FOMFTMTT – The promotion

So I got a promotion at work! Kind of… not really…. Does it count as a promotion if I got the title and do the work but don’t get the pay?

So I was handed this really big portfolio at work. I spend most of my day working on it and use my time after working hours to catch up with the rest of my job that has remained undone during the day. This fancy title we will just sum up as FOMFTMTT. Yeah I’m not kidding, I need all those letter in there…

So my position as FOMFTMTT is a really big deal. I have been given control of one of the biggest operations that my company will be doing for the next year. Not only that, but it is also a test project and my success or failure will determine whether this project will be rolled out in other areas or not.  So Im working my ass, trying to prove to my company that trusting me with such a big responsibility was the right call to make (I hope). So now I do two jobs. I do the one I was hired to do, as well as the one I need to prove I can do.

Have you ever tried to do two jobs at the same time? No? Well how about 4? Yeas you read that right, I do 4 jobs at the moment. The two I have explained above, the one I was hired for, and the one I need to prove I can do. But then, I also am doing my same hired job in a different area s they need to hire a new staff member for that position, but until such a time that work cant remain undone… So I’m covering there, badly I might add, I’m not giving it the full attention that it deserves. Then lastly, my line manager has cancer and is off work more than what she is at work and on the days that she is off work, I am the acting(Insert her position here).

So this is what I mean, I am doing the work that is normally done by 4 people. I am running myself to the bone and wearing myself out emotionally. But it’s a promotion right? Right?

I was set. Only, I wasn’t.

So I have a house, a car, insurance and medical aid. I have a retirement policy and a death policy (Or whatever we call that life insurance thing that pays out to your family when you die). I thought I had my life all figured out, I was set. Only, I wasn’t.

So it turns out that you can plan everything down to the last detail. You can be sure to plan for any possible problem that may come your way, you can be ready for everything…. except that everything will always exclude those little unforeseen circumstance.

At 24 I am pretty impress with the secure life I have managed to build myself. I most certainly am not complaining. But along with all this planning there is so much drama!

I am currently in the process of moving over to a more comprehensive insurance. Partly because I want to feel more secure knowing I will be taken care of if I end up in hospital, and partly because I am concerned that I may have inherited my moms back problems and I need to ensure I am cover before I go and see a doctor about it.

Let me explain: In my last year of high school I got this pain in my leg. It started off as a simple pulled muscle kind of thing. So we weren’t to worried. Most muscles take 6 weeks to heal, only in that time my pain had been getting worse. It got to this point where I would wake up screaming at night from the pain and was unable to stem on the leg at all so off we went to the doctor. The first course of action was to inject me… when that failed I was sent off to see a specialist.

The specialist pointed out what a factory reject I am… I’m telling you, my mom should have sent me back when I was born. My hips rotate the wrong way, in simple terms, if I was a barbie doll, my waist would be twisted back to front, only all the body parts were still on the right side. I have a 3cm difference in lengths of my legs, outside the normal range. And so the specialist pulled and tugged and measured and sent me off for x-rays. When those came back clean I was sent off to get an ultra Sound on my leg… then physio therapy and a chiropractor and heat therapy and ice therapy and acupuncture. I was sent for yoga and lifestyle testing and hell knows what else as it was becoming impossible to keep up. After months and months for different treatment options and poking and prodding there was still no clear reason why I should be in so much pain. So they sent me home. “Wait for more symptoms”

The pain eventually went away on its own, only bugging me on really cold days, kind of like a reminder “hey i’m still here!”. So why am I worried about this now? Well about 2 weeks ago I woke up with the most horrible lower back pain. I could hardly stand up straight let alone move.I took some muscle relaxants and suffered my way through the day. As the pain in my back started to ease, the pain in my leg began. Noting nearly as bad as it was back in 2009 but its till there, making it hard for me to walk long distances or stand for long periods of time.

We never checked my back out as it was never sore before…. but now what if all my problems are being caused by a pinched nerve in my spine or something of that sort? It will mean more costly trips to the doctor and every other test he can prescribe me… all things that my current medical aid don’t cover.

So now I am in the process of filling out forms and getting official copies of documents and all that other nonsense to endure that I am all covered if and when this or anything else blows up in my face.

