I successfully completed one chapter of reading from this book today and surprisingly enough, I was able to answer the questions on the end-of-chapter review. Though I don't have much hope, I would like to score close to a 70 so that would be nice.
Now I have moved onto macro and microeconomics... so not my fave. This entire book is full of concepts that I absolutely hated in college. It just doesn't get any better T__T *sigh* But, I'll give it my all.
I decided to shower and climb into bed earlier today. Studying from bed is actually something I did often during my college days. I would fall asleep with textbooks and papers all over and on top of me. Then I'd wake up around 3AM and start studying some more, or finish up the papers that I have due. That's what it's always been like =_=; Maybe I should just go to sleep and wake up early to study 'cause I'm feeling kind of tired right now =_= *sigh* I can't wait until all the studying is done and over with. Then I can just focus on CPE afterwards.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Things You Learn From Your Bosses
I think ever since the office manager's tyranny was made known in the office, the bosses and us have been kind of bonding. At least for me, I feel as though my bosses have been bridging the gap with me lately and so I feel that I need to stay on my A-game and try my best at everything. I also learn the most interesting things from them. Lots of things I would have never known before, I am learning them now.
For instance... interesting thing that my boss lady told me about her daughter and pomegranates. I love pomegranate juice, but to eat the fruit is really a pain in the ass. So apparently my bosses' daughter has this trick in getting all the seeds out of the fruit skin and such. You cut off the top and the bottom so that it becomes like a disc, then you put it in a bowl and pour cold water through the top of the disc. After it soaks for a while, all of the seeds will come out by themselves apparently. I will have to try it when pomegranates are in season again.
As for a recent side note... I had no idea the Super Bowl was today, 'cause the avocados were all on sale. I haven't had avocado for so long so I bought three of them. They're pretty ripe so I didn't want to buy too many. I don't think I can eat that many avocados in a week.
Oh, back to my bosses. You also learn some things about their personal lives that you probably would never think about. For instance, my boss lady is a clean-freak, much like me and we're super proud of it lol. Though my room is a mess right now, if I have the time, I like making things as neat as possible. When we're in the bathroom and we see a huge puddle around the sink, we both have to clean it. I had no idea she did it as well until she came into the bathroom one time and saw me wiping around the sink 'cause it was just so aggravating to see it all wet. She laughed and was like, "You clean up around the sink too?" We really are alike in a lot of ways, except she's just a lot cooler than I am lol. I don't know, but I really admire my boss lady. She's smart, sharp, and something about her makes me just really like her.
My other boss isn't as socially-capable at times, but he's a genuinely nice guy. I had days where I just really disliked him 'cause he reminded me so much of my dad when he was mad and on a rampage, but I think that by him giving me more things, he is taking a chance with me and really teaching me. I really appreciate it and I hope that I can live up to their expectations of me. I think for the first time in a while, I can say that my job -- though stressful and frustrating at times -- is now pretty challenging and fun. I only hope it can stay this way for a while longer. I hope I can say that I love my job for a long time. I will probably love it more if I get my CPA license. I want to become better and be one of those "Go-to" people that newbies come running to, so I better work harder. But at the moment, I think my bosses have divided us all up with the tasks that we can do and excel in. For instance...
My office buddy is now the bookkeeper person in the office lol. Except for the four most senior accountants (my two bosses, the senior tax manager who manages our payroll, and the other senior tax/audit manager), the other four of us have certain things we're good at, or working towards getting good at. The senior accountant who is my senpai, is the one who deals with all the IRS correspondence, while the other senpai is one of the better tax people in the office, my friend is the bookkeeper and payroll person, and I am the 1099, excel spreadsheet, and trust person. Whenever we have to prepare 1099s, people throw them on my desk lol. The only thing that's hard about the 1099s is the printer calibration 'cause it doesn't print on the form the way I want it to, so most of the time spent is calibrating the damn printer lol. If not for this, I would like it so much more lol.
My boss lady has me call the tax preparation program to fix problems now and then, and then if there are projects with atrocious excel spreadsheets provided by clients, she has me fix them. I remember there was this one project that they handed to me, because it was so hard to understand. I sat there, banged my head against the desk for a while before finding all the problems and fixing it so it all makes sense. I was so proud of myself when it was all over, because my boss lady came out and was like, "Thank you!" I was so happy that day.
