Love is...

As a teenager, I loved the "Love is..." comics. In high school I worked at a library and we kept the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times on a counter at the front desk. I would always go through the Sun-Times to read my horoscope and the Love is... comic before I left work.

A couple weeks ago I was standing at a co-worker's desk and he had the Sun-Times. We were looking for the horoscopes to take a mini mental break when we passed the Love is... of the day: "Love is...comforting."

"Oh God," was my response.

I thought it was really corny and kept flipping through the paper to look for the horoscopes section (which had horoscopes by 2 different people that couldn't be more different from each other).

Well, I spoke too soon with my comment and rolling of the eyes when I saw the comic.

I ended up having a rough day at work and was exhausted by the end of the day. I drove to work and was driving down Lakeshore Drive when I thought about how much I wished I had a boyfriend to go home to that night. Just someone to relax with and snuggle. And then I thought, "Love really is comforting."

My family and friends know I would love to be in a relationship (as I'm sure some of you might have gotten that impression too if you've read past blog posts ). However, I am fine with being single and I don't need to be in a relationship to be happy. In fact, I have grown up a lot and learned a lot about life and myself over the past few years. But I'm not going to lie, having a boyfriend wouldn't be too shabby either.

I have great friends and family who I know I can talk to about anything, call up to hang out, etc. But there's just something about being in a relationship that's just...comforting.

The only other living being that can cheer me up and I enjoy cuddling with is our family dog.

Maybe I should just get a dog...

I got Janice Rossi'd...

Karen Hill: This is Karen Hill, I want to talk to you. Hello? Don't hang up on me. I want to talk to you. You keep away from my husband, you understand me? Hello? ANSWER ME. I'm going to tell everybody that walks in this building that in 2R, Rossi, you're nothing but a whore. [gets on phone] Is this the superintendent?... Yes, sir, I would like you to know that you have a whore living in 2R. Rossi, Janice Rossi... He's MY husband. Get your own goddamn man.

About 2 months ago I was talking to this guy who I have know for a couple years. We talk on and off, but I was never too interested for some reason. Well, I finally put my guard down and gave him a chance. BIG MISTAKE! Right after we started talking again, I get this mysterious text:

textforfree.net: Do you know he has a girlfriend? What does that make u? C u soon!

Needless to say, I was rather freaked out considering I was with him at the time. I was waiting for a girl to pop out of the bushes and go Tanya Harding on me! I asked him several times that night if he had a girlfriend, but he denied having one. I just chalked it up to some crazy ad I may have gotten. I had recently been getting random texts about claiming free vouchers, so I just assumed it was spam or to get me to go to the textforfree website. I didn't get any creepy texts like that again, so I forgot about it.

Things ended about a month ago between me and this guy because I asked if things were going anywhere between us. He said he is in counseling for committment issues, and that was my sign to hit the road!

This past Sunday I get a phone call that comes up as Unknown. I always send Unknown calls to voicemail, but decided to pick up the phone...and I got Janice Rossi'd!

Me: Hello?

Crazy: Hi, is this Christine?

**In my head thinking, oh it's a telemarketer, and bitch, my name is ChristinA**

Me: Yes.

Crazy: Hi, you don't know me, but you know my boyfriend.

Me: Who's your boyfriend?

Crazy: **Says name**

Me: OK.

Crazy: How do you know him?

Me: We met a long time ago and have mutual friends.

Crazy: So, you're saying you're just friends and that's all?

Me: Yes. I can't even tell you the last time I saw him.

Crazy: Well, I saw in his phone that you have recently been in a lot of contact with him.

Me: Yeah, I was, but I haven't been in a long time.

Crazy: And have you ever exchanged any inappropriate pictures?

**My eyes are bulging out of my head at this point!!**

Me: Absolutely NOT!!! I'm not stupid enough to send out inappropriate pictures of myself and if he has any, they're not of me!

**Not lying at all! I'm not a pig and don't send nude pics of myself or as people call it "sexts"**

Crazy: OK, well, I'm just calling because you're 1 of 25 women I'm calling today.

Me: Well, I wish you the best of luck with things.

