Finding Gaby

I was contemplating on whether or not to post today. Technically, there is no challenge going on, so missing a day wouldn't matter. But I've been doing so well, writing every day, that I kinda don't want to stop that streak. So, here I am. I had another day off from work (one of the many problems with working part-time is you have too many days off), so I did laundry, changed my sheets, organized my room. Basically getting myself set up for February. Oh and I also finished another book! Yep, I managed to squeeze another book out of the month of January! Bringing my count to 8 books for 2018. And according to GoodReads I am 5 books ahead of schedule, which is great because I know I'm gonna hit a dry spell at some point and do not want to fall behind. I've found a writing challenge to do for February. You can actually find this one and prompt for the rest of the year at this site. Not sure how much of these challenges I'm going to do, but I'll...

Just got back from the bank and Sephora. Deposited some money for my parents and picked up my birthday gift from Sephora. Nothing like free makeup! Even if its tiny travel sized makeup, I'll still find a use for it. I still have to head over to Ulta and get their birthday sampler, but I just didn't feel driving over there to what is practically driving to work (the store is 2 doors down). So I'll pick up their stuff next time I work. IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT!!! Everyone woke up this morning in shock that there was snow on the ground (and ice on the cars), but by the time everyone had to leave for work, the streets were cleared. I did not see that in the forecast. Sadly it looks like we might get snow/rain this weekend, and I am not looking forward to that at all. Keep the snow and ice, and just give me the rain. Alright, last prompt for this 30 Day Writing Challenge. If you're interested in tackling this challenge, check out my "Day 1" post where I link ...

Well, the plans are now underway in making my proposal a reality. Spent the majority of my shift organizing a new central Communications Hub, and now everything is in place for success, it's just now up to my team to follow through and continue this success. Go me! Speaking of "Go me", me should go and do today's prompt (that was terrible, I know). Day 29: What are your goals for the next 30 days. I actually have a number of goals I'd like to hit this coming month (and it's really going to be 28 days as it is February and I'm short a few days). I'd like to continue this writing challenge. I kinda like writing about a different topic every day. Some days it does feel a little tedious, a little boring, but there are other days where I actually enjoy myself. Some of these prompts really force me to think, not only about the content but how to get the right words out to share said content. Along with all the reading I've been doing, I feel tha...

Well did another presentation today, this time to my General Manager and 2 other Leads, and they were all pretty impressed and excited about my proposed changes. How about that? It's weird, I'm able to do all of these impressive things, I work hard, and my results show that I'm more than capable of really doing some awesome work. But when it comes down to proud of myself or accepting the recognition for doing a great job or going above and beyond... I just can't. My answer lately has been "I'm just doing my job", which is about half the truth. Half in the sense that yes this is my job, but what I'm actually doing is going beyond what is being asked of me. So I'm a little confused as to what the heckles am I supposed to do with this recognition. I think I'll celebrate when they systems I'm proposing are in full effect and are working efficiently. Once everyone is on board and this is working without second-guessing, then I'll celebr...

Day 27: Conversely, write about something that's kicking ass right now.  This feels like an AP English assignment, that is if I'm understanding the use of the word "Conversely". Most white allies would rather not use their privilege for anything other than making a small statement, although conversely some white allies will be kick ass like Jessica Chastain and use her position of power to make sure her costar Octavia Spencer be paid the same as she, using her white privilege for good. That is the standard definition and use of "Conversely" that I am aware of. Or do they mean "conversationally"? In that case: Did you guy hear how Jessica Chastain is totally kicking ass right now? From what I read online, she saw that her friend and co-star Octavia Spencer was getting the same amount of pay that she was getting for the same project. So instead of just stating her objection like most white allies, she actually did something about it. She to...

Just finished watching last nights Grey's Anatomy. I still can't believe that I've been watching that show since 2015. My dedication to the show has lasted long that the majority of my relationships/friendships/etc. Insane. Anyways, the last few episodes have been meh, nothing too interesting let alone memorable, but the April centric episode, along with Jo's abusive husband, AND the little boy who was shot, yeah tugged the heartstring to the point where I was sobbing, so you know it was a good episode. So as I dry my tears and wonder if the reason I can't breathe is due to the crying or of this cold that is slowly taking over... Day 26: Write about an area in your life that you'd like to improve. All of it? My health, meaning I could stand to use 30 lbs. And as soon as it's a little warmer outside, I'm gonna get back to running (or at least attempting to). I wish I was smarter, and I'm doing so by reading and learning more I wish I had...

