Remember when I said I was going to blog all about my “okcupid” blind dates? Well, I’m not going to do that anymore. My reason is simple: When I eventually become facebook friends with these potential men, they are going to see that I blog, and when they see that I blog about them, they may not come around anymore. Everyone has a right to privacy. Also, I don’t kiss and tell. So from now on, only the bad dates will be reported in full detail (those suitors don’t have a right to privacy)…and my date on Friday went extremely well.
We connected, we had fun and we are planning on going out again this Thursday night. Success! Why did I put off online dating for so long? This first date was definitely an exception to a rule. Usually, meeting complete strangers in person after virtually no conversation online ends in awkwardness and a pint of ice cream on the couch at 2 am. I’m sure many future dates I go on (a girl has to leave her options open, right?) will not work out quite as nicely as this one did, but I’m not as nervous anymore. As long as I’m smart, what’s the worst that can happen? – Famous last words?
People are dating online now more than ever before. I went to dinner the other night with my friend from home and her boyfriend. Her college friend, who lives in the city, joined us and said she had joined a new dating site for NYU, Columbia and other Ivy and semi-Ivy league students called “Date my school.” And of course, because things always work this way, there was an article in yesterday’s Sunday Times all about this new exclusive dating site. I am unable to join because my .edu address is not welcomed (Hey, T – want to give me yours?). But it just goes to show that there are tons of new dating sites opening up to give young professionals more than just a “meet your soul mate” option like match.com and e-harmony. Date my school is specifically for students and recent graduates looking for others who are just as exceptional and career-focused as they are (I guess they assume that if you go Ivy, you’re automatically career driven. They can work out the problematic issues with such a thought process later.) Fact is it works. Some of us just want to date and are new to the city or too busy with school and work to find the time. Dating sites like these help us find matches that we normally wouldn’t find walking the streets.
This is the future. Some of us may still meet “the one” in a bar or in the prepared food aisle of the grocery store (Patti Stanger, the Millionaire Matchmaker, keeps telling me to go there to meet eligible men), but for many of us, it’s much more about structure and planning and much less about the right place, right time scenario. I know my mother will read this and be sad for our generation. We are unable to communicate; we are all going to end up alone; but we’re working on it! We’re trying to adjust to our technological lives and if online dating is the way to do so, then by all means, let’s try every option at our disposal. Just don’t go to dinner with a stranger unless you’re certain you’ll enjoy the company. Dinner takes you past the point of no return and could end up being the longest two hours of your life.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Helping Others...Pass It On
Tonight I did something I’m very proud of. I attended my mandatory orientation for New York Cares, New York City’s largest volunteer organization. Since I’m new to the city and trying to meet new friends, I figured there was no better place to start than by joining like-minded individuals in bettering my new community. I love everything about this city, so why not help its people and its places. The orientation was quick and to the point. The team leaders highlighted all of the potential projects and talked about their personal experiences. I’m so excited to start reading to underprivileged children, feeding the hungry, talking to the elderly and planting trees in the parks.
I’ve had this urge to volunteer for quite sometime now. I think a small part of me just wants to get out of the apartment on weekends and meet new faces, but a larger part honestly knows how fortunate my life has been. I have a loving family that gave me the tools to succeed. I have great friends, a college degree, a job, and an apartment. I have food in my pantry, clothes in my closet, an i-pod sitting next to me, and I’m typing on a Mac laptop. I’ve never wanted for anything, really. Sure, I still can’t afford designer shoes, but there are people living on the streets that have no shoes at all, or coats, or a change of clothes or food to get them through the night. It’s heartbreaking. And I’ve seen a lot of it this winter.
The other day, the news reported a story about a 35-year old Irish homeless woman named Grace who died in her sleep while sleeping on the streets. She had come to NYC 18 years before to study art. She never succeeded and four days ago, she was found dead. Stories like these break my heart. This, along with so many other tragic events, has pushed me to do all I can do for this community. No one should ever have to sleep on cardboard in a church alcove. Children should know how to read and write and all should be able to attend college if they wish to do so. If I am able to help one life, one child, one homeless man, one grandma in a walker, and make their day a little brighter, that is all the reward that I will need. Join me in the volunteer effort! We can change the world - It just takes a little work.
Spotted: Your humble blogger at Macy’s buying a new shirt to wear on my first “Okcupid” date tomorrow night. Wish me luck! (Hopefully I don’t really need it ☺)
I’ve had this urge to volunteer for quite sometime now. I think a small part of me just wants to get out of the apartment on weekends and meet new faces, but a larger part honestly knows how fortunate my life has been. I have a loving family that gave me the tools to succeed. I have great friends, a college degree, a job, and an apartment. I have food in my pantry, clothes in my closet, an i-pod sitting next to me, and I’m typing on a Mac laptop. I’ve never wanted for anything, really. Sure, I still can’t afford designer shoes, but there are people living on the streets that have no shoes at all, or coats, or a change of clothes or food to get them through the night. It’s heartbreaking. And I’ve seen a lot of it this winter.
