Day 140

January 21, 2010

I no longer have broken iPod earphones that are taped together! My brother gave me an extra pair of his and it's like the Lexus of earphones! It's amazing how much better my music sounds! I get a little cocky walking down the street because I have some pretty kick ass music playing in my ears. Until I trip over myself walking through Times Square, then my cocky attitude goes away real quick! ;)

It's purge day at my internship, which means I walk home with a ton of great products! I have a radio/mirror/clock for my shower! Awesome! Not only can I dance all over my apartment, I can now take the party into my shower! Among many other great and fabulous things--style books, perfume, a clutch, a wallet, nail polish, candy!, and the list goes on! My editors are amazing! They are so great and fun to work with!

Tonight, I spend all of my time on the phone catching up with friends! It's great! I talk to Abby, who I haven't talked to in ages; I talk to Maddie about wedding stuff; my friend, Holly about her coming to visit; and I talk to Greg about his ex-girlfriend/hopefully soon-to-be again girlfriend. All of our conversations are basically centered around one concept: Life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. It's crazy how similar our conversations are! With life, love, and happiness comes difficulties, confusion, and a definite test of character! I got an e-mail a while back on "45 Lessons in Life." I want to share the ones I find most important in my life:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. Make peace with your past, so it won't screw up your present.
3. Take a deep breathe. It calms the mind.
4. When it comes to going after what you want in life, don't take no for an answer.
5. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple. (I wore a purple dress today! Whew hew!)
6. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.
7. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, "In five years, will this matter?"
8. What other people think of you is none of your business.
9. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
10. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
11. Believe in miracles.
12. Get outside everyday. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
13. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

14. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

15. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Abby is coming to visit in April! Yay! I cannot wait to see her! We also talk about a trip we want to take together next year. We're thinking Vegas! Me and Vegas...ahh geeze! I could be married twice within one year! ;) I'm just kidding. Once is enough for me! Abby does have a good point--she tells me I should look into how Vegas does annulments. My luck, I'll get married, not be able to get it annulled, and be stuck forever! The more I talk about this, the more I realize how ridiculous I sound and maybe this isn't as great of an idea as I thought when I was home! I need to let my "fiance" know about this! ;) Maybe we should go to the Bahamas instead!

We get on the subject of Valentine's Day and surprises. I love surprises! I love being surprised! I think it's so much fun and I love how someone takes the time and effort into creating such a spectacular day! Problem is. I'm always the one who does the surprising. I never get surprised. I'm throwing a slight pity party for myself right now. I want to be surprised! Not necessarily for V-Day, but any day would be fine with me! ;) But, back to V-Day. Abby loves it as much as I do! Our plan: if we don't have dates, our dates are going to be a bottle of Reisling/Port, a love movie, take-out, and a box of kleenex! ;) Hell, I may splurge and buy myself a card! Maybe even buy some flowers! Who knows? Now, I'm in the mood for conversation hearts! After wine, those could be quite entertaining! ;)

The pain in my legs and hips is not going away. I think I'm going to have to break down and go to the doctor. I hate going to the doctor. You sit in a waiting, filled with germs of people coughing with their mouths open, wiping their snotty noses with their hands, then touching a chair or a door; and yelling at their misbehaved children, who are running around! This sucks. And above this, I have two huge blisters on both of my ankles! It hurts to walk in any kind of shoe! Damn it.

Have you seen the new Folgers commercial? It's so cute! And it goes along with my "love" themed blog! Watch it here. I can't wait for the day my dad says this to me! ;)

Note to self: It's really hard to understand where someone comes from, when you're from a world that's completely different. When you come from a loving family, who is open about their feelings, it's hard to understand why someone else has a hard time expressing their own feelings. Maybe it's because they don't know how; maybe they don't want to; maybe, maybe, maybe. When does it get to the point where you no longer care about the maybes? Where you are exhausted of trying to figure everything out?

Even though you are exhausted, it's all of the unanswered questions you have, that, deep down, you already know the answers to, but will never get a concrete answer. Maybe, for you, it's no longer your job to worry about this. Like Greg says, "If you already know the answer, then you have everything you need." Agreed. It just sucks when the other person doesn't have the guts to tell you what's really going on. Whether they still love you, or just want to be friends, or really don't love you anymore--you would think they would be adult enough to tell you. This is where people are different. And this is where life gets frustrating.

Day 130

January 11, 2010

Before you leave your house in the morning, do you really look at yourself? I mean, really and truly evaluate how you look in your clothes? Some people should. I am all for expressing yourself through clothing and accessories, but when your booty looks like a bowl of cottage cheese on stilts, you may want to reconsider. ;) And I always feel bad for these people, especially when their weave looks like a tornado whipped through it and the other half got blown away. Self-expression is great, but so is self-awareness!

Today is a pretty low key day. I go to BH&G, then head to The Capital Grille. I'm thinking to myself, I have nothing to write about today. Aha! But then I remember. I pass the firehouse this morning and I get really excited because the door is open and I hear men playing with mechanical toys-they like to call them chainsaws. I look at the muscular bodies bent over on the cement, only to find two middle-aged men--not my hunka, hunka, burnin' love. So sad.

So, I'm walking to work with my iPod, where only one earphone works, so I'm a total gangster with one in my ear and the other hanging down by my side. It's pretty B.A. Only to add to my ghetto-fabulousness, "Gangter's Paradise" starts playing in my ears! Haha! I start laughing out loud because it reminds me of the Iowa State Fair. Coolio came to perform and I told my friend, Tim, that I was taking him to a concert, but didn't tell him which one for fear that he would all of a sudden, "have something to do." However, when he finds out it's Coolio, he's all about it. So, we go and meet up with my brother and one of his friends. Okay, I have never seen so many white people at a rap concert before. I'm pretty sure the only other black people were his "entourage," or whatever you call them. Ha! AND...every white person there thought they were black for about an hour and a half! It was great! Brett, his buddy, and Tim...I could have sworn they were born dark-skinned--bouncing up and down, lips pushed out, and one hand in the air, pumping it up and down with their palm facing down. You know what I'm talking about! LOL! Good times!

