In my sidebar, I've added links to the blogs of my friends who take the time to spout their opinions, log their lives, and entertain me. Zach Braff will be my friend when I figure out his social security number, address, and...oh, I mean, he's just got to be followed until his next creation emerges. As you all know, I loved Garden State, and I'm patiently awaiting something new from this guy.
Girls, I need some female representation in my list. Trina, can't you log your wedding plans or something?
Aight, I'm off to finish camping laundry. Interesting trip. A little bit of a culture shock for me I must admit, but that's a different story.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Friday, August 26, 2005
Read Jamie's blog, then go to bed
Well, it's past 2:00 am and I just took a cab with my friend Jamie back to the Beav from Ptown because we missed the last Max Train. We met some socially inept idiot who wore a shirt with 'goodfuckingmuffins.com' emblazoned across it, annoyed the hell out of me, but also scored us a cheap cab. On the ride home, he kept adding "dotcom" to everything he said...it was sooooo not funny.
Tonight at the Portland Beavers baseball game, I heard my name being shouted from somewhere for a few minutes, and looked up from the beer garden to see my friend Bruce smiling and waving at me from the stands. Haven't seen this guy in years, so it was pretty exciting and we ended up hanging out until 1:00 am. We would have hung out longer had Jamie had his way, because he was quite interested in Bruce's cute roomie, but I had to come home and pack for the big camping trip tomorrow, so I ruined his game. I think intercepting a matchup is technically a crime, so I owe him big time.
I've hung out with Jamie the last two nights and showed him around Ptown. He's a pal from high school who did exchange our senior year, so it has been cool to get to spend some time hanging out with him and listening to the extremely proper English he uses. Anyway, last night, we hit Goodfoot and Dublin Pub, and tonight we did Thirsty Thursday, Marathon, and Scooters. He is on a five month vacation from Australia and I am damn jealous. He's off to see more of the world, and then will be back in November for a few days in which I plan to join him for a Death Cab for Cutie concert. In the meantime, check out his blog, The Life and Times of JB. He gives everyone nicknames, and has decided to coin me 'Single Forever' after hanging out with me and hearing my stories. Let's hope that one day I will be 'Married Forever' instead, but I tend to agree that I am on a path of male destruction at the moment, so be it. Oh, but his blog is awesome. He is a journalist back home, and is using the blog to capture his trip and keep his writing muscles strong. Damn good I tell you.
Alright, gotta go pack for what actually happens to be the 10th annual camping trip. Thought it was the 9th, but apparently, I can't add, so that makes this even a bigger deal than before. We've been doing this ten years? Man, I am old. Oh, if you are joining us, just head 12.8 miles up Brietenbush Road off Highway 22 in Detroit. It's a guaranteed good time.
I'm sure I will have a ton to report come Sunday afternoon when I get back home. Stay tuned.
Tonight at the Portland Beavers baseball game, I heard my name being shouted from somewhere for a few minutes, and looked up from the beer garden to see my friend Bruce smiling and waving at me from the stands. Haven't seen this guy in years, so it was pretty exciting and we ended up hanging out until 1:00 am. We would have hung out longer had Jamie had his way, because he was quite interested in Bruce's cute roomie, but I had to come home and pack for the big camping trip tomorrow, so I ruined his game. I think intercepting a matchup is technically a crime, so I owe him big time.
I've hung out with Jamie the last two nights and showed him around Ptown. He's a pal from high school who did exchange our senior year, so it has been cool to get to spend some time hanging out with him and listening to the extremely proper English he uses. Anyway, last night, we hit Goodfoot and Dublin Pub, and tonight we did Thirsty Thursday, Marathon, and Scooters. He is on a five month vacation from Australia and I am damn jealous. He's off to see more of the world, and then will be back in November for a few days in which I plan to join him for a Death Cab for Cutie concert. In the meantime, check out his blog, The Life and Times of JB. He gives everyone nicknames, and has decided to coin me 'Single Forever' after hanging out with me and hearing my stories. Let's hope that one day I will be 'Married Forever' instead, but I tend to agree that I am on a path of male destruction at the moment, so be it. Oh, but his blog is awesome. He is a journalist back home, and is using the blog to capture his trip and keep his writing muscles strong. Damn good I tell you.
Alright, gotta go pack for what actually happens to be the 10th annual camping trip. Thought it was the 9th, but apparently, I can't add, so that makes this even a bigger deal than before. We've been doing this ten years? Man, I am old. Oh, if you are joining us, just head 12.8 miles up Brietenbush Road off Highway 22 in Detroit. It's a guaranteed good time.
