Daily Ramblings

Other Exciting Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:41:00 +0000

Don't forget - us figure skating nationals are this weekend!!!! Who is excited? You know I am!

Lululemon

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:41:00 +0000

So, as my good friends know, lululemon has quite a grip on me. This past Friday, I attended their factory warehouse sale. It was...well, judge for yourself.

I used to love Great America as a child. This brought back memories...

Thank goodness I have the blogger for iPhone app and was able to get some serious work done whilst waiting.

the beginning stages

I felt like a horse in a corral.

in-line entertainment

the final line before getting in

water bottle I won from lululemon-related trivia

the final haul

I have to say, I was a little disappointed by the sale. As a lulu-enthusiast, I have seen quite a few of these items before. It was all 'we made too much' - on a large scale stage. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but I was secretly hoping for it to be like the Coach Factory Store (or other factory stores) where it's never-before seen merchandise that didn't hit the main line. I don't necessarily think this was inaccurate marketing on their part or anything like that, I just had higher hopes. I was able to escape with spending under $100, which really says a lot (knowing me).

I look forward to their new Spring line.

Exciting News in My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:25:00 +0000

I got a new stove!

Jaime's kitchen is back in business!!!

Yellow Page Season

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:14:00 +0000

Who's excited? Anyone?!

Dating Debacles, Part 846

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:59:00 +0000

Ok, so as my readers know, I dabble in online dating. I'll try to keep this story brief. I met a guy. We emailed and texted a little. I found him interesting and was excited. He insisted we should talk on the phone. You all know my feelings on this, outlined in an earlier post. It didn't go particularly well, but I'd say that was partially my fault. I am just not up for the phone. Intro convos never do for me. He said, at one point, that he could pick up that I am extremely serious (all my blog readers already know this, I'm sure).

Anyhow. Despite a couple awkward pauses and him complaining that I was not laughing at his jokes (yep...) I still tried to be open-minded based on the good convos earlier. It ended with:

Him: So when am I gonna meet you? Maybe we can grab a drink?
Me: Sure, I'm up for a drink.
Him: How about Tuesday or Wednesday?
Me: I actually can't either of those days (accurate). Maybe Thursday?
Him: Hmm. Let's play it by ear during the week....

(Ok, fine. Whatever. Ready to write him off....)

Tuesday, late afternoon.
Text from him:
Are we going to grab a drink tonight or tomorrow?
(Thought bubble: Why am I responding?)
Me: I can't either day.
Him: That's why you're called the elusive one.
Me: Ha.
Him: Why don't you tell me when you're free.
(No response.)

Weds.
Him: The Bull Valley Monster has struck again.
Me: Bull Valley?
Him: Weren't we talking about the bull valley monster? I thought that was you.
Me: I don't think so....

Thurs. 6:30. PM.
Him: Free for a drink tonight, Ms. Elusive?
Me: I already made plans for tonight. Next week sometime?
Him: Way too much work for me. Good luck.

I secretly wanted to text back 'anything in life having is worth working for', but I decided to let it go peacefully. :-)

File this one under 'le sigh'. I assume this is the kind of guy who says women play games and make things too complicated.

Goals For 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:59:00 +0000

So last year was a year of a lot of changes for me. I went in with some goals, as I outlined in some previous posts.

Anyhow. They saying putting one's goals down in writing and/or telling people about one's goals makes her more likely to achieve them because it makes them seem more definite. That, and there's the fear of public failure. Other people knowing and, mayhaps, 'watching' one will better keep that person in check. Kind of like having a weight-loss buddy. Or something like that.

Anyhow.

My goal for 2012....

I have a short story that needs to be written. I've dragged my feet on doing so for a very long time. By the end of 2012, I should have a hard draft done.

There you go.

Keep me in check.

Hopefully this goes better than my promises to blog more.

Woohoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

I'm glad zappos and I are on the same page....

My order has been received and will soon be on the way. Woohoo, indeed!

Trying to Trend a New Expression

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:19:00 +0000

So, as you all know, I am a very avid user of Facebook.

On quite a few occasions, I've seen people like their own status or comment.

I have a term for this.

Facebook masturbation.

You heard it here first.