Some days I want to go adopt 10 cats and just pretend to be the crazy cat lady… her life seems so simple…

100 Truths

So Today while scrolling through my facebook wall, a post by a friend of mine caught my attention. It was titled 100 truths. So I figured I would bring it here and share with you, my dear readers, 100 truths about me.
1. Real name: I suppose this is a bad way too start at 100 truths but my real name does not appear anywhere on my blog as I don’t want it linked to my life, so I guess I will use my Internet name. Emily Smiles (Or Emily Lost, depending on where im posting)
2. Nickname: In Real life- Emo Nemo (Ask my high school friends how they came up with that one)
3. Favorite color: Black and pink
4. Male or Female: Female
5. Elementary school: This tiny little school that was named (Insert town where I grew up) Primary… Im not kidding
6. Middle school: South Africa doesnt have such a thing
7. High school: First I went to (Insert town where I grew up) High School, again I am not kidding… but then I moved to a new City and went to a school named Framesby
8. College: Yes – A Certificate in Conference Exhibition and Event management. Also, I have more lately gained a Certificate in Strategic Political Communications.
9. Hair color: Dirty Blond
10. Tall or Short: Meh that’s a tough one, average I thought but tall compared to the woman I work with
11. Sweats or Jeans: Sweats
12. Phone or Camera: Camera, I love taking photos
13. Health Freak: No
14. Orange or Apple: Orange
15. Do you have a crush on someone: No
16. Guy friends or Girl friends: I used to always say guy friends, but when I was in my last relationship most of them drifted away…. so… girl friends I guess
17. Piercings: Only my ears
18. Pepsi or Coke: Nether, Yuk
19. Have you been in an airplane: Yes
20. Have you been in a relationship: Yes
21. Have you been in a car accident: Only if falling with my scooter counts… or small bumper bashes but I wasn’t driving
22. Have you been in a fist fight: Fist? No… I have however been in a fight where a scissor went through someone’s hand and broken a guys nose in self defense, but that doesn’t really count as a fight.
23. First piercing: My ears when I was a baby
24. Best Friend(s): Honestly? I dont think I have one of these anymore. My best friend is a dumb ass who has walked out of my life, If he ever returns I guess he will still be the person I consider my best friend.
25. First award: A certificate for graduating from Play School? I think?
26. First crush: Apparently I dated some play school kid but I don’t really remember it
27. First word: You will have to ask my mom this question
28. Any talent: Does being a bitch count? Haha no seriously though, I can read music and can play the flute and the clarinet and maybe one day I will add ice skating to this list, but so far I am still bad at that.
29. Last person you talked to: A work colleague (A)
30. Last person you texted: A different work colleague (L)
31. Last person you watched a movie with: My mom
32. Last thing you ate: A slice of cold pizza
33. Last movie/ TV show you watched: Game of Thrones
34. Last song you listened to: The ringtone on a colleagues phone but I don’t know the song
35. Last thing you bought: Besides the pizza? Uhm electricity
36. Last person you hugged: A good Friend, Stella

•Favorite:

37. Food: Pizza
38. Drink: Water
39. Bottoms: Skirts
40. Flower: Sunflower
41. Animal: Cat? Dog? Lion?
42. Color: Black and pink
43. Movie: The Pride and the Prejudice… Easy A….  Anything Disney
44. Subject: Well I don’t have subjects as I am not in school

•Have you ever? (Put an X in the brackets if yes.)

45. [X] Fallen in love with someone?
46. [] Celebrated Halloween?
47. [X] Had your heart broken?
48. [X] Went over the minutes/ texts on your phone?
49. [X] Had someone like you?
50. [X] Hated the way someone changed?
51. [] Got pg? (I don’t know what this means)
52. [] Had an abortion?
53. [X] Did something you regret?
54. [X] Broken a promise?
55. [X] hid a secret?
56. [X] Pretend to be happy?
57. [X] Met someone who has changed to your life?
58. [] Pretended to be sick?
59. [X] Left the country?
60. [X] Tried something you normally wouldn’t try and liked it?
61. [X] Cried over the silliest thing?
62. [X] Ran a mile?
63. [X] Gone to the beach with your best friend?
64. [X] Gotten into an argument with your friends?
65. [X] Disliked someone?
66. [] Stayed single for two years since the first time you had a bf/gf or been single forever?

•Currently:

67. Eating: Nothing
68. Drinking: Water
69. Listening to: A colleague on the phone
70. Sitting or laying: Sitting
71. Plans for today: Get out of work, watch game of thrones and get a good nights sleep
72. Waiting for: Life to happen
73. Want kids: I want to adopt
74. Want to get married: Some day
75. Want to travel: More than anything

•What do you look for in a partner?

