Merry Christmas

tis the season!

Number One Spot

Congratulations ELON! As I read your wonderfully written and organized MBA catalog, I begin to think wow, this is a GREAT school! How come I have never put you in my top 5 choices until now?! How did I not even realize you were but 30 to 40 miles away which is an easy commute in my eyes! Sure, you will be a bit difficult to get accepted into but I always love a challenge. I am about to take that infamous GMAT next month, so I will be sure to get over a 500 which you require. I must say Elon University, that I am very impressed with your programs, which include a wide range of classes from goal setting and career development to marketing, management, and economics. Those are right up my alley! So congratulations Elon, you have just moved to the number 1 spot on my MBA List!

A Nashville Thanksgiving

This was a very exciting Thanksgiving for several reasons...

#1. I got to see the cutest nephew in the WHOLE world!

This is very exciting because he has started to walk and enjoys attention. Even though he has not started to talk yet he somehow tells you what he wants. He is the cutest thing ever. His smile melts my heart. He is so sweet. He is about to be a big brother in less than a week!! It is hard to see him as a big brother because he is still so little, but I'm sure he will teach his little brother everything he knows... like how to properly throw your food on the floor and get the parents mad, or to cry when mom or dad put you down because you want them to keep holding you or how to throw a tantrum when its time to get out of the bathtub... and much more...

#2. I got to be with the whole family (also the best family in the WHOLE world).

This is a rare occasion. It is always nice to kick back with the whole family, including my sister-in-law's family, talk shop, drink beer and wine, and eat until you can't possibly eat anymore. This is one very important thing I am thankful for this holiday season.

#3. I got to travel 10 hours in the same car with Andy (the best boyfriend in the world)!

We saw some very pretty scenery and a beautiful sunset, but after 10 hours in the same car with someone you start to get a little irritated and antsy.... you just want to be home. Although I missed my family so much and did not want to leave Nashville, TN it felt good to get home in our LIL condo... and relax with the movie "A White Christmas".

#4. I always look forward to the holiday season because after Thanksgiving there is only 1 month until Christmas and my birthday. I will truly miss my family, including my new little nephew, this Christmas. But I will be spending my first Christmas and Birthday with the most amazing guy ever!

I am hoping and praying for a wonderful 2010!

Cheers!!!!

Productive Procrastination

Due to the fact I am a productive procrastinator (my new favorite words because I am the queen of this), I have yet to pack, bake cheese biscuits for the road, and study for the GMAT, and we leave tomorrow. We are driving to Nashville, TN, which is going to take us approximately 10 hours.

I am still in the process of doing laundry which takes FOREVER considering we have the smallest washer EVER made! This involves doing several loads of whites and darks. I not only have to do my own clothes, but I must do Andy's, so combined we have several loads of laundry. I cannot even think about what I am going to pack until I have all of my clean clothes laying on my bed so I can pick appropriate outfits for the vaca. Meanwhile, I am updating this blog because my sister insisted I squeeze room for the blog post. Of course I have time!

Next on the agenda is to bake cheese biscuits which is always fun because it involves listening to my PANDORA RADIO (jammin' out) and getting my hands "dirty". It gets me into the holiday spirit.

I still have yet to mention my plans later on in the evening to study for the GMAT. I DO have homework due next Monday which I have not begun and I will not have time after today. Therefore, I will get to this eventually. Until then I will appreciate baking cheese biscuits and doing laundry, deciding what I am going to wear in Nashville.

On a fashionable note I bought a really cute pair of black leggings from Express and wore them to Starbucks, Harris Teeter, Toys R Us, and CVS. I wore them with a long sweater, black ankle boots, and a black faux leather bag also from Express. It made me feel sassy and gutsy for going out in public with them on. I wore them like I "owned" them. I wore them like I was meant to wear them.

WORK IT GIRL!

Love it!

I love you Andy... This one's for you!

Slow It Down

Yesterday I used the Slow Cooker for the first time! It was the

best experience! I decided to cook chili. It was a very easy recipe.

I prepared the beef.

I chopped an onion, green pepper, and 3 celery sticks.

I then combined everything into the slow cooker and added garlic salt, pepper, chili powder and tomato sauce. I now let it do its thing for 6 to 7 hours.

It turned out amazing! As you may have noticed I forgot to mention that I added beans and tomatoes. That was not a mistake. I indeed DID NOT add tomatoes or beans because Andy rather not eat those two ingredients. I have to admit that I missed the beans and tomatoes, and it was not the same. But it was still very good and maybe

next time I will sneak them into the chili without him noticing. I'm still working on that. It was very tasty and deserved to be garnished with some cheddar cheese. The French Bread was a smart dipping choice.

I look forward to cook my next Slow Cooker meal. Decisions... Decisions....

COUNTDOWN!

JANUARY 9, 2010! This marks the date of the official GMAT exam folks! The exam has been scheduled, the $250 has been paid, GMAT Prep has begun, my nerves are trying to get the best of me (but not letting them), and cramming has started. I have chosen a study group and let me just say that this is no ordinary study group. There are four other people in this study group and let me point out that we are the fiercest GMATers ever! Yes, occasionally we get off topic and discuss movies or weekend plans, but at the end of the day our goal is to get at least a 600 on the exam. That is only 200 less than perfect. We have even coined GMAT Champs as our name! Now tell me that is not sasha fierce! This exam is no joke people. It requires you to sit there for four hours and calculate mathematics and formulas in your head and on paper and do long division and multiplication as well as translating word problems into algebraic equations. It does not allow you to use the likes of a calculator... oh no. You have to be able to multiply and divide at the drop of a hat! Oh, TI-89, how I'm going to miss you! Don't even get me started on the Verbal section of the exam. I do not enjoy reading the boring passages the GMAT people like to put on there. But I will grin and bare it because I will not let them win. They can put all the boring passages they want, and I will politely read them and answer their stupid questions. And I will probably have to read each passage at least 3 times because after I finish reading the passage and move onto the questions I will forget what it was even about. On a happier note, Math is more fun and requires me to think a whole lot more than Verbal ever would! Take that Verbal! I have to admit that while I prepare for the BIG DAY I envision Rocky Balboa boxing, running, and jumping rope with the infamous rocky song playing in the background, except Rocky Balboa is me and I am not running I am fiercely studying. I am training for the big day and it is only 2 months away! So GMAT, if you're reading this.... I will destroy you! I am not scared of you (that much)! You do not intimidate me! I am not threatened by you (although in order to get into a good school I need my 600!). BRING IT!