I have been pretty happy with the other things I have been learning too, such as how when I went to go ask a question on how to input things on the tax preparation program, the senior tax manager didn't bite my head off or anything and just showed me what to do. I got my return done quicker and better. I was really happy that I am asking questions this year. Even if I am annoying, it's better to ask than to ponder for too long, which was what I did last year.
My motivation at the moment should be money. I am financially in the deep end at the moment, so I had best get my CPA license as soon as possible so I can get a raise. Then I can also move into my own apartment and afford all the extra costs of living alone. *sigh* 頑張れ、あたし！
For instance... interesting thing that my boss lady told me about her daughter and pomegranates. I love pomegranate juice, but to eat the fruit is really a pain in the ass. So apparently my bosses' daughter has this trick in getting all the seeds out of the fruit skin and such. You cut off the top and the bottom so that it becomes like a disc, then you put it in a bowl and pour cold water through the top of the disc. After it soaks for a while, all of the seeds will come out by themselves apparently. I will have to try it when pomegranates are in season again.
As for a recent side note... I had no idea the Super Bowl was today, 'cause the avocados were all on sale. I haven't had avocado for so long so I bought three of them. They're pretty ripe so I didn't want to buy too many. I don't think I can eat that many avocados in a week.
Oh, back to my bosses. You also learn some things about their personal lives that you probably would never think about. For instance, my boss lady is a clean-freak, much like me and we're super proud of it lol. Though my room is a mess right now, if I have the time, I like making things as neat as possible. When we're in the bathroom and we see a huge puddle around the sink, we both have to clean it. I had no idea she did it as well until she came into the bathroom one time and saw me wiping around the sink 'cause it was just so aggravating to see it all wet. She laughed and was like, "You clean up around the sink too?" We really are alike in a lot of ways, except she's just a lot cooler than I am lol. I don't know, but I really admire my boss lady. She's smart, sharp, and something about her makes me just really like her.
My other boss isn't as socially-capable at times, but he's a genuinely nice guy. I had days where I just really disliked him 'cause he reminded me so much of my dad when he was mad and on a rampage, but I think that by him giving me more things, he is taking a chance with me and really teaching me. I really appreciate it and I hope that I can live up to their expectations of me. I think for the first time in a while, I can say that my job -- though stressful and frustrating at times -- is now pretty challenging and fun. I only hope it can stay this way for a while longer. I hope I can say that I love my job for a long time. I will probably love it more if I get my CPA license. I want to become better and be one of those "Go-to" people that newbies come running to, so I better work harder. But at the moment, I think my bosses have divided us all up with the tasks that we can do and excel in. For instance...
My office buddy is now the bookkeeper person in the office lol. Except for the four most senior accountants (my two bosses, the senior tax manager who manages our payroll, and the other senior tax/audit manager), the other four of us have certain things we're good at, or working towards getting good at. The senior accountant who is my senpai, is the one who deals with all the IRS correspondence, while the other senpai is one of the better tax people in the office, my friend is the bookkeeper and payroll person, and I am the 1099, excel spreadsheet, and trust person. Whenever we have to prepare 1099s, people throw them on my desk lol. The only thing that's hard about the 1099s is the printer calibration 'cause it doesn't print on the form the way I want it to, so most of the time spent is calibrating the damn printer lol. If not for this, I would like it so much more lol.
My boss lady has me call the tax preparation program to fix problems now and then, and then if there are projects with atrocious excel spreadsheets provided by clients, she has me fix them. I remember there was this one project that they handed to me, because it was so hard to understand. I sat there, banged my head against the desk for a while before finding all the problems and fixing it so it all makes sense. I was so proud of myself when it was all over, because my boss lady came out and was like, "Thank you!" I was so happy that day.
I have been pretty happy with the other things I have been learning too, such as how when I went to go ask a question on how to input things on the tax preparation program, the senior tax manager didn't bite my head off or anything and just showed me what to do. I got my return done quicker and better. I was really happy that I am asking questions this year. Even if I am annoying, it's better to ask than to ponder for too long, which was what I did last year.
