CABO and FOTW (5/27): CH

Well, I'm off to Cabo San Lucas! At this time tomorrow you can find me lying down near some sort of water (pool...beach...either will do), with 3 super fun friends, sipping a pina colada and pretending to read my next book club book. I can't wait!!!

But I have some business to attend to prior to leaving. Firstly, Barista G and I are going on another date next week. I'm not sure how into him I am, but there's nothing wrong with him yet, so I am goign to give him a chance. In fact, this leads me nicely to my next order of business....

FRIEND OF THE WEEK: May 27th

My FOTW this week is CH because she made me realize I was perhaps being too hasty in deciding to not go out again with G. Here is the email I am submitting as evidence for her FOTW nomination:

-----------------------------------------------------------
I just read the frog and I have to tell you... no, rather, I must
INSIST you go out with him again. You sounded like you had a great
time and he seems like a great guy. I had the same rule, too, and I
broke it when I started dating [current BF]. He's a year and a half younger
than me and, though it crosses my mind about once every other month,
I've never regretted, NOT EVER, dating him. He's the most perfect guy
I've ever dated and I wouldn't have known that if I didn't break my
age rule with him.

Just something for you to think about...

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Other FOTW news, the General suggested I throw in a FOTW prize. So the winner, each week, will get something SPECIAL mailed to them. It's not a big deal, but it's fun. I am hoping this inspires some of the people I know who are less enthusiastic about being my bestest friend for a week.

Dream a Little Dream of....Chicken??

I've been having dreams about chickens lately. Well, actually, I had a dream on Friday night about a rooster and a chicken coming through the window while I slept, and then last night I had a dream (or maybe it actually happened?) that our neighbor was watching TV REALLY loudly at 4am. Someone in whatever he was watching kept saying something about a chicken. On top of these recurring fowl themes, I had lots of trouble sleeping the last few nights--there was a great deal of tossing and turning--and the few nights prior to that I slept so deeply that when I woke up I was disoriented. So much so that I had those panicky moments of "where am I? what day is it? Am I late for work?"

Something is up. I wonder if Mercury is retrograde.

So I decided to look up what "chickens" symbolize in dreams. According to soulfuture.com and their dream dictionary, to dream of chicken related things may mean one of the following:

Timidity, fear, backing out, chickening out
-Somebody young, inexperienced or unsophisticated, a spring chicken
-Counting on something prematurely, counting your chickens before they hatch
-Something that cannot function independently, a chicken and egg situation

A Rooster dream could symbolize....
-Being in charge or dominating, ruling the roost
-Banking on a loser, betting on a lame rooster

So these dreams could mean I am scared, inexperienced, thinking too far ahead and dependent upon a loser. OR, it could just mean I am once again a frustrated vegetarian with carnivorous cravings.

Friend of the Week (5/20): BABYDOLL

I am awarding the first "Friend of the Week" Post to my Babydoll (BD). Here is why.

On Thursday night, I got to the restaurant where I was meeting G (for our date) about a half hour early. This was intentional...it made me feel more calm to be the one sitting there waiting. But I hadn't planned on being there THAT early. So I called BD. She kept me company the entire time I waited. More importantly though, while I sat waiting, she helped me figure out how to complete my last WBF challenge for that week--to ask him to join us out on Friday night. Her guidance went as far as generating a script for my conversation with him. We practiced it on the phone and then she promised to call later with the dialogue as well as email me the script for use on Friday morning. It was all very funny because when I read back my lines, I sounded so unnatural and odd. To use a Sex and the City reference, it was like when Miranda called Steve to ask him on a date. I couldn't have sounded more scripted.

As promised though, BD called during my date and left a hilarious message where she read through the dialogue she was proposing, and she even filled in how she thought WBF would respond. I retrieved the message while on a bathroom break and was literally laughing out loud.

The next morning, I got her all important email message. This was the only written version of "the script" and I needed it for guidance. Here is the exact email BD sent. (by the way, my nickname is also Babydoll. So the BD lines below are for me)

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Subject: V.I.D (Very Important Dialogue)

(Read the following using scripted voice)

Friday, mid-morning....

BD: Hey [WBF], I just made plans with the girls to go out to Hermosa tonight. Are you guys gonna be out?

WBF: Totally!

BD: Cool, then we should meet up. We'll be at The Shack most likely. I'll give you a call when we get to HB, probably around 9 or 10pm.

WBF: That totally rocks. Then we can finally make out!

Later that night...

Then casually call around 9 or 10pm (right after SRVS) and say the following V.I.D:

BD: Hey [WBF], the Shack is totally rockin right now. You guys should get here before the line gets any longer.

WBF: Oh, cool. We are getting ready to leave in a few minutes. I'll see you soon.

BD: Alright hot stuff...I'll be waiting!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that is the VID I used on WBF. Well, the first part anyway. I ended up calling him instead of talking to him in person. I had the VID up on the screen and used it as framework. He sounded interested and I said I'd call him later that night. So per the above schedule, I called at around 10pm. He didn't answer and so I left a message. The message didn't exactly follow the suggested dialogue. It was more like "Hi, it's M. We're at X, we're going to Y and Z. See you soon,"

THEN....nothing. He never called, he never texted, he never showed up (although we never went to the bars I said we'd be at).

I was out yesterday but still have heard nothing from him about what happened. The last time something like this happened, I had an email waiting for me Monday morning explaining why he didn't show. I was out yesterday but still...now it's Tuesday and no word. And it is therefore that I now decree this is the END of the WBF Era. It is over. I am tired of these little games and I'm tired of him. At least I completed all my challenges from last week though. The General will be pleased.

And so BD is my "Friend of the Week." Thanks BD!

A Jockey, a Cop, and a Dress Emergency: My Weekend Update

I had a fun, too-full weekend. On Friday I went out with KA and BD to HB. WBF was maybe going to come but he didn't show up, but we had a fun night anyway. We ended up at the UG and everyone met boys but me. Well, everyone met boys who count but me. I met a jockey though. And not of the disc variety. I'm talking the Seabiscuit kind. I was sitting at a bar stool and he was standing next to the stool. We were the same height. When I found out he was actually standing, it made me sad until he told me he was a jockey. And then I thought that was interesting and cool for a few minutes but not enough to hang out with him much longer. That's not just because he was short and from a state somewhere in the middle, but mainly because I wasn't really looking for guys that night...as I was upset with WBF for not showing. We met a cute police man though. He was on duty and saw us waving at him through the window of the bar. Then he came in! Cops scare me because I'm always afraid they'll find something wrong with me and then give me a ticket. So I was a little scared of him but my fears went away when I told him I was scared and he poo-pooed my reasoning by saying I wasn't doing anything wrong. Phew! After the UG we took a taxi home. The taxi had a DVD player in it and had a Neil Diamond concert playing. We asked him to skip to Sweet Caroline and the three of us did our best drunken rendition of the song along with Neil. He is our favorite taxi driver now. The Taxi man and not Neil Diamond, that is.

