Best Kept Secret in Atlanta

I have found the best kept secret in Atlanta - Castleberry Hill. It is a very transitional area but has great trendy restaurants. I went to No Mas Cantina last night and not only does it have great Mexican food and great margaritas, the atmosphere is unlike any othere Mexican restaurant in Atlanta. No where else can you order a lounge chair along with your tacos. They have a warehouse right next to the restaurant with eclectic furniture and some of that furniture is advertised right in their menu. The area also sports a sushi restaurant - Wasabi - and a pizza place - Slice (the original). Definitely an area of town worth checking out.

How did I do in 2006?

I am reposting my "Things to Do in 2006" list now that the year is coming to a close. I am busy working on my 2007 list and will be posting that soon. In the meantime, here is a recap of my year. I think I did pretty good on accomplishing and doing some "new" things this year.

In 2004, I decided to create a "Things to Do List" every year. That idea was really born out of the Summer of 1999 when a bunch of us girls lived in Atlanta and decided to have weekly dinners at a new restaurant that we had always wanted to try. It was a good way to get to know the city around us and enjoy all good places to eat. The list started with restaurants we wanted to try and has expanded across many areas. The only rule is that whatever is on the list should be something brand new to you so that you are doing something new and enjoying the city around you. So, my 2006 list is a work in progress but this is what I have so far...

Restaurants to try:

• Agave - Done, would definitely recommend
• Alfredo's - Done, would NOT recommend
• Six Feet Under - Done, I love this place. It is such a hole in the wall and has great food.
• Mosaic - Didn't make it
• Soleil - Didn't make it
• Portofino - Didn't make it
• Misto - Didn't make it
• McKendrick's - Didn't make it
• Vino - Didn't make it
• Pura Vida (Fri nights salsa dancing) - Didn't make it
• Rathbun's - Didn't make it
• A new restaurant featured in Atlanta's Restaurant Week - Done, went to 2 restaurants for Restaurant Week (Dailey's and Trader Vic's, also went to a restaurant in DC for their Restaurant Week- Zatinya's).
• Fun restaurants that I did try but weren't on the list. Most of these are in DC: Lauriol Plaza, Matchbox, Pizza Paradiso, Old Ebbitt's Grill, French Bistro.

Events to go to:

• Steeplechase in Atlanta - Missed it because it is always around Easter
• Smyrna Beerfest (this isn't a new to do but it was fun so I have to include it) - Missed it but went to the Decatur Winefest for the first time in Nov
• Art Walk on the First Thursday - Missed it because I am on an airplane every Thurs
• Cirque Dreams in May - Done, wasn't as good as Cirque but it was cool to go to the Fox and see a singing/crazy stunts event. Also going to a Cirque show in 2007 - Corteo
• ACC Tournament in Jacksonville, FL - Went and saw the Jackets lose to Wake, so sad!
• Away Football game - Went to Clemson and the ACC tournament
• Atlanta Aquarium - Went twice and once in 2005 - very cool place to visit
• Thrashers game - Always a good time to see hockey
• Gig on the Grass - Very good times in the summer with great music
• Summer Movies at the Fox - Saw Pride and Prejudice for the 2nd time and still loved it! Very fun wine and cheese event beforehand.
• Screen on the Green - Done in both Atlanta and DC.
• Number of weddings attended: 5

Goals:

• Learn Italian before I go in Sept - I bought the CDs but didn't learn it, shame on me. It would have been helpful.
• Complete a sprint triathalon - Moved to the 2007 list along with running a marathon.
• Take a dance class (Yes, I have been inspired by Dancing with the Stars) - Moved to the 2007 list.

Movies to see/rent:

• Brokeback Mountain - Done, the more I thought about it after the movie, the more I liked it
• Just Like Heaven - Done. An okay movie, Definitely a renter.
• Elizabethtown - Started but had to turn off because I wasn't a fan of the coffin scene
• End of the Spear - Done
• Walk the Line - Done, it was very good. I even bought the DVD.
• Failure to Launch - Done. What can you expect from a romantic comedy.
• Pride and Prejudice - Done, also very good.
• Derailed - Done, better than the critics gave it credit for
• The Break-up - Done. What can I say, I like Jennifer Aniston.
• The Sentinel - Done. Very action packed.
• Talledega Nights - Still haven't seen.
• Casino Royale - Hope to see soon.
• Dejavu - Done. Liked it better than the critics did. But definitely not sure the chain of events are possible or even make sense.

Trips:

• Skiing in Vail - Done. The most beautiful skiing ever!
• Wedding in Italy (not mine but a friend's) - Done. Very awesome trip. The most gorgeous scenery that I have ever seen.
• Beach trip - Done (Destin, FL, Ocean Isle, NC and Tybee Island, GA)
• Skiing in Chile (this may move to my '07 list, it has been a rollover since '04!) - Moving to 2007
• Bed in Breakfast at Lookout Mtn - Not going to do, but did go to a Bed and Breakfast in Hendersonville, NC for a wedding in Dec.

Runner's High

What they say is true. After running for a significant distance, when you are done you feel like you have accomplished something. I just finished running about 4.8 miles for about 50 minutes. That may not seem like much but that is the most and longest I have fun without stopping for a walking break in probably 3 years. I started training for a half marathon that is in March and this week is the 5 mile week. I estimated I ran 5 miles and when I drove it, I came up short so good to know for next time. I feel good though. My feet and right knee hurt but I am going to the doctor soon so hopefully I will be able to remedy that problem and continue with my training program. I wanted to write this up in my blog so when I think I can't do it or don't want to run, I will be reminded of the Runner's High. Of course I was outside running in 65 degree weather in December - not sure how many 65 degree days we will have between now and March but the important thing to remember that I can do it. I probably would have kept on running except I had to get home to meet some friends. Some days I don't even want to run the 1 mile but today I was in the zone and gosh it feels good. Half marathon, here I come!

Team Aniston

I really can't stand Angelina Jolie - anyone that knows me knows that I am definitely on Team Aniston. I can't believe the latest entertainment news where Angelina's says that she didn't mean to break up Brad's marriage but that they just had a special bond on the set of "Mr and Mrs Smith". Come on! If the other person is married then you shouldn't even consider any romantic relationship with them. They are MARRIED! You should only ever look at them as friends. Now I don't think Mr Pitt is blameless by any means - he decided to open up to Jolie and essentially let her in and push Jennifer out. You wonder why there are so many divorces out there because no one really means "Until Death Do We Part", they really mean "Until I find something better" or "Unit I find my True Soulmate", whatever that means. Sometimes folks get married and it doesn't work out for whatever reason but to me it should never be because of another person. Once you are married, you should respect your husband/wife and do everything in your powe not to stray. Even if you have to make rules that seem crazy to others to keep you in check, like not riding alone in a car with a female. Sure that sounds extreme but if you aren't alone with a female in the car that isn't your wife then would you ever end up at that person's house? Would you ever end up letting them into your heart where only your wife should be? Sure it sounds crazy but really it is a protiective marriage. Jolie even says in the article that she know Pitt was already married to his best friend yet she chose to bond with him in a "special way". I think the respect for the institution of marriage needs to become important in our society again. Set crazy rules. Protect your marriage. Protect your wife!

You can check out the article I read on Q100's website or the MSN article. An exert from Q100 is below:
Angelina & Brad's Family PhotoFor the first time, Angelina Jolie explained how she fell for Brad on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." She insists she never meant to break up his marriage to Jennifer Aniston. Angelina says when she met him, she “knew he was with his best friend, someone he loved and respected.” She says that’s why she was so surprised when they formed “this strange friendship and partnership that kind of just suddenly happened."

The Mystery of Men

I saw this article Mystery of Men by David Zinczenko on MSN today so I thought I would get back to my SATC writing roots since I haven't touched on the subject of men lately. This article came at the perfect time because I was thinking of blogging about "Are men really that clueless or are they just not into you". While Mr Zinczenko addresses some good points about men, I want to know why they act clueless all the time. If you are throwing hints their way, does the guy just miss them? Is he ignoring them? Does he just want to be your friend? I don't get it. If you have thoughts on whether men are just clueless or maybe they aren't into you or maybe it is something else, feel free to post.

Line Rider

I wanted to share this time waster with all of you bloggers out in the world. I will warn you to not click on this link if you want to get anything done in the next few hours. This is quite addicting. Here are the links:

Line Rider
A Line Rider example on YouTube
New and Improved Line Rider

Very funny stuff.