My motivation at the moment should be money. I am financially in the deep end at the moment, so I had best get my CPA license as soon as possible so I can get a raise. Then I can also move into my own apartment and afford all the extra costs of living alone. *sigh* 頑張れ、あたし！
Wants vs. Needs
While some can argue that I need to move out from where I am currently living, for me, it is more of a matter of wanting it. With my current financial situation, there is no way I am going to be able to afford much of anything. I found this place that I thought might be feasible, but knowing me, I needed someone to intervene with my way of thinking and called my mother. I am distracting myself too much with my current situation to the point where I can't focus. I am constantly on craigslist though I already know what postings are there, and even if I do find something that works well, I cannot move at all right now, at least not until busy season is over.
I am thinking that I may need to transfer some money from my savings into my checking next month, but I am not willing to let the amount fall under 5k, so we'll see if I actually do it or not. I am running low on cash, so I will have to withdraw money at some point from my checking. *sigh*
I am working more hours during the week now, but a good portion of it goes into my 401(k) before another part of it goes to taxes. Meaning all I really get is 1k after tax =_=; Having to survive on just 2k a month... is really exhausting. One has to be super careful about money, and can't buy any of the things you would like to buy =_= *sigh* I feel really deprived.
It probably won't be until mid-April that I will see my checking balance stay above 1k. I have to really work hard at it for these next two months =_= しっかりしなくや =_=
I am thinking that I may need to transfer some money from my savings into my checking next month, but I am not willing to let the amount fall under 5k, so we'll see if I actually do it or not. I am running low on cash, so I will have to withdraw money at some point from my checking. *sigh*
I am working more hours during the week now, but a good portion of it goes into my 401(k) before another part of it goes to taxes. Meaning all I really get is 1k after tax =_=; Having to survive on just 2k a month... is really exhausting. One has to be super careful about money, and can't buy any of the things you would like to buy =_= *sigh* I feel really deprived.
It probably won't be until mid-April that I will see my checking balance stay above 1k. I have to really work hard at it for these next two months =_= しっかりしなくや =_=
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Though I Love Cooking
I really do not like the amount of time it takes to prepare everything and then to actually cook it. I have a test next Saturday and I'm feeling a little drained from all the work put into making next week's meals.
I went to the meat counter for the first time today and bought half a piece of pork tenderloin. I used it in this soup that I make with bok choy, carrots, and dried dates, and then boiled it overall for 2 hours. I took the pork out after an hour of boiling and then used chopsticks to shred it. With olive oil, salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, some cinnamon, paprika, and oregano, I mixed it all up. Usually, rosemary would be a better choice over oregano, but I don't have any. I also don't have an smoked flavor powder so it doesn't taste the way my mom's usually does. It goes well with white rice so it should be good. If I run out of greens, I can just boil some for 10 minutes and be done with it next week.
I also defrosted some chicken tenderloin -- which is more expensive than chicken breasts, but it defrosts quicker and tastes juicier -- and then cut it into pieces to marinate and then stir-fry with snow peas and onions. I added one of those Safeway containers of butternut soup with two chunks (next time I should only use one) of mild curry and half a can of coconut milk. It came out alright. I think next time I should put some potatoes in there.
I need to figure out a dish to make with tomatoes. What can I make with tomatoes... ... Tomato beef? Hm... this dish sounds kind of good. I need to buy some thyme and basil though:
Tangy Chicken Dish With Tomatoes & Herbs
I should try it out. I have pasta, chicken, and just about all ingredients except for garlic, basil, and thyme. Maybe on a day when I'm not studying for tests or taking tests.
Next weekend is going to be expensive. I need to be prepared to spend a lot on parking for when I go take the test next week =_= *sigh*
I went to the meat counter for the first time today and bought half a piece of pork tenderloin. I used it in this soup that I make with bok choy, carrots, and dried dates, and then boiled it overall for 2 hours. I took the pork out after an hour of boiling and then used chopsticks to shred it. With olive oil, salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, some cinnamon, paprika, and oregano, I mixed it all up. Usually, rosemary would be a better choice over oregano, but I don't have any. I also don't have an smoked flavor powder so it doesn't taste the way my mom's usually does. It goes well with white rice so it should be good. If I run out of greens, I can just boil some for 10 minutes and be done with it next week.
