Planning

I'm a planner. I plan and organize things to death. Doing this satisfies my control-freak tendencies in a way that has minimal impact on others, and can be done discreetly.

I plan trips. Spending countless hours researching locations - everything about them - from temperature and climate info to cultural information and curreny, and everything in between. Once I decide on a location I like, I then switch my focus to accomodations - where should we stay? Independent hotel? Bed and Breakfast? Resort? Chain Hotel? Then there's the room itself... basic room with two smaller beds? Balcony? Mini-suite? Two-bedroom suite? On and on this goes, as I check out the attractions in the area and then determine the best way to get there. All this, and I haven't even considered when we might have the opportunity to go, or if we would even have the money to go. At the end of the day, though, I feel like I'm armed with information - and if/when the planets were to align, and I suddenly found myself with 10 days available and $2200 bucks, I would be able to jump into a car with a solid plan in place to have a fabulous trip at the drop of a hat.

Right - I know - like that's ever gonna happen. But still, I enjoy doing it. For awhile back in high school/college, I actually did co-ops in a couple of travel agencies. I had given some serious consideration to being a travel agent. I truly loved digging into things, pursuing resources to find the best possible deals to meet the criteria outlined for a given trip. The main reason I didn't go down that road was because I determined that the job didn't pay very well unless you owned your own travel agency, and as travel websites were popping up everywhere, the writing on the wall said that the demand for such businesses was decreasing by the day.

I think that trip planning serves a couple of purposes for me. I mentioned keeping my control-freak tendencies at bay, and that's likely a very real thing... but it also satisfies the dreamer in me. I can imagine a trip into existence... thinking about where I would go, and what I would do... by the time the last detail has been decided on, I feel like I've gone on the trip in my fantasy-land, and there's satisfaction in that. The plain and simple fact is that I'm a realist, most of the time.

I'm not going to get to go on all (or even most) of the trips I've planned. I don't get that much time off work, and I don't have that kind of money. In the meantime, though, I plan. I plan getaways and it makes me happy. If I'm really lucky, I get to actually go on one of those trips every once in awhile. And knowing that the people I love would love to go on the trips with me makes me happy, too.

Gotta go now - more planning to do :)

Blessed - Part Four

Okay... so I'm going to bring this series to a close. Before I do, though, there's something on my mind that I need to acknowledge. It may seem arrogant, although I feel that it's simply worth mentioning.

I'm grateful for my strengths. My willpower, my compassion, my reasoning. My capacity to love, my ability to forgive, my willingness to reinvent myself, and to faciliate the same for those I love. I'm blessed that I'm a person who loves so many people, and who is, in turn, loved.

I'm grateful that I am able to dedicate myself to something, and that I have the strength to see things through, regardless of what curveballs life might decide to throw at me. I'm truly blessed to be me - I'm a lucky girl. :)

Blessed - Part Three

I'm blessed to have a solid support system in my life - not everyone has that, and I never take it for granted.

My mom is the backbone of this support system. Now,back around Mother's Day, I recall posting about my mom - how amazing she is. I'll reiterate some of the highlights that make me grateful to have her in my life... Again - these are just some of the reasons - I couldn't possibly list them all, especially as new reasons surface all the time. My mom is the epitome of thoughtfulness. She always thinks about how a choice will impact others, and she factors that in to what she does. My mom recognizes when someone is in need of help, and offers it up whenever she can - before it's asked for. My mom is kind, and caring, and smart. She has so many skills and isn't afraid to try new things. She loves to learn and shares new tidbits of information with the people in her life that she feels might benefit from it. She's organized and prepared for anything and everything. She knows what she wants and what she doesn't want, and she isn't afraid to share her thoughts. She's honest and makes family her number one priority. Oh - and she put up with me throughout my teen years (no easy job, I assure you!). She's everything I could ever want in a mom, and everything my kids could ever want in a grandma.

As much as my job is a source of frustration for me at times, I'm know that I'm blessed to have a relatively well-paying and secure job in these tough economic times. I'm a financial analyst, and while I have a few years of experience under my belt, I don't have any fancy credentials or professional designations. Given this, I have a pretty good deal going where I am. I work through new challenges and problems in my own way, with little or no interference from management. I stretch my problem-solving muscles and challenge myself. I have some flexibility with work, both in hours and location. When I need to work from home, I have that option. If I need to start early or late, or end early or late, I can do that. As long as the work gets done in a timely fashion, I can do what I need to do. This is so important to me, as it means that I can achieve something resembling balance between my work and my personal life. Few people (unless they're self-employed) have that sort of flexibility, and I'm appreciative that I've got these options.

That's all I've got for today. As I work my way through these posts, I realize what a lucky girl I am.  :)

Blessed - Part Two

I've got great colleagues. My fellow finance team members are intelligent, and smart, and funny, and helpful, and I'd be proud to call any one of them a friend.

We've run into some issues over the last year or two with our leadership team, and the fact that they were, well...not really leading things at all - or if they were, certainly not in the right direction. Throughout all of the messes that they caused, though, the girls and I got things done. We plotted and planned, we worked our asses off, we bitched and moaned, we laughed and yelled, we argued and collaborated. We did all of the things that a great team do. There were times when I wanted to say "fuck it" and not meet a deadline, or call in sick, or even quit. What stopped me: the extra work that it would put on these ladies who work every bit as hard as I do, and the fact that they were right there with me. They're the ones who will go for a walk with you when you ask them to, without you needing to ask twice. They're the ones who will brainstorm with you and poke holes in your theories to help you make them better. They're the ones that cover your workload while you take a day off, so that you don't have a mountain waiting for you upon your return. They're the ones who notice when you're having an "off" day, and ask about it - and really listen to the answer - without judgement or disinterest. They're the ones that cheer you on when you take a stand for the right things, and talk you down when you're about to champion the wrong things. They're the best team a person could hope for, and I'm grateful for them, and truly blessed to have them in my life.