Crazy: Well, thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

SERIOUSLY?! WTF WAS THAT?! I was so off guard by all of this. I was polite...and despite it all, so was she (well, as much as she could be in this situation). I've never had that happen before!!! Luckily, my Janice Rossi experience did not show up at my door, but it was still bad enough over the phone!!

A few things I learned from this situation...

Go with your gut instinct. People always asked me why I wasn't pursuing things with this guy. Just because he is incredibly attractive and a nice guy doesn't mean you have to be interested in someone. I always had my guard up with him because I stereotyped him and compared him to the people he hung around with. I finally put my guard down and gave in and look at what happened!!

Don't text people your address. Awhile back, I text messaged this guy my address to plug into his GPS. The text was months ago, but my phone actually saves every text I have ever sent unless I manually delete it. I'm hoping that is the case with his phone or else b**** may have my address!

If the phone says Unknown...Don't pick up!!! I am seriously letting all Unknown/Private calls go straight to voicemail from now on. That way if I get a threatening or harassing voicemail message, I can report it and have proof!

Balancing Act

Time, where did you go?
Why did you leave me here alone?
Wait, don't go so fast
I'm missing the moments as they pass
-Time, Chantel Kreviazuk

Today's post is about time management, but let me first start off with: Where did the time go? And how have I not blogged since January 7th? I know I'm not an avid blogger, but I usually don't try to go so long without a post! Especially since I had 3 comments on my last post!! Thanks!!!

Anyways, back to the main point of this entry. Yesterday I finally sucked it up and joined a gym. I've put on about 25 pounds since I graduated college (EEK!) and have probably worked out 5 times in the past couple years. Not only am I going to continue to get fat if I don't do something about it, but it's also really unhealthy! But back to my real point...

So, I walk over to a gym a few blocks away from work and signed the paperwork, which was pretty quick and harmless (I joined the gym over the summer - and never went - so no need for a walk through and all that jazz). I head to the lockeroom and change and head to the cardio room. I spend an hour on the Elliptical Cross Trainer and decide I'm not going to push myself any harder since it's my first day back to the gym after 2 or so years. By the time I got home, it was 7:30 and I still had to cook dinner. And I began thinking, How do people balance their time?

I'm not very active during the week. I leave for work around 7:45 am and get home from work around 6:30ish. Then it's time to plop on the couch and watch TV. My question is, how do people who have kids, significant others, etc. balance their time? I was exhausted when I came home from the gym and was asleep by 9. And going to the gym early in the morning before work is not an option for me. My sleep is too precious. And I'm a crabby bitch if I don't get enough sleep -- so even if I look hot in a bikini thanks to my morning gym sessions, no one is going to want to date me because my personality will be ugly!

I would like to make a schedule for myself for gym days, tanning days, hanging out with friends, etc., but I feel like things change on a regular basis that it's almost hard to pencil these sort of things in.

So 2 questions for YOU!

• What do you do to manage your time and things in your life better?
• If you had all of the time in the world, what are some things you would do more often?

Here's my list of things I wish I had more time for (and if money weren't an issue):

• Go back to school full-time
• Work out everyday
• Take dance classes
• Learn to box
• Write more (I like to write stories)
• Read more
• Write a business plan...and start my own business!

Won’t You Take Me to Funkytown?

Right now I’m stuck in Funktown, but I need to go to a “town to keep me movin’, keep me groovin’ with some energy.” OK, corny, I know, but I couldn’t help. But I have been in a real funk lately. I had a great week last week and now I’m just blah. I’m not sure if it’s because the excitement of the holidays is over, there’s not a holiday to be off of work until Memorial Day, or what the deal is. All I know is I need to make some changes in my life, which brings me to New Year’s Resolutions.

To be honest, I hate New Year’s Resolutions because people procrastinate and put off their goals until a new year rolls around and then half the time never do anything about it! If you want to make a change, don’t wait for a new year to roll around! Make it happen! But for argument’s sake and since it is a new year, we will call my goals New Year’s Resolutions…

Be more social. I really need to start going out more often. I feel like I have been isolating myself. I enjoy sleep more than going out, but that’s not healthy for anyone! I’m young and need to go out! How am I supposed to meet new people if I stay in my apartment all of the time?