76. Lips or Eyes: Eyes
77. Shorter or Taller: Taller
78. Younger or Older: Older
79. Romantic or Spontaneous: Both? Im greedy like that
80. Trouble-maker or Hesitant: Nether
81. Hook up or Relationship: Relationship. I dont have time for people to waist my time
82. Looks or Personality: Personality… but it never hurts if they are easy on the eye

•Have you ever:

83. Lost glasses: I don’t wear glasses… but Iv lost my sunglasses
84. Snuck out of the house: Yes. But I live alone now so I dont need to sneak
85. Held a gun/ knife in self defense: No but I have held a scissor and simply used normal self defense that didn’t use a weapon
86. Killed somebody: No
87. Broke someone’s heart: Yes
88. Been in love: Yes
89. Cried when someone dies: Yes

•Do you believe in:

90. Yourself: Some days more than others
91. Miracles: I do…
92. Love at first sight: No. How can I love what I do not know?
93. Heaven: This question is complex. I believe in heaven yes, but I also believe in reincarnation and that no one is in heaven yet, we shall all return home together some day
94. Santa Claus: No. Just no.
95. Aliens: Yes. I dont believe they are little green men or anything but in this entire universe we cant be the only planet with life on it. Somewhere out there, there are others, maybe just like us.
96. Ghosts/ Angels: Yes

•Truthfully?

97. Is there one person you really want to be with right now: Although I miss certain people dearly, they have walked out of my life or I have walked out of theirs and it is all for a good reason. So no… I guess there isn’t anyone who I would love to be with right now
98. Do you know who your real friends are: Yes
99. Do you believe in God: A believe in a God… I dont believe in the bible though
100. Post as 100 Truths: Thats what I am doing, Yes

So If you have actually stayed awake during all of this, then you now know a little bit more about me 🙂 Yay

That Wedding Speech thing

So I have to wright a short two min speech for the wedding I am attending on Saturday and I wanted to post it here asking for your opinions and comments. Let me know what you think?

A is one of those people who you meet and immediately think “What on earth is going through her mind?”. She is fun and crazy and alive. She is my friend.

I met A 10 years ago when I moved to the city and started at a new high school where all the people seemed completely crazy. A most of all. She was friendly and kind but at the same time intimidation and wouldn’t leave me alone for a moment without peppering me with more questions about who I was and where I came from. I guess all her questions paid off in the end as she can now tell you my life story as well as I can.

I have so many memories of sleep overs at each other’s houses and attending concerts just to stalk the singers… or guitar players.. or maybe both. Sometimes I wonder if she is still a (insert artiest)  fan today because of his music or because of our stalkerish teenage tendencies.

The day A met D everything changed for the better. She had finally met a guy who treated her the way we as her friends, all believed she should be treated. He made her laugh more than I had seen her laugh in years and made her eyes light up in a way I had never seen before and for this I want to thank you D, for being the man that A deserves in her life. This however does not give you a free pass as I will still be watching every move you make and if you ever break her heart, you can be sure that these girls standing here beside me today will all be there to break your legs, or at least attempt to.

A, to me you will always be the girl who wasn’t ashamed to hop alongside me down the pier pretending we were bunnies and the girl who was a friend to me when I was the outsider. You will always be one of the most important people in my life, even if that means we now need to share you with D.

Today I would like to say to the beautiful bride and the dashing groom, we love you and we wish for you only the best that life has to offer. Cheers.

Dont get fooled

Today is that time of the year when I can’t trust anyone or anything. Even the news, our most reliable source of information, is out to catch us with our pants down. Why oh why would anyone celebrate April fool’s day? So April fools can be found all throughout history with any different reasons and origins but most of the tales have one thing in common, the original prank. So back in the day the prank used to be sending someone with a letter, supposedly asking for help, from one person to the next. The joke was that the note didn’t ask for help, but rather asked the person to send the asker on to the next person. So how did a prank of making someone exercise turn into a day of mean and nasty pranks where we try to get people to believe things that aren’t true? What made us decide that it would be ok to have husbands believe we want a divorce? Or have wives believe we got a girlfriend pregnant? Or have a boyfriend or girlfriend think we were killed in a car crash? What made it ok to have a best friend believe we were raped? Society has become twisted and mean and I want no part of it. Yet, this morning I walked into the office to find out that one of my colleagues has started the rumor that I am now engaged. A harmless enough prank right? Except that it’s not. No prank in harmless. This prank is telling the girl who just broke up with her boyfriend of 12 years that my boyfriend of 2 years loves me more than hers ever did. This joke is telling every colleague who I call my friend that I have lied to them about not being ready for marriage. And if this gets out, this joke could lead my boyfriend to believe I want him to propose when I don’t. I repeat, there is no such thing as a harmless prank. This morning my colleague and friend is at the hospital because her son was actually in a car crash, and people thought it was a joke when she called in to say she wasn’t coming in to the office today. They thought it was a joke that her son was fighting for his life. A sick and twisted joke that seems to be so normal in our society. Today I vow not to read the news, or watch it, or listen to it. I vow not to get sucked into the pranks that are being played. I refuse to be a part of this badly decided upon day and I hope that you will do the same.