On Saturday, I went home around 10am (I slept in way more than normal!), then headed to the beach. It was like 80 degrees in the LBC and perfect beach-going weather. Plus I have to beat YN with a pre-Cabo tan. After the beach I did some errands and rushed home to get ready for a "congrats we just got married via a legal ceremony so now my woman can stay in the US" BBQ. We were going the Magic Castle after the BBQ (which has a cocktail dress-code), so I was torn on what to wear. I needed a cocktail dress that was also BBQ friendly. I had the perfect dress in mind! It was a vintage, cream colored strapless dress that I hadn't worn yet. It was both summery but formal enough to dress up with jewelry and wear it to a cocktail thing. Only problem was that when I put it on for real (with a bra) the boning on either side of the dress bent out. It was better without a bra but that was not an option. I couldn't get it to lay flat and I didn't have a seam ripper to pull them out. So I went thru several other options. Problem is, many of my other dresses are too big now in some places and hang in bad ways. After several panicked calls to YN ("Y! Do you think the ivory dress I wore to HB's party is okay instead?" "Y! the ivory dress hangs badly and makes my a** look big. Do you think black is okay?"), I settled on the most BBQ inappropriate option--a strapless black dress. This black number was the only comfy option that looked okay. And so it was in a black cocktail dress with 3.5" silver heels that I showed up to a jean and sandal-wearing BBQ crowd.

All these dress emergencies also meant I left late and got all sweaty running back and forth between the closet where I kept my nice dresses, my room where I kept the required undergarments for each dress, and the bathroom where I had to see how big my backside looked. YN had no such dress emergencies and was dressed in a perfect BBQ-Cocktail event dress! I may have beat her on the pre-Cabo tan thing, but she out-dressed me that night.

The Magic Castle was fun. Definitely an interesting evening...lots of magic and lots of walking down hallways, up stairs and into little magic shows. It was great once we got there but getting there was a nightmare. It took us an hour and a half to go the six miles from Silver Lake to Franklin-Highland. 1.5 HOURS! This is for many reasons: the traffic in the Hollywood-Highland area is usually awful (and by awful I mean my odometer hovered near 0 MPH the entire time), there was an Alicia Keyes concert going on at the Hollywood bowl, and while I am usually good at directions, we were like the anti GPS on Saturday night. We kept trying shortcuts to avoid traffic that each put us back like 20 minutes. If you want a more detailed history of the traffic problems we encountered, please refer to the "Japanese Currency" blog link in the side bar.

Coming up next....my Friend of the Week post from last week.

Happy Tuesday

Posting lately has been difficult...last week was busy at work (so I actually had to work. A lot), and then I stayed home yesterday because I was exhausted (AKA mental health day). I tried catching up on posting over the weekend and managed to get one up, but didn't have time to finish catching up from last week. So, I may do two posts today in an effort to keep the Frog up to date.

Some quick updates before I get into actual posts for this week.

Friend of the Week: I've decided to start a "Friend of the Week" post. Each week, I will highlight one friend and how they've been a positive influence on my life during that week. Hopefully, this will encourage all of you to be extra nice to me. Just kidding. Seriously, this is more about my thanking all of y'all for your friendship! I already have a friend for last week and this week. The next two posts will be on that.

Fashion Theme of the Week: This week I am doing a monochromatic theme. It will be especially easy because I was out yesterday and am gone on vacation this Friday. So that's only three days of solid colors. Today is blue. Tomorrow will be black and Thursday will be white or khaki or brown (depending on how fat I feel).

And, speaking of fat guess what? Last week I lost one more pound, bringing me to first weight loss goal. Achieving that last pound means I can now purchase months and months of Ofoto pix. And that means I can now update my photo album! But then because I felt good about myself on Friday the weekend ended up being a little more excessive than planned. Friday and Saturday were okay and within point, but then Sunday happened. I was tired and weak and I had a fattening brunch followed by a fattening dinner. I know you're not supposed to weigh yourself every day but I do and I should stop. On Monday I was up and today I was less than Monday, but still up a little. It's not much and I know it will drop fast, but I am sad. I am doomed to forever hover within this two pound range! And I am wondering if this means I lose my reward of Ofoto pix?? I'm not sure yet. I guess I'll wait until my next weigh-in (Thursday) to determine if I actually get the reward.

I promise the rest of the posts this week will be more interesting.

The Date

First off, sorry this is so late. Work was crazy on Friday and then I broke one of my blogging rules by doing a post on Saturday morning (for the blog challenge). Then I ran out of time….

So here it is.

The date went well! We went to a great restaurant. Seriously—I kept wondering if we were in the LBC and hasn’t instead slipped into a much more chic part of the world. It’s right on the marina with 260-degree views of the water. It’s got lots of big windows and a very cool bar. It serves Asian Fusion food and sushi at the bar, and has a great martini list. The bar was packed when I got in! The whole place was filled with cool Asian type decorations…bamboo creations, walls of water, etc. I was thrilled this was his selection because I wouldn’t have picked something this nice (it was a little on the expensive side…). I got there very early because I didn’t want to have to walk in and look for him. And by early, I mean I was there a half hour before we were supposed to meet. It worked out okay though. I got a nice seat by the hostess and waited. I talked to Babydoll the entire time, actually, but that will be for the next post.

He came in and I could tell right away he was a little nervous. Which made me feel less so. We got our table and ordered our food. The General gave me some conversation ideas the night before, and they came into great use. We talked about lots of things and after the conversation got started it went smoothly. After dinner we went to the bar and got a drink. G is sort of locally famous…because of TDG so we kept running into regular customers and co-workers. It was kind of fun.

So during the night I found out the following about him: he’s smart, he’s driven, he’s well-read, he’s up on current events, he likes to travel and went to Cambodia last year, his family is accomplished, and…he’s 23!! He guessed my age right (26) and then said, “well…this is fashionable right now, right? With the Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore thing.” This was funny, sort of except for the fact that Demi Moore is like 15 years older than Ashton, as opposed to THREE YEARS. But, whatever.