The Worst Show on TV

Last week while I was enjoying my vacation, I also enjoyed a lot of TV. I believe I came across the worst show on TV. It pretty much showcases how low America has sunk for entertainment. The show I am talking about is William Shatner's Show Me the Money. The tagline which was stolen from the Jerry Maguire movie could have promise but doesn't. Basically the show is under the guise of being a triva show but complete with strippers shaking their booty throughout the show. The contestant is asked a series of trivia questions - for each round, they have a choice of 3 questions but can pass up to 2 times in an attempt to find a "good" question to answer. Once they have "locked" in to their final answer, the contestant picks a girl in a skimpy outfit dancing around a pool (some may call them strippers). Once the girl is choosen, she pulls out a scroll with a money amount. The amount is added to the contestant's pot if their answer is correct but is removed if the answer is wrong. The contestant can be wrong 6 times or right 6 times before they are done. I felt dumber as I watched the show especially since most of the questions are pop culture related and anyone who reads People magazine or watches MTV will know. I was more offended by the strippers dancing in unison every 5 seconds - the auidence might as well have gone to their local strip club over watching this show. At least the local strip club has promise to be more entertaining.

The Book

I am shocked that anyone and I stress ANYONE would think that it would be a good idea to have OJ Simpson write a book titled "I Did It, Here's How It Happened". How did this book even get published and shipped so that it had to be recalled? If Simpson or his agent brought this idea to a publisher, they should have never given him an appointment to talk about it. That is ridiculous. If I didn't think he was guilty before, then the book definitely makes me think he is guilty. I think the book gives reason to judge him even more harshly in the court of public opinion. The book should have been titled "I would have done it this way so I wouldn't have been caught" because isn't that really what he is saying? He is lucky that he wasn't convicted and now he is exploiting the fact that he was tried and found not guilty instead of keeping a low profile and just simply "being" part of society. I feel bad for his children because they not only lost their mom but people believe their father killed her. I feel bad for Nicole and Ron's families to have to yet again relive this nightmare. What was the publisher thinking? After the whole James Frey debacle (remember his book A Million Little Pieces?), shouldn't publishers be held accountable for what they publish? I am all for freedom of speech but I am also for personal integrity and I don't think you are upholding your own integrity if you allow criminals and liars to take advantage of freedom of speech to make a buck.

Studio 60

I love “Studio 60”! This show and “Brothers and Sisters” have held my interest since they both started this Fall so it falls among the ranks of Lost and Grey's Anatomy to me. I don’t think Studio 60 has gotten the attention it deserves and I am glad that NBC has decided to order more shows and keep it on the air. I think before they try to give the show the ax, it might be wise to move the timeslots around and not just give up because it may not do that well on Monday nights. This show is intellectually stimulating and there aren’t too many of those on the air. It is in a league of its own and actually makes you think about issues and tackles topics that are usually taboo in television like religion. Maybe the fact that the show challenges you to think and talk about issues around the water cooler at work turns some people off but not me. Wikipedia says that this show attracts 18-49 yr olds that have college educations and make $70K-$100K+ … which makes sense because this is the group that tends to discuss/debate more social issues. I am surprised that NBC would air two shows with similar themes based on SNL– Studio 60 and 30 Rock – in the same season. Not sure what they were thinking when they decided that line up. It would be like Scrubs and ER being on the same network – dumb. Amid all the CSIs and reality shows, Studio 60 brings some great acting and writing back to TV. I really like the relationship and dialogue between Matt (Matthew Perry) and Harriett (Sarah Paulson) – they have thought provoking convo while trying to ignore their feelings for each other but also trying figure out their relationship. Danny (Bradley Whitford) is a great character dealing with his own issues (a former cocaine habit) and leads the ensemble cast complete with Amanda Peet, Steven Weber, DL Hughley, Timothy Busfield, and Nathan Corddry. The show lifts the veil on the inner workings of a tv show and lets you see the decisions that have to be made to put a show on the air and to keep it afloat. If you find that you have some time at 10pm on a Monday night, give this show a shot. I guarantee that you will become hooked like me and won’t want to miss it.

Great Movie Quotes

I was rereading my blog about all we women want is a little romance. It reminded me of one of my favorite "romantic" and true quotes from Runaway Bride:

"Maggie Carpenter: [on the perfect proposal and her actual proposal to Ike Graham] Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee that at some point, one or both of us is gonna want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, because I know, in my heart, you're the only one for me. "

I think sometimes we get caught up the romance and the idea of a wedding and when it comes down to it we aren't in love with another person, we are in love with the idea of "love". I love this line because I think it shows that you know love is more than just about romance - it is about being there for someone else in the tough times, it is about a partnership, it is about forever no matter what (well, there are some exeeptions but in general an "I do" should mean "I do forever" not "I do until something better comes along"). This quote acknowledges that there will be hard times, there will be times that you fight, there will be times when you want to leave but you want to travel life with this other person and you want to go through those times as well as the good times. I love it!

LLQ2 - Log of Lost Questions #2

Now that Lost has gone on a hiatus until Feb. I thought I would update my questions. I am trying to keep some old school plots for season 1 and 2 alive - I want answers! I originally set out to write my Top 20 questions (and some are repeats from my original post because they are still open questions) but an extra question sneaked in there. So here are my Top 21 Lost questions after the "Fall finale".

1. Who is Jacob – one of the Others said that “Shepard wasn’t on Jacob’s list”?
2. What happened to Karl? He must have been killed according to Alexandria but why was he in the cage in the first place?
3. Why did Juliet lie to Ben about Alex asking about him? Why was Alex asking about him?
4. Where the heck have Charlie and Hurley been?
5. Why was Claire taken (this is a season 1 question that still isn’t answered)?
6. Why was Libby in Hurley’s psych ward? Now that she is dead, will we find out?
7. Where the heck are Walt and Michael? Are they really home? How did they get there?
8. Does Kate love Sawyer or Jack? I am guessing that Kate loves Sawyer and that Jack loves Kate.
9. What about Desmond?
- Where did he come from?
- Does his fiancé know where he is?
- What’s up with the igloo at the end of last season?
- How can he predict the future (ex. His comment to Hurly about Locke chasing after Jack, Kate, and Sawyer before Locke actually did it.)
10. What’s with the 2 new characters? Are we going to see their back stories? At least the "back of the plane" people made since. These 2 that randomly are hanging out with Locke, Sayid, etc just seems wierd. The girl is a bit annoying (although I loved her on "Related").
11. Why kill off Eko – why not Charlie (I don’t like Charlie’s character)? Didn't Eko control the black smoke in a Season 2 episode? Why couldn't he control it this time?
12. Are we going to see Eko in any of the flashbacks?
13. Where’s Roussau?
14. Five out of the 20 “main” characters have been killed off – Boone, Shannon, Artz, Libby, Ana Lucia, and Eko? Who else will die?
15. Are the Others really on another island? What’s up with their real village (episode 1 of season 3) and the fake village (last episode of season 2)?
16. Where is the lady that was holding Walt in the “fake village?” What were they doing? Why did they hold Walt?
17. How did Locke regain his power to walk? What was the accident the put him in the wheelchair in the first place?
18. Is Sun carrying Jin’s baby or the other guy’s who was killed/committed suicide?
19. What’s up with the cages and the random aquarium? Why are the Others holding just Jack, Kate, and Sawyer? What do they want with them?
20. Why do the Others make Kate and Sawyer clear rocks? Who are the other people that are clearing rocks?
21. What’s up with the map that we saw in the now imploded bunker?

Six Degrees of Separation

Today at work, I was contemplating the theory of 6 degress of separation. I started to think of all the people that I could connect to that would reach someone famous or some far corner of the Earth. I will start with the traditional way to connect to Kevin Bacon.

me - coworker - coworker's brother (Denzel Washington) - in Philadelphia with Tom Hanks - in Apollo 13 with Kevin Bacon

me - coworker - coworkers son - married to PDiddy's sister - PDiddy - JLo

me - high school friend - in band with Charles Kelley - brother of Josh Kelley - dating Katherine Heigel - works on Grey's with McDreamy (aka Patrick Dempsey)

me - college friend - works for Sonny Perdue (GA govenor) - interviewed on the Today show's Matt Lauer - interviewed crazy Tom Cruise - marrying Katie Holmes

me - college friend - has an uncle - worked for Jimmy Carter - met with world leaders (only 4 but it could go so many directions)

me - college friend - was on Oprah - she's been to Africa to give out soccer balls (only 4 again but that is practically a country!)

me - college friend - her sister writes for the soap opera General Hospital - Kelly Monaco - many more stars

So I could go on but these are the bigs ones that I thought of. I think the world may really be connected.