The other day, the news reported a story about a 35-year old Irish homeless woman named Grace who died in her sleep while sleeping on the streets. She had come to NYC 18 years before to study art. She never succeeded and four days ago, she was found dead. Stories like these break my heart. This, along with so many other tragic events, has pushed me to do all I can do for this community. No one should ever have to sleep on cardboard in a church alcove. Children should know how to read and write and all should be able to attend college if they wish to do so. If I am able to help one life, one child, one homeless man, one grandma in a walker, and make their day a little brighter, that is all the reward that I will need. Join me in the volunteer effort! We can change the world - It just takes a little work.
Spotted: Your humble blogger at Macy’s buying a new shirt to wear on my first “Okcupid” date tomorrow night. Wish me luck! (Hopefully I don’t really need it ☺)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Discovering I’m not perfect…
The title of this post may make me sound a tad pretentious, but I by no means have ever thought of myself as perfect. No one can name my flaws quicker than I can. But when it comes to my work ethic and drive, I do take pride in the fact that I’m a perfectionist. Every detail of my life needs to be exact. In college, I would read over papers five, ten, sometimes fifteen times to make sure one spelling or grammar error could not be found, and I would only answer questions I was certain of the answers to (these could also be symptoms of my OCD, but that’s for another post). My writing classes, and my non-existent writing career (at least for now☺) have been full of bumps along the way because I write stories that I take great pride in only to have my professors (and editors) tell me a plot point doesn’t make sense or a character is unnecessary – a character that I have created and feel a connection to is cut from the page as fast as that evil red pen can swipe it. Receiving negative criticism has been a challenge for me for several years.
I’m discovering in the working world that I have quite a bit to learn, and my pride has to sometimes be pushed aside in order for “constructive” criticism to enter– I haven’t been fired yet, so I consider it constructive. Yesterday was one of those days – a Monday no less. I was responsible for four major documents and all had to be completed by 5pm. Once all four were sent off, four separate emails returned with corrections and things to keep in mind for the next time. I even got an email from my boss at 12:09 this morning that gave additional critiques on my excel spreadsheets. The perfectionist part of me was slightly mortified. I couldn’t hand in one document that was returned with a “great, thanks!” response? That’s not like me at all. I could come up with a thousand excuses – “I was rushed.” “I put them in this order because…” But at the end of the day… and again this morning, I swallowed my pride and responded with the only appropriate words I could think of – “Thank you for the help. I won’t make the same mistakes again.”
My brother has informed me in the past that one of my biggest personality flaws is that I can’t be wrong…and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right! I once forced M to try my margarita because I was certain that it was impossible for a human being not to love margaritas – even after she tried to tell me she couldn’t stand tequila. She took one sip and almost spit it back out. I was in shock. I couldn’t taste the liquor, but she could. I guess I was wrong. As an intern and future full-time employee, I refuse to allow this stubbornness to get in the way of me prospering in the work force. Every day that I spend at my company is another day I learn more and more about the work I am doing. My boss likes things done a certain way, and I will do it with my tail between my legs if I have to. I’m sure my next boss will want things done entirely differently, and I will rise to the occasion and relearn everything I have taught myself these last six months. The important thing is that I don’t cry myself to sleep at night because I was told I inputted company names incorrectly. My boss wants to help me – I can see that when we talk about my work – and she knows the only way to help is to tell me everything I do wrong. My job is to learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. If I can do that, maybe I will walk away from this job a stronger employee and more prepared for the outside world. I’m not perfect – no one walking this Earth is, and sometimes you need a friendly reminder of that from time to time. It’s too stressful trying to be perfect anyway - I’d rather be flawed.
I’m discovering in the working world that I have quite a bit to learn, and my pride has to sometimes be pushed aside in order for “constructive” criticism to enter– I haven’t been fired yet, so I consider it constructive. Yesterday was one of those days – a Monday no less. I was responsible for four major documents and all had to be completed by 5pm. Once all four were sent off, four separate emails returned with corrections and things to keep in mind for the next time. I even got an email from my boss at 12:09 this morning that gave additional critiques on my excel spreadsheets. The perfectionist part of me was slightly mortified. I couldn’t hand in one document that was returned with a “great, thanks!” response? That’s not like me at all. I could come up with a thousand excuses – “I was rushed.” “I put them in this order because…” But at the end of the day… and again this morning, I swallowed my pride and responded with the only appropriate words I could think of – “Thank you for the help. I won’t make the same mistakes again.”