Yeah, I think I overdid this presentation/proposal for work. I'm pretty sure my manager is just expecting a simple sitdown where we hash out future plans that may or may not be fully implemented. Instead, I have a PowerPoint presentation, notes to hand out, and a fully realized memorandum to give to her as well as my general manager. Dude, I'm making changes! Whether or not it's good, well time will tell. Ok now onto today's prompt, since its a bit involved. Day 25:  Think about any word. Search it on Google Images. Write something inspired by the 12th image. What the hell? Do I really have to do this? Well in order to hold myself accountable for this I guess that means I do. And I guess that's the whole premise of my work planned for today. It is all about accountability. And that's one thing I can say in favor of my former employer, that the lines of accountability and responsibility were clearly drawn. Everyone knew exactly what they were in charge of...

Holy Heckles, so aside from the two(?) days I missed and later caught up on, I'm almost done with this 30-day challenge. Not bad! But I'm still nowhere near where I want to be personally with my writing nor have a clue what it is I want to do with this. So write on I will until I do! Went with a co-worker (technically my boss) to the movies today to see I, Tonya. I enjoyed it. And I learned today that Regal is putting an expiration on their points. I have over 150K points, which I have no clue what to do with, so it looks like I'll be going to the movies a lot more in order to use them up before they expire. Yay! Ok let's get to this, I gotta finish writing up a presentation for tomorrow in regards to the future of Visual Merchandising in my store. Day 24: Write  about a lesson you've learned the hard way. Oh boy. I've learned many lessons the hard way. Hell, life has been hard thus the lessons are hard. But here are a few key points. Trust no one ...

Yay! First day off since my vacation! It's rare that I work 5 days straight (yay retail), but it was nice to be able to do so. My work week is usually split up into 2-4 work days and then a day off, or the random 7 day work weeks and then a day off (I hate those). But I've got two days off before my next to shifts, then another day off. Now how am I going to spend this first day off? I was planning on going for a run, but I just can't find it in myself to leave the house. It's a weird feeling. It's not laziness, as I have a couple dozen other things to do, it's just a weird feeling or foreboding and disappointment. I can't properly describe it, but I'm sure it falls into the category of high functioning depression. But like I said, I have a ton of things to do these next two days, so it's not like I'm going to be hiding in bed until I have to go back to work. Now my room is pretty organized, meaning that everything I own has a designated hom...

Can I just say I wish paystubs were available sooner? Ok, it's like this: Pay period ends on a Saturday. Management finalizes payroll on Sunday (ideally). Paystubs are available to view on Thursday (if you're lucky) Payday is on Friday. Why does it take a week? You'd think in this day and age they would be able to streamline this process so we don't have to wait so many days in between. Now I'm not asking for my money earlier, I just want my paystub so I know what I'm getting paid (well at least to match what I've already calculated) so that I can plan out my budgeting for the next two weeks. Anyways, that's what's on my mind at the moment (aside from work drama, but I don't want to get into that due to the fact I have no clue who is reading, but let me just say this "gondolas"). Day 22: Put your music on shuffle and post the first ten songs. Ok, let me preface this with the fact that I currently have 26,825 songs...

Day 21: What three lessons do you want your children to learn from you. Assuming I ever have children, which right is looking like something that might not happen... I would hope to pass on a sense of adventure. Make sure that my kids are always ready and willing to try something new. I like to think I'm pretty opened minded, so I want my kids to be the same. I like to say that you can't really figure out what you don't like before trying it out, be that food, an activity, a movie, etc. Try it first, and then figure out if it's for you, that way you can defend yourself over why you do or do not like it. Second, I would like them to learn to love and respect the art of storytelling, storytelling in all things. A story doesn't have to be told with words like in a book, an oral telling, or even in a movie. People tell stories through almost everything they do. From artwork to pictures, to how one lives their lives. They need to respect the art as well as reco...

