NYE...plans?

So it's New Year's Eve, again. Seem like only a last weekend that I was at The Hills in Rochester with my old college friends.

Oh that's right, I was.

But I mean for New Year's.

It was amazingly fun, and we were all obsessed with the disco ducks in our wine glasses.

Anyhow, enough about last year.

This year, I have big plans - or at least, thought I would.

During my trip to Somerset a couple weeks ago with one of my favorites, she helped me pick out this slammin' outfit, perfect for NYE festivities.

After much deliberation, we've decided to go to dinner.

Yep, that's it. Dinner.

And there's the potential for a house party in there, but that'll only require jeans anyhow. It appears that, this year, people just aren't making elaborate plans.

At least it's dinner at Parallax - one of my favorites in this town.

So all the preparations and excitement of a rather expensive outfit...for dinner.

Honestly, I'm completely okay with that given that I've caught a touch of this crap that seems to be going around.

Sniffles or not, I'm not missing out on some amazing sushi tonight.

What are your NYE plans?

Cheers!

-A

Another one bites the dust

Another friend that is.

A male friend.

*gasp* Shocker I know.

Luckily, it really has nothing to do with me - it's all about the new girlfriend.

Gah! The girlfriend gets me every time!

Why is it than when a guy starts dating a new girl he has to give up his current friendships with people of the opposite sex?

Now, don't get me wrong, some of my best guy friends have managed to stick around through relationships and even marriages - granted, I'm usually friends with the wife, too - but it pisses me off to no end when a solid friendship we had before she came along has to be ruined purely because she's insecure.

Bitch.

And odds are, it's you she doesn't trust. Not me.

Idiot.

Maybe you two do deserve each other after all.

But I have to admit that I feel a little bit bad for the poor bastard. Too bad he can't grow a pair and stand up for a friendship he once cherished.

See?

See how happy people can be in platonic friendships?!

Yes, I am wearing Pooh Bear gloves. Shut it.

This goes back to my question about friendship in your 20s. Sure, it can be a struggle to keep friends in and out of new relationships, but seriously, if the friendship came first, shouldn't that be taken into consideration before kicking them to the curb?

I certainly think so.

-A

p.s. - thanks for untagging yourself from all my Facebook photos. One more way to drive the point home, eh?

Necessary update

Hey Blogosphere,

Remember me?

Yeah, I know, I suck. I said I'd still be around then I dropped offline for a week. Yikes!

The holidays have this way of sucking me in and pulling me away from the normal routine. And I must say, it's been difficult to get back into the swing of things. Next week, after a break for the New Year's holiday and a big move to a new apartment, I'm sure it'll be just as difficult.

So here's the update on what's been keeping my time so occupied this last week.

-Two family Christmas parties. Light load, I lucked out this year!

-Completing Eclipse and starting into Breaking Dawn. Yep, still addicted.

-Getting to see Joe after his (extremely too long) absence while stationed in Iraq.

-Attending the MSU vs. Oakland basketball game at the Palace with my old college crew.

-Getting to see one of my favorites, Chris, who came in to visit from LA! You still reading, Chris?

-Planned a trip out to LA to visit the rest of the crew this summer.

-Played many a game of Mad Gab.

-Officially picked a dog breeder and mailed in my deposit.

-Met up with one of my bestests for coffee and to meet the SO.

-Discussed the art update with the BFF who's decided to use my photos as a staple throughout his house!

-A 5 hour drive to visit the 'rents, a 4 hour drive back to OH for one night, a 3 hour drive back up to the D and another 3 hour drive back the next day...whew!

On top of all that, I'm attempting to fight off the plague that seems to be circulating through the SOs family...fingers crossed.

One more day until New Year's festivities begin - anyone have any fun plans this year?

What did you do to celebrate the holidays?

Cheers!

-A

Holiday cheer

Not only am I in high holiday spirits because it's officially my winter vacation this week, but today has brought me a number of gifts - blogger gifts to be exact.

After a lovely lunchtime yoga class (that I never can find time to attend during the work week) I came back to my apartment to find my mailbox full of lovely holiday cards from my fellow bloggers.

*tear* I'm touched.

They're all officially read and hanging on my wall next to my stockings.

Given that I was a bad blogger friend this year and did not send personal notes via snail mail to y'all, you'll have to forgive me and consider this your "card" filled with holiday cheer.

I'm so lucky to have the best blogger friends anyone could as for - those real life friends and those that will become so in 2009.

Enough sap, it's lunch time for this vacationing gal.

Cheers! And happy holidays!!

-A

p.s. Special thanks to Ben for the puppy card that totally made my day, and Matt for realizing that yes, I have been good this year!

Photography Friday: Office Party

Welcome to another Photography Friday. This week, it's the office Christmas party edition.

And yes, this is a cop out because I haven't gotten out to take pictures recently.

Winter is usually one of my favorite times to capture the changing landscape, but honestly, it's been so windy and rainy here, I've been too much of a puss to actually go outside.

So this is what you get, deal with it.

Last night was the office Christmas party. This year definitely had it's surprises.

Last year we went to a Cavs game, which y'all can imagine how fun that was for me as a die hard Pistons fan.

The year before that I was in Texas, and all the TX offices got together at a resort in Dallas - it was fantastic, but I still think this year may have won.

Before the party we had a staff meeting at a "surprise offsite location."

Most of us had figured out that it was going to be at our future office space - but I don't think any of us knew how cool it would be. The space has yet to be designed, but the layout looked amazing and the attached parking garage is definitely a plus.

(This is me on the bus ride over to the new space.)

After a quick meeting and a champagne toast we headed over to the martini bar to get the party started.

As you'll notice, I have no other pictures as I was terrible about actually taking them during the party.

Photographer FAIL.

See this truly is a cop out...