Don't Stand by Your Man

Here are some things that really make me mad when a girl gets in a relationship. My friend and I were discussing it over email and I thought it was worthy of a post. So here is our list (not in any particular order).

1. When girls all of a sudden have ZERO personality when they start dating a guy and everything is now about HIM and what HE wants to do.
2. When girls are attached at the hip with their significant other. It is like you think he is going to leave you if you don't spend every waking minute with him.
3. When girls ditch their own friends and all of a sudden HIS friends are YOUR friends and your friends are left to hang out and wait to see you until after you guys break-up.
4. When girls bring a date to girls night outs.
5. This relates to #1 but when the girl can't make any decisions without the input of her guy. It is one thing when you are making a joint decision (ie buying a car, house) but when you have to ask him if you can do X or what you should order at a restaurant - it is just annoying and results in #1.

I am sure there are more but those are the biggies that we discussed. Feel free to comment and add your own things that annoy you.

Do you hate going through all those automated phone systems?

This is from my friend Bob but I thought it was important to share with the rest of the cyber world. Every annoyed when you call your bank, mortgage company, or any other business and you just want to talk to someone and can't seem to press the magic key to get a person? Well, here is

Coke's new drink - Enviga

So Coke is coming out with a drink, Enviga, that supposedly helps burn calories. They do have a disclaimer that says the drink should not be used as a weight loss substitute. Of coures diet and exercise are the best methods to lose weight. Also, this article it shows how many Envigas you must drink to burn off say a Coke - well it is 7 cans of Envigas which will cost you $9.42 (at $1.29 a can). That is craziness. It looks like a drink that belongs in the Red Bull family based on the size and shape of the can.

On a related note...someone recently told me that the caramel coloring used in diet drinks (like Diet Coke, Diet Dr Pepper, any brown colored diet drink) actually slows down your metabolism so you should drink clear diet drinks like Diet Sprite, Diet Mountain Dew, etc. I tried researching this on the internet and couldn't find anything about caramel coloring slowing metabolism. If anyone knows if this is a myth or not, please let me know.

Too Thin in Hollywood

Sunday I was watching Jerry Maguire on TV and noticed the Renee Zellweger looks quite healthy in this movie. Then I thought that she actually looks closer to her Bridget Jones' self which is suppose to be about a fat person who is struggling to be thin. Then I thought about Renee in Chicago and how everyone thought that was the healthy Renee. even though to me she looked super skinny. (I tried to post in all the pics of Renee from these movies but couldn't do it so if you are interested, please look at her pics using all the movie links. )

You wonder why young girls and women in general have such a messed up view of their bodies. Seems that actresses succumb to being thin once they make it big in hollywood. Another example is Felicty Huffman. Look at her in Season 1 of Desperate Housewives and look at her now in Season 3. I even read an article where she said that she felt the pressure to loose weight because she always had people measuring her for wardrobe. At least Felicity can contribute some of her new looks to her new running regimen.

We Just Want a Little Romance

I think Meredith on Grey's Anatomy has it right - we women just want to be romanced. We want to feel special, we want to be taken out to dinner, we want to be told that we are beautiful. We don't want it to be a competition, we don't want it to be just about the physical. We want a connection. I wish I could find the dialog from Thursday's episode online so I could post it here. I realized tonight, that dating has stopped being romantic and I don't know why and when it happened. There is no romance these days only bad dates and one night stands. There needs to be more. We as women need to demand more from our dates. We need to have respect for ourselves and demand romance. Call me, woo me, date me. Bring a flower to the door, pick me up at the door and not just blow your horn, call to see how my day is going, email me to say why you like me and that you enjoy spending time with me, give me a card for no reason, make me feel special, take me out to more than dinner and a movie...I want to find my guy who I say "I want to sit across from you at breakfast for the rest of my life."

LLQ Reincarnated

This is for my friend Jeff - a repost of my Log of Lost Questions with his answers from the comments. Plus new answers based on the season premiere and of course more new questions! Jeff's comments in blue, mine in pink. Also, here are two blogs about LOST that you may find helpful - Lost Mysteries and Lost Answers.

1. How is Hurly going to find the camp? - Hurley isn't a tracker, I think he is going to get lost.

Who say's he will? Besides, isn't he already "lost"? Can you get lost when you already are? Jin and Sayid should be nearby to help him...

2. How does Desmond's girlfriend know that she need to look for a magnetic force in order to find Desmond? Maybe she doesn't know the two are connected, so if that is the case, why is she tracking big magnetic fields?

There are thoughts that Desmond's girlfriend's dad is the head of hanso foundation. Remember, she said early to Desmond in the final episode flashback, when you have money you can find anything. She probably knows her dad sent desmond off to the island and she has ideas on how to find him.

3. Are Mr Eko, Desmond, and John dead? - I hope not! I would like to see Desmond as a new character.

I hope not...I doubt they would kill off 3 major characters like that...maybe 1 or 2 of them tho. I'm guessing Desmond survives..he has quickly become a key character...

4. What's up with the people in Russia? - Maybe they are responsible for the polar bears.

i think the experiements on the island are probably responsible for the bears
Looks like the bears may have been in the cages that Sawyer and Kate are in now based on the Others comment about the bear figuring out how to get food in 2 hrs while it took Sawyer all day.

5. Is the "What does one polar bear say to another polar bear?" code for something?

most definitely

6. What's up with the wierdo Hanso Foundation commerial and the even wierder websites that they refer you to?

its part of the new interactive experience that they are trying to create. at least they are trying to be original
I read a posting on the message board that said the writers should focus less on the interactive stuff and more on the plot. I would agree! They also said to stop the flashbacks but I rather like those.

7. If the key destroyed the machine where you have to enter the code every 108 mins, how did that help? - Now nothing is keeping the magnet from discharging. I think I may have missed something about the whole key thing.

im not sure the point of the key was to simply destroy the machine. it probably is intended to destroy something else so the machine isnt necessary anymore.

8. Did Libby's husband's death cause her to go crazy? Was she crazy before or after she met Desmond?

i'm not sure libby was ever crazy. she may be an employee of hanso foundation who has a hand in picking people to come to the island..or something like that

9. Was the companion in the hatch, Katie's Dad (also Sayid's trainer)? - This is from my co-worker.

i think he was the head army guy who let Sayid go..dont know about kate's dad

10. Will Walt and Michael really be rescued? - They can't be off the show because we still know nothing about Walt's powers.

have to wait for that one

11. If the "Others" are good, why do they have people tied up?

don't think we really know if they are good or not yet. the others have definitly killed people...cant imagine there are often good reasons for that

12. What's up with the "Other's" costumes?

no clue

13. What will they do with Kate, Sawyer, and Jack? And what was that look between Kate and Jack? Love?

no clue...the look implied they were up to something and had a plan..and sawyer's look implied he didnt know what they were up to
Based on the premiere, all 3 are in cages and being held prisoner. I think Kate will pick Jack. Does the Jack-Kate-Sawyer triangle remind anyone else of the McDreamy-Meredith-Finn triangle on Grey's?

14. What is that mysterious black smoke in the jungle?

good question

15. What is that underground machine in the jungle?

don't remember which underground machine u are referring to
Remember the machine that tried to suck John down in the ground but whoever he was with stopped it someone. John was all like "let the machine take me and I will see what is down the deep dark hole" but the other character saved him from that.

16. Why did Jack think that the "Others" would attack them if they didn't follow Michael into their trap? - They could have just gone back to the beach.

sometimes even doctors arent the smartest people in the world.

17. What was that bright light and noise? Did it bring down "another plane"? - Maybe we will have "other plane people" next seaon.

no clue...possible

18. Why do we still watch this show? - It is about nothing really.

why did we watch seinfeld for 10 years. its entertaining.

19. What's up with that combo of numbers? - 4 8 15 16 23 42

no clue
Based on some of the interactive stuff on the internet, the numbers are related to an equation on how to sustain life. These are the factors in the equation but not sure what the variables are.

20. What brought this group to the island? How are they all related?

i think the entire backstory part of the show is telling the story of how thhey are all related. it seems they all have a somewhat tortured past. Whether it was "planned" is unknown.

21. Why was Locke's ability to walk restored on the island?

most likely related to the island's electromagnetic forces etc...

Looks like you are all set for season 3 now. Yay!

