One of those days...

Today was another one of those 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. type of days that I like to work. But it was also just one of those days...it started off pretty normal, with the exception of the largest snowflakes I have ever seen. They looked like feathers coming down. Giant feather snowflakes. But then a series of occurrences have led me to just write this off as "one of those days."

- I hear around 11 a.m. that ESPN may come to my event and shoot some video feed. Unconfirmed. I get slightly nervous and start promoting. Realize my broadcast e-mail from Friday was never sent. Frantically mend the situation.

- Confirm around 3:30 or so that ESPN will be sending someone over at 7:45 p.m. Start blowing up the social media feeds. Proceed to get extremely nervous. (It has also been well documented that I can in fact make myself physically sick when nervous/anxious - luckily not one of those days.)

- Go to pick up cookies at Kroger around 6:20 p.m. Snow falls onto the car seat resulting in large wet spot on my left cheek (you know which one I'm talkin' about).

- Unexpectedly run into ex for the first time (while looking like a wet dog from said giant feather snowflakes with a wet spot on my rear). Get flustered. Act super awkward. Run into him again near check out. Again, act awkward. Walk in front of his car in parking lot as he is leaving. Do an awkward wave. Not sure what words I actually said to him in store. Forget how to get to Cane's (which is my next stop.)

- Get back to event right at 7 p.m. as event is supposed to start. There are already people at every table. Realize I need more tables. Get students to set them up.

- Broke a nail. (Update: As of 2-8-11 I have broken 3 nails this week.)

- May or may not have made a fool out of myself on ESPN.

- Wrap up event and attend women's basketball game. All goes well, except for a close loss.

- Walk back to car after women's basketball. In process, wipe out on aforementioned giant feather snowflakes. On the street corner. In front of everyone. While I was standing still. At a "Do Not Walk." Longest. Red light. Ever.

- Get hollered at by a person three cars back wanting to know if I'm okay. Says it looked like that hurt. People around me chuckle. Coworkers chuckle. Longest. Red light. Ever.

- Take out trash from event. One bag leaks and leaves a trail through the basement, puddles in the elevator, and outside elevator. Gross. Clean up mess.

- Get home to confirm that both my knee and my pride are busted.

Sooo...all little things. But when you put one on top of another, it just makes for one of those days. I didn't read my horoscope this morning, but I'm sure it said something like, "Today is a 3. Stay home for your own safety and dignity."

Oh well. On to the next one.

Simply,

MJ

Yet another...

..."Overheard" of the day.

P: "I hope you don't mind if I eat my lunch in here."
MJ: "No, that's fine. Catering should be here any minute. I wish they'd hurry up so I could stop worrying."
P: "Yeah, and there is a student or a homeless person here, too."

What?!?!?!?! A student or a homeless person....Are they that hard to distinguish?

Winter Wonderland

Well, the world outside is coated in snow, slush, and ice. It's beautiful to look at on the trees...walking and driving is not quite so pleasant (although I did enjoy the 2 extra hours of sleep due to the delay!). Perks of working in higher ed -- I still get snow delays.

I think I'm going to start a new little feature, just as the opportunity presents itself. I love when people say odd things or put their foot in their mouth....I'm not sure what to name this feature, though. Maybe I'll just call them "Overheard."

Overheard: "I'm so glad this job has afforded you the ability to buy a new car." One - Rude. Two - She would have bought it anyway. Three - She got paid more at her old job. Four - Rude.

Overheard: "Your computer must just be slow today because it's so cold outside!" One - It's probably the server. Two - It's not like the computer is outside?

Overheard (this isn't a direct quote because I was not at the table, but close enough): "How is everything with your tummy tuck going?"
(The question was directed to a lady who definitely had gastric bypass or another similar form of weightloss surgery several months ago.)

Simpy,
MJ

The Funny Thing Is...

I really am blessed to have a job that I love. One of my favorite things is when I get to travel to events. Tonight I went to Frankfort for their annual club meeting. The funny thing is, I drive into these meetings and towns sometimes thinking, "Where the heck am I, why is there nothing here, this is so po-dunk." I pull up to these hole-in-the-wall local dives (I only had to turn around once to find this one) named things like "The Office Pub and Grill" that are hardly marked. I walk in and heads turn and look at me like I obviously don't belong there...maybe it's the lost look on my face, the fact I'm the only person under the age of 45, or the box of junk that I am carrying. I quickly judge the pink laminate countertops in the bathroom, the outdated furnishings, and the over the top UK memorabilia all over the walls. Dinner was served on mint green plastic (or acrylic?) divided plates. I didn't know they still made that color in anything kitchen related.