I'm sure I will have a ton to report come Sunday afternoon when I get back home. Stay tuned.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Look, Pictures
Well, I have decided that it is time for me to go out and buy a digital camera. I took in a roll of APS film today, and found that I just don't take enough pictures anymore. I used to be a camera monster, flashing people as they slept peacefully, capturing random candids to use as blackmail ammo for later. So to realize that I have only taken one roll of 25 print APS film this entire summer just bothers me.
Here are some other reasons for my digital camera NEED (that's right, not want, need):
1) I need the instant gratification of seeing the picture and demanding that everyone pose again for a retake because someone's eyes are closed.
2) I need to find out BEFORE I get the prints that every picture I took with my girlfriends who are rarely all together at once turned out dark. With our schedules, it's hard to know when we will all be together again, so I need to have a million GOOD framed pictures of them sitting on my shelves at home to tide me over til I get to see them again.
3) I need to realize that I have taken way too many pictures of the dog I am overly obsessed with. Now, I love Bailey, but do I really need 1000 pictures of his dopey smile on my camera?
4) I just need to take more pictures. Life goes by pretty fast, and I think it's good to capture as many of the moments as I can in freeze frame. Pictures tell good stories, and I want to be able to stick a photo book in front of my future kids' faces so that I don't have to talk to them. No, I'll tell them all the stories that go with the each one. As many of you know, I really like to talk...so I would never let my kids get off that easy.
Anyway, there are a few pics from the summer to follow. In the near future, I'll be stealing more pictures to post from those smart people who already joined the digital age. Til then, this is what you get.
Here are some other reasons for my digital camera NEED (that's right, not want, need):
1) I need the instant gratification of seeing the picture and demanding that everyone pose again for a retake because someone's eyes are closed.
2) I need to find out BEFORE I get the prints that every picture I took with my girlfriends who are rarely all together at once turned out dark. With our schedules, it's hard to know when we will all be together again, so I need to have a million GOOD framed pictures of them sitting on my shelves at home to tide me over til I get to see them again.
3) I need to realize that I have taken way too many pictures of the dog I am overly obsessed with. Now, I love Bailey, but do I really need 1000 pictures of his dopey smile on my camera?
4) I just need to take more pictures. Life goes by pretty fast, and I think it's good to capture as many of the moments as I can in freeze frame. Pictures tell good stories, and I want to be able to stick a photo book in front of my future kids' faces so that I don't have to talk to them. No, I'll tell them all the stories that go with the each one. As many of you know, I really like to talk...so I would never let my kids get off that easy.
Anyway, there are a few pics from the summer to follow. In the near future, I'll be stealing more pictures to post from those smart people who already joined the digital age. Til then, this is what you get.
Monday, August 15, 2005
ADD Me
This morning during a team meeting, one of my coworkers started silently laughing while looking at me and then wrote ADD on a napkin, held it up and pointed to me. Later he told me that I was holding my thumbs together a foot in front of my face and switching the blinking of my eyes back and forth as if aiming for my fingers. Guess I was bored with the Ph. D we were on a phone conference with.
My job makes me laugh. Friday, I received a message from a probation officer, and at the end he said 'Love you.' You can imagine the embarrassed message to follow owning up to the mistake as thinking about his fiancee' when he made the call. We talked today and I told him that it is a little too early in our probation officer/counselor relationship to be using such endearing words. Maybe next month instead.
My two male coworkers also entertain me. They have also coined me 'SF' which stands for Single Forever because they say I am too picky to ever settle down. Sadly, they only know my current and past boy interests as a series of names that have included No Commit, Hot Guy, Jock Boy, Smart Boy, The Mormon, Future Friend, Make Out Buddy, and Future Husband. Oh and one of them was called 'F**king Pain in the Ass from time to time too, but we don't need to elaborate right now. When I use real names for the four boys, they are often confused as to who I am talking about, so I just leave it at the nicknames.
They also give me suggestions on dating. One of them says his 45 year old rich brother is single. I said I'd rather die poor and with someone by my side than alone when he kicks the bucket first because he's old. Apparently, that's picky. I also told them that I strategically conned the new Mike into shaving his sideburns shorter, getting rid of his goatee, and not wearing a mini mohawk when he is with me...I mean, it's kind of cute, but no. So they said that's just bitchy. But I did it really nicely. They also know that my age range is a mature 25 to a young 33 or so. Apparently, love isn't supposed to know any age, but I'm sticking to my guns until someone proves me wrong here, thanks.
