Happy "Lunaversary"

So, as of July 23rd (2 days ago), I have been working at my job for one month. One of my co-workers who got hired on the same day, made up the term "lunaversary" in honor of it being one month since our hire date. I don't know where he came up with that, but I'm using it anyway. Now, the question is, how great has that one month been?

Well, I can say that having worked there for one month, I now get all my benefits (health, 401K, etc.), which is pretty exciting. After one month, I think, while I'm still learning because I definitely don't know all there is to know, I know enough to keep myself busy through the workday without having to go run to my boss to ask a question. That isn't to say that I don't still have questions, because rest-assured I most certainly do, but I'm trying to figure some stuff out on my own so I don't look completely incompetent.

I'm excited to get September's journals published for two reasons. One, my name will be in it since I edited several of the articles. And two, once those journals are done, I can start October's journals, and this time I will actually know what is going on since I will be the one who started it.

Since I got hired half-way during the process of publication, my boss just gave me random articles from different journals to edit. So I didn't know what was going on with the journal as a whole or if certain things that were supposed to have been taken care of from the very beginning had actually been taken care of. (I have been told many a time by my boss that my "predecessor" did not do a very good job and basically didn't work, so I have to pick up and clean up the crap she left behind. This means these "certain things" hadn't been taken care of.)

Because of this previous employee, many things have been pushed back, or forgotten about, and so I continually have to go to my boss to see the status of things. But, once I start and finish editing one specific journal, for I am to be in charge of just one journal and then help others edit as needs be, things will be fantastic (because I'll actually will know what's going on since I started it).

I have been to a few meetings, some training sessions, and yesterday I went to our first department activity. (It was a dessert bake-off, and I'm proud to say that I tied for second.) I have gotten to know a few people, although most of the people I work with tend to keep to themselves. I can say that now that I've worked in an office for a period of time, the jokes in Dilbert, and on The Office make so much more sense and are even more hilarious since I know exactly what they mean.

But yes, working is good; I'm still getting used to the whole "adult, real-world, full-time" job, but so far things are good. Of course, it only has been a month, let's see what I say a few months, a year from now...

On the homefront, I'm still living at home with my family. I'm going to the single's ward still trying to make friends since many of the ones I have made are moving/leaving since they were only here for the summer. Also, it probably won't be for another year or so, but I'm going to get a master's degree.

My company has tuition reimbursement, and I really feel like getting a master's is something I need to do. I'm going to try to do it online since that will be the easiest for my current situation what with a job and everything. I want to get a degree in journalism/ mass media communications (which usually end up being the same thing). I did want to go for this one radio, television, and film one that they had at UNT, but I don't think it's exactly what I'm looking for, and I'm not sure it has enough relevance to my job that my boss would approve it.

Like I said, it probably won't be for another year. I still have to take the GRE (and whatever other tests they require), find a school (although I have found a couple), and apply. And it'd probably be good if I worked for my company longer than a month to start asking them for money to pay for a degree that I want to get because it will help me get a different job.

I'm a Copycat

So, I realize I'm copying a very good friend of mine, but I was bored. Real post soon to come.

To make your own mosaic-
1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page, pick an image.

3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

My answers to the questions:

1. What is your first name? Mattie (apparently this doll is named Mattie, this search also brought up a lot of pictures of dogs... geez thanks)

2. What is your favorite food? Italian (this was the only one of actual food)

3. What high school did you go to? Plano East Senior High (and yes, that is an actual picture of my school)

4. What is your favorite color? Purple

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Jason Bateman (so cute and funny)

6. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper

7. Dream vacation? London

8. Favorite dessert? Chocolate chip cookies

9. What you want to be when you grow up? A film critic
10. What do you love most in life? Family and friends

11. One Word to describe you. Awesome

12. Your flickr name. I don't think I have an account, but I searched for the name I would use if I had one, met0012, and this was the only picture that came up.

Just Another Day...

So, today is my birthday. I am now 22. I could think about all the things I've accomplished in my life so far and celebrate with others that hopefully there will be many other great things to come. In fact, let's do that now, shall we? I've graduated high school. I've graduated college with a BA in English, minor in editing. I have a full time job as an assistant editor. And yes, I do indeed have many more amazing things to achieve in my life.

The sad thing is though, it feels like just another day. It's sad to think that at 22 I have already reached the point of my birthdays where it just feels like another day. Another day that happens to be the start and ending of another yearly cycle of my life. I told a few of my coworkers yesterday that it felt like just another day, and one was completely shocked and said I was too young to feel that way. I believe she's 26 or so, but she tried to convince me that magical, special things would happen on my birthday...

I slept in, not as late as I wanted, but later than normal. I awoke to my brother stealing my dry-erase board, and when I caught him, he said it was going to be a birthday surprise. "What? You're going to give me my own dry-erase board back?" I asked. No, he was not; he was going to write a note. So, I let him take it. I got in the shower, and by the time I was ready, my brother was done with his sign. My little sister had also done her part by putting a heart and her own name on my door (to let me know she made it) out of pipe cleaners, and a Happy Birthday banner above it (left over from her own birthday).

My family went to lunch at Rockfish Grill, in which I got a free dessert (everyone had a piece, while the older younger brother took about half of it). I wasn't in a very good mood though because I had a headache. After some debate we went and saw Get Smart, my brother leaving before then because he had to go to work. The movie was ok, not as funny as I thought it would be, but still okay. We came home, and I took 3 Advil and a short nap. I ate my left-overs from lunch and talked to a few friends that called.

During my nap, my dad had gone to the store to buy a cookie cake. So, once my brother got home from work, they sang happy birthday and I blew out a question mark candle. I then opened my 1 gift, which I knew what it was, that my two youngest siblings wrapped by piecing 2 different kinds of wrapping paper together to cover it. (It was an air filter for work.) After that, I got on the computer and watched some TV. Then my mom and brother went to Target and brought me back some random magnets for my cubicle (another birthday gift).

That's it. Relaxing, kind of fun, but I wouldn't call it magical... maybe next year.