sad

what made me a little teary this morning is that i won't be subject to ian, my nephew just coming up and throwing his arms around me. this kid makes me soar. he loves me. he really truly loves me just because. or maybe it's because i'm so over the moon for him and he senses that. my 8 yr old nephew is smart and funny and loving. he's still sweet and he's 8. anyway....it got me on the line of thinking of how i'm actually living in a different city than all these wonderful people that i've grown to care about so much over the past few years. this morning was the first moment where i had to stop and think and mourn a little bit. yeah, that's right. i'm mourning a bit. now, for those of you in charlotte, don't think i'm regretting moving here. i don't. i think at this time in my life, it's really best and it's a good opportunity to stretch my legs as an individual (and maybe lose some of my codependent habits). BUT i am sad about leaving behind a cool town and some wonderful people. it's distance that makes you appreciate what you usually take for granted. it's takes being away to realize how much you had previously. my life is a great deal fuller and rich because of my friendships with folks in asheville.

so, to quote celine: my heart will go on.

FYI

I can have a discreet nose piercing in my new job.

Office Space

I've survived the 2nd day of a new job. I'm a paralegal in the legal department of a sub prime lender headquartered in Charlotte, NC.

Some differences from my old job to my new job.

Before: Office with two armchairs a door and a window.
Now: Cubicle with Locker for personals, gray cubicle walls on two sides and a view to a window.

Before: No security
Now: lock computer upon walking away from it and several passwords to log onto various things.

Before: Benefits = an individual Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.
Now: Too many to go into!

Before: Itunes
Now: White Noise pumped through speakers

Before: Eat at my desk or eat out
Now: Eat in the posh posh break room (with a big tv that plays CNN), access to 2 refrigerators, ice machine, vending machines, 2 microwaves, utensils, and one of several tables (and an outdoor patio when weather is nice)

Before: Personal interaction with clients
Now: Personal interaction with the Legal Department

Before: No voice mail
Now: Direct line and frackin' voice mail with external AND internal greetings

Before: Staff meetings once in a blue moon
Now: Company pep rallys

So, you get the picture.

Last day

it's only 9:40am and i've already cried twice today. at 5pm, i'll walk through the door and no longer be employed by David R. Payne, P.A. this is so weird. i've been with this firm for 4 years. that's the longest i've been employed with someone since college. david has been the kind of boss that i could laugh with and i've cried in front of him a few times too. he's got a GREAT sense of humor and we can pick on each other too. he always gives me a hard time saying that i'm weird for my taste in food, for my hair colors, style, etc. it's all in good fun. i know he really has cared about me. in fact, when my transmission went out a couple of years ago, he handed over the keys to his 4runner without hesistation! not a lot of bosses would do that for an employee!

but anyway, i'm leaving this job feeling very cared for and knowing that i've meant something to these people. i'm grateful.

here are some photos of my office friends!

Peter, Adaire, Carey and David (you'd think they had posed)

30 cont'd

So, the other night I got together with Lainey Pants, Murphacious, Jeneenee and Robaroo for another birthday celebration at Zambra's. I met Rob and Jenee a couple years ago. Holly, a friend from Charlotte, was in town and she Murph and I were walking around downtown. She had to use the facilities and we walked past Izzy's. Of course they had a bathroom, but we were kindly, but firmly informed that in order to use it, we'd have to purchase. And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I love Rob and Jenee. On top of having the coolest coffee den, they're good people. Honest, real and fun. They are my friends and I'm proud of that. There have been many mornings that I've started out at Izzy's and ended up being late, but haven't cared. I'd rather start my morning out there! I'm a regular and they know my drink. I think this is the first time I've been considered a regular in that they honestly can 99.9% of the time bank on me ordering a Soy Latte. It's great to be known.

Anyway, back to Zambra's. We had a waiter named John, whom we dubbed Jean for the evening. We ate lots of tasty tapas and had lovely wine and even dessert. We scribbled on the tablepaper and laughed a ton. We wore crazy things in our hair. We took lots of photos. We laughed some more.

I'll miss these friends particularly. They've really added to my life in a short period of time.

I'm blessed.

The end.

birfday

attached are two ways i've celebrated my birthday so far! both with great friends who love me and wanted to help me ring in birthday #3-0. wooo hoooo!

Drug tests

I hate to admit this, but I was a bit nervous about getting my drug test at Lab Corp today. It's not that I mind peeing in a cup or anything (guys you have it much easier for this type of specimen taking), but this is why i was a it nervous.

I got this great job last week. To comply with conditions of said job, I was to get a drug test within 48 hours of acceptance. So, I scheduled the drug test for Monday morning of this week, but I failed to remember. So, yesterday morning, as I was biting into my 'Everything' bagel that was topped with lots o' poppy seeds, the thought crossed my mind "i wonder if i'd pass....aww CRAP, i forgot the stinkin' drug test!!!" The whole rest of the morning I felt like I'd just declared how incompetent of an employee I would be for my new job. Way to start off, Steph!!! Maybe they'd think I was trying to get the Meth out of my system after a crazy weekend. Whatever. I got an extension, thank the Lord.

So, this morning, I pulled up to Lab Corp, signed in and proceeded to wait 30 minutes. By the way, they really shouldn't make you wait that long if you're going to pee in a cup. I mean, come on people! You tell us to drink A LOT of water before we go only to make us sit there with legs crossed? It's cruel. I amused myself by watching the Zefrank podcast and the ModTV podcast. By the way, I do not like the fall line that Calvin Klein has put out. One word: herringbone.

Finally, the big nurse in white calls my name. She leads me to this room and says that I cannot take a lighter nor a cell phone into the bathroom. Do people light there pee on fire or have people done other strange things with ligther in the bathroom while giving a sample? OR maybe they just want to have a smoke while waiting for the bladder to kick in? Now, the cell phone, what's up with that? "Dude, I need to talk to you. Can you talk me through this?"

I had a lot of water this morning. So, i could have filled many a specimen bottle. I think the nurse thought i couldn't go because i hear her come back into the room and she turns on the faucet thinking that would help me? the truth be told: i was taking so long because i had too much water. TMI? Sorry!

After you've done this deed, they let you wash your hands and then sign off to say that you've actually peed your own pee into this cup.

Anyway, I'm still a bit paranoid that I'll test positive for opiates. Alaina reassured me that I'd have to ingest a heckuvalot of poppy seeds to test positive. We shall see, people, we shall see!