22. How are the Others living in what looked like a civilized society? They were having a book club discussion - it looks very grounded and folks have their schedules and routines.

23. Why is Ben in charge? How is he in charge?

24. Are Ben and the new girl married?

25. What is this show about? - I could have this question on the list 1 million times because I have no idea what it is about and why I am sucked into watching it.

26. Why did Ben want a list of everyone's names? He seemed ready for this and had a plan when the plane came down?

27. How long have the Others occupied the island? Were they there when Rousseau landed? Are the Others ageless?

28. Who was the random guy in the cage next to Sawyer? When he was caught from trying to escape, what did they do with him?

Okay, I am done for now. Too much to thing about. Too many questions to keep up with. Too many storylines. Maybe they should kill some of the weaker storylines like the ones about Charlie, the Australian girl, Rose, etc. Let's just focus on Jack, Sawyer, Kate, John, and Michael.

A Cool Site

This is a cool website that tells you all about the day you were born. It also offers some other interestings stats.

http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp

3 oz

So the travel restrictions have been lifted on liquids - well, at least revised. This is an exert it taken from a Yahoo News article on the topic:

"Most toiletries can be in containers no larger than 3 ounces, and they must be zipped up in plastic bags that are quart-sized or smaller..."

"After testing a variety of explosives, the FBI and other laboratories found that tiny amounts of substances — so small they fit into a quart-size plastic bag — can't blow up an airliner."

Now if you read this at face value, you think "Great, glad they tested that and figured it out. I feel safer." But if you step back for a minute, you realize that this logic makes no sense. I can bring on 3 oz, you can bring on 3 oz, I can get a few buddies to bring on 3 ozs, and soon you have a lot of ounces. So how does that take care of the fact that a variety of explosives in "small" amounts can't blow up a plane. You do the math. Do you feel safer? I think I rather check my liquids!

3 New Shows

So I have found 3 new shows that may be added to my "must see" list of shows for the year. So far I always watch Grey's Anatomy and Lost. The new shows that I like are Six Degrees on ABC, Brothers and Sisters on ABC, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on NBC. I am sure one or more of these will be cancelled or that I will lose interest over time. Right now I like all 3.

Six Degrees is good because it is in NY, I like Erica Christianson, and it seems like a good idea. Although, we all may be separated by 6 desgrees but once we all meet each other then aren't we all linked?

Brothers and Sisters reminds me of an updated version of the show Sisters. This show could do well since Calista Flockhart and Sally Field are part of the ensemble. I also like the Calista's character is going to be a political analyst on a TV show - lots of good topics. Also there is some deep rooted issue between Calista and Sally's character. During one converation during the premiere, Sally Field's character mention 9/11 - interesting how they are incorporating real life events like this. I really liked the Dad character and the actor (Tom Skerritt)and yet they killed him off in the last 5 mins of the first show. Could be hit but may need better storylines.

Studio 60 is definitely brings something new to the table (other than the fact that it is based on creating a show like SNL). I like Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford and Steve Weber and Amanda Peet. There were some funny lines in the first show and if you can get Chandler out of your head and the West Wing character then this show could work.

Someone's "George" is someone else's "McDreamy"

The Grey's Anatomy countdown is finally over! I figured out yesterday when I was reading this article why I love Grey's Anatomy so much. It is because we see ourselves and our friends in these characters. We live through their same situations - no we aren't all doctors and perform miracles everyday but their pains, their loves...their lives are just like our own.

I have said for years that if you look around, everyone has a crush on someone so by default someone has a crush on you and you just don't know it - Sans "Someone's 'George' is someone else's 'McDreamy'." Everyone in college (and even now) has a nickname for someone they like - it is probably becuase you don't know their name so you have to call them "Blue t-shirt guy" or "Mr. Hottie". They don't know you but you wish you knew them. The same is probably true for you - you are someone's "Blue T-shirt girl" or "Ms Hottie". You won't always know who is your George vs you McDreamy out of all the "Blue t-shirt guys", but hopefully you will figure it out.

The trick in this world is for all of us to come together and find our McDreamy and get past all the George's in our lives. But you have to get through the George's sometimes to learn what you want in a McDreamy. Hopefully Meredith will figure out who is her real McDreamy - the doc or Finn. My vote is for the doc!

Social Networking

This is a topic that I find very fascinating and I think most people that blog or use other social networking type websites, will too. Here are some articles about social networking from the New Scientist which I got originally from The Impact of Social Networking on Society.

1. Living online: The end of privacy by Alison George
2. This is your space by Amanda Gefter
3. I'll have to ask my friends by Sherry Turkle
4. I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Google by Bruce Sterling

One article mentions how folks have no qualms about putting their personal information or personal thoughts on the web yet they don't go around work shouting about their religon, favorite band, etc. Now many companies are googling names and looking up information about their potential new hires on the web. Often times employers find information that they rather not know (ie how drunk you got last night) and will probably use this information against you. Why do folks (including me) think it is okay to post to the world intimate details yet you would never say half of the things to your friends, family, or co-workers.

The articles do caution users from posting personal information and point out that websites such as myspace do allow users to protect their privaacy but even people that are concerned about their privacy, don't use them. Interesting. Definitely food for thought.

Vacation in Italy

I wish I had kept a journal the last 10 days so I could look back and read my thoughts and experiences of my vacation in Italy. After every vacation (or at least a good one), I think it is important to reflect on what you learned and how you want to make changes in your life or what new things you want to try. After being part of the real world now for 1 day, I think I have lost some of the deep thoughts that I came back with. I do want to savor this moment and be able to relive it, so I thought what place better to do that than my blog. So here are my thoughts...

Spending 10 days in Italy was awesome - in fact, awesome doesn't even do the experience justice. I think everyone should take a week vacation every year so they can get out of the normal routine and experience something new, learn to appreciate what you take for granted, and get a little R and R. If you can go somewhere exotic, like Italy the definitely do it. It is so great to see another culture. You learn to appreciate free bathrooms in the US but you appreciate the people of another country and eat and enjoy their gelato! Tuscany is beautiful. Looking out on our villa into the rolling hills full of sunflowers, olive trees, and grapes is amazing. Each day I got up to fog and watching it slowly burn off and reveal the wonders around. I ate pasta with amazing flavors (my new favorites are a bread crumb pici and pesto gnocchi) and enjoyed the Italian pizza and of course the wine. I wish I knew more about the wine - we had 3 wine tastings during the trip and I wish I had understood more about the grapes and what makes a wine and about DOCG - after this trip, I want to learn more about all of that. I also have a list of movies to see: Under the Tuscan Sun, Roman Holiday, Gladiator. Anchorman (so I get all the jokes from the week).

On Thurs, I sat by the pool and looked out on the hills and just savored the moment and took a mental photograph that I hope to never forget. I was truly part of an experience for the last 10 days. About 30 people lived, ate, traveled, shared, and attended a wedding for our dear friends. Nothing can take the memories away and no one can truly understand the full experience unless you were there. The bride couldn't have been more beautiful and the hillside wedding was out of a story book. The love between the bride and groom and their families was visible. The joy on the friends' faces and the bonds made are strong. I hope to keep the friendships made (go F Team) but I know it will never match what we did in Italy - sharing 4 plates of food in Sienna, waiting on the ring, Mousse gelato, holding my hand as I climbed the leaning tower of Pisa as my fear of heights took over, seeing Fibonacci, drinking Orangchotas at the train station, shopping in Florence, finding the restaurant and market that I visited over 6 yrs ago, late night talks in the kitchen, the wine tastings, bed hopping throughout the villa, trips to the trains, drinks at the NY Bar, luggage left line in Rome, the Coliseum and Vatican, 3 hrs of sleep in the Courtyard Marriott, the endless food on the flight back from Rome. I have made new friends and miss having 30 people around me to do something with 24-7, I didn't even miss my normal "me" time that comes from being alone for the majority of the time. Thanks to Jimmy and Angela for inviting me on this amazing experience - I am glad that I could share it with you!