But then a funny thing happens. The owners don't hesitate to put on an apron and set out the food. They are more than accommodating when you need to rearrange. You are served a perfect glass of sweet tea. Someone always says a blessing before everyone eats. And you get REAL mashed potatoes with REAL butter. Home cookin' even when you aren't home (the liver and onions were highly recommended -- I declined and went for chicken). If you are a visitor, your money is no good -- someone always picks up your tab. And offers you seconds on dessert. You learn about people and their families -- how their son is skipping his boy scout meeting to be there tonight and their 5th grade daughter is playing on the 7th grade basketball team. You hear stories about how campus used to be wet, with kegs in the dorms and Sigma Nu Beer Bash, when they went through 120 kegs in 2 hours. How the front half of Two Keys used to be a drug store, and there was no patio. As one alum said, "It could just be the three of us standing here and it would have been crowded." (He was only 18 when he started going to Two Keys...some things never change.) You hear from someone who was actually at the 1957 UK vs. Temple game and witnessed "The Shot" by Vernon Hatton. They always ask where you are from and what your folks do.

The funny thing is, by the time it's over and I leave to go home, I have to pull myself away. It may seem so backwards at first, but sometimes I think they are really on to something. It's a slower pace with southern hospitality. I immediately feel like a friend and neighbor. It's times like this that I really am thankful for my job and feel so blessed that I get to do what I do. I really am lucky, and am especially reminded of that on nights like tonight.

I hope you each feel just as blessed :)

Simply,
MJ

Life Update

Hello again, friends! I'm going to try to be better about blogging in the near future, but in the meantime, here is my life update:

I worked about 58.5 hours last week (yes, including a couple hours on Labor Day). I had a lot of dinners at the office, and my fridge had a pitiful half a green pepper, less than 1/4 bottle of wine, and some apples. As a result, my Mint.com account is telling me that I've exceeded my budget for fast food. No kidding, Sherlock. I've been doing better this week so far -- steak and vegetables for dinner, scrambled eggs, turkey sandwiches for lunch -- so hopefully I'm getting back on track! (I woke up with a sore throat yesterday, though, so let's hope I'm not coming down with something.)

I'm happy to say that our conference and board meeting were a success -- especially our Friday night banquet. We had an AWESOME band out of Nashville. (If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for a good band and live music.) They're called 'Burning Las Vegas' and you can check out some videos of them here. If anyone gets the hankering to head down to B.B. King's in Nashville on a Wednesday night, let me know and I'm in.

In the midst of my crazy work hours, I had some conversations along the lines of:
MJ: Is it just me or do these folders smell bad?
E: Yes! I was smelling that! They smell like...
MJ: Toejam. (Uh, yeah. Where did I come up with that?!?!)

G: That's really bothering you, isn't it?
MJ: Yeah, it's just me being anive retental. (Or maybe anal retentive? Maybe?)

C: Remember when McDonald's didn't take debit cards?
MJ: No.

How do you like them apples? (Speaking of apples...I hit up the orchard last weekend with my family and have pics -- with the intent of blogging about them -- so hopefully I can get those up!)

Hope you're all doing well!

Simply,
MJ

Wondering Where I Have Been?

Uuuhh...so it has been almost a month since my last post. I knew I wasn't very good at this blogging game, but seriously -- I need to kick it up a notch. So with my deepest apologies, I'll give you my updates:

1. That sweet Kate Spade Posy Vase? Epic fail...apparently there was a "problem" with my order and it "could not be filled" or something. Bummer. But they did give me a $20 credit, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for my next sweet deal.

2. I did get a new phone. Samsung Solstice. But no worries...same phone number. (errr...or maybe I shouldn't say that, so when people say "Why has MJ been MIA?" you will respond "Oh it must be because she got a new phone.")

3. The sunglasses? Yeah, I totally got some new Ray Bans. And I love them. Some people hate to spend $$$ on expensive sunglasses, but in my experience I usually take care of them and wear them for years. I mean, let's be honest. You wear them. On. Your. Face. -- like direct center of focus for all people...except creepy men.