Just going to jump into this one. It was a long day at work and I think I'm going to go to bed early. Day 20: Post about three celebrity crushes. Ooo this is dangerous. Ok, let's start with the man of steel. Seriously, just look at that face. Best looking Superman. I just can't. Henry Cavill is just incredibly handsome. Next, Stana Katic. Yeah, really. That's another face I really like. I also really love her as Kate Beckett in the tv show Castle. The rest of the work she's done has been pretty interesting, and she's a bit of a goober (at least what she's allowed us to see), so yeah, def a crush. And lastly: Mr. Tom Hardy. Yep, another amazing face. And on top of it, a pretty damn good actor. Oh and runner-ups included: Daisy Riddley, Gal Gadot, and a couple of the guys from One Direction.

Not much to write today. Roads were still iced over this morning, caught a ride to work with one of my managers. Work was work (though I was productive), and then spent the afternoon sleeping and watching Legends of Tomorrow So yeah, not much. So onto the topic! Day 19: Discuss your first love. How about no? Or how about we mix things up a bit. Movies and Music. My mom likes to tell this story. When she took me to see The Little Mermaid back in 1989, I was 3 (who takes a 3-year-old to the movies?). She says that I was enraptured by the screen for the entire film, I didn't fuss, I was hooked. But she knew me, she knew that as soon as the movie finished I would probably get upset and start to cry. So as the movie came to a close, she started to warn me that the movie was going to end. But no matter my mother's warnings, I still started to sob as soon as the movie ended, causing a chain reaction with all the other kids in the theater. This happened a few more times...

It's like a 2 for 1 day. Two posts in one day! So back to the snow day, what sucks is not only is it cold, but now everything is frozen, and I can't drive in this ice/snow mess. So I have to rely on my coworkers to pick me off and drop me off. I'm lucky I live very close to the store, it just sucks that I have to rely on other people. Which brings me to today's post: Day 18:  Post 30 facts about yourself. I don't like to rely on anyone but myself. People can fail you. You failing yourself is a little harder (at times) to do, so yeah, I don't like to rely on others. I'm a DC fangirl. Never could get into Marvel, and the movies just kind of annoy me, but I've got a soft spot for DC movies and comics. I'm a picky eater. And as we learned about Capricorns, I just hate everything at one point or another, hence the picky eater. I love movies, almost to the point where if I let myself I will get lost in them and never dig my way out. It's a...

So we had a snow day yesterday. And in binge-watching DC Legends of Tomorrow (just started watching) and just doing plain nothing I completely forgot to do yesterday's post. So without further ado. Day 17: YOU'RE LATE GABY!  Post about your Zodiac sign, and whether or not it fits you. I'm a Capricorn. Which to sum up what I've read over the years, I am: Responsible, and disciplined. I have self-control and am well managed. I am a know-it-all. I can be unforgiving, condescending. I am pessimistic, always expecting the worst. I believe in strong family ties and tradition. Music, as well as quality craftsmanship, are valued highly. I hate or dislike almost everything at some point in my life. With the exception of self-control and discipline... Then again, when I put m mind to it, I can impress even myself. But yeah, I'm a Capricorn through and through. It's both a blessing and a curse. But now here is the real question. Am I all these tra...

I am 32 years old today. And I am feeling every one of those years. Now I can get all maudlin and start talking about my regrets and fondest memories, but isn't that the point of this blog already? HAAAA Ok, onto today's topic. I've got a busy day ahead of me and don't want this hanging over my head. Day 16 (my birthday):  Something that you miss. Now, what was that about not getting all maudlin today? Well since it is my birthday, this is going to be birthday related. I miss birthday parties. When I was a kid (through high school actually), I would have these awesome birthday parties. Like my parents went out of their way to make it feel incredibly special. One year my parents hired a magician-clown! As terrifying as that sounds, it was awesome, plus I'm a sucker for a good magic trick. Another year I had a movie marathon with my friends. A few years there I also had slumber parties. And one year, even a pool party (ah, the benefits of growing up in...

Ahh, there are only a few days left of my vacation. I go back to the real world on Thursday and I am not ready. But that is life, and unless it snows Wednesday (which is looking more likely every hour), I'm stuck going back. Lovely. Ok let's make this quick, I've got a lot of stuff to do today. Day 15:  Bullet point your whole day. Lovely, this should keep me in check to make sure I finish what I need to do. And in relation, I just finished making my February layout for my bullet journal. A post shared by Gabs (@agentgabs) on Jan 15, 2018 at 10:00am PST  So you can put that on the very top of my day's accomplishments (also hey, check out my instagram!) Finish Bullet Journal layout for February. Change bedsheets. Start organization of all bookshelves Start from the top of the desk, take everything down, sort (keep/trash) and put back in new order. Continue onto bookshelves, resort "read" and "to read" to fit in new ...

