I've moved...to wordpress

Ok so I decided to move my blog to wordpress.com today. There are WAY more toys there. That is all.

If you want to keep reading it, you can find it here: http://gelototherapy.wordpress.com/

Dear Vandalizers, Try Harder.

On my way to work every morning I pass railroad tracks where dozens of freight cars a parked and waiting for the the next load. I don't usually notice anything specific about all the graffiti on the trains, most of the time you can't read their secret graffiti code anyway. But today I was literally disappointed by their lack of imagination...

Running the entire length and height of one freight car in perfectly proportioned yellow bubble letters some had tagged the word "Fart". The person or persons who are responsible for this "artwork" actually are talented, I mean I couldn't have pulled the symmetry off with paper and a pen. But really? Couldn't they have come up with a better word then fart?

Vandalism Fail. If you are going to make your graffiti legible, at least make it interesting.

Spring Fever...in the Fall?

Is it possible to get Spring Fever in the Fall??? It has been so beautiful outside this week that I am finding it hard to remain in doors and focused!

I had a fabulous lunch outside today at Chuy's where there was much laughing and enjoying of the delicious creamy jalapeño dip. The weather was gorgeous and just begging me to stay outside ...but I had to go back to work.  It was a sad realization.

I just want to go play outside...almost time for Happy Hour!

Really Kirk Cameron?

Kirk Cameron is going to save America by returning us to our Christian Roots.

Really Kirk? I liked Mike Seaver better.

This article annoys me. 

In all fairness things may be taken out of context…and yes I am probably one of those skeptics he refers to. Here are my top four excerpts from the article.

1.     "The role of God in history — or "His story," as Cameron says - has long been a topic discussed by religion scholars and some evangelical groups.” -Now this is just annoying. Enough said.

2.      “A clip from his show The Way of the Master in which Cameron listens to co-host Ray Cutler argue that the design of a banana is evidence of creation over evolution has become a viral YouTube video and Internet meme.” – I want to look this up for a good laugh, but I am afraid of what I will find.

3.     "I used to think I was too smart to believe in God and be a Christian, but the more I've looked into and studied it and researched, the evidence is clear on the side of there being a God and Christ being that God." -Is he serious? He can provide hard evidence? I would REALLY like to see this evidence and his citations.

4.      "Now, with secular humanism and new militant atheists, you have people trying to make it sound like Christians are a joke … . It's a wake-up call today. It's a call to man-up." -Man-up is my term, it’s what men in the world of dating need to do! Don’t steal my words Kirk Cameron! Ok so its not really “my word”, but how does he propose Christians “man-up”?

All that being said and/or mocked, good for him for standing up for what he believes. But please Kirk, don’t shove it down our throats. I’ll have to stop watching Growing Pains reruns.

OMG No Facebook???

So Facebook is down, for fun I Google'd "Facebook problems today" and found 48 news articles relating to todays (and yesterdays) Facebook outages.

I just find it entertaining that you can find all these articles in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New Zealand Herald on this breaking news story. Headlines should read "Life Halts: Facebook Servers Down"

I guess everyone will just have to talk to each other for a while...and maybe once Facebook is back up I can share this so someone will actually read it?

I hope your day didn't suck too bad without your Facebook fix. Make that 54 articles in the 3 minutes it took me to finish typing this.

Keeping up with myself

This weekend I am celebrating my 28th Birthday. I started it yesterday with a day off of work, a one and a half hour massage, lunch at a fabulous wine bar with fabulous ladies, shopping, dancing, and a private booth at a local bar. Today I have to work and tomorrow is time spent with my family (both the real one and my dance girls)

Now Friday was a pretty fantastic day. The massage was absolutely perfect and I can't wait for another one, lunch was great, shopping successful, there were a few snags along the way but we had a good time. There were lots of people who couldn't join us last night so we have already decided there is need for a re-match. Which brings me to my question for the day....

Lately I have been staying so busy. When I say lately I mean the last several months. I moved, went on vacation, had two pledge drives, lots of birthdays and other celebrations, happy hours, dance performances, and the list goes on. (In between all this I am trying to maintain my new gym going regime.) It makes me wonder how long I can keep up with myself and when is it time for me to say stop, slow down? I guess it doesn't really matter that I am another year older tomorrow, that doesn't have anything to do with my question it was more the amount of activity that is circulating around the birthday.

