Confession #46: Audit CPA Exam

So, yesterday I took the audit section of the CPA exam. I knew walking into the test that it wasn't going to be easy, but man that test was rough. I know everyone has their "niche" and some will find audit easy and some will find it difficult; however, seeing as I am an auditor by profession, I thought audit would be my niche. Oh well, I guess all I can do is sit back and wait for my score to be released.

Although shedding blood, sweat, and tears in an attempt to become a CPA can be challenging, I guess it's good to know that the CPA certification isn't just handed out like it's free candy. When you meet a CPA, you know they are intelligent and have serious drive. I mean, there is just no way a stupid person can pass all four of these exams.

For all of my accountant friends daydreaming about being a CPA, another71.com has a lot of forums that can help you study and/or motivate you to pass. Or if you just want a laugh, howshouldweaccountforme.tumblr.com is probably the funniest accounting site in all of history.

Confession #45: A Couple's Christmas

Christmas is a time to celebrate with your family and friends. Although giving gifts has become an important aspect of Christmas, the best part of Christmas is cherishing precious time with your loved ones. I know that I have posted before about my annual Christmas traditions (see Confession #29) but this year, old traditions were thrown to the wind and new traditions were made. Being an immigrant, the only family I have in this country are my parents and my brother. This year, my family has returned to our home country for the holidays. I will admit that Christmas without them has been strange (but wonderful in its own, new way).

My husband and I celebrated Christmas alone today. We slept in late which is a rare thing indeed nowadays. When we finally got up, I immediately put on Christmas music to get into the spirit and then we opened presents. You know you have gotten old when you get freakishly excited about receiving clothes for Christmas. We decided to be ridiculous cat people and get our kittens presents as well. They ran around with their toys for hours until they both collapsed onto the floor and slept until we were getting ready for bed. After we opened presents, we did some yoga to relax and then I went into instant stress mode about cooking.

Cooking was by far the most interesting part of the day. I wanted to make a special Christmas dinner but damnit cooking for two is not easy. Making a whole turkey is impractical. Even a small turkey would have created an inordinate amount of leftovers. So I decided to take things a different route. As a diversion tactic, I made spanakopita as an appetizer so that my husband would be too busy munching to follow me around the kitchen. I then made stuffing, mashed potatoes, and broccoli just so that the meal still felt like Christmas. As the main dish, I made New York Strip marinated in lager and red wine vinegar (steak and beer...how awesome is that!?) and then topped the steak with a blue cheese sauce (ohhh my). To finish the meal off, we had some strawberry cheesecake. After all was said and done, I felt so fat I could barely get out of my chair.

Christmas has been good to us this year. Although we were both missing our families, we had a great and relaxing day. Well y'all, I hope that you had a very merry Christmas as well. Good night!

(PS: People who have cats will know exactly what I am talking about when I say that the picture above is a short-lived calm moment with my cat and our Christmas tree. If I find one more smashed ornament I might break into deep sobs.)

Confession #44: I disappeared for 2 and a half months...oops

So...I disappeared for a while. I have been so busy with work (traveling constantly) that this blog definitely took a back burner. I assumed not many people were reading anyways (getting a blog following sure is difficult) but I was quite surprised when I finally logged on today. I had a lot more views than I expected which is so cool! Can't believe people actually read this malarkey ;).

Today is Christmas Eve and I am about to go do my Christmas shopping (I am such a bad person) but I swear I have not had a single spare moment to get it done. If only time was a trade-able commodity. I would buy up so much time which I would use to clean my house, actually read a freaking book that doesn't involve accounting, volunteer at a homeless shelter, go to the mall and buy my family Christmas presents. Time is such a funny thing. It passes us by mostly unnoticed as we are always rushing to get to the next thing (I can't wait until the weekend...until Christmas...until I get married...until I quit my job...etc). One day I will be looking back instead of forward and I will wish that I had lived more in the moment and spent more time on myself.

Oh well. I should probably spend this "free time" getting my shopping done. Maybe tomorrow I will post all of the delicious food that I will be making for Christmas dinner. Until then, have a wonderful Christmas Eve, everyone!

Confession #43: Traveling makes me a little nervous

I have been flying on planes since I was a couple of weeks old. I think it is safe to say that I have flown at least 100 times and I have been to many countries. When I was a little kid, I would occasionally get motion sickness on flights but I was never really bothered by it. 

Flying never made me at all nervous until I was an adult and I had to start flying alone. I am not nervous about the actual flying (which is what makes this so ridiculous). I am nervous that I will get lost, get on the wrong plane, miss my flight, etc. But I think the TSA gives me more anxiety than anything else. I am always the one who gets her bags routed through, gets patted down, and gets the evil eye from all of the agents. It's not so bad when you have someone with you that stands and waits for you and is there for you to vent to.

