Manhattan is mine!

Okay, so not really, but for the next couple days I'm going to pretend as such.

Today is being spent in the NYC office of my company - and it's exciting. With all the time I spent here last year, I didn't even step foot into the office.

It's quieter than I imagined.

Regardless, I'm excited to be here. It's a beautiful sunny day outside, cold, but still beautiful. The lack of sunshine back home makes me appreciate every bit of it.

Flying in, my side of the plane had the best view of the skyline and it made me melt. I never imagined myself much of a big city girl, but honestly, it just feels so right.

Though I have to say, if I ever had to drive anywhere here I'd be screwed. For someone who prides herself on being a good driver, I'm terrified of this place. What can I say, cab drivers scare the bajeezus out of me.

Long cab rides are another downfall of the city. Granted, natives most likely travel by foot or subway most days, but having to ride from LaGuardia into Midtown in rush our makes anyone with a weak stomach a little on edge. I want to vomit just thinking about it.

But enough with the negativity....

It's time to enjoy my stay here and get something accomplished. Let's just hope I can find time to make a quick stop at Chelsea Market for one of those amazing milk shakes.

Cheers!

-A

Learning about myself

So far, 2009 has taught me a lot about myself. Between the ups and downs of stress, training, work, and attempting to keep resolutions this past month has really opened my eyes to some of my little quirks.

Here's what I've learned so far:

I'm a much more patient and understanding person than I give myself credit for. Though when it comes to laziness or incompetence, I'm still pretty intolerant.

I love cooking. If I could afford it, I'd move to New York City and go to culinary school.

Even the smallest compliment acts as a great ego boost for my day.

As I get older, my procrastination gets worse. Though, in my defense, it's not because I don't want to do these things - it's more about not having enough hours in the day and having to choose.

I need frequent change in life. If it's not something drastic like moving across the country (again), you'll probably find me at the salon changing my hair color (again), or traveling, or testing out a new workout class. I get bored easily.

Yoga keeps me sane.

Hard as I try, I don't drink enough water. With all the coffee and tea to fuel my workday it's no easy task to replenish. And I hate buying water at the store - I hate lugging them in and it's just so environmentally unfriendly it hurts.

I still have no idea how to balance my career with my personal life - and still attempt to do it all.

When I'm down, the best thing is a good quote from The Office:

"If it were an iPod, it would be a shuffle." ~Pam

"Oh well. If they're not together now, then they probably never will be. I thought they would be good together like PB & J. Pam Beasley and Jim. What a waste. What a waste." ~Kevin

"I'm not insightful enough to be a movie critic. Maybe I could be a food critic. These muffins taste bad. Or an art critic. That painting is bad." ~Andy

"Yeah. Right. I filled him full of butter and sugar for fifty years and forced him not to exercise. Now take a lesson from Stanley and jog on up here and sign this, okay?" ~Dwight

"Jim, you're six eleven and you weigh ninety pounds, Gumby has a better body than you. Boom roasted. Dwight, you're a kiss-ass. Boom roasted. Meredith, you've slept with so many guys you're starting to look like one. Boom roasted. Kevin, I can't decide between a fat joke or a dumb joke boom roasted. Stanley! You crush your wife during sex and your heart sucks. Boom roasted. Oscar, you're gay! Andy Cornell called, they think you suck! And you're gayer than Oscar. Boom roasted!" ~Michael

"Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh I donno, I sing in the shower? Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering. Occasionally I'll hit somebody with my car. So sue me-- no, don't sue me. That is opposite the point I'm trying to make." ~Michael

"One day Michael came in, complaining about a speed bump, on the highway... I wonder who he ran over then." ~Jim

Yeah, I could do that all day.

What have you learned about your self so far this year?

Cheers!

-A

Super Blog Monday

It's tired out today.

Given that it's the day after the Super Bowl and there was an hour long special of the The Office post game, I definitely missed out on all 7 hours that my body demands.

So I thought today I'd take a few moments to acknowledge some of the latest, greatest group blogs out there at the moment. Because, let's be honest here, they're way more entertaining anyhow.

Who's Your Dachshund - of course, I'm completely in love with this blog. With ten bloggers owning 15 mini dachshunds I've already learned so much about being a puppy owner. Oh, and I love that I get to look at cute pups with each new post!

Misty and Sydney over at Indecent Disclosure - not only are these girls salty and hilarious, we can all relate to what they've got to say. It's all the things us girls want to talk about but just don't have the cojones to say on the interwebs.

Courtney and Christina over at Sex and the Traveling Satchel - more on love, sex and the life of two 20-something BFFs. A must read.

So if you have a chance, stop by and show some of these bloggers the love.

Cheers!

-A

Speaking my mind

This is something I really need to improve upon, speaking my mind.

I know what y’all are thinking, that seems pretty inaccurate given how I typically spout off at the mouth everyday. But that’s not really what I mean.

The one thing I’ve never really been good at is confronting a conflict.

Sure, I can do this when it comes to client work, but not so much in my personal life.

Between toxic friends, an abusive roommate, bad relationships, and the occasional office spat, I’ve taken a lot of abuse these past couple years. And honestly, I let it happen.

