In a follow-up to my most recent post I would like to add just a wee bit more. After our lovely moment with the squirrels yesterday morning, disaster struck at the Racek bathroom window. In addition to the Raceks 3 children, the children of their good friends came over. Tommy and Evvy are around the same age as the other children. Well... during nap time we were trying to separate the children so they would actually go to sleep. Since we knew Tommy and Dawson, both age 3, probably wouldn't sleep we set them up in the bathroom so they wouldn't disrupt the other kids. (Just in case you think this is cruel or unusual to put children in the bathroom the Raceks bathroom is the size of a normal sized bedroom so it's not too horrible.)
Anyway I was checking my email in Lisa's office which is across the hall from the bathroom. I was listening to the boys giggles and bumps. All of a sudden I heard a really loud BUMP! But afterward no one was crying so I figured they just knocked something over. Well Lisa came down the hall and swung open the door. To our surprise the boys had climbed onto the counter, opened the window, busted out the screen and had dumped all the bath toys onto the squirrels nest. We look out and the mama squirrel was looking pretty upset. When questioned as to why they had done this the boys replied, "We wanted to cheer them up so we were letting them play with our toys!" I had to vacate the room immediately before I broke into hysterical laughter.
We were all just happy the mama squirrel didn't attack the boys because they threw all the toys in the nest. We also had to check the house for squirrels in case the babies had come in. Joe retrieved the toys by attaching duct tape to the end of a stick (Lisa's idea) but kept dropping the big green plastic frog on the nest.
When all is said and done the mama and babies are doing ok a little shook up but hanging in there. Today we took a nature walk and had a picnic lunch in the botanical gardens at UCLA. I think the squirrels must be communicating because we were accosted by 7 squirrels who kept trying to get food. I know the mama squirrel must have told on us.
And now for something completely different. I was hanging out with two of my guy friends last night and surprise surprise we were talking about dating. I got into it with one of them about why he wasn't pursuing a relationship with someone and one thing led to another and well here goes...They both said it would be interesting if I put relationship (romantic) tips at the end of my blog entries so I can share with you all the sage advice I shared with them. now realize I clearly don't have a romantic relationship, but who cares...It's my blog.
Tanika's Relationship Tip#1: Consistency. When interested in someone of the opposite sex be consistent in your behavior towards them. If you are interested in them and would actually like to pursue them then make some APPROPRIATE advances or if they make advances toward you then respond. Don't respond one day then the next act like you aren't interested. All you'll do is complicate matters and make life difficult for the both of you. On the other hand if you like someone and aren't interested in pursuing them. Get out of the way and let someone else have an opportunity. If you don't have the guts to start a relationship with someone then move on. Don't act like you like them today then go "Oh my god! what did I do?" Then act stone cold the next time. That's sophomoric and annoying. (I'm talking to both guys and girls here.) Unless you are particularly close treat your same sex friends the same. Unless it's understood don't single out one person for special attention. That's confusing. As I said unless it is understood what is going on. If you are good pals, fine, but please make sure all parties know this. DTRs can be a good thing. That's it for today and as always enjoy.
I am 50% Left Brain and 50% Right Brain. Interesting...
| You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained |
 Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports. |
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Domestically challenged...
Or as my friend Eric said last night what's it like living in a transition home? Do I get to go out for a little bit after my chores are done? I told him as long as I make sure every last spot is dusted I can stand on a little square patch of grass. I'm just kidding. I'm actually quite happy and comfortable at the Raceks. I've been missing having a family around me. I don't mean all the cool supportive friends I have. I mean that feeling like I'm loved, supported, and accepted everyday. It's definitely had a positive affect on my attitude. When I get home sometimes I wanna talk and sometimes I don't, but Lisa is so cool that she seems to get that and is always loving and supportive of me despite my moods.
I've officially been switched over and am watching Alias. It's the first "new" show that I have started watching. I mostly watch shows that are in syndication only. Although I'm only watching old episodes. It's all out of order. I watched the second season, then half of the third season, and now I'm watching the first and 3rd season simultaneously.
I had a really cool moment this morning though. I was getting dressed and I look out the bathroom window and a squirrel was looking me dead in the eye. Upon closer inspection I noticed that there was a pile of leaves to the right of the window and right outside the window was a mother squirrel and her 3 babies. Where the Raceks live the bathroom window is protected by this kinda "cage" about 1 1/2 ft away from the window. Inside the squirrel had made a nest and had babies. I ran out and told them to come quick there were squirrels at the window. Lisa, Katie, and Will came in and we watched the little family. The mother was nursing the babies. She was looking all exhausted. Squirrel babies can be very trying apparently. One bit her tail and she started screeching at it. They didn't seem to scared of us. I told Lisa, "See everyone likes staying here. Even the squirrels."