I honestly think the answer is simply that I keep going as long as I am enjoying the time and having fun. I just need to pay attention to making sure I am not killing myself in the process!

I've got a feeling...

Actually I don't. I keep thinking I should write in my blog more often but I tend to feel like I have to sit here with something specific to write about....but I've got nothin' today. No clever subject matter to start with, I just felt like writing. 

I mean I could tell you how excited I am about our night out tonight to celebrate birthdays with dinner and dancing with the gang, but then that doesn't really take up a whole blog...but then again this whole blogging thing is really more about me just writing something and keeping my brain from turning into mush anyways. It's not really about worrying that other people are silently judging the quality of my writing, poor punctuation and run-on sentences. Wow this sounds like I have some issues to work through. I guess everyone's a little bit paranoid every once in a while. Hmm.

Well, I guess thats it for now. I have errands to run before this evening.....maybe I will have a more interesting post for tomorrow...

There's a Fine, Fine Line...

So as a part of a dance troupe we are required (and this makes total sense) to have a solo we have choreographed ourselves. I have spent the last two months battling the ideas in my brain and struggling to find a song that meant something to me....I had a few songs running through my brain, but there was this nagging back there somewhere that kept pulling me back to a song from Avenue Q.

Yeah I know its a musical about inappropriate puppets. But let me tell you a little story. When I finished college I decided to take a trip to New York, my (now ex) boyfriend and I had just gotten back together and he came with me. It was (up until Paris this year) one of the best vacations I ever took. So one morning we were eating breakfast at Ellen's Stardust Diner where all the waiters are really struggling Broadway hopefuls (who would have guessed, right?) anyways we had a great waitress who sang this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTFI9sQdpGo. This should have been a tip off of what was to come for he and I as a couple. Oh well, we were both a little slow I guess.

Anyway, I have loved that song ever since, so with the encouragement of my dance girls I decided to tackle the song. I was trained in Musical Theater, and which in my school meant we must pick focal points, focus on the lyrics and the express the emotions through them...movement is somewhat secondary. So taking away the words and forcing movement through dance has been a struggle for me. Saturday I had a fight with the song, a bit of a breakdown, some wine, and some silence. On Sunday I choreographed. and it was good. (sorry I couldn't resist)

Sunday evening I performed what I had for my troupe, and I can't begin to explain how proud I felt of the piece even in it's incomplete, raw and awkward beginning because it is mine 100%. I feel like I won the first battle. Now I just need to get up the courage to perform it.

A Special Place in Hell...

So if you know me, you are probably familiar with my transparent faces. There's gleeful face, doubtful face, irritated face and the list goes on....but by far most popular is my judgement face, or "Judgey Face" as the girls call it.

Today while browsing at Borders my judgey face came out in full force, to the point where I think I flinched a little when I realized it. Ok I was a little ashamed of it afterwards.

Anyways I am reading the back of a book when these shoes walk by, I notice shoes a lot. These shoes are four inch, white strappy sandals with some overly tanned feet inside them. I shrug to myself and continue wandering. Then I catch a glimpse of the owner of said Fake and Bake feet and stripper shoes.

She has a micro mini denim skirt on and a painted on white tank top and to top it off some seriously bleached blonde hair. Then she turned around....she had to be at least 50....and she was ROUGH. (YES I am judging right now and I can hear the disdain in my typing)

My first horrible thought was, she reads? Then as if that wasn't bad enough I thought to myself, oh of course it's just romance novels. Now I am not bashing the romance novel I even own a  few myself...but this whole picture was just priceless...like "People of WalMart" priceless. Jeez, I am such a jerk!

I had to share this because I felt a little ashamed of my judgement, but hopefully someone can laugh at it too...I mean at least she reads something right???

Signs of a successful party!

So my new roomie and I had our housewarming party last night. While there were a few snags along the way I am pretty sure that the party was a success, because of the following:

1. An empty beer bottle was found in my bathroom
2. The rum punch ran out before the party did
3. We got kicked out of the pool for being too loud
4. We made brownies at 2:00 in the morning (no not special brownies, it wasn't that kind of party)
5. We made a 3:00am burrito run, but had to get one of our guests to drive us.
6. The fact that there were only 8 burgers and 20 people didn't slow anyone down....there was beer.
7. Spontaneous Belly Dance performances in the kitchen and dining room.
8. Discovering half price cake Mondays!
9. Sprinkle Spark...nuff said..you know who you are
10. Actually contemplating finding a bar with an hour to go before last call....

