My future husband

One of the things that I've learned since moving to NYC is that you need to have quality friends to act as your support system when times get rough. Back in July I was visiting one of my friends from high school at her apartment in the Bronx. Her boyfriend had several friends coming to visit, so she had me come up too. I hit it off really well with one of the guys there, Anthony (known to most as ARod). After staying up almost all night talking, we exchanged numbers, texted all week and then made plans to go out the following Friday. I'm slightly embarrassed to say I was like a giddy school girl counting down the days until I was going to see him again. I left work on Friday and took the train to where he lived in NJ and we picked up some beers and went to the beach. Hanging out Friday turned into spending the entire weekend together, and it was one of the best weekends I had all summer. It was just easy being with him. There was no awkward moments that you usually have when you first start seeing someone, I was completely comfortable with him.

Fast forward to the next week, and surprise surprise, Anthony turned into a typical guy and stopped responding to my texts and started cancelling plans we had made. Me, being the eternal optimist thought he was just busy and initially gave him the benefit of the doubt. Eventually I called him on it, and he admitted that he just didn't want to get involved in anything serious. I told him that I understood, but I was sure we'd be seeing each other in the future because we have similar friends and I didn't want things to be awkward. He agreed, so we turned whatever relationship was developing into a friendship. Initially it wasn't much of a friendship, we were just civil with one another, but now we talk all the time and can go to each other with anything.

I truly value his friendship. He makes me laugh, he reminds me that I'm a good person when I'm feeling down, and he gives me really sound advice from a guys perspective. He is incredibly talented, and very funny. We exchange "thats what she said jokes" and spent an entire day watching Paul Rudd movies. I talk to him (well gchat and text because honestly, who uses the phone to actually speak to people these days) more than I talk to any of my other friends. I like to think that he feels the same way about me.

We always joke that we're going to end up getting married one day because we have so much in common. He is essentially me in male form, its actually scary how many traits we share. So now, I introduce you all to my friend, my go to person, and my future husband (please note, this photo is from the first night we met and we are both incredibly drunk, but it pretty much sums up our relationship):

IT'S OFFICIAL!

I got a new job, and resigned from my current job on Monday. I've been at this agency for 3 1/2 years now, and truth be told it was a good job out of college. I learned a lot about the industry, developed many client/internal relationships, and just really embraced being a working professional. I made my job a big priority in my life and really dove head first into starting my career. In the end, my company has taken advantage of my desire to get ahead in this industry though, and I have worked countless hours and late nights and NEVER got a raise. I was even promoted without a raise because they kept using the economy as an excuse. So I stayed persistent, I applied to a lot of places (in NY, down south, and in Chicago) and after quite a few let downs, I GOT A JOB!

I had gotten an email from a new pharmaceutical agency while I was waiting to hear back about a job at a digital agency I had interviewed at. I really wanted the digital job but responded to the new company anyway. Thank god I didn't put all my eggs in the digital basket because those jobs fell through. I ended up interviewing at the new agency on Thursday, September 30 and got a call saying I got the job on Friday, October 1 while I was traveling to Charleston to see my sister and niece. I verbally accepted the offer on Tuesday when I got back, and signed and sent my written offer letter that Friday. It all happened pretty quickly, and I'm excited to say that my last day at my current job is next Friday October 22, and then I start my new job on Wednesday October 27!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry to leave everyone (all 3 of my followers) hanging for so long, but I didn't want to post anything until it was definitely official. I can't wait to start working at my new job. This opportunity even involves some consumer work! Thats what I'm most excited about. I fell into pharmaceutical marketing after school, and currently market directly to doctors. I really want to do consumer marketing for regular products like food and cars, so starting to do some consumer work (even though it is still for medications) will get me back on the right path to eventually do what I really want.

So life is pretty good right now, I'm excited to see where else life is about to take me! Oh yea, and the pay increase is pretty nice too. I can finally start to enjoy living in NYC a little bit instead of freaking out every time I go to the ATM because there is no money in my bank account.