Spotify, Etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:17:00 +0000

So, I have a couple friends who use this thing called Spotify. I am not an expert on the matter at all, so I might be completely wrong at how it works, but to my understanding - one can listen to any song of choice for free - it just needs to be broadcast on a social network.

This, for me, would be a nightmare. Or at least, not worth it to use, under any circumstances. I don't like being judged on my music choices. Sometimes I am craving the most obscure song. In fact, when I find myself 'craving' a song, if you will, it's usually the pickles and ice cream of songs. I'd have no desire to broadcast that to 800 people I may or may not somewhat know. That, and, well, sometimes when I find a song I really like - it goes on repeat...A LOT.

That, and a friend brought up another point. It was a Friday night. She wanted to hear a song, but, you know, then she'd be broadcasting to all of the fbook community that she's sitting at her computer on a Friday night.

Not to mention, well, I have quite a few facebook friends who use these programs, and, well, I have found quite a few of their choices, well, interesting....

Anyhow. Your thoughts? Do you use these programs? All I know is, for the privacy, I will gladly shell out the dollar for the song on i-tunes or wherever....

Just FYI

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Speed dater this Wednesday. Hopefully something good will come out of it.

I have a hunch on these things. Often times, groups of girlfriends will sign up for these just for kicks, thinking, worst case scenario, 'my girlfriends and I can laugh out this on a later date, so it'll be fun'. So, I feel there is probably not a problem filling up these events with girls. However, I wonder about the guys at these events. Do a couple guys get together and say 'ooh, hey, let's do this - sounds like fun!' I just don't really see it that way.

Should be interesting. Time will tell.

Phone Time

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:45:00 +0000

So, as my personal friends know, I am trying to get back into the world of dating. Let's imagine, hypothetically speaking, I've got a couple (presumably) gentlemen that I'm 'talking to'. And by talking, I mean emailing, texting, or iming.

It has now reached the point where we've continued to converse and these men that I don't know in 'real life', if you will, have requested a 'get to know you' phone conversation.

Although I do find this to be a completely reasonable request....

I HATE getting-to-know-you phone conversations. I kind of hate talking on the phone, in general. I KNOW I am not alone in this. I don't mind it when I'm catching up with a friend with whom I could talk for hours, or if it's to tell an urgent story that is too long to type. But otherwise, I almost always opt for a different (perhaps more modern) means of communication. I feel like I have several friends I talk to for hours every day (via email/text/etc.). In fact, I can only think of one friend I talk to on the phone regularly, and she's one of 'those' who checks her email once every three days.

Anyhow. What's a gal to do? Suck it up and talk on the phone with these guys? Although I do find it completely reasonable that they want to see if they have enough in common with be before taking the time to make a long commute or putting out time and/or money to see me.... I would just rather meet someone in person and see if I hit it off. That, and I am not good on the phone. Give me a chance in person. I'm much more charming there.

That, and once one gets involved in a phone conversation with someone, isn't he almost obligated to ask for a date, anyway? Sure, a person could, in theory, say 'you know, I don't think this phone conversation has gone well, I don't think we'd hit it off, I'm not going to suggest we meet', but does that ever actually happen? I know once a female friend said she'd once agreed to go out with a guy, then there was a phone call that was very awkward, but she felt too uncomfortable calling it off.

Is there any way I can get around these phone convos with these boys? Does anyone else abhor getting-to-know-you phone conversations? Does anyone else prefer them? Feel a need for them? Can one get around a date after a bad convo? Your thoughts?

Trivia

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:03:00 +0000

Can anyone out there correctly identify my coffee mug? I'll give you a hint - it's on the second shelf. Look closely. There it is, just trying to fit in with the others. Like junior high all over again.

Any guesses?

Multiple Personality Disorder?

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:22:00 +0000

So I was expecting a friend of a friend to contact me. I get a 'hi' from an unknown number. I re: hi. "How's it going?' Then comes the above conversation....

Are You Sure It's Not the Carburetor?

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:04:00 +0000

(click to enlarge)

Naked.

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:30:00 +0000

Ok - first let me say this story is not safe for work (or moms - sorry Mom).