Aight, random thoughts are over. I am going to bed.
My job makes me laugh. Friday, I received a message from a probation officer, and at the end he said 'Love you.' You can imagine the embarrassed message to follow owning up to the mistake as thinking about his fiancee' when he made the call. We talked today and I told him that it is a little too early in our probation officer/counselor relationship to be using such endearing words. Maybe next month instead.
My two male coworkers also entertain me. They have also coined me 'SF' which stands for Single Forever because they say I am too picky to ever settle down. Sadly, they only know my current and past boy interests as a series of names that have included No Commit, Hot Guy, Jock Boy, Smart Boy, The Mormon, Future Friend, Make Out Buddy, and Future Husband. Oh and one of them was called 'F**king Pain in the Ass from time to time too, but we don't need to elaborate right now. When I use real names for the four boys, they are often confused as to who I am talking about, so I just leave it at the nicknames.
They also give me suggestions on dating. One of them says his 45 year old rich brother is single. I said I'd rather die poor and with someone by my side than alone when he kicks the bucket first because he's old. Apparently, that's picky. I also told them that I strategically conned the new Mike into shaving his sideburns shorter, getting rid of his goatee, and not wearing a mini mohawk when he is with me...I mean, it's kind of cute, but no. So they said that's just bitchy. But I did it really nicely. They also know that my age range is a mature 25 to a young 33 or so. Apparently, love isn't supposed to know any age, but I'm sticking to my guns until someone proves me wrong here, thanks.
Aight, random thoughts are over. I am going to bed.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
For Your Information
I noticed that I haven't written much this past week. What the hell was I doing anyway? Let me pass on the happenings:
Barcode: This place is awesome for late night food. No smoking, awesome pad thai, and a cool atmosphere with a good DJ mixing tunes while you eat.
Dublin Pub: This place in the Raleigh Hills area is pretty fun. The guy/girl ratio is 70/30, and while most of them are pretty much the jock boys I have decided to ban (i.e. Adam got pretty excited when I mentioned I went there Friday night), they are still fun to look at. We were headed downtown, but stopped off here, so I was way over-dressed. Keep that in mind if you head out there because you will look out of place in anything over a t-shirt and jeans.
Family: I went and spent most of Saturday evening with my dad's side of the fam, and it was fun. I feel completely normal hanging out with them, so that's nice.
Darts: I love this game, and played on Tuesday night at the Horse Brass with Mike. He left for AK the next day, and has yet to return. I am officially 'friending' him when he returns though, because I haven't yet, and it still just hasn't evolved into anything I want to get serious about. Oh, but darts, still fun.
Laying by the pool: Everyone needs one day where they lay by a pool, read magazines, and accidentally fry their skin. My day was Saturday, so please pass the aloe.
Meteor Showers: Friday night, after getting bored with the bars, I went up to the Hoyt Arboretum area with a group of friends, a bunch of blankets, and watched the meteors shoot around in the sky. We ran around, acted like a bunch of kids, and had some good conversations while drinking cheap Coors Light out of cans. I felt like I was in high school again, and it was great.
Dixie Tavern: Quite possibly the WORST bar experience ever in my days in Portland. Eight of us basically sucked in a $7 cover to hang out and stand around doing nothing but cry tears of boredom and watch this skeezy guy approach every girl in the bar. This place caters more to the boys, but the five guys with us hated it just as much as the girls. Oh, and what the hell is the cover for? There's no dancing, you have to pay another $5 to ride the mechanical bull (which only drunk ass weirdos and hammered girls trying to look sexy, but failing miserably did), and it will all just remind you of a really bad college party. We stayed 30 minutes, and then just couldn't take the pain any longer. NEVER EVER GO HERE!
Otherwise, I am just looking forward to an upcoming camping trip with several of my friends the last weekend in August. We're hitting the Detroit/Breitenbush area for our 9th annual trip. It is three days of absolute fun, full of catching up, swimming, bridge jumping, forest adventures, and several nice beverages. This year, we are gonna float our little rafts and yellow boats all over too, so that should be fun.
Oh, and of course, we're all happily awaiting the arrival of you too Albright. See you Wednesday when I sleepily climb my stairs to let you in and then stumble back to bed. Speaking of bed, I slept in until 1:00 this afternoon after two insanely late nights this weekend. Time to head back toward the pillow again, so have a good week people.
Barcode: This place is awesome for late night food. No smoking, awesome pad thai, and a cool atmosphere with a good DJ mixing tunes while you eat.
