Wednesday, December 12, 2012

wish i was here...

I'm taking a cue from my friend Shannon and spending Wednesday reflecting on where I wish I was today. 

I'm ready to get back to snowboarding! My favorite part about the Oregon winter. I love sports and activities that let me see parts of the world that not everyone gets to see. It's why I scuba dive! And having grown up in the desert, the snow just fascinates me. I had never been in real snow until I moved to Oregon in 2010 and I just cannot get enough! 

Pretty views (via Oregon Magazine)

Shannon and me, February 2012

Sejal and me, Winter 2011


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I'm a really bad blogger.

What I am, is an avid blog reader. My RSS feed overflows with brilliance. Maybe that is why I think I'm a bad blogger--because I read such FANTASTIC blogs. Deep in my little insecure heart, I think that in the blogging world, with residents like charming blogger-turned-entrepreneur like Kendi, or an adorable family unit like Ashley and Tammy, or delightfully perfect food blogger like Deb there can't possibly be room for me.

It's my personality. I'm always in it to win it, to be the best. But maybe it should be more that I have things to say, that are important to me, and maybe someone else will find them important too. I won't declare that I will be a more dedicated blogger, because I've done that before, and failed. But I will try and remember that my thoughts are important, even if just to myself!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Rotational

I think the hardest thing about this finance rotation gig is that you don't know what you don't know until you need to know it.

I think I tried to mitigate that with my backfill by talking her through the reports, and talking to her about ad hoc requests that might come up, and how she could use this report or that report to slice and dice the data. I hope she's having a better time than I am, because I don't how to DO anything, and that is what's making me cry in the middle of the afternoon. Again. Over work.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

National Peanut Butter Day!

March 1st is National Peanut Butter Day. To celebrate, here is some food porn for you. Over the weekend, I had a dinner party, and my crowning glory is this: a chocolate cake, crunchy peanut butter filling, peanut butter cream cheese frosting, and peanut butter ganache!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

2012, So Far

2011 brought so many wonderful things to my life. Bill, my promotion, great new friends, progress on my CPA exam--life is fantastic. But it has been hard to see the light over the last month.

I had a panic attack at work last week.

I'm still learning, and it's a daily struggle to remind myself that this challenge is what I asked for in my new job. I'm just so very ready to be good at my job again. The finance rotation program is what attracted me to Intel in the first place but right now it is just making me feel like a moron and a failure.

Evening Solace, by Charlotte Bronte

The human heart has hidden treasures,
In secret kept, in silence sealed;--
The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures,
Whose charms were broken if revealed.
And days may pass in gay confusion,
And nights in rosy riot fly,
While, lost in Fame's or Wealth's illusion,
The memory of the Past may die.

But there are hours of lonely musing,
Such as in evening silence come,
When, soft as birds their pinions closing,
The heart's best feelings gather home.
Then in our souls there seems to languish
A tender grief that is not woe;
And thoughts that once wrung groans of anguish
Now cause but some mild tears to flow.

And feelings, once as strong as passions,
Float softly back--a faded dream;
Our own sharp griefs and wild sensations,
The tale of others' sufferings seem.
Oh! when the heart is freshly bleeding,
How longs it for that time to be,
When, through the mist of years receding,
Its woes but live in reverie!

And it can dwell on moonlight glimmer,
On evening shade and loneliness;
And, while the sky grows dim and dimmer,
Feel no untold and strange distress--
Only a deeper impulse given
By lonely hour and darkened room,
To solemn thoughts that soar to heaven
Seeking a life and world to come.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Focus for February

Exciting news: I sat for the Audit section of the CPA exam yesterday. So hopefully (fingers crossed!) I am thatmuchcloser to finishing my CPA! I plan to take BEC next, at the beginning of April.

So, on to another focus. I am registered for the 2012 Shamrock Run!



It's the race that officially begins the 2012 running season here in Portland, and I'm pretty excited about it. I signed up for the 5k, which might be small potatoes to some of you, but it's a big deal to me. I'm not much of a runner, but I'm trying to be!

So my focus for February: run run run! Three times a week, plus continuing my weight training. That's my goal! We'll see how it goes.

Friday, January 27, 2012

The Never-Ending Battle


So for all of January, I have tracked all of my calorie intake and all of my calories burned through exercise. (Using an iPhone app called MyFitnessTracker: I highly recommend it.) I've lost 4 pounds (all of which I put on over the holidays) but more importantly, I can say one thing with absolute certainty: I do NOT lose weight unless I exercise. Even on a 1,200 calorie diet.

Maybe I still don't eat the right things, even counting calories, but I find that hard to believe.

It's been difficult to work out for the last month--I've been working 60 hour weeks, plus studying for my next CPA exam. Work got back to normal this week, and my exam is Monday, so maybe next week I can get back to the gym as often as I'd like.

Here's hoping!

Edit: I have lost half an inch off of my waist. That's something, right? Bah. Optimism is hard!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Emergency Protocol

I met Sejal for lunch today, and as we were leaving in our separate cars, I watched her nearly get T-boned by someone who ran a red light going the opposite direction across the intersection. Thankfully she was able to brake in time, and everything was fine, but for a terrifying moment I thought I was going to watch my friend get...well, killed, if I'm honest. The other driver didn't touch their brakes while flying through the intersection.

