Ice Cream and Wine

I was officially let go from my job this afternoon. I'm glad the situation has been resolved. There was nothing worse than running through possible scenarios with no control or idea about possible outcomes.

Tomorrow I have a staffing agency interview in the morning. And tomorrow will be my day of trying to save money by calling Comcast, my auto insurance, and deferring my student loan. Farewell movie channels and insurance perks

Tonight I will gorge myself on wine and ice cream trying to not think about my situation. Dear readers if you know of a company in the Boston area that is looking for a financial analyst with a background in health-care, retail, and manufacturing drop me a line!

2010 Back Around Again

Swine flu was no walk in the park. It took me about a week to recover and then I developed some breathing problems. It could have been pneumonia but luckily it's just asthma so now I have an inhaler. It is so nice to be able to breathe freely again! I named my inhaler Mitzi.

I was ready to go back to work last Friday but my boss told me I had to wait until today because she needed to meet with me. The glass half empty part of me started worrying and telling myself that I am in trouble about something. But the glass half full part of me tried to talk me down and told me that it's probably some kind of extended illness paperwork or a welcome back party.

I got next to no sleep last night and when I got into work, it wasn't a party. There wasn't paperwork. It was just me, my boss, and the VP of the dept. The upshot is that I got into work at 7:30 AM and I was home by 8:15 with a bag of my stuff from my desk. The word fired hasn't been used but I feel pretty fired! I'll get the official word by tomorrow.

Today has just been a numb blur. I do admit that I made a huge mistake but it would have been avoided if training had been consistent. The mistake was that I listened to a co-worker who trained me on a task and said, "It's not a big deal. Just check on these accounts every couple of months." Yeah, that was wrong and it cost me my job (probably). So this is my third round of unemployment in 3 years. I hope the next job sticks!

Also, I do have to admit that this firing was in the works for weeks but my boss delayed it so I could recover from swine flu and have health insurance. That was incredibly decent of her and is appreciated.

Week 2 Update

Well people, week 2 was not better than week 1. Why? Because I came down with H1N1! Yup, you're reading this correctly, I have the Swine Flu. Is it possible to blame this on the MBTA? Probably not...

It was a bit scary how quickly the flu developed. Wednesday I had a mild cough. Thursday I had a fever, full body hacking cough, and diarrhea. Friday I was diagnosed. Luckily, I live alone so I don't have to worry about spreading the disease. But unluckily I live alone with no one to help me out. I have been placing daily calls to my mom. Today has been pretty crummy with overall exhaustion and achiness.

I have to be out of work until Thursday Jan. 21. Unfortunately, that will eat up all my time off so I can't get sick or take a holiday until April. Hopefully, this swine flu will fulfill my sickness quota for the next 6 months/year! Man, I am tired just from typing this entry - back to bed.

Week 2 of the New Year, Hopefully Better Than 1

Last week was pretty terrible. It started out with really bad back pain where it hurt to sit, to stand, and to walk. So the only pain free moment of my day was when I was lying down. The last time I had pain this bad was when I herniated a disc 12 years ago so needless to say I was very worried. But I kept my hypo anxiety at bay by looking up back exercises. I am able to do a couple in the morning and Alleve really helps. So, just by taking those steps I knew it wasn't a disc problem. With disc pain, nothing touches the pain. So, I knew I could handle muscle pain! Today, I have been able to sit down, stand, and walk fairly pain free (a twinge here and there) without Alleve. Hurrah for getting better and using logic to handle my anxiety!

Also, last Friday I wound up having a full-on crying jag at work in front of co-workers. I was upset and worried about stuggling with month end finance reports. I hated not being perfect and having to have my hand held. Granted, it was the first time I have run the reports but I'm Super Anna and I need to be awesome at everything I do! Uh huh, says who, right? Luckily, I have very awesome co-workers who were kind and supportive. I was worried about being embarrassed today but that didn't happen. I just kept my ego in check and made sure I listened and learned while I was helped on the last of the reports. They went out today - phew!

Since I was having an awful day last Friday, I booked a massage here. That was the best decision! My masseuse was amazing and I felt so healed and connected afterwards. A big thumbs up for this place. They're easy to get to, have great staff, plentiful parking, and the prices are very good. Also, you have to fill out a questionaire for your massage so that's a sign of a good legit place.

I also have to get back on the wagon for healthy eating and getting back in shape. This week I will be checking out local gyms. Also this week, I will have a lovely Executive Transvestite cheering me up:

Vaya Con Dios MBTA

It only took me 3 months but I have had it with commuting on the T. I kept repeating to myself over and over about how I'm saving so much on gas and how great it is to decompress from work on the subway. But you know what? Those are absolute lies that I tell myself. I work under 8 miles from where I live and I'm actually paying $42 per week to take the T. I am even more stressed taking the subway than I would be sitting in traffic. It turns out that for a parking pass at work, I'll actually just pay $30 per week. I can only switch to driving starting in February so if I can get through January without screaming bloody murder in the subway car, I'll be all good.

What pushed me over from denial to utter disgust and contempt? These last two days. The fun of people watching and enjoying the quirks of others turned into realizing that I am surrounded by utter assholes. Like this kid who kept sneezing on this poor lady next to him without covering his mouth this morning. The poor woman looked horrified. Or the iPod zombie kid who crashed into me and stepped on my foot yesterday making me tumble pretty badly on a stairway. Finally, it was the red line conductor who closed the train doors in my face on my commute home tonight. He was leaning out the window and I was right next to him and there was no way he didn't see me.

This past week, my back has been a complete wreck. I was in so much pain this evening, when the T door slammed in my face and the train pulled away, I wound up crying on the Downtown Crossing platform. I just wanted to get home, pop some advil, and lie on a heating pad. Guess what? If I drove to work, I would have been home by that time.

So here's to saving $12 per week and flipping the bird in the corrupt mismanaged MBTA's face!

2010 - Woohoo!

My wonderful New Years plans were cancelled due to the snow storm that A) blew in earlier in the day than predicted and B) made driving conditions very, very bad (hi Mr. Plow enjoying your vacation, huh?) Yeah, I kinda wanted to start 2010 alive rather than in a snowbank with a broken neck. So I crashed at a friends place and met an awesome tortoiseshell kitty named Ally. Pun totally intended there.

The week back to work so far has been really awful. My brain is not in work mode and I cannot count the number of reports I sent out riddled with errors. Also, since a co-worker quit, I am the only one in the department working month-end so basically the last two days have been frustrating, stressful, and made me pretty upset. So, here is to my resolution to salvage this week, kick ass on month-end reporting and triple-check everything I send out - even if there's a looming deadline.


I'm really digging these two and this video is perfect for the post-holiday recovery. Enjoy!