Yep it was a good party.

Volunteer Boy

I never thought I would have a story to share that was work related until a friend reminded me of this one.

A big part of my job involves working with volunteers. I coordinate their assignment, train them, feed them and generally make them feel welcome while they are in studio. I enjoy it, I love people so the job works. Not to mention you get to meet some really funny people (and some scary ones to I'll admit).

Anyway, one evening we had a volunteer group come in and there was a very friendly and not-so-unattractive guy who was in the group. All evening he chatted with me about my job, about the station, about Houston (he's new to the city). I just assumed he was just a friendly guy, until he made a comment about me being the one who would have to come find him if he got lost in the building...and kept putting his had on my lower back every time he spoke to me. That's pretty close proximity when speaking to someone you just met in my opinion.

Anyways, after the evening ended he asked me for my business card and I gave it to him and sent him on his way. Meanwhile my co-workers and I went out to a bar after the big night. While sitting and chatting at the bar my phone rings and it's an unrecognized number, and I do something I never do...I answered it.

It was the volunteer! He asked if he could meet up with us, I was so thrown off by the fact that he called me that I immediately said no and made up an excuses that I was about to go home. But as I sat there with my coworkers after I got off the phone I started thinking about it. This guy actually had the guts to call my cell phone and ask if he could meet up with me. 

So the following week I sent him a quick email apologizing for blowing him off on Friday night, and telling him I would still like to meet him sometime. So we set a date for the following Tuesday to meet for drinks after work. Tuesday never came, he ended up cancelling because he had to leave town on a family emergency (yes I know how bad that sounds, I figured he was blowing me off now)

A week later I get a text from him asking me when the next Interclub is. I have no idea what he is talking about so I reply with, I think you have me confused with someone else.

And the following conversation ensues:

Volunteer Boy: My bad...I'm just going to call you Bonnie from now on.

Me: Bonnie huh? What if I like my name?

Volunteer Boy: Then we can put it as your middle name ☺

Me: Oh Alright but in all fairness I will have to assign you a new middle name

(A few hours go by)

Volunteer Boy: Still waiting

Me: Hmm....how about Joe? Too generic?

Volunteer Boy: You're teasing me now aren't you? Grrr...

Me: Maybe a little ☺

(Another hour or so goes by)

Me: Hey Joe, a few friends of mine are going to the House of Blues Foundation Room tonight if you care to join us for drinks 

Volunteer Boy: Bonnie, I wish I could, I'm not in Houston...

Me: Ah, Too bad Joe, maybe next time.

Volunteer Boy: Yo, I call you by your first name....Joe is my temporary middle name...

Me: Some people go by there middle name if they like it more than their given name...and when did bonnie become my permanent name?

This is where the text conversation ended, either my sarcasm didn't translate well via text (which is highly probable) or he had no comeback and lost interest. I don't know what ever happened to him because he disappeared off the face of the earth after that. Oh well. It was fun for the day, and at least I know the out of town part wasn't a blow off....I don't think.

However this is just further proof of the evils of new technologies in the world of dating.

The Texter

So I joined match.com once.

I thought it might be a good way to meet people, I should have known better with my luck. I don't know about all the people out there who say they met the love of there life online, or their friend's friend did, or there co-worker's uncle or whatever the story is.

My experience with online dating has been mostly that the people I have come into contact with on those sites are there because they are socially inept....case in point:

So I met this guy on match.com, he emailed me a few times and then we chatted on yahoo, and I thought this guy is really pretty funny...so after a few more emails I decide to bite the bullet and give him my phone number. I never actually spoke to him on the phone though....because he began texting me almost right away....and constantly.

When I say constantly, I mean ALL THE TIME. He would text me every morning just to say good morning, in the afternoon to see what I was having for lunch at night to say good night.....it was a little much. The clincher was when my phone went off at 8am on a SUNDAY MORNING. I thought to myself, God this guy is smothering me and we haven't even met. When he woke me up with a chipper "Good Morning" text on my peaceful Sunday I knew that was the end and we would NEVER work out.

So I did what any chicken shit online dater would do, I made up a story and told him I'd met someone else and that I was so sorry our timing didn't work out.