I'm grateful for my Dad. My Dad is a superhero in my eyes. This is not to say that he is perfect - every great hero has at least one flaw :) The simple fact is that he is a real man - one who puts his family first and truly does whatever it takes to not only support his family financially, but physically and emotionally, as well. I see how he will change things - both short- and long-term, to accomodate something that my Mom has asked of him. He will do this whether it matters to him or not, because it's not about whether or not it is important to him - what matters is that it's important to her, and he wants her to be happy. He takes care of his mother, and her house, while also being a partner to his wife, and taking care of their own house. He does all of this while working a full-time job that puts more demands and responsibility on him than should normally be expected of someone. He is active in his community and his church, and is always there whenever anyone needs him - offering his help in anyway he can. He does all of this and still manages to look out for his fully grown daughters... making sure we are safe, and happy, and healthy. Coordinating logistics of car repairs, making sure snow tires are put on the care in a timely manner, loaning fully-gassed up vehicles at a moment's notice - just to make life easier for us. He not only takes care of these logistical things, he does so happily. I grew up knowing that when he came in the door, every single day, he would embrace my mom and give her a passionate kiss...it would then be followed by hugs for his girls. This happened without exception. He has shown me what a loving husband and father looks like, and has shown me what's possible in life. I'm so appreciative, every single day, for my Daddy :)

Wow - as I start typing things out, I start thinking of more and more people I need to make sure I add in here... this could become a whole series if I'm not careful :)

Blessed - Part One

I've been thinking the last few days about what I have. So often, I think about what I want, or where I'm going, but I don't always spend a lot of time thinking about what I have, and where I am. I've decided to dedicate this post to recognize some of the things that are at the forefront of my mind. I'm sure that it will by no means even begin to scratch the surface of everything that I'm blessed with, but it'll be a start.

My family has been blessed with great health. I acknowledged this over the last week when my daughter was bit by a dog, and we were trying to determine if we would  be able to win the battle of infection by ourselves, or if we would need to see a doctor and get antibiotics to tip the scales in our favour. No medical intervention was required (yay for my first-aid skills!), and I was VERY relieved about this, as I discovered that my kids' health cards expired in 2006. Yes - that's right - I said 2006. As in, six years ago. They quite simply haven't been sick or needed a doctor in the last six years, so it hasn't been an issue. And, since I grew up in the days of the red-and-white cards which didn't expire, I don't think to look at them to check for expiry, they way I would with my driver's license. Realizing this, I felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude and appreciation for our health - we've truly been lucky and blessed.

I've been blessed with wonderful children. I don't post about my kids a lot - but as any mother knows, there are few moments that go by that they aren't on our mind, in one way or another.

My son is growing up so fast - he just turned twelve. I rarely worry about him, because I've seen the great judgement that he demonstrates on a daily basis. As he's being given more freedom to explore the world and develop a social life, he will often check in or give updates - not because he's been asked to, but because he understands that if we're not waiting or worrying, then we'll be happier, and less stressed. He demonstrates thoughtfulness and so many shining moments that make me so proud of the man that I see him becoming. He had a sleepover recently in a hotel with a friend just after the school year ended, and they spent some time in an arcade. When he finally cashed in all his tickets, he was looking what he could get as a souvenier to bring back to his girlfriend. His friend bugged him a bit about that, as guys will do, but he redeemed them for a Twilight Book Bracelet (which seems to be just a fancy bookmark that wraps around the whole cover of the book) as she's a fan of the Twilight series. When he talked with me about it afterwards, he told me that first of all, the kind of thinking that his friend demonstrated is just another reason why he's still single (LMAO), and that secondly, he was thinking of her, and wanted to be able to give her something to show her that. He's got moves, that kid, and any girl will be lucky to have him (I know... I may  be biased, but still).

My daughter is confidence, personified. She does what she wants to do, wears what she wants to wear, and while she may care what other people think, she rarely lets that influence her decisions. This is something that I can already appreciate, as I see her standing up for what she believes and not being influenced negatively by her peers. It also means, however, that I am rarely able to sway her position on things. When what she wants and what I want happen to coincide? The sky's the limit. When they don't? It's a battle of wills that can go on for hours, days, or in the case of some long-standing differences of opinion...years. I remember a time when she was about...hmmm... somewhere between 18 months and 3 years, I suppose. She hit me, and I was unwilling to move on until she apologized. I sat her down on her bedroom floor, and sat across from her. She did not feel the need to apologize for what she'd done. So we sat there, staring at eachother, for two hours (yes, she and I are both that stubborn) at which point she slumped over, having fallen asleep while sitting upright. Oddly enough...even then, I felt proud of her for taking her stand for what she felt was right.

I think that's enough for one night. There's more that I am blessed with...my work, my colleagues, my family, my husband, my home...blah, blah, blah. I'm sure that when i'm all done it'll just seem like bragging, so if you don't want to hear it, just skip over the next couple of posts :)