changes, parachutes, and happiness

When one of my best friends moved out of state several years ago, I couldn't have been more heart broken. To cope, I hoped and prayed she was as torn up as I was, and, selfishly enough, part of me wished she'd be just a little bit unhappy--not a lot, but just enough to move back home. (Please don't get offended by that!!!) I also made her a scrapbook of all the fun times we'd had over the years in highschool, as a going-away present. She went from IL (for school) to TX (for work) and has finally settled on AZ.

Well, C is back in town visiting for the Christmas holidays, and I couldn't be happier. Last night on the way home from the hockey game, she and I got to talking about our jobs. She told me what her job entails, how much she likes it, and what she wants to do career-wise. When she asked about my job, and whether or not I wanted to continue in the field, I answered with a (surprisingly) forceful, "No. No way, not for the rest of my life." When she went on further to ask, "What do you want to do?", the only answer I could come up with was, "I don't know. I have no clue." It was then that she recommended a book: "What Color is Your Parachute?", by Richard Nelson Bolles. She preached how great the book is, and gave me examples of the "exercises" in the book to help figure out just what it is I would be good at (and would LIKE) to do for a living. Hopefully, Borders will have the newest issue in stock when I swing in there tonight....

We also discussed re-formatting / re-vamping resumes, how to do it, what employers look for, how to get interviews, and she recommended another book all about those issues--though she will have to email me the name when she gets back to AZ. I realized--and fully admitted--as a result of our conversation, that my problem is sheer laziness and comfort in my current job. Luckily, she confessed that she had had the same problem in the past, which made me feel a lot better. C really inspired me to get off my lazy ass and start looking for MY job--not just looking, but really looking.

And I didn't realize it at the time last night, but I'm really proud of my sister. She has taken the time to do the soul searching required to understand what she's really good at, what she wants to do, and what she is now doing. She's gotten off her butt, so to speak, and has taken the steps to get that job, and go back to school, and pursue the career that she wants.

For quite some time, I (along with other friends) tried convincing her to come home. Then it turned to, "Well if things don't work out there, you know you can always come back here..." But now, as much as it pains me to an extent, I no longer tell her to come home. I tell her how much I miss her, but I think I've finally come to grips that she's just how I want her to be: happy. And I couldn't ask for more. Don't get me wrong, I still miss her terribly when she's not home visiting, but I'm so excited that she is doing what she wants to do and is happy.

I love ya sis. You've inspired me, and I'm incredibly proud of you.

"plethora of goodies"

As I sit writing this, an attorney in the office is preparing for an afternoon deposition. The big boss is in the lobby, trying to pawn off our various Christmas gifts we've received from other businesses: "Would you like some fruit? Cookies or pretzels? Some chocolate perhaps? etc. etc. I assure you we have a plethora of goodies; please let me know if I can get you anything. Otherwise, the kitchen is that way. Please help yourself." Cracks me up.

no fillings for you! (but babies are OK; please make us some babies!)

I had gotten around insurance not covering my birth control pills by simply having my doctor write a letter to the pharmacy and insurance company stating I needed them for "medical reasons"--such as cramps, i.e. A few weeks ago I received a letter stating that any form of birth control would no longer be covered by insurance, unless a doctor stated they were being taken for infertility reasons, or if you were never intending to / going to try becoming pregnant. Well, I don't fall into either of those categories. So now, I'll be back to paying $35 for my prescription, instead of the $8 - $10 a month I WAS paying. Guess that's what I get for switching to an insurance provided throught the Archdiocese, huh?

AND, to top it off, I now have a $630 balance for my dentist that I will have to somehow pay...out of my own pocket. I went to have some work done on my teeth, and the receptionist broke the news to me: "We don't accept this insurance...this is an HMO that we're not affiliated with...You have an outstanding balance of $630 that the insurance company has not / will not pay on..." Needless to say, I left without having my fillings done.

So, not only do I have to pay $630 out of my pocket, but I also have to find a new dentist. What I don't understand is: how did the dentist NOT KNOW my insurance would not cover my visits...after I've already been there 3 damn times? I was told, BEFORE I scheduled my FIRST appointment with this particular dentist, that insurance would cover at least part of it. Mind you, I was told this by both the dentist's office AND the insurance company. Now, all of the sudden, after they've wracked up close to $1,000 in work, my insurance WON'T pay? I don't get it. But, when I got home, I looked in the provider directory, and sure as shit, Dr. Stolle was not in there. Maybe I should have done that in the first place, but I guess I figured that when I CALLED THE INSURANCE COMPANY and specifically asked if my dentist / dental group would be covered and they told me yes, they were telling the truth. Obviously not.

This insurance shit sucks.

never fear, no Vegas this year...