Anyway just wanted to share that little story. Have a good day and enjoy.
I've officially been switched over and am watching Alias. It's the first "new" show that I have started watching. I mostly watch shows that are in syndication only. Although I'm only watching old episodes. It's all out of order. I watched the second season, then half of the third season, and now I'm watching the first and 3rd season simultaneously.
I had a really cool moment this morning though. I was getting dressed and I look out the bathroom window and a squirrel was looking me dead in the eye. Upon closer inspection I noticed that there was a pile of leaves to the right of the window and right outside the window was a mother squirrel and her 3 babies. Where the Raceks live the bathroom window is protected by this kinda "cage" about 1 1/2 ft away from the window. Inside the squirrel had made a nest and had babies. I ran out and told them to come quick there were squirrels at the window. Lisa, Katie, and Will came in and we watched the little family. The mother was nursing the babies. She was looking all exhausted. Squirrel babies can be very trying apparently. One bit her tail and she started screeching at it. They didn't seem to scared of us. I told Lisa, "See everyone likes staying here. Even the squirrels."
Anyway just wanted to share that little story. Have a good day and enjoy.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Hail, Mary
This past week I was reading an article titled "Hail, Mary" in Time magazine written by David Van Biema. Since yesterday was Easter he was pointing out that though she was at the cross "Protestants seldom talk about Jesus' mother at Easter-or at most other times. But they are starting to now." (check out some of the links on the page especially Virgin Faith)
Biema was talking about a pastor, Rev. Brian Maguire, who had a brainstorm due to a scheduling conflict involving Good Friday (the Day Jesus was crucified) and the day of Annunciation when Mary learns from Gabriel that she will give birth to the Messiah. This year both fell on Friday March 25. While Roman Catholics are prepared for this eventuality celebrating the Annunciation on April 4th. Most other Christians weren't. Maguire said instead of just preaching about Jesus this Good Friday he would also bring in Mary as well. "She should play a part in that-because she was the first and last disciple to reach out during his life." Biema says throughout the article there has been a movement in the Protestant faith to recognize Mary as she should be.
I have to say that when I first became a Christian there was a lot of emphasis on Jesus. Which isn't a bad thing, however when broaching the subject of Mary it seemed to be a policy of "Silence is Golden." Biema says, and I also agree, that this has largely to do with a reactionary position that Protestants took when separating from the Catholic church. Because Mary had been elevated to a position of near worship, which some Protestants view as idolatry they have chosen to downplay Mary's significance in the Bible.
What was kinda cool was that last year on Mother's Day Joe and Lisa Racek, two really good friends of mine (Joe is also a pastor at Kairos), gave a teaching about Mary. One of the books that Lisa said she found most helpful was titled "Jesus called her mother". She was saying that when she was a girl there was definitely an anti-Mary sentiment. Like other denominations they felt that there is something we can learn, by studying the character of Mary, just like there is something when learn by study other people of the Bible.
When writer Kathleen Norris talked about her upbringing she said, " We dragged Mary out at Christmas...and...packed her safely in the creche box for the rest of the year. We...denied [her] place in Christian tradition and were disdainful of the reverence displayed for her, so public and emotional, by Catholics. I personally am always interested in women in the Bible so Mary has featured largely in my studies, but only insomuch as finding out what roles women should play in the church. In that sense I've tried to look at Biblical women as character models.
I think that in reaction to so many years of denigrating Mary, there is a chance that she might have too much emphasis placed on her...if that is possible. I was discussing with my friend Mark the other day and he was saying that he thinks that Mary should be more recognized, but that there could be a reactionary backlash that brings Mary into too much prominence i.e. bringing her to a position equivalent with Christ. I don't know whether that is true or not.
According to Biema a critic of Protestant Faith said that it seems that the treatment of Mary is odd because Protestants claim that they are trying to get an accurate view of the Bible though they seem to leave Mary out of it. Biema finishes by saying there is a pro-Mary movement in the Protestant church. He says when thinking on this subject, "It gives us a chance to look at our doctrine and to ask, 'What do we actually teach?"
It all made for some interesting reading. Please feel free to share your thoughts. As always have a good day and enjoy.
Biema was talking about a pastor, Rev. Brian Maguire, who had a brainstorm due to a scheduling conflict involving Good Friday (the Day Jesus was crucified) and the day of Annunciation when Mary learns from Gabriel that she will give birth to the Messiah. This year both fell on Friday March 25. While Roman Catholics are prepared for this eventuality celebrating the Annunciation on April 4th. Most other Christians weren't. Maguire said instead of just preaching about Jesus this Good Friday he would also bring in Mary as well. "She should play a part in that-because she was the first and last disciple to reach out during his life." Biema says throughout the article there has been a movement in the Protestant faith to recognize Mary as she should be.