I’m plenty prepared to bitch and moan about these issues but I’m no good at actually standing up for myself.

What gives?

Why can’t I just sit down and have an adult conversation with someone when I feel I’ve been treated unfairly? Why do I continue to let myself get walked on?

I sorta feel like part of it is that when I’ve told friends how I felt before (sure, maybe not in the most tactful way at times) it’s blown up in my face causing huge fights and even ending friendships.

Seriously, I lost a friend of 20 years because I told her she was being selfish – when she legitimately was I might add.

And whenever I told a certain ex-boyfriend about concerns I had he always made me feel guilty – as if all our problems were my fault.

I need to realize that not everyone is like that, but I guess these bad experiences have really made me think twice about voicing my concerns. Or, at least, that’s what I tell myself.

Any advice for being less of a doormat?

Cheers!

-A

The 'L' Word

Today I want to talk about what not to say on a first date.

No, I didn't tell some poor soul that I loved him on the first date, what kind of girl do you think I am?

A couple nights ago I found myself telling the story of a date I went on very shortly after moving to the Cleve.

While out with a friend in the basement of Blind Pig (mistake #1), a friend of a friend grabbed me and flung me in front of one of his friends on the dance floor - meet my friend Collin.*

*His name may or may not have been Collin.

So we danced. All night. He was pretty impressive, actually, so when he asked for my number at the end of the night I gave it to him (mistake #2).

Friend of a friend. Safe.

And so the dating game begins...kinda. He called a few days later and the next weekend we went on a date.

He picked me up, took me to Little Italy, it was awkward.

And of course, in my oh-so-standard word vomit fashion I proceeded to dispel way too much information.

Apparently somewhere along the way I thought that filling the silence, no matter what came out of my mouth, would turn around any awkward situation. Typically, especially in my life, it makes things more awkward and I end up embarrassing myself. Though it's still a strategy I live by.

In my ramblings I mentioned just how drunk I was when I met him.

Lush.

Oh and if you didn't catch it, that was mistake #3.

The point I was attempting to make was that I was only out on the dance floor because of the vodka Red Bulls I had downed previously in the night. So in reality, I was trying to prove that I wasn't a typical club-attending 20-something.

When he mentioned to me that he was completely sober the entire night I almost flagged down the waiter to order another glass of wine.

LUSH.

I'm pretty positive that's what was going though his mind, anyhow.

Wow - nothing like a typical TMI situation gone wrong to spoil the evening, eh?

Needless to say, that was the first and last date with Mr. Sober dancer.

Impression FAIL.

So if you learn one thing from my diarrhea of the mouth it's this: if you were drunk the first time you met someone, I'd wait until after the first date to tell them.

Cheers!

-A

The dreaded budget

Budgeting is something that, for me, is a constant struggle. Even as a single 20-something who's climbing the corporate ladder, saving is still nearly impossible. What can I say, I'm an impulsive spender.

Last year one of my friends went on an all cash diet, spending little and paying off his debts in lump sums with every pay check that rolled around. It seemed to be working for him, but I just don't think I have the will power to do that.

Let's be honest here, I'm a girl who loves to travel, experience good food, and spend a night on the town with friends from time to time - none of which are inexpensive.

There are a couple lengthy trips coming up that I desperately need to save for, so I've been doing my best to cook at home and be as frugal as possible. This weekend I even managed to go to the mall and not buy a thing! I know, right?

So tell me dear readers, what are your saving strategies? Do you develop a full out budget or just hope that you have enough will power not to spend?

Cheers!

-A

A pathetic, sniffly sight

I am not a crier. Anyone who knows me well, knows this. In fact, in a recent conversation, I couldn't recall the last time I had a good cry.

Well, that time was tonight when I finished this book. I broke down in huge, heaving sobs (trust me, it's as attractive as it sounds) when Randy started talking about his family - more specifically, his daughter. And let me tell you, I'm still feeling the effects of this chapter and fighting back the tears.

He noted that when his daughter was born he immediately became an official member of the "Wrapped Around My Daughter's Finger Club."

I've always liked to think that my dad was a member of the club, too. That there was just something special about being his daughter. Let me tell you from 24 years of experience, there is.

Growing up, I was always the girl with the cool dad. He was an athlete, a comedian, a motivator, a friend, a supporter, and he seemed to know everything about everything. Even now, he's still very much all of those things.

He's the reason I spend so much time single - no guys can even come close.

(It's just screaming daddy's girl, isn't it?)

For all these reasons, there's this soft spot for my father that I just can't explain. Reading Randy's description of the short relationship he's had with his daughter that's coming to an end, I can't help but get all weepy. Honestly, I don't know what I'd ever do without my dad.

It makes me hate living even this far from him - and makes me think that I should really visit home more often. Gets me to thinking about being a better daughter...I know I was a pain in the ass growing up, and I probably still am now. 

Thanks, dad, for putting up with my crap! It means more than you'll ever know.

How's that for a mushy start to your Monday?

Highly recommend The Last Lecture, if you haven't read it already.

Cheers!

-A