they seemed to really like me. I had an interesting 2nd interview with the Controller this afternoon. My understanding is that they are making me an offer, but it was kind of late when I realized I had the message, so I'll call back to tomorrow to see what's up. Pros: great location (like 2 seconds from church), nice people, seems like a stable company, I think it will be challenging. Cons: I don't know if they'll offer me what I'm worth. I have other recruiters that I am dealing with as well and they are sending my resume around. The drawback to most of the jobs is that they keep sending me leads for places that I really don't want to drive to every day. So, we'll see. I have a phone "screening" with a company that's in Suwanee tomorrow morning (more on the John's Creek end).

As for what's up at my current job (if you can call it that at this point): I think that tomorrow is my last day. This has been a big question mark for me all week. No one had said anything to me as of Tuesday afternoon (irritating). Basically, no one in accounting had been talked to beyond our initial "get-to-know-you-meeting" that we had (nice way of saying that they were interviewing us for jobs we already had, CA people are so PC). I knew that on Monday some people were offered jobs, but everyone's pay was being cut significantly (like 4-20%!). On Tuesday, I spoke with a lady I work with who said that her understanding was that we were all being terminated that day. So, I just made the assumption that my job would end Tuesday since no one had talked to us about anything. SO, I started packing up my stuff. My supervisor, Michelle, came in and was all upset that I had packed up some of my stuff and said that she had to wind things down and wanted me to stay on and wind things down for at least 2 weeks, maybe 3. Then, the head HR lady came in (also upset that I had taken down my personal stuff) and said that the reason no one had talked to us is because they were going to keep 1-2 positions and they were going to offer it to Michelle first but that if they did offer me a job it would be much less than I was currently making (like 20K less, whatever!). So, I told her that they needn't bother. I would stay on with Michelle as long as they would pay me or I could find a job. This was all yesterday. They had already told the A/P people at this point that they would not be needed unless they would consider moving to CA (again, possibly at a pay cut - to move to CA, again, whatever!). Okay, so after all this - you should just prepare yourself because you will be surprised - we had a "wind-down team meeting" with the current President of Pike (who was also let go, no big surprise, don't they always do that?). In this meeting we were told that we would only be paid through this Friday. They didn't know that until right before the meeting. So, we should "work as hard as we can and as long as we can to get it all done." HA! I mean, the hourly people can and are so that they can get paid overtime. But, what incentive is there for me? I don't mean to have a bad attitude, but I have been working overtime for a company that hired me 1.5 months before they declared bankruptcy after they told me that they worked very little overtime. HA! HA! HA!

So, that's the story. Sorry for the rambling. I am very tired. But, while it has been stressful and an emotional rollercoaster in some ways, it has been fun in others because we have kind of been silly since we didn't have to worry about impressing these new people. It is sad that I have grown close to all these people and now we won't be working together any more. It is also sad for the group that took jobs with the new company because such a big cut in pay is bad for morale. Some of the people took jobs because they have been with the company for so long the thought of trying to find something else is too scary for them. Some people took jobs because they love the industry and the Pike family name and they are loyal to it and want to see the company do well. Plus, I think they were told that when the drought clears up, they may get a pay raise. Others took the job to have a job and insurance and I feel that they will be looking and leaving soon. (Yeah, the kicker is since the old company will no longer exist (an estate will apparently be formed), there will not even be any COBRA offered!)

So, there we go. That's what's going on. On a happier note, I did buy a new workout program called the Firm, which came with DVDs, weights, and a calendar for my workout and eating tips. It came in the mail today. I am really excited. I hope to lose all the weight I have gained lately so that I can fit into my summer clothes by the time it is hot enough. So, you should all keep me accountable by commenting from time to time and asking me if have been doing my videos.

I am sorry I don't have any pictures to post. My De Oro lilies have more than tripled in height since the other day when I posted pictures of them coming up. I will take pictures soon and show you how big they are. I am really excited!

Bizarre Week

So, things have been kind of weird lately, but last week was kind of bizarre.

On Tuesday, there were torrential down pours on our way to work. It started raining just as I was leaving the house and as I was driving down Pleasant Hill getting into the turn lane to turn left onto Club, it started raining so hard I couldn't see or hear anything but rain. Rain was coming from all directions. Scott was actually going in early, so he was in it too, right next to me. It slowed down just as I pulled into the parking lot at work so that I could run in and not get too wet. Not fun.

Then, Wednesday, I was pulling out of the garage, and I realized it was snowing. How bizarre. It always seems to kind of warm up when it rains, so that's why I found it so strange. It stopped snowing just as I was about to turn from Pleasant Hill onto Club. Hmmm...

Well, Tuesday was the day that Pike got auctioned off to the highest bidder. So, we had a kind of party day. Of course those of us in accounting were still very busy, but we still had some fun with the rest of them. Everyone dressed very casually, most people watched movies. We had pizza and snacks and we played with nerf guns. Those nerf guns are still floating around the office, so you never know when you'll be pelted. Then Wednesday the news came that the company has been purchased by two different buyers: Armstrong Nurseries bought the entire retail part of the company (they are a huge nursery in California) and then three others purchased parts of the wholesale side of things. So, all the people who actually work in the retails stores will probably keep their jobs. I, however, probably will not. So, if you know anyone hiring a CPA that is in the Gwinnett area, that keeps a good work/life balance, please let me know. No public accounting please. I am just very frustrated because I left a very stable job to come here 1.5 months before they filed for bankruptcy. I know that they knew they were on the rocks. I could have kept looking and found a job with a much more stable company. But, that's all in the past and here I am...job hunting. And the worst part is, no one knows for how much longer we'll have jobs...one day...one week...one month. Erg.

Oh, and for those of you NOT in the Atlanta area, it is in the 60's today and it is beautiful outside. We have the windows open so the cats can look outside! Craziness!

Yesterday, Scott and I went to a GA Force game with some friends from church. Once again, Callie had the hook-up with some great tickets! Arena football is interesting. It was our first game. It was really weird to see a football field in the middle of the Gwinnett Arena. It was so tiny compared to a regular football field. We had fun. The GA Force lost, so I was kind of bummed.

So that's it for now. Please be praying for my job situation. I also have several other friends that are in the job market, so please be praying for them as well. It is a tough time right now.