HERE'S TO NEW BEGINNINGS!

Lots of Excitement Coming Up

This is a very big week for me. I am very actively looking for a new job. I had a great interview at a digital advertising agency, and heard that all the feedback was positive and it was just a waiting game while they finished their interviews and made the decision. Well, after waiting 4 weeks to hear I finally got an email from the HR contact I'd been working with. Unfortunately, their needs had shifted so they would not be hiring me for the original position, however they wanted to bring me in for an interview with the associate partner on another team. Though I was disappointed to have waited so long just to hear their needs have shifted, I'm still excited because clearly they are interested in me or they wouldn't be bringing me back in for another interview. Since all the feedback was so positive the last time, I only need to meet with the partner, and then hopefully they'll make a decision quicker this time. I really want this job! The company seems great, the work sounds interesting, and it'd be a heck of a lot more money! So everyone keep their fingers crossed for me!

Though I am usually the eternal optimist, I am not putting all my eggs in this basket. I'm pretty desperate to get out of my current place so I have an interview with another company this week as well. I have heard some less than positive things about this other place, but again the work sounds semi-interesting and again....MORE MONEY!

So, I will be getting up early on Thursday, getting all professional looking, and heading out for my interviews at the first company at 8:30, followed by my interview at the place I really like at 11:30. Lets hope I can post some good news in the very near future!

Oh, and then Friday, I'm hopping on a plane down to Charleston to stay with my sister for the weekend! We are going to do some party prep work for my nieces 1st birthday. I can't believe the little peanut is almost 1, and I'm soooo excited to spend quality time with her and my sister. How can you not love this face:

GET ME TO FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

My New Boyfriend

It's definitely not what you're all thinking - I'm still single as can be. But let me introduce you to my new boyfriend.....

That's right, I FINALLY got Netflix (instantly for my wii, so I can finally put that $200 purchase to use). It was probably the best decision I have EVER made. My queue is already packed with tons of tv series and movies that everyone on earth has seen but me! I hang out with him every night, we fall asleep together, and he makes me the happiest girl in the world.

Seriously, who needs a boyfriend, I'm perfectly content with my Netflix!

Does anyone have any good movie suggestions I should add to my list?

My mama said...

Nope, not you can't hurry love....instead my mom said (and I quote) "Play hard to get - 90 days , no cookies, like Steve Harvey says." Yes, that is right, my mom went there and told me not to have sex for at least 90 days when I'm dating someone. And honestly, I loved every second of that conversation (well gchat conversation). I don't think I've ever laughed so hard. And she makes a valid point, though I hate to admit to her that there may be times where I just might not be able to keep that promise. A girls got needs, and when you've been single for as long as I have, sometimes its hard to make it 90 days. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I run around jumping in the sack right off the bat, I'm DEFINITELY NOT that kind of girl.

Anyway, that comment pretty much sums up my mom in a nutshell. Our relationship is amazing, she is a wonderful, down to earth woman, and I have truly come to appreciate her. I wasn't the easiest of kids growing up, I definitely went through quite a bitchy phase in middle school/early highschool, but she put up with me, and got me through those times, and now our relationship couldn't be any closer!

So here's to my mom, and all the great moms out there! And mom, I promise, I'll do my best to never have any cookies within the first 90 days!

You have to go through Hell, before you get to Heaven!

I'm semi-embarrassed to admit that I heard this quote while watching the World of Jenks this morning on MTV. I will admit that I watch terrible tv (I love the stupid reality shows like the Kardashians, Housewives, and Teen Mom), and Sunday mornings seems to be when I watch the worst shows. Which leads me to this morning's World of Jenks episode where he followed a rapper (apparently the guy that sings 'All the Above'). The rapper was talking about his past life, going to prison, getting stabbed, etc, and how it all lead to where he is today.