Dublin Pub: This place in the Raleigh Hills area is pretty fun. The guy/girl ratio is 70/30, and while most of them are pretty much the jock boys I have decided to ban (i.e. Adam got pretty excited when I mentioned I went there Friday night), they are still fun to look at. We were headed downtown, but stopped off here, so I was way over-dressed. Keep that in mind if you head out there because you will look out of place in anything over a t-shirt and jeans.
Family: I went and spent most of Saturday evening with my dad's side of the fam, and it was fun. I feel completely normal hanging out with them, so that's nice.
Darts: I love this game, and played on Tuesday night at the Horse Brass with Mike. He left for AK the next day, and has yet to return. I am officially 'friending' him when he returns though, because I haven't yet, and it still just hasn't evolved into anything I want to get serious about. Oh, but darts, still fun.
Laying by the pool: Everyone needs one day where they lay by a pool, read magazines, and accidentally fry their skin. My day was Saturday, so please pass the aloe.
Meteor Showers: Friday night, after getting bored with the bars, I went up to the Hoyt Arboretum area with a group of friends, a bunch of blankets, and watched the meteors shoot around in the sky. We ran around, acted like a bunch of kids, and had some good conversations while drinking cheap Coors Light out of cans. I felt like I was in high school again, and it was great.
Dixie Tavern: Quite possibly the WORST bar experience ever in my days in Portland. Eight of us basically sucked in a $7 cover to hang out and stand around doing nothing but cry tears of boredom and watch this skeezy guy approach every girl in the bar. This place caters more to the boys, but the five guys with us hated it just as much as the girls. Oh, and what the hell is the cover for? There's no dancing, you have to pay another $5 to ride the mechanical bull (which only drunk ass weirdos and hammered girls trying to look sexy, but failing miserably did), and it will all just remind you of a really bad college party. We stayed 30 minutes, and then just couldn't take the pain any longer. NEVER EVER GO HERE!
Otherwise, I am just looking forward to an upcoming camping trip with several of my friends the last weekend in August. We're hitting the Detroit/Breitenbush area for our 9th annual trip. It is three days of absolute fun, full of catching up, swimming, bridge jumping, forest adventures, and several nice beverages. This year, we are gonna float our little rafts and yellow boats all over too, so that should be fun.
Oh, and of course, we're all happily awaiting the arrival of you too Albright. See you Wednesday when I sleepily climb my stairs to let you in and then stumble back to bed. Speaking of bed, I slept in until 1:00 this afternoon after two insanely late nights this weekend. Time to head back toward the pillow again, so have a good week people.
I Like This
Ahh, this is my horoscope for the day, and I kind of think that it is good advice for everyone anyway, so just pretend your sign is where it says 'Cap' if you aren't one:
Remember, dear Capricorn, that it is insane to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. Don't fall into this trap of habitual blindness to the truth of an emotional issue. There is no real need for continual victimization on your part. Take responsibility for your feelings. Dig deep to find the courage to fight. There is nothing you can't accomplish as long as you are focused in the right way.
Yeah, so I decided to hang out with a 'trap' this weekend, and though I had fun, I really don't think I want to start the whole show again. I'd say I need to take responsibility for my actions instead of my feelings though, and this is definitely a two way trap, so whatever.
This is still good advice for severe situations, so I'll try to remember to look back and read this some other day when someone is pissing me off. I am sure that is bound to happen a few more times before I get it right. Of course, I don't really feel like getting it right at this time, because I'm finally having a blast. Hmm, maybe I AM taking responsibility for my feelings after all.
Remember, dear Capricorn, that it is insane to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. Don't fall into this trap of habitual blindness to the truth of an emotional issue. There is no real need for continual victimization on your part. Take responsibility for your feelings. Dig deep to find the courage to fight. There is nothing you can't accomplish as long as you are focused in the right way.
Yeah, so I decided to hang out with a 'trap' this weekend, and though I had fun, I really don't think I want to start the whole show again. I'd say I need to take responsibility for my actions instead of my feelings though, and this is definitely a two way trap, so whatever.
This is still good advice for severe situations, so I'll try to remember to look back and read this some other day when someone is pissing me off. I am sure that is bound to happen a few more times before I get it right. Of course, I don't really feel like getting it right at this time, because I'm finally having a blast. Hmm, maybe I AM taking responsibility for my feelings after all.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Measure Your Life In Love
It's not often that a movie trailer gets me all passionate about going to see a movie, but this one for ***RENT*** does the trick. Kind of makes me want to go out and fall in love with someone too, or maybe just make out with them I suppose. Nah, who am I kidding? This damn preview makes me want to have someone for all the Seasons of Love.