I have to say that when I first became a Christian there was a lot of emphasis on Jesus. Which isn't a bad thing, however when broaching the subject of Mary it seemed to be a policy of "Silence is Golden." Biema says, and I also agree, that this has largely to do with a reactionary position that Protestants took when separating from the Catholic church. Because Mary had been elevated to a position of near worship, which some Protestants view as idolatry they have chosen to downplay Mary's significance in the Bible.
What was kinda cool was that last year on Mother's Day Joe and Lisa Racek, two really good friends of mine (Joe is also a pastor at Kairos), gave a teaching about Mary. One of the books that Lisa said she found most helpful was titled "Jesus called her mother". She was saying that when she was a girl there was definitely an anti-Mary sentiment. Like other denominations they felt that there is something we can learn, by studying the character of Mary, just like there is something when learn by study other people of the Bible.
When writer Kathleen Norris talked about her upbringing she said, " We dragged Mary out at Christmas...and...packed her safely in the creche box for the rest of the year. We...denied [her] place in Christian tradition and were disdainful of the reverence displayed for her, so public and emotional, by Catholics. I personally am always interested in women in the Bible so Mary has featured largely in my studies, but only insomuch as finding out what roles women should play in the church. In that sense I've tried to look at Biblical women as character models.
I think that in reaction to so many years of denigrating Mary, there is a chance that she might have too much emphasis placed on her...if that is possible. I was discussing with my friend Mark the other day and he was saying that he thinks that Mary should be more recognized, but that there could be a reactionary backlash that brings Mary into too much prominence i.e. bringing her to a position equivalent with Christ. I don't know whether that is true or not.
According to Biema a critic of Protestant Faith said that it seems that the treatment of Mary is odd because Protestants claim that they are trying to get an accurate view of the Bible though they seem to leave Mary out of it. Biema finishes by saying there is a pro-Mary movement in the Protestant church. He says when thinking on this subject, "It gives us a chance to look at our doctrine and to ask, 'What do we actually teach?"
It all made for some interesting reading. Please feel free to share your thoughts. As always have a good day and enjoy.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
That's all I was trying to say...
Just wanted to point out that I have officially started the restaurant review section of my blog. Off to the side you will see that there is a new category. Restaurant Reviews. If there is something more interesting you would like me to do please let me know, i.e. more sarcasm, pictures, map links. I'm trying to make this something interesting for you to see. Also if there is a review you would like to share please let me know. This is all experimental.
Other than that things are have been pretty interesting. I've actually had interviews for two jobs this past week. One at the Starbucks that Tim Fescoe (a really cool guy I know) works at and also another one for a position as property manger for a company named GLB Properties. Both went really well I think. I had a second interview with GLB. So we'll see. In case you didn't know I'm not leaving the Mathnasium, but since I only work about 20 hours a week I need something else to do and I also could use the cash flow. Sista gotta eat you know.
Anyway I'll keep you posted on Jobquest 2005. Other than that not much else. I've mostly been commenting on other people's blogs and working on another site where I write more mundane things about myself. (Hey no one asked for that smart comment). And yes it is more mundane than this. Feel free to check it out. I'm trying to get some pictures up there, but I'm camera shy so I don't have many photos digital or otherwise, but I'm back so get ready.
As always have a good day and enjoy.
Other than that things are have been pretty interesting. I've actually had interviews for two jobs this past week. One at the Starbucks that Tim Fescoe (a really cool guy I know) works at and also another one for a position as property manger for a company named GLB Properties. Both went really well I think. I had a second interview with GLB. So we'll see. In case you didn't know I'm not leaving the Mathnasium, but since I only work about 20 hours a week I need something else to do and I also could use the cash flow. Sista gotta eat you know.
Anyway I'll keep you posted on Jobquest 2005. Other than that not much else. I've mostly been commenting on other people's blogs and working on another site where I write more mundane things about myself. (Hey no one asked for that smart comment). And yes it is more mundane than this. Feel free to check it out. I'm trying to get some pictures up there, but I'm camera shy so I don't have many photos digital or otherwise, but I'm back so get ready.
As always have a good day and enjoy.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Erin go braugh...Good Times and green chips!
Yesterday I headed for the nether regions of the Los Angeles universe (i.e. The Valley). I was really tired and not quite feeling 100% because of a recent cold, but upon my arrival I found out that I was going to attend the tradition Kelsy Grace St. Patrick's Day celebration. Because I'm currently between residences I didn't have any green clothing to wear. I know I know. My favorite color is green. 90% of what I own is green and yet I was still greenless. As a result of having Michelle almost pinch my arm off upon arrival I was franticly searching my friend's apt looking for something green to wear lest I get pinched within an inch of my life. I finally found a postcard with some grass on it and tucked it into my shirt.