This year, we were allowed to bring a guest, so the SO came to meet my co-workers. He's been getting rave reviews around the office this morning.

After some free food and drinks we went to a comedy show, which we all enjoyed.

Today, I feel extra tired and hungry (free food wasn't exactly dinner). So my team and I are heading out for a lovely digital lunch for some greasy Chinese food today.

And then, it's vacation time! Woohoo!

But I'll still be here, dear readers. You can count on that.

Cheers!

-A

The woman and her Beamer

True story.

Early this morning, as I was getting out of my Saturn Vue in the parking garage below my office, a woman in a 3 series BMW pulled in next to me.

I was gathering my things as she got out of her car and proceeded to turn around and wait. As I climbed out and started toward the building entrance I realized, she was waiting for me.

C'mon now, lady. I'm not going to do anything to your precious car. Granted, I do drive a Saturn, but it's new, and pretty, and yes it's actually made of metal. And really, do I look like a girl who's about to smash open your passenger window and hot wire your car? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Being a little irked by this I decided to dawdle and fumble with my things a little longer, just to make her wait. Her anxiety shown through even more when she clicked the lock button on her key fob once more, in turn beeping the horn, just to let me know that indeed she did lock her precious vehicle.

Once I started toward the building she turned to walk five paces in front of me - as if she'd never even seen me.

To further test my theory - not that much testing was needed, given that it was 6:30 a.m., we were the only one's in the garage, and she was looking directly at me this entire time - I quickly spun back toward my car as if I'd forgotten something.

When she realized I was no longer on her heals, she stopped immediately, turned in my direction and proceeded to wait...again. Her glare could have burned a hole through me.

I shut my drivers side door and made clear eye contact as I locked my car, hitting the button twice, just to be smug.

As I followed her into the building, she pretended as if I wasn't there and never once held a door for me.

If you're going to non-verbally accuse me of wanting to steal your car, the least you can do is hold the door for me when I don't.

Bitch.

-A

I wish(ed) your wish

Last weekend on the trip to Pittsburgh, we stopped by Carnegie Mellon for a quick lunch and a visit to the Natural History Museum.

The SO was looking forward to the dinosaur exhibit - which I admit was pretty cool given that they had two T-rex skeletons - and my attention tended to gravitate toward the geology portion of the exhibit.

Yes, I'm that big of a geek. But give me a break, I didn't take "rocks for jocks" in college; astronomy was my science of choice.

But I digress.

There also was an exhibit called Life on Mars that we didn't explore much due to lack of time - oh, who am I kidding, and lack of interest too...I can only take so much learning in one vacation.

Part of this exhibit was the I Wish Your Wish wall.

The premise of this interactive exhibit is that visitors take a ribbon from the wall with an imprinted wish on it. Some of these wishes are in English, some are not - giving it an international flare.

These are wishes of visitors past. You take one that most applies to your life - or at least that you find meaningful. The SO and I found a blue ribbon wishing that our actions were not controlled by our fears. Deep. He ended up taking this one in the end. The wish I picked out for myself (on green ribbon, naturally) stated, "I wish I knew if it would all be worth it." Brilliant!

As legend has it, you tie the ribbon around your wrist - or any other part of your body, I suppose - and tie it in three knots, making a wish after each knot. Once the ribbon falls off (on it's own) your wishes will come true.

Then, and this is what I find pretty damn cool, you write down a new wish on a piece of paper and slide it in the hole where you took your ribbon from. These wishes are then printed and placed in the empty holes on the wall for others to read and take for themselves.

Here's the wish I put on the wall: "I wish that I could do it all over again."

What would your wish be?

Cheers!

-A

The Lunch Date: revisited

Detroit was amazing!

Or rather, the time spent with one of my favorites, wandering the streets of Royal Oak and consuming red wine was amazing. And much needed.

(Us back in our college days - this was the only picture I could find at the moment.)

I love those friends where, no matter how long it's been since you have physically seen one another you pick up right where you left off. She is this girl for me. And, we're scary similar sometimes. We are both so graceful, after all.

Sarcasm - if you didn't notice.

When I got in on Friday we went out for a late sushi dinner where we ran into Suton, who I thought would be the most interesting sighting of the evening. But oh was I wrong.

Dinner discussions tended to be in depth and analytical - mostly about boys and our careers. But who are we kidding here, career talk went out the door after the second glass of wine...

So about, oh I dunno, 30 seconds after she had finished telling me about a recent lunch date gone wrong, a visitor slides into the booth next to me.

Given that I didn't see this coming, nor did I know who this stranger was, I let out an audible yelp.

His ears must have been ringing, because it was Mr. Lunch Date himself, drunk as a skunk.

As he proceeded to beg us to come join his group at a bar down the street, I took the opportunity to size him up. Aside from the fact that I think she is way too good for him - though let's be honest, I think that about most men she dates...she's just so special, she deserves someone great - he was rather awkward.

Knowing that he is an engineer I might blame it on that - but the BFF is in the same line of work and he's completely capable of holding conversations in groups.

During our attempted discussion, it came out that I graduated from college a couple years before him. This seemed to take him by surprise. Upon my response to the "so how old are you" question, he says, very matter of factly:

"You look good for your age."

Yes, I'd like another glass of Syrah, please.

C'mon now, really? It was then that I realized just how much better she can do...

This wasn't the only interesting encounter of the weekend, however it may be the most memorable. How was your weekend?

Cheers!

-A

Photography Friday: Pittsburgh

Welcome to Photography Friday, the Pittsburgh edition.

Last weekend's trip to Pittsburgh with the SO was a much needed break from the monotony of winter in the Cleve. Though, I have to say, the two cities are eerily similar - the atmosphere, the people.

The scenery though, that's where the Burgh has us beat. Between the hills, the rivers, and the architecture I was in heaven.