Try new things. A couple months ago I joined the Facebook group Young Professionals of Chicago. I get messages and invitations to events all of the time, but have I gone to any? No. It’s a great way to network and meet people around my age.

And remember that entry I posted in August about all of the things I want to do while living in the city? Haven’t gotten on that either…

I’ve also been dying to take some classes…whether it’s writing, cooking, exercise, whatever! I want to put myself out there and figure out what I love doing!

Get healthy. And I don’t just mean “lose 25 pounds.” Right now is when everyone gets on their diet and workout kicks for a month and then go back to eating poorly and lazy again. Not only do I need to get to the gym and start eating healthier, but I need to start taking vitamins too!

Vacation. I haven’t been on vacation in almost 2 years! At one point, I had gone to NY 4 times in 13 months! Now I’m going through vacation withdrawals and need to get away! I can’t afford to lose my sanity anymore than I already have!

What are some things you plan to accomplish?

Appreciate What You Receive

‘Tis the season for gift giving and returning! Many of us forget the true meaning of the holiday and turn it into a commercial holiday and all about presents. I know I love the commerciality of it all and get caught up in decorating the house, baking, Christmas music, and buying and receiving presents. But with receiving presents can often lead to re-gifting or returning, which I have learned is NEVER a good idea.

I’m not a habitual re-gifter and haven’t done so in forever, but it’s a no-no. But when you re-gift you have to worry about accidentally leaving something linked to the original giver, questions about where you got it, etc. And if you’re like me, I’m a horrible liar and am pretty sure people can tell when I’m not telling the truth.

And returning gifts isn’t nice either. When I was younger I returned LOTS of gifts (and to my family members who may be reading this, don’t fret, none of them were from you). I hadn’t returned gifts in a long time, but now that I’m on my own and in an apartment with not much storage, I just don’t have the room for stuff I don’t need or will never use. But either way, you feel bad about yourself if you return a gift and here’s why:

The person spent too little on you. I recall one Christmas where I returned a pair of pajamas I received as a Christmas present from a family member (again, this is not any of you that may be reading this). I was in my early teens and the pajamas were something I would have worn as a child. When I returned them, I got a whopping $2 back! I don’t remember if I had the gift receipt when I returned the pajamas, but I didn’t feel too good about myself. I am only worth $2 to that person? And even if they did spend more than $2 (if I didn’t have my gift receipt), they couldn’t have originally been that much more expensive that they were reduced to $2!

The person spent too much on you. As crappy as I felt about the $2 pajamas, I felt even worse when I returned a present and the 1 item cost more than all of the gifts I bought for the person. It felt great having the cashier give me cash back, but I felt bad about how much this particular person spent on me! I just keep hoping Money Bags was re-gifting and didn’t spend that much or I feel super cheap!

My point is, we should all appreciate what we receive from our loved ones and what we have already been given in life. We need to step back and look at the bigger picture and be thankful for everything we have already been blessed with. P.S. Mom, if you’re reading this, this doesn’t mean you don’t have to buy me presents next year. :-)

Company Holiday Party Etiquette

It's that time of year again: the company holiday party! Whether or not you're looking forward to it, it's usually a good Monday morning conversation piece (or even a pre-party conversation piece: taking bets who is going to make a fool of themselves, hook up, etc.).

Last year my department was given a funny handout of "what not to do at a company holiday party." I was hoping I still had it, but unfortunately, I threw it out. However, I did some searching and found a similar list on a message board forum. If you haven't had your company holiday party yet, please keep these tips in mind unless your New Year's resolution is to find a new job. :-)

Hit the bottle. Especially if you are not used to drinking and three or four glasses could make you lose many of your inhibitions. Do you really feel like seeing digital photographs of yourself half-dressed doing a Madonna impersonation on the remnants of the drinks table?

Hit on somebody. If you've been eyeing the new marketing manager for six months, but just couldn't get it together to ask her out, this is not the opportunity. She's not going to take you seriously, and will merely think only Dutch courage made you do it.

