M B Outta here

What's a nice creative, imaginative, non-competitive, and empathic person like me doing in an MBA program like this? Leaving it, that's what. While my journey into the linear territory of corporate machinations has been interesting, it's not where I live so I'm out of here. In the ten months I wast.., I mean spent, a new Masters in Education has been added. The program I'm switching to has an emphasis in adult education and distance learning, which is right up my alley. I'm genuinely excited about school now (instead of resigned).

I started the MBA program because I wanted to be practical. Practical isn't always practical.

Rorschach Test

Dust Devil

Dave and I were out for a drive yesterday when I saw something that looked like smoke from a controlled fire. As we got closer to it I saw that there was nothing burning. Instead there was what appeared to be a diminutive earth-toned tornado, just spinning around, doing its thing. Right as Dave was explaining to me that it was a dust devil, it turned a lighter color, lifted higher in the sky and then -poof-disappeared.

The N Word

The 'N' word is numbers. My eyes glaze over when I look at them.

I'm actually finding the basic accounting principles in MBA/503 to be interesting. I've gotten great grades so far on the accounting papers I've written (and for anyone who is interested in such things, my cumulative GPA is 3.8). However, tonight I am faced with ratios and ...more ratios. I couldn't tell you how many problems I have to solve, because I find an excuse to get up and do something else everytime my retinas are within five feet of said set of problems.

In my years of soul searching for my ideal career, I once asked a friend what he thought would be the profession that would least suit me . Without a moment's hesitation he said "Motorcycle stunt driver".

I think he was wrong. I am wholly unsuited to accounting.

Vroom, vroom....

How Cool is This?

I went to a party Saturday night where there was a movie screen set up by the pool. A swim-in movie. Why aren't these happening in every warm-weather city in the country? Dark Side of the Moon made it's second appearence back into my life this week (as the soundtrack to the Wizard of Oz). I got to revisit a side of myself I've been away from for too long.

Evening Walk

Dave

Let's just categorize Dave as a special friend...

He's a wonderful guy (despite having not one but two Bush/Cheney bumper stickers on his car).

This picture of us was taken in February, when I'd flown into Phoenix for my UOP interview. We were downtown by Cooper's Town, Alice Cooper's restaurant. Dave has lost about 20 pounds since this picture was taken. I, on the other hand, now that I'm a headset-tethered, pretzel-chomping cubicle dweller am doing my best to just maintain.

Pink Floyd and Valium

Highlight of my week: Getting off work three hours early to have a root canal. My coworkers envied me. Given the week we've all had, the majority of them would have chosen a root canal as a more pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

The endodonist's office didn't have nitrous. Darn...love the stuff. The last root canal I had was under nitrous and it was as relaxing as a day at the beach. I made it through this one with the help of 10 mg of Valium and Dark Side of the Moon on my personal CD player.

Cucumber-Melon Dolphins

Ok, I have another new hobby: Soap Making. No, not mixing it up with lye in a big cauldron like Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies- just melting glycerin soap in the microwave then pouring it into molds. It's kind of like making Jello (Jello is a highly undervalued art medium, in my opinion, with its jewel-like colors).

Anyway, after pouring the soap into the molds, I add color and essential oils. So far I've made lavender colored and scented seashells, green eucalyptus stars, blue cucumber-melon dolphins, and yellow lemongrass flowers.

Next step is to start adding stuff in the middle- like little cutouts from other colored soaps, etc. New Age-y chick that I am, I thought it might be cool to add crystals, rose quartz or amethyst.

I'd say I'm on the verge of ending up with ridiculous amounts of soap (Possibly making you the lucky recipient of gold peach-scented angels or turquoise freesia hearts) but I'm starting a new MBA class on Tuesday.

Accounting....wheee...

Maybe I'll be able to use it when I'm running my soap empire.

Could I possibly be more boring?

Hopefully I'll have some new blog entries by midweek.

View from a very tall ladder

WA Visit (A cactus- free blog entry!)

Ahhhh....waterrrrrr....
I spent Saturday in downtown Seattle with my friend Dee. We had lunch at the Nordstrom's Cafe, then went down to the waterfront. I fell in love with Seattle all over again.

Why aren't there more pink bridges?



Mom and Brandy

Blech!

At about 5:45 this evening, while I was still at work, I looked out the window and saw the sky had turned a brown-ish white. A minute later the lights flickered on and off and the air conditioning died (whee- just what you want to have happen in Phoenix). One of my coworkers turned to me and said "You live in Ahwatukee, right? That's where the heart of the dust storm is right now."

Choices, choices....stay in an airless building or walk the ten minutes to my car and drive home in flying dirt. I chose the latter and walked outside into dust so thick it was like smoke. I'd love to be a drama queen and tell you barn-sized tumbleweeds bounced off my windshield, but the truth of the matter is I made it home without incident.

What am I , a Whopper?

When I walked outside after work today the heat was so intense it felt like I was being flame broiled.

Do NOT tell me "But it's a dry heat..."

Ferrets in the Mist

I went to the home of one of my coworkers today (Jacque,the one who sits next to me). She taught me how to make beaded jewelery. I made a gorgeous necklace- not bad for a first time effort if I may say so myself. Jacque has four cats and two ferrets. All of said critters are very sweet. I was surprised by what nice pets the ferrets were. I always thought they were weird rodent-like creatures with scratchy coats. These guys were silky and loved being held. They were also very inquisitive. Here they are trying to get into the fruit I brought, inside the brown bag.


Now that the daytime high is over 100 degrees every day (average is about 103) many stores in Phoenix have these wonderful misters. In the seconds in which one enters or exits the store they are treated to a brisk, refreshing microclimate of...85 degrees or so.

They walk...but do they talk?

I know my overactive imagination can be absurd, silly, and at times even childish, but is this or is this not an eight foot tall cactus woman walking down the street?

Assorted Groovy Foliage

Better than Fluorescent Lighting...

I like looking at the sky on my breaks from work. I've heard such a practice called "Cloud Therapy" (which would be a good name for a New Age band or their CD). When I look at the Phoenix sky it's usually just a vast expanse of blue with a mocking sun saying "Yeah, you wanted sunshine?? Whudda ya think of me now?? But I like the way the sky looked on this day.

Wherever I go, there I am (with my straw hat)

Yep, More Cacti