My brother has informed me in the past that one of my biggest personality flaws is that I can’t be wrong…and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right! I once forced M to try my margarita because I was certain that it was impossible for a human being not to love margaritas – even after she tried to tell me she couldn’t stand tequila. She took one sip and almost spit it back out. I was in shock. I couldn’t taste the liquor, but she could. I guess I was wrong. As an intern and future full-time employee, I refuse to allow this stubbornness to get in the way of me prospering in the work force. Every day that I spend at my company is another day I learn more and more about the work I am doing. My boss likes things done a certain way, and I will do it with my tail between my legs if I have to. I’m sure my next boss will want things done entirely differently, and I will rise to the occasion and relearn everything I have taught myself these last six months. The important thing is that I don’t cry myself to sleep at night because I was told I inputted company names incorrectly. My boss wants to help me – I can see that when we talk about my work – and she knows the only way to help is to tell me everything I do wrong. My job is to learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. If I can do that, maybe I will walk away from this job a stronger employee and more prepared for the outside world. I’m not perfect – no one walking this Earth is, and sometimes you need a friendly reminder of that from time to time. It’s too stressful trying to be perfect anyway - I’d rather be flawed.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Online Dating in the City: The Beginning
Okay I’ve done it. Yes…it. After many (many!) recommendations from friends and acquaintances...and a few strangers, I have joined the world of online dating. I’m telling myself it is just a blogging experiment, but to tell you the truth, I’m already slightly addicted. A friend told me to give “OkCupid.com” a try, and after much deliberating and Google searching, I decided to put myself out there. I have no planned dates yet, but I have had a few conversations and have had a couple of people message me with interest. I am enjoying this site mainly because it seems like one of the few free sites that asks you tons of questions (I’ve answered over 80) in order to help match you with a compatible partner (I know the sites you have to pay for do this as well, but do other free sites spend this much time helping you find a match?). There are also a lot of young, attractive men browsing on this site. I used to think online dating was only for old people who couldn’t find husbands or wives. I’m now learning the error of my ways as I see that a lot of the people posting are city dwellers like myself looking for someone to enjoy a fun date with. Some even show no qualms about their search for a “casual hookup.” That’s not my style, but to each his own.
I’m going to try to have as much fun with this as possible. Earlier tonight, I quickly got over my fear of online rejection – when someone you message does not message you back – and started to message people. I decided since I was rejecting potential matches left and right, people had the right to reject me. If you can dish it, you can take it, right? I promise if I do win a date with a match, this blog will be the first to hear about it. It will be a new section of my blog where I can tell you about the pending hilarity that will surely ensue when I travel to different parts of Manhattan to meet men I have never met in real life. I promise, I will be safe and a mass text will be sent to all of my 'in case of emergencies' of the location of the date.
I’ve had a few friends venture into this cyber world of relationship mingling and they have had mixed but mostly positive results. So far, no marriages have been solidified (but who wants that anyway!), but friendships, new restaurants and free drinks have been scored. As I was signing up for this site, no less than three commercials aired on TV for Match.com. I was typing and then a voice stated, “Today, 1 in 5 relationships begin online.” – I feel like that, along with other tell tale hints (Thanks T), was a sign from a higher power that this is a risk I should take to help my romantic life flourish. When you think about the choices I have in front of me, there really is no dilemma: Sit on the couch Friday night or spend some quality time with a charming new friend? I’ll go with the latter.
I’m going to try to have as much fun with this as possible. Earlier tonight, I quickly got over my fear of online rejection – when someone you message does not message you back – and started to message people. I decided since I was rejecting potential matches left and right, people had the right to reject me. If you can dish it, you can take it, right? I promise if I do win a date with a match, this blog will be the first to hear about it. It will be a new section of my blog where I can tell you about the pending hilarity that will surely ensue when I travel to different parts of Manhattan to meet men I have never met in real life. I promise, I will be safe and a mass text will be sent to all of my 'in case of emergencies' of the location of the date.
I’ve had a few friends venture into this cyber world of relationship mingling and they have had mixed but mostly positive results. So far, no marriages have been solidified (but who wants that anyway!), but friendships, new restaurants and free drinks have been scored. As I was signing up for this site, no less than three commercials aired on TV for Match.com. I was typing and then a voice stated, “Today, 1 in 5 relationships begin online.” – I feel like that, along with other tell tale hints (Thanks T), was a sign from a higher power that this is a risk I should take to help my romantic life flourish. When you think about the choices I have in front of me, there really is no dilemma: Sit on the couch Friday night or spend some quality time with a charming new friend? I’ll go with the latter.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
“Still single…Chances are you’re a woman."
I tweeted about this ‘just in time for Valentine’s Day’ article I read in Sunday’s NY Times the other night and it is still haunting me three days later. The article states that there are approximately 131,548 more unmarried and divorced women in greater New York than men. I read that number and it has been seared into my brain ever since. It’s all I can think about! If I wasn’t in my early twenties, I would find this number downright tragic. How the hell do women stand a chance dating in this city?! Sarah Jessica Parker made it look easy compared to what we’re really up against. Maybe texting, tweeting and facebook have damned us all to a long life of solitude. Besides the extreme unbalance in numbers, we live in a city that harbors some of the most beautiful people in the world. There are tons of women who are better looking and more successful and talented than little old me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite happy with myself. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be honest and say that the girl leaving my apartment ahead of me this morning in her sky high stilettos and wavy black hair was breathtakingly beautiful – facts are facts. And she’s getting the cute subway guy today, not me.