I've been cleaning all day today. Mostly organizational cleaning, making sure my files are in order, everything in my room is in its place, that kind of cleaning. I actually enjoy this type of organization, except I find myself stopping the middle of something to do something else, or look at something, then get distracted to the point where I have to stop myself and start over again. Never an easy thing, but it is what it is. This post is one of those things that is currently distracting me from putting away my laundry. :) Day 14:  Post your favorite movies that you never get tired of watching, Ok if I were to post all of my favorite movies, I'd be here all day. And also that is going to be the premise of my future blog projects, so I don't want to jump the gun just yet. Gotta get more knowledge in this little head before I can attempt this. But I can give you guys a top 5 for now (in no particular order) #1- The Mummy (1999) - It's a fun adventure movie, and ...

Can we just say how awesome it is that we're on day 13 and I haven't missed a post yet? As soon as my desk is in order and my life is a little more organized, I'll post how I'm able to keep myself in check to publish these posts. And maybe start separating the personal posts from the daily writing challenges, or maybe keep them? I'm not sure yet. With no real feedback from the 1 or 2 readers (or are you just bots?) I have no idea what is working and what isn't. Of course maybe if I actually told someone about this blog, then I'd get more readers. Oh well, the whole point right now is for me to get comfortable with putting my thoughts to paper (thoughts to screen?) and to get into the habit of posting daily, then we'll worry about readers and layouts. Ok, on with the writing challenge!! Day 13:  What are you excited about? How about not turning 32? I don't like this "getting older" thing. This "aging" thing. And yes I kno...

WELL, I JUST DISCOVERED A $25 FOR MACY'S THAT I GOT BACK IN 2013 AND  NEVER USED! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Well, it's still 4 days away, BUT STILL! That put me in a really good mood. Today is all about cleaning and purging my files and desk area. I haven't started, but at least I've got the laundry going. Yesterday I did a deep clean of my bathroom, scrubbed every piece of tile. I just don't want to use it now because I don't want it to get dirty (used?) again, but oh well, I do need to shower. Day 12:  Write about five blessing in your life. Finally! Something positive! I feel like the last week has been all depressing topics! Ok, five blessings. I guess this means good things in my life? I never understood that term "blessings. Is it a religious thing? Am I a bad Catholic for never really paying attention to the priest or to being blessed? Who is doing the blessing? God? Is there even a God? Ok things got kinda heavy there. Five Blessings. L...

The first day of my vacation and I manage to burn myself. As I was pouring myself a cup of tea, the boiling water that was supposed to go into my cup splashed onto my hand. Lucky for me I was right next to the kitchen sink, so while still pouring said cup I ran my now burnt hand under the cold water. I must have moved pretty fast as there was practically no time for me to feel the burn (or the cold for that matter...). My skin did not blister, but I kept good watch throughout the day, it's just a little pink. But boy did that give me a scare. Day 11:  Something you always think "What If..." about What if I had actually burned myself pretty badly? Ok did I just make a post about not thinking about what ifs? "The last thing you want is to look back on your life and wonder if only." Well, I'll play along. I wonder if only I hadn't gone to FSU. If only I hadn't let my depression get the better of me. If only I hadn't wasted so much time in ...

Oh god, I almost don't want to do this because I'm just too tired to think, but I'm on a roll and I can't stop now. Ok, just going to jump in. Day 10: Write about something which you feel strongly. Damn today had to be the tough topic. Let's see... something I feel strongly about. Ok, so funny story. In my High School Spanish class, we had an assignment where we needed to write a small paper on something we wanted for Christmas, and like the smartass I am, I had my mom translate Sandra Bullock's response in the clip, and wrote that down in my paper. I am pretty sure that my Spanish teacher didn't get the joke. Now other than making bad jokes, I'm not sure what I feel strongly about. Are we talking about political views or social issues? Personal issues?  How about the love of storytelling, and the idea that everyone should have the exposure to different types of storytelling, be it oral, written, visual, etc? I'm passionate a...

