Big Girl Job Week One

I believe most of you know that I started my first real job this week.  First of all, I am working non-profit... I know, I know... who would have figured that Meredith Rogers would work non-profit.  Crazy.  I am working for drum roll for the full name... Guidestone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The company overall offers a wide range of financial products including insurance, retirement and personal investment.  So if you are an employee of any branch of the SBC you could probably call me in a couple of months with a question about your account and I should be able to answer it.

So my daily schedule is as follows: Wake up between 5:15 and 5:30, get ready and leave house by 6:30. Work work work (train train train). Break and an hour lunch stuck in there somewhere and leave at 5:15.  Arrive home around 6:30 (moving out cannot come soon enough). In bed asleep by 9:30.  I feel (temporarily) like I am a 50 year old stuck in a 22 year olds birthday.  I need to move out so that I do stuff instead of coming home, eating then going to bed.

Cool perks about the company: Monday morning chapel 8-8:30.  Free frozen yogurt machine.  Employee base made up of probably almost 50% Baylor grads (sic em).  Cool fellow new employee.  Encouragement to pray throughout the day.

On a completely different note conventions are happening, debates are arriving and the election is in the very near future.  Now I know you all will roll your eyes (those of you with differing opinions)... I am your "typical" conservative.  White, upper/middle class, Baptist, private school going girl.  Now to add to the list I work at a SBC company and attend southern baptist churches.  I encourage everyone first of all to vote.  Not voting in my opinion is voting for the party whose ideals you don't support.  I attended a baptist church this weekend and the pastor brought up the topic of the recent announcement of the republican vp candidate.  He started talking about how Sarah Palin is a woman of character, purpose and ethical standard.  He spoke about how she recently knowingly had a child with down syndrome.  I think it is sad in our generation that people even question whether or not to have a child.  Now to people with no faith I can understand this.  To those who are people of faith: Christian, Catholic, Jew, Mormon... I don't see how abortion can even be a question that enters your mind.  The pastor reminded us that God's gift to humans is the gift of life.  Here on earth and after.  He then said... which I think is a convicting point that on the matter of choosing life or death you should always choose life.  Every human unborn or born has a purpose.  So if you are struggling with a choice of who to vote for and are uneducated on the effects of economic policies, social policies or international policies I encourage you to vote for life.  I will now step off my soap box but thank you for reading.

My fam has been veggin out this week.  continuing our process of moving.  Watching the hurricane step by step (my mom is kind of a weather nut).  That's all of an update I have right now.

You can bet your britches that I will be in bed at 9:30 this evening.  I miss you all a lot.

A quick shout out to a former employee of the working staff of PF Changs.

dum dum da dum dum (The Olympic Theme Song)

I have hesitated updating all of you on my life because of lack of what has happened.  For the past two weeks I have done nothing but watch the olympics and let contract workers into my family's new house.  My brother informed me yesterday that he was awarding me the olympic gold medal for most olympics watched on TV.  I was very proud.  I am at this very moment watching the gold medal women's water polo match on nbc.  I don't understand this sport at all and think it's a little ridiculous but none-the-less I am rooting for the U.S... well the just lost.  These rhythmic gymnasts are ridiculously flexible.  wowza.

Look at that gold medal winner!

I believe most of you know, but I have some rather good news.  I accepted my first real job this last week.  I start on Monday the 25th.... that this Monday yikes!  I will be working for Guidestone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention (Guidestone for short).  My job is pretty much working in a call center.  People will be able to call me ask me questions about their investments/retirement plans/etc. and I will eventually be able to answer them and edit peoples accounts.  I am supposed to be able to work to get many certifications which will be good for the future.  I will give y'all a better update once I start!

I miss all of you tons already!

Holy Catfish

Where would we be without the lovely expressions of our grandparents.  Because of major changes occurring in the Rogers family's life my grandma "mimi" (as some of you might know her) has come to use that turn of phrase more than once in a sitting.  We currently have about seven huge men moving my families 270+ boxes of furniture, possessions, etc. to a large truck outside.  I was thinking before this week how excited I was to be moving from the Waco area, but now it seems to be a little bitter sweet.  I am not too excited about our new home but am about its location.  By the way we are moving to Celina, TX, just north of Frisco and Prosper.  This means ultimately I will be living in the Dallas area again... close to friends, family and stuff to do.

I just got home from seeing dear Amy Duncan last night.  I had a blast visiting her family's new home in Georgetown.  We drove down to Austin yesterday and ate at Pita Pit on Congress (would highly recommend) and then headed to SoCo for a little shopping.  We hit up all of the cool antique store and quirky little shops.  Amy's favorite by far had to be the old time candy store.  They sold crickets there seasoned with different spices to make them oh so delicious.  No, I resisted and did not purchase this delicacy and no I did not even consider it hahah. We did have the most fabulous cupcakes ever at Hey Cupcake! (They put sprinkles to shame).  Amy had the Michael Jackson and I had the 24 Carrot.  Yummmy!

Alas, I still have no job.  I had an interview last week with a company called Crosstex Energy.  I got the feeling they are looking for an Accounting major and not a Finance major.  I have a phone interview tomorrow with Guidestone Financial so we'll se how that goes.  I am being patient.... sorta.  My mom keeps reminding me that it took so and so six months to find a job and it took so and so almost a year.  I am very ready to be in a constant groove of things rather than not knowing what the heck I'm going to do tomorrow.  Ideally I would love to travel with work when I start out.  By travel I mean internationally.  Perhaps go on a rotation and live somewhere for a few months.  Any suggestions?

That is all I have for an update right now.  Please pray that I find a job soon!  Love y'all and miss you terribly! 

In honor of sha-begin

In honor of sha-begin I will give you all a brief update of what has been happening in my busy life... ha.

I went on a cruise at the end of June. It was a Carnival cruise that went to Montego Bay Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel Mexico. Just my mom and I went... so we read a lot, drank a few umbrella drinks (they are so expensive), and read some more. The funnest part of the trip was when my mother and I took a Mexican cuisine cooking class in cozumel. I learned to make some cool stuff that I might attempt later for y'all. The trip was lots of fun, but I am glad to be home. Here are a few pictures:

Picture explanations: Our ship, me and Luis, my mother and I, the black pearl, and for amanda brooks.

The next week was the wedding extravaganza. The Patton/Hendrickson union went down without a hitch. It was so much fun and I'm excited to talk to the old married couple when the get back. Some more pics from the week:

Finally, I have been hanging out with the begin family (who I absolutely love and definitely should have a reality show), JOB SEARCHING (I still need a job), Reading the Mark of the Lion series by Francine River (you all should read... it's amazing), and nursing my dog who got in a bar fight... she really only had teeth pulled, but she has a nice shiner.

Cruisin'

My plans for this week include:

... I'm pretty excited.  A better update of my life is coming soon.