The real question is, why couldn't I just be honest with this guy and tell him "Dude, you are clingy and needy and you need to back off". I need to stop being so damn PC about everything....maybe if I were honest with that guy he could successfully meet another nice but socially awkward online dater and they could live happily ever after....but not with me Dude, 'cause whoa.

Le Sigh...

Well, back to the real world. The past few weeks have been busy to say the least. I am completely moved into the new apartment though not totally settled.

I enjoyed a week with my friend visiting from Seattle, showed her the best time I could in the 95 degree 100% humidity summer we are having. We did see Wicked which was probably the highlight of the trip (thanks to a fantastic show and fantastic air conditioning) I was sad to see her go, the trip was too short and it was WAY too hot to enjoy Houston at its finest.

I returned  last week from a whirlwind trip to Paris, where I enjoyed the shopping,  the food, the walking, the company, and the sights. We spent an entire day taking in the spectacle that is Versailles. I don't know what else to say about Paris other than I fell in love with the city while I was there and as I always do when visiting a new place, I find myself thinking "I could live here".

I could learn French and spend a few years enjoying the magic that is Paris but I wouldn't want to work which would pose a problem.

Now I am back to work, having been off for two solid weeks I am finding it difficult to get back in the swing of things. I did miss my work family though, even with all the crazy there is here....It's nice to be back home, even if I do miss Paris.

Light Speed Ahead

Funny how fast the course of life can change. In September of last year I went from being the better half of a 5 year relationship to be single in the matter of two hours. Two weeks later I signed a lease to my very first apartment (ever) and have quickly adapted to the life of a single girl.

This time the changes are just as life altering but still different, they don't hurt. I am gaining a roommate and moving into a bigger place, my best friend from college is coming from Seattle to see me for the first time and I am going to Paris in a few weeks on what will be my first vacation to Europe. The funny thing is that 3 weeks ago the only concrete plan in my life was my friends first visit to Houston. 

3 weeks ago I was invited on a last minute vacation to Paris which of course I said yes to, I leave the same day my Seattle flies back home.

Last week a friend of mine found herself in need of a roommate, so we switched my lease over to a bigger unit...we are moving 2 days before Seattle arrives here for her vacation.

So basically I move on July 1st, Seattle arrives on the 3rd, I leave for Paris on the 8th and come home to a new apartment on the 14th! Did I mention I have to have the current apartment completely empty and cleaned out by the 22nd???

Should be fun, Light Speed Ahead.

Unwarranted Guilt

Guilt is a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moralstandard, and bears significant responsibility for that violation.^[1] It is closely related to the concept of remorse.

I am a people person. I am happiest when those around me are happy. I seem to make it my life's work to take care of people. 

In someways I worry that my drive to please and car for others gets in the way of caring for myself.  

Today I am preparing to end one of the final things that binds me to my ex. A shared cell phone bill. A shared bill that I have been paying for 6 months. last month he sent me a portion of what he owed me. I am pretty sure he sent it just to get me off his back. So this month rolled around and I realized that he has never sent me anymore and the bill is due again. 

Of course this month he has some financial hardship cause by vet bills of the two cats we had and cannot send me what he owes but can send a little. So unfortunately for him, because I am such a pushover, my parents have taken this on and are going to shutting off his phone if he doesn't pay up.

My question is why do I feel guilty? I feel like I am the bad guy and I hate it. I know this is the best thing to do I just don't want to do it.

Voyeurism is just a more sophistcated term for nosiness...Facebook and Stupid Things

Thank you Facebook for making it all too easy to become a voyeur or certified cyber stalker:

Thanks to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Google you can now find more information on someone than you would on a first date!  Not to mention the things you can find out about people you already know. 

Now as far as seeing information on people you already know. I have become all too familiar with the "Hide" feature on Facebook. I can now hide all the Facebook updates of certain people. You know the ones who have to update their status every 30 seconds...or the ones you just haven't had the heart to remove from your friends list. Yes I am a push over and I know it.

Facebook and Stupid Things:

Stupid Thing #1:

Friending a potential date on Facebook. I now believe that this is the kiss of death. You loose before you even secure a first date. I did it we exchanged a few pleasantries and then it was over...partially because I am stubborn and won't initiate further communication and partially because I am worried it's because he isn't interested. 