I also defrosted some chicken tenderloin -- which is more expensive than chicken breasts, but it defrosts quicker and tastes juicier -- and then cut it into pieces to marinate and then stir-fry with snow peas and onions. I added one of those Safeway containers of butternut soup with two chunks (next time I should only use one) of mild curry and half a can of coconut milk. It came out alright. I think next time I should put some potatoes in there.
I need to figure out a dish to make with tomatoes. What can I make with tomatoes... ... Tomato beef? Hm... this dish sounds kind of good. I need to buy some thyme and basil though:
Tangy Chicken Dish With Tomatoes & Herbs
I should try it out. I have pasta, chicken, and just about all ingredients except for garlic, basil, and thyme. Maybe on a day when I'm not studying for tests or taking tests.
Next weekend is going to be expensive. I need to be prepared to spend a lot on parking for when I go take the test next week =_= *sigh*
Friday, February 5, 2010
Stumbling Around is Fun
It's amazing what a hiatus from drinking will do to some people, like me lol. After half a bottle of pinot noir, it got a little wobbly and hard to walk around. Climbing into and out of the shower was hard too 'cause the hot water only made the process go faster lol. But... I slept very well last night. I kind of needed sleep that didn't include last minute thoughts of my roommate or unhappy things. And I needed uninterrupted sleep so I drank and it worked. I really shouldn't make it into a habit though 'cause that will be bad.
Anyway, I'm just avoiding my roommate right now so I decided to make cup ramen in my room this morning lol. So sad. I wanted to eat a bowl of grits, but that would require me leaving my room to go heat it up and having to make conversation with this woman, which I rather not do. I want to start my day well, not on the wrong foot 'cause of this cold war situation.
Well, have to get going to work now. I have lots to do today =_=
Anyway, I'm just avoiding my roommate right now so I decided to make cup ramen in my room this morning lol. So sad. I wanted to eat a bowl of grits, but that would require me leaving my room to go heat it up and having to make conversation with this woman, which I rather not do. I want to start my day well, not on the wrong foot 'cause of this cold war situation.
Well, have to get going to work now. I have lots to do today =_=
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Let Us Welcome Back the Alcoholic
There is a reason why I choose to blog more than post on Facebook. Of course, being human makes me a forgetful creature so I tend to make stupid mistakes now and then and forget why it is that I prefer blogging so much more. Though it was nice getting people to agree with me on Facebook, it is also a bit hard to totally persuade people when they haven't been there. So, with my recent situation, my overload from stress, all the new responsibilities at work, my lack of progress with my studying, and just everything in general, I have decided that wine makes my life a bit less complicated when I want to act upon my emotions better. Of course, I can't guarantee the outcome, but I can speak my mind a bit more freely and my inhibition is not completely present.
I only wish the wine tasted better. Turning Leaf Pinot Noir is so-so, not as good. The Sylvan Ridge one I had -- Oregon wine *__* -- was fantastic. Actually, it may have been 'cause it was the first time I had a pinot noir so I just found it to be the most amazing thing I ever had. But Oregon is well-known for pinot noir so I think at this point... Napa Valley or not, I want Oregon pinot noir. I've suddenly gotten really sleepy though so I should probably head to sleep.
Please let me be able to get up in the morning lol.
I only wish the wine tasted better. Turning Leaf Pinot Noir is so-so, not as good. The Sylvan Ridge one I had -- Oregon wine *__* -- was fantastic. Actually, it may have been 'cause it was the first time I had a pinot noir so I just found it to be the most amazing thing I ever had. But Oregon is well-known for pinot noir so I think at this point... Napa Valley or not, I want Oregon pinot noir. I've suddenly gotten really sleepy though so I should probably head to sleep.
Please let me be able to get up in the morning lol.
"My Act of Kindness"
I think I've heard everything now. My roommate practically ignited a war of words with me today, in which I am sure neither of us will win, because when one is a bloody idiot and the other is just hot-headed, no side will win. But if I sit back and take the abuse, then that's no better than before.
Well, this morning, she said to me that it will rain, and I just said, "Ok." Then she said, "My act of kindness to you is to lend you my umbrella."
................................ Seriously?
Well, this morning, she said to me that it will rain, and I just said, "Ok." Then she said, "My act of kindness to you is to lend you my umbrella."
................................ Seriously?
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