4. I had a WONDERFUL birthday filled with lots of sweets and sweet friends! I attended a beautiful wedding. Had a rockin' time at a hole-in-the-wall Owensboro bar. And I saw Gary Allan at our hotel...I could have shared an elevator with him, but chicken over here took the stairs. Minus the hour long wait for a cab and Creepy Tim (who hasn't had a girlfriend for 15 years and is trying to learn to talk to women and doesn't drink and was beaten by his step-dad, etc etc and then offered us a ride home...) it was an overall fabulous weekend.

5. I have 667 unread items in my Google Reader....and thats after unsubscribing to a bunch of blogs last week. Because I haven't had time to read them.

6. I have been working mucho hours. Like I think I calculated 56 hours last week? And it's almost 7, and I'm still at the office (taking a mental break to blog) and I took a 15 minute lunch at my desk...so crank that up to 5 extra hours this week already and it's only Tuesday. I'm exhausted. But through it, I've realized that I LOVE my new job. Like seriously. I work with wonderful people. I get to interact with students every day. I get such a high level of satisfaction from what I do. I really am blessed to A. be employed and B. get to do something that I enjoy every day. On that same note, I would still really like a vacation day to clean, iron, grocery shop, regular shop, and do something fun and relaxing. I'm just saying. (Hopefully after K Week and getting my old position filled I'll return to semi-normal hours.) Someone asked me today what I like to do for fun and I went blank...so then they asked what the most exciting thing I did in the last week...scratch that, month....was and again, blank. I said, "I met Archie Manning! But it was at a work conference..." Apparently that doesn't count. Like really...my idea of fun now seems to equate to take-in Chinese and movies. Although I will be trying to factor in some more fun or working out or something...and blogging of course :)

That's all for now! Back to work so I can go home!
MJ

Signed, Sealed, Delivered...

...I'm official! Beginning next week I'll be a program coordinator -- same place, new title! I'm very excited, but a little nervous because of the high expectations in place for this new position. But I just wanted to share my news. Promotion = pay raise, but I'll be moving to the other end of the hall, which is a bit of a bummer because I enjoy being around my current coworkers who are closer to my age. Instead I'll be next to the boss man.

So I hope you will all support me and throw lots of good ideas my way for new initiatives that I can start.

GO CATS!!!!

It's the little things

The highlights of my day today:

1. A caramel brownie from our student worker. dee-lic-ious. It reminded me of a "turtle" because it was chocolate, nuts, and had a layer of caramel in the middle. So good. Must. Get. Recipe.

2. I would love to try to bake the peanut butter filled yellow cake with chocolate icing and the caprese skewers I saw on Big Girls, Small Kitchen. Yum.

3. Who knew you could register your Kroger cards online and download coupons straight to your card? How convenient - especially for a coupon clipper like me! You can even print a list of the coupons you have loaded as a pseudo shopping list. Just shop, swipe and save. Genius!

4. My fickle temperatured office (yes, I made that word up I think) has revealed a new secret to me. Normally it's like "Oh it's January? Better make it 90 degrees in here. April? We'll stick to a steady 63 degrees." So lately...after forcing me into pants and sweaters, along with keeping a blanket and heating pad handy at the office....it has decided to spike again. This week it was holding steady at around 79 degrees -- and did I mention we don't have a dehumidifier in the building? Then Willy, the maintenance guy, comes around today and lets me know that the changeover switch is broken for the main heating/cooling unit. So if I set my thermostat on about 85 or 90 it actually makes my fan unit blow COLD air.

A. I never knew that thermostat served a purpose except to tell me the temp in the office.

B. I didn't know that it controlled the temp of my fan unit. I thought the unit was broken so I never used it except for heat on the random occasions the heat was on and my office was cold.

So now I may have a decent feeling office (with the exception of the humidity) for at least the next few weeks. And oooh...the humidity...did I mention it makes the printer play fun games like "One for you, Two for me" with the letterhead? Oh the joys. All I have to say about that is THANK GOODNESS I don't have children yet -- my patience isn't up to par.

It's the little things like brownies, coupons and A/C that get me through the days :)

Simply,
MJ

More Milestones

Today is officially my one-year anniversary of being a full-time employee. Yikes! Only about 40+ years to go until I can retire. {When did we get so grown up and starting talking about retirement savings and Roth IRA's instead of fun, college stuff?} In order to make it through the next 40 years of work, I might have to try Jessica's tactic of a "Daily Affirmation":




It's also the one-year anniversary of the passing of my maternal grandfather. He is still loved and missed! Here is a picture of my mom and her sisters at Grandpa Joe's funeral last year:

(Too bad I didn't get my height gene from this side of the family.)

