You Have Got to Be Kidding Me...

ok, so my husband and I have gone back to school. Yes, Mei, we were totally stupid to not have done this before. You told me and you told me, and I didn't listen. Well, we are wrapping up our first semester and we both totally LOVE it. The fact that we are making money at it, is even better. (Especially since I am no longer working, but that's another post). So, the husband is taking Hospitality Management, and I am taking Accounting. Accounting was not my first choice, but 1) it made the most sense because I've been doing it for 20+ years, and 2) I can take all my classes on-line. I am knee-deep in accounting and he is starting his Hospitality classes. My degree requires much less credits than his does. I am at a point in my life where Accounting no longer does it for me. I've worked in the field a long time and am ready for something different so I want to change to the Hospitality Management field. It would seem like a duplication with the husband except that we have different outcome expectations - Let's put it this way: Husband wants to run Club 33 at Disneyland and I want to run the Disneyland Hotel. He wants to focus on the food and I want to focus on the Hotel. (Yes, for those who know me... ironic). Anyway.... the degree program at the college requires certain classes for the AS in Hospitality Mangement, including Basic Food Prep. I want to run the hotel, not the restaurant, but you need the food classes anyway. So, hubby is 1, yes 1, semester ahead of me. (Although I have 3 credits from Nutrition that can transfer over to the major.) Registering for the upcoming semesters, the fall is offering the basic requirement of "Basic Food Prep". Required course....
My husband had become the total teacher's pet for the whole Hospitality Management department. He had volunteered for extra credit and so has interacted with all of the instructors. So, I registered him for his Summer/Fall classes and then I registered for my classes. I signed up for the Basic Food Prep (because I need that to be eligible for the other classes as a prerequisite). Yeah, I'm jazzed!!! My classes are set for Summer and Fall (as well as Hubby's). I'm balancing the Accounting, but transitioning over to Hospitality Management at the same time. (I love school so much I could take multiple majors and not blink and eye.). Anyway.... I signed up for the main class which is the Basic Food. I will even sign up my daughter for Kindergarten in a special program so I can attend, and hubby comes home and is so proud. Of what... yes, here it comes... he was asked to be a TA for a teacher....of course... here it comes.... for Basic Food.... which I am taking. Now, if his teachers love him I don't want to be known by him, so trying to pull this off in the fall is going to be a nightmare. I don't know him and he won't know me..... You have got to be kidding me!!!! Of all the classes he could TA for...

Type A Personality

I've always known I was a type A personality. It manifested itself while I was in high school. (Extra credit was to do a book report on 1 of 20 biographies and I did all 20). It has reared its ugly head throughout my working career. I have taken time off of work to raise and home school my children so I thought it had been tamed. WRONG!!!! As I am back in school, I have realized it is alive and well and thriving inside of me. I obsess over every 1/4 point and worry over every fraction of a grade. After years away from school, I am getting As and Bs and yet I obsess over every point given (or not given). If I survive this first semester back in school I will be amazed.... I lay awake and stress over every assignment...
And yet I have to give credit to a certain someone who pushed me to go back. Well, to you... I have to say Thank You and yes, I was stupid for not doing it earlier..... Without you Ab and I would never have pursued a higher education.... which we totally love. I am going go get 12 credits and he is going to get like 17 or 18.... and it's all due to your encouragement. Although I miss our daily phone calls and interactions, I still feel you in our lives as I study late into the night and on weekends (it's all positive) and know we never would have done this without you.. so THANK YOU!!! I was stupid for not doing this earlier!!

Irony

As we all know it's been a looooong time since I went to school. I convinced my husband to go back with me last semester. Semester is almost finished and we had to select classes for the upcoming Summer and Fall classes. I had to select Accounting as my major (from the fall semester) because well, I've been doing accounting for 15+ years... duh... it just makes sense... and the major classes can be taken on-line. So, my hubby took the major he wants and actually attended class for the Fall semester. Turns out we are maniacs when it comes to grades. I will redo stuff to raise my points 1/4 point. Yeah... I want the higher grade. Ok... so where am I going with this?
I am finally trying to switch my major. We are both trying to get degrees in Hospitality Management - his is in the Culinary Arts and mine is in the Hotel Management. My degree is via an accounting degree. In two semesters I will be over 50% finished with my degree requirements. Yeah, I totally overloaded. So, I am at a point where I want to change direction. Today was summer/fall semester enrollment. My husband has no idea what I sign him up for until it's a done deal. So I'm working on balancing ged credits with major credits (and for me that's difficult because I'm trying to switch majors). I spend way too much time cross referencing info between him and me.
I'm losing my focus... so I'm at a transition and am switching over (ever so minutely) for the fall. (I am falling on the sword so my husband can get the credits while I stay home with the kids). This fall is starting to change the tide to my time. I am actually taking 7 credits to what IIII want. Transitioning from accounting to hospitality.... Here is where the irony comes in..... Yes... here it comes....
Entry level classes is well duh... Intro to Hospitality and Basic Food Prep (Yes, it doesn't make sense to me either...). I'm digressing, but--- my husband wants to work at Club 33 at Disneyland as a chef, where as I want to run the Disneyland Resort itself. To get to the degree I have to take basic food preparation classes. (Don't ask because I don't understand it either!). So, I have to do what I want to do to get what I need to get.
Anyway, I am finally getting to take the Basic Food Prep, which my husband took one semester previous.... yes, here it comes.....
My husband has taken a total of 1 semester of Hospitality Management classes and has done so well that he has been asked to be a TA. Yes, take a wild guess as to what class he is asking to TA for...the 1 class that I am taking.
I am taking a total of 2 HM classes (I'm still balancing Accounting and my GE courses) for the fall, and the one teacher I am taking it with is the one teacher my husband was asked to TA for. AWKWARD!!!! Irony is this teacher is the only teacher my husband never attended class with.
When I signed up for classes I was specific in not taking classes with the same teachers my husband took his classes with - irony is the one teacher has the TA opening.
So - this should be an interesting semester!!!