When Shannon got there she was like, "no this won't do my family is going to be there and and will pinch you to death." (My worst fears realized). So she offered me a fluffy decorative green scarf to wear. You know the ones girls wear with tank tops because they are fashionable. Well it went against everything I believe in to wear clothing that doesn't serve a functional purpose, but as Shannon and Michelle pointed out I was preserving my very life. So I threw it on and tossed one end over my shoulder and walked out the door with my head high.
We had a great time. We bought green chips and green salsa and pretty much anything else at the store that was green. We had a "traditional" Irish dinner( and by traditional I mean this is what they do) of cornbeef, cabbage and floury white potatoes. It was really tasty except the cornbeef part. I'm not a big meat eater and meat that is still pink is not high on my list. We had apple martinis and heinekens(because they were green and cheap) and good times listening to Irish music and dancing jigs.
I've never been big into celebrating St. Patty's Day. Last year was different, Will was born and I joined my coworkers for a "liquid lunch", but other than that I wear green and pretty much chill out. It was good getting into a festive mood.
I've decided to pick up where I left off in blacksburg. So I'm going to post a weekly restaurant review. So stay tuned for my next post. For those of you who live in a L.A. or will visit it in the near future I'm going to review some good and not so good restaurants in the Los Angeles County. Have a good day and as always enjoy.
When Shannon got there she was like, "no this won't do my family is going to be there and and will pinch you to death." (My worst fears realized). So she offered me a fluffy decorative green scarf to wear. You know the ones girls wear with tank tops because they are fashionable. Well it went against everything I believe in to wear clothing that doesn't serve a functional purpose, but as Shannon and Michelle pointed out I was preserving my very life. So I threw it on and tossed one end over my shoulder and walked out the door with my head high.
We had a great time. We bought green chips and green salsa and pretty much anything else at the store that was green. We had a "traditional" Irish dinner( and by traditional I mean this is what they do) of cornbeef, cabbage and floury white potatoes. It was really tasty except the cornbeef part. I'm not a big meat eater and meat that is still pink is not high on my list. We had apple martinis and heinekens(because they were green and cheap) and good times listening to Irish music and dancing jigs.
I've never been big into celebrating St. Patty's Day. Last year was different, Will was born and I joined my coworkers for a "liquid lunch", but other than that I wear green and pretty much chill out. It was good getting into a festive mood.
I've decided to pick up where I left off in blacksburg. So I'm going to post a weekly restaurant review. So stay tuned for my next post. For those of you who live in a L.A. or will visit it in the near future I'm going to review some good and not so good restaurants in the Los Angeles County. Have a good day and as always enjoy.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Freality Television
I don't know about you but I enjoy the Geico commercials. They are funny and the stick in your head. The one that got me most recently was the Tiny House commercial. It shows a couple who have agreed to live in a small house for one year. I laughed so hard at the end. I don't watch reality television at all. Sorry missed that boat. But for the length of the commercial I thouhgt hmmm maybe I'll watch this one. It seems like it could have great comedy potential. Watch it here.
Monday, March 14, 2005
A life less ordinary
At Kairos we are currently in the middle of a six part series called Hollywood and the Ancient Text. What the series does is take films and the Ancient Text (scripture) and bring them into dialogue with each other. This is the second year we have done this. We usually have a time during the message where we interact with each other and share our thoughts about the movie or scripture.
This past week JR talked about Maria Full of Grace. When this movie first came out I wasn't very eager to watch it because it is difficult for me to watch movies with strong thematic plot lines involving issues that I'm sensitive about. Maria Full of Grace is definitely one of those movies. For those of you who haven't seen it check out the link above.
Maria's story is one of tragedy and heartache. Forced to take employment at one of the few honest jobs in her town she spends her entire day de-thorning roses. She lives in social and economic oppression from the government with no hope of improving her situation. At least not legally. I don't want to give to much of the movie away, but basically she ends up working for the drug cartel in Columbia because it is an opportunity for her to earn enough money for her family. JR brought up a lot of good points during his talk. One I particularly thought about was how much I actually have with respect to others. Socially, politically, and economically. Living in a place like L.A. it is easy to look at the people with all the big houses and fancy cars and say. Look how hard my life is. I don't have 5 cars and my own private jet. Man does my life suck. It's easy for me to look in one direction when it comes to poverty. JR pointed out that 1.3 billion people live in desperate poverty (i.e. on a dollar a day) Then another 2 billion live on 2 dollars a day. He was sharing with us statistics not just about Columbia, but also about other countries like India and Kenya with respect to the United States. He also shared about groups and organizations that are helping to improve the situations of these people. It was encouraging to think that I could be a part of helping improve the life of my fellow man.