We were at the bar until about 11pm or so. He has to open up the shop every day, which means he gets up at 4am. I was tired by then too, so we decided to leave. He walked me to my car and I could tell he wanted to kiss me. So I said, “ Are you going to kiss me?” (Disarming others in situations like this makes me feel better). So then he did kiss me. I’d like to say it was nice, but it kind of wasn’t. It was okay. Then he said he’d call me over the weekend and that he has a good time.
And so…that was the date. I had fun. I went and got coffee the next morning and he was nice/friendly. He called on Saturday and we talked for a minute (I was about to pick up a friend so couldn’t talk for long). I said I’d call him on Sunday but ran out of time. And in all the time that has passed between Thursday and now…I am not sure I’m interested in going out with him again. He’s SO nice but I think I have a problem with his age…but that’s sort of strange because WBF is 23 also…oh well. I did enjoy hanging out with him so I feel like I should give him another shot. I guess we’ll see….

All of this reminds me of bringing up a very crucial point. This Blog has to remain BOY FREE. I don’t mean guys cannot read it, but rather than guys I date can NEVER read it. They can never know about the frog…

Some notes on the contest...

One more thing...since that last post is part of the competition, you might want to read the other contestant's entries. I won't make you do it, because I am a nice blog-owner, but if you would like to understand what I am up against, please visit the links on the side-bar. You might notice that in their competitive posts, they included links to all of our blogs. I don't know how to do that, so while I am not forcing you to read the entries from the Napper and the Wombat, I am making you work harder to find their links. Sorry about that. It will make you stronger people though.

YN: I see that gauntlet you've thrown and am throwing one right back at you. But, my guantlet is a little late...

CH: LOVED how you included quotes from our past entries. Good research and evidence-use.

My Blog, My Inspiration

There are many things about myself that I consider slightly geeky. I am in a book club, I like science fiction, and I always liked getting good grades in school. I don't mind admitting all these geeky aspects of my personality, because somewhere underneath it all, I think these things are actually a little cool. Well, maybe these interests aren't exactly "cool," but the fact that I am mature enough to do them and admit them, IS cool. And this proves that I actually HAVE matured since high school (barring the fact that I prefer to communicate with boys via notes). So the newest addition to my collection of "geeky traits" is this blog. Yes--I have a blog (obviously), I post in it frequently (again, obviously), and I love everything about it. So when my blogging friends said "let's have a blog posting contest" the nerd in me enthusiastically agreed to participate. And with that, I will now directly address this month's blog challenge topic: "Why I Blog."

Because this post is not just a regular update entry, and is instead related to something more formal, I feel compelled to fall back on the familiar and comforting structure of the five paragraph essay (we already established that I'm a nerd). So if this is going to loosely follow that structure, I need to state my thesis and cite several specific supporting arguments of such thesis now. My thesis is: I enjoy keeping a blog because it connects me in a unique way to friends and strangers alike.

The blog is the perfect venue to share your life with others. The whole reason why I started the blog was because Y and CH had one and I really enjoyed keeping up on their lives through it. Many times the things I share here are not something I would bring up specifically were I catching up with friends on the phone. So you get a more intimate view of a friend's life via their blog. And I wanted to share those details back with Y and CH...and anyone else who wanted to read about my little existence. Further, I have had an on-again off-again relationship going with diaries my entire life. I love keeping them--to read back on them in the future and laugh at my silly worries and fears--but I HATE the pressure of having to write in them and address those topics which may not always be fun to address. You know those things that are better left in a place called Denial. So it is this way that the blog has replaced my love-hate diary thing. Posting is rarely a chore, and because it is semi-public, I can't get too deep into my own neurosis. Follow the Frog, therefore, has become a more grounded, tolerable and even ENJOYABLE diary for me.

So let me delve in a little deeper into this blogging thing. I have found that keeping a blog inspires me to actually seek out stories to share. I have taken a couple creative writing courses in the last few years, and one thing I have come to firmly believe is that EVERYONE has many tales to tell. And I mean daily. We ALL have at least one story from every day. A blog forces me to find a daily story and make it interesting enough to write about. In the beginning, I sometimes grappled with what to share. Do I just download all my worries and concerns in a journal-like fashion? Do I bring up funny stories from the past? Do I only post when something big and exciting happens? I think though, that I have finally found my groove. I sort of do all the above. So the blog has evolved into a place where I post on the stories of my daily life. But something unexpected has happened in the process. The Blog has actually become the motivation in some ways to go out and FIND stories to share. And it is in this sense that the blog has helped me create and seek new adventures. So now instead of just thinking, "Gosh that barista is cute," I think, "Hmmmm....if I tell the barista I think he's cute, then I'll have a story for my blog." And if such adventures go completely awry and nothing good comes out of it, I will at least be left with two things: 1) a good post--both for myself to remember always and for my friends to read, and 2) I will have grown as a person. In only three short months, the blog has indirectly led me to get a date, face my WBF crush, and make new friends (sort of. This comment is about you KQ and G!).

I mentioned above that I have taken some writing courses. Which means that at some point, I actually wanted to be a writer (I was in a writing club too! Another thing to add to my list of nerd-qualifying activities). After I learned more about how hard it is to become a "writer," visions of a Carrie Bradshaw-esque existence slipped away from me....But in someway, the blog has satisfied what's left of my muffled desires to write things publicly. And so, without sounding too cheesy, the blog has partially fulfilled a one-time dream. (okay, that does sound too cheesy, but that's just the kind of person I am.)

And now for the conclusion. (Here comes the thesis restated for final wrap up purposes). I keep a blog because it allows me to communicate with the world at large. It
gives me a voice. It's fun, it's though-provoking, life-inspiring, and it gets me dates (and sometimes free coffee!). And what's bad about that?

So while the blog thing may be a little geeky, and this challenge even more so, I would just like to point out that you are reading this. And maybe that makes you a little geeky too.

Final and ANTM Finale

I have my Philosophy of Ethics final tonight. Yuck. I have not been able to motivate myself to study much...i am just so over it. Also, I'm distracted because of WBG and G. I spent more time today figuring out what my grade would be if I did poorly than I did reviewing my notes. I have to get a 75% on the test to get an A in the class (only b/c I kicked *ss and studied tons for each of the previous tests).

I'm sure it will be fine though...all I have to do is pass the class. But I don't like getting bad grades and even if i pass the class, I know I'll be sad if my grade is not an A. I'm dealing with some cognitive dissonance about all this...

At least I have the season finale of America's Next Top Model to look forward to.

The Geekiest Challenge Yet

You may have noticed that my blog has a new look. I am quite pleased with it. Hope you like it too! Other physical blog updates...you'll notice that I have now linked two of my friend's blogs in the sidebar. This is related to another challenge of sorts, that I will explain below.

But first, I must give updates on the boy challenges for the day. Today's challenges were to get coffee from Barista G (which, isn't so challenging really...) and to strike up a meaningful conversation with WBF. I can say that I have successfully completed my first mission but that I must post-pone the second one. WBF is out today! It actually makes me really sad....I guess I like having him around.