Moving on, I think I have Jessica snared into seeing it because the always heavenly Taye Diggs is in it (oh, and HELLO Jesse L. Martin...damn, you are fine too), and Kim's seen the broadway production and loved it, so I'll have another date. Hmm, maybe I will stay true to my second to last post and actually score a male species who I could drag along too. Anyway, I've never seen the broadway production, but that won't stop me from getting in line on November 23rd to see this. Is it a crime to see the movie before you see the real thing? Guess I will have to make the production stop in Portland and give me a performance before November if it is...that'd be nice.
***The best preview is linked through the main site at: Enter the site then to Videos then to Trailers, so the hyperlink will only get you to the site itself. There's no direct link yet, and I am so not a computer buff...sorry, you gotta do some work to watch it, but it's worth it. Or if you have iTunes, you can watch it from the music store homepage.***
Moving on, I think I have Jessica snared into seeing it because the always heavenly Taye Diggs is in it (oh, and HELLO Jesse L. Martin...damn, you are fine too), and Kim's seen the broadway production and loved it, so I'll have another date. Hmm, maybe I will stay true to my second to last post and actually score a male species who I could drag along too. Anyway, I've never seen the broadway production, but that won't stop me from getting in line on November 23rd to see this. Is it a crime to see the movie before you see the real thing? Guess I will have to make the production stop in Portland and give me a performance before November if it is...that'd be nice.
***The best preview is linked through the main site at: Enter the site then to Videos then to Trailers, so the hyperlink will only get you to the site itself. There's no direct link yet, and I am so not a computer buff...sorry, you gotta do some work to watch it, but it's worth it. Or if you have iTunes, you can watch it from the music store homepage.***
Sunday, August 07, 2005
A Good and Bad List
Haven't done a good and bad list in a while, so I figured that I could probably slam one out based on my week. Here we goooooo...
GOOD
Girl time: My friend Courtney and I had a girl's night on Wednesday, and yesterday, a group of five of us spent the day together doing typical girl things. I have a great collection of girl friends who span friendships as short as a couple months to as long as 15 years, and I appreciate all of them.
The river: What a perfect place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. Bailey got to swim, I got some sun, and I also got to see my friend Chris and his wife for the first time in two years. We had planned to float down it, but ran out of time. It takes four hours, so we're working on making that happen before the summer ends.
My cell phone: I love this thing because I can talk to people on my long drives home from work and get funny texts to cheer on my day. Okay, they are nothing new, but how did we live without these things?
HMMM
Must Love Dogs: Okay, this had John Cusack, and I LOVE him, but overall, this movie kind of bit. Diane Lane's acting was just tanked, and it all just didn't flow. But if I find a guy like John Cusack's character in this movie, I would be one happy camper, let me tell you. He was too cute.
BAD
Sorry guys: Last night, I was once again pretty tired, so I ended up never making it to Chopsticks to see Pete and Marcus. Once I headed home to get my car, I was as good as done. Oh, and Pete, you sound nothing like Marcus, so you betta not think you can trick me on the phone again. I swear I will make it next time. And hey, at least I know where it is now because it's by the Baghdad, and...
Waiting: Service at the Baghdad sucked this afternoon and some guy named Two Feathers kept bothering our tables and scared the hell out of my dog (who joined us for lunch care of dog friendly patio seating). Brian, Mike, and I waited over 30 minutes for our food. Yes, their food is good, but we had planned to eat fast so we could hit the river. Having patience was a pain in the ass man.
Dissolving marriages: Some of my friends are getting to the possible separation/divorce stage of marriage. Damn, this sucks. I was hoping it just wouldn't happen to anyone I know, but it is. That's all I have to say about it at the moment...it sucks.
Duh: If you don't know what this vague category is about, you just don't know me well enough yet to be allowed to know. But it includes having to bite my bleeping tongue and be very nice. I swear I will, but that doesn't change my viewpoint...punk.
Aight, Jon's mentioning that the lyrics to Candy Shop by 50 Cent are funny. Never heard the song, but I guess you'll have to give it a try.
GOOD
Girl time: My friend Courtney and I had a girl's night on Wednesday, and yesterday, a group of five of us spent the day together doing typical girl things. I have a great collection of girl friends who span friendships as short as a couple months to as long as 15 years, and I appreciate all of them.