Stupid Thing #2:

Cyber stalking potential dates (this is different from #1, you don't friend him on Facebook). So there's this guy who has invited me out for drinks and in a moment of insanity I decided to google him. (thanks Merriam-Webster for making to google a verb) I now know more about him than I should and we haven't been able to find a day that works with both out schedules yet. Perhaps the cyber stalking is also a kiss of death for a potential date.

Stupid Thing #3:

After hiding your exes status from your Facebook feed you occasionally give in to some sick masochistic desire to see what they are up to by visiting their profile. You see what a great time they are having instead of being miserable while you set out to create the life you should have had 5 years ago. No I don't want him back, it's not him I want it's the couple-ness that I miss. I am not meant to be single. And now the douche bag has removed his relationship status from single....to nothing. Not sure what that means, but I am of course left to stew over it and drive myself crazy over nothing. A nothing that shouldn't matter to me at all. But it does.

Bar Hopping

I am not one to go bar hopping. I tend to find a spot I like and stay there, currently my spot of choice is a little pub called the Dubliner for multiple reasons. The best part of this bar (aside from the staff) is that it is low key and the people there like to socialize. There isn't a whole lot of pounding music. Just a neighborhood pub and I love it. You can avoid all the train wrecks in satin shorts and stilettos and unfortunate tools in sports coats (most of the time.) Its just a good place to people watch.

Anyways last night my friend and I decided to work outside our comfort zone a bit. We grabbed a quick drink at the Dubliner, then moved one to meet up with the rest of the group at a place called the Drinkery which was supposed to be a laid back bar with music and dancing. First of all we realized we were old when we were tentatively bobbing along to songs we listened to in high school, second the DJ was horrible. We waited for it to get better while the rest of the group trickled in and headed out in search of the right place for us to be.

We found Pearl Bar not far down the road where we could immerse ourselves in some hideously fabulous music. Prince, Michael Jackson, Run DMC, and even Justin Timberlake. So we danced and drank and settled in. Once energy was fading we ended the night back at the Dubliner chatting with staff and enjoying a delicious night cap of  Baby Guinness.

Perfect way to end the evening, but next time I think I will just stick to the Dubliner.

Oh, Hell No.

I feel like I haven't even been writing this blog long enough to write an entry like this yet.

So Drum Jam on Friday night. I meet up with friends there, we are hanging out and having fun. There is lots of dancing involved....suddenly as I cross the room I run in to none other than Shirley himself who gives me this incredibly akward hug and says "Its so great to see you again." I replied with a polite response that now slips my mind and quickly made my way back to my group. But at the end of the night he showed up again to give me another akward hug, at which point I became increasingly interested in my friends accordion and how it worked. He, after a while of not getting the hint, said "It was nice seeing you again" and I said something vaguely similar and  he left. So was that completely rude and callous of me to blow him off or did I really do him a favor? Oh well either way it made my night easier.

Following the drum jam we hit up a local pub, and I am sitting enjoying a laugh and a good time with my friends when Vegas' best buddy walks by. No good story here I never spoke with him, just the fact that he happened to be present in the same evening kind of burns me.

OK, really?? I have to be haunted by two past encounters in one night? This is your twisted idea of a good time on a Friday night? Try harder!

Time for more, er, fun...

It has occurred to me that it is time to go out again as I have run out of good stories. Hopefully Friday night will bring new material. It is time for another drum jam event with fellow dancer friends, here's hoping there is no Shirley Temple part two.

MFA - Part Four

Ok so we went on the date from hell on a Wednesday. On the following Friday afternoon, I am leaving work and I notice that I have a missed call and a voice mail from none other than the face licker, MFA. I take a deep breath and dial my voice mail up. I gotta hear this, right?

In his increasingly pretentious tone he says something along the lines of, "It was such a pleasure meeting you last night. I had a really nice time and really felt a connection at the coffee shop. But I feel that it was rushed with the prospect of work. Maybe we can take some time to recreate that this weekend. Give me a call when you get off work."

Connection my ass. I didn't return the call, ever.


**As soon as I can figure out how I intend to post the voice mail here for your enjoyment.

MFA - Part Three

Wednesday rolls around. I have agreed to meet MFA at Canyon Cafe. An excellent place for a first date. Great food and reasonably priced. I make it through my entire work day calmly, I mean what is the worst that could happen?

When 5:00 rolls around the butterflies suddenly start and I am extremely nervous. I barely remember what this guy looks like. I get home get dressed, and head out the door. 