(Editors note: Recommendations on where to go in NE Ohio for good photo ops welcomed - I know I haven't exhausted the city yet, but I'm running out of ideas.)

On our first day there the skies were cooperative, letting the sun peak through at just the right times. We ventured up the incline from Station Square - so that we could grab a drink at Bar Louie and warm up shortly thereafter - to capture views of the city from Mount Washington.

The one at the top is most favored from that adventure.

Of all the pictures taken through the pain and ensuing numbness that my fingers endured to get some quality shots, this has got to be my favorite.

This was probably my third shot of the trip - waiting to head up the incline. Between the depth of field and natural sectioning I'm head over heals.

In fact, this may be the next print for my wall.

For now, I'm off to chilly Detroit for a girls weekend full of Christmas shopping and shenanigans with one of my college favorites. Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?

Cheers!

-A

Working from home

(I only wish I lived in a place that looked like this...)

In the past, I've mentioned how much I love my job. Not only do I get to do work that I enjoy everyday, but the people I work with are phenomenal. 

And the perks we get are nothing to bitch about.

One of those perks is the ability to work from home from time to time. I assume this is one of those, as long as you don't abuse it, type of situations - but I'm careful not to find that one out.

It's great, though.

If you've got a maintenance man coming over and need to be at home, you don't have to cash in your sick time to get it taken care of. 

And when puppy time rolls around, it'll be nice to know I can stay at my place if the little guy is in need.

Right now, I'm actually utilizing this perk so I can spend the day focusing on a project that will take a lot of concentration (okay, so obviously not right this second).

And let's face it, when you work in an office where you enjoy the company of your co-workers, the day can be a little distracting.

This is only one of the many additional bonuses of working for my employer. 

So tell me dear readers, what are some of the perks you love about your job?

For now, I'm about to turn off all social media (gasp, I know) and focus on the other geeky side of my persona, the techie who loves to edit and produce videos. Final Cut here I come!

Cheers!

-A

When I grow up

...I want to be a chef.

Okay, so maybe not a chef, but definitely a foodie. Yeah, that's more like it.

Recent experiences with the foodie world have drawn me to this lifestyle. Being in NYC at Chelsea Market - surrounded by some of the best chefs and bakers all day, experiencing the best tasting food, touring the Food Network test kitchens, meeting celebrity chefs - I love everything about it.

Being in Cleveland, I'm always hoping for a chance to rub elbows with Michael Symon during a casual stroll down East 4th or swinging by Lolita in Tremont. One of these days, I will get that chance.

And no, that doesn't make me a stalker, thankyouverymuch. I'm just a paying customer who's in awe. I mean, anyone who has their servers wear Converse All Stars during their shifts has got to be pretty fantastic - and c'mon y'all, he can cook a mean meal.

There's just something about being integrated in the foodie world that's so attractive. The excitement of being in a kitchen watching edible masterpieces take shape, meeting world renowned chefs, learning techniques from the pros, promoting one of the best networks on television - The Food Network for those who didn't catch on - and of course the love and appreciation for food.

I've always wanted to be a pastry chef like Duff.

The problem is, I'm not the most creative girl, nor am I the most kitchen savvy but I can be taught, especially if I can get my hands dirty with the the players at Charm City Cakes or go on the road with Bobby for a throw down or head out with Michael on his next Dinner Impossible challenge. And words cannot begin to describe how much I'd love to be a fly on the wall for Iron Chef America or take part in one of the Food Network Challenges.

Or maybe I should just become a food photographer - that would get a foot in the door, right? Hell, I'd even be a personal assistant if it meant spending time with some of the best chefs in the world. Know of anyone in need? *wink wink*

Anyone else obsessed with The Food Network and life as a foodie? What do you want to be when you grow up?

Cheers!

-A

Mindless struggles

Don't let the title fool you, it's not as if I'm in a completely mindless state - rather, I'm thinking entirely too much causing my ability to concentrate on unrelated topics to evaporate.

So, today you'll be pointed in the direction of some of the greatest posts of the recent past.

These will give you an idea of where my brain seems to have disappeared to, as well.

I love holding hands - cheesy, maybe. But there's just something about it.

Each day is one step closer to me being a proud puppy owner - a mini dachshund to be exact.

Is there a way to prevent stage 4 from setting in?

What women really want - fascinating. Count me in agreement with the Original List.

Thanks goes out to Mel, Ben, and 27 Dresses for supplying me with content for another cop out post.

Until I'm back on solid ground...

Cheers!

-A

Today is my Friday

That's right, as of noon today I'm walking out the office door and into a long weekend!

I'm heading out of town, only this time, not to Michigan. The SO (significant other, for those who haven't been paying attention) and I will be making a trip to Pittsburgh for a couple days away from normal life.

The first weekend away - big step I know - but I'm excited as I've never been to Pittsburgh.

I know, right. In my 20 some years I've spent weeks in New York City, traveled to Hawaii before graduating high school, and have gone to San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, DC, Chicago, and Minneapolis all in the last year - and yet, I've never made it to Pittsburgh.

As someone who's been spoiled by business travel, we booked a room at the Westin Convention Center - I've heard it's pretty new. I've also been given some great recommendations on where to eat and things to see while we're there.

Mostly, though, I'm excited to get away and take some pictures. It's been a while - since New York actually - where I really got some great shots. This weekend holds much potential.

So since it's my Friday, and I'll be missing Photography Friday, I'm going to post a picture that I took this past weekend during Winterfest. It was cold and crowded and the evening was centered around a parade - which, I didn't care so much about - so we only stayed long enough to get a couple decent shots.

This was one of them.

Ever since my trip to Brooklyn, I've been extremely interested in nighttime photography. The colors turn out so brilliant when you slow down the shutter speed to capture the shot.

The lack of wind worked in my favor that night - there's no way this would have turned out otherwise.