I have taken several trips to Haiti and have seen first hand the state of people who live in desperate poverty. I worked at an orphanage where the children were the result of deaths of parents or abandonment from violence or starvation. The gov't is always on the cusp of being overthrown and the people are kept in social, economic, and political oppression. I worked through an organization that helps people in 3rd world/developing countries. It was frustrating because no matter how much you gave and worked it felt like it wasn't enough. I would go back the next year and it seemed like everything I had done would be gone. The basic problem was that the people had no opportunities. No chance for making a life better for themselves or their children. They couldn't see the point of trying to make any improvement because nothing was going to change. Even though they would try to overthrow the government their mindset hadn't changed.
I was going home with a friend of mine later that evening and he was telling me what his solution would be to someone like Maria. He said he would tell her to go somewhere to the midwest maybe and find a good church / humanitarian organization that could help her. I didn't want to burst this person's bubble so I chose not to say anything negative about this solution. I didn't point out that there are billions of people in the same situation as Maria. We can't send them all to the midwest. It is difficult to see what the best way is to improve the condition of life for an individual let alone a country.
My friend Mike mentioned a legend about Prometheus who wanted to help man by giving him the tools he thought man needed to advance. But if man wasn't also given foresight and training the eventually it would lead to his destruction. Anyhoo that's enough of that. Have a good day and as always enjoy.
This past week JR talked about Maria Full of Grace. When this movie first came out I wasn't very eager to watch it because it is difficult for me to watch movies with strong thematic plot lines involving issues that I'm sensitive about. Maria Full of Grace is definitely one of those movies. For those of you who haven't seen it check out the link above.
Maria's story is one of tragedy and heartache. Forced to take employment at one of the few honest jobs in her town she spends her entire day de-thorning roses. She lives in social and economic oppression from the government with no hope of improving her situation. At least not legally. I don't want to give to much of the movie away, but basically she ends up working for the drug cartel in Columbia because it is an opportunity for her to earn enough money for her family. JR brought up a lot of good points during his talk. One I particularly thought about was how much I actually have with respect to others. Socially, politically, and economically. Living in a place like L.A. it is easy to look at the people with all the big houses and fancy cars and say. Look how hard my life is. I don't have 5 cars and my own private jet. Man does my life suck. It's easy for me to look in one direction when it comes to poverty. JR pointed out that 1.3 billion people live in desperate poverty (i.e. on a dollar a day) Then another 2 billion live on 2 dollars a day. He was sharing with us statistics not just about Columbia, but also about other countries like India and Kenya with respect to the United States. He also shared about groups and organizations that are helping to improve the situations of these people. It was encouraging to think that I could be a part of helping improve the life of my fellow man.
I have taken several trips to Haiti and have seen first hand the state of people who live in desperate poverty. I worked at an orphanage where the children were the result of deaths of parents or abandonment from violence or starvation. The gov't is always on the cusp of being overthrown and the people are kept in social, economic, and political oppression. I worked through an organization that helps people in 3rd world/developing countries. It was frustrating because no matter how much you gave and worked it felt like it wasn't enough. I would go back the next year and it seemed like everything I had done would be gone. The basic problem was that the people had no opportunities. No chance for making a life better for themselves or their children. They couldn't see the point of trying to make any improvement because nothing was going to change. Even though they would try to overthrow the government their mindset hadn't changed.
I was going home with a friend of mine later that evening and he was telling me what his solution would be to someone like Maria. He said he would tell her to go somewhere to the midwest maybe and find a good church / humanitarian organization that could help her. I didn't want to burst this person's bubble so I chose not to say anything negative about this solution. I didn't point out that there are billions of people in the same situation as Maria. We can't send them all to the midwest. It is difficult to see what the best way is to improve the condition of life for an individual let alone a country.
My friend Mike mentioned a legend about Prometheus who wanted to help man by giving him the tools he thought man needed to advance. But if man wasn't also given foresight and training the eventually it would lead to his destruction. Anyhoo that's enough of that. Have a good day and as always enjoy.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Hmmm...
In follow-up to my last post and also in response to an excellent blog Lauren posted I have been thinking a lot about some of the thoughts I've had concerning male/female relationships. Upon reflection I think I should apologize for the comment I made in my previous blog when I said that some of my guy friends are like girl friends. I guess I get so used to guys referring to me as "Just one of the guys." that I have adopted that phrase to refer to my guy friends as "Just one of the girls." I don't mind a guy feeling comfortable around me, but as Lauren stated I don't want him to forget I'm a woman. (i.e. scratching, and belching and being vulgar and disrespectful of women). I mean I still have confidence as a woman, but man does my ego take a beating. On the other hand when I refer to a guy with similar terms it can seem pretty harsh. I mean let's get real, no guy wants a woman to think of him in feminine terms.