Once we both got back to work, we ended up having a conversation over instant messenger about how to handle situations like that. It's very likely I wouldn't have been able to ask her who to call or what to do. She and I are close enough friends that I easily figured it out in her cell phone contacts, but if not?

In the days before cell phones, how did you know who to contact in case of an emergency, for an unconscious person?

And have you thought through what you would do in case of an emergency like that? The discussion felt very morbid and at first I didn't want to even think about it, but after she walked me through what should be done (she's a certified EMT), I feel a little better about being able to handle a similar situation. In Girl Scouts they always told us to Be Prepared. Today was another good example of why.

Monday, January 23, 2012

More for the list...

21. Stop wasting my time on people who don't deserve it
22. Take a cake decorating class
23. Have my breath taken away
24. Eliminate all of my extraneous debt
25. Find more Joy

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Shortcut Woes

I'm in love with Pinterest. I wouldn't say it's for everyone; it's definitely female-dominated, but if you're the type of person who enjoys creativity in any form (fine arts, cooking, home decor, fashion, you name it) then you should be on this website. I am constantly finding new ideas to incorporate into my life and I constantly feel inspired to try something new!

However, as with any form of social media, you also get exposed to the less savory form of creativity: stupidity. But usually it's laughable.

Today, I came across something that just made me hang my head in shame. I love to bake. If you know me at all, you know that. And always from scratch. Nothing says love like a homemade baked good. Box mixes are for those without the time, desire, or perhaps talent to make from scratch. And that's fine. But today, I saw something I wish I could un-see. LAZY! Pure lazy. If you can't take the time to mix 3 ingredients and box mix then you shouldn't be baking.

...Okay maybe you could make some really interesting flavor combinations...

......What an amazing potential tribute to Dublin Dr. Pepper......

DAMMIT! I might have to try this now. Pinterest wins again.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Thirty Before Thirty

My dear friend Sejal has, at the ripe old age of 25, been working away at a bucket list. It's quite inspiring--she is one of the most adventurous, fun-loving, and vivacious people I've ever met in my life, and her excitement about life and the experiences it has to offer is contagious. So contagious, in fact, that I started my own bucket list. It's started just as a note on my iPhone, and I've added and removed things over the last year as I've thought of them. (Aren't smart phones handy?)

So, "Bucket List" feels very morbid to me, and I'm not good at LONG term planning. But my friend Shannon started a "25 before 25" list and I really like the idea. (Maybe I should put, "Get older friends?" on the list. Un bonne idee.) I've started my own: Thirty Before Thirty. THIRTY, people. It's coming for me, and fast. So here's the start of it, I'll add more soon. Any suggestions?

1. Finish my CPA
2. Learn Spanish
3. Go to a Cowboys football game in Arlington
4. Drop two pant sizes
5. Run an entire 5k, no walking
6. Learn to snowboard: make it down the mountain without stopping or falling
7. See a whale
8. Learn to sew
9. 3 more stamps in my passport
10. Make tamales
11. Go white water rafting
12. Go to the WDW Food and Wine Festival
13. Take a road trip with someone else
14. See a concert in the Gorge
15. Cut down my own Christmas tree
16. Join a book club (Create one maybe? RCGnet!)
17. Use my accounting skills to help a non-profit organization
18. Try bikram yoga
19. See fireworks on a beach
20. Start my own recipe book/box, with family recipes

Friday, January 13, 2012

Fill in the Blank Friday

This last week and a half has been the most stressful and busy of my career. I don't think I've ever been more happy to say THANK GOODNESS IT'S FRIDAY! I'm really looking forward to a weekend of no work...except I will be studying for my next CPA exam (Audit). Sigh. I will get it done! This year. No excuses.

So my good friend Shannon over at Simply Shannon does this fun exercise on Friday's, and I thought I'd get on the bandwagon! Here is my inaugural FITBF.

1. The last thing I ate was... Sipping on my soy latte right now, but for breakfast I had Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Whole Grain hot cereal, with almond milk, blueberries, and agave nectar. Delicious!

2. The last song I listened to was ... Jason Aldean's Dirt Road. Shannon sent it to me on Spotify. If you don't have Spotify yet, you should really look into it. It's fantastic.

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Ashley}: ASH, LASH, ASHEY, ASHY, YES, uhhh.....HAS, YALE. Hm. Maybe I should have to Yale?

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick... Black, but only if I get to wear any color accessories I want!

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find.. Which bag? My laptop bag has my laptop case in it, my clutch/wallet, an umbrella, headphones, my coin purse, some moisturizing facial spray (this winter is wreaking havoc on my skin) and a thumb drive. And a tupperware from yesterday's lunch that I forgot to take out yesterday.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks... I am going to write my annual self-assessment and review my notes from training for my new job. aka work.

7. My all time favorite song to dance to is ... I can't think of one in particular, but lately it's been "Sexy and I Know It," mostly because of two things: the sight of my brother dancing to it at Christmas just makes me grin, and every time I hear WIGGLEWIGGLEWIGGLEWIGGLEWIGGLE I think of Tiffany and my fun trip to Texas last October.