I get knocked down, but I get up again

Having someone older than me think they are my superior is nothing new. Although yesterday turned out to be the perfect example of why being young is often a challenge.

We are running a new campaign. My manager and I were proactive and have kicked off our campaign in our area of responsibility. We are the only ones that have begun working.

So Yesterday a meeting is called and all staff is asked for their opinions on the campaign. I am able to give the opinions of my entire team. I am the ONLY one who can speak up for my entire team because as normal, no one else has even read the paperwork yet.

The next thing I know, I am being bombarded with arguments on why my direction for the campaign is incorrect. Now don’t get me wrong, I am open to hear your opinions and suggestions IF you have bothered to read the friggen paperwork. Argue with me based on fact, not on assumption.

By the time the meeting had concluded, it had been decided that I now need to reverse everything I have done, and do it their way.

The thing that bothered me the most about this, wasn’t event the fact that people had no idea what they were talking about, but rather that those who have decided for me what my job is, have no authority over me.
Bill Cosby said “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” I don’t think he could have been more accurate even if he tried. I know that I may work in unconventional ways, but that’s just called innovation. I believe that it is time for many people to realize that being young is an asset to the company, not a liability.

If you, like me, are a young career person, always remember that you are awesome and will achieve great things, as long as you get up every time they knock you down.

Brace Yourself, tough times ahead!

Being broke and being busy are two things that come with the territory of being a young professional. I have mastered both of these things.

At the age of 23 I can say I am a proud home owner. I don’t rent, I own. I pay my bond every month along with my rates and taxes and all those other wonderful things. This is a great achievement for someone my age, I am fully aware of that. But if anyone tells you it’s easy to own your own home, they are lying.

I have made many mistakes. Silly things, from turning all my washing purple to melting an entire block of cheese. But when I say it’s not easy, I don’t mean with the physical part of keeping a home, I mean it’s not easy financially.

I have always been good with money. I have a great credit record and had a good savings account. HAD. Then I bought a home. I now live off of a credit card as much as what I eat basic noodle meals and cup of soup.

Houses have so many hidden costs that no one tells you about when you plan to buy. I mean sure you budgeted for the bond, the rates and taxes and even the Levi. But did anyone tell you to budget for that paint job the house will need? Or for that plumber when the toilet decides to start leaking?

I think I’m doing well for someone my age. I don’t know many people who at the age of 23 can say they own their own home and their own car and are doing it all on their own.

The down side is that I am always broke now. Living a responsible life with future planning doesn’t come without a price. I don’t go out much, I don’t party much and spending money is restricted to the necessities.

So when making decisions, always remember “Little decisions shape big consequences.” – Mehek Bassi

Dream big. Plan big. But be ready for tough times ahead.

Do What You Love, Chase Your Dreams

I have applied for a highly contested position. Who would have known that so many people could talk about one person in such a short space of time? I have gone from almost invisible to allot of people to becoming the talk of the moment.

You have to understand that in my career, there are many of the same positions but each of those positions are highly contested. So I had a friend and colleague that is already in that position, help me with my application. It was great fun applying with the help of someone I trusted, it made this very scary decision look just a little bit less scary. Now the colleagues on my current level hate me. They seem to think that I have had an unfair advantage by having someone help me. Even if my application is great, I still need to pass an interview process, getting these jobs aren’t that easy.

I always figured that it would come back to bite me, by having friends in higher places. But can you blame me? If you had the opportunity to pick the brains of someone more important to the company than yourself, wouldn’t you do it?

As for the people in the position I have applied for, to them I am the topic of the moment. “Can she do it?”, “Isn’t she too young for this position?”, “I heard so and so helped her with her application”, “I heard she helped so and so with their application”. Although the most of their rumors are true, I must admit that even I enjoyed finding out that I have become some computer wizard that is helping others apply for the position.

It is scary putting myself out there so much and getting noticed. It is scary going up against so many people, to reach for the things I want. But as Ellen Johnson once said:
“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough for you!”
So I guess being afraid to apply is exactly what drove me to apply. You can never reach the stars if you aren’t willing to take the leap.

So now the process begins and I wait to hear if and when I might be interviewed. Wish me luck that at some point I might be able to prove to the world, that young energetic woman can change the world, that we are just as capable as any man who may oppose us.

Always remember my dear readers, Do what you love. Chase your dreams.