But I guess we all have to grow up and learn how to board a plane on our own at some point. I have flown internationally by myself, and domestically for work. Still, I never get any less anxious about going to the airport.  

Confession #42: I love Broadway musicals

One of the things on my bucket list is to see a Broadway musical actually on Broadway. I have seen my fair share of off-Broadway musicals and I am obsessed. I can't imagine what it is like to see the real thing. 

The other night I went and saw Chicago in my local city. I have seen it before in London which was incredible, so my standards were pretty high. Some characters were not as good this time, but overall, I just really enjoyed myself. I would recommend Chicago to anyone who enjoys a good musical. It is about a group of women in jail who, for various reasons, have murdered a man in their life. It is a hilarious look at the U.S. justice system. and portrays the intensity of love and jealousy. Plus the music is so catchy. I love the mix of jazz and theatrical music. 

Although Chicago is excellent, my top 2 favorite Broadway shows are Wicked, and surprisingly enough, The Lion King. I have been crazy about Wicked since I was very young so when I finally got to see it live, I loved it even more than I thought that I would. I have seen it 3 times and I would see it again in a heartbeat (I may also know all the words to every song). I would venture to say that Wicked it at the top of most people's list. When I first went to see the Lion King, I will admit that I was skeptical. There are so many amazing Broadway shows out there and I just didn't think that this show could ever compare to the likes of Rent or Cats. But I was blown away within the first 30 seconds of the show. If you haven't seen it, well...you have to. Every single second of it is intensely incredible. 

Confession #41: I get really annoyed when I buy something online and it never shows up

I have been trying to do more "likes" than "dislikes" as confessions (or at least alternating each day between good and bad) but today I have to do a second dislike in a row. I apologize in advance.

So I order a new Vera Bradley makeup bag from Amazon (which, by the way, I absolutely love Amazon) and it is shipped from a third-party. I am super excited about it and a few days later I get an email from Amazon saying that it has been delivered. 

Weird...I have been home all day and no one ever knocked on my door with a package. I go to my front door and there is no package and I do not have a "Sorry you missed us" sticker on my door. I live in an apartment complex so I go down to my mailbox and the package is not there but I have a message saying that my package has been left in the apartment leasing office.

Great! So I happily skip along to the office while daydreaming of all the wonderful makeup I can put in my new bag. And when I get to the office, guess what? No package. The leasing manager says to me "Ohhh sometimes they forget to bring it to the office so check back tomorrow". Fine. I am busy for the next few days but by the time I finally get down there (6 days later), still no package. The post office blames it on the leasing office and the leasing office blames it on the post office.

I blame it on everybody. I am angry, broke, and makeup bag-less. And no one can give me any answers. I swear I have the worse luck in the world. 

Confession #40: I hate it when mandatory events are labeled as "not required"

The whole unspoken rule of non-mandatory events is quite frustrating. If you want me to go somewhere or do something that I probably won't want to do, tell me that it is required. Because come on...if you give me the option of not going, we all know what I am going to do. 

I get so mad when people tell me I don't have to do something but then get upset when I don't do it. I know this is a very vague vent (say that 10 times fast) but it just really gets under my skin. 

If a pizza place tells you that you can have a whole pizza for free with the option of paying $5 for it, you are probably going to take the pizza for free. If they don't give you the option, you pay the dang $5 because otherwise you would either have to steal it or have a lonely pizza-less night. Bad example, I know. But seriously. 

Let's just be honest with each other. There should be two, straight-forward categories: mandatory and not mandatory. The third made-up category ("it's not required but if you don't go I will chop your head off") should be discarded immediately. 

Confession #39: I let my cats lick the spoon

When I first got Cal, she was only 9 weeks old and she weighed 2 pounds. After almost doubling her weight in 2 weeks, I was worried about how quickly she was gaining weight so the vet told me to start feeding her wet food for dinner. Neither of my cats had ever really been crazy about food....until I popped open that very first can of wet food. They are both obsessed with it now. Every time I walk into the kitchen, they think I am going to open a can up for them and they freak out in excitement. They literally both try to climb my legs as I am scooping it into their bowls. So, I started letting them lick the spoon in an attempt to calm them down and get them off my legs. I seriously need to film them at dinner time someday. They would be the next YouTube sensation.