This quote really struck me (enough to make me blog about it). I have really gone through some ups and downs while living in NYC. In fact, pretty much a year ago from this time I was severely unhappy in life. I spent my weekends alone in my apartment, barely did anything, and just kept to myself in my state of depression. I knew something was wrong, I knew that I was not myself, but I just didn't know how to snap out of it. I had pretty much hit my rock bottom (for the second time) in NY.

And honestly, I don't know what happened, I don't know why I was so unhappy, and I don't know what has changed, but now I feel like the happiest girl in the world. I'm still miserable in my job, I'm still single, and I'm still struggling to save any money while living here, but for the first time I have accepted it all, and I'm completely content with everything. I realize now how amazing it is that I am living in NY, even if I'm broke! This is quite the experience, and I would never change it to be living back at home with my parents just to be saving some money (no offense meant to anyone who chose that path). I also know that I will find a new job eventually and everything will fall into place. But in the mean time, I'M IN HEAVEN! I'm finally sooooo happy it's unreal. I keep myself busy, I've found a great group of friends to spend time with on the weekends. I go out, and try new things, and meet new people. I'm no longer letting myself get stressed out and upset over a job I don't even like. Sure, there are nights I have to stay late to make deadlines, but I've stopped caring as much as I used to (esp. since nobody else does). I'm finally making myself the priority, not my job. I'm exercising more and eating healthy, I'm writing on a regular basis, and I've adding learning how to play the guitar to my list of things to do next. I'm focusing on making healthy priorities for myself, and it feels good.

Of course, there are going to be some bad days/bad moments where I regress to questioning whether living in NYC is the right choice for me, but for now I'm happy to say that it is. That this is where I should be in life. I've gone through my Hell, and now I'm in Heaven and it can only get better from here!

What I don't miss

I was on the subway yesterday morning on my way to work, reading my book with headphones in, just minding my own business. As we got closer to the city this couple got on the train, and what started as a semi-quiet, kept to themselves argument, turned into a full blown fight. I'm talking yelling at one-another loudly, the guy hitting one of the poles because he got so angry, just an all out fight on the middle of the train. I try to just mind my own business on the trains since there are quite a few weirdos in this city, but everyone was watching this fight. You just couldn't help but stare. I don't even know exactly what the fight was about, she was mad at him for not taking the day off from work, and then she couldn't go into work at that point because she forgot her phone...really it made no sense, but they were both LIVID with one another, and you could tell neither person was going to win that argument anytime soon. They ended up getting off at Grand Central and continued their argument, but it really got me thinking.

I definitely don't miss that at all! I don't fight anymore, I don't have to worry about the drama, or putting someone else's happiness above mine. I get to do what I want, when I want to do it. Granted, in all the relationships I've ever been in, I've never been in a fight that had gotten that out of hand, and I would never let someone treat me that way. As an onlooker for only a few moments I could tell that it was a very unhealthy relationship, and I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be in no relationship, than one that is unhealthy.

I've been single for 3 1/2 years now (minus a few month relationship back in February), and though there have been times where I've missed the companionship, the comfort of having someone by my side, I've realized that I deserve a lot. I deserve a man that will spoil me, and take care of me after a long day of work. I may have been single for over 3 years, but that's because I refuse to settle for someone that is less than I deserve. And though at times I may miss being in a relationship, I certainly don't miss the fighting!

Riding Solo

This is probably my new theme song. I love this song and think that its so refreshing to finally hear a song about how great it is to be single (rather than how great it is to be in love, blah blah blah). So as I get ready to go out at night, I turn up the volume and sing and dance. Life is good, and it's going to be a great weekend, even though I am Riding Solo.

I'm feeling like a star, you can't stop my shine,

I'm loving could nine, my head's in the sky,

I'm solo, I'm riding solo,

I'm riding solo, I'm riding solo, solo

Yeah, I'm feeling good tonight,

finally doing me and it feels so right, oh

Time to do the things I like

going to the club everything's alright, oh,

No one to answer to,

no one that's gonna argue, no,

and since I got the hold off me,

I'm living life now that I'm free, yeah,

Telling me to get my shit together

now I got my shit together, yeah,

Now I made it through the weather

better days are gonna get better

I'm so sorry that it didn't work out I'm moving on,

I'm so sorry but it's over now, the pain is goooone,

I'm putting on my shades to cover up my eyes,

I'm jumpin' in my ride, I'm heading out tonight,

I'm solo, I'm riding solo, I'm riding solo, I'm riding solo, sooloooo.