Here's the report on coffee challenge: I pulled up to TDG and saw Barista G right away. He was helping a walk-in customer on the other side of the shop. He seemed super busy but when he saw me, he ran over to say hi and ask what I wanted. He remembered what I always ordered, which I think is cool. Not because of him but because that officially makes me a "regular." When he gave me my drink, he wouldn't let me pay for it. Which was nice and sweet. We had talked the other night about how I always come during his busiest times so he can never really chat with me. So this morning he said, "See? You always come when we're our busiest." He had to run back in, and we said we'd talk later. I'm supposed to call to organize details for tomorrow. I wonder where he'll want to go eat or if he'll leave it up to me. He doesn't know I'm a vegetarian yet....

So the free coffee thing worries me a little. Not because it was free--I'm not one to turn down a cool thing without paying--but because it makes me a little leery about the outcome of whatever this barista thing will be. When it all falls apart, whether it's just one date or a longer period of dating, I don't want to lose "rights" to TDG. And since he is the manager and since he works there (and has the power to give free drinks), he will probably claim it as his territory. And that sucks.

I have some other topics I thought would be fun to discuss as posts either today or later this week, but a new challenge has developed among my "blogging" friends that will have to post-pone such ideas. Y thought it would be fun, and CH and I agreed--because we're nerds--to have a "blog posting challenge." I know, I know...I should get out a pocket protector. But little challenges are fun, right? (nods head enthusiastically)

So by Friday, we each are going to post on our first group blog challenge. The topic this week is: blogging--what we like about it, why we do it, how we decide what to post, etc. I am not feeling all that confident that I will win. Y is the funniest friend I have. But then again...she is a lawyer so I have time on my side (just because I work less). CH on the other hand always brings in interesting, world-relevant topics that drive me to do things like think about reading the Economist. Each of our blogs are different, so it will be interesting (and geeky) to see how this unfolds.

If you're interested in reading their blogs, please refer to the links on the sidebar. The Wombat is CH's (she also named her blog after an animal). Y's official blog title is about napping, because it's something she excels at. But I've listed her link as "like the Japanese currency." Anyone who knows her will understand that.

The General's Challenges

Barista G called last night and we talked for a half hour. He is nice and sweet. I can see us at least being friends. I think he's 24 or 25, but I didn't come out and ask. So worse case scenario, he's two years younger than me which isn't so bad since I am 26 and ignoring the fact that I am almost 27. And regardless, he falls under "policy" and that means we can kick it, to use a little Tribe Called Quest terminology (it's playing right now).

My roommate (MC, aka General C--the "general" is part of a group joke and another topic to post on one day. I'm part of an "army". I am Lieutenant L), helped me figure out what his height may be last night. We determined that he is probably just barely taller than me. I am 5'7 so he is probably 5'8 or 5'9. Which is not as tall as I'd like--because I like heels!--but it is not too bad. I will wear flats when we hang out.

So we have a date set for Thursday. We're going to do dinner and to a local bar. He said we'd play pool. I pretended I was okay with pool because everyone in the whole world likes it but me, and long time ago I came to terms with the fact that I'd have to get over that. Just because it's a "fun" way to pass the time with friends in a bar. My friend from work, KL, went to check him out this morning and she agreed that he's probably 24-25, probably 5'8 or 5'9, cute and nice. I'm glad someone else agrees.

General C and I used to have a weekly challenge when it came to flirting and dating. It was meant to encourage us to be more brave and to meet new guys. If we didn't complete said challenges by a certain date, we owed $$$$. One week we had to smile at a guy. The next week we had to start a conversation. Then flirt, and so on. The challenges stopped because the General recently became attached. She's dating a lovely guy we sometimes refer to as OOBF (seriously, he's really cool. I knew him before I knew her and I sort of helped get them together!). In light of recent WBF and Barista events, "The Challenges" have been resurrected, but just for me.

So last night General C gave me the following challenges for the week.

Tuesday: Lay low and relish in the positive outcomes from Monday with both WBF and Barista G.
Wednesday: Get coffee and finalize details with Barista G on Thursday date. Strike up a meaningful conversation with WBF.
Thursday: "Run into" WBF and bring up weekend plans. Try to work in Friday's HB evening and see if he'll be around. Casually invite him. Go on date with Barista G.
Friday: Get Coffee (if date went well). Work further to meet up with WBF that evening. If the Thursday challenge was not successful, break "the rules" and call him casually while out at bar.

So this is what I've got to do this week. I don't think I owe money if I fail in my mission, but really, I'm the only one who loses if I chicken out. So I must persevere!

Fashion Theme of the Week: I was going to do a monochromatic theme, but I've resorted to an easier theme of wearing something each day that I haven't worn in a long time. It feels kind of like a cop-out, because it's easier, but next week I'll do monochromatic stuff.

Summer '05 Goal: I want to be able to do the splits by the end of the summer. I've been doing yoga now since October and have improved. But now, it's time to get serious. This is a goal for Miss JH too. Maybe the buddy-system will make us more effective.

Three Pointer for the WBF

I just had the best lunch with my WBF. We actually have lots in common, and I just love talking with him. Seriously. More than any other guy I've ever known.

We just laughed and talked the whole time about everything. He confirmed when my birthday was and this other party I told him about. I hope that means he's planning on coming, because I'm going to ask him to be my date for the party in June.

When lunch was over, I was all giddy and twitterpatted (that's the term Thumper uses in Bambi to explain a crush), so I sent him an email that said this:

"Thanks for going to lunch. I think you are a super cool person and I always have fun talking with you"

And now I'm FREAKING out because maybe this is giving away too much. But is it? And if it is, why is that bad? I guess the worse case scenario would be that he finds out I have a crush on him (which he may already know) and than he starts avoiding me.

Wait...he just wrote back. He said "Anytime, I always have fun hanging out with you." Hmm...this isn't bad but i'm not sure how good it is. Is it good or just nice/polite??

Whatever the case, WBF totally beats the TDG Barista.

Close Encounters of a Barista Kind

Friday comes and goes, Saturday comes and goes, Sunday comes and goes. No phone call from G. Of course, I'm not sitting around waiting for him...I did lots of fun things this weekend. I saw a REALLY cool Southern Rock band play at the Roxy Friday night and even got a little drunk (thanks to Miss JH and her vodka on the rocks). I celebrated a friends b-day over Sushi, and went to British high tea with my mom. I even did yoga on the beach early Sunday morning. So really, the weekend was quite full without a conversation from G. But of course...a little voice inside said every now and then....I wonder if he's going to call.