Things I want to do/remember from the trip:
- Remember that you don't always have to be so busy, it is okay to stop and smell the roses. Italians are way more laid back than Americans.
- Learn the language or the basics before you visit. You want to revert to Spanish as a back-up but that may not work.
- Family is important - take time to enjoy your time with them.
- Take a special vacation each year. Make sure it is at least a week long because you need that much time away from work.
- Go abroad. See history. See a different culture. Eat new foods. Get out of your comfort zone.
- Save money to go on said vacation - eat in instead of out, don't buy that shirt that you want, etc.
- There is nothing like spending 10 days with strangers to help you bond. I miss the days of college where someone was always around to do something. Your friends are important - both old and new friends
- Keep a journal (on vacation and maybe every day)
- Learn something new or have a new hobby - don't get stuck in the grind of every day

You know you have worked out of town too long when…

1. You start to have your own room at the hotel (ie Room 101 is my room and I stay in there every week). You check to make sure the radio settings and alarm clock are on what you left them and are glad to see when they are!
2. The hotel folks say “Welcome back Ms. Doe” or “You went to the gym early today, Ms Doe”. I look around when they say that looking for my mom!
3. The hotel folks check you in before you can reach the counter.
4. You start to think of the hotel folks as your friends!
5. You recognize the folks that work at Subway and Cosi and the recognize you and know your order by heart.
6. You start to wonder what they do with all of the half empty shampoo bottles at the hotel and think that it is such a waste or really gross that they are just refilling the bottles and restocking your room.
7. You start checking out the security guards at the airport because you see them every week!
8. You have a standard meal at the airport on Thurs and you get excited about it.
9. You are excited when you spend more than 3 days in the city that you live in.
10. You watch way to much SATC, Friends, and Big Brother All Stars because you have no life! (that was weak but figured that I needed to round out the Top 10)

Growing Up in the 80s Has Never Been Better

My sister forwarded me this email today and it rang so true. Can you believe we did some of these things? I could add - reading Bernstein Bear books, high bangs, bad perms, Guns N Roses, The Heathers movie, colored jeans...

You Know You Grew Up In The 80's or Early 90's If:
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and spokey-dokes or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales" (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the big screen..and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side. 17. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" in Kindergarten. (She's Truly Outrageous.)
21. You remember reading Tales of a fourth grade nothing and all The Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school... and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?" 36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.
42. You remember Popples.
43. Don't worry, be happy
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do..getting yelled at by younger hip members of the family)
46. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49 You remember watching Rainbow Bright and & My Little Pony Tales
50. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet!
60. You still sing "We are the World"
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a bannana clip.
63. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
64. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"
65 You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

Devotions

Here are some verses that have been thought-provoking and comforted me lately. I wanted to share but also want them as a reference for myself later.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says:
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (NIV)
This verse gives me hope. Whatever I am in the middle of now, I should be learning something even if it is going through a hard situation.

Proverbs 13:12 says:
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (NIV)
This verse also gives me hope. I can trust that something will happen but the waiting part can be hard. I can be tempted to take things into my own hands instead of waiting for the right timea. If I am patience, the reward I reap will be much better. When the timing is right, I will be better prepared for what is ahead.

I pulled the verses from an online bible - very helpful tool.

Cherish

The second time you hear bad news, your world isn't quite rocked in the same way. In a wierd way, you are prepared. You know the emotions that come with bad news and you have felt all the feelings before. You don't want to go back down that dark path of hurt, shock, pain.

This time is different. Everyone is aware of what is going on. The procedure is simple, non-evasive, out-patient but to me it is no less scary. I would rather have things be normal and not "simple, non-evasive, and out-patient". But we are strong.

Challenges does help you cherish the priceless moments in life - holding your sister's hand to comfort her, hugging your parents to support them, deep conversations about otherwise taboo topics, really talking not just surface conversations. Challenges help you grow closer to your loved ones and it helps make those moments sharper in your memory and makes the importance of life become clearer. Simple things like breakfast for dinner are frozen in time. The look of suprise on your mom's face when you show up unexpectedly. It's all as clear as it just happend...and I never want to forget those moments.

Random thoughts

I usually don't just put together a random group of topics in a post - I usually try to stick to one topic - but I got no inspiration lately. So here is what I do have...

Jessica Simpson's new album - it sucks. I heard a preview of the whole CD on Q100 today. They had an unofficial early copy. There may be 2 good songs on the whole CD that seem unique/new. The rest are all rip offs of all songs. I think almost every song has a sample from a song from the 80s (example "Public Affair" sounds like Moddona's "Holiday"). If you listen to the rest of the CD you will definitely recognize the tunes - too bad her songs are as good as the orginals. All but 2 songs use the same formula and run together. Maybe Jess should have worked on a marriage and she would have made better songs like "With You" and "Sweetest Sin".

My new favorie drinks: Mai Tai, Mojitos (I like raspberry or other flavored Mojitos)

Atlanta vs DC (I tried to put this in a table but my html skills must be rusty)
- In Atlanta, I eat at Moe's or Jersey Mike's once a week
- In DC, I eat at Cosi at least once week
- Both cities have a resaurant week
- Both cities have Screen on the Green
- People in Atlanta drive everyone
- People in DC, walk or ride the Metro and they walk around with an iPod and earphones EVERYWHERE
- DC airport has short lines
- Atlanta airport has LOOOOOOOOOOONG lines

The Phone is a Lost Artform

Folks don't really use the phone anymore to communicate. Now you may say, "wait a minute, I use my cell all the time." True, I use the phone when I am in the car and traveling from point A to point B to past the time away. But, when I am trying to make plans with friends, do I call them? No, I usually email them and then get irritated when they don't email me back. Could I pick up the phone and make plans? - Yes. But do I? No. As a back up to email, I text message. Believe it or not, talking is a lot better than email. Sometimes email misses or enhances the tone of an email. I may type something that someone interprets as me yelling at them when that was not my intention at all.

So over the last month, I have been trying to do better about calling folks. Instead of just emailing to see how someone is doing, I try to call them. Instead of just emailing to make plans, I try to call. I also am trying not to wait for people to call people. I realized last month that if you looked at my phone, most of the calls were received calls and not dialed calls. So in light of the phone being replaced by email and text message, I am making an effort to communicate better and reach out to my friends.

The Case for Faith

I am currently reading "The Case for Faith" by Lee Strobel. Lee Strobel is a journalist and his goal in writing the book is to investiage the toughest objections to Christianity. There are 8 chapters that each dive into common objections. The book is very academic - Lee Stobel presents the objections to a different world reknown expert in the area in question and the two have a dialog. I like it because I am an academic person and I like to know facts and have facts that back up atheory. Anyone that has questions about Christianity or wants to learn more, then this is the book for you. It is a great door opener, discussion starter. It's a book that challenges your thinking and makes you want to learn more.

I was reading Ch 5 today and I think the statements that rang true to me were:
"How a person lives and how he treats his neighbor is very important" came his reply.
"But it is not more important than what he believes, because the way he lives is reflective of what he believes..." (pg 156)

"Beacause we are moral human beings, we want to see equity. But when we reduce equity to issues of who behaved in what way during a given span of time, we miss the whole concept of equity..." (pg 158)

"The Bible says, 'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.' Think about that - that's an amazing promise." (pg 165)

I think these are all great things to think about, chew on, contemplate, learn more about, research. That's why I love this book!

What's Worse?

What's worse? - Knowing that tomorrow brings disaster or not knowing that it brings disaster and dealing with it? I guess this is similar to asking - would you rather know you are dying so you have time to say good-bye or would you rather dye suddenly without having time to spend time with your loved ones, visiting all the places you wanted to see, making up with those you have not forgiven. We don't get to choose the scenario - it just happens and we deal with it, we live through it.

Tomorrow, a doctor's appt could either cause a cry of joy or a cry of sadness. I think it is harder to anticipate the appt rather than having it thrust upon and you deal with the bad news as it come s. I think the unknown is hard. I guess in either case there is unknown - the waiting until you know. In either case, I think you just have to have the hope and say the prayers because you never know what tomorrow may bring or the day after that or the day after that...

You Ate the Food. You Drank the Wine.

If you think you have gone on a bad date and need to feel better, just check out this story about a girl who went on a date and then was basically harrassed to pay for her half of the date after she decided not to go out with him again. It is too funny! It is expecially funny if you can hear the audio.

Also, a t-shirt company Cafe Press has even made a shirt that says "You ate the food. You drank the wine." I might have to get one of those.

Questions to Ask on a Date

Again, my topic comes from an online article that I read about dating. Obviously being single and how to become a couple is a hot topic on the internet and on this blog. This time the article was by Ayren Jackson-Cannady on "5 Questions to Ask on a Date". I don't necesarily agree with the authors 5 questions - at least not for the first date, maybe for date #3-5. I think a good back-up plan is to have at least 3 topics to discuss (Thanks to Amanda for this idea since she brought it up the other night at dinner). You want to have these 3 topics in case there is some dead air in the conversation. So aside from topics/stories you can prepare beforehand, here are the 5 questions that I propose you ask....