Today is our annual in-office Christmas gift exchange / eat-til-you-feel-like-you're-gonna-puke party. Traditionally, we have done the in-office celebration, plus one outside of the office. This year firm has spent enough $ moving from the 5th floor to the 6th and back again, plus re-decorating and re-furnishing the "new" space, so we've decided to just have the in-office fete. We're supposed to "close down the fort" at some point today--which means no working, no more computers, and NO PHONES! Just the 9 of us, some presents, full bellies, and....the alcohol which I have already spied sitting on the back counter, just waiting to be poured down my waiting throat. Funny how alcohol manages to have an angelic glow at certain times when you know you're gonna need it....like office Christmas parties....

"Skeleton Key"

I saw this movie in Circuit City about a month ago and decided I had to rent it at first opportunity. I convinced Dustin to let me rent it when we were at the video store Saturday night, since he got to rent the PS 2 game "50 Cent: Bulletproof". (Word of advice: do NOT rent that game; it is absolutely D-U-M-B. Don't even get me started on how many things I disliked about it--and I wasn't even paying that close attention while he played. Like the fact 50 Cent is wearing a humongous, *bling bling* cross around his neck while running around shooting people...or the fact that I heard "In Da Club" about 50 consecutive times within a time span of 30 minutes...or....ok, I'm done now.)

ANYWAY, the movie we watched...
I like Kate Hudson as an actress, even though the only other thing I've seen her in is "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days", and I like her even more after seeing "Skeleton Key". I'm easily scared, so to me, the movie was pretty creepy. She takes a job as a hospice caretaker on this old plantation in Louisiana's bayou. Finding out the house and the woman she is helping are more than meets the eye, she thinks about quitting and leaving. But, she changes her mind, thinking she would be abandoning Ben (the man for whom she's caring, who had a stroke while he was up in the attic). The movie deals with old Southern Louisiana "roots" (?) like voodoo, hoodoo, conjuring, and spirits...and also what happens when you dabble with these things.

Parts of the movie were pretty easy to figure out--I knew "whodunit" pretty quickly--but Dustin pointed out some things I missed. There are some fabulous camera angles, along with some really neat effects done while in editing. The ending is a cleverly done kind of twist, in my opinion, and the special features on the DVD are pretty cool. (Although I wish they would have been longer, easier to see--they used some camera effects that were better left for the movie, and more in depth.)

However, I'd buy it for my collection, and I'd definitely recommend it.

rubble of memories

Since I work across the street from Busch Stadium and park everyday in the Stadium East parking garage, I have been able to watch the progress of the demolition. Coming into work each day, I couldn't help but wonder, "How far have they gotten since yesterday evening?" I was out sick Tuesday, so I didn't get to track that day's progress, but I was surprised Wednesday when I drove by and saw a section that was only 5 arches wide still standing. I read that the stadium would be down by last night, so I snapped some pictures of the remaining structure while I still could...

Good thing I did. Turning onto Broadway this morning, all I saw was a huge pile of debris and a gaping hole where the old Busch Stadium used to stand. It was really weird walking from my garage to the office and being able to see clear across to the Stadium West parking garage on Eighth Street. Don't get me wrong, the new stadium is beautiful and majestic, and it looks fantastic when the lights are shining. But there were so many memories within the walls of old Busch that it's sad to see it go. Hopefully people won't forget those memories, and will be just as keen on creating new memories within the new Busch.

"Scooore....boooard...."

The hubby & I went to a highschool basketball game last night, for one of (if not THE) biggest rivalries in the St. Louis area: my alma mater, the Bishop DuBourg Cavaliers, versus the St. Mary's Ferries...oops, I mean Dragons. It was a great game, close all the way, with neither team ever up more than 2-6 points. One team would hit a basket, and the other team simply turned around and answered with one of their own. The fouls were being called a bit unevenly during the first half of the game--I think at one point, DB was up a ridiculous 9 fouls to St. Mary's 2. It was pretty bad.

I think my husband enjoyed the rivalry, considering as he said, "We never really had a big rivalry like this when I was in highschool." I felt like I was in highschool again, the way I laughed and cheered and clapped. The fans were back and forth all night: St. Mary's favorite chant, "Scooore...boooard..." ; DB answering with, "We got Reggie!" (A Senior who apparently left St. Mary's to attend DuBourg and now plays on the Varsity team.) Then St. Mary's would answer, "You can have him!" As usual, the Dragons' fans got incredibly quiet when their team was losing, and the Cavs would taunt, "Why so quiet?!" AND, in typical fashion, St. Mary's would break out their chant of old: "Southside Rapist..." Not in good taste, I must say.

But, the mighty mighty Cavaliers went on to beat the Dragons with a score of 69-58.