Can you all believe how quickly a year flies by?

Simply,
MJ

Success!

For those who didn't know, I have been coordinating an event for work the last few weeks. (I'll attribute my lack of blogging this week to that!) I'm happy to say that everything went off without a hitch, minus the coffee not being quite ready when the event started.

{Yum! Fresh from a local bakery}

I guess next time I know to:
1. start the coffee earlier and
2. buy a medium blend instead of a dark blend. Oops. It had a little bite to it.

My 2 coworkers and I aren't BIG coffee drinkers, with me being the one to drink it the most. They kept asking me to be the taste tester for the coffee. Little do they know, I've always had K-Mac or KB to make it for me!
And then it is drowned in 1.5 cups of milk, microwaved on high for 3 minutes and 30 seconds....and frothed to perfection with 6 pumps of syrup.
(Yep, KB leaves me instructions, with the premade coffee.)

{Milk or juice, anyone?}

We had about 70 students come through. Which is pretty good for college students for an event from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.!!!! I mean...look at that line at one point!

{Registering for my fabulous prizes!}

And look who else stopped by!!!

{She's awesome for coming, that's fo sho!}

Hopefully this is something that we can make a regular event . . . this was our first attempt. I'm just glad that it wasn't an epic fail! I was a nervous wreck all week about it.

All photos are courtesy of work... Hope you've all had a great week!

Simply,MJ

It's Friday Night

"Even my emotional baggage is Coach." - Unknown

I came across that quote today and liked it. Not that this post is about emotional baggage or anything. It was just a quote-worthy quote. But on a semi-related note:

A. I came across this guest post on Corporette today on what entry-level professionals should wear to work. I thought it was interesting. As a new grad, I don't have an extensive work-appropriate wardrobe yet. (Okay, maybe I have more to wear to work than I let on...but still...). I work in a fairly laid-back office when it comes to dress code...as in I have never seen a dress code...so I often try to buy pieces that will be appropriate as I climb the corporate ladder. I thought this lady's advice was helpful. I actually was pleased with my outfit today - a black button down, berry colored straight skirt (looks like a wool blend, but it's acrylic), sheer black hose and black pumps. I wish I had thought to take a picture to share.

B. I've decided that being single is going to lead to a well-stocked kitchen and a very clean house. Because it is Friday night and I cleaned, went to the grocery, and stopped in the liquor store. In sweatpants and an old, sloppy, faded hooded sweatshirt. And pink plaid rainboots. With VPL (aka visible panty line). Don't be jealous. (I think I dress sloppy to run errands these days because of the man that I am almost certain took my picture with his cell phone in the Wal-Mart parking lot last fall.)

You might ask, "Why, MJ, are you at home cleaning on a Friday night? Don't you have friends?" The answer is simple. I have to work tomorrow because of a Board of Directors meeting. And that leads to my next point...

C. My best friend from home is coming in tomorrow! After the board meeting, she is coming to the UK vs. Arkansas game. I'm very excited to see her. I think this is the first time she has visited me in Lexington. And she is also the driving factor behind the cleaning, grocery shopping, and liquor store. I had nothing to offer her except water and tortillas. (That may be a slight exaggeration, but not by much.) I picked up some wine, some beer, and made a corn and black bean salsa tonight so that I can be a good hostess! I'm very excited for her to come. While I don't miss the boy necessarily, I miss the companionship. Having friends in town is a pleasant distraction.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Simply,
MJ

Count Your Blessings...

As far as being a recent college graduate goes, I'm pretty blessed. I was hired right before graduation, so I was able to start working the same month. I have a great house to live in, great roommates, and I truly believe in the mission of the University I work for and enjoy the individuals I work with. I mean, how many people can say they spent an entire afternoon at work creating this:

Or doing this:


Oh and then I get to rub elbows with coaches,
like Kentucky's next head football coach, Joker Phillips:


And then I also get front and center seats to see people speak,
like Kentucky Basketball's Coach Calipari:


Yeah, overall I have it pretty good. Not to mention that because of work I have season basketball tickets. Which means that tomorrow I'll be right in the action when Kentucky takes on North Carolina - the 2 winningest teams in college basketball! Go Big Blue!

P.S. I'm new to this whole blogging thing...so if anyone wants to offer advice on how to jazz up my little page space here, please let me know. Thanks :)