1. What did you do this week/weekend? - This can help uncover a wealth of info. If on Sunday, he says he went to church or missed church for whatever reason, that is a good sign. You can also find out what his interests are by figuring out where he has spent his time - did he work in the garden, go to a fun dinner, play a sport, exercise, work late, hang out with friends, etc.
2. How long have you lived in X city? - This can also turn into a lengthy convo about the history of where he/she has lived and what cities. It also can turn into a travel convo which leads to my next question...
3. Where would you like to go on a dream/exotic/fun vacation? - Hopefully both of you are adventurous and say something other than going to the big city for a sporting event. This can also lead to a convo about fun places you have been.
4. What would you do if you won the lotto? (again thanks to Amanda b/c I know she has brought this one up before) - Similar to question 3 but could lead to some interesting convo about value of money, fun trips, life dreams, etc...also can piggyback on the new TV Show "Windfall" and how it has affected this group of people who won the lottery and the choices they have made.
5. What's your favorite band/tv show/movie/sport to watch or play/insert topic here? - This is always a good fallback question becaue hopefully you guys will have something in common or at least lead to a good story.

Also, if you are on a group date with friends you always need the SATC "save me/things are okay" signals ready. I think the more "conversation-like" these questions can be, the better. Your date may not even catch the drift of your signals if you are smart about it. This week my prepared signals were "Has anyone seen Superman?" - that meant the date was going well and the converse was "Has anyone seen the Break-up?" - that meant that I was ready to ditch the guy after dinner. These are inconspicous questions that could come up naturally in the conversation and your date would have no clue. I will have to think of some new questions for the next date now that my secret is out!

Independent Women

Before I comment, I want to give credit where credit is due. Most of my ideas spawned from an article that I read by Cliff Young entitled "What Men Really Think About Successful, Independent Women". Any direct quotes from his articles are in quotation marks and italicized.

"Being friends with females is great, but most guy-girl friendships need to be clarified at some point. I once heard somewhere that in every guy-girl non-dating relationship, one person or the other at some point wants the relationship to go further than just a friendship. Think about it, if it’s not you, it’s probably them. "

• While I give Cliff credit for his words, this is a thought that I have expressed many times - I think even in a blog entry. Men and women can't truly be friends - at one point in the friendship one or both people have wanted to pursue a relationship. The good thing is to know that there is a chance the guy is interested if you just want to be his friend and if you like him that maybe he just wants to be friends. This can be a very sticky situation for either person. If you are the one that just wants to be friends then you feel like you have to be careful to never "encourage" the relationship - in some cases, you even worry about being nice because you think they may interpret it wrong. If you are the one with the crush, then you probably read something into every touch, ever comment, every action that the other person makes. You think "does that mean he likes me because he wanted to sit by me?" or most likely it means "we're pals and I let you know that we were just pals by always having an excuse when you invited me somewhere". The problem is knowing when he/she likes you back and it is mutual beyond a friendship. Good luck solving that problem! I still don't have a good radar when he is just giving the friend vibe and I am not good at giving "just the friend" vibe without being too harsh. To help figure out where your friendship/potential relationship lies, I say just go for it. If you ask him out and he says no then nothing is lost and you have your answer. The friendship may be awkward for a few weeks/months but eventually you will move past it and back to the friend plane.
• Good news is that just like you have crushes on someone, by the law of averages someone has a crush on you too!

"Women want to be pursued, they want to be needed in a relationship and they want to be treated like a lady - chivalry is not gone or outdated (you may want to “Google” the term if you’re unsure of what it means; that would be a good start."

• I was so glad to finally read this in print so I know that I am not crazy. In the article, this point fell under Lessons Learned for men. This is something that I have thought about over and over recently. I just want a guy to ask me out, pursue me a little bit - I don't want to ask you out, I want you to call, ask me out, act interested, call me back, etc. I don't mind asking a guy out but I lose interest faster if I do that. Instead, I want to be pursued, romanced, etc. I want to be excited about the ride the relationship will take and I want to enjoy the ride of not knowing what might happen next - whisk me off to the mountains for the weekend, show up with a flower in the car seat, take me out on a date to play putt-putt or go to the driving range (not dinner and a movie), go rollerblading or on a bike built for two on the Silver Comet trail...

Top 10 Cities for Singles

Thanks to Forbes for compiling this list and for helping me to decide to move to Denver!

Top 10 Cities for Singles
1 - Denver-Boulder
2 - Boston
3 - Phoenix
4 - San Francisco-Oakland
5 - New York
6 - Raleigh-Durham
7 - Seattle
8 - Austin, Texas
9 - Washington D.C.-Baltimore
10 - Miami

Does anyone see Atlanta on this list? Apparently, we are #16 out of 40.

To see the full article about this list, please click here (MSN) or here(Forbes.com).

Things You Don't See Everyday...

Today, I was running after work. I was taking a nice jog down Conneticut to 16th towards The Mall. At the beginning of my run. the police were starting to stop all of the traffic on the cross streets. When I got to the corner of 16th and Pennsylvania, all traffic and people were stopped. As I stood there, I saw the parade of cops and cars drive in bringing the new Iraqi prime minister to visit the President. The Iraqi flag was flying from the cars and from a nearby brick building where the cars all pulled up. How cool is that? On my run back from The Mall, I was thinking "what must he think of America?" - what a melting pot of people all busily moving on the street, getting things done, and living mostly in harmony. Wonder if he thought that? See related article about the visit.

The Glamorous Life

I just got back from watching "The Devil Wears Prada" which I hadn't planned on going to see because it didn't seem like my type of movie. Suprisingly enough, it was a fun movie to see and actually had a good moral story towards the end. Which do you choose: A) the glamorous life where everyone wants to be you and you do whatever you can to stay in those shoes or do you B)follow your head, your passion, and maintain your integrity and self. It's funny because we all want to be those people that we see on TV. We want to walk the red carpet, we want the Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Jimmy Choos to wear, we want to be famous/to be known, we want to be rich. But do we really want all that? Is that life really all that it is cracked up to be? I remember when I was little, I would picture myself going to work (walking down the street to work from my cute house to be specific)in a high powered suit and high heels. I would head straight towards my corner office and then I would ... I never actually pictured what I would be doing, just what I would be wearing. In reality, high heels aren't comfortable and suits are kind of stuffy - I hate wearing heels or a suit to work. Luckily, I don' have to. I can settle for the semi-fashional black pants, cute shoes, and a fun top. So my outfit doesn't exactly fit the life I dreamed about. But the setting is as close as it has ever been - I am getting to walk to work but instead of from my house to work, it is from my hotel to work. Which also involves a car, plane, and metro to actually get to that hotel so that I can walk. So again, not exactly what I dreamed as the "picture perfect job" would be. So now that the setting doesn't work, I can see that what I wanted isn't really want I wanted at all. So, is that glamorous life, really what we all want? Maybe we should forget the setting and picture on what makes us happy. Do we like what we do at work? Is it our passion? And do we have to follow the cultural "standard" for what we should all be doing and wearing?

Table for One

I sit in a restaurant composing this blog on the back of a receipt. This is the second time in 2 weeks that I've been at a table of one. Last week it was eating sushi at a sushi bar next to strangers and today it is at a romantic Italian restaurant. Of course both places the maître d' asked if I was waiting for someone and I merely said "no, just one tonight". In both resataurants I had very fast service - it must not be hard to cook just one meal - the dinner even arrived as I write...maybe the food arrives fast because the server knows you have no one to talk to and don't need to wait on the conversation to get going. Maybe the food just cooks faster. I do think being a Party of 1 has its advantages - faster seating and faster service. It even gives you some time to think about your day and allow your mind to wander. It is the one part of the day where you don't have to be doing anything and you don't have to converse with anyone, you can just simply be. It's funny because being a Party of 1 in my hometown is frightening but being a Party of 1 on the road is exciting and has potential for adventure because you never know who you might meet. I think I can finally enjoy being a Table for One!

Cheatin' Is Getting Harder

What is your response when a guy says "Sorry I didn't call, I was out of town." Really, were you out of town for the last month with no cell service? In this day and age of info technology you are pretty much connected to the cell phone on one hip and email on the other unless you live in seclusion in a third world country. In this case, one of two things happened - you really were out of town and just got "busy" or maybe (and also more likely) your girlfriend was the cause that you didn't call. In this day and age of technology with tools like Google, mySpace, blogs, etc it is harder and harder to lie and get away with it. A guy says he wants to go out but low and behold his mySpace profile says he is in a relationship, maybe even says he is married. Even employers are getting in on the action and checking out their potential hires by doing research using Google and mySpace. That in itself would be a good discussion. But, "we" only know what "you" post about yourself. I only know you have a girlfriend because your profile says it, your employer only knows that you really went to a small town college instead of UGA like your resume says when he researches the internet.