Now I'm feeling how I should,

Never knew single could feel this good

~Jason Derulo

I think that last line speaks volumes for me. I feel great lately, my entire attitude has shifted, and being single really does feel good! I can do whatever I want, and life is all about having fun right now. So I'm going to get all dressed up, and go out tonight with some great friends, dance my ass off and see what happens. The beauty about being single is that anything can happen....

Are you ready for some football????

Because I am!

Last year was the first year I really followed football. I started going to a Patriots bar with a friend of mine every week. I must say, watching football in a crowded bar where everyone is cheering for the same team is a heck of a lot more exciting than sitting at home watching it on tv by yourself or with a few friends. I was amazed at how crowded the bar would get every week, and we made quite a few new friends by seeing the same groups there every Sunday (not to mention the bartender knew us pretty well, so we usually got hooked up).

One of my favorite things about the city is that there are sports bars for practically any team you can imagine. I swear, if there were a national shuffleboard league, you could find a bar to watch all the games in with fellow fans. This also means I don't have to limit my favorite teams to the ones in the NY area just so I can watch the games. I jumped on the Patriots bandwagon because that was my friends team, but as I get more and more into it and start following more closely, I will find my own team.

So get out your jerseys, and crack open a beer because football season has OFFICIALLY begun!

Just what the doctor ordered

A weekend in Philadelphia with my family that is. The weekend was semi-uneventful, but EXACTLY what I needed.

I got in Friday afternoon. My uncle, his cousin, and my cousin picked me up from the train station and then we did some touristy things before heading to my uncle's cousin's house. We got to the house around 7, had a nice dinner as a family at home and then just sat around playing cards and drinking wine.

Saturday we got up early, had breakfast, got ready and drove into NYC because my family wanted to see the city while they were on the east coast. We ate lunch in Little Italy at a place I used to go to with my friends in college. We saw Times Square, stopped at Macy's and headed back to Little Italy for dessert and coffee before we began the drive back to Philly (we had parked right by Little Italy). Everyone was impressed with how well I knew the city and how easily I was able to get us all around. I guess that's what happens after you've lived here for a few years, but it made me feel good that they thought I was city savvy. We got home a little after 10, and again sat around the table drinking wine and playing cards.

Sunday came and we all slept in, took our time getting ready and then went to brunch. I ate like a champion. I can't even believe my stomach allowed me to consume the amount of food I did. After brunch we went back to the house, everyone packed up and we made our way to the airport where I had to say good bye to my aunt, uncle and cousin.

I said goodbye to the comfort that my aunt always provides because she completely understands the person I have become. I said goodbye to my uncle and his corny jokes that make me laugh so hard I can barely breathe, and I said goodbye to my cousin and our late night chats after everyone had gone to bed. I gave them all a hug, and though I was sad to have to say goodbye yet again, I felt refreshed. The weekend was pure bliss, and I'm so blessed to have such a loving family who was generous enough to include me in their weekend plans.

Straight Up and Dirty

I just recently finished the book Straight Up and Dirty, a memoir by Stephanie Klein that details her life (getting married at a young age to a man whose family doesn't approve of her, getting divorced young, and finding herself again). At the end of the book she has learned to define herself outside of being in a relationship. I really began to relate to this book, a young, successful woman living in Manhattan, struggling with dating and getting her life back on track. Granted I've never been divorced, but I definitely know how challenging it can be to date in Manhattan!

By the last page in the book I knew I was meant to read this book. It has been inspiring and insightful and it's motivated me to find myself too; to stop worrying about finding a satisfying relationship unless that relationship is with myself. I need to continue to find things that make me happy, that I like to do, and once I am fulfilled with my own life, then I can worry about finding someone else.

