MsPitt.com

Demographic Shift

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:30:00 +0000

I started doing this thing. I'm going to be kind of bad at it for a while. Hopefully practice will help.

Lack of Completion

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 02:14:00 +0000

An idea will pop into my brain, run wild, and then stop running before anything really exciting or important happens. Completion has never been a strong suit for me, at least in the realm of personal projects. It's usually different when it's a paying gig, fortunately.

But, for other things, completion just doesn't seem... like that big of a deal? Like the full/real purpose of doing the thing? I don't know how to describe it. Sometimes, once I know I can do something, that's enough. Or, when I discover that something is no longer easy, my enjoyment of the task stops growing or even declines.

Let me try to think of some concrete examples...

I haven't finished sewing my husband's medieval re-creation tunic because a) I already know I'm capable of doing it and b) it doesn't sound fun enough when compared to other uses of my time.

I haven't gone to belly dance classes for quite a while because a) I reached a level where the dance was no longer coming to me easily and b) there are other ways that I could spend my money and commuting time that would bring me nearly as much joy as structured dance classes bring.

*sigh*

Life is just a series of cost-benefit economic puzzles, isn't it?

Edit: I should probably mention that I don't find this lack of completion depressing. It just... is. In my free time I try to figure out what will make me happy in that moment and follow that path. Which is kind of funny for me to say, because I'm also a person who likes to plan things. If it all made sense I wouldn't bother pondering it.

A Simple Day Off

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:21:00 +0000

There's a roast in the crock pot, and I've got the day to myself while the husband is busy at work. I'm feeling blessed to have so many options for how to spend my time.

The leave-a-book-loan-a-book shelves down the hall in my apartment building were holding a copy of Shopgirl by Steve Martin, so I snagged it. If only it was spring and I could sit on the balcony while I read... oh well. Spring'll come soon enough, right?

Alternately, I could play some Guild Wars 2, or spend some more time studying the lore of Ingress. Or I could finally reconnect with a sewing project I've had folded up in the bedroom for at least a year. There are always new things on Netflix to discover as well.

Oh, I could probably find something more productive and/or meaningful to do, and at the end of the day I might feel a little guilty for not trying harder to do just that, but right in this moment I'm happy with simplicity.

The Luxury of Training

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:54:00 +0000

I got to spend the whole of last week in training at work. Someone else in the class called it a luxurious use of our time, and I couldn't have agreed more. It's really amazing to work for a company that invests so much into the knowledge and happiness of its workers. It's also, obviously, good for the company to re-energize people and get them excited about growth so they will move forward in a way that matches the company's culture and values.

The culture and values have always seemed like such a part of me, it's hard sometimes to understand why it doesn't feel natural to everyone. I was reading reviews written by current and former employees on Glassdoor and it's clear that not everyone has had the great experiences that I've had. For many reviews, it's hard to pinpoint if the failure was the person not fitting into the values or the person not working for a manager who fit the values.

If I ever find myself in a managerial role, I need to remember how important it was for me to feel this gratitude and try to pass it on.

Back to Normal

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:49:00 +0000

My boss comes back tomorrow!! Woohoo!! I can finally get used to doing my job as it's meant to be done, heh.

I did get to put a little more than 15% of my second pay check into my savings account this month. Assuming I don't go crazy and buy a bunch of stuff with my credit card in the next week, January will be a financial success.

I've been playing a new game on my phone: Ingress. It's a GPS based game, so once it's warmer out I'm going to have plenty of new motivation to explore the city. I decided to play for the local underdog team and thus far I don't regret it. My area of the city doesn't have a lot of action yet, but that's ok. I'm having a great time playing anyway.

Can't Wait for January Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:23:00 +0000

I'm feeling a little bit more like myself this week. I suppose it is in part because I tightened my belt by a hole this morning.