I did get the pleasure of seeing my doorman. Oh, let me tell you, I am so embarrassed, I don't even look up until the last possible minute that I have to. He greets me with a huge smile and a, "HEY! What are you doin?!" I respond with, "Hey, I just got off of work." I kind of continue to keep walking. He says, "Yeah, can you believe this weather?" I say, "I know it's freezing!" Then...it's the awkward silence, where we both just stand there and stare at each other, waiting for the other person to speak the next sentence. I say, "Alright, well have a great night! I'll see ya' later!" He says, "Oh, okay, goodnight!" Yikes! Why am I always like a little school girl when it comes to attractive men? Stupid! And he's my doorman! I can't do that! Do you know how awkward this would be? Bad idea! Just a bad, bad idea!

Well, this is the extent of my excitement for the day. I know it's hard to contain yourself, but I suppose not everyday can be filled with funny and mildly inappropriate behavior. I do behave myself 99 percent of the time! I do like to make my parents proud of me! ;)

Note to self: "Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart." - Anthony DiAngelo
This quote fits into my everyday thinking and my all-time favorite quote of, "Smile, you never who's watching." ;) It's great! Who doesn't love when you get a smile from a random stranger on the street? It makes you feel good! I always smile at people-who knows if that smile made their day, or if it turned their bad morning into an okay morning. A lot can be said about a smile. It gives people a glimpse into your personality and who you really are. Are you sassy? Are you sincere? Are you outgoing? ;) It's a powerful thing, and it's so simple to throw around. Why frown and get all wrinkly? Smiling not only makes you feel better, but could make the stranger walking past you feel better too! ;)

Day 39

October 15, 2009

Today starts off great! I am having a really good hair day! It is perfectly curled and set just right! I must admit, I do look a little like Farrah Fawcet--I had the graceful swoop going on! Someone once told me while we are out dancing, "You're 80's hot!" I reply, "Am I suppose to take that as a compliment?" I mean, who says that? Haha, yeah it's kind of funny. But what's even more funny, is the statement that I look like I'm time warped is true today. My wavy locks are flowing in the breeze, while I'm switching the music on my "mini" iPod I bought five years ago, that's the size of a man's wallet! I think to myself: I wonder if I look like a modern-day version of a 1980s working woman? Haha! Probably. But someone at work told me today that my hair was perfect! So, take that Mr. 80s man! Maybe I'm not so 80s after all! ;)

This hair sells thousands of dollars worth of jewelry today! That's exciting! It's so much fun trying to get wealthy people to buy and buy and buy--spending a few thousand dollars on 30 minutes! What's even more fun is making them contemplate the decision like it's the most important thing in their life! They are surprisingly very nice, but I still like to play around with it!

So, after ten hours of work, I go home and call my Aunt Tammy. We talk and talk, then all of a sudden my apartment phone rings. It's a phone that's connected to the doorman, so when someone comes to visit, they have to check in before being sent up. Sounds safe, right? Well, not tonight. The doorman doesn't follow the rules. He sends the man up, then calls me.
Doorman: "Delivery from Market Cafe."
Me: "I didn't order anything."
Doorman: "Well, he says it's for apartment 6B; this is 6B, right?"
Me: "Yes, but I didn't order anything." The door bell rings.
Doorman: "Oh...we shouldn't have sent him up."He hangs up the phone.
Shit! Is the first word that crosses my mind. I'm thinking, who knows where I live. Two options: the gorgeous Greek man from a couple weeks ago, and the psycho salesman from Culligan water. Oh my God! They're going to break in and attack me!
Tammy: "Don't answer the door."
Me: "I'm not."
Tammy: "Can you see who it is?"
Of course, I can't get the tab lifted to see who it is.
Me: "I can't get the damn thing open."
Tammy: "Well, don't answer it."
Me: "Oh my God, I don't know what to do." He keeps ringing and ringing the doorbell. I'm pacing from the phone, to the door, trying to look through the peephole; back to the phone, back to the door. Who the hell would know where I live? What if it's a random, crazy man? 
He eventually leaves. It must be a random dude!
Tammy and I laugh because if something were to happen, she would freak out and yell on the other end of the phone. Thanks for the concern, but it will do no good screaming in a house by yourself, in Iowa. I can just picture it now!

Okay, so I break down and buy a few rides on the subway. It's so cold and rainy here--I'm not walking 45 minutes home! Forget it! It's actually quite easy--I take a train about four stops, then take a bus that literally drops me off right in front of my apartment building! How awesome is that?! Sign me up! Well...maybe when I get a real job and can afford it! Then...sign me up! ;)

Note to self: When someone tells you about great deals in the city, take it and run! Bumble&Bumble hair products has a beauty school where you can get your hair cut for free--even free highlights! Now when you go home, you won't look like Cousin It, and people may actually recognize you! Also, keep the ValPak's they give you for free in your mailbox! Now, when your little bro comes to visit, you can get two Thanksgiving pies for the price of one from the fabulous Little Pie Company and checks for $3.99! Among many other deals! And when you receive TWO Starbucks gift cards in the mail, be more than grateful! Now you can eat, drink, and be awake all day long thanks to the love and thoughtfulness from those back home! ;)