This morning I was faced with a dilemma: do I go to TDG and get my usual Monday AM coffee, or do I avoid it and instead go to Peet's (the new coffee place in my life)? Because I normally would go to TDG and because I only went forward with Operation Barista IF I promised to never let it interfere with getting coffee there, I decided to go. I pulled in and didn't see G. I was sort of happy about that. I ordered and pulled around back to wait for my coffee. I was checking out the guy in the car in front of me (he looked like an old coworker, CC, a fellow LBC resident and TDG fan), when G came out and walked straight to my car. He had been in the back room and so there was no way he could have seen me. Based on the way he came out and based on the look I got from one of the other baristas right before he came, I believe one of his co-workers told him I was there. Which is sort of cute and also sort of annoying. They probably know me as "the girl who gave G a note." Whatever.

He seemed happy to see me and a little like he'd been waiting for me to come by. He asked how I was doing and how my weekend was. I told him and asked how his was. He said he'd been out of town and that it actually hadn't been a good weekend. Before I got to ask why he said, "which was why I didn't call you." WHAT!?!? A guy is actually EXPLAINING, in a seemingly sincere way WHY he couldn't call?? And, he actually seemed a little worried about it. Like maybe I'd be upset. Of course, I acted calm and collected the entire time, as though him calling me was the last thing in the world I was worried about. So I just nodded. Then he asked if I was in the same car I was always in. He thought I normally drove a white car (this is another reason why I think he was trying to keep an eye out for me). I said that this is the same car I always use and--check out how smooth this is--came up with an explanation as to why he may have thought my car was white: "I usually pull in on the other side and it's usually sunny and I've heard you guys complain about the glare off the counter...maybe that's why you thought it was white??" I sure know how to flirt...it's a wonder that I'm still single. He agreed that maybe that was why and asked if I was on my way to work. I don't think he knows that I have a real job. Like Monday through Friday. You know, not at a coffee shop. So I said yeah and then he asked what time I got off. I told him and then he said he'd call me tonight.

At first I was pleased with this interaction. It was nice to see a sober guy actually interested and seemingly eager to chat. I thought it was cute that he was keeping an eye out for me, and I bought his excuse for not calling (although, in terms of the 3 day game, he didn't really need to explain not calling--today would have been the 3rd day). But then a sad, sad thing began happening in my over-analytical prone-to-worry brain....what if he's shorter than me? what if he's annoying? what if I don't really want to date him?

I am going to ignore these questions though. It is stupid to worry about these things because we may never even go out on a date. And if he is a dork, or not tall enough, or someone I don't want to date for any other reason, I can just break it off and I can still get my coffee at TDG. I am going to be mature about this, dammit! Even though it all began with a care-bear stickered note...

Operation Barista: Success

It was with great trepidation that I drove up to TDG this morning. Today was the day I was going to face my barista after giving him the note (read Wednesday's post for more info). What if my barista wasn't there? What if he thought my note was stupid? What if I have to start getting my AM coffee fix elsewhere?? I drove to the same hidden side I had given him the note on and was disappointed when a girl came to the window for my order. I tried to look beyond her but all I saw was another girl. There were no signs of him anywhere. I was sad, but also a little relieved. I went about getting my money ready and as I turned back to wait for my drink, my barista walked by! Maybe he had been in the backroom before. He leaned out the window a little and asked how I was doing. I said fine and he asked about where I was off to and then where I worked. Then he introduced himself and shook my hand (due to my blog privacy policy I will refer to him as G). Then he said, "I liked the note you gave me." I said something about how I was glad he liked it because I felt like a 5 year old giving it. He laughed and said the only problem was there was no way for him to get in contact with me.

This was part of the plan! I wanted him to ask me for my number! The note was to let him know I was interested without making things too easy for him, that way if he wanted to get in contact with me, he'd have to ask. And then that gives him some sense of control in this whole thing. See JH? I learned a little from "The Rules"!

So he handed me a post it and pen and said, "well, if you want to put your number on here..." So I wrote my name (in case he gets lots of these), my number and a little message about how it was nice meeting him. Then he gave me my drink, we exchanged "have a nice day", and I drove off.

The great thing about doing a scary thing, is that even if it doesn't turn into anything, you at least are left with the fact that you did something you were scared of. And that experience makes you grow as a person. But, it's too early to be talking all Yoda about Life. Stop, I will.

YAY! Operation Barista was a success!!! What a fantastic way to start the weekend.

Now I get to experience that wonderful thing single women everywhere do--wait for him to call while pretending not to care when he doesn't.

Mixer Dinner Fun

A long time ago, a friend of mine forwarded me an email from someone she knows about an informal group of young professionals coming together to meet each other over dinner. It's called "Mixer Dinners" and it really is a cool concept. Everyone is linked to the girl who created this group by friends or acquaintances. The group is made up of a big clump of lawyers (I got involved via one of them...), a handful of the standard entertainment-industry types (this is LA), and many other normal 20-/30-something non-Lawyer, non-entertainment professionals. Each person sends a profile type thing in to the organizer (LK) and she enters them in a database. The profile includes things like interests, hobbies, age, where you live, and what kinds of food you like. Then every month individual members step up to host a dinner. Hosting means you pick a place and a theme. LK sends out your dinner information to the community and is the funnel by which people are selected to join. Once the guests have been selected, the host makes the reservation and emails directly with the group details for the evening.

On Tuesday night, I was part of a dinner at Casa Escobar in Santa Monica for people who enjoyed the outdoors. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about it. I had no idea what to expect and any situation where you go in meeting people you've never seen before is scary. Not because they could turn out to be hideous (or worse, all perfect and beautiful!) but because you don't want to be the idiot sitting at the bar alone going up to strangers saying, "Are you with mixer dinners?"

I had a bad day at work Tuesday but I pulled myself together and drove the long drive up to Santa Monica. There was no traffic. Seriously. I kept checking local radio stations to ensure that I was still in LA and had not drifted into some other traffic-free world accidentally. Because of the freakish 405 flow, I got to the restaurant an hour before dinner. LK had mentioned she would be in the bar an hour before dinner if anyone wanted to get a drink, so I thought I would stall 15 minutes (not wanting to appear too eager) and then go into the bar. I read my book club book in the car for a bit and then I walked in. Everyone there was over 60. So I grabbed a seat where I could watch people come in, ordered a drink and tried to act like I was okay with being at the bar alone. 45 MINUTES LATER, the rest of the group shows up. And since everyone else was 60+ it was easy to spot them.

There were 9 people--5 guys and 4 girls, and I'm completely serious when I say that everyone was really cool. I wouldn't mind being friends with the girls and of the five guys I would go on a date with three of them. They were all nice, friendly, smart, easy to talk to, and some where even taller then me and cute. Yes girls, there are still nice, cute, single date-able guys in LA, and I now know the secret to meet at least some of them.