I read another article last week in the Village Voice (I know, I really must stop reading) that went along similar lines but was focused on telling the single women of New York, “It’s not them, it’s you.” The men of Manhattan are not the problem, it’s us ladies. This article also flashed that large, ominous number and conceded that finding a match in this large city where anything can be yours at any hour and the next best thing is right around the corner can be difficult. The problem lies in the fact that many men and women in New York are career-focused and not much more. I find that my own young career ambitions take the foremost thoughts in my mind and in my plans (but like the chicken and the egg, I’m not sure if I’m career focused because I’m single, or single because I’m career focused). Like I said in yesterday’s post, I was pleased to be in a hotel room (alone) in Connecticut on Valentine’s Day because my career was given a large boost just that afternoon. So, I get it. We’re ambitious, selfish and way too picky – all things that do not bode well in starting new relationships. We know what we want, and we will not settle for anything less. While these are good traits to have, it’s also important to be realistic. Prince Charming is an ideal that should have left our heads when we turned thirteen – a rite of passage like hitting puberty. Instead we make the mistake of watching one too many romantic comedies and believing that all things are just like the movies. Like previously stated, “Sarah Jessica Parker made it look easy.”
The article in the Times ended with a mixed message of hope and gloom. The author states, “So to all the single ladies: There’s a whole world of men out there waiting to put a ring on it. They’re just not in New York (yet).” The good news is I’m nowhere near ready for someone to put a ring on it. But I don’t feel like spending the next ten years of my life fighting against the masses for Mr. Right. I’ve read that California (and the west coast in general) has the highest single men to single women ratios. Perhaps I’ll have to venture out west when I convince myself that this wonderful, never let me down relationship I have with this beautiful city will be the closest I will come to happily ever after in Manhattan. Eh, things could always be worse, right? – I could be forced to live in central Connecticut.
I read another article last week in the Village Voice (I know, I really must stop reading) that went along similar lines but was focused on telling the single women of New York, “It’s not them, it’s you.” The men of Manhattan are not the problem, it’s us ladies. This article also flashed that large, ominous number and conceded that finding a match in this large city where anything can be yours at any hour and the next best thing is right around the corner can be difficult. The problem lies in the fact that many men and women in New York are career-focused and not much more. I find that my own young career ambitions take the foremost thoughts in my mind and in my plans (but like the chicken and the egg, I’m not sure if I’m career focused because I’m single, or single because I’m career focused). Like I said in yesterday’s post, I was pleased to be in a hotel room (alone) in Connecticut on Valentine’s Day because my career was given a large boost just that afternoon. So, I get it. We’re ambitious, selfish and way too picky – all things that do not bode well in starting new relationships. We know what we want, and we will not settle for anything less. While these are good traits to have, it’s also important to be realistic. Prince Charming is an ideal that should have left our heads when we turned thirteen – a rite of passage like hitting puberty. Instead we make the mistake of watching one too many romantic comedies and believing that all things are just like the movies. Like previously stated, “Sarah Jessica Parker made it look easy.”
The article in the Times ended with a mixed message of hope and gloom. The author states, “So to all the single ladies: There’s a whole world of men out there waiting to put a ring on it. They’re just not in New York (yet).” The good news is I’m nowhere near ready for someone to put a ring on it. But I don’t feel like spending the next ten years of my life fighting against the masses for Mr. Right. I’ve read that California (and the west coast in general) has the highest single men to single women ratios. Perhaps I’ll have to venture out west when I convince myself that this wonderful, never let me down relationship I have with this beautiful city will be the closest I will come to happily ever after in Manhattan. Eh, things could always be worse, right? – I could be forced to live in central Connecticut.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Gaga, Love and Connecticut
Hello my lovely readers! This last week has been another crazy, action packed 7 days. The Grammy Awards, Single’s Awareness Day and my 2nd big business trip have all come and gone. And of course, here I am to tell you all about my week and to give my opinions on the happenings in Hollywood...
I thoroughly enjoyed the Grammys. The red carpet is always a highlight for me and Jennifer Hudson (Weight Watchers must be making a fortune off of her!), Lea Michele (I love how she is so much sexier than her alter ego Rachel Berry in reality) and Selena Gomez were the Best Dressed of the night in my humble opinion. Ciara and Dianna Agron were the two I'd place on the Worst Dressed List - one left too little to the imagination and the other was too dark and dreary for the Grammys. The show was a great spectacle of wonderful entertainment and deserving winners. Best New Artist and Album of Year left me with the “who the 'f' are you” feeling that everyone else on Twitter seemed to be feeling. Or as my brother's text read when the Grammy Awards had ended with Arcade Fire's win, "This must be a joke." The music lover that I am is happy however, because now I get to fill up my itunes library with new and interesting music. My favorite performances of the night go to Katy Perry (“Not Like the Movies” is my favorite song on her Teenage Dream album), Rihanna and Eminem, Rihanna and Drake (Not a bad night for RiRi), and Mumford and Sons (They may be my new favorite band). While I do love Lady Gaga’s new song, her performance under-whelmed me. Perhaps because she went first, but I was glad she won Best Pop Vocal Album. On an end note, if I hear “It’s a quarter after one” one more time, I may punch someone. Nice job Lady Antebellum, but make new music.
Yesterday was Valentine's Day - a truly perplexing "holiday" if I'm being honest. I spent the day I would prefer to call February 14th in a hotel room in Hartford, CT reading the Sunday NY Times and watching Gossip Girl. I hope that doesn't sound too depressing because it wasn’t for me! Even though I am single, I do not need one day to show love to the ones I care about. I try to do that 365 days a year. Cynical and depressed I am not on Valentine’s Day – I’d say I’m indifferent to it. Maybe next year if I’m in a relationship, I’ll be happy to go out to dinner and receive a yummy box of chocolates, but I would rather have that and flowers on a random day in a random month when the one I care about feels like doing so – It shouldn’t be an obligation. That said, any day that celebrates love is a good one, but let’s try to spread love everyday. Too much love never hurt anyone.