Once I'm back from the long weekend I'll have plenty more pics to share. Until then...

Cheers!

-A

Expectations

All my life I've worked hard to exceed expectations, and I'm usually pretty successful, if I do say so myself.

It's not unusual for people to take one look at me and assume I'm some little blonde girl that has no idea what's going on in the world around her. I take great satisfaction from reactions I get after discussing my career, an upcoming marathon, or current events in sports with people I meet - I guess they just don't expect it. What, does everyone expect me to talk about shopping and The Hills?

Not that exceeding expectations comes easy by any means. I work hard, sacrifice time and put my heart and soul into everything I do - career, running, relationships...everything.

This backfires, however, when rather than meeting expectations, I completely bomb and disappoint someone. As a perfectionist, this hurts more than it should, because in turn I end up disappointing myself the most.

I tend to be a pretty proud person at times - *gasp* I know, right - especially when the things I've accomplished took exceptional sacrifice and investment (read: time, money, the shedding of a few tears). And often in these situations, I'm pleased with the outcome - but what about when someone isn't? When you disappoint someone else because you didn't meet their expectations. And even worse, what if it's a situation that you can't fix? Recovering from this can be the most difficult of all.

In the end, the final product is worth the added stress - or so that's what I tell myself. But sometimes this desire to exceed expectations causes more distress than need be. However, I've yet to figure out how to take a step back and care a little bit less. Because as I see it, that's the only way to overcome this sick need to continuously go above and beyond and blow everyone out of the water.

How to go about this, is the ultimate question.

So what about you - do you find yourself in similar situations? How do you work through situations where you haven't exactly met expectations without beating yourself up?

Cheers!

-A

The Twins

Thanksgiving weekend was delightful. Aside from the 9 hours spent in a car over the course of two days, and the slight disappointment I felt after seeing Twilight, it was quite a lovely weekend.

After returning from a couple days in Michigan with the family, I was put to the test. The friend test. Two nights in a row, actually.

I hope I passed...

Saturday I was invited to attend a house party nearby and meet some of the friends who were in town for the holiday weekend. After a glass of red wine at home this sounded like a great idea - that is until we entered the front door and everyone turned to greet the late arrivals.

Not intimidating at all.

It wasn't that bad, really. Looking back, I probably should have been more intimidated than I was. But I don't usually realize things like that until after the fact - which comes in handy when I embarrass myself and am too oblivious to realize it at the time.

In the course of a couple hours I was introduced to a dozen or so friends for the first time - it was great to put faces to names and to meet all the fantastic people in the SO's life. He's got some amazing friends.

It's weird though, meeting people that you've never even heard of who come up to you and say, "oh, it's so great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you...."

I hope I'm not super obvious when my response is "thanks, it's great to finally meet you too" when I'm really thinking "who the hell are you and why do you know so much about me..."

The most interesting night, though, was Friday. A fairly relaxed evening in was anticipated, and though it was an evening in, insanity ensued.

Between the Christmas Ale and friends breaking out in song - everything from TI to Boys to Men (yes, seriously) - the evening turned out to be quite the shit show. At one point, people were even sneaking out. Luckily, we were able to capitalize on this moment as well and remove ourselves from the drunken singers - who were not nearly as talented as they thought in that state.

But before all that, I got to meet the other twin.

One of my friends is a twin - something I didn't really realize until just recently. His brother went to a different college, lives in a different town, and it just never came up that his brother was born on the same day. From what I was told they're pretty different, but I managed to make my own assessment after meeting him for the first time.

The physical differences were minimal, both are tall and slender, though one twin was slightly taller than the other. One twin has hair that is a shade lighter than the other. Style, too, seemed similar - but that's difficult to judge after only one encounter with the other twin.

Though they look almost identical, have exactly the same laugh, and for the most part sound the same, from the moment the twin walked in you knew there were big differences.

One twin is much more laid back than the other - his presence is almost calming. He is comfortable sitting quietly, taking it all in, while the other tends to be highly animated and fully engaged in conversation.

There also are significant differences in the way these two interact, and the way they are reacted to, within the core group of friends. It was interesting. Just by observing it was easy to tell how others viewed the twins and the status that each held within this group.

I always thought it would be great to be a twin - you have a constant companion, someone who is just like you to hang out with. But the more twins I meet, the more I realize how it's not like that at all. Being a twin means you need to work just that much harder to make a name for yourself, to stand out and be an individual. And in fact, most twins are quite different from one another. I've even known twins who can't stand each other. It definitely makes for an interesting family dynamic.

So tell me dear readers, what are the twins like that you know?

Anyone else do anything exciting for the holiday weekend?

Cheers!

-A

Unthankful

(My apologies in advance, this post is not up to par. But I tried, and doesn't everyone deserve an A for effort? Okay, no, but it took me a long time to write and I'm not just going to let all that time go to waste, so this is what you get. I hope you keep reading anyway.)

That's typically what I am all year.

I'm a cynical 20-something with high expectations and an ability to attract uncomfortable situations.

Though people tell me I bring them good luck - at least I'm helping someone out in the end.

Regardless, normally I would focus on the fact that the upcoming holidays mean that winter is upon us and the bad weather has only just begun - which means driving in snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Not to mention enduring hours of forced family gatherings, spending my hard earned paycheck on gifts for my cousin's husband's sister who will be joining the family around the Christmas tree, and figuring out how to take off the 10 pounds I gained from eating only cookies and pie over the holidays - given that my carnivorous family neglects to accommodate the vegetarian.

But today, I'm not going to think about these things. Nope.

So to change it up a bit, I wanted to talk about all the things I have to be thankful for, given that this is the time of the year to give thanks (Thanks-giving...even I can figure that one out).


My job - in this economy, who wouldn't be happy to have a job, especially one they can say they enjoy getting up for in the morning.