But when I refer to a guy as just one of the girls I still regard him as a man. For example, I have a friend Mark, who I feel extremely comfortable with and would think of as just one of the girls. I usually go to him with questions concerning guys. Whether I just wanna bounce ideas or if I'm trying to figure out why guys are the way they are. The only difference between Mark and most other guys is that I feel comfortable enough with him that I know I can be open and honest and not have to stress about him thinking I'm interested in him or worrying about if he is just trying to get ...well you know.
I was talking to my friend Mary about the fact that I have a lot of guy friends and they usually confide in me about things. She was saying that with some guys they have girls they feel safe with. Girls they don't have to stress about romantic involvement with and can just be themselves around. Her husband Todd walked in as we were talking and agreed with her saying before he was married he had girl friends like that. So I feel that for my guy friends who think I'm a safe girl, I think of them as a safe guy. I also know that my safe guy friends don't get all freaked out if feminine issues come up. Like I don't get squeamish if guy issues come up. It's just life, deal with it!
My only real stress is when I'm interested in a guy and I don't wanna end up in the safe girl zone. Because once there it's hard to get out. Although there is always a possibility...Guys I know have definitely gone from safe guy zone to the ummm...we can't hang out with each other as much or it's gonna cause me some problems zone. HAHAHAHA! You know who you are.
Alas that's all I have to say about that. Have a good day and enjoy.
But when I refer to a guy as just one of the girls I still regard him as a man. For example, I have a friend Mark, who I feel extremely comfortable with and would think of as just one of the girls. I usually go to him with questions concerning guys. Whether I just wanna bounce ideas or if I'm trying to figure out why guys are the way they are. The only difference between Mark and most other guys is that I feel comfortable enough with him that I know I can be open and honest and not have to stress about him thinking I'm interested in him or worrying about if he is just trying to get ...well you know.
I was talking to my friend Mary about the fact that I have a lot of guy friends and they usually confide in me about things. She was saying that with some guys they have girls they feel safe with. Girls they don't have to stress about romantic involvement with and can just be themselves around. Her husband Todd walked in as we were talking and agreed with her saying before he was married he had girl friends like that. So I feel that for my guy friends who think I'm a safe girl, I think of them as a safe guy. I also know that my safe guy friends don't get all freaked out if feminine issues come up. Like I don't get squeamish if guy issues come up. It's just life, deal with it!
My only real stress is when I'm interested in a guy and I don't wanna end up in the safe girl zone. Because once there it's hard to get out. Although there is always a possibility...Guys I know have definitely gone from safe guy zone to the ummm...we can't hang out with each other as much or it's gonna cause me some problems zone. HAHAHAHA! You know who you are.
Alas that's all I have to say about that. Have a good day and enjoy.
Monday, March 07, 2005
You say she's just a friend...
This weekend I hung out with a lot of fellow Hokies and we had good times and interesting conversations. Of course you know when you get together in a large group of guys and girls interesting comments will start to fly.
I was telling everyone about plans I was making to hang out with some friends of mine. When I said the list of people who were going some of the guys said, "Hey aren't any guys going with you?" I said , "No it was gonna be a girls weekend." Then I said, "Well there are a couple of guys who could go with us because I don't really think of them as guys. They are just like having girl friends." Of course the guys got all upset when I said this. Now I know there is at least one girl out there who will agree with me when I say there are guys in most girls lives that we will only ever view as a platonic friend. And as far as I'm concerned they are asexual. Some of the guys nearly blew a fuse. They were all yelling at me saying I couldn't say that about guys.
When I got home I started thinking about it and I started reflecting back on all the times that a guy has STRESSED it to me how he only ever viewed me as a friend and would NEVER have any romantic interest in me. This generally didn't bother me as I had no romantic interest in them either. It did bother me if I did, but I managed to get over it. I know there are other girls out there who have had this happen to them as well. The guy never said I was asexual, but trust me I knew I was. The only difference was I actually SAID I thought of my guy friends as asexual. I know of 3 guys in that room who if I had challenged them and they were HONEST then they would say they viewed me as a platonic friend and would never be romantically interested in me. I have known those guys long enough to know this.
Knowing that none of those guys are the least bit interested in me besides friendship I can't help but wonder why they were all upset when I made my comments. I guess it was the other girls chipping in saying they had guy friends they viewed the same way. Now in all fairness I think it is important to be up front and honest with people about your feelings. Especially if you are a guy and girl and spend a lot of time with each other. I feel it is important to know where you stand. Because sometimes when you are innocently hanging out with someone, wanting only friendship, they might develop feelings for you and because your relationship isn't clearly defined as only friendship it could cause some serious problems. But it seems to me that it's cool for a guy to say hey this girl is only my friend to other people, stressing how he could never, ever ever be possibly interested in her because heaven forbid a girl he might be interested in think he would actually want to date his friend. On the other hand when I say that and say there is no way I would ever want to date my guy friend they get all huffy and say I'm hating on guys. Maybe it was just the guys I was hanging out with.