The river: What a perfect place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. Bailey got to swim, I got some sun, and I also got to see my friend Chris and his wife for the first time in two years. We had planned to float down it, but ran out of time. It takes four hours, so we're working on making that happen before the summer ends.
My cell phone: I love this thing because I can talk to people on my long drives home from work and get funny texts to cheer on my day. Okay, they are nothing new, but how did we live without these things?
HMMM
Must Love Dogs: Okay, this had John Cusack, and I LOVE him, but overall, this movie kind of bit. Diane Lane's acting was just tanked, and it all just didn't flow. But if I find a guy like John Cusack's character in this movie, I would be one happy camper, let me tell you. He was too cute.
BAD
Sorry guys: Last night, I was once again pretty tired, so I ended up never making it to Chopsticks to see Pete and Marcus. Once I headed home to get my car, I was as good as done. Oh, and Pete, you sound nothing like Marcus, so you betta not think you can trick me on the phone again. I swear I will make it next time. And hey, at least I know where it is now because it's by the Baghdad, and...
Waiting: Service at the Baghdad sucked this afternoon and some guy named Two Feathers kept bothering our tables and scared the hell out of my dog (who joined us for lunch care of dog friendly patio seating). Brian, Mike, and I waited over 30 minutes for our food. Yes, their food is good, but we had planned to eat fast so we could hit the river. Having patience was a pain in the ass man.
Dissolving marriages: Some of my friends are getting to the possible separation/divorce stage of marriage. Damn, this sucks. I was hoping it just wouldn't happen to anyone I know, but it is. That's all I have to say about it at the moment...it sucks.
Duh: If you don't know what this vague category is about, you just don't know me well enough yet to be allowed to know. But it includes having to bite my bleeping tongue and be very nice. I swear I will, but that doesn't change my viewpoint...punk.
Aight, Jon's mentioning that the lyrics to Candy Shop by 50 Cent are funny. Never heard the song, but I guess you'll have to give it a try.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Rebound Twins
Yes, it is technically Friday night, and I am at home writing in this thing. I was pretty sick today, so I slept for five hours after work, sleepily replied to text messages asking, "What the hell are you doing?," and disregarded all invitations to go on adventures so that I can hit the town tomorrow night instead. That leaves me awake and not tired at 2:30 because there is nothing else to do...everyone else is sleeping.
Anyway, I thought about Adam yesterday. Not for any reason of sentimentality, but because I realized that I already dated him seven years ago. Alright, not him exactly, but pretty close. Actually, creepily close. So close I am wondering how I possibly let this happen again.
I have had two long term relationships. Alright, maybe three, but I refuse to count my high school boyfriend, Brian, because he broke up with me three times over the course of a year and a half and it was always just ridiculous...our finale was him offering to marry me so I would know he wouldn't break up with me again. Yeah, great idea. I finally got to be the deal breaker with that one. Anyway, of the two, one ended after two years when I was twenty, and then you all know about the end of my five and a half year one this past January. Each time, I have been the one to kill it off, and I realized that my rebounds from each relationship have been insanely similar.
Nick was my first rebound boy at age twenty. He was a very good looking, but not so smart, Catholic raised, jock boy who came from a rural city and played way too much golf. He had a job with crappy hours that didn't mesh well with my late night personality. Basically he was a morning person and out the door by 5:00 am and had to go to bed early, even on the weekends sometime. He played football for his first two years of college. He could pick me up, carry me, and spin me around. We were together about two months despite some irritating red flags, and then we were as good as over right around the Fourth of July.
Seven years and one botched long term relationship later, Adam enters the picture. He too is a very good looking, but not so smart, Catholic raised, jock boy who came from a rural city and plays way too much golf (oh, and in his case as many know, poker). He has a job with crappy hours that didn't mesh well with my late night personality. Basically he's a morning person who is out the door by 5:00 am and has to go to bed early, even on the weekends sometime. He played baseball for his first two years of college. He could pick me up, carry me, and spin me around. We were together about two months despite some irritating red flags, and then we were as good as over right around the Fourth of July.
Looking at these two guys, I realize they both served the same unintentional mission...they were the test runs to make me realize what I do and don't want in a relationship. I realize that when I am with someone like this, I tend to let my own values and viewpoints slide. I get caught up in their interests and do what they like to do because they don't tend to like to expand into a new realm of ideas and culture and do the things that I like to do. Neither of these guys would have ever watched a foreign film with me or gone to sushi. Trust me, I tried. The conversations are never that deep and I get frustrated with the lack of intelligence in the relationship. There is a very practical edge to this type of guy too, and that comes with a lot of traditional crap that I have never been big on.