What is it about me that makes the dudes from Autozone follow me around and then question my purchases? Do I look like I don't know anything about my car? My front left headlight died some time ago (didn't notice until Sunday, I don't do much night driving since IT'S COLD!). So yesterday I took apart my front bumper, because in my car that's how you get to the headlights (Thanks, Chevy), and realized that I didn't already have a spare light, so I took a picture, put everything back together and went on my merry way. This morning, I get up and head over to the Autozone, knowing full well where the lights are (I think I've had to change every light since I bought the car) and knowing exactly which light to get. The dude up and follows me through the store asking if I need help. I kindly tell him that "no, I'm good, but thanks." Dude I work retail, I know your job. While I'm looking for the right light, again he asks if I need help, again I...

Well, the good news is that we had a pretty successful inventory, no clue what the overall numbers were, and it's not like I would share them here. And it looks like all the prep work I did with our CS closet paid off to the point where it was all pre-counted and in super fast time. Two of my managers were incredibly appreciative to the point where I pick from a series of rewards/recognition as their way of thanking me for doing my job. Which always makes me wonder if me doing what I perceive to be the very basics of my job (which includes trying to make my life and everyone else's life easier) is really going above and beyond to everyone else. It's interesting when you look at it like that. Oh, what is it to have such a work ethic? Ok onto the next day of this 30 day writing challenge! And hey look at that! We've made it through a week!! Day 8:  Share something that you struggle with. Well, I've already written about body image, and about work performance...

It's inventory day at work, which means after just about 2 weeks of crazy preparation we can finally just count every piece of stock we have. Yay. Wish us luck and hope that our numbers aren't too crazy. And since I have less than 45 mins to punch out this entry, we're just going to dive in. Day 7: List 10 songs that you're loving right now. Ok, I'm not the most caught up person with music right now, especially when I'm going through every mp3 that I own and categorizing and rating each song, I don't get much chance to hear something more than once. But this is what I've got. #1- My Shot from Hamilton: An American Musical Yeah, I'm a Hamilhead. And this song is just... wow. Not only is it a great "I want" song in a Musical production sense, but it's a great song overall. When I need that little pick me up because I feel like no matter what I do, the end results will not have been worth or worse I know I'll fail, I ...

Cramps plus a cold suck. I have spent the entire day curled up in my reading chair under a blanket with a heating pad and a book, dozing between chapters. And while I am almost done with my book, I am not feeling much better. Well, let's get today's topic out of the way so I can go back to whatever. Day 6:  Five ways to win your heart. Right now I will just take anyone who can get rid of my cramps and make having my period bearable. But I know that is more information than anyone wanted, but if you're going to win my heart, that's part of it. Ok, in all seriousness. I am single, I am not looking for anything from anyone, and am perfectly fine living my life all alone. Depressing for some, I know, but I am content. Or am I just content because I don't feel like I'm in a place right now in my life where I can care about another person because I can barely care about myself? The jury is still out on that one. BUT if I were looking and this person were to ...

I'm late, I'm sorry. But after work today I was just too tired to do anything but curl up with a heat pack and watch youtube videos. After dinner and a movie with my family, I did the same thing. So you can blame Daisy Ridley and Claire Foy for the lateness of this post. And after a long week at work, can you blame me for wanting to take a few hours to myself? I didn't think so :) Ok on the next topic of this 30 Day writing challenge! Day 5:  List 5 places you want to visit. Well, that's easy. London Paris Cairo The Academy Museum in L.A. (opens in 2019) Space Alright, and good night! Ok, I'm kidding, I won't end the post so soon, but off the top of my head, that is my list.  London and Paris are two easy places to pick, I have always wanted to go and visit all the historical sites and museums. In fact, it would be a dream to get lost in the Lurve and/or the Tower of London. I'm a sucker for a good history lesson. I think I...

Just finished reading Pride and Prejudice, and oh my poor cold heart was just all warm and fuzzy afterward. Nothing like a good book to lift your spirits when needed. I was tempted to tackle either Doctor Zhivago or Anna Karenina next because clearly I just want to hurt but then thought better of it and from a suggestion from a friend, decided that Sense and Sensibility should be next. So I'm now reading Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. I thought I needed a bit of a palate cleanser before I dived back into the reference period. Because nothing says palate cleanser like a bunch of Vikings! Ok, on to this 30 writing challenge! Day 4:  Write about someone who inspires you. Oh, this is just too difficult. I am not inspired by one single person. I am inspired by maybe one or two things a person does, but by a whole person? No. Everyone has their faults, or traits we may not find endearing, and then there are things that they do that we elevate to levels of inspira...