Tomorrow is my last day!

Yeah....tomorrow is my last day of work at my current job! I love the last week of any job (I've done this more than once), because you know that change is a-coming...soon.
I've spent the past week randomly cleaning out my office. I've found shoes, CDs, many office supplies, and best of all, a presumed to be year old Cadbury Egg. Oh, and a stray green jellybean.

On Monday, I start my new job. I'll be working in Manhattan for the first time since February 2001, when I took off running for Charleston, in search of warm weather and less stressed people. I'll be on the train an average of three hours per day (try not to envy me), which should give me ample time to catch up on sleep and reading.

Check out the organization I am going to be working for, Autism Speaks, I expect it will soon be your favorite non-profit :)

For those of you in the City, lunches, Happy Hours, and shopping are coming. Something has to make up for commuting and the long, cold winter ahead. Aside from looking forward to my trip to Arizona in March...

An all-time favorite story

Many of you know that I am currently taking an Autobiographical Writing class. Each week I have to submit two pieces, and honestly, thinking back upon some of these stories has totally made me laugh. If you knew me in college, you either heard this story, or lived it with me...but it is an all-time favorite.

Enjoy :)

When you're single, it often is a hobby for friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and strangers to "set you up." Everyone has a friend, neighbor, cousin, or brother that would be "perfect for you" and you should "give him/her a chance."

While this proposition was made to me more than once, I decided to give in my sophomore year. My sorority was hosting a semiformal and my boyfriend at the time was enrolled in military school, over four hours away. Since everyone else had a date and we were going in groups, the other girls decided it would be best to set me up on a blind date. Rhonda (coincidentally my alter-ego...I had her ID until I turned 21) mentioned that her boyfriend had a fraternity brother that would be fun to take to the event.

On the night of the formal I waited as each of the girls were picked up -- an hour and a half passed, and I wonder if he was going to come at all. The doorbell rang and I opened the door to find a very drunk, shaggy looking guy on my doorstep.

"You ready?", he asked.

I could have feigned sickness, I could have simply turned him away. Instead I grabbed my keys and ushered him to my car - he certainly wasn't driving anywhere.

We went to a restaurant to meet up with some of my friends, including Rhonda, who had set us up. During the course of dinner, he ordered a number of drinks, shots, beers, and also pulled a flask from his suit jacket. He offered up conversation on a variety of "dinner appropriate topics" - his favorite porn stars, the Dukes of Hazzard, and hunting. He then proceeded to order the most expensive item on the menu.

I assumed that since we had never met before, we would be splitting the check - wrong! He handed it to me, and simply shrugged his shoulders.

We left the restaurant and drove to his fraternity house, where we could park my car and take a cab.

Once again, Mr. Moneysaver suggested that we "walk" to save money on a cab. Mind you, it had rained all day and the street was flooded.

Against my better judgement, we started walking to the formal, which was only a few blocks away. Suddenly, he stopped on the street, turned towards a row of bushes, unzipped his pants and relieved himself. I kept walking (after all, what could I do?) and he followed.

Finally, we arrived at the formal. He excused himself to go to the restroom, and I went inside to look for my friends. After about ten minutes, he returned and simply said, "Thanks for tonight - I'm going to catch up with my friends at the bar."

And just like that he was gone.

What Matters...

It's a long day...both waiting to hear news about Chad and hoping that the news is good. I'm not ready to lose one of my friends - I have only been through the death of a friend once and the experience is one that I would not wish on anyone. I am trying hard to believe in the power of faith and prayer - that if enough people believe, it can make a difference. There is nothing in this world I want more right now than for Chad to come out of this in the same condition he was in last week, before the accident.

Something about tragedy always causes us to reflect on our own lives - what we are doing to lead the kind of life we should, and how easy it is to fall off that path.

Don't take your friends and family for granted - it's way too easy to lose the people we truly love. For those of you who don't know Chad, I hope you get the chance to meet him. He is one of the funniest, quirkiest, and most morally grounded people I have ever met in my life. He leads a life that most of us could learn a thing or two from. In the two years that I have known him, he has always been there to try to talk some sense into me, to listen when I need him to, or to make me laugh. For those of you who are lucky enough to have him in your life, I'm sure that you see in Chad the same qualities that I do.

So please, even if you don't know him personally, please remember him in your prayers. This is obvously a tough time for him, as well as for his friends and family.
I can only hope and pray that we will get news today - and it will be positive and hopeful.

Please pray for my friend Chad

I just received word that my friend Chad was in a bad four wheeling accident and is in the hospital. At the moment, details are scarce...but the prognosis doesn't sound positive.

Please keep Chad and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

I'm a Confusion Magnet

"Sometimes I wish I had never met you. Because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there. "
- "Good Will Hunting"

Today I looked in the mirror just to check.
Something told me that I have a giant stamp on my head that says "Confused? Apply here!", as the only people I attract in my world are the confused, the bewildered, and the ones looking for a direction.
I remember in high school, going on a date with what should have been a "great guy on paper" - he was smart, very attractive, and came from a well-off family. For years to come after this single date, my mom would refer to him as "the best looking guy I ever went out with". He evidently left quite a mark on her in that three meeting meeting on my front stoop.
We went out to a local bar, had a few beers and watched Olympic swimming and diving (no idea why I remember this). The date was going great - we had so much to talk about and I was really enjoying his company.
Then the conversation took a sharp turn.
He devoted the remainder of our date discussing his ex, who he had just broken up with, and how much he missed her and what they had. I was dumbfounded, but me being me, I talked him through it.
This wouldn't be the first time this would happen, as a matter of fact, it would be the first of many dates with guys who decided that I would make a good therapist.
My mom said that the next time I went on a date with a guy who brought up his ex in that fashion, I should tell him that I didn't care. I never learned how to do that.
Years later, I met a guy who flew down to spend a weekend with me. We had a great weekend together, but a large portion of the conversation revolved around his future and the confusion he was experiencing in making life choices. I assumed my favorite dual role of cheerleader and therapist. I told him that he was smart, charismatic, and had a lot to offer to the world.
A week later, he e-mailed me saying that I helped him to believe in himself more than he had in a long time, and thanked me. Once he was able to believe in himself, he seemed to not need me anymore.
I have had many guys tell me the same thing - that my optimism and ability to listen enables people to look at themselves in a different way. I guess it's a good thing, being able to inspire people and offer them the confidence to make life decisions.
On the other hand, I realized last night that I am tired of people who constantly want to use me as a sounding board. I'm tired of hearing about everyone's exes that they're still stuck on, and about why they don't know what they want out of life. Because, it seems, as soon as I help them to figure it out, there is another girl waiting for the person I helped make complete.
I want someone who has it figured out. Not everything, because none of us do. I would be a complete hypocrite to say that I have life figured out. The thing is, I don't mind encouraging someone; I don't mind listening and helping someone through a tough time. But every once in awhile, I wish a guy would do the same for me.