I use a site called MyFitnessPal.com to track my progress, and for some reason I decided it'd be fun not to do my second official weigh-in until the full month of January has past. So, I've stepped on the scale a few times, but I haven't keyed the results into the website. It'll be interesting to see what my final numbers for January end up being!

Just eight more work days until my boss gets back... that's probably also helping. *grin*

The 30 Year Wall.

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 04:10:00 +0000

I hit the wall of my 30s by seriously slowing down my music consumption habits. I just realized that in 2009, the year I turned 30, I acquired nearly three times the number of albums picked up in 2010, 2011, and 2012 combined.

The most obvious correlation is the change in my career. In 2009 I moved out of the dark, no-window cash office and into the administration area. I moved away from my solo room with a little radio full of NPR adventures to a life filled with coworkers everywhere I turn and Muzak piping through the halls.

It's no wonder I feel more boring than I did back then. Still, I wouldn't go back.

The Endorphins are Helping, Slowly.

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:15:00 +0000

Three posts in ten days? That's not so bad, actually.

I'm going to do a little breakdown of where I am right now.

I've been kind of a crappy wife lately. My husband will probably tell me I'm wrong, but only because he's too nice and lets me get away with crap I shouldn't. I know I've been doing a bad job. I've been too critical lately and I acknowledge this flaw.

I'm doing marginally well so far with the healthier eating and exercising. There's still a long way to go yet to establish better habits. It takes time. The endorphins are helping and I haven't cried for several days now (though typing that out kinda makes me want to). Yeah, rough patch. Working on it.

I've got two more weeks until my boss comes back from maternity leave. Two more weeks. I can make it. I can. It'll be fine. Someday I'll get to take a vacation. It may not be until April, but it'll come. It'll be fine.

Funding the Savings Account

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 04:34:00 +0000

I know in my head that my savings account won't fund itself, but I've been horribly bad at actually putting money aside. The only exception was that one summer I saved all my money so I could go on a two and a half week trip to Europe with a group from my college.

For the past year or so I've managed to send a small sum from each paycheck to a SmartyPig account, but that's just not cutting it. It's time to get serious. On my next payday, I'm going to put roughly 20% of my take-home funds in my savings account. I may not be able to do it again on my second January check depending on how close I'm cutting it on rent, but I'm going to try.

Even saving that much, it'll take over a year to build up a three-month emergency fund. It's no wonder I haven't done much saving up to this point. You don't get to enjoy the fruit of the labor until a long, long time after it's performed. Saving is a necessary evil though, and I will figure it out.

The Countdown to Normal

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 04:24:00 +0000

The countdown is on! Only three more weeks until my manager comes back from her 5 month maternity leave! Getting back into a normal routine will definitely help my life balance, which was somewhat lacking in 2012.

I had a down week or two right around Christmas. My suspicion is that my poor diet was messing with my mood. I've been trying to eat a little less and exercise a little more since the year began. Cliche timing, true, but I figure that whatever works to get me healthier is just fine. I'm not quite back to my old happy self, but the endorphins are helping. If I keep up the healthier actions it'll just be a matter of time until I'm rejuvenated.

Repeat

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 07:29:00 +0000

Almost exactly two years ago I wrote a blog post about how I wanted to be more frank and undisguised in the upcoming year. I think it's pretty safe to say that didn't happen, heh. Maybe 2013 will be my year? We'll see.

I told my husband today that I've been feeling a bit stuck lately. My marriage is fine, the stuck feeling is totally personal - I don't know who I want to become. I have this feeling that the decisions I make in the next few weeks, few months even, could have a weirdly large impact on how my life develops into the future. I need to pick a path for the next step of my education, for the next step of my career, and for how to balance those things with my personal life. For the last month or so it's felt much safer to do nothing so I don't accidentally go the wrong direction. I know I can't wait much longer though.

