better (two months) late than never, right?

I have good excuses reasons why I haven't posted in such a long time:
- I moved into my very own apartment
- I had to furnish my very own apartment
- The holidays... need I say more?!?
- Multiple sick days - NOT fun
- Work (which I guess I'm used to, but it takes up aaallllllllllll of my time!)
- I could think of more "reasons"  but I think you get the point

December 4, 2010 was a big day for me, that's the day I moved into my wonderful one bedroom apartment :D My mom came up early to help and went with me to get my keys from the apartment office - best moment of my life! My friends Shaun and Ben also helped with the big move. Then my dad and stepmom showed up with the couch my parents bought for my birthday. The move was pretty easy, but then unpacking began...

Okay, so unpacking wasn't so bad because I didn't have a lot of stuff to unpack (it only took one and a half trips to move everything from my old place to the apartment), but I've had to buy A LOT of stuff for my new place! Too many IKEA trips to count, a few trips to Kohl's, weekly trips to Target, and over a month later I have almost finished furnishing my apartment! It has been a time and money consuming project, but I really love my place. Thanks to all of my family and friends who helped me with the move! Here is my apartment!

 

entry

 

living room

 

dining room

 

kitchen

 
Oh, then there were the holidays. I went home for the Christmas weekend to visit my family. Nothing special happened, but it was nice to just hang out with family and have fun. Christmas was good.

When I mentioned I was sick multiple times, I meant like FOUR times.

First, I had food poisoning. It was my second weekend in the apartment. Having food poisoning when you live by yourself is awful! I could barely open the Gatorade bottle. And at one point, I army crawled back to my bed from the bathroom. I lost three pounds that weekend.

Then, I had the stomach flu (or something like that). It was thankfully the week after Christmas and I couldn't eat anything without getting sick. I lost four pounds that week.

Then, I had a sinus infection (I think). It was the first week in January. I coughed weird and it irritated my lungs, so my lungs got congested and then my throat started hurting and then my sinuses got congested. After a week, I thought it was settling in my chest and I really didn't want bronchitis, so I went to the doctor. My sweet, caring doctor put me on a week of antibiotics and gave me a shot of antibiotics IN MY BUTT! Not cool. It was really by lower back/hip area, but still not cool. I was better in like two days though!

THEN, I got sick the last day of January. I don't know what it was, but I woke up in the middle of the night and had to throw up. I think I need a new stomach...

And last but not least, there is work. Work is getting better. I've been an adjuster for almost 3 months and I finally feel like I am starting to know what I'm doing. The claims are getting harder, but it is a good learning experience. I actually kinda like the job :)

So, there's my two month update! Hopefully I will be better at blogging so the next posts aren't as long!

big girl decisions

I have been making some rash decisions lately. As in the past two weeks lately. I don't know why, I am usually extremely indecisive. And the decisions I've been making should NOT be taken lightly.

The first major decision was moving out. I have wanted to move out and get my own apartment for a really long time. I've always wanted my own place, but I could never afford to live on my own. Until I got my big girl job. Then I started contemplating this whole moving-out idea over the summer. At the end of October, I decided it was time. I had been searching for apartments, and I found quite a few to visit, but one stood out to me. Then two weeks ago, without visiting all most of the apartments, I decided to go with my gut instinct and chose the apartment. And I set my move in date for the first weekend in December, two weeks after my decision was made. Last week I turned in my application. And today I got the call. I have my own apartment! And I move in FOUR days! I couldn't be more excited (or rushed to pack)!

The other major decision was cutting my hair. For those who know me, know it takes A LOT for me to change my hair. I had the same haircut for four years. FOUR YEARS! It stresses me out. And I need moral support when I make the change, aka someone has to go with me for the haircut. I have been contemplating bangs for over a month. Probably more like two months (at least). I haven't had bangs in two years, and I kinda missed them. At the beginning of November, I had my hair "restyled". Which was really just adding more layers. Nothing too major. But no bangs. I chickened out. I really liked my haircut, until this afternoon when I looked at pictures of myself. I really didn't like the way I looked. And I mean really didn't like the way I looked. So I decided to get bangs. I called the salon, and went in after work. I now have bangs.
By the way, I spent more time deciding on a cookware set then I did on the bangs. 