I think that lately I've been doing a good job with this. I'm less concerned about having a boyfriend, and settling down. I'm still young, I have PLENTY of time. I'm just excited to keep trying new things and loving life in NYC. After all, I'm only going to have this opportunity once, and I'm finally ready to embrace it and start having fun as a young, good looking single girl in Manhattan!

And with that, I leave you with a selection from the last page of the book Straight Up and Dirty:

But now, I realized it's about abandoning your stupid wristwatch and giving your compass a flick to make sure the needle still moves...having the courage to follow in the direction to which is points. I opened my journal to a blank page. I still do want that: the husband, babies, and house int he suburbs, but I'm no longer envious because I know I can have it, all of it. Success isn't about crossing things off life's to-do list. It's having the grace and fortitude to move through change, and smiling.... The plan should be learning how to live without one, or how to carry a big fat eraser in your petite handbag. It's comfortable to have plans, but you've got to be loose enough to accept change. Plans get revised, new blueprints get drafted to accommodate the expansive garden. And nowadays, I'm planting my own, even if it is in crapass Central Park. I'm digging my feet into the warm soil, retaining and nourishing everything I've got left - and that's a lot.

~Stephanie Klein

I'm ready to forget my plans, to go with the flow and accept that I will have all the things I want in life, when I'm meant to have them. For now, I'm going to enjoy the ride and see what happens.

TGIALW

THANK GOD ITS A LONG WEEKEND!

I am burnt out after the last few weeks of work (not leaving before 10 any night), and am very much looking forward to a long relaxing weekend in Philly with my family from Chicago. I am very close with my Chicago family (mom's side). I lived with my aunt, uncle and cousins for 2 summers while I interned at her marketing agency, and have made an effort to visit them on a regular basis ever since. This weekend she happened to be in the Philly area for work and my uncle has family there so he was going to come too so I planned to take the train and meet them for the weekend. Then my cousin called me to tell me he was in the Philly airport, a very pleasant surprise for me because we have become very close. It made the weekend plans go from good to great!

So here I am, just outside of Philly for a weekend full of fun, food (last weekend before I get serious with my P90X meal plan), and family. It's exactly what the doctor would have ordered for me to tone down my stress levels!

Enjoy the long weekend!

Life's Simple Pleasures

I'm a firm believer in enjoying life's simple pleasures. Here are some of my favorites:

-Enjoying a big cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday morning

-A cold beer on a hot day (or any day really)

-Going to bed at night with wet hair

-Getting a seat on the subway (not surrounded by weird people who smell bad)

-A thunderstorm on a day when I don't have to leave my apartment

-Wearing sweatpants

-A glass of wine after a hard day at work

-Curling up with a good book (usually chick lit, nothing of value)

-Iced coffee season

-A fresh manicure/pedicure

-Seeing new pictures of my beautiful niece Chloe

-The feeling I have after adding a new blog post

What are some of your simple pleasures?

Blog SLACKER

And I apologize... I'm going to try to get back on the wagon and maintain semi-regular posts!

Jeggings

Yea, I bought a pair! (Jeggings = leggings that are designed to look like jeans)

I wore them to work today, and I'm a new fan. I didn't think I'd like them when they first came out, but they are so comfortable and they look like I'm wearing a pair of skinny jeans. I went on a major shopping spree on Friday and bought a lot of new stuff, including my new jeggings. Best part was they were on sale!

Moral of the story, everyone should buy a pair, I got mine at NY&Co.