Moved

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:27:00 +0000

I've moved my blog over to Google's Blogger service. I know a lot of people who don't like Blogger, but it didn't make sense for me to pay for hosting or pay extra for design privileges at someplace like Wordpress since I update so rarely. I realized a bit too late that some of my updating made my RSS feed go nuts, so sorry about that.
Not sure when I'll get around to making my own layout, so stay tuned.

Forward Ho!

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 06:33:00 +0000

Life has been rather busy lately. Last weekend I went to an epic bachelorette party/bridal shower weekend where I didn't know anyone other than the bride. Two days ago I jumped off the top of a 30-foot telephone pole. Neither of those things were exactly 'in my comfort zone' but they were both fun. I'd even go so far as to say that I'd do them both again.

Work is good, but harder than I thought it would be. I'm ok with that I guess. I'd rather it be hard than boring. Life is good, the weekend before the bacheorette party I saw Cirque Du Soleil and went to an Ani DiFranco concert. This coming weekend I get to take some engagement photos for my little brother and help my husband pick out a suit for our old roommate's wedding.

I'm looking forward to having a couple extra days off next week so I can help get the apartment cleaned up. It's still rather chaotic after having the roommate move out, the husband starting a new job while taking so many classes, and me just being a bit lazy. I think jumping off the telephone pole was good for me. The adrenaline rush helped clear some dust and cobwebs out of my brain - now it's time to get busy.

Things I Can't Do Properly

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 22:42:00 +0000

Here are a few things I can't seem to do in a normal way...

1. 'Go Shopping' for clothing with friends/family.
Making people wait for me while I try on clothes makes me slightly anxious. The anxiety is just distracting enough that I can't pay attention to if I actually like the clothes, if they fit properly, etc. If I need clothing I'm much, much better off shopping alone.

2. Say hello and/or goodbye.
I'm exceptionally good as smiling and waving, but if I have to add words I often blunder. My chances of success increase the longer I've known someone, so I mainly look like an idiot around people I don't know very well.

3. Make phonecalls.
I make my husband call to order pizza, or I order online, because I have to work up far too much courage to do this myself. It's slightly easier to call people if I'm at work, perhaps because I'm getting paid and I have a healthy desire to appear competent, but it's not fun.

I think these quirks are not actually that quirky at all. I think they might be somewhat common, especially for introverts.

He's Getting Hitched!

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 10:57:00 +0000

That's my roommate up there, with his beautiful new fiance! They were trusting enough to let me take some engagement photos last week. I managed not to screw all of them up, so that's good. *chuckle* I'm glad she was venturesome and suggested climbing into the weeds for this shot.

With the wedding scheduled for October, it won't be long before he moves to his new home. It's a little bittersweet... he's a great guy and we'll miss having him around to hang out with and share the rent, but Jon and I are also looking forward to having a home to ourselves again. It's going to feel like we've moved into a bigger apartment but without all the hassle of actually moving. I think we're all in for some adventure in the next few months.

Paid in Full

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Thanks to my parents spending a boatload on my education, I've been lucky to have very manageable student loan payments over the years. Even so, it isn't terribly fun to be in debt. I say this with great pleasure - My loan is now paid in full! Well, it will be tomorrow after the transaction posts. *happy dance*

It only took, what... eleven years? That's practically nothing compared to a lot of people I know. I'm so freakin' lucky! Thanks, mom and dad!

Contrast

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:22:00 +0000

My post-yoga snack. Nomnomnom!

I'm not sure the contrast between my first hot yoga class and the second could have been more stark.

This past Saturday I found myself in a room containing curvy 50-something women. It was a nice environment for my first ever yoga class. It was a lot like the environment in the belly dance classes I have attended in the past - low key, a light atmosphere, people are there to have fun and get a little exercise. A few of the women used the wall to steady themselves during the balance poses, and only one lady seemed to know the order of the poses by heart so I'm guessing it was a pretty fresh crowd. I'm not in great shape but I am a generally kinesthetic person, so I managed to get into the poses about as well as the older ladies, even if that's not saying much.