At the end of the night, no one really exchanged contact info before we all separated, but a lot of the people in the group had been to other dinners before and knew/recognized each other. And aside from these dinners, there are monthly group events that a lot of people had already met at. Last month it was bowling, this month is going to be wine tasting. So there is a good chance we'll all run into one another again. There were two guys that I liked more than the others, so I hope to see them sooner rather than later.

Towards the end of dinner, LK asked if I wanted to host one and I agreed. So I am hosting a "people who like to travel" dinner! It's going to be on a Thursday in June, probably in the South bay. I can't wait! I hope I get to host some cute guys...I have to say it was so refreshing to meet new good people not related to work and not because you've had too much to drink. I am PRO mixer dinner.

The Machiavellian Pawn

A lot of political sh*t is going down at work this week. I am like a pawn between two very politically-charged VPs who hate each other. One is the old boss (who wants me to come back to his department) and one is the new boss (who doesn't know the old boss is trying to get me to move). What makes this worse is the new boss is out of town and the old boss is working directly with the CEO who is sort of on-board with the plan. I am torn...do I notify the new boss of the schemes that are underway in his absence? or do I proceed Machiavellian-style and try to see how this can best play out to my benefit??

This is why I'm going to become a nurse-practitioner.

Operation TDG Barista

I did it! I gave the "I think you're cute" note to my TDG barista! I had the perfect opportunity on Friday to give it, but I chickened out. I had a decent opportunity to give it to him yesterday, via another barista, but wimped out again. So finally today I decided I would do it no matter what. Ironically, today is the worse I've looked in a long time....but I didn't care. Things began smoothly. There was no long line today, and in fact no one was waiting on the hidden side of TDG. When I pulled up, guess who was there ready to take my order?? The barista. All the signs were pointing towards going forward with Operation Barista.

We said "Hi" and I told him my order. He seemed kind of sleepy as he went off to make it, and when he came back with it he said something cute about him being out of it and double checked that he made the right thing (he had). This is where things got tricky....

Normally, I hand my money and my frequent buyer card at the same time but the plan today was to first take care of payment. He'd hand me my change, then I'd hand him my card. Then when he handed my card back to me, I would take advantage of the exchange and smoothly hand him over the note. I was about to hand my change and begin the well-planned sequence of events when the other barista (a girl there who I also know) intervened by asking if I'd sign a petition related to their drive-thru. I said sure, grimacing internally. The petition was passed to me right before the cash exchange, slightly thwarting my strategy. I took it in stride though. I signed it and handed it back, THEN handed my barista the money. He gave me my change, then I handed him the card. While he was stamping the card, I got the note ready, took my car out of park and poised myself for a quick get-away. I was nervous and didn't want to hang around for him to read the note! As he handed the card back to me, I started to hand him the note, but then he started some small talk! He said "So do you have anything fun planned for the day or just work?" This took me off guard. Chit-chat was not a part of Operation Barista. I would like to say I handled this little glitch smoothly, but I did not. I was nervous and distracted, so in chopping language I said "Oh, yeah, just work." Then I quickly gave him the note and said, "This is for you." I gave him a big goofy smile (it was meant to be sweet/sexy but it think it was more cartoon character-esque), and then I drove away. Quickly. I'm talking rubber marks on the driveway. Now the big challenge will be going back there on Friday morning to face him...

Dessert-Restraint: A Life-Long Challenge

For my 4th birthday, I had a Strawberry Shortcake Party. I had a pretty red dress, pretty pink decorations, and my mom was making a pretty strawberry flavored cake for the event. The day before the party, my mother baked the cake and left it to cool while she went out to do some last minute errands. It was a nice August evening--the kind where the sun makes everything golden as it sets, and the kind that makes you leave all the windows open until long after its dark. My dad was in the front yard mowing the lawn and my brother was busy going up and down the drive way Flintstone-style (barefoot--he was two and couldn't pedal yet!) on his very cool black plastic motorcycle. My side-kick and partner-in-crime, Maria (from across the street) was over at my house playing Care Bears or some other girly kid game. I remember we were running back and forth between my room--where the toys were--and the driveway--to torment my brother. The quickest route to the driveway was through the laundry room, which was located just off the kitchen and incidentally where my perfect strawberry cake lay unguarded near the side door, waiting for my mother to frost it upon her return. Perhaps on the fourth passage through the laundry room, I noticed it. The sun had set so that light shone down on the cake like a beacon, calling me to it. I told Maria we needed to have some. As usual, Maria said something like "won't we get in trouble?" (she was a much better child than I was). I probably said something like "don't be a scaredy-cat" (which always convinced her to help me). And so together, we forgot about my brother and the Care Bears entirely and pulled the step stool from the kitchen into the laundry room. We pushed it up against the dryer and climbed to the top step. Then, with our bare hands, we proceeded to eat a teeny tiny bit of cake. It probably began with rationale like, "one little nibble will go unnoticed." And then a few bites later, it was probably something like "well, the frosting will cover up the unseemly craters in this partially eaten cake." When the cake was half-gone, it was only then that I realized how this might appear to my mom. But it didn't matter...I had warm, freshly baked and summer-evening cooled strawberry cake in my belly.

I don't remember if I got in trouble with an actual punishment, but I do remember the look on my mom's face when she saw the cake. It probably meant another trip to the store and a long late night baking a new one.

Last night I was faced with a similar scenario. After a long weekend, I came home with intentions to do nothing but sit on the couch and watch Desperate Housewives. I wanted a snack, and even though I knew all I had to choose from was fruit or wasabi cashews (my fattening snack the week), I looked forlornly through the cabinets and refrigerator hoping something better would turn up. Turning to leave with the cashews in hand, I noticed a foil-covered platter next to the stove. I had forgotten! MC made yummy chocolate cupcakes!!! This would be the perfect snack.

I walked over and peeked under the foil when the thought occurred to me that maybe she made these for an event or for someone's birthday. Maybe they weren't just here for us to snack on. She had told me about the cupcakes and I had watched her frost them, but I couldn't remember any details that implied restricting my consumption of them. I stood there torn for a minute or so and even went as far as picking out which cupcake would be mine. The devil on my shoulder whispered, "even if they are for someone's birthday, what's ONE cupcake?" and then the angel said, "but if they're not for me to eat then I shouldn't have one. And what about the swimsuit you just bought for Cabo??" In the end, I put the cupcake back and reluctantly ate a cashew or two.

And with that I have proven that in 22 years, I have at least learned a little self-restraint.

This is my Uncle's dog, Kona. I love him. 

And this is Kona loving me.
Or what every single man hopes to be doing after a night out.