Or maybe it's just another example of me emasculating the men in my life. Right Mark? Well anyway have a good day and enjoy.
I was telling everyone about plans I was making to hang out with some friends of mine. When I said the list of people who were going some of the guys said, "Hey aren't any guys going with you?" I said , "No it was gonna be a girls weekend." Then I said, "Well there are a couple of guys who could go with us because I don't really think of them as guys. They are just like having girl friends." Of course the guys got all upset when I said this. Now I know there is at least one girl out there who will agree with me when I say there are guys in most girls lives that we will only ever view as a platonic friend. And as far as I'm concerned they are asexual. Some of the guys nearly blew a fuse. They were all yelling at me saying I couldn't say that about guys.
When I got home I started thinking about it and I started reflecting back on all the times that a guy has STRESSED it to me how he only ever viewed me as a friend and would NEVER have any romantic interest in me. This generally didn't bother me as I had no romantic interest in them either. It did bother me if I did, but I managed to get over it. I know there are other girls out there who have had this happen to them as well. The guy never said I was asexual, but trust me I knew I was. The only difference was I actually SAID I thought of my guy friends as asexual. I know of 3 guys in that room who if I had challenged them and they were HONEST then they would say they viewed me as a platonic friend and would never be romantically interested in me. I have known those guys long enough to know this.
Knowing that none of those guys are the least bit interested in me besides friendship I can't help but wonder why they were all upset when I made my comments. I guess it was the other girls chipping in saying they had guy friends they viewed the same way. Now in all fairness I think it is important to be up front and honest with people about your feelings. Especially if you are a guy and girl and spend a lot of time with each other. I feel it is important to know where you stand. Because sometimes when you are innocently hanging out with someone, wanting only friendship, they might develop feelings for you and because your relationship isn't clearly defined as only friendship it could cause some serious problems. But it seems to me that it's cool for a guy to say hey this girl is only my friend to other people, stressing how he could never, ever ever be possibly interested in her because heaven forbid a girl he might be interested in think he would actually want to date his friend. On the other hand when I say that and say there is no way I would ever want to date my guy friend they get all huffy and say I'm hating on guys. Maybe it was just the guys I was hanging out with.
Or maybe it's just another example of me emasculating the men in my life. Right Mark? Well anyway have a good day and enjoy.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Good Times...Noodle Salad
It's been a very interesting couple of days. Although I am currently a domestic free spirit (i.e. I don't have an apartment anymore) I have been entertaining out of town guests. Lauren, who hasn't been to L.A. in many a long year, and by many a long year I mean she was here like 2 weeks ago. Also have a girl I went to university with, named Anne, is staying with me as well.
Saturday we spent the day at Venice beach, soaking up the salt air and enjoying the rhythmic drums of a protest. We also had four guy friends hanging with us who are visiting from Virginia for Spring Break. A couple of them are planning on moving out here in a couple of months, which I am really excited about. For all of these guys it was there first time in L.A.
One guy who I have known for quite a few years was born and raised in the small town where we all went to university. It was actually his first plane trip, which I also thought was pretty cool since I love flying so much. I asked him what he expected when got to L.A. and he said. He expected to get mugged, maybe see some shootings, and he expected there to be crazy homeless people everywhere. I started laughing. He said, "Why are you laughing?" I said because I have lived in L.A. a little over 2 years and I still haven't seen that stuff yet. Yeah there are a few crazy homeless people, but most of them just happened to get into a situation they didn't know how to get out of. They are just like everyone else wanting a better life.
Most people that I talk to who have never been to L.A. or any other major city before think the same thing about L.A. I guess if you watch t.v. shows that portray L.A. as a crime infested city. While there is crime it is pretty much the same as anywhere else. The only part of L.A. that can be eye opening is Hollywood. If you have never been to L.A. I won't spoil it for you. But it isn't what you think it is. Just like any other part of Los Angeles. However I think that everyone is enjoying their stay in sunny southern California. They are all just happy they don't have to wear coats or jackets. Anne can't seem to stop commenting on the people here that wear coats and hats even though it is sunny and warm outside. I told her that in Los Angeles fashion knows no temperature. Leather jackets are cute, so what if you have a heat stroke. At least you look good going to the hospital. I'll keep you updated on any hijinks of Spring Break Los Angeles 2005.
Have a good day and as always enjoy.
Saturday we spent the day at Venice beach, soaking up the salt air and enjoying the rhythmic drums of a protest. We also had four guy friends hanging with us who are visiting from Virginia for Spring Break. A couple of them are planning on moving out here in a couple of months, which I am really excited about. For all of these guys it was there first time in L.A.