Recently, one of my good friends told a story about how she met a guy at a party, began kissing him, and suddenly, out of the blue, he was naked. This amused me - and I can honestly say I had a similar experience once.

I was hanging out with a group of people. There was a guy who was there - a friend of a friend. We'd met a couple times before; we seemed to be hitting it off. He was cute and he definitely seemed like a nice guy - maybe a little on the shy side. Soon we were sitting in his room, kissing. It was all fairly innocent and had only been going on a short time, when, out of the blue, he suddenly stands up and strips down, stark naked.

Under normal circumstances, I would have bolted. However, he definitely didn't seem aggressive or crazy - just maybe a little bit of a confused nice guy. That, and I was kind of in shock at several aspects of the situation.

He seemed to be looking at me with expecting eyes. Was he looking for me to comment on what I was seeing? Or maybe for me to follow in (un)suit? I think I just sat there with my jaw dropped (which, in hindsight, might not have been the best move). The only thing I seemed to be able to muster was the one observation I made during the escapade.

'You don't wear underwear?'

'Uh...I guess...no.'

At that point, I think I started to giggle - and perhaps having a girl giggle whilst being in the presence of his naked body was too much for him to take, so as quickly as it all came off, it all went back on. He then sat back down next to me and tried to pick up where he left off - casually kissing me. However - needless to say, the mood got a little thrown and things ended pretty quickly.

As I said earlier, recently, a good friend had a similar situation. Is this typical amongst some guys? Do men think this is a good move? Maybe something like 'chicks dig this move'? Has anyone else had a similar experience? Please, do share. Is it a good move for a girl to randomly suddenly - oh, don't even bother answering that.

2011 Reading Goal

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:48:00 +0000

So, one of my goals for 2012 was to read 12 books. I didn't have any specifics on what kind of books they were, how many pages they needed to be, etc. Yes, I realize these are big factors, seeing that, at times, one book can be over twice the length of another. However, I didn't want to get pedantic.

Anyhow. Drumroll please....

I fell short. Whop whop. Eleven books. Just one shy. I didn't make it. I feel like a failure. I kid. Oh well.

Here's a list of the books I was able to finish:

1) Save the Assistants by Lilit Marcus
2) The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (Editor's sidenote: This book took me FOREVER - I would like to blame partially for my not being able to meet my reading goal.)
3) Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
4) What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
5) My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler
6) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
7) Summer in the City by Candace Bushnell
8) Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal
9) Love At First Bark by Julie Klam
10) If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't) by Betty White
11) It Was Over When by Robert K. Elder

I THOUGHT about staying home all day Saturday reading to make the goal, seeing that I am already into Mindy Kaling's 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)', and it seemed like a quick read. However, instead, I just decided to up the ante for this year - I will do 13 books to make up for the missed one this year. I am thinking I will have more time to accomplish this.

Did anyone else make any reading goals? Were you able to keep them? Do you feel my goal was a little weak? Did you lose respect for me for not making it? Don't answer that.

Bah Humbug?

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:49:00 +0000

So, all throughout the year, I kept my eyes open for good gifts and shopped ahead. I was all eager to wrap said gifts, but I told myself I'd wait until the holiday season started before I'd wrap them - it just didn't seem right otherwise. Well, somehow, I found myself scrambling the final days before Christmas to wrap the gifts and finalize my decorations. I guess, in the beginning of December I had a case of the Bah Humbugs...but it definitely ended. I can't believe I didn't post pictures of my decorations on this blog yet!

if you look closely, those reindeer are big drinkers

SOME people were very good

big picture

please note the troll dolls

my angel

When I was little, the days off leading towards Christmas were the best - the days after were a letdown. Now, it is the total opposite. The days before are stressful and I secretly look forward to them being over; the days after are a sweet, wonderful relaxing relief where I can enjoy the lovely gifts I've received. Also, I remembe,r when I was little, I hated receiving money as a gift. Needless to say - this has drastically changed as well.

Anyhow. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year, All! Love you readers!

In Case Anyone Is Looking For A Good Holiday CD....

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:49:00 +0000

This one is phenomenal. And no, I'm not being facetious. It really is.