The accidental hair color change - sure, I wanted to go a little darker, but now I'm officially not a blonde anymore. And you know what, I really like it!

Discovering Americanos - yes, this is something that happened just this past year, apparently I'm behind the times. Regardless, without this lovely addiction I may not be able to make it through the day.

New routines - with the commitment to a marathon and my recent book obsession, I've taken my weekly routine to a new level. Unless of course I get a midweek invitation for dinner at Lola - I will be dining there tonight hoping, in the back of my mind, that Michael Symon makes an appearance.

Photography - without this hobby I wouldn't be who I am. It's the ultimate creative outlet for me. And, I've even started selling now. So, keep an eye out. If I post something here you like, I'm happy to get you a print!

Being the black sheep - over the years I have come to realize I'm the black sheep of my family. It's not all bad - I cherish this status, actually. And because it's widely understood, I have an excuse to bail out at times, or just not show up. But of course, I will be showing up in Michigan for Thanksgiving weekend (hence the early 'thankful' post, if you hadn't caught on before). Though I am thankful for my little family which will be getting bigger shortly when my brother and his new fiancee tie the knot.

Longstanding friendship - this is the time of year to cherish those nearest to you and I've really learned over the last year how valuable my friends in this city, back home, and around the country are to me. Thanks guys *tear*

My independence - as much as it may seem like I'm a little harsh on my family, I wouldn't trade them for the world because they taught me how to be strong and independent. That's something I hold onto tightly.

Social media- these tools really help me in all aspects of my life, especially those things above. Maybe that makes me a geek (okay, so I know it does, when your significant other is in finance and you casually mention 'tweeting' in conversation, you're bound to get the look of, 'holy crap, I had no idea you were such a nerd!')

So really, I'm thankful for being a nerd - and quite proud if I do say so myself.

What are all y'all thankful for?

Cheers?

-A

Reading and writing

This weekend brought me back to 90s style reading and writing. You know, the kind of reading where you have actual pages to turn and the kind of writing where a pen actually touches paper.

It was amazing.

Don't get me wrong, I love writing to y'all, but the feeling of picking up a pen and going to town, writing down all my thoughts without a filter, it was highly cathartic.

Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but there actually are things that I think and don't say. You can only imagine the types of things I keep to myself.

Anyhow, I also started reading a new book. It's been a while since I picked up a novel for pleasure - most of my reading has been industry related as of late.

What's even better is that I'm reading a trendy book...that's right, I jumped on the Twilight series bandwagon. It took me a while to see what all the fuss was about, but now that I've reached a certain point in the book I'm hooked. I even skipped one of my all time favorite shows last night in lieu of more tales of Edward Cullen.

Jenn's guide was right, this book has the potential to suck the life out of you. But I don't regret it. In fact, I can't wait to finish so I can see the movie on the big screen. At the rate I'm going, I'll be heading to the theatre later this week.

So what about y'all, read any good books lately?

Cheers!

-A

Fork in the Road

No, not this one. Though we do love CC. In fact, I owe her some love for awarding me yet again with this lovely award which states:

"This blog invests and believes in proximity" (meaning, that blogging makes us 'close'-being close through proxy). These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to 8 bloggers and include this text.

So I'm passing it along to the lovely Cleveland bloggers listed below as they are the greatest and I had the most fantastic time with them last week!

Narm @ White-Collar Redneck
Alexa @ Cleveland's a Plum
Ashley @ Our Little Apartment
Teets @ Yes, I'm Judging You
Always a Bridesmaid @ 27 Dresses in Cleveland
Allison @ Confessions of a Cohabitant
Suzanne @ Life on Mars
Mel @ Life, Liberty &Pursuit of Your Boyfriend

If you're not reading these blogs, you should. They're much better than mine.

But now, onto the actual crossroads - the one I'm facing at the moment...

As you may have gathered, I have a dilemma. One that will cause me to make a very big decision in the near-ish future.

What is it? Well my friends, we'll save that for outside of the blogosphere.

I know. I suck.

But the bigger problem here is that I'm unsure of how to approach this decision. It's one that has the potential to affect numerous individuals aside from myself.

This stresses me out - decisions only affecting me, positively or negatively, I can handle. Because if when I mess it all up I'm the only one who has to deal with those consequences. But the last thing I want to do is make a decision where others are left to pick up the pieces of a not so great situation.

Ack.

Needless to say, I'm struggling with where to begin on this one. Do I make a pros and cons list - is that even appropriate for making a real adult decision? Or, do I employ a 3rd party to hash out the details from an objective perspective?

Ultimately it's up to me, and I know this...I just need to figure out where to start. So tell me dear readers, what is your process for making big, life altering decisions? Guidance appreciated.

Cheers!

-A

Friends in your 20s?

Let's start with a story, shall we?

When I first moved to Cleveland I was a (newly) single 20-something, working hard and playing hard all the while trying to settle in and make new friends. I was blessed, as this was something I was able to accomplish fairly quickly. One of my best girlfriends decided, without letting on, that she was going to introduce me to a friend of hers from high school because she thought we'd be a good match.

Success...or so we thought.

After about 2 weeks and seeing each other, oh, maybe 4 times, we lost interest in one another. A couple weeks later, when I realized he had a CD of mine, I texted him to see if I could get that back. Thinking I was angry, he picked up the phone and called.

In discussion he gave some lame excuse for not calling, something about not wanting a girlfriend right now and blah blah blah. But he was surprised by my response, "I didn't call you, either."

::SILENCE::

He processed this...

It had been 2ish weeks and neither of us attempted to contact the other. If that doesn't scream mutual disinterest I don't know what does.

Further into the discussion we agreed that we're not right for each other on a romantic level, however, we both enjoy hanging out so why not continue on as friends?