So what do I want in a relationship? I like my guys to be sharp, witty, and thoughtful. I like for them to support the sense of empowerment and independence I have carried with me my whole life. I want them to be able to talk about what's on the third page of the paper, different genres of movies and music, and differing views in society. I want them to be willing to check out my interests as much as I do theirs. They can be as good looking as the jock boys, I'll have no problem with that. But if they don't take care of their minds, I'm sure I will remember to pass on them next time. Not that my next long term relationship is going to end, so I probably don't have to worry about adding a rebound triplet to this list anyway. If I make it to that point, you have permission to stick me in Catholic jockboy rehab.
Anyway, I thought about Adam yesterday. Not for any reason of sentimentality, but because I realized that I already dated him seven years ago. Alright, not him exactly, but pretty close. Actually, creepily close. So close I am wondering how I possibly let this happen again.
I have had two long term relationships. Alright, maybe three, but I refuse to count my high school boyfriend, Brian, because he broke up with me three times over the course of a year and a half and it was always just ridiculous...our finale was him offering to marry me so I would know he wouldn't break up with me again. Yeah, great idea. I finally got to be the deal breaker with that one. Anyway, of the two, one ended after two years when I was twenty, and then you all know about the end of my five and a half year one this past January. Each time, I have been the one to kill it off, and I realized that my rebounds from each relationship have been insanely similar.
Nick was my first rebound boy at age twenty. He was a very good looking, but not so smart, Catholic raised, jock boy who came from a rural city and played way too much golf. He had a job with crappy hours that didn't mesh well with my late night personality. Basically he was a morning person and out the door by 5:00 am and had to go to bed early, even on the weekends sometime. He played football for his first two years of college. He could pick me up, carry me, and spin me around. We were together about two months despite some irritating red flags, and then we were as good as over right around the Fourth of July.
Seven years and one botched long term relationship later, Adam enters the picture. He too is a very good looking, but not so smart, Catholic raised, jock boy who came from a rural city and plays way too much golf (oh, and in his case as many know, poker). He has a job with crappy hours that didn't mesh well with my late night personality. Basically he's a morning person who is out the door by 5:00 am and has to go to bed early, even on the weekends sometime. He played baseball for his first two years of college. He could pick me up, carry me, and spin me around. We were together about two months despite some irritating red flags, and then we were as good as over right around the Fourth of July.
Looking at these two guys, I realize they both served the same unintentional mission...they were the test runs to make me realize what I do and don't want in a relationship. I realize that when I am with someone like this, I tend to let my own values and viewpoints slide. I get caught up in their interests and do what they like to do because they don't tend to like to expand into a new realm of ideas and culture and do the things that I like to do. Neither of these guys would have ever watched a foreign film with me or gone to sushi. Trust me, I tried. The conversations are never that deep and I get frustrated with the lack of intelligence in the relationship. There is a very practical edge to this type of guy too, and that comes with a lot of traditional crap that I have never been big on.
So what do I want in a relationship? I like my guys to be sharp, witty, and thoughtful. I like for them to support the sense of empowerment and independence I have carried with me my whole life. I want them to be able to talk about what's on the third page of the paper, different genres of movies and music, and differing views in society. I want them to be willing to check out my interests as much as I do theirs. They can be as good looking as the jock boys, I'll have no problem with that. But if they don't take care of their minds, I'm sure I will remember to pass on them next time. Not that my next long term relationship is going to end, so I probably don't have to worry about adding a rebound triplet to this list anyway. If I make it to that point, you have permission to stick me in Catholic jockboy rehab.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Next Time, the Dog Eats You
Well, apparently running on the street and through the neighborhood gives men with no class permission to cat call, slow down and wave, honk their horns, and flash their lights at me. Wow, I had no idea that my exercise routine deserved so much attention.
Now I know that it is a good idea to always have Bailey with me when I go running. I had him with me tonight, and he did pretty well running alongside me on a leash. Anyway, by the next time we run, I will have him attack trained to run after their cars and bite down on their tires, arms, necks, whatever he can sink his teeth into. I'll let him jump on the hoods of their sporty cars and oversized trucks and snarl through the window with his massive wolf sized teeth.
Actually, who am I kidding? Bailey is way too nice of a dog to do such a thing. He would probably lick them to death and do a double wag with his tail in hopes that one of them comes home with me. Guess I will just have to do it myself instead. That should make things interesting.