(If you're not sure what this is a picture of, here's a hint: the blue = my pants. He stuck his nose there and wouldn't move it! And he's a 150lb. dog so it's tough moving him. I thought I'd just take a picture instead and wait for him to get bored).

I just learned hot to post pictures to this blog, so this is a little late. BUT, this is the Frog we followed! 

clarification on the annoying friend comment

The comment I made about annoying self-centered friends does not apply to anyone who reads the blog. ; ) In fact, I was referring to some older friends from a long time ago who don't even know I have a blog.

Tofu-obia and other Annoyances

Today I am annoyed at many things. I am annoyed at people that judge, I am annoyed at co-workers, and I am annoyed at friends who are self-centered and very rarely seem interested in what's going on with me or my life, even a little. I don't require a lot of attention, in fact, I generally prefer to not talk too deeply about how I'm really doing with most people. I prefer surface-y conversations when it comes to this. So when a friend doesn't even ask or listen about the surface stuff, that makes me sad.

Also, I'm scared of Tofu. I am a vegetarian (again) and I am a fan of non-meat meat products (meatless meatballs, garden burgers, etc.) I realize that because I like this sort of food, I am eating a lot of soy. And I do realize that soy milk is used to create bean curd, which in turn is tofu. But "bean curd" scares me--both the concept of it and the name. And tofu looks scary! All gelatin-like and mushy, and served in squares...ick. I like to try new foods, new music, experience new cultures and travel to new places. I think maybe even more than the average Southern Californian...but last night I discovered that I draw the line when it comes to tofu. I was at Trader Joes and I was craving a vegetable dish I used to make with turkey or chicken sausage. I came across some Tofurkey Sausage and tried to buy it. REALLY, I tried to pick it up and put it in my cart, and then go home and eat it. But I couldn't! I couldn't handle the Tofurkey!!!

Hide soy products in my veggie burgers, sneak it into a meat-less corn dog, but don't give it to me in a square or in something called "tofurkey."

Ho or Hoe?

Here is a footnote from the proceedings of an appeal in the the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois:

The trial transcript quotes Ms. Hayden as saying Murphy called her a snitch bitch "hoe." A "hoe," of course, is a tool used for weeding and gardening. We think the court reporter, unfamiliar with rap music (perhaps thankfully so), misunderstood Hayden's response. We have taken the liberty of changing "hoe" to "ho," a staple of rap music vernacular as, for example, when Ludacris raps "You doin' ho activities with ho tendencies."

LOL

Other news...

Last night I decided to prepare my "I think you're cute" note for the barista at TDG. I got out pink stationary and a black sharpie, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to communicate and what might be the best way to say it. I settled on, "I think you're cute!"

I wanted to seal the note shut so that if I hand it to him via another barista, they cannot open it and read my top secret message. All I had were leftover Valentine's day Care Bear stickers (BTW I didn't BUY these, I am not that much of a child. My mom is a preschool teacher and she gave me them). I chose the pink bear with a rainbow on her belly saying "Hi Cutie." I figured that was a perfect sealing mechanism, despite the fact that it adds a hint of childishness. Of course, I am passing him a note, so I'm not exactly acting adult-like.

Despite feeling really bad today (horrible sore throat) I did my hair extra purty and pulled up to the window only to remember that it is THURSDAY and he doesn't work on Thursdays. But I wasn't too sad because it was my free frequent-buyer coffee day--Yippee!--and there was another cute surfer-looking barista who said I looked like Liv Tyler. He also made my coffee perfectly. And because of the too-generous compliment and perfect drink I thought about giving him the note. It is generic after all...I decided against it though as we have not been building a customer-barista relationship for quite as long as me and the other guy. I do need SOME standards when it comes to flirting with strange guys.

Just like a What?

So the other day I was listening to a Tori Amos cover of Madonna's "Just Like a Prayer." The Madonna version originally came out a long time ago. I was probably 10. At that time I was a big fan of Madonna's but didn't really understand a lot of the sexual controversy surrounding much of her music. For example: I DID know what a virgin was, but I DIDN'T understand what "being touched for the first time" really implied. Maybe I was naive but in my defense I was only 10 years old, I had only been living back in the US for a year (I was out of touch with American culture), AND I was going to the world's smallest catholic school. All I knew was that this particular song was by Madonna (who I liked), it was about prayer (which is good!), and the video had burning crosses in it. If I was aware of any related controversy, I linked it to those burning crosses, 'cause, that's just got to be bad, right?

It wasn't until I heard the Tori Amos version on Saturday that it started to dawn on me just what this song may actually be about. Here is a particularly telling line from the song: "I'm down on my knees, I want to take you there."

She also says "In the midnight hour, I can feel your power." Whatever experience she's singing about--whomever she's feeling power from and kneeling in front of-- she's calling it "religious."

I am now 26, I am no longer in Catholic school, and I am fully integrated into American culture. I'm gonna venture to guess that just MAYBE, this song isn't about praying.

A Tale of Two Guys

The other night in Vegas, I had two interesting boy encounters. Both which left myself, and my friend KA a little bit upset at men in general.

Boy Encounter 1: Babydoll and I snuck into the VIP area at Rain and met a bunch of Irish guys. One of the guys, Brenden, seemed to take a liking to me. And by "seemed" I mean he was consistently saying things like "You are so hot, I would love to [vulgar activity]." While I didn't find this charming, I'll admit that on some level I was flattered. And I tolerated this because I was a little drunk and because of his cute little Irish accent--it was hard to take him seriously! We talked for maybe 10 minutes until he started acting strange and distracted. Then while I was looking away, he disappeared. Babydoll was still talking to his friend, Seamus (could that be any more Irish?), so I asked him where Brendan went. Turns out he's engaged to Seamus' sister. This was both annoying and disturbing, not because I was SO into Brendan (because I wasn't) but because he seemed so into me. And he's about to get married!! I feel sorry for his fiancée.

Boy Encounter 2: A few hours and drinks later (maybe around 4am?) I was approached by a man with a Mohawk. I don't remember how we began talking (again, this was a few drinks later), but I do remember being fascinated by WHY he had a Mohawk. I think I was even a little mean to him and said things like "Did you think it was an 80's theme tonight?", "Are you punk?", "Did you come up to me because you think I'm punk?" while I repeatedly squashed the Mohawk down with my hand. But because of my blood alcohol content, and because of the time of the night, I was more easy-going about hanging out with Mohawk Man (MM). We didn't spend much time together before I realized that he was on something. Something that perhaps involves the letter E (I am typing this up at work...must be careful to avoid the censors). If the Mohawk wasn't enough, this definitely was to solidify my non-interest in him. 5am hit and it was time to leave. As I was saying bye to MM, I noticed he had a wedding ring on. I said, "Hey, I didn't realize you were married." He put on a sad face and said that he was separated and going through a messy divorce because his wife was cheating on him. I said too bad, good luck, and bye.