Confession #38: Watching the presidential debate is a challenge

Yes, I said it. I swear I am not an ignorant woman who isn't the least bit intrigued by political ideas. Trust me, debates get my wheels turning. I think the problem is that my wheel turns a little too much. I get so riled up and angry, that pretty much no one wants to be around me.

My stress levels have already been pretty high this week so when I turned on the debate, my blood pressure almost went through the roof. So, I decided that it wasn't worth spending my very small amount of relaxation time stressing out over the debate.

I know that the debate helps some people decide who they are going to vote for and I strongly believe that everyone who votes should research both candidates so that they make an informed decision come November. I get so mad when I hear people say things like, "well I am voting [insert party here] because that is what all of my friends are doing". NO. Vote based on your own research and don't let other people influence you. Personally, I don't need to watch the debate to form an opinion because I have spent a lot of time looking into both candidate's platforms. If anything, the presidential debate just makes me hate the other candidate even more.

So, that is my rant for today. I wish I could sit back and enjoy a good, political debate. But, clearly I am too emotional and opinionated.

Confession #37: I love rainy days

It's all about the senses for me. I love watching the rain and listening to it hit my window but I think my favorite part is the smell of cool rain hitting warm asphalt. 

"Anyone that thinks that sunshine is pure happiness, has never danced in the rain"

So what do I do on rainy days? Well, as long as I am not working, rainy days are lazy days for me. I cuddle up with a blanket, watch movies, and fall asleep listening to the rain. In fact, it's a rainy day today and I can barely keep my eyes open to finish this post. 

Even if I have to work on a rainy day, I love to come home and go out onto my balcony with a glass of wine and great book. Fortunately, my balcony has a roof so I can enjoy the rain without getting wet. As you can see from the picture above, my cats love to watch the rain as well :).

Confession #36: I don't trust people who can't spell

For some reason, my brain is wired to believe that spelling is indicative of intelligence. I am not talking about typos or an occasional oversight. I am talking about the people who really do not understand the difference between then and than, were and where, their and there and they're.

When I was in graduate school, I was a teacher's assistant in an undergraduate class called "The Basics of Business". Throughout the year we taught them interview skills, dressing for success, business etiquette, how to write memos, and we even conducted grammar and spelling lessons. At the end of the year, they all filled out anonymous class evaluations and I was assigned to review them all and put together a report. Let me just tell you that I almost died when I read them. When asked "What was your least favorite part of this course", almost all of the students answered that the grammar and spelling lessons were unnecessary. But here is the kicker: 60% of those students spelled grammar as grammer. Grammer? Really? Clearly, the lessons would not have been pointless if you would have paid attention.

Based on my own personal observation, it seems to me that intelligence is somewhat linked to a person's ability to spell (however, I know that there are exceptions such as dyslexia). The people that I know that I consider intelligent (high test scores, higher education, intelligent conversation) are almost always better at spelling than the people that I consider less intelligent. Is this a coincidence? My own warped perception? I'm not sure. But I do know that I take people more seriously when they can write something coherent with little to no spelling errors.

So, yes. I am a spelling Nazi. No one is going to take you seriously if you don't learn how to spell. I have known employers that have thrown resumes in the trash simply because of spelling mistakes. It's called "spell check", people!

Confession #35: October is my favorite month of the year!

If you follow my blog, you already know about my obsession with fall so it should come as no surprise  to you that October is my favorite month. But just to clarify as to why no autumn month competes with October, I have decided to share with you my top 5 reasons why October is the bomb.

1. Halloween. 

When else do you get to have a bowl of candy lying around your house without feeling guilty? Every Halloween I get a glass of wine, a bowl of candy, and a big fluffy blanket, and I sit and wait for trick-or-treaters. Mind you, I have mostly lived in apartment complexes so my doorbell doesn't get rung very often....but darnit, if I have to eat all of that left over candy then I will make that sacrifice!

2. The changing of the leaves. 

There isn't much in the world as beautiful as mountains lined with trees colored red, yellow, and orange. I get a little too excited when I see the first leaves starting to change. Whenever I have a yard of my own, I am going to rake up all of the leaves into a pile and then dive right into them. As for now, I will just have to wait until an unsuspecting neighbor rakes his pile of leaves. 

3. Scary movies.

Ok, so maybe not like...really scary movies. Because I am kind of a wuss. I was thinking more along the lines of Hocus Pocus and Casper. But for those of you that can handle scary movies without sleeping with the light on all night, movies like Dracula, Psycho, and Friday the 13th aren't bad choices.

4. Pumpkins.

Need I say more?? Here is a list of pumpkin things that I love: pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, pumpkin candles, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin decorations...the list could go on for days. Pumpkins seriously need to be a year-round thing.

