Goodness.
It has been so long since I last blogged... probably the longest I have ever gone. So a little update on my life. As amazing and a whirlwind as the last few weeks have been with the new engagement news, I have really been focusing on my studies. If you do not know already, I am preparing to take my Series 7 exam, which is a general securities representative exam. One of the great things about working for UBS is that they are preparing me to become a registered representative. Basically what this means is I can take orders (of financial securities ie. stocks, bonds, options ect) from clients and trade on public and private markets. In order to officially become registered, I will need to pass two exams, the Series 7 and Series 66. I will be taking the Series 7 in May. It is a 6 hour test with a 1 hour lunch break and will test my knowledge and skills on my entire finance career. The best way for me to describe the test is an accumulation of all of the finance classes I took in college. Once I pass the 7 I will go on to take the 66 which will test me primarily on state and government laws. Without a passing score on both tests (72%), I will not become registered. This means I have been studying my butt off. The weather is finally warming up but I am still inside with my giant Kaplan book and online tests. It's a privilege to be sponsored to take the exam but that does mean that I have put blogging, cooking, and free time on the back burner. Most of the weekly meals have been quick and easy and not very exciting in order to pack a gym session, dinner, a study session, and a shower all in 5 hours or less. Bear with my through this process and I will be back to my regular blog posts in no time.
I thought I would post a few pictures of what I have been up to the last few weeks when I haven't been studying. Hope you had a great weekend and were able to get out and enjoy the weather. Its around 11am and I have already knocked out three chapters of my book + a blog post so I will definitely reward myself with a nice walk around the lake on this beautiful day :)
Damian parents gave us twins tickets to yesterday's game. It was the perfect weather for a baseball game!
I also attended the Women Connect brunch yesterday. It is an annual luncheon to honor and network with UST women with amazing careers. It is set up with tables of 8 women, one being the conversationalist. Last year I attended the event (the above picture is this years invite with a picture of me on it!) and sat with the CFO of Piper Jaffery. This year I sat with an executive of Ameriprise Financial. It is really an amazing event!
While in La Crosse for Easter, Damian and I stopped at Del's bar for the best bloody mary's that I have ever had. One of the best parts? The spotted cow chaser!
I got the chance to celebrate a very cold St. Patty's day with Meagan. With both of our busy schedules, our rare encounters are unforgettable.
Damian's parents helped dog sit for Lu's sister Sophie. I had to go and visit a few times because obviously two goldens are better than one.
This is an oldie but I found it on my phone and thought it was too adorable not to post :) Love you girls!
These are what Damian describes as: The most ugly delicious oats ever. I guess a Mango Kiwi oatmeal bake doesn't look that great but it sure tasted amazing.
We stopped at the St. Paul Cheese shop a few saturdays ago before a full day of studying in the library. Holy amazingness.
Damian and I attended the Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, and Styxx concert a few fridays back with people from my office. It was truly a hilarious and fun night.
I snapped this picture of our back yard on my way to work last week. Yes, last week in the middle of April.
Study dates with Carly can't get much better than tea at Rustica, a after study reward of walking around Lake Calhoun, and yogurt lab to finish a perfect day.
I can't guarantee a post will publish this week but I promise I have a few recipes to write about! Have a great week.
