From the Big Apple to the Big D.  Training was good fun, though after one week back in Texas, it's almost as if I was never there.  Fortunately, there are pictures to prove it - in fact, I filled a 200 photo album with them this weekend...

Facing Reality.  I've always professed that my work comes second to a lot of things - namely, friends and family, food and football - and so far, I've been somewhat successful in maintaining that priority order.  However, I am now realizing that although I may try to keep work behind other more "important" priorities, the new job is going to force me to choose it first, whether I like it or not.  Engage the period of transition...

Lyrics I'm Liking Right Now..."I never thought I'd walk away from you. I did. But it's a false sense of accomplishment, Every time I quit..."  "¿Porqué es tan cruel el amor? Que no me deja olvidar, Que me prohíbe pensar, Que me ata y desata, Y luego de a poco me mata, Me bota y levanta, Me vuelve a tirar."  "And if you'd 'a took to me like A gull takes to the wind, Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree And I'd a danced like the kind of the eyesores And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well."

Guess What I'm Having for Thanksgiving?  Castrated turkey - thank you, Miami!  All you folks in L.A. - prepare yourself for the Texan Invasion.  HELLO, PASADENA!!! 

Once Upon a Time, a Girl Became an Investment Banker…or at least I’m on my way there.  This week has been interesting, to say the least.  The co-workers are great (and a little insane), which is a relief since I’ll spend more time with them in the next two years than I have with most of my family and friends in the time that I’ve know them.  From a work standpoint, I can tell that I’m going to enjoy it (dangerous!) and that there’s potential for me to be really good at it.  But I can’t jump in just yet; there’s still training to get through.  And while I should be looking forward to two months in NY, right now I’m itching to do work.  I’m trying to control the emotion by reminding myself to enjoy the downtime while I have it because I don’t think there will be much of it, come November (especially since I am now linked 24/7 to work via a Blackberry).  Unleash the workaholic…

Nerd ALERT!  To entice us to training, each of us was given an HP 17BII+ calculator (a fancy business calculator, if that model name doesn’t ring a bell), and I’m in LOVE with it.  I’m going to go home and do a few present value of annuity due and internal rate of return problems.

Job Predictions: I will become addicted to caffeine and start swearing more.  My love for Excel will incorporate an obsession for efficiency and hot keys.  I will be forced to discover a good (and probably expensive) under-eye concealer (if you have any recommendations, I’d appreciate them now).  My refrigerator will be uncharacteristically empty, and my mixer will fall into a depression from neglect.  I will become even more psychotic about nutrition and my health out of paranoia about becoming fat from eating out so much and seeing the gym so little.  I will hate the hours, but I will love my job.

I've Got Baggage, and I'm carrying it all under my eyes right now.  I've not slept much in this last week, but it was well worth it.  I am now best friend to Reena Patel Desai, who made for a beautiful bride.  Tanmay wasn't too shabby himself (I was totally in love with his tux at the reception - it looked very sharp).  The ceremony was short by Indian standards but absolutely perfect and enjoyable.  Can you believe that Tanmay vowed to let Reena manage the finances??  And the reception was awesome.  There was tons of food, a fantastic first dance (ever) by the bride and groom, and I was happy to see Indians and non-Indians alike dancing to Indian songs and oldies.  Even Reena managed to let her hair down a bit at the reception (not literally - there were 300 bobby pins preventing that) and showed up a number of people on the dance floor.  I was very proud.

The Family Von Patel.  I've never seen a family work so hard to pull a wedding off, and I was very honored to be a part of it - though a lot of my participation consisted of staying out of the way of the four women in the kitchen cooking and making grocery runs.  I've always loved Reena's parents -  you'll never have finer hosts - and I was super-impressed to find that much of the extended family is just as gracious and generous.  I say "much" because there were a few nasties, which are to be expected in every family, but I was happy to ignore most of them (though I did christen one Lord Voldemort - she bares a striking resemblance to his movie image).  Each of us is lucky to have one good family; I am blessed because I have two.

Kudos...to Reena's parents for hosting an A-MAZING wedding.  To my parents for denying their reserved tendencies and dancing up a storm at the reception.  To Hansa, Lata, Sheila and Arti who displayed unending energy and generosity.  To Meera for sharing an air mattress with me and for being an all-around great sister.  To Kelly and Emily, my fellow bridesmaids.  To Anjali, my new little shadow.  To Venkat, Tiem and Kunal for the BEST DANCE at the reception; talk about a reason to stay until the end of the party.  To Josh "the Rev" Boots; nicely done.  To Julia and Nora - proof that best friends can last forever.

And to Reena and Tanmay.  I was beaming all day yesterday with happiness, and I am so proud and excited for you.  Enjoy Aruba; I'm looking forward to visiting the new Desais soon!

Great Choice as a First Dance Song: "Your Song" by Elton John

My Cup Runneth Over.  You might remember that in my last post, I mentioned something about loving everyone as a result of massive intake of dessert.  Well, it turns out I didn't even need dessert; my 25th birthday was a great one, thanks to all sorts of folks:

My parents, Ranjan (mom #2) and Reena, who bought me my very beautiful set of dishes, which you all must have the pleasure of eating off of.  The food tastes better, I swear.  Jinhee, the first to officially wish me a happy birthday with a lovely long weekend in Los Angeles and unbelievably generous hospitality.  When it comes to hostesses, she's a cupcake!  (hehe, bad jokes - I love 'em!)  Jaime, who called me all the way from London, England to wish me a birthday and was the first to do so on the day.  Reena (again), who was thinking of me on the way to the bar exam (!!) and called to wish me a good one.  How that girl manages her own life and still has time for mine, I will never know...  To Nancy, who knows exactly how to make someone feel loved on a birthday.  And then she left me alone in Dallas...well not completely alone b/c I've still got Tom, Son and Siam, who still like me even though I don't know things like how to serve a beer (room temperature is BAD).  My sister Emily who's always happy to make the trek from Ft. Worth to Dallas for me and never forgets a birthday.  To Emily and Kelly, who haven't forgotten once in ten years.  To Jeffie Cheng, who gave me a stuffed avocado I can love forever.  For my parents (again) and my Aunt Becky and Uncle Gary who gave me a lovely weekend on the lake...and a Cold Stone cake.  YUM!  To my out-of-towners Anita and Lydia, who called just to make sure I was having lots of fun.  And to lots of others, including a score of people at work and elsewhere.

I have good friends.  My life is good.