5. Campfires.

Sitting around a campfire with your friends and family is pretty awesome. Add marshmallows to the mix and you have a serious good time on your hands. 

Confession #34: I was a vegetarian for years

If I told anyone that knows me today that I was a vegetarian for several years, they would probably laugh in my face. But here is the honest truth. I love animals and I am not convinced that anything deserves to die for me. I am 100% opposed to animal cruelty, abuse, and torture. 

I guess I have several dilemmas when it comes to living the vegetarian lifestyle, which is why I am no longer a vegetarian. First of all, my undeniable craving for red meat is truly an every day battle. I knew when I first became a vegetarian that it wasn't going to be easy; however, it was even harder than I imagined. Every day I would pass billboards for burgers, watch commercials for steak restaurants, and witness what seemed like everyone I knew chowing down on some kind of meat. I felt like I had just quit smoking and temptation was everywhere. I was definitely not one of those vegetarians that could say, "oh I wasn't really that crazy about meat anyway" or "I just really love vegetables". I was the vegetarian that wanted to end suffering but drooled over anything that contained meat. Thankfully, this is my most embarrassing reason why I am no longer a vegetarian. I find it is best to embarrass yourself in the beginning of your blog post so that you have time to redeem yourself. 

Second reason: living as a vegetarian while everyone around you and everyone who lives with you eats meat...makes it next to impossible. I became a vegetarian after my mother decided to try it for the same reasons. She would cook a meal for me and her, and then a separate meal for my brother and father. I know she got tired of this very quickly. But, I will point out that my mother has willpower that I do not possess. She is still a vegetarian to this day. After I moved away for college, I realized how difficult it was to get a nutritious vegetarian meal when you are broke. I lived in a dorm and my source of food came from the campus dining hall. Their dining choices were so limited that I found myself eating a bagel and a salad for lunch and dinner every single day. Not only was I dealing with personal struggles, I was also coping with peer pressure. Essentially, my friends all thought I was some weird hippie and they would always try to tempt me into eating meat.

And my final (but probably my most important) reason was due to health concerns. Due to being very deficient in certain vitamins, not eating meat worsened my situation. It was towards the end of my first year of college that I finally caved and gave up being a vegetarian. I do regret it sometimes because I was doing something that was important to me and I felt like I was making a difference. It is something that I will probably try again in the future, but for now I will have to do my part in alternative ways. I have a lot of respect for people that are able to maintain that lifestyle.

Confession #33: I hate it when my appointments get canceled

This is what I may have looked like today when my happy butt drove 35 minutes across town for a hair appointment, only to find out that my hair dresser didn't feel well and already went home for the day. Cool. Oh and they can't reschedule me for a month. Even cooler. Here's to hoping that the unintentional ombre look is a good one.

 (*Please note that I am not completely a cold-hearted woman and I do hope that my hair dresser feels better soon).

Confession #32: I am bad at making cupcakes

It's a sad, but true story. I watch cooking shows and read recipes and I always think, "Wow...I could do that". But sadly, no. My attempt at making chocolate chip butter cream cupcakes was a fail. They taste pretty good but they look terrible. I put the homemade icing into a plastic sandwich bag, cut a hole, and tried to make pretty decorations but it was just a big let down. I couldn't even get the cupcakes into a round shape. Most of them ended up looking like four-leaf clovers (but hey, they could be a big hit for St. Patty's Day). I will just have to make sure to only feed my concoctions to men---they are the only ones who can look past food presentation (and sometimes even taste) and chow down.

If you want to try to make these cupcakes yourself, Martha Stewart has a really great recipe:
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Confession #31: I only drink organic milk

Before you think that I am some kind of organic nut, I will point out that milk is the only product I buy that has to be organic. Sure, if I see organic produce that isn't too pricey, I will purchase it; however, I will not refuse to buy produce if it is not organic. 

For a long time I drank organic milk just because that is all my mother would buy for us. I never questioned why. When I graduated high school and moved across the state for college, I was presented with a dilemma. At my grocery store, a half-gallon of non-organic milk costs $2.49, whereas a half-gallon of organic milk costs $3.79. That means I can buy 3 half-gallons of non-organic milk or 2 half-gallons of organic milk. I'm sorry, but a broke college student is going to pick the cheapest option every time. That extra money will most likely be spent on dollar tacos at Taco Bell.