This Day is UNREAL

I came to work this morning, not really enthused about being here, but ready to tackle my day like I would any other since unfortunately, I haven't found a new job yet. Things were going fine, I got a decent amount accomplished this morning, had a good teleconference with my client and was working out next steps for a project that had me a little overwhelmed. Then I found out they fired one of the traffic people here. Traffic is the department that moves all of our jobs, stays on top of the timelines, and makes sure all the departments know what needs to happen for the day. They fired the BEST guy here. Seriously, he knows his stuff, he gets the job done, and though he can be a little bit of a hardass sometimes, he was GREAT! He got fired because one of the other ladies in traffic claimed that he put his hands on her. HE DID NOT! There were witnesses that can attest otherwise and that it was all innocent. This woman is terrible at her job, she worked on our account before and the work suffered. Now they are talking about putting her back on our account since our current guy needs to take over for the guy that got fired. UNACCEPTABLE! Our whole team is ready to talk to all the high up people to ensure this does not happen. We have one of the largest accounts in the agency and will not tolerate her nonsense any longer. I just cannot believe they fired him. They made a huge mistake and I hope that I don't have to pay the consequences for their bad decision.

It's just funny how just when you think work can't get any worse..... IT DOES!

Time to get hot...

Most people panic right before summer and decide they need to get into shape and get ready for bikini season. Well call me a little behind in the game, because now that summer is almost over, I really want to get back into shape. Don't get me wrong, I definitely don't think I'm fat, and I don't plan to start a serious diet or anything like that. However, I do want to tone up a little bit, lose a few more pounds (7 would be ideal), and just get healthy for myself. Currently I get winded walking up from the subway at Bryant park. Anyone else in NYC knows those steps are brutal though! But it's still embarrassing that I need to catch my breath after climbing up the stairs. So I'm getting serious about fitness and working out. I know I can't afford to join a gym right now, because even with the employee discount it's like $75 a month. And quite frankly, I don't get paid enough to spend that kind of money on a gym membership. However, a friend of mine just finished the P90X program and has offered to let me borrow it. I had mentioned I wanted to try it and he offered to let me use it saying that he'd save me the $120. I think this is a good solution since you can do it at home, and its only an hour a day. I have heard it's a very challenging workout, but I'm willing to give it a shot and see what happens! Anything I do would be an improvement at this point, so I'll just be glad to be exercising again. Since I'm borrowing his, I won't have all the meal plans and workout calendars, but I plan to just continue to eat healthy and in moderation and do as much of the workouts as I can.

Has anyone else given p90X a try? Any advice before I start it?

Wish me luck on getting hot over the next 3 months!

30 Day Blog Challenge

I started a blog because my sister started one when she began TTC (http://jennlovesaustin.blogspot.com). Since then I have started and stopped blogging several times, thinking that nobody cared what I had to say. I have recently started again, and this time, I'm determined to keep it up. I am blogging for me now, I love writing, and feel so much better after blogging about what's going on in my life (even if it is just the little things).

I've seen this 30 Day Blog Challenge a couple times now, and my sister convinced me to do it with her, as a fun challenge. So I decided I'm going to give it a shot.... so here goes nothing....wish me luck over the next 6 weeks to keep up with my new hobby, and hopefully turn this into something that people enjoy reading.

Here's how it works:

*The 30 day blog challenge is not about blogging every day for 30 days. Realistically that's just setting you up for failure. Life happens, and not every day can we sit down and pour our minds out on a keyboard.

For six weeks straight, aim to write a new blog post five times a week. That could mean one blog post every weekday Monday through Friday, or just five random days throughout the week that work best for you.

Add your name to the linky below and follow along with other bloggers that are taking the challenge.

Post the 30 Day Blog Challenge badge at the end of your blog posts and in your side bar so more people can learn about the challenge and follow along.

If you are having a hard time thinking of topics to blog about, there are many other blogs out there that have weekly check-ins that may interest you. Monday Weight Loss, Craft Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Photography Friday, or create your own check-in specific to what you want to blog about.

It's now Monday, August 16.... HERE GOES NOTHING!