Busy

I have never been so busy... I work non-stop from the moment I get to work. I take orders, invoice, resolve customer service issues, and now I am doing sales. I am in charge of selling to small gourmet and nutrition/health stores and am working on just being the rep for the Hispanic market. It may seem odd, except for the fact that my husband is Mexican. It's really going to be him. I sell VitaCl... cookers. I can't list the name because my boss has a google search for her product. It really is a cool product though. It is a rice cooker / slow cooker that uses a clay pot insert. It is healthy and natural, and yes, I can see how to market it to Hispanics. Asians are really liking it. It is doing well in the Chinese market. I am new to marketing and sales, but am doing ok on my learning company. I even sold 4 cookers from the trade show today (a week later)... Yeah!! So I am swamped at work. And then I come to the house and I have school. I am going back to pursue Accounting, however, it is interesting to note that I really enjoy my business law class even more. Law has really nothing to do with morality, which I found challenging in the beginning. My enjoyment of this class really surprises me. I like this class better than the Accounting, which I have 20 years experience in. Nutrition is killing me and this week is mid-terms. Yes, I study all the time. After work - Weekends - Even early in the morning. In addition to laundry, cleaning, studying with my son... Next week is spring break and I hope to enjoy it. I'd better rest while I can because my fourth class kicks in the following Monday - and it's a semester course packed into a half semester. Double the work - double the .. well I don't know. The course is Psychology (a GED option) and I hope it's not as hard as it appears. So, back to studying... chapter test for Accounting tomorrow and mid-term on Friday. I feel like the white rabbit---I'm late -I'm late...

Business Trip

I went on my first ever business trip. I went to a trade show in Anaheim. The show started on Friday morning and lasted through Sunday. My boss was there until Friday afternoon then she left to go to another trade show in Chicago. Once my boss left I had a lot of fun. We "rented" space from another exhibitor and they were so much fun. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the traffic. There were so many cars it took an hour to drive a couple blocks. I would definitely do a trade show again (as long as my boss doesn't come). She is just a nervous person and tries to manage everyone - including those who don't work for her. I made a few contacts who want to work with me (not her), so we'll see how it goes.... Sales all go into one place anyway, so no worries.

Business Trip

So I am now scheduled to go on my first business trip. While I have always wanted a job that required travel I find myself frustrated. I am supposed to go go a trade show this Thursay. That may sound great, but it is in Anaheim. That may not seem like anything, except for a Disney person like myself. I have to be at the Convention Center from 10-6 every day, across from the Happiest Place on the Earth.... talk about torture. My husband has decided to tag along and take the kids. While I am thrilled for them all, this does not make ME happy. My entire family will be having fun, riding rides, eating, drinking, etc. while I am working the entire time. My time is compensated, and yet they are benefiting from it.... not quite fair, but, if my kids are having fun, I'm good. I hope my youngest enjoys her trip since this would be the first trip to Disneyland that she can actually ride "big kid" rides. I just wish I could be there to see it.

Marketing

My work background is accounting and admin. I work for a very small company (as in the owner and myself), that sells a product. I handle customer service issues, sales, accounts payable, accounts receivable, search for sales leads, basically anything. I am getting a crash course in marketing, and find the whole process rather boggling. Buyer personas, demographics, etc. It's a slow cooker people... how do I know what a vegetarian is looking for in their crock pot??? Anyway, hopefully this will sell and I can actually make some money. That's the problem with getting paid low on an hourly basis, with bonuses being dependent on sales. I need to figure out how to increase sales - hmmm, back to sales & marketing. Great....