I arrive early so I decide to run to the restroom where I seriously contemplate ditching this date and going home to my two dogs. But being the person I am I couldn't.

I left the restroom only to come face to face with my date. We greeted each other and went upstairs to get a table. We sat down on their patio and enjoyed some fun conversation. He told me about how he was a writer and looking to move to Houston and how much he was enjoying the city. Occasionally the conversation would get a little exhausting with his grandiloquence (a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language). Now, I went to college and I have always thought of myself as having a pretty extensive vocabulary but this guy used words I had never even heard of! I attributed this to one of two things: 1.He was an extremely intelligent writer or 2. He was trying WAY to hard to sound educated.

We had finished our meals and he asked if I wanted to grab a coffee. The conversation had been pretty good so far so I agreed. Then the check came. MFA said to the waiter, "Can you get that split?" I hadn't even been able to offer to pay for my own meal yet! Now I am not suggesting that guys HAVE to pay for the meal every time, but this guy asked me to dinner. He asked me out on this date. I believe that means he should be picking up the tab. (Thanks ivillage.com for backing me up on this one: In Defense of Chivalry) 

I am pretty sure that if the check had come before he asked me to have coffee I would have politely declined and salvaged the rest of my evening with a good book at home. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out that way. We met at Brasil, where I bought my own coffee, and continued having our conversation. Finally around 10:00pm I used the work excuse and we called it a night.

He walked me to my car, and we were half way there when he put his hand on my arm and stopped me. I stopped and looked at him. He raised his eyebrows and made this gesture with his hands as if to say "Well?".

I looked at him with what I can only assume was annoyance or derision and said "What?! Our cars are over there" and continued walking. We got to the corner and he stopped me again, with the same shoulder shrug eyebrow raise.

I put my hand out in front of me and patted his arm and said "Well it was really nice meeting you, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit in Houston."  Then something horrible happened. He leaned in, eyes closed and I suppose he kissed me. Only on my end it felt more like he licked my my face from chin to nose. I was mortified! I don't know what my face looked like but I immediately pulled away said, "OK...well...bye" and dashed for my car. 

You know that episode of Sex and The City where Charlotte dates the bad kisser, well yeah that is EXACTLY what it was like, only I didn't give him a second chance. 

For your entertainment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynsr1bQtYts 

MFA - Part Two

Sunday afternoon - 4:00pm. My phone rings, I am on my way to dance class/rehearsal, it is a number I don't recognize so I let it go to voice mail.

Later on I check the message:

"Hi Andrea, it's MFA from the bar last night. It was so nice to meet you last night. I am on my way to the Museum of Fine Arts and I was wondering if you would give me the pleasure of your company. I would love to hear more about your adventure in the work of PBS. If you can't make it I hope you have a great afternoon and it was great meeting you."

My first reaction to this message was, oh shit I told this guy where I worked! But then I relaxed a little, he seemed like a nice guy. So the next day I sent him a text message and this is how our conversation went:

Me: "Hi MFA, sorry I missed your call yesterday. How was the museum"
MFA: "Ancient Statues set the tone for greatness. Photographs of desolation framed mortality. It was an unexpectedly strong pathos cocktail. I am compelled to return"

Whoa. How do you respond to that? Well I replied with a little less intellect.

Me: "Wow. Quite the way to spend the Sunday afternoon. I have yet to make it to the MFA. You should checkout the Natural Science Museums butterfly center"
MFA: "It was really profound. I think I will go back on Thursday."
Me: "So what brings you to Houston?"
MFA: "I have family in the area. I want to get a feel for more places to live, and Houston is a big City with a god reputation. What brought you here"
Me: " I moved here for the job and a change of scenery."

Our conversation continues along this route for a while, he mentioned to me that no one in the coffee shop he went to was interested in having a conversation with him...

MFA: "Very enjoyable coffee, but it was all pairs, either a person or a machine. So, I wrote on my phone about the museum and had it read it back to me. It was a poignant and stimulating conversation. People kept loking over at me, envious of my good time. haha."

I should have known right then to turn and run! But no he asked me out...

MFA: "Do you want to do something on Wednesday?"
Me: "what do you have in mind?"
MFA: "Local culture, good food, and music."

So I will spare you the rest of the conversation and just say we agreed on a time and place for dinner the follwing Wednesday. YIKES!