I experienced my second business trip of my big girl career over the last two days and it was another great experience. My boss gave me my positive review on Monday and we then discussed me moving full time once my co-worker goes out on maternity leave. I'm so thrilled! I will learn so much more working 40 hours a week and the increase in money to help pay for rent is not too shabby either. I really love business trips. There is something fun about traveling on a comfy Amtrak train, eating yummy room service food and jumping on a hotel bed (you’ll never know if that actually happened)...all for free! It was oddly relaxing and our office in Hartford is a beautiful building where the CEO and boss of my boss works – It’s professional and an inspiring place to visit. Too bad Hartford is in the middle of nowhere and a little frightening. If only there was a magic man who could transport that building and all of the wonderful people in it to New York City.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Grammys. The red carpet is always a highlight for me and Jennifer Hudson (Weight Watchers must be making a fortune off of her!), Lea Michele (I love how she is so much sexier than her alter ego Rachel Berry in reality) and Selena Gomez were the Best Dressed of the night in my humble opinion. Ciara and Dianna Agron were the two I'd place on the Worst Dressed List - one left too little to the imagination and the other was too dark and dreary for the Grammys. The show was a great spectacle of wonderful entertainment and deserving winners. Best New Artist and Album of Year left me with the “who the 'f' are you” feeling that everyone else on Twitter seemed to be feeling. Or as my brother's text read when the Grammy Awards had ended with Arcade Fire's win, "This must be a joke." The music lover that I am is happy however, because now I get to fill up my itunes library with new and interesting music. My favorite performances of the night go to Katy Perry (“Not Like the Movies” is my favorite song on her Teenage Dream album), Rihanna and Eminem, Rihanna and Drake (Not a bad night for RiRi), and Mumford and Sons (They may be my new favorite band). While I do love Lady Gaga’s new song, her performance under-whelmed me. Perhaps because she went first, but I was glad she won Best Pop Vocal Album. On an end note, if I hear “It’s a quarter after one” one more time, I may punch someone. Nice job Lady Antebellum, but make new music.
Yesterday was Valentine's Day - a truly perplexing "holiday" if I'm being honest. I spent the day I would prefer to call February 14th in a hotel room in Hartford, CT reading the Sunday NY Times and watching Gossip Girl. I hope that doesn't sound too depressing because it wasn’t for me! Even though I am single, I do not need one day to show love to the ones I care about. I try to do that 365 days a year. Cynical and depressed I am not on Valentine’s Day – I’d say I’m indifferent to it. Maybe next year if I’m in a relationship, I’ll be happy to go out to dinner and receive a yummy box of chocolates, but I would rather have that and flowers on a random day in a random month when the one I care about feels like doing so – It shouldn’t be an obligation. That said, any day that celebrates love is a good one, but let’s try to spread love everyday. Too much love never hurt anyone.
I experienced my second business trip of my big girl career over the last two days and it was another great experience. My boss gave me my positive review on Monday and we then discussed me moving full time once my co-worker goes out on maternity leave. I'm so thrilled! I will learn so much more working 40 hours a week and the increase in money to help pay for rent is not too shabby either. I really love business trips. There is something fun about traveling on a comfy Amtrak train, eating yummy room service food and jumping on a hotel bed (you’ll never know if that actually happened)...all for free! It was oddly relaxing and our office in Hartford is a beautiful building where the CEO and boss of my boss works – It’s professional and an inspiring place to visit. Too bad Hartford is in the middle of nowhere and a little frightening. If only there was a magic man who could transport that building and all of the wonderful people in it to New York City.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Interning 101 - Timeliness is Close to Godliness?
Remember those career Gods I was going to begin praying to at the end of yesterday’s post…I don’t think they’re listening. To any interns or new employees out there reading, I want to give a few examples on my blog of the things not to do while in any entry level position. This will work out wonderfully for you. I will write about all of the things I’ve done wrong in the work force, and you will go out of your way not to repeat them. Lose/Win ☺ I will title these posts “Interning 101.” Believe me, I’m learning a lot!
Today’s post is dedicated to time management. I am probably the most on time person I know. You tell me 4 o’clock, I’m there at 3:50. It’s just who I am. I rarely had trouble getting to class or an exam at college, but like all of humankind, I am not perfect. And I have had my slips – I once slept through the last class before an exam where we had to turn in our final essays. I made it just as class was dismissed and the Professor thankfully took my paper. This morning was another slip. I was up at 6:15, way before my alarm goes off, to feed my roommate’s cat. The little bugger had been whining since five. I fell back to sleep and my alarm went off at my normal wakeup times of 6:50 and again at 7:10. Both times I silenced it because of the simple fact that I thought I was awake…just closing my eyes for a few short minutes. Fast forward – I woke up groggily to the sun filling my room. My phone was buried under mountains of blankets so I quickly jumped up and turned on my computer to look at the time. It must be my ancient ancestors in my blood, but the sun told me it was not 7:30am. My computer read 9:08 as did my phone that I finally found. I had slept in!