I could stop there but want to back-up to Mr Out-of-Town. My theory on his comments are not that he ever planned to call or that he ever plans to call in the future. His comments were mearly a "I want to keep you as an option" because we all want options. I don't think this is strictly guy thing. I want options too. I have prefernces and if Guy A is interested and Guy B is interested, I want to go out with both and then figure out who I like. To answer my own question, what do you say when a guy apologizes for not calling ... if you are quick on your feet like me and know that he has a girlfriend your hightly intellectual response is "Whatever."

"Find Your Spot" Website

A friend recently told me about this website - findyourspot.com. The website asks you a series of questions (ie about the weather, sporting events, activities you like to do, etc) and then uses your responses to help determine a list of cities that you might like to live in.

I am not sure if I agree with my list because neither Atlanta nor DC are on the list and I love those 2 cities. Here's my list:

Charleston, South Carolina Cosmopolitan Southern CityFort Sumter, the scene of the first shots of the Civil War, overlooks this city's harbor...
Population: 562,700 Average Home Price: $270,000 Precipitation: 52" Snow: 0"

Orlando, Florida Florida’s Entertainment CapitalIn this entertainment mecca, you can wrestle alligators at Gatorland or have lunch with Mickey Mouse…
Population: 1,645,000 Average Home Price: $265,000 Precipitation: 50" Snow: 0"

Houston, Texas City of ExcitementTexas won its independence from Mexico at a battle fought here in 1836; the city became the capital of the Republic of Texas...
Population: 4,420,000 Average Home Price: $180,000 Precipitation: 48" Snow: 0"

Tampa, Florida Paradise on the BayThis Florida town's annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest includes a parade, an arts festival, and a "pirate invasion"…
Population: 2,500,000 Average Home Price: $257,000 Precipitation: 49" Snow: 0"

Austin, Texas City of the Violet CrownThis "Hill Country" capital boasts 12,000 acres of greenbelt and undeveloped land used for recreation…
Population: 656,600 Average Home Price: $154,000 Precipitation: 31" Snow: 1"
Norfolk, Virginia Heart of the Hampton RoadsThis spot was the only American city completely destroyed and rebuilt in the Revolutionary War; a British cannonball in St. Paul's Church wall is a reminder…
Population: 1,606,000 Average Home Price: $182,000 Precipitation: 45" Snow: 7"

Dallas, Texas The Star of the Lone Star StateAlthough one of the country's largest cities, this spot is the least densely populated metropolitan area in the world…
Population: 3,743,000 Average Home Price: $207,000 Precipitation: 33" Snow: 3"

Fort Worth, Texas Where the West BeginsThe first "washateria" (laundromat) opened in this town on April 18, 1934 with four machines…
Population: 534,700 Average Home Price: $135,000 Precipitation: 32" Snow: 3"

Chesapeake-Virginia Beach, Virginia The Southern Tidewater RegionThis Virginia beach town's annual Neptune Festival features sports competitions, an arts and crafts show, and a Grand Ball…
Population: 624,000 Average Home Price: $252,000 Precipitation: 45" Snow: 1"
Jacksonville, Florida Florida’s First CoastHere in Florida’s “youngest city” the median age is just 32…
Population: 778,000 Average Home Price: $242,000 Precipitation: 54" Snow: 0"

West Palm Beach, Florida The Gold CoastThis famous Florida spot hosts "Sunfest," the state's largest music and art festival on the waterfront…
Population: 1,216,000 Average Home Price: $430,000 Precipitation: 60" Snow: 0"

Charlotte, North Carolina The Queen CityHome to First Union and Bank of America, this spot is renowned as a financial center…
Population: 1,335,000 Average Home Price: $232,000 Precipitation: 43" Snow: 6"

San Antonio, Texas Three Centuries of CultureCobblestone walkways wind past restaurants and shops along this city's famous Paseo del Rio, or RiverWalk…
Population: 1,144,650 Average Home Price: $160,000 Precipitation: 30" Snow: 1"

Brownsville, Texas On the Border, By the SeaThis town at the southern tip of Texas began as Fort Brown, built to support the U.S. claim to the Rio Grande as a southern border…
Population: 139,700 Average Home Price: $100,000 Precipitation: 25" Snow: 0"

Augusta, Georgia Georgia’s Garden CityThe Masters golf tournament is held in this Georgia town each year…
Population: 484,000 Average Home Price: $121,000 Precipitation: 42" Snow: 0"
Memphis, Tennessee Home of the Delta BluesThis city's famous Beale Street gave birth to Blues, Rock 'n' Roll, and legends such as BB King and Elvis Presley…
Population: 650,000 Average Home Price: $150,000 Precipitation: 49" Snow: 3"

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Big City on the PlainsLocated in the heart of America, visitors to this town can use water taxis to visit restaurants and shops in the famous Bricktown district…
Population: 523,000 Average Home Price: $141,000 Precipitation: 32" Snow: 9"

Louisville, Kentucky Home of the Kentucky DerbyThis beautiful river city was home to Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken…
Population: 248,000 Average Home Price: $186,000 Precipitation: 43" Snow: 17"

McAllen, Texas City of PalmsThis lush spot in Rio Grande country is a birdwatcher's paradise, home each April to the Texas Tropics Nature Festival...
Population: 106,400 Average Home Price: $120,000 Precipitation: 26" Snow: 0"

Nashville, Tennessee Music City, U.S.A.Though best known for its music, this spot also boasts the Hermitage, home to Andrew Jackson, Americas first president from the wild "West"…
Population: 545,500 Average Home Price: $169,000 Precipitation: 46" Snow: 11"

Galveston, Texas An Island OasisIt snows once a year in this city on the Gulf of Mexico - when the snowmaking machine is turned on during the Dickens Christmas festival…
Population: 57,000 Average Home Price: $175,000 Precipitation: 42" Snow: 0"

Miami, Florida The Gold CoastThis exciting Florida melting pot city draws on West Indian, Cuban, African, European and Native American heritages…
Population: 376,800 Average Home Price: $432,000 Precipitation: 60" Snow: 0"

Richmond, Virginia Rising Star of the SouthPatrick Henry made his famous "give me liberty or give me death" speech at Saint John's Episcopal Church in this city in 1775…
Population: 198,000 Average Home Price: $240,000 Precipitation: 43" Snow: 14"

Clearwater, Florida City of Gold Medal BeachesOnce you're done playing in the sun and sand, you can ride the world's largest speedboat in this unique city...
Population: 109,000 Average Home Price: $187,000 Precipitation: 51" Snow: 0"

My Two New "Businesses"

After helping "save the day" at the 11th hour for my co-worker's anniversay by coming up with a simple yet romantic idea and yet again providing said co-worker with advice, I have decided that I should provide men with simple advice on how to make a women happy. A "Life Coach" type role if you will. I decided this was a good forum to share that knowledge. The first idea is for your anniversary, you simply need to show that you put thought into the celebration. For my co-worker's anniversary, I told him that he should just go by Eatzi's, buy some flowers, a bottle of wine, and pick up dinner. He did just that and his wife was quite pleased -so basically he in indebted to me. So for all of you guys wondering what to do for an anniversary or special occasion see above example.

As a follow-up conversation to how I saved the day for the anniversary, I shared more wisdom with my male co-workers. I told them to go to their Outlook calendar and pick 5 dates over the next year and set a reminder for you to do something for your wife/girlfriend. On the reminder write "pick up Eatzi's and wine" or brainstorm for an hour and and think up 5 different ideas that show your wife/girlfriend that you appreicate her and that you were thinking about her.For starters you can use the "pick up Eatzi's" idea for all five. It is important for the dates to be random so that when the day comes, you see the reminder and it seems kind of out of the blue and therefore thoughtful. So take my advice and you will stay out of the dog house and make for a happy wife/gilfriend! My co-workers of course loved the idea and promptly set reminders all the while thanking me and saying that it was sad that they had to set reminders. So I told them that I should charge for my great ideas and thus this blog was born!