MFA - Part One

Last weekend I went out to celebrate a friends birthday and we ended up at one of our usual stops towards the end of the evening. While we were sitting at the bar enjoying the people watching and the birthday shots for our friend a guy, we will call him MFA, approached us with a casual, "so what's there to do around here" conversation opener. We all chatted for a while had a round of shots and he sat on the stool next to me.

"So here's the deal," MFA said "I am painfully shy, but you seem like such a nice girl and easy to talk to. Would you like to check out the Museum of Fine Arts with me tomorrow?" This comment caught me off guard because earlier in the day when my friend and I were out shopping and I mentioned that I had never been to the Museum of Fine Arts and would love to check it out.

So in my inebriated state I took this as a sign that I should give MFA a chance and I gave him my phone number.

I really assumed that there are only a few outcomes here:
     1. He was lying about not being from here and it was just a line
     2. He could be a great guy who really is from out of town and thinking of moving to Houston
     3. This potential date could be awkward but it won't matter because I never have to see him again

Vegas, Baby

My first adventure into the local bar scene:

A good girlfriend of mine had been asking me to go out with her for a few weeks and I had been putting it off. It was my first time visiting a bar as a free agent. So finally I set the date with her for a Friday night. I went home, did a little workout, soaked in the tub, watched some 30 Rock then it was finally late enough to start getting ready to go  out.

I spent an ridiculous amount of time trying to decide what to wear, tamed the hair so I could wear it down, added make-up and I was ready for the night. I swung by to pick my friend up and we were off to a bar in the new hip place to be in our city.

The place was packed, but great! We finally wedged ourselves into two seats at the bar and were plied with a few drinks from our friend the bar tender. The occasional wandering guy would stop chat, buy us a drink and move along. But there was this one group of guys who kept coming back. Their drink of choice that evening; Irish Car Bombs.

Two of them were at one point asking us to judge there drinking race and we happily obliged....the winner of the contest wandered off to something else shiny that caught his eye but his buddy, we'll call him Vegas, stayed behind. Now Vegas stayed with us for pretty much the remainder of the evening effectively shooing away creepy barflies and being charming.

We snapped some photos together and he handed me his business card, it truned out he worked for hotel in Vegas and was in town for the weekend visiting his buddies. The brighter side to this picture (I thought at the time) was that he was from here and implied that he came home often. He asked me to email him the photo and then walked us to our car to protect us from a particularly creepy barfly who had been kicked out of the bar earlier and had been loitering outside for a while.

A few days later I dug his business card out of the wallet and emailed him the photo and thanked him for walking is out. After I hit send I spent a few blissful moments in my own fantasy world quitting my day job and picking out curtains.

His response to the email? It never came, I stopped watching for it and filed for an imaginary divorce.

Shirley Temple

Back in February I attended my first drum jam with my fellow dancers and of course (as the name of the event suggests) drummers. After a fabulous evening of dancing around and drinking wine. We had the grand idea to move our party to another venue that served both food and alcohol.

The winning pub was fairly crowded with an entertaining cover band playing songs you more than likely could sing along to, which in my book makes a great cover band! So there I am at the bar, when one of the guys (We'll call him Mr. Helpful) comes over to me and asks if I was single. Yes, I am. So he asked if it would be OK if his "friend" came to talk to me. Sure, I told him.

So there I was with a few other girls when this gangly dude come up and offers the 4 of us a round of, wait for it, waters....which granted is considerate as we had just been dancing for a few hours and could probably use the hydration but we were much more interested in a more exciting beverage. Anyways, he brings us our waters and he is holding a very pink cocktail in his hand for himself.

"What are you drinking" I asked....his answer, "A Shirley Temple."

Following this stunning conversation starter he proceeded to ask me where I take my dance lessons, and how much they are...I can only presume he wanted to know this because he was interested in taking classes with us???? Yikes.

Later on Mr. Helpful appeared and apologized for the creeper who was not "exactly" his friend more like an acquaintance he'd seen at drum jam before...

Maybe I am being too hard on the guy but, a few guidelines to take from this:

• Please don't try to impress a girl by getting her a water at the bar.
• If you are insistent on consuming a kiddie drink, you probably shouldn't admit to it.
• Don't try to attend my dance classes, not cute.
• And guy friends, if you don't really know the guy think twice about who your are sending over to your single female friends!

Not to be confused with Gelato Therapy

gelototherapy;

The use of humor as a form of therapy in the treatment of illness by getting the patient to laugh.