So when I finally got curious as to why people choose to spend more money on organic milk, the research astounded and disgusted me. I will point out some interesting facts for you to mull over (from here and here):

1. Farmers are treating cows with a hormone called rbST to increase milk production. Some researchers have found that this hormone can lead to cancer of the colon, breast and prostate.
2. Many cows that are treated with rbST develop a condition called mastitis, which causes the farmers to treat the cows with antibiotics. This, in turn, causes milk-drinking humans to develop an increased resistance to antibiotics.
3. Cows are also treated with reproductive hormones. It is unknown what kind of damage this can cause to humans but come on....it can't be good.
4. Organic milk contains more essential omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Organic milk comes from cows that are fed grass, instead of feed that can contain meat and growth hormones.

I will point out that some researchers argue that pasteurization eliminates many of the toxins that cows come into contact with. I read one research study that claimed that 90% of hormones are killed during pasteurization. I think it is important to point out both sides but, at least for me, I do not think it is worth it to risk 10% of those hormones entering my body. I would rather pay the extra $1.30 and have peace of mind. 

Confession #30: I am a Libra!

According to astrology, "Librans too are among the most civilized of the twelve zodiacal characters and are often good looking." So clearly I was meant to be a Libra ;). Jokes, jokes. But on a more serious note, I am social and compassionate which is symbiotic with being a Libra. I would readily admit that one of my biggest character flaws is that I am too sympathetic. I allow people to walk all over me while maintaining a smile.  

Strangely enough, the Libra is the only sign that is neither an animal nor a human. It is the only inanimate object. Our scales represent our need for justice and total balance. If you have ventured through some of my older posts, you may have stumbled across Confession #4: I am a good-natured realist. In the beginning of this post, I mentioned that people always perceive me as being a very sociable extrovert; however, when I take personality tests, I usually come out as an introvert. As I was researching Libras, I found it very interesting that this can be typical of Libras. This site states that

 "[Libras] can be quiet and shy if not persuaded to come out of their shell. Ironically and in spite of their introverted nature they make excellent debaters, often proving a point from out of seemingly nowhere."

I am not sure if our zodiac signs really do play a role in our day to day lives, but I find it comforting that we can look to astrology to begin to define ourselves. 

Confession #29: Three months until Christmas and I am way too excited.

I am probably the only person in the world who gets excited when Christmas is 3 months away. It's not about Father Christmas (lol) or the presents. It's about family time and, as corny as it sounds, the traditions of Christmas.

Every year on Christmas, I wake up to the sound of my mother's favorite CD of European Christmas songs and the smell of the turkey already in the oven. I come downstairs and my mom begs me to eat breakfast but I refuse and tell her that I am saving my stomach for dinner. We open presents together and I am just so thankful that I am surrounded by people that I love. It is pretty great to look around and see people who have been added to the family (and let me just add that I am so excited to have nieces and nephews in the future).

After presents, we just lay around and wait for mom to tell us that she burned the parsnips for the 10th year in a row. We always offer to help her in the kitchen but she always refuses. In the past couple of years, however, she has let me make cornbread muffins. Since we are not from America, this is a very new and strange item at our feast.

Christmas dinner is always wonderful. We keep to the European tradition and pull Christmas Crackers with each other (if you don't know what that is, it is a colorfully wrapped tube that 2 people pull like a wishbone and there are surprises inside). We wear paper hats and tell each other jokes....we are a pretty goofy family.

And every Christmas night, we play board games. I know reading about my traditions is probably not very entertaining, but I just get so excited about it. The only thing that would make Christmas better would be if it snowed for once!

Confession #28: I am a sucker for pumpkin scented candles.

The first day of fall has come and gone. And just as if mother nature knew, the good old southern state I live in finally cooled down yesterday. I was able to wear one of my new infinity scarves and I even ogled over some fall boots. But nothing screams fall to me like pumpkin candles. It is such a good feeling to come home and open my front door and smell pumpkin and cinnamon in the air. I think the only better smell in the world would be the aroma of a pumpkin pie in the oven. 

Confession #27: I am iPhone clueless.

So, I had two people tell me in less than 24 hours that they had "noticed" that I have not updated my iPhone. My initial reaction was "how in the hell do they know that" and my second reaction was "what the hell is an iPhone update". 

Yes, I have had an iPhone for over a year and a half but clearly no one informed me that you are supposed to update the software. Oops! So, as they just came out with iOS6 and I had iOS4.2.1 (lol), I decided to update my iPhone. 

Let me put it this way. That stuff is not easy! It turns out I never update my iTunes either so I had to update that first which took FOREVER. And since my phone was so behind in updates, I had to go through several updates to get to iOS6. And my phone and computer were not happy about this. Both crashed many many many times. Yup, it took me 5 hours. But I am now officially updated in the iPhone world.