Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2009!

My new glasses...

... to go with my new college degree. Do they make me look as damn smart as I am? Ha! I am talking to Shelley on the phone in this picture. Hi Shelley! OK, I am a dork. LOL

I is a college gra-gee-it

Stick me with a fork because I am done like dinner! Yayyyyyyyyyyy!

10 Days and Counting...

Classes end on Dec 20, but I am setting a personal deadline of Dec 16 to finish all assignments and final exams so I can be D-O-N-E done with school! Gee, it's about time, eh? LOL I definitely did not go the traditional route for my formal education, but I have certainly learned a lot along the way from life's School of Hard Knocks. :)

I am not walking in the graduation ceremony... who would come to it anyway after all?? Oh well. Franklin University will mail my B.S. in Accounting diploma to me in early January and then I will apply for the CPA exam. My goal is to pass all four parts of the exam and have my CPA license by the end of 2009.

Anyhoo, I am very excited about finishing my degree!! I have been taking classes here and there for several years, but in September 2007 I decided to buckle down and go to school full-time while continuing to work full-time. I am just plain exhausted after 15 months of that and I am ready to have a normal life again! Anyone who has been around me over the past 15 months is ready for me to return to my normal self too! I promise to smile a bit more and go out and have more fun now. Thanks to all of my friends and family who were loyal and understanding during this crazy time of my life. I appreciate your love and support. XOXO

Roller Derby

I had my first skate with the roller derby team today. Nice girls and a great workout! Wow, those quad skates are a lot different than inline skates! I had not been on them since I was a kid. I did OK though - no falls and I started picking up some speed towards the end of the practice. Four months till the season starts so I should be a decent player by then. Right now I am considered a "newbie" in boot camp. After 1-2 months of proving my dedication through practice and skills development I will progress to "recruit". As a recruit I have to attend 75% of practices (which will not be easy during tax season) and then pass a skills assessment test in 2-3 months. Then, I will be a "skater" and a full-fledged Gem City Rollergirl! I'll keep ya posted on my progress.

P.S. On the name thing... I overhead a girl stating that having a derby name is not "cool" until you are at least a recruit. Glad I didn't mention it today! So anyway, plenty of time to think of a kick ass moniker. I think the girls will offer suggestions after they get to know me better too. :)

P.S.S. I just discovered that all names must be registered and there is a code of honor not to duplicate. Get those creative juices flowing! Check out this VERY long list of names. http://www.twoevils.org/rollergirls/

Happy Thanksgiving!

My favorite holiday! I am looking forward to hanging out with the family and stuffing myself silly tomorrow. I wish my sister Shelley could be here for it because I miss her very much, but I am thankful that she has good friends to hang out with down in sunny Florida. I have had a tough year with a few bumps and detours along the way, but overall my life is good. Here are some things I am lucky to have in my life:

(1) My health. With it all things are possible.
(2) My family. We put the 'fun' in dysfunctional, but I love 'em.
(3) My cats. The best furry children in the whole world.
(4) My job. I work for a CPA firm w/a great reputation for quality and integrity and the people there are pretty awesome too!

Plus, it's cold out so I am grateful for a roof over my head and a warm bed. I am grateful for food in my fridge, electricity, and running water. I am grateful to be an American. That alone makes me one of the luckiest people in the world!

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
— Epictetus

Top 5 Reasons to Stay Single (For Now)

5. Fewer distractions while I work towards my education and fitness goals.
4. More fun. No more "dates" in front of the TV. :::yawn:::
3. More time with my friends.
2. More time with my cats. The more people I meet, the more I like my cats.

And the number one reason to stay single:
1. To save money!!! Why do I always date the cheap guys?

The Name Game

OK, cousin David (buckdad) says I need a cool name to thrash about on the roller derby track. He likes Tracy Tornado. I like it. Any other ideas? Sister Shelley is correct in that I will be #13 which has been my sports number since the beginning. Unlucky? Not!

11/20/08 update:
Here are the choices thus far:
Tracy Tornado or TBJ (Dave)
TNt (Phil)
T-Racy (Ellie)
Tsunami (wishes to remain anonymous)

Any more ideas? Just FYI, I am meeting with the roller derby team on Sun, 11/23/08. :)

My Furry Children, Gretzky & Lemieux

Decisions, Decisions...

I started playing soccer when I was 11 (back when I was cute as clearly depicted LOL) and stopped when I was about 28 because my knees were killing me. So, I started playing hockey which was much easier on the knees (gliding vs pounding/pivoting), but not-so-easy on the rest of my body. After 10 years of hockey which includes three concussions, a broken tooth, countless cuts and bruises, and a broken leg (in 2004) I decided that it is time to hang up my skates. The boys are getting younger and meaner and I am of course getting older and mellower so it is time. :::sigh::: So, last year I decided to take up tennis and discovered that I could play pretty well and that I enjoyed hanging out with civilized female athletes rather than neanderthal male athletes. Go figure! LOL But now, I am getting that old familiar itch for a little more competitive action and perhaps a bit more contact so I think I might try a new sport or two... or at least try out and see if this old, broken chick can make it through tryouts that are coming up soon. If I happen to make both teams, I will have to choose. Which do YOU think I should play? Wish me luck!

http://www.gemcityrollergirls.com

http://www.daytondiamonds.net/

My First Post

OK, my sister assures me that my life is interesting enough to write a blog. I am not yet convinced. Mainly because I am working full-time and going to school full-time and I have no life outside of these two things! This will all change 12/20/08 though when I graduate with a B.S. in Accounting. Yayyyy! Sooo... stay tuned and maybe I will have more interesting stories to tell after this date. :)