Getting off to the Right Start

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:47:00 +0000

I just downloaded the blogger for iPhone app. I am not sure how good the app is, but at least I am attempting to be a woman of my word. This will, hopefully, help in my quest to be a better blogger.

Boy Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:10:00 +0000

Miranda said it well. Whenever I talk to my girlfriends, the conversation usually goes in the direction of, for lack of a better way to put it, 'boy talk'. Is this kind of conversation pretty much just what is interesting? Why is that? What other kind of talk is interesting? Housework, laundry, mortgages? I think not. Gossip? That is also interesting, but probably isn't any more respectable or intellectually stimulating.

Your thoughts?

New Year's Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:24:00 +0000

I have four that are getting carried over into the new year. I'd feel bad about this, but I was really ambitious with the resolution making this past year, and I succeeded at several big ones. So I feel ok about not receiving a 100% A+. One of said failed resolutions was to be a better, more consistent blogger. As we know, there is always next year. I hope to, more specifically, do around 20 posts a month. This year was a hiccup. My other resolutions are too personal to mention here, but those who know me in real life know them.

What are your new year's resolutions? Do you bother making resolutions? Any success stories? I won't bother asking if there are any failures....

Words of Wisdom of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:39:00 +0000

Kangoo, Part Twooo!

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:30:00 +0000

So, earlier I reported on the subject of 'Kangoo Jumps' and how much fun they look. If definitely looks like a fun workout and it also looks like it really gets the cardiovascular system going, however, not that this matters, but, there is something about them that is, for me, hard to take seriously.

Well, I was looking at their website. They, apparently, SHOULD be taken VERY seriously. There are a LOT of health benefits. This is nothing to laugh about. They are seriously going to change your life for the better. And to think I was going to invest in botox - these bad boys come with a built in face lift!

Have any of my readers tried these out? Your thoughts? Are they as fun as they look?

Yes, Deer

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:26:00 +0000

Lightening the mood, or trying to....

An Open Letter....

noreply@blogger.com (Jaime) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:22:00 +0000

So, in a previous post, I mentioned there was something on my mind that I wasn't saying that was clouding my ability to blog. Well, in the best interest of this blog and its readers - upon 50% careful consideration and 50% blogging whilst emotional, I have decided to, in the words of John Mayer, 'say what I need to say' for cathartic reasons. In the spirit of 'stuff white chicks do on facebook', yes, you can assume that post is directed at one specific individual. You are also welcome to judge me for handling this in the form of a blog post (as opposed to a phone call, personal email, etc.). Anyhow.

Without any further ado....

I honestly still cannot believe you did this to me. I am still angry. I am still in shock. And I am still hurt. Don't get me wrong - I am doing fine. I am doing well. But you wronged me and you hurt me and you know it. If you think I've forgotten you or if you think I've forgotten what you did to me, you are surely wrong. If you think I am somehow confused and that I think there is possibly some misunderstanding that leads to some acceptable explanation of your behavior, you are also wrong.

I was good to you. I deserved better. I would not have done this to anyone - I surely would have not done this to you. If the end goal was to make me hate you or make me think you are a bad person - you have not succeeded at this, however, again, you have succeeded at hurting me. And if you possibly think, for one second, that you are, in some way, off the hook for what you did - you are wrong. I cannot believe you were so selfish that you didn't think twice about causing me pain because you felt, for whatever reason, that you needed to do so at this time in your life. So, if you have a conscience, or if you have any consideration for anyone for anyone but yourself, let it be known that you should feel guilty for what you did to me every single day of your life.

I might be out of sight. I might be out of mind. You are welcome to be a coward and hide - that doesn't undo the wrong you have done to me. I don't wish ill on you but I do sincerely believe you should feel terrible about yourself as a person for what you did to me (and to some others as well). I am a decent person and I am disgusted by what I got from you in the end. Both you and I know I deserved better. Again, I don't hate you, and I surely will go on just fine in life, but let it be known that what you did to me will never be forgotten. I am very confident that you are so vain that you will definitely know this post is about you.

**************************

Again, dear readers, go ahead and judge me for posting this (juvenile, emotional, passive aggressive, what have you) - it felt good for me to get this off my chest. Now, on to some other posts.