Date Night

Let me begin by saying, I HATE DATING! I hate the awkward uncomfortableness of the whole process while you try to get to know someone and decide if they are relationship material. That being said, I had a really good first date last night. I met this guy while I was out for my friends birthday. It was an interesting crowd there, and I didn't know a lot of the people who were there for my friend so it was a little awkward for me. But then I noticed a guy sitting at the bar in a Dunder Mifflin t-shirt. I thought that was pretty entertaining so I decided to go over and talk to him. We hit it off pretty well, exchanged numbers, texted for a couple weeks (because I'd been busy), and finally went out yesterday.

I went into it with the attitude of "whatever happens happens". I had no expectations and wasn't really excited leading up to the actual day of. I was relaxed and open-minded. We met at the frying pan (an outdoor bar on a ship in the city). I'd never been so it was a good choice on his part, and yesterday was a gorgeous day, so it was nice to be outside drinking beers getting to know one another. We stayed there for a while, then moved on to another low key bar. We had good conversation, and I had a really good time. I will admit that I kissed him at the end of the night, and we made plans to see eachother again soon.

I'm happy that I have adopted a low-key attitude about the whole thing. I am happy to see where this can go, but if it doesn't end up going anywhere that's fine too. I have a renewed attitude about dating, and after more than 3 years of being single, though I am definitely ready for a relationship, its no longer my main concern. I'm focusing on me and creating healthy priorities for my life. As for a boyfriend, it will happen when its meant to happen, and I'll welcome it when the time comes! As for now, I will enjoy going out on dates, meeting new people, and enjoy the ups and downs of dating.

Jet Blue Freakout

I'm sure most of you have seen the article about the jet blue flight attendant who was "having a bad day" and after a bad interaction with a passenger, cursed out all the passengers on the loud speaker, grabbed beers and left the plane via the emergency slide. If you haven't, you should probably start paying a little more attention to the news.

Many have been supporting this man, saying they understand how that could happen. Well I'd like to say that is RIDICULOUS! We've all been in a job we don't like, have worked with people (or customers) that really push our buttons. The difference is, the rest of us have self control. We know that our consequences have actions, and just because we are pushed to our limit we cannot have a tantrum like a toddler would. We know to walk outside if we get heated at work, and as Kelly Cotrone's book is so perfectly titled, we know "If you have to cry go outside" (or have a serious meltdown like Mr. JetBlue did).

I cannot believe that if he goes to trial he will probably have enough supporters to get off scott free. And this is a trend we are seeing more and more, employees having major meltdowns, including the recent CT incident that resulted in several fatalities. It's sad to me that people think they can behave this way. I know I have only been working for a few years, and I may not understand the extent of what they were feeling, but we've all been there, the difference is we have a little bit of self control.

A Refreshing Weekend

This weekend I drove to DC with some of of my friends from high school. We went down to surprise another friend for her 25th birthday. More about the DC part later. The best part of the weekend was Friday night. I met my friend and her boyfriend (who I LOVE, I really hope she marries him, they are great together) at their place in the Bronx, and had a great time. Their apartment was beautiful, a cute one bedroom, right off the metro north, with a balcony that overlooks the Hudson River and a view of the Manhattan skyline. It was so nice. It has all the things that I miss since I moved to the city. They live right by several parks, so they can enjoy the nice weekends, have plenty of parking so don't have to worry about having cars (I dont have a car since I live in Queens so I rely solely on public transportation), and their apartment was so cute and homey. I was impressed. They've only been living there since late Dec, yet there apartment is more put together than mine, and I've been here for 3 years now (I dont even have a couch). I told her I was hiring her to come tell me what to do to my place until I can afford to move out and live by myself.

Anyway, by the time I got out of work and got up there it was about 7:30, initially we were going to drive down to DC Friday night, but instead decided just to wait and go first thing in the morning so we didn't get there at like 2am. Since we now had Friday night free, we went to dinner then just relaxed at their apartment drinking wine on their balcony. It was a great night, full of laughs, full of catching up, and just re-connecting. Since they moved to the city, this was the first time I've visited them. This whole weekend made me realize how much I truly enjoy their company, and value their friendships. Needless to say, there will be a lot more visits in the future!