Wednesday, October 31, 2007

28

So today I turn 28. It's an interesting age. It's not much different than 27, but it seems much closer to 30. A friend of mine, who recently turned 28, called me this morning to wish me a happy birthday. He asked if I was happy about turning 28. Happy? That wasn't really the word I would use.

He pointed out that the one good thing about it was, as a professional, you're one year further from being considered the "kid" in the office. That I can agree with. I actually work with people younger than me now. Even Boss 1 is younger than me (even though he's deep in denial about it). It's hard to get people to take you seriously to begin with when you're a young woman. You have to work extra hard to prove your talent and earn respect. Being older helps the situation.

Other than that, I suppose another year of life experience is good. I've learned a lot in the past year, but there have been very tough lessons to learn. 27 kicked my butt, and I hope 28 is nicer to me.

Friday, October 26, 2007

reunion

Back in third grade, there was a girl I did everything with. After school, I'd go to her house and watch Punky Brewster and Beverly Hills Teens (yes, it's a real cartoon; look it up on YouTube). In fact, she may have been my first female best friend. She moved back to Mexico after that year, and we lost touch.

I never forgot about her, and I thought about her often. Then one day in college, I got an email asking if I went to X Elementary School in Y class. It was Melissa! She tracked me down! We did a lot of catching up and emailed back and forth a lot. We'd even talked about me coming to visit her in Mexico. Well, when I moved to another apartment that summer, I changed email addresses and forgot to take my address book with me. I lost her address!

Fast forward six years to this week. I had still thought about her over the years, and searched for her on MySpace and Facebook with no luck. I mean, for all I knew, she had gotten married and changed her name. Then I realized I hadn't done the simplest thing of all - I never Googled her! So that's just what I did. I came up with the lead singer of a rock band in Mexico. At first, I thought, "Nah, that couldn't be her. It's probably a stage name anyway." But the pictures looked like her, the town was the same town she had lived in six years ago, and when I saw her wearing an A&M hat, I knew it had to be her!

So I sent her a message asking what elementary school she went to. And I got back "HEEEEYYYY JENNIFER! I..M SO HAPPY TO READ YOU AGAIN, I..D SEARCHED ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND ALL I HAVE IS YOUR WEDDING PIC!!!!" Yay!!! I found her again and my former BFF is a rock star in Mexico! How cool is that??

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

little miss sunshine

So I was trying to fit in a quick phone interview for an article I'm writing for Second Job yesterday. I had been trying to get in touch with this company out of Houston that has been in charge of the redevelopment of a local strip center. After having my emails and phone calls ignored from the lady who calls herself the Leasing Representative, I decided to call the main Houston number and see what happened. What happened was that I was transferred to a lady apparently in charge corporate communications out of the New York City office. For the purposes of this blog, I will refer to her as Little Miss Sunshine. After playing phone tag a couple of times, here is the conversation that ensued:

Me: Hi. I was returning your call...

LMS: Yeah. Uh huh.

Me: I am writing a story about one of your properties, and I just wanted to ask you a few quick questions. Do you have time or should I email you?

LMS: No just do it now.

Me: How did your company get involved in the redevelopment of the center...

LMS: It's our center.

(Knowing that's not entirely true, I seek clarification.)

Me: So you're working together with--

(LMS interrupts)

LMS: No! It's OUR center!

Me: Oookay... What kind of improvements have been made during the redevelopment?

LMS: Kohl's is opening October 1st and Spec's is opening September 29th. (note: not only was my question about the architectural changes, not the stores, she's speaking about the past is if it were the future)

Me: So do you have anything else planned in the near future?

LMS: You already asked me that!!! We want to change our tenant mix.

(I wonder if she has a phone up to each ear and is actually having two different conversations simultaneously)

Me: Alrighty. What type of tenants are you looking to attract?

LMS: Just the ones who will fill up available space. You already asked me that!

(I swallow hard to keep from saying something nasty.)

Me: Do you have access to a site plan or rendering you can send to us?

LMS: It's on the website.

(note: On the website, there is a large banner that says SITE PLAN COMING SOON)

Me: Well thanks so much for your time.

LMS: *click*

You'd think a person in the corporate communications field would be required to have - I don't know - communication skills. After all, I am giving them free advertising in a newspaper that is distributed to the homes of all of their potential customers for that center. And, not to be nasty, but that shopping center has needed customers since the early 90s. I think I may have call the company back and point that out to Little Miss Sunshine's boss.

Friday, October 19, 2007

nerds

I have always been a huge nerd. Maybe I'm disillusioned, but I like to think I hide it fairly well.

In first and second grade, the kid I hung out with the most at lunch and recess was the smartest kid in class who enjoyed politics and shared my fascination for long, obscure vocabulary words. To this day, I think pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (which he taught me) is still the longest word I know. Last I heard, he went to Stanford.

It wasn't long before I realized that there weren't too many kids who could relate to someone who read the dictionary for fun. So, from middle school until high school, I decided to feign interest in boys, pop music, and the cast of 90210. When there was drama because one girl wore the same Girbaud shirt as another girl, I acted just as appalled as everyone else. With most of the guys I dated, I felt the need to dumb down because I got tired of bruising their egos with my big words.