Spill the beans about your personal life. Details of your personal life should not be discussed with colleagues. A few drinks may let you tell the wrong person you're having an affair or you don't get on with your stepchildren or your mother has a drinking problem. Tomorrow it will probably be doing the rounds in the mailroom or among the cleaning staff.

Talk about work. This is a social occasion with your colleagues, not a planning meeting. Don't be a bore. For one day, people want to forget about budgets, sagging sales and looming retrenchments.

Buffet bonanza. Just because you're not paying doesn't mean you have to pig out until you're as round as a barrel. Have a good time, but don't behave as if you've been stranded on a deserted island for a week. The last thing you want to do is to throw up on the managing director's shoes as you leave the party. This is not a smart career move. More or less in the same vein is stuffing your handbag full of food – this merely makes you look greedy and uncouth.

Ask for a raise. Just because the boss is smiling for the first time in six months doesn't mean this is a good time to talk to him about your increased salary expectations. This simply is not the time and it's also not the place.

Taking a souvenir. This is a killer. Just because the company has booked out the restaurant for the afternoon, doesn't give you the right to remove anything. Cutlery, table decorations, napkins – they still belong to the restaurant. Taking them amounts to theft. And how do you explain the spoon cascading from your sleeve as you leave the restaurant?

Have it out with someone. Your archrival is sitting diagonally opposite you at the table and having this person in such close proximity just lets the dam wall burst. Cataloguing your long list of grievances between the starter and the main course will spoil the dinner for everyone, and even if your rival's antics would put Attilla the Hun to shame, you're the one to end up looking foolish.

Karaoke crisis. If you can't sing outside the shower, stick to it. If you are a budding Pavarotti, you would have been discovered before this party. A drunken singalong, or even worse, a drunken solo, will do little for your general esteem in the office.

Reciprocate advances from married colleagues. Just don't go down this road. It always ends in heartbreak and drama and will make colleagues lose respect for you. It also complicates the working situation if the person who has to decide on your promotion knows what you look like with no clothes on.

Let it all hang out. If you're usually dressed in semi-formal work gear, by all means go casual for the Christmas party. But don't look as if you're about to audition for a position as a lap dancer at the local strip joint.

Display your exotic dancing skills. Even if you know what you're doing, this kind of dancing best happens behind closed doors between consenting adults. It will be difficult for you to reprimand someone later for being hung over at work, if they can remember stuffing R10-notes into your underwear.

Be antisocial. Even if parties like these are not your favourite pastime, make an effort to be jolly and sociable. Chat to many people and try and have a good time. Don't corner one individual and bore them with endless details of your flyfishing tip.

Drinking and driving. Unless you fancy spending a night or two in the local slammer, sharing a cell with people you wouldn't open the front door to, just don't get in behind the steering wheel if you've had one too many. Call a taxi or get a lift with someone else. Remember there is nothing that sobers you up so quickly as realising that you've run someone over. – Susan Erasmus, Health24

Courtesy of My Broadband Forums.

And for your laughing pleasure, another list that is just humorous: How to Avoid Getting Fired at Your Office Christmas Party.

Music is what feelings sound like

Over the weekend I went to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick something up. When I was waiting in line to pay, I was looking at the pictures for sale. One caught my eye and made me think about how true it is – “Music is what feelings sound like.” I could not agree more. I always say I can find a quote or lyric that represents the way I feel at that particular moment. Sometimes when we can’t put our feelings into words, a song can do it for us.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about an ex-boyfriend and all of the things I would like to say to him given the opportunity. I feel like there are a lot of songs out there that could say it better than I could. Too bad it’s not cool to make mix tapes for people anymore. :-) If there were, here is what my playlist would consist of:

White Flag by Dido


All the Way Around by Ali Lohan (yes, I publicly admitted to that…hopefully this won’t affect what little credibility I may have :-))


So Far Away by Nickelback


Right Here by Staind


Cold by Crossfade


If I Had the Chance by Cynthia


I Want You Back by N Sync (not as bad as the Ali Lohan song LOL)


What Hurts the Most by Cascada