One guy who I have known for quite a few years was born and raised in the small town where we all went to university. It was actually his first plane trip, which I also thought was pretty cool since I love flying so much. I asked him what he expected when got to L.A. and he said. He expected to get mugged, maybe see some shootings, and he expected there to be crazy homeless people everywhere. I started laughing. He said, "Why are you laughing?" I said because I have lived in L.A. a little over 2 years and I still haven't seen that stuff yet. Yeah there are a few crazy homeless people, but most of them just happened to get into a situation they didn't know how to get out of. They are just like everyone else wanting a better life.
Most people that I talk to who have never been to L.A. or any other major city before think the same thing about L.A. I guess if you watch t.v. shows that portray L.A. as a crime infested city. While there is crime it is pretty much the same as anywhere else. The only part of L.A. that can be eye opening is Hollywood. If you have never been to L.A. I won't spoil it for you. But it isn't what you think it is. Just like any other part of Los Angeles. However I think that everyone is enjoying their stay in sunny southern California. They are all just happy they don't have to wear coats or jackets. Anne can't seem to stop commenting on the people here that wear coats and hats even though it is sunny and warm outside. I told her that in Los Angeles fashion knows no temperature. Leather jackets are cute, so what if you have a heat stroke. At least you look good going to the hospital. I'll keep you updated on any hijinks of Spring Break Los Angeles 2005.
Have a good day and as always enjoy.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Off without a hitch..
As you know I previously posted about the movie hitch that I saw recently. It was very funny. I was talking to my friend Anna about planning to go see it and she saw it recently as well. Please go see her thoughts on the subject. This is merely a response to the post she made. I felt like my comment on her blog did get a touch long.
As I said in my previous post I'm not one for modern romances for various reasons. And yes I'm a hater. But Anna brought up and interesting point about the movie Hitch. I won't give the movie away, but she said that while most guys and of course supermodel girls can identify with the characters in this movie it's hard for the average girl to find a character to identify with. Not that it's necessary to identify with characters in a movie. It would just be nice. I pointed out there was one country girl a friend of the main character who kept dating jerk guys. I guess the Hitch director, Andy Tennant, didn't want to make a movie that focused to much on jerk guys. They had one jerk guy and that pretty much covered it. It wouldn't have been too much of a comedy if they actually showed how the average girl somehow seems to end up with the jerk guy.
This past week my good friend Macia's boyfriend, they just started dating, but who I have known for two years, lost his mind and they broke up. He didn't give any reasons he just flipped out lost it treated her like crap and that was it. I'm sure there are women out there who do this to men. Doesn't make it right. I talk to my fair share of guys and girls. I'm that kind of person, but I can't even attempt to count the number of girls I have heard say that they would rather be single because the types of guys who try to pursue them turn out to be...well you know the word. I can count on one hand the number of guys who have said the same. Most of the guys who I know who want to stay single, want to for personal reasons, because they aren't ready for relationships, or because they haven't found the right girl. Not because women are jerks and treat them so bad. Sorry to be such a hater, but alas it's me. But as I said it wouldn't quite be a comedy if you maybe a movie like that. That is why Hitch is soooo funny. As always have a good day and enjoy.
As I said in my previous post I'm not one for modern romances for various reasons. And yes I'm a hater. But Anna brought up and interesting point about the movie Hitch. I won't give the movie away, but she said that while most guys and of course supermodel girls can identify with the characters in this movie it's hard for the average girl to find a character to identify with. Not that it's necessary to identify with characters in a movie. It would just be nice. I pointed out there was one country girl a friend of the main character who kept dating jerk guys. I guess the Hitch director, Andy Tennant, didn't want to make a movie that focused to much on jerk guys. They had one jerk guy and that pretty much covered it. It wouldn't have been too much of a comedy if they actually showed how the average girl somehow seems to end up with the jerk guy.
This past week my good friend Macia's boyfriend, they just started dating, but who I have known for two years, lost his mind and they broke up. He didn't give any reasons he just flipped out lost it treated her like crap and that was it. I'm sure there are women out there who do this to men. Doesn't make it right. I talk to my fair share of guys and girls. I'm that kind of person, but I can't even attempt to count the number of girls I have heard say that they would rather be single because the types of guys who try to pursue them turn out to be...well you know the word. I can count on one hand the number of guys who have said the same. Most of the guys who I know who want to stay single, want to for personal reasons, because they aren't ready for relationships, or because they haven't found the right girl. Not because women are jerks and treat them so bad. Sorry to be such a hater, but alas it's me. But as I said it wouldn't quite be a comedy if you maybe a movie like that. That is why Hitch is soooo funny. As always have a good day and enjoy.
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