Because it was late and we were exhausted, it made perfect sense to eat something fattening. Two of our group had already gone home. Babydoll was still with Seamus and we had lost them in the crowd. The rest of us--KA, HB and I--took a taxi back to MGM and headed to the cafe in the Casino. As I looked at the menu trying to choose between French friends with guacamole or a vegetarian Patty Melt, in walks MM. He knew I was in MGM, he knew we were going to get food, and he was walking straight towards us, so the obvious conclusion is that he followed me! We were sitting in one of those half circle booths. I was in the middle so I laid down flat between HB and KA, hoping he would forget about me. Despite my stealth maneuver, MM stopped at our table and said something like "Are you hiding from me?" I don't remember what I said but I do remember being surprised that he was talking to me after my advanced camouflage techniques made me virtually invisible. I must have made him mad because he turned around and stormed out. As he walked away I said "Good luck with the divorce!" At this he stopped in his tracks, turned and said "I am happily married with two kids." My only response, spoken internally because I am a proper lady, was "What the f*ck?"

Maybe 30 minutes later...guess who else walks in. Brendan! He joined Seamus and Babydoll so that he could apologize to me, profusely, for being a d*ck. At that point, I couldn't even remember why I was upset with him. I forgave him so he would stop saying he was sorry, and we all enjoyed a good meal late into the morning. Funny thing is after the meal Brendan walked me back--apologizing the whole way--and I think he was sort of trying to make a move on me. It was 8am at this point, I was driving home in three hours, I was tired and full and annoyed at the male gender--a few apologies and a grilled cheese were not gonna cut it.

So what is it with guys lying about their singleness?? And twice to me in one night?? Well, I guess I do understand the motivations behind such behavior. The logic is simple and immature: they're involved with others but want to "play," and so they lie. While this makes me sad for the women dating/married to these guys, it also makes me thrilled that I am not. I guess there's a silver lining to every situation.

A Chance Encounter in the LBC

On Friday afternoon, AFTER I decided I no longer liked WBF he emailed to find out about some good restaurants in my neighborhood. After talking to him about the options, the one he sounded most interested in was the one that my friend YN and I JUST decided to go to for dinner that very night. I made a point of telling him that I was already going there because I didn't want him to think I was suggesting where he should go and then show up too. He asked what time we were going and the conversation ended with us saying maybe we'll see each other either at the restaurant or at the bars afterwards.

Fast forward a few hours later. Guess who shows up right as we're leaving?? WBF! We stop and chat for a minute but the restaurant is tiny and crowded. We were standing in an awkward place kind of blocking the main walkway, so we didn't talk for long. He asked where we were going after dinner and I was like "Oh, I don't know." The irony about this is that here my BIG crush is asking where I'm going to be next and I answer with a very aloof comment practically blowing him off. Of course, I'm always so afraid that my feelings are transparent that somewhere in my twisted psyche I feel like I'm being super aggressive (Samantha on Sex and the City type aggressive).

After leaving the restaurant, YN had to go to the Rite-Aid next door to pick up something. We talked about the WBF encounter and I realize, slowly, that I had the perfect opportunity to arrange meeting up with WBF after dinner and I responded completely incorrectly!!! I am literally freaking about all this in the makeup aisle at Rite Aid when I decide other advice is needed. I called the PtA and GnCH to get their take on the situation. They suggested that I call WBF and say "we decided to go to X bar and maybe after dinner you should stop by." But of course, I DON'T HAVE HIS NUMBER. For fear of drunk dialing him I have never put it in my cell phone. PtA the advises that I need to go back into the restaurant to invite him and his friends to the bar we're going to. I knew this was the right, mature, thing to do but still I am nervous about it. Thankfully, YN asks if it would make me feel better if she asked him, and even though having your girl-friend ask the boy you like to meet up with you is something only elementary school kids do, this immediately felt like the best option. Next to passing him a note in study hall of course.

So with shaking legs and sweaty palms, we walked back into the tiny, cramped restaurant. YN said something funny and nice to open the conversation and invited them to join us after they eat. They were receptive to the idea, and WBF even asked if we wanted to sit and join them. After a few minutes of chatting (by chatting I mean YN talked while I stood there looking awkward and twiddling my thumbs) we left for the bar.

After about an hour of sitting at the bar having a drank and reflecting (stressing!) on the WBF encounter, I decide they are not coming and that he doesn't like me. We decide to wait a half hour more. I am lowering my head in shame, wallowing in his rejection of me, when in walks WBF and friends!!! It is obvious early on that his friends didn't really want to be there but he seemed to. Even so, they stayed for an hour and a half! Then he asked what we were doing for the rest of the night. One of the guys wanted to go to bars in HB. WBF then asked us what we were doing and if we wanted to go with them. When I said I didn't feel like driving all the way there and back he said I could stay at his place (he said on his couch). He mentioned that a couple of times, and his friend even joined in and said we should come too. I got the feeling that WBF actually didn't want to leave and would have easily stayed at the bar we were at if his friends wanted to.

In one of our conversations, he called me "someone very special." It was sort of a joke though because one of his friends was saying he was a big drinker and I said "Well, a true sign of a big drinker is if he has a flask" (I gave him one for his b-day). So he laughed and said, "I have a flask. A very good friend gave it to me. Someone very special." Of course, he was saying it in front of me so he had to say something nice. And he did say "friend" first which made me sad. I would have preferred something like "a very hot girl I know and want to start dating." But the friend comment was followed by "special person." Te, he. I"m special to him. : )

Special Thanks go out to YN for being the perfect Wing-Woman. I couldn't have done all this on my own. Also special thanks to PtA and GnCH for advising on strategy throughout the evening.
Now for the rest of the weekend...

On Saturday, HB and I drove out to Las Vegas and met up with KA, Babydoll and a couple of others. It was sort of an unplanned trip and was SO much fun. We went to Mon Ami Gabi for dinner--a fantastic French bistro in Paris--then to Rain in the Palms where we met tons of boys. We didn't even go to bed until 8am!! It was crazy and I am still recovering.

Fashion Theme of the Week: This week we have our big semi-annual National Sales meeting. That means I am in meetings all day for three days straight. The particular conference room we'll be in is always SUPER cold. Like, arctic tundra cold. So because of the circumstances, this week's Fashion Theme is "comfy, yet corporate warm clothing with lots of layers." I guess that's not really a theme, but because my WBF is going to be involved at all the meetings, it becomes a bit more challenging. Not only do I have to look professional in clothing that could survive Ice-Age type temperatures, I ALSO have to appear Sexy.