Great idea! You can never have too many friends.

Regardless of the fact that we only get together once every other month (at the very most) we've remained friends - I've even tried to hook him up with friends of mine from time to time.

What's the point of this story, you ask? Well, I alluded to an uncomfortable situation in a previous post involving the man friend and an ex - well folks, this was him. We've been attempting to get together for a while now and this was the first weekend we were both free and in town.

So, being a genius complete moron, I think it's a great idea to invite him out with an already interesting group of 20-somethings - including two of the man friend's buddies that I was meeting for the first time, his roommate, and my soon-to-be-roommate and one of her friends. Got all that?

At the time, it didn't seem like a big deal - the man friend knows the whole story of me and this friend and he's been super understanding of my abundance of male friends (what can I say, I'm a lucky girl).

Of course, as all y'all out there can imagine, awkwardness ensued. Looking back, what a bad idea this was - not to mention a pretty shitty first impression involving some of the most important of friends.

Yikes.

This all ties back to the debate that I've been having with a few close friends these past couple months. Is it possible to be friends with someone of the opposite sex in your 20s?

Now, I'm not talking about those friends that go way back that you've been friends with since high school or even before - I'm not talking about the BFFs of the world - I'm referring to newly acquired opposite sex friendships in your 20s.

Can a man and a woman of the opposite sex meet in their 20s and have a strictly platonic relationship?

I think yes, but lately signs have pointed to no - given the recent influx of male friendship disappearance.

So what do you think - can us 20-somethings live peacefully with friends of the opposite sex, or is there a sexual tension there that just can't be ignored?

Do any of you have friends of the opposite sex that are just that - friends and nothing more - or are there twinges of hope that one drunken night something might happen to change all that?

Cheers!

-A

Finally - an update

So this weekend was a giant FAIL in the daily blogging promise.

I know. I suck.

What can I say, it was a busy few days.

Thursday I was blessed to be surrounded with lovely bloggers from around Cleveland at the Cleveland Blogger Meetup at Bar Cento. Hosted by Alexa, this event was a blast - I can't wait for the next one (hint hint, lady...).

I had a surprise of my own at this event. I decided to contribute by raffling off a black and white of my Brooklyn Bridge photo to lucky winner Bill Teets from Yes, I'm Judging You. If you're not already a reader, you should be. He's good people.

The event was great, and it was fantastic to meet everyone face to face! And if you're ever in need of a private room for a fun event, I highly recommend Bar Cento. The food is great and the wait staff is fabulous.

The rest of the weekend paled in comparison. Though I did manage to get myself into quite the situation on Friday night while hanging out with the man friend and his friends (some of whom I was meeting for the first time). A guy I dated for a short time - that I am still friends with - decided to come out to our neck of the woods. Awkwardness ensued when he and his friends meandered into the bar where we resided. But this is another post in itself.

So tell me dear readers, what did you do this weekend?

Cheers!

-A

Cop out post #2

Okay, so I managed to get away with it (pretty) successfully yesterday by linking to cooler, more entertaining blogs for you to check out.

But today, I'm so busy and have so little to say that I'm not even going to do that.

Today, it's a big fat apology for the fact that you don't get to ready anything interesting.

I'M SORRY

Though I figure if you really wanted to read something interesting you'd read someone else's blog. Just kidding. Please don't abandon me. I promise, I'll be back with another post soon. One that actually says something.

Maybe I'll even talk about the shenanigans that take place at tonight's blogger meetup...

Cheers!

-A

Other encounters

Today is going to be one of those days.

Busy, mainly. Likely somewhat stressful as I have numerous tasks to accomplish both at the office and after work - no matter what time I manage to head out.

So, out of a) lack of time, 2) lack of ideas, and d) pure laziness, I am bringing you some of the recent encounters that my favorite bloggers have experienced - all of which are highly entertaining and much more witty than anything you'll find here.

On top of that, I haven't done much lately aside from work, run and spend time with the man friend, none of which you really want to hear all that much about I'm sure.

So on to the more interesting encounters of my fellow 20-something bloggers.

• My favorite dater, So@24, takes a trip to visit Amber...see what unfolds.
• Allison's BF creates a pseudo man-room for the winter...video gaming ensues.
• One of my bestests, Jennie, has a run in with the Cough...we all know this person.
• Narm had an encounter with himself...as a nutrition label. Hilarious!
• CC over at Fork in the Road had a run in with one of the grossest creatures alive. At least now it's dead.
  
• Alexa encountered a major guy friend FAIL.
  
• I had a lovely online encounter with Ben's dogs...see here. I heart them! And soon, I will be getting one of my own! More on this later.
  

And don't forget to check them out regularly as they are some awesomely talented writers.

Cheers!

-A

For us or for others?

Perfection.

It's something that we all strive for, and yet, being a 'perfectionist' is often talked about in a negative way. Why is that?

(ok, so it's not completely relevant, but about the only thing Google Images was giving me for perfect...)

Perfectionism is merely striving for an ideal that we have in mind.

And bettering ourselves is a life-long journey.

But in the end is it about overcoming obstacles and pleasing ourselves, or to become perfect in the eyes of others?

Sure, no one wants to disappoint those in their lives, but is this a viscous cycle of improving one day and feeling bad the next because the same progress was not made for us, or for everyone else?

Taking my life as an example, because that's the only one I'm certain about, I spend much of my time striving to make others happy, or at least make them content. And when this doesn't happen, my mood spirals downward.

But it's a catch-22 you see, because when your livelihood depends on how others view you, in turn making your mistakes the demise of your day/week/month, where's the internal incentive to continue making progress after these blunders?

As I see it, us perfectionists - yes, I'm owning up to this - need to take a step back and ensure that each day we are striving to become better, not just for those around us, but for ourselves too.

