le lapin gris

I know I haven’t been updating very much, but life is tough as un lapin gris - hopping around, making sure my fur is kept fluffed, getting enough fiber and carotene intake (carrots. yum), and everything else that has to be seen to and done.  It’s a wonder I haven’t gotten the nobel peace prize for managing life!  Is that a category?  If not, somebody needs to go speak with that peace board.

Ok, enough tomfoolery.  I’ve just been busy, and trying to branch out more with making connections in my local community.  After I stopped going to the church that I had a seven-year relationship with back in May, I was a little bit caught in a social trough.  And just everyday relying on Boy and Boy relying on me to meet all of our social needs was exhausting for both of us.  But now, I’m making new friends, establishing new routines (girls’ night hump day!), and have found that it’s been really enriching for every aspect of my life, including my relationship with Boy.  DUH! I know, but hey, better that I got it late than never.

There’s also been exciting development at work.  Remember the banking project I had mentioned earlier?  Well, things have finally come to a head.  The presentation was complete, but had only been discussed within the original planning team.  On Tuesday, my boss’ boss comes to me and asks whether I want to present at the senior leadership team meeting (including CFO, Treasurer, Controller, several VPs of departments).  Basically, put me in a spot where I really wanted to say no, but couldn’t because the exposure opportunity was too good to turn down.  I mad prepped on Tuesday and throughout Wednesday, up to an hour or so before the meeting.  Long story short, the information was received very well, and I’ve been invited back to present again at the executive leadership team meeting (including even more bigwigs!).  

Final update: I got three movies from the library today.

1. Sixteen Candles
2. Sleeping Beauty (Disney)
3. The Rescuers Down Under

P.S.  I’m in the process of getting a new camera!  Once I get the photo editing and disk space on my laptop figured out, I’ll post more pictures.  

P.P.S. Hello Hawaii in two weeks!

Walked up three flights of stairs with my boss (we wanted to get some exercise) to go speak with some lawyers about a questionable document that was to be signed.  Found two of them congregated in an office.  Discussed the implications of “we” and “of” and other verbal intricacies, and decided that the entire document needed to be reworded and reformatted.  Then, all the men flipped out their iPhones and compared generations.  They all looked at me like “no, didn’t bring yours?”  No, I don’t have one.  But I do have an iPod touch that I really like.  I said in my head :)

Birthday weekend to commence in a little over an hour!

From a coworker.  You try to decipher this email.  Something about an out of office and his blackberry and today.  Welcome to my life.

Exciting developments at work.  I mentioned before that we were interviewing several international banks in efforts to make large overhauls to our current state of banking operations.  We’ve been thoroughly wined, dined, and wooed (not literally, only board room meeting-type flirtations), and have now married our bank of choice.  Now comes the difficult part of implementation and system roll-out.

I’ve been chosen to head the process from the finance side.  One of the executive team members hand picked me and I was reaffirmed by my boss, who made me duly note that this would make a lasting impact on our business operations if done correctly.  He closed by saying he was confident that I would do a good job in coordinating this grand conversion - estimated to take 12 to 18 months.

So while I’m very pleased that my superiors have placed so much faith in me, I also know that I can not botch this up.  My company has given me a chance to step up to the plate, and step to it I will!

While running for the elevator, I caught the company Prez and CFO coming back from their lunch meeting.  I was actually on my way to drop off a letter for signature with the CFO, but took the opportunity to gab it up with the two talking heads of the corp.  Later, the CFO invited me back to his office to sit and chat awhile.  I asked him whether he had been updated about this big banking transition project I’ve been apart of.  He said yes, but wanted to hear my perspective.  I opened my mouth and all these pros and cons and thoughts and concerns came flowing out about this bank and the others.  Maybe it was the new eyeliner I was sporting or that I was wearing one of my favorite outfits or that I just plain knew what I was talking about, but I was so comfortable talking and sharing with him.  At the end, he congratulated me on learning so much from this project and seemed very pleased with the direction our team was taking.

Not to toot my own horn, but I’d say that 15 minute meeting was rocked.

I’m in a really foul mood.  Headache, a bottle of Coke Zero, a half drunken Nalgene of water, emails galore asking me to do this and that, fingers tap tap tap on the keyboard.  Yes, I know it is my job to sit here and respond to emails.  Yes, I know it is my responsibility to be the end-forwards of your out of office bullshit.  Yes, I am drinking water to try to fight off this headache.  Yes, I plan on grabbing something to eat and spending Friday night with redbox.  It’s not the fact that I’m doing this that pisses me off.  It’s the fact that I planned this and am actually looking forward to it that rubs me just the wrong way.  And now! it’s the fact that I’m rubbed the wrong way and can’t enjoy my Friday night!!

Oh yeah, I also hate it when people hang up the phone before I’ve finished my end of the conversation!  F-you inconsiderate phone counterpart(s).  F-me attention seeking HEADACHE mess!

tgif.  rant.  over.

Happy weekend y’all!

I’m trying to read and analyze financial statements issued by a Guatemala-based company.  I’m not sure how people in my position handled it before iGoogle Translator, but all I can say is that I am one lucky gal.

Activo corriente = current assets :)

Just came out of a two+ hour meeting with a large international bank.  It was in a board room - six from our side and four from theirs (Madison Ave, New York based).  About halfway through the presentation, I had a burning question that was relevant to our corporation needs as well as specifically to my role.  I waited and waited until the Q&A session, and was nervous/excited/relieved to finally be able to ask.  My voice eeped out as per usual, sounding like a typical first grader.  I didn’t even have the mental capacity to lower my voice as I do sometimes in such settings because I was a little nervous.  The senior exec and my manager nodded their heads in agreement to the concern I brought to the table - it was a good question!  Now if only I didn’t sound as if I were only six.

Another positive thing that happened or didn’t happen was that I didn’t drop any pens so no crawling under the table was necessary today.  Two wins, one loss.  

I’ve been working on this fee comparison spreadsheet off and on for a week now.  The information going in is mountainous and I just realized that it’s become so much that the whole ease of side by side comparison has been lost. 

Starting over.  Ug.

Just got out of a meeting with our corporate bank reps.  In a board room, surrounded by suited-up old white guys.  My manager and male coworker were invited to a hockey game in their box next week.  I was not.  Typical.

Postscript. And because I’m so put-together and with it, I projectiled my pen cap under the table mid-meeting while fumbling with my pen.  Had to wait for everyone to leave the room before crawling under the table to get it back.  I’m awesome.

Postpostscript. Because the whole scenario really needed an Asian woman crawling around on all fours to make it complete.  ha, I made a funny.