This evening, my class consisted of myself and three 30-something muscular men. These guys had all been doing yoga for a while, and they were good. And ripped. And of course at hot yoga classes men don't tend to wear shirts. Did I mention they were well-built? All three of these guys could have posed for a yoga magazine. It was crazy. Anyway, I got to play the part of the flailing flabby girl, and I did quite well at it. I have some serious balance issues right now (I should have used the wall like the ladies in my first class did), but I'm hoping I will improve if I keep at it.

Having experienced nearly opposite ends of the spectrum regarding classmates, I think I'm better prepared to focus on myself next class. I may have to look up some photos of the poses though, because when I've got my forehead on my sticky mat it's really hard to tell what it is I'm supposed to be doing, heh.

The Accountant

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 08:27:00 +0000

I guess I haven't really spelled this out on my blog yet, though I imagine 99% of the people who read this already know - I'm not working in HR anymore. The store's old accountant moved on to bigger and better things, so I had the opportunity to move into that position. This is still fun for me to say because it's the job I've been aiming at for many years now - I'm the accountant! I had actually applied for the position at the same time as the woman who just left, so it's been on my mind for over 5 years now.

I'm feeling very blessed to have the job I want at the company I love. I can also think when I'm at home again, rather than having a mind cluttered with drama and stress. Now I get to work at learning the weird bits of the accounting job that I haven't been introduced to yet and figure out how to streamline my processes. It's going to be a fun adventure!

The M Word

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:44:00 +0000

How did we get to the end of June already?

I've been working a lot lately. You know that idea I had several months ago, the one where I'd have all this free time over the summer to work on my blog and sew garb and stuff? Well, it hasn't happened quite like that. I'm not complaining, believe me, not even a little bit.

Summer will still be great, I just have to fit the fun in around a full time work schedule. One crazy thing I've done is buy a Groupon for 15 classes at a yoga studio. It's not just yoga, it's hot yoga. It might kill me, but if not hopefully it'll improve my flexibility.

Life is on a pretty good track right now. My husband should be interviewing for a new job pretty soon, and it'd be a really great change for him. If it works out we may actually be able to think about the 'M' word - Mortgage.

It's Better Because It's Fluffy

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:23:00 +0000

Occasionally people I work with bring in banana bread to share. I'm always up for a slice, but none of it can quite live up to my favorite recipe...

About ten years ago when I worked at the gas station, there was a German lady nearly old enough to be my grandmother who worked in the deli area. Her name was Karla and she was a bad ass, plain and simple. I've never heard a 4'11" woman swear so much in my life. Her other job was for an airline company so she got free flights all over the world. I loved listening to her wild travel stories, and I also loved the banana bread she made. Whenever our bananas started to turn spotty, we knew it was almost time. Even the customers would start asking if Karla was baking banana bread tomorrow.

She had her recipe memorized, but when she finally decided to recite it to me I was nervous something would get left out. It's not that I didn't trust Karla, it's just that I'd never had someone recite a recipe to me before. I'm sure my own grandma could have done it easily, I just never asked. Anyway, the piece of paper I wrote it on has been folded up and stored in my recipe box for all those years waiting for me to be brave enough to make it. Last Thursday was that day, and it was every bit as good as I remember.

The thing is, it's fluffy. It's almost a banana cake, rather than a bread, but there's no frosting. It doesn't need it, it's so good on its own. Now that I know I can reproduce this stuff somewhat effectively, I'm eventually going to have to bring some in and show all my coworkers what they've been missing. *grin*

Recipe Box

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:42:00 +0000

The woman checked the clock. 3:30pm. She knew she had better begin her Easter baking soon.

She went to the kitchen and opened the cabinet above the stove. On her tip-toes she reached in, past the spice jars, and struggled to feel if the recipe box was stashed in the back of the cabinet. The tips of her fingers brushed a bag of popcorn kernels, some paper cups for muffins, but she just couldn't locate the box.