Then I met this guy who, at first, appeared to be one of those guys I used to hate in high school: an arrogant jock. Then, slowly but surely, I found out he was a nerd in hiding as well. He wrote his first computer program at age five. He won a web design award in high school. He was even a mathlete! I gotta say - it kinda turned me on! As much as he would hate me for outing him even to this day (although I don't think it's a secret that he's brilliant), I think that, as opposite as we are, that is one thing that keeps us connected. We can revel in our nerdiness together.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

mental block

Guess what. STILL can't figure out the last four 8 counts to "Fever"...and I'm teaching it for the first time tomorrow. Yay. Fortunately, I'm only teaching it to someone who is going to help me teach it to everyone else, so if I screw up, it's not in front of everyone. After all, I'm not done choreographing, so I don't have the dance memorized yet. Eek!

Meanwhile, I'm working on three articles at the same time. One is almost ready to go...I've done the interview and taken notes...I just have to write it. I haven't done interviews for the other two yet. It's not for lack of trying; it's for lack of getting people to call me back....as usual. The deadline for all three is two weeks from today, which is my birthday, and I'll be danged if I'm writing articles on my birthday!

In all of the chaos, guess what got put on the backburner once again - my screenplay. It may not be this week, but I am going to get that thing done if it kills me, which it might.

In other news, husband comes home today. It's been a little more than a week, so hopefully he's missed me a little.

Monday, October 15, 2007

dance

So I've been trying to finish choreographing a dance to "Fever" by Peggy Lee for Jr. League Ball Follies.

The costume is sexy and the song is sexy, so I've had to make sure the dance is sexy too - without being too Britney-esque or too difficult. I'm going for more sassy and less Pussycat Doll
(i.e. Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"). But, to tell you the truth, this has been a really tough one to choreograph. I haven't had this many mental blocks in quite awhile. Guess I'm just not feeling sassy. Hard to believe, right?

Anywho, I am supposed to teach this dance starting this week. I've got a wide range of dancers in my group - from former dance instructors to people who only dance in their underwear when they're alone - so it's a little nerve-wracking. It would almost be easier if I could make this a hard dance - axle turns and all. Wouldn't that be interesting in heels?

Thursday, October 11, 2007

pipe dream

Since I was about 12, I've had this dream that one of my novels or short stories would be made into a movie. My story would be loved by millions, Oprah would induct the book into her sacred book club, I'd make the talk show circuit, Conan O'Brien and I would become BFF. But, as I became immersed in the real world, that dream seemed to be slipping further and further away. In fact, I hadn't even thought about it in awhile.

Then, out of nowhere, a friend of mine from high school wrote me a message on Facebook saying that, up until a few seconds ago, he never knew I wrote narrative. Turns out my film director friend is looking for a screenplay that will get him into Cannes. Reeeaaallly? So he asked to read some of my short stories. Unfortunately, those were lost in the great computer crash of 2003. So I told him about the one that still sticks out in my mind the most. Just so happens that story is just the kind he's looking for.

Sooo...looks like I'll be writing my first screenplay this weekend. I sure hope this goes somewhere.

Monday, October 8, 2007

freebies

Just got home from the launch party of the publication I write for for Second Job. I learned a long time ago that, if you stay until the end of a party, people try to send you home with leftover food and drinks because they don't want to deal with it. I've got lunch and dinner for the next two days! They even made me take a centerpiece with me. Now, in the altered state of my half-remodeled home, displaying a flower arrangement seems a bit like putting lipstick on a pig, but at least it adds a little color.

distance

Hubby is leaving tomorrow for ten days. I guess it was a good thing that we had a long distance relationship for so long when we were dating because ten days doesn't seem so bad. After all, he used to live seven states away. But still, I miss him when he's gone. Even though I don't really see a whole lot of him when he's here, it still feels like something's really missing when he's away. The good thing is that I tend to be more productive and organized than usual when he's gone. Don't be surprised if my pantry is alphabetized by the time he gets back.

Friday, October 5, 2007

frustration

For some reason, I have been particularly whiny this week. For all my talk about handing things over to God, I should probably hand things over to God. I have a lot of frustrations going at once.

I took on Second Job so I could afford to keep First Job, but Second Job has yet to send me a check after the four articles I wrote. Meanwhile, First Job has entrusted me to come up with a stellar marketing package within 48 hours to help us close an enormously important deal (in addition to the other 10 projects I was juggling). While I should be jumping for joy at this opportunity (and deep down I am), I can't help but feel like I'm drinking from a fire hose.

Apparently, I'm not hiding it well. Boss 2 came in to ask me if I was unhappy. Both he and Boss 1 seem to worry that I'm going to leave at the drop of a hat. I assured him I like my job; I'm just overwhelmed. It made me realize I need to keep my emotions in check. I tend to think that by not talking about it, I'm doing that, but I just walk around looking angry - even if I'm just focused. I need to pray for some joy!