Because at the end of each day, everyone is thinking of himself and his loved ones foremost, and we deserve to do a little of that too.

So tell me fellow perfectionists, what keeps your motivation for perfection running high?

Cheers!

-A

Committed

No, I'm not being committed - though I probably should.

Rather, I've made a commitment, and a fairly large one at that.

Once again I'm committing myself to a marathon.


Yikes, I know.

This time around, I'm allowing sufficient time to plan for, ramp up on and conduct official training. Because as we've seen, procrastination before a big push doesn't lead to success - at least not in my world.

So I'm adapting the mentality of slow and steady wins the race, in hopes of success at the big race this spring.

Oh, and this time I have a training companion - a little healthy significant other competition never hurt anyone.... right?

I have to admit, I'm nervous - but definitely up to the challenge. All suggestions and tips are welcome and encouraged.

See you in Pittsburgh!

Cheers!

-A

Big steps

Over the course of the last couple months, some rather big changes have taken place in my life. 

I'm by no means complaining - in fact, completely the opposite. I've come to realize that I'm really lucky for these new adventures.

What I also realized is that somehow I've managed to get to this point while speaking my mind at all times. I have no filter.

None.

What. So. Ever.

After another big step this weekend, in what I like to think is a great direction, it hit me that I'm incredibly lucky to even have these opportunities given my complete lack of tact at times. 

And trust me, when I notice this, it must be bad.

But I suppose, at least I'm honest...right?

So I've realized this flaw, and I may or may not do something to improve it. Admitting is the first step.

How many of you out there have gotten yourselves into messes due to lack of brain to mouth filter?

Cheers!

-A

This is new

Saturday blog posting...this is new and unusual for me. But I'm procrastinating.

Yes, I'm using you to procrastinate. Sorry. The truth hurts.

I really need to finish a presentation that will be given on Monday - and sadly that's how I'm spending my Saturday evening - but I need break for a moment.

And what a better way to spend my downtime than to write to y'all.

I can't believe where this weekend has gone already. Friday was a total blur, but I did have a lovely little date night that included sushi and a comedy club. We saw Tom Papa who was pretty excellent if I do say so myself.



Shortly after being seated I saw one of my close friends sit at the table in front of us. Small world. A little too small. This is about the time I start packing my belongings and moving along to a new adventure. I'm not supposed to know people, am I?

But what can I say, somehow I'm a sucker for this city and it keeps me coming back for more.

Let's see, what else can I ramble on about....

Oh, another big Michigan State football win today. We almost shut out Purdue, but they did get one touchdown in before the end. Hard to believe my Spartans have won 9 games this season...I'm not sure I know what to do. Fingers crossed for a big win against Penn State and say some prayers for a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Aside from that, it's been a pretty tame weekend, which is actually something that's been a long time coming. Between traveling and football season it's been a busy fall, and I'm (almost) looking forward to relaxing a little more this winter.

Okay, I'm done.

Cheers!

-A

The positive side

Well it's Friday, which means you should be looking at some beautiful pictures that I took or found, however given that I inundated you with imagery from NYC last week, I've decided to switch it up a little today.

Mainly because I'm lazy and don't have the energy to find and analyze photos today. It all comes down to my lack of motivation.

So I'm expecting this post to be pretty random - though I'd like to focus on the good things that are going on right now. Having come back from my recent travels, I'm finding myself in a little slump without a big, exciting trip to look forward to, so this is the perfect time to remind myself of all the great things life has to offer.

For instance, my job. Not only do I have one, but I love the work that I do and the people that I'm surrounded with everyday. A girl couldn't ask for much more than that. Needless to say I completely agree with this post from one of my favorite 20-somethings. Thanks, Playful, for the inspiration.

Here are some other things I'm happy about:
-Amazing friends, those scattered across the country and my girls right here in town
-My health, which I recently found out is improving!
-Red Wine Thursdays
-Free speech
-The warm weather we've been experiencing in the Midwest lately
-Traveling
-Progress toward getting my puppy
-Discovery of some new Italian recipes that I love
-Yoga, running, and spinning
-Lazy weekends on the couch watching football with the man friend
-Taking on new accounts and new challenges at the office
-Preparing my photography for a show in December

So tell me dear readers, what are some of the things that are making you happy right now?

Cheers!

-A

Lexington hotel experience

Okay, so we're only in the first week of November and I've already broken my promise to take advantage of NaBloPoMo and write everyday.

Post FAIL!

Sorry y'all, but I'm going to pass off the blame on this one to Lexington.

Yesterday was spent in Lexington, Kentucky for a client meeting. And let me tell you what, that little trip made me realize just how much I miss the South. The hospitality, the pace, and apparently, the hotels!

We arrived in town fairly late on Tuesday night - more accurately, Wednesday morning - so I didn't have much of a chance to take advantage of all this hotel had to offer, but it was amazing.

The DoubleTree in Lexington is absolutely incredible! You walk in to an open atmosphere with a quaint, French feel. Upon arrival you are treated with warm chocolate chip cookies - which you better believe I managed to devour before my shoes were even off.

The three room suite that greeted me was phenomenal! With two flat panel TVs, a king size bed, and a Jacuzzi bathtub I was in heaven. Express checkout - which is always a plus for busy business travelers - and a USA Today awaiting me outside my door made for a pleasant morning.

I'm considering a trip down to Lexington again in the near future just to take advantage of these amenities.

My only complaint is that the pillows were not up to par on the comfort scale, but I managed to sleep like a rock regardless.

Thanks, Hilton Hotels for making my stay so fabulous. And if you're ever in Lexington, consider the DoubleTree for your stay. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Cheers!

-A

A freedom we take for granted

Given that it's Election Day, I thought it appropriate to discuss an American freedom that's near and dear to my heart. It's called the right to free speech.

Shocker, right? I'm pretty sure I'd die without the ability to talk just for the sake of hearing my own voice.

