Happy Vomitines Day!

Depending on your stage of life you will have different feelings about this holiday.  Well I am all for sharing the love on this day, but not everyone wants to feel the love.  Some want to love, some want to laugh, some want to cry and others just want to throw up.  This post is dedicated to them.  If you have any friends that want to throw up today but just need a little help, please feel free to share these Vomitimes with them.

 

 

 

 

Becoming Grandma

The older I get the more I realize that I am becoming, not my mom but my grandma.  I have mentioned before the fact that my mom tells me all the time I am just like my grandma.  It makes me wish that she had a blog or a journal that I could go back and read and see more of her life lessons because I know that her life was not always easy but she always had these little gems of wisdom to share with me.  She would do this especially when I was frustrated or upset about something.  I remember once when I was stressed about something, she told me that stress isn’t always a bad thing.  She said that feeling stress in our lives helps us to rise to meet our challenges.  Well I am not sure where my grandma came up with this chunk of wisdom but she was way ahead of the science that I happened to stumble across today. 

If she were alive today she would be 103 on March 9^th.  I guess all I can do now is just be grateful for the time I did have with her.  I guess coming up on the anniversary of her birth is probably a good time to be reminded of her goodness. 

Prize Patrol

 So I have this little fascination with the Publisher’s Clearing House.  I am one of those who would love to see the prize patrol show up at my door with that big fake check telling me I have won millions.  I guess I just like to imagine what I would do with all of that dough.  Don’t get me wrong philanthropy would be a big part of what I would be involved in, maybe after a little traveling.  The thing that has been cracking me up lately is even though they tell you that your chances to win are like 1 in 100 billion, people still have this delusion that they are going to really be the winners.   It is especially nice when they think if they have enough faith in God, or enter enough times, or if their life has been hard enough they will be the next winner.  I guess if I never get a big fake check at my doorstep I can have a few laughs.  Perhaps some of them are kidding but these are some of my favorite comments on the PCH blog and videos lately.   

 

 

 

Miracles Happen

 

I was going through some old papers in my file cabinet, trying to get rid of stuff and I came across this piece of paper that said at the top, “Miracles I would like to see in my lifetime”.  I had eleven listed.  This list was probably written eight years ago. These were things that I wanted to have happen but maybe the timing wasn’t right but I felt like none of them could be accomplished without the hand of God.  As I read through the list I was surprised that three and a half of the eleven had come to pass.  One miracle on my list was that my brother-in-law Tyler would be converted to the Gospel of Christ and that he and my sister would be sealed in the temple together.   This one happened about five years ago.  This definitely wasn’t due solely to my faith.  My sister Cate did a lot of fasting, praying and coffee making to get Tyler to attend her Gospel Doctrine class.  Now just look at their cute family...

This was a good reminder to me that miracles really do happen.  I shared this with Cate and Tyler and Tyler responded and said that he was very grateful to have the gospel in his life.  It all just make me want to write more lists and keep praying and fasting for the miracles that I have yet to see. 

The Wheels are in Motion

Well not exactly.  I just like to quote a Seinfeld episode where Jerry tries to help Babu Bhatt a Pakistani get some immigration help and really nothing is happening.  Watch a clip here. I did however get a nice recommendation from the Commissioner’s Director of Auditing for a position at BYUH.  It makes me feel like my dreams aren’t dead after all.  Here is the email I was blind copied on today…

“Eric and Rebecca,

We have a great accountant in S&I Financial Services that has shown a lot of interest in becoming part of the financial services team at BYUH.  Her name is Alicia Doutre.

I know you don’t have any immediate openings, but she’d be a good one to keep in mind.  She’s very professional, experienced and detail oriented.  Let me know if you have any questions about her or if/when you might have a need for another professional in your office.  She’d be a great fit in either financial services or student financial aid.”

I was a little worried because he referred to me as an accountant and that is not my job title so I wrote him back to clear that up and this is what he said,

“I think you’d be a great fit there.  I spend more time in the finance offices at BYUH than anyone in our office, so I’ll keep my eyes open for you.”

It is so nice to get such unexpected help.  I didn’t ask him for this or anything.  I am not going to start packing my bags yet, BUT I am sure going to keep selling everything I don’t need for the time being.  Maybe I can take this smog filled air for a few more months since I have people looking out for me like this.  The way people are going out of their way for me makes me feel like I better accept a position if I get offered one.  I mean I would have to be crazy not to.  Chance of a lifetime!

The Waiting Game

The latest on the move to Hawaii is that the position they thought was going to open for me is not going to open for me. :( They said if I was able to be flexible that they would keep their eye out for positions to open up.  I am not sure what that means my chances are, but for now I am going to continue to sell and get rid of stuff I don't need and be ready just in case something does magically materialize. 

One Step Closer to Sunny Days!

I just talked to THE man over all church schools who asked for my resume before he took his Christmas break.  He had just come back in the office today.  I asked him if he had received my resume and he asked me to sit down for a few questions.   He wanted to be sure I understood how my life would change with a move to Hawaii.  We went over financial differences, cultural differences, and small town issues.  In the end I told him that I had been doing a little bit of research and I had made a friend over there that could help me find housing and make social connections.  He said that the cost of living is 30-40% more but I would only receive about a 15% pay increase which didn’t frighten me too much.  I mean how can you put a price on paradise?

 

Then he asked me what I could bring to BYUH.  That was a question I wasn’t ready for.  I told him that I was reliable but in looking back he probably would have wanted me to say something about my finance experience or my attention to detail.  Oh well.  He told me that there was definitely a need for someone with my skills.  I was a little surprised to hear that but that was certainly good news. 

He asked me if I had any questions for him.  I just wanted to know about time frames but he certainly didn’t have that kind of information yet.  Now I just have to figure out how to sell everything I own, relocate my roommate, rent out my place and store the things I can’t sell.  No big deal.  Okay, the reality is that I am completely freaked out with a good amount of excitement in the mix. Coming from MN, this would be fulfilling a lifelong dream.