"Alright," she thought to herself, "I guess I'll get the step stool out."

Now, tall enough to see into the back of the cabinet, it is clear the recipe box is not in its proper place. She frowns, wondering where it might have ended up.

Several minutes later, she pulls the recipe box off the top shelf of her husband's office bookcase and muses about how their organizational methods differ.

Almost April Already?

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:03:00 +0000

March hasn't gone quite like I'd imagined it would. I spent a lot more time in bed watching Star Trek: DS9 than I should have. I'm my own worst enemy right now, fighting growth and change at every turn. At some point I need to give in. I'm just not sure yet where or what the tipping point will be.

I've heard that sometimes the thing that stops people from becoming who they want to be is simple forgetting. Forgetting that each moment builds into the next, forgetting that time is one of the most valuable resources we have, forgetting the power each of us has to make decisions, forgetting to match the things we say we value with our actions. To quote one of my favorite Modest Mouse songs "It's hard to remember to live before you die."

As With All Big Plans...

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:15:00 +0000

As with all big plans, sometimes it takes a while to get started. The first few days of the diet went alright, then, well, I had a few off days. I'm trying to get back on track today. Same goes for the cleaning really. I got the kitchen cleaned, but that's about it, and it's already got another pile of dishes growing by the sink. I think I'll get the shower scrubbed today, but I'm not sure if the entire bathroom will get cleaned. Let's not talk about the heap of unorganized belongings in the bedroom, ok?

It's so nice out today, I really should go for a walk. Then again, I really should do homework so that I'm not scrambling next week when I have two papers and some accounting stuff due. Only 9 weeks until summer vacation...

March'd 4th!

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:18:00 +0000

Yesterday, I March'd 4th into some new adventures! I have been doing my new job for about two months now, but I'd been doing the old job as well. Yesterday was my first day working in only my new department! I'm not efficient enough yet to be super productive, but I did a few things all on my own which was kind of exciting for me. It helps boost the confidence, you know? Of course, I goofed a couple of things up as well, but they were mostly fixable.

Yesterday, I also started a new diet. One of the things I thought about before taking my new job was what I'd do with my extra time. I feel like there's really no excuse for me to eat like crap and not exercise. I have the time to learn to make tasty new dishes and time to go for walks.

I'm also working on getting the apartment cleaned up a bit. Finally. The last two months of me taking 4 classes and working 45-50hrs a week have not left the place clean and tidy. Sorry, husband and roommate!

There are more things on the horizon, like blogging more and maybe getting to a couple of neglected sewing/costume projects for SCA after the semester is over. And hopefully spending more time with friends and family. And taking more photos. And. And. And. *grin*

~3/6/12 Update~
Looks like I may have spoken too soon! I guess I'll be working 3 & 1/2 days a week, not 2 & 1/2 days. One day a week my old boss's boss is going to have me do... something...? As long as it's valuable for the business, I'm game. *grin*

Weekend Update

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne Pitt) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:31:00 +0000

Whaddaya know, I have Super Bowl Sunday off work! I haven't decided yet if I'm going to actually watch the game. I really have no interest in either team. It does give me a good excuse to order pizza or something though, heh.

School is going ok so far. I have a Supervision/Leadership project due in two weeks, and a Marketing test coming up. I think that if I can make it to spring break with good grades, I'll be just fine.

The new job is... hmm... new. As much as I will miss my old job, I'm looking forward to focusing on just one thing. Having my attention split in so many different directions with the two jobs and school is difficult. Also, I know observation is important for learning, but I'm so used to doing things when I'm at work (cause that's what they pay me for - doing things) that just watching makes me nervous. I feel anxious like I'm going to get in trouble, even though rationally I know that's silly. Technically, because of the split with the old job, I've spent an equivalent of 9 days training. There's only so much a person can contribute in their first 9 days, right?

Stupid work ethic.