Now onto my next business idea...it is simple but a good idea to help homeowner's who either travel during the week or have trouble making appointments with the cable guy, the roofer, the patio guy, etc during the work day. Instead of you having to meet the repair man, I could meet them for you and keep your appointment - basically an inhouse concierge. So once I get tired of my current job, I may open my own inhouse concierge company.

Alfredo's and "The Break-Up"

Now I will switch gears and put on my critic hat. Someone recently told me about a hole-in-the-wall Italian place on Cheshire Bridge called Alfredo’s so this weekend I decided to try it out instead of calling on my default favorite restaurant list (Tacqueria, Eats, Figo). When I hear “hole-in-the-wall” restaurant I think of Eats here in Atlanta or The Village Deli in Augusta and I also think cheap. While the prices aren’t absurd, you will end up spending $25 on an entrée and a drink if you go with the pasta and more if you go with a meat entrée. The food was good – I had the capellini pesto – but it wasn’t as good as Scalini’s (who has the best rolls vs the garlic bread at Alfredo’s). It is definitely a hole-in-the-wall and the atmosphere took me back a few years. My party also brought the average age of the customers down by about 20 years – for a minute I thought we had arrived for the early bird senior citizens discount. Aside for not being a typical restaurant that I would try, the service was good and the booths were cozy. I would recommend making reservations because the place is hopping. I probably won’t go back but it was worth the new adventure. Next up, Nino’s also on Cheshire Bridge.

This review may be biased because I like Jennifer Aniston but I really think the critics have been harsh on her last few movies. I thought Derailed was great and Jennifer really only played a small part – it was really a movie focused on Clive Owens’ role and had a good twist at the end. “The Break-up” was somewhere between “Failure to Launch” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (with “Failure to Launch” being on the below average side and I am sure that some of your are laughing that I consider “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” as good but that was the best I could come up with as far as good romantic comedies). Vince Vaughn was hilarious – he had a lot of good lines and delivered them in typical Vince Vaughn style (talk fast and lots of punch lines). This romantic comedy was probably the most true to life movie about relationships. Disclaimer: Stop reading if you don’t want to know the ending. Most relationships don’t end happily ever and neither did this movie. This movie was left open to your own interpretation of the ending which is how many relationships end. Most relationships, you wonder if you will get back together , are thankful that you never have to see that person again, or you and your ex end up being friends. With this ending, I think you can interpret the ending to be either the first or the third option based on your own experience. Overall this movie was funny and entertaining, may be worth renting vs going to see it in the theatre.

Misadventures in Atlanta

Thanks to my friend Amanda for forwarding me this link...Apparently it isn't uncommon for folks to channel Carrie Bradshaw or the author of "He's Just Not That Into You." Our very own AJC has an ongoing column where 2 girls and now a single guy blog about dating in Atlanta. If you want to check out the Single Guy's first entry click here.

Disuccsion Points after you read the artilce: I agree that if you don't want to go on a date then don't say yes. You should always show up for a date that you say "yes" to unless a natural disaster occurs. It is way easier to say "I don't think we should meet up" than to fake your way through a date and then have to insincerely say you had a good time which is a whole other topic. And a lot nicer to say that than to have a person waste their time and look forward to a date. The Single Guy asks why girls make plans and then don't show up. I ask why did Mr K say he was going to call and then didn't. Just say "Thanks (or I am flattered) but I am seeing someone" that way the girl knows it isn't going to happen and you don't lead her on and you do justice to the girl you are seeing.

He's Just Not That Into You

It seems like most of my interesting material for my blog comes from my dating relationships or the lack there of. I seem to be inspired by Carrie Bradshaw’s character from SATC as of late. Although, I would also consider myself part food critic/movie critic but for this latest blog, I will once again turn to my favorite topic of (not) dating.

I was sitting at my desk at work this week when I had an epiphany. Here I was wondering for the umpteenth time why my crush had said he would call – not just once but he said the words “I will call you” twice. This was over 3 weeks ago and I had begun to lose hope at about the 1 and a half week mark. As I continued down that thought path, I remember my own unreturned email from a recent date. We had gone on a date, he followed up via email, I responded, he emailed back and I…well, I did nothing. Doing nothing is better than doing something to encourage further email or encourage further dates. It was then that I had my “Aha” moment. My crush doesn’t like me because he didn’t call me like he said he was. I am sure this must be a chapter straight out of “He’s Just Not That In To You”. Why do women try to make up excuses for their crush, boyfriend, etc for not calling when in fact we as women don’t return the phone call or email when we are not interested. If you are interested, you are excited about talking to that person or emailing that person, if you aren’t excited then you are “too busy” to return the call or email. Scary that it took my 20+ years to learn this lesson.

I think this rule is applicable 98% of the time. I think sometimes the call back or initial phone call doesn’t happen because one person is scared. Scared of possible rejection so instead of making the call or returning the call, they avoid the situation and choose to go the unknown route. Instead of resolving an issue, they let the issue die with time and never really resolve whether or not the relationship could go further. So the relationship is kind of a ping pong match of “do they like me, they act like they like me when we are together, they tell people they like me but there is no action.” This unfortunately can drag a non-relationship relationship out for months/years with neither person really being satisfied. This example falls somewhere in that 2% - maybe a ½ of a percent.

Back to the 98% situation for a sec. Is it better to return the call or email or let it die with time? I usually just don’t return the call which is probably something you did in high school but something you shouldn’t do as you mature. Is it better to know that you are rejected or better to go on with false hope? I have had crushes that lasted way too long because of false hope yet I am not good at all about giving the guy the boot – I choose avoidance myself but is that the right answer?

Not sure how long this post will stay up

So after going on several failed first dates, I started thinking about the one thing that was in common with all of these dates .... me. I do think there may be two things affecting my thoughts on a first date 1)me (well, the me that has been hurt before) and 2) being set in my ways. RDK, since I know you read this blog feel free to comment or individually email me with other things that I may do wrong while out on a date. I do know that I wear my heart/emotions on my sleeve so it is pretty hard to cover it up if I am not having a good time. While I ponder those thoughts, I will let you know some of the things that aren't good to do on a first date and some things that are appreciated. Good things to do on a first date: think of something fun to do like going to a sporting event, plan ahead, pay for dinner, pray at the meal (that might be much for a first date so you have to feel the person out but I was okay with it).
Some things that may be a little bothersome to some (ie me): not tipping enough on the check (if you don't let me see the check then I won't notice this so I may not find out until later that you are cheap), yelling at the usher, making voices to the video screen, flying like superman to the star wars song. So am I picky? Am I too picky? Probably.
I did forget to mention that I think it is a deal breaker if you don't drink. I guess it is reverse discrimination to some but I think it is fine to have a glass of wine with dinner, have a few beers at a football game, etc. So if you don't drink then it can be awkward. I have friends that don't drink and can hang out with them fine but I don't know if that works the same way if you are dating. And the final no-no for the hour - if you email and say that you aren't going to get your "(insert person's name here) time" in for the week since I am not going to see you all week, know that that will creep me out! This may be considered endearing after dating for a few months but not before - I can see how this point may be confusing but as we all know girls are confusing.

Random Thoughts

I don't have enough to write a whole entry about one topic so I am going to stick these random thoughts all together.

First I wanted to title this blog entry 'Science Fiction tology" but after the title I really have nothing to write. I feel like the title pretty much says it all.

I want to add Alfredos's to my list of restaurants that I want to try. My waiter tonight at The Grape said that it is a really good Italian place. Warning on the nerd talk...I need to figure out how to do spreadsheets in the blog so I can better keep track of which restaurants I have actually gone to. If you know how to do a table or something similar, let me know.

Another suggested rule for dating...don't text a girl and ask her out on a date especially if you haven't actually talked to her on the phone. Even if you have had multiple conversations in person and over email, text messaging is not the way to a girl's heart.

Speaking of dating, why don't guys just bite the bullet and say these simple words "Can I call you sometime?". Instead they just stand there and say "Be right back, I got to go to the bathroom". Then they continue to stick their head out of the door and look for you and then go back inside. When you throw them a bone and show some interest, they got nothing. After telling my old roommate this she said that I need to just decide to date only hot guys. Apparently as soon as she made this decision, she found her current husband. So here and now, I declare that I am only dating hot guys! I will let you know how it turns out since right now I would just like to date "a" guy - well, if you are one of my friends I know you are thinking that the "a" must stand for a long list of things such as "taller than me" or "funny" or "smart" and you are right, there is a lot hidden behind that "a".

And finally to help kick those Monday blues, here is a pretty funny video.