This happens to everyone from time to time. I did not have an important meeting early this morning or something that needed my attention by 9:30, and I made record time and made it to the office by 9:40 – yes I did look like a walking zombie all day. I’m lucky I put on the same color shoes. What frustrated me even more so was the fact that I had been late yesterday, however I had made my boss aware of my situation. I was returning from Jersey and had left my access card on my dresser in NYC. Not only did Dad and I have to make the two hour drive into the city, but we had to get way uptown once we were here and then head back downtown to our offices (Dad was not so pleased with me). Oh and Dad decided to recall his forgotten jacket at home twenty minutes into our ride so we had to turn around. I made it into the office by 10:15. I then told one of my superiors late last night that I would be here bright and early this morning since I didn’t have to do that horrible NJ commute anymore…Oops!
Suffice to say it’s been a bad week. I’m very fortunate to be in a company that gives some flexibility, and I always stay till six if I’m late such as mornings like today to make sure I put in all of my time. Tardiness is not something that I take lightly and I am very hard on myself when moments like these arise. But crying on the subway is not going to get me to work any earlier. I’m happy that I woke up at nine and not ten, and I will make sure tomorrow to wake up when my alarm goes off. So my advice is this: Try not to fret – it won’t help matters; Get plenty of sleep so the alarm is not your worst nightmare in the morning; and try with all of your might to get to work on time. It reflects poorly on you and I always feel better when I’m at work before my bosses are in. It’s my “me” time when I can grab some tea and catch up on the news of the day. Instead, this morning I had no breakfast and started working the moment I turned on my computer…with my un-brushed hair getting in the way.
Today’s post is dedicated to time management. I am probably the most on time person I know. You tell me 4 o’clock, I’m there at 3:50. It’s just who I am. I rarely had trouble getting to class or an exam at college, but like all of humankind, I am not perfect. And I have had my slips – I once slept through the last class before an exam where we had to turn in our final essays. I made it just as class was dismissed and the Professor thankfully took my paper. This morning was another slip. I was up at 6:15, way before my alarm goes off, to feed my roommate’s cat. The little bugger had been whining since five. I fell back to sleep and my alarm went off at my normal wakeup times of 6:50 and again at 7:10. Both times I silenced it because of the simple fact that I thought I was awake…just closing my eyes for a few short minutes. Fast forward – I woke up groggily to the sun filling my room. My phone was buried under mountains of blankets so I quickly jumped up and turned on my computer to look at the time. It must be my ancient ancestors in my blood, but the sun told me it was not 7:30am. My computer read 9:08 as did my phone that I finally found. I had slept in!
This happens to everyone from time to time. I did not have an important meeting early this morning or something that needed my attention by 9:30, and I made record time and made it to the office by 9:40 – yes I did look like a walking zombie all day. I’m lucky I put on the same color shoes. What frustrated me even more so was the fact that I had been late yesterday, however I had made my boss aware of my situation. I was returning from Jersey and had left my access card on my dresser in NYC. Not only did Dad and I have to make the two hour drive into the city, but we had to get way uptown once we were here and then head back downtown to our offices (Dad was not so pleased with me). Oh and Dad decided to recall his forgotten jacket at home twenty minutes into our ride so we had to turn around. I made it into the office by 10:15. I then told one of my superiors late last night that I would be here bright and early this morning since I didn’t have to do that horrible NJ commute anymore…Oops!
Suffice to say it’s been a bad week. I’m very fortunate to be in a company that gives some flexibility, and I always stay till six if I’m late such as mornings like today to make sure I put in all of my time. Tardiness is not something that I take lightly and I am very hard on myself when moments like these arise. But crying on the subway is not going to get me to work any earlier. I’m happy that I woke up at nine and not ten, and I will make sure tomorrow to wake up when my alarm goes off. So my advice is this: Try not to fret – it won’t help matters; Get plenty of sleep so the alarm is not your worst nightmare in the morning; and try with all of your might to get to work on time. It reflects poorly on you and I always feel better when I’m at work before my bosses are in. It’s my “me” time when I can grab some tea and catch up on the news of the day. Instead, this morning I had no breakfast and started working the moment I turned on my computer…with my un-brushed hair getting in the way.
Monday, February 7, 2011
5 Months and Counting...
Today is my fifth month anniversary at my internship! Where has the time gone? Fall was a complete blur. I can’t recall if I actually did anything all autumn long. I consider five months at an internship a huge accomplishment. I have learned so much in such a not-so-short period of time and I feel thoroughly prepared to take on a full time position now. I plan to find out next week if my internship will move full-time, so sending happy thoughts my way would be much appreciated!
It makes me smile when I think about how I’m never quite satisfied. I went to high school and dreamt of college; I went to college and dreamt of New York; I moved to New York and my dreams have turned from Intern to Editor-in-Chief. While it’s important to live in the present (and I don’t do this enough!), I don’t think my quest for perfection is a poor quality per se – I always strive to be better. What’s the harm in that? My internship has me working part time, and while the time off is great, I want full-time. I have two days off a week that are just for me. I can do whatever I would like, and during those two week days I usually do three things: Catch up on my Netflix/TV shows from the past week, workout for a solid hour and search online for full-time jobs that will prevent me from doing the previous two things stated.