I'm not so sure I like my bangs. It makes me nervous that I won't like my apartment choice that was also made with such little hesitation. I think/hope I just need to get used to my bangs, and then I will love them. Just like my apartment. Let's hope! And maybe I should do a little more thinking before my next major decision...

this is lllooonnnggg overdue...

But I just got the pictures from my birthday! So here they are :)

 Jenna and I all dolled up

our group at AiRIA

 my $100 chip I won playing blackjack!

Jeremy and I with our $100 bills :)

As you can tell from the pictures, a few of my friends and I went to the nightclub AiRIA at the Wild Horse Pass casino in Phoenix. After the nightclub fun-ness, Jeremy and I played backjack and we both won $100! It was aWeSoMe! Thanks for a great birthday everyone!

l-o-v-e-d

My birthday was on Friday, and I just wanted to say how loved I felt by those in my life! All day I received texts, calls, and facebook posts from people wishing me a happy birthday. And a happy birthday it was! So thank you to everyone that made me feel so special :)

I will post pictures of my night out later this week

movin' on up!

I haven't had much to blog about lately, my life consists of work and friends. Bbbuuuttt I do have some exciting news to share :)

I got a promotion

After weeks of waiting, I FINALLY found out I am being promoted to an adjuster!


Here is the story:
Three weeks ago, my supervisor sent out an email announcing that Physical Damage adjuster positions were opening and to respond if interested. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to respond, my coworkers who have been with the company a while always talk about how they hated being adjusters. And I really like my current job. And I like the people I sit by. So I didn't respond. That was Tuesday. Wednesday morning, my supervisor came to my desk and asked if I looked at the email, and told me I should definitely apply for the position. Then he sent an email to those interested, letting us know we needed to bring in an updated resume and fill out a job bid (basically an application). Thursday, my supervisor asked if I had finished the bid and told me to have it ready by Friday. He sent out another email informing us that we would sit with an adjuster on Friday to see what it's like and get a feel for the position. So Friday comes, I sit with an adjuster for half of the morning, then turn in my bid/resume to my supervisor. My supervisor then passed my paperwork onto HR. HR reviewed my paperwork and gave it to the head supervisor of the adjusters (and I mean the head supervisor. like the adjuster's supervisor's supervisor. over the entire company. yeah). The head supervisor comes to my desk with the other claims supervisor (he isn't my direct supervisor, he is over the other claims team), I meet him, and then they tell me if I'm not too busy I could have my interview right then. Obviously I wasn't going to be too busy for that...

The interview was really casual, but it lasted an hour. He didn't ask a lot of questions, just mainly told me what qualities an adjusted needs and asked if I had those qualities. It was a lot of chit chat too. At the end, the he told me he really liked me and would know after he finished interviewing everyone. That was three weeks ago.

The next week, the head supervisor was out of town, so no one else interviewed. Last week was when everyone else interviewed for the position. Over a week after I had my interview. It made me nervous, and I was worried that they would forget about me. Finally this week started, and they told us we would know sometime this week. By Wednesday, I couldn't help it, and I asked my supervisor when they would tell us. He said "tomorrow." It was finally Thursday and I was busy working the day away, not really thinking about the adjuster position, until I came back from lunch and my coworker (who also applied for the position) asked if I received a call from HR. Nope, not yet. She did, it wasn't good news. So then I got REALLY nervous! And I couldn't stop thinking about the position or that fateful call! I kept trying to work, while still freaking out about not getting a call and hearing that others had received bad-news calls. It had been at least an hour, and then HR called me. I had to go to the office. The office. As I left my desk, another coworker was coming back from the office. With good news. So I got really excited, and sure enough, it was good news for me too!


I start training (again, I know) in November. I am excited and nervous and scared and happy all at the same time. I am really going to miss my coworkers (adjusters are on the second floor, claims are on the first floor), and my current position is really easy and I never have to take work home, but I am excited for the change and learning experience this will be. I will definitely update as I go!

And my birthday is in tWo weeks. The big tWeNtY-tWo. I'm getting old.

November will be amazing :)