But it's also something that I and a lot of other people take for granted. We get online each day with the ability to log in to Blogger and publish our opinions on the interwebs for all to see, judge and comment on.

What would we do without this luxury, without the ability to converse freely with one another, share our thoughts, ideas and experiences as 20-somethings - we would be lost, that's what.

It's a fantastic thing, this freedom of speech. And that's why it irritates me to no end that someone is trying to take this away from me.

*GASP*

It has recently come to my attention that there are some un-fans following me and reading posts regularly. At first I was flattered to see these IP addresses coming back continuously - that is, until the face emerged to let me know of his/her disapproval. Not so much of my opinions, but rather, of me!

*DOUBLE GASP*


I know, right? Who couldn't like me?!

Lots of people I'm sure.

But I grew up being taught by my wonderful family that not everyone is going to like you - and I'm okay with that!

What I'm not okay with, is being told what to write and what not to write. Sorry folks, but last I checked this was my blog, full of my opinions (stupid as they may be at times) and my experiences. No one is strapping you to a chair, taping your eyelids open and forcing you to read - or maybe they are, but that's not my problem - so feel free to spend your time reading other blogs that are more tailored to your style. I promise, I won't be offended.

And because it's election day and I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy about the U.S. of A, I'm going to hold on tight to my freedom of speech and continue to write for the readers who love me most! And I'll continue to show them the love they deserve, with links and shout outs like this. And this. Oh yeah, and this.

I heart you guys! *tear*

Oh, and if you haven't already - get to the polls today. I'm not much for talking politics, but this is an important election and we all have a voice.

kthanksbye

Cheers!

-A

And we can't forget to wish the wonderful Maxie a happy birthday. Don't work too hard today, lady!

Up to the challenge

Okay, so apparently it's NaBloPoMo and I completely didn't realize its existence until my Google Reader exploded on Monday morning with all the smart bloggers who are taking advantage of this opportunity to post everyday.

So, even though I'm behind a couple days, I am up to the challenge.

Sure, it's not going to be easy - but since when is easy fun? Okay, I can think of a couple times, but let's gloss over those, shall we?

And don't be shocked when I meander off topic. I certainly don't meet 30 people a month that are worth talking about here, but we all know I can come up with some crap to talk about everyday. What can I say, I'll talk to whoever will listen.

So, if there's anything you want to hear about from me, comment away. I'm not opposed to discussing any topic - because odds are, I have an opinion about it.

Cheers!

-A

The infamous meeting

Of all the people I met during my two weeks in New York, one meeting stands out above the rest.

Why? Because I finally got to meet a long-time friend and colleague face to face.

And I was not the only one looking forward to this encounter - I had co-workers who were rather excited to witness the infamous meeting.

Meetings like this are strange. You feel like you know the person so well from countless phone conversations and e-mail chains, but when you're looking the person in the eye while speaking to them for the first time, it's almost surreal.

Let's go back to that night, shall we?

Tuesday of the event week was the longest day in history. My day started at 4 a.m. with filming for a media tour and ended with a dinner for 40 that we arranged that ended at 10:30 p.m. Don't get me wrong, much fun was had, but I looked at my superiors at the end of the dinner and said, "if there's not liquor in my hand in 10 minutes I'm not going to be a pleasant person."

Luckily, there was!

We walked across the street to a rooftop bar where we met up with our friends who had flown into town that day.

And then we met.

It wasn't what people expected, I'm sure. A hello and a hug and the drinking began. Grey Goose and Red Bulls were consumed by the gallon - I was a very happy girl!

The party continued well into the night, getting me to bed about 24 hours after I had woken up the previous day. Needless to say, that made for quite the long Wednesday.

Drinking continued on Thursday night and goodbyes were said on Friday. And now, we're back to phone conversations and e-mail chains.

The connectivity of this society is great for instances like this - but it also makes you realize what you're missing out on when you finally meet your virtual friends face to face.

Sometimes reality can be a bitch, but I have no doubt that we'll get to do it again, sooner rather than later.

Has anyone else had the chance to meet long-time friends/co-workers/bloggers in person? What was your experience like?

Cheers!

-A

Photography Friday: NYC

It's photography Friday - the day you've all been waiting for where I reveal some of the best shots from my recent stint in NYC. Or maybe I just made that up to inflate my ego.

Either way, some of my best work from this trip is below. So if you don't like it, be gentle, I bruise easily. Just kidding. But if you do see something you like, I'm selling prints. $500. Just kidding again. But seriously...I will sell.

Alright, enough of my ramblings - you hear enough of that all week.

Let's start with some of the sights from the streets of NYC.

Beauty that is the Brooklyn Bridge.

One of my favorites. The image tells the story perfectly.

Enough said.

Random building along 5th Avenue

Another image with the Brooklyn Bridge - I'm a little obsessed.

Bottom of the Rock

A classic view of the New York streets

Castle in Central Park

A view from Central Park.

Everyone needs a picture of Times Square at night.

Now to narrow the focus - here are some shots from within Chelsea Market, where I spent the majority of my time these past 10 days.

Inside the market. Some of the best food I've ever eaten can be found here.

The market was decked out with Halloween decor - highly appropriate for today!

This pair spent the entire day working from this exact location. Intriguing.

Gotta love the Italians and their appreciation for fine wine!

Given that this was a foodie event, I ended up with a lot of shots like this.

And of course, we can't forget about the debauchery that took place. It made for some late nights and painful mornings, but what can I say, I love these kids!

Yes, this is a platter of (some of the best) sushi and sashimi (ever)!

I heart my co-workers!

Today, I'm not going to analyze these - I'll leave that up to you.

Cheers!

-A

*Editor's note: these images come in higher res versions and most are yet unedited. I will edit, print and ship if interested.