Most people hope to obtain a full-time job once they graduate college. People who rent apartments on the Upper West Side and have cable bills to pay hope to land a full-time position even more so. The reason I find my frustrations amusing is because I have a feeling in the next month or two, I’m going to have this all figured out. I will be working forty hours a week and comfortably residing in this beautiful city one way or another. I may even be able to attend more shows or go out to dinner more often. I should be enjoying these two extra days off right now because soon these free days will be gone forever. Eventually I’m going to have to commute on the subways on a Friday and wake up early again on Monday just like the rest of the world.
Instead of pouting on Thursday mornings when I wake up at 10am and watch Gossip Girl for several hours, I’m going to start putting my free time to good use. I have made up my mind to take my GRE exams this year. I have been away from school for too long and waiting any longer will only make it more difficult to study for an exam. So this Thursday, I’m going to find a little coffee shop near Columbia, take a seat next to a charming grad student (and maybe we’ll even start up a lovely conversation☺) and begin educating myself on math problems I haven’t dealt with since early in my college career – and that was a liberal arts math class where the professor wrote the first equation of the quarter on the board during week five and told us not to panic (Hmm, maybe that grad student can become my tutor instead?) My job search will continue, but I have faith in this great company I am interning for. They like me, I like them and I understand the job. The odds are in my favor, but just in case, I’ll also use my free time praying to the career Gods in hopes that they will help this job work out.
It makes me smile when I think about how I’m never quite satisfied. I went to high school and dreamt of college; I went to college and dreamt of New York; I moved to New York and my dreams have turned from Intern to Editor-in-Chief. While it’s important to live in the present (and I don’t do this enough!), I don’t think my quest for perfection is a poor quality per se – I always strive to be better. What’s the harm in that? My internship has me working part time, and while the time off is great, I want full-time. I have two days off a week that are just for me. I can do whatever I would like, and during those two week days I usually do three things: Catch up on my Netflix/TV shows from the past week, workout for a solid hour and search online for full-time jobs that will prevent me from doing the previous two things stated.
Most people hope to obtain a full-time job once they graduate college. People who rent apartments on the Upper West Side and have cable bills to pay hope to land a full-time position even more so. The reason I find my frustrations amusing is because I have a feeling in the next month or two, I’m going to have this all figured out. I will be working forty hours a week and comfortably residing in this beautiful city one way or another. I may even be able to attend more shows or go out to dinner more often. I should be enjoying these two extra days off right now because soon these free days will be gone forever. Eventually I’m going to have to commute on the subways on a Friday and wake up early again on Monday just like the rest of the world.
Instead of pouting on Thursday mornings when I wake up at 10am and watch Gossip Girl for several hours, I’m going to start putting my free time to good use. I have made up my mind to take my GRE exams this year. I have been away from school for too long and waiting any longer will only make it more difficult to study for an exam. So this Thursday, I’m going to find a little coffee shop near Columbia, take a seat next to a charming grad student (and maybe we’ll even start up a lovely conversation☺) and begin educating myself on math problems I haven’t dealt with since early in my college career – and that was a liberal arts math class where the professor wrote the first equation of the quarter on the board during week five and told us not to panic (Hmm, maybe that grad student can become my tutor instead?) My job search will continue, but I have faith in this great company I am interning for. They like me, I like them and I understand the job. The odds are in my favor, but just in case, I’ll also use my free time praying to the career Gods in hopes that they will help this job work out.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
How I Wish I Could Hibernate…
After a whirlwind weekend and a crazy Monday at work, I’m finally chatting with my lovely readers again. I firmly believe that exposure is what is going to get me noticed in the writing world, so I sent my last blog post to a fellow “tweeter” on twitter – @BroadwayGirlNYC who has almost 8,000 followers and a weekly column on Broadwayworld.com. I genuinely wanted her to read about my own Broadway moment last Wednesday night. In regards to my post, she wrote back “This is beautiful!” I was thrilled that someone who I respect so much as a writer and fellow theatre attendee would have such wonderful things to say about my own writing. I saw tonight that @LaCageBroadway, the show's twitter feed, also read my post and sent me a kind message. One more giant step towards a full time writing career!
I’ve decided to dedicate this particular post to my recent “obsessions.” January is the slowest month of the year (thank God it’s over!) and February has the tendency to drag as well – not to mention there is a certain “couples” holiday that makes all us singles in the world feel, hmm…what are the words I’m looking for, depressed? Less worthy? Alienated from all restaurants, movie theaters and flower shops? Luckily for me, I’ll be spending v-day in a hotel in Hartford, Connecticut by myself on a business trip…with a pint of ice cream. Doesn’t that sound like a fun night? In order to get my mind off of the snow, ice, frigid temps and my singleton lifestyle, I have found ways to occupy my time lately with the following…
-All things Natalie Portman. I have seen Black Swan and No Strings Attached, and Natalie is one of the few actors who has what it takes to be considered one of the greats someday. She is not the typical Hollywood starlet and I LOVE that about her. She enjoys her privacy, graduated from Harvard, wears only vegan clothing and chooses movie roles based on how strong the female characters are. I’ve admired this woman since she starred in Star Wars and V for Vendetta, and now I can’t wait to watch her career blow up. Even her romantic comedy with Ashton Kutcher is getting killer reviews simply because it’s not your typical rom-com…this one has substance. I can’t wait to see this lovely, brainy starlet win her first Oscar. And I have a feeling that baby she’s going to pop out in a few months is going to be one good looking kid.