Now I know that it is a good idea to always have Bailey with me when I go running. I had him with me tonight, and he did pretty well running alongside me on a leash. Anyway, by the next time we run, I will have him attack trained to run after their cars and bite down on their tires, arms, necks, whatever he can sink his teeth into. I'll let him jump on the hoods of their sporty cars and oversized trucks and snarl through the window with his massive wolf sized teeth.
Actually, who am I kidding? Bailey is way too nice of a dog to do such a thing. He would probably lick them to death and do a double wag with his tail in hopes that one of them comes home with me. Guess I will just have to do it myself instead. That should make things interesting.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Pretty New Colors and My Friend Gym
I picked a new template for this thing because I needed a change. And because I can't take off and go anywhere until my vacation kicks in this September, this was the extent of my adventuring for the day. I''ll be hitting another terrifying Wet Wednesday this week with a group of pals, but that hardly counts as an adventure unless rubbing shoulders with fake and baked people and getting hit on by drunk idiots counts.
Oh, I quit saying bad words today for a month. Yeah, this should be fun. My office is a mess of left and right filth, and I hang out with a lot of male species too. I am going to make it though...I f**king swear. Wait, no, I don't swear....that's what I am not allowed to do this month. S**t!
Anyway, I decided to hit the gym again tonight. Almost thought about taking Bailey on a jog, but I really couldn't commit to the idea of carrying a lazy 95 pound dog back home when he tired out, so the faithful 24 won out again. Last night I made a comment that I am going to the gym to flatten out my stomach, but according to my roomies, it can't get much flatter. Do I sense a bit of body dysmorphic thinking coming my way? Can't get much smaller than a size 4-6 when you are almost 5'10" I suppose. Don't worry, I am fine with the bod I got. But I still like to blast my energy because I think I have a little bit of appropriately self managed ADHD in me.
How many times have I mentioned how much I love my job? Today, I took two of my boys to check out their new high school. They instantly flocked to the team pictures on the walls to check out the 'cute factor' of their future female classmates. After, I took them out to lunch and they decided that they will save their allowance and take me out next. I told them that they should save it and take themselves out instead, but they just said, "But Sarah, we enjoy your company." These two definitely need positive adults in their lives. One of them smoked pot for the first time at age twelve with his dad and then did meth at thirteen with his mom. The other has a dad in prison for the same burglary that landed him in juvenile detention. Talk about skewed parenting. Neither of these boys will be going back home when they leave my program, and as good a choice as that is, it's still a bummer that it has to be that way. One of my friends mentioned that we should have parent credits that can only be given to people who are fit to have kids. Hmm, I'd vote that idea in.
Aight, I'm off to eat some Cocoa Puffs and throw some disc in the backyard for my dog. My song of the moment is NYC by Interpol. May have recommended it before, but it's so good, I don't care...download it.
Oh, I quit saying bad words today for a month. Yeah, this should be fun. My office is a mess of left and right filth, and I hang out with a lot of male species too. I am going to make it though...I f**king swear. Wait, no, I don't swear....that's what I am not allowed to do this month. S**t!
Anyway, I decided to hit the gym again tonight. Almost thought about taking Bailey on a jog, but I really couldn't commit to the idea of carrying a lazy 95 pound dog back home when he tired out, so the faithful 24 won out again. Last night I made a comment that I am going to the gym to flatten out my stomach, but according to my roomies, it can't get much flatter. Do I sense a bit of body dysmorphic thinking coming my way? Can't get much smaller than a size 4-6 when you are almost 5'10" I suppose. Don't worry, I am fine with the bod I got. But I still like to blast my energy because I think I have a little bit of appropriately self managed ADHD in me.
How many times have I mentioned how much I love my job? Today, I took two of my boys to check out their new high school. They instantly flocked to the team pictures on the walls to check out the 'cute factor' of their future female classmates. After, I took them out to lunch and they decided that they will save their allowance and take me out next. I told them that they should save it and take themselves out instead, but they just said, "But Sarah, we enjoy your company." These two definitely need positive adults in their lives. One of them smoked pot for the first time at age twelve with his dad and then did meth at thirteen with his mom. The other has a dad in prison for the same burglary that landed him in juvenile detention. Talk about skewed parenting. Neither of these boys will be going back home when they leave my program, and as good a choice as that is, it's still a bummer that it has to be that way. One of my friends mentioned that we should have parent credits that can only be given to people who are fit to have kids. Hmm, I'd vote that idea in.
Aight, I'm off to eat some Cocoa Puffs and throw some disc in the backyard for my dog. My song of the moment is NYC by Interpol. May have recommended it before, but it's so good, I don't care...download it.
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