Being in love

Someone suggested to me that I post a blog on "being in love". Wow. This could be a multi-part series. In order to write intelligently about this, we need to delve further into the word "love".

I love where I live. I love the beach. I love the mountains. I might even love you, the reader. Don't get your hopes up though because I probably don't....unless I want something from you. Then, I might love you. A LOT.

Our society is obsessed with "being in love" and "finding the right person". It's amazing how many countless websites are out there to help you with love. What's funny is that there are these sites that help you express love and rate your chances of love. Sites that help you find love and make sure that love never dies.

I say screw all that and just be in love with yourself. I am. It works really well. I'm my best friend and lover. I LOVE Me. I LOVE everything about Me. I never argue with Me. I am always good to Me. In short, it is all about Me.

Working on a Saturday

I started my new job yesterday and so I spent a good part of the day moving into my new office. Of course, the beautiful day outside was just torturing me as I slaved away under artificial sunlight that I have grown to love. If what we have to look forward to is the weekend, but we don't actually spent the weekend doing what we love, then there's really no point in calling it a weekend now, is there?

It's amazing how many people out there work over the weekend. Here's the funny thing - when has a lower white color job employee ever worked over the weekend? That is, when has a secretary ever worked more than her 40hrs/week? Let's say that she's been an executive assistant for many years and gets paid $80,000/yr. That means that a CPA or an attorney or a broker making that much per year is actually earning less on an hourly basis. Think about it - how many professionals do you know who work more than 40hrs/week?

Here I am, working my butt off, but making less than a secretary. Where is the justice?? Maybe I should just go and become someone's assistant.

Unusual encounters

The Internet has certainly created a most interesting medium for people to meet each other, among all the other things like online shopping, stock quotes, evites, research, etc....The main focus today is on human interactions. Five years ago, it was most certainly taboo to say "Oh, I met him/her online" and now it is much more acceptable. I know that at least 20% of my friends have utilized an online dating service at one point and time in their lives!

Having said that, it is still quite strange to develop a relationship of any level with someone that you "meet online". Behind the screen of the Internet, people can conjure up anything. Some may create a fake persona for themselves. Still, others are photoshop experts who can brush away even the most hideous of flaws.

Personal blogging is a whole different level of online interaction because people reveal so much of their personal lives on it. The fact that so many people are interested in other peoples' lives has made me come to the conclusion that we are a society of voyeurs on some level. What is my point here? My point is that it's strange that we can meet people halfway around the globe without even leaving the comforts of our home!

The Day After

Short, sweet, and to the point. I would like to thank everyone in my life for showing me their love for me. Thanks for coming out to celebrate my birthday last night and showing me you care. Thanks for being special people in my life. I am truly lucky to have each and everyone one of you in my life and I hope that I am able to provide the same kind of joy in yours. So many people showed up to dinner and to the club last night. Many others called me to wish me a "Happy Birthday" and others actually sang to me! To all those dear to my heart, near and far, I love you all! Thanks for making my birthday special!

We will now resume with our original program of sarcasm......

Corporate politics

Why do people feel a need to be a brown noser? Don't people have a little bit more self respect than that??? I'm sure everyone out there knows of someone in their office, or worse yet, someone among their friends, who is a brown noser. This is the person who tries too hard to please their manager. This person can pretend to be your best friend, but will use any information garnered from you for their benefit. Ah yes, where would corporate America be without these wonderful creatures of the workplace????

Some of you might be wondering "How do you recognize this specimen?" Well, Bruingirl, as the expert in yet another poignant category of life, knows how:

1) Brown-noser (BN) starts to dress like the boss, whether it be a pearl necklace (get yer mind outta the gutter, kids) or French cuff dress shirts.
2) BN starts to enjoy all the same things as the boss - speedboats, triathlons, underage girls....
3) BN becomes a spy for the boss, narking on anybody that might hold a negative viewpoint about the evil corporation for whom they all work - Hitler-jugend anyone???
4) BN starts to talk and laugh like the boss, using the same words and demeanor.
5) BN walks around the office with an attitude of someone who is more important than he/she really is in the great scheme of things.
6) BN goes out to lunch with boss and claims it as a "travel & expense", failing to understand that T&E are used on clients.
7) BN gets a new position created for him/her in the office so that he/she can justify his/her existence at the company.
8) BN is the first one during a meeting to raise his/her hand to offer an explanation on a question that is posted by boss.
9) BN makes a point to sit in front of the conference room for every meeting.
10) BN has the same bathroom schedule as the boss, going to the bathroom whenever boss goes.

That, my friends, is the profile of the brown noser that secretly (or openly) resides in all of our offices!

6-man Tournament

Debauchery at its finest. That is what the 6-man tournament is all about. Some may call it a volleyball tournament, but let's get real. Let's call it what it should be called. Drunken attempt at volleyball.

Grown men and women, dressed up as though they were entering a Halloween costume contest....flopping around in the hot sand and attempting a dig....as friends yell encouraging things to their teammates over the megaphone....

The oopah loompahs against the male fairies. The Lakers against the WWE. There were some interesting costume choices this year, as there are every year. Perhaps next year, my girlfriends and I will enter. Any ideas on costumes????

Out of Africa

My parents just came back from visiting my younger brother in Africa. He's on a missionary trip to the country of Mauritania - one of the poorest countries in the world! There is no running water. There are no beds, just mats on the mud floors. There are no showers - just a big bucket of water that everyone in the family (20+) shares. There are no utensils, just your hands. It is a country forgotten by everyone and still stuck in the Biblical days of the Old Testament.

It amazes me how so many people take everything in their lives for granted! I know so many people who complain (and are truly unhappy) about the most asinine things!!!! Have you ever read the Rant and Rave section on Craigslist??? Those people are so negative that it makes me laugh! Then, there are those whose biggest contemplation in life is the decision between one luxury car or another. It's one thing to shop around and weigh the pros and cons of each. It's another thing to drag it out for months on end and have it really eat away at you to the point of having it negatively affect your marriage (yes, I know someone like this personally).

Sometimes, we all have to take time to gain a different perspective on our lives. If you didn't have