-Ivanka Trump’s book “The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life.” Career books are my guilty pleasure (some people read romance novels, I read books on advancing in the corporate world), and this is my favorite one yet (although Kelly Cutrone’s book that I referenced in a post I wrote eons ago was pretty great too). I really admire Ivanka simply because she could have turned into Paris Hilton and didn’t. She is a smart and savvy business woman who also happens to be beautiful and a Trump. I haven’t finished the book yet, but she gives some really great insight on how to succeed. Like her father, she hasn’t used her name as an excuse to party, have lots of sex, and use cocaine from time to time, but rather as a tool to further her own career. And according to Ivanka, we all have a tool at our disposal as well. Discovering it is half the battle. She has created shoe and jewelry lines and is VP of real estate development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization…all at 29! I love reading about strong, powerful women and encourage all my women readers to do the same. And one day, I hope we all can be as successful as this inspiring woman.
-My new gym. I can’t get enough of my new gym membership. I still have yet to try many of the classes, but I am so grateful that I’m able to get home from work, change into workout clothes, walk the 11 blocks to my gym (as my warm up), complete a thorough workout and walk back home…all in time for Modern Family. I have been trying to get there 4 times a week, but with the way this winter’s been going, I may step it up to five/six. What better way to warm up from the zero degree weather than to go run out all of your stress. The treadmill is not my favorite way to run (my shins don’t enjoy it much either), but it’s ten times better than running in the snow and slipping on ice. And once I’m there, stepping it up from 30 minutes to one hour seems like no big deal. Who really wants to go back out into the arctic anyway? Even though I am paying an arm, a leg and a few fingers for my membership, it has been totally worth it to shake away those winter blues.
I’ve decided to dedicate this particular post to my recent “obsessions.” January is the slowest month of the year (thank God it’s over!) and February has the tendency to drag as well – not to mention there is a certain “couples” holiday that makes all us singles in the world feel, hmm…what are the words I’m looking for, depressed? Less worthy? Alienated from all restaurants, movie theaters and flower shops? Luckily for me, I’ll be spending v-day in a hotel in Hartford, Connecticut by myself on a business trip…with a pint of ice cream. Doesn’t that sound like a fun night? In order to get my mind off of the snow, ice, frigid temps and my singleton lifestyle, I have found ways to occupy my time lately with the following…
-All things Natalie Portman. I have seen Black Swan and No Strings Attached, and Natalie is one of the few actors who has what it takes to be considered one of the greats someday. She is not the typical Hollywood starlet and I LOVE that about her. She enjoys her privacy, graduated from Harvard, wears only vegan clothing and chooses movie roles based on how strong the female characters are. I’ve admired this woman since she starred in Star Wars and V for Vendetta, and now I can’t wait to watch her career blow up. Even her romantic comedy with Ashton Kutcher is getting killer reviews simply because it’s not your typical rom-com…this one has substance. I can’t wait to see this lovely, brainy starlet win her first Oscar. And I have a feeling that baby she’s going to pop out in a few months is going to be one good looking kid.
-Ivanka Trump’s book “The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life.” Career books are my guilty pleasure (some people read romance novels, I read books on advancing in the corporate world), and this is my favorite one yet (although Kelly Cutrone’s book that I referenced in a post I wrote eons ago was pretty great too). I really admire Ivanka simply because she could have turned into Paris Hilton and didn’t. She is a smart and savvy business woman who also happens to be beautiful and a Trump. I haven’t finished the book yet, but she gives some really great insight on how to succeed. Like her father, she hasn’t used her name as an excuse to party, have lots of sex, and use cocaine from time to time, but rather as a tool to further her own career. And according to Ivanka, we all have a tool at our disposal as well. Discovering it is half the battle. She has created shoe and jewelry lines and is VP of real estate development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization…all at 29! I love reading about strong, powerful women and encourage all my women readers to do the same. And one day, I hope we all can be as successful as this inspiring woman.
-My new gym. I can’t get enough of my new gym membership. I still have yet to try many of the classes, but I am so grateful that I’m able to get home from work, change into workout clothes, walk the 11 blocks to my gym (as my warm up), complete a thorough workout and walk back home…all in time for Modern Family. I have been trying to get there 4 times a week, but with the way this winter’s been going, I may step it up to five/six. What better way to warm up from the zero degree weather than to go run out all of your stress. The treadmill is not my favorite way to run (my shins don’t enjoy it much either), but it’s ten times better than running in the snow and slipping on ice. And once I’m there, stepping it up from 30 minutes to one hour seems like no big deal. Who really wants to go back out into the arctic anyway? Even though I am paying an arm, a leg and a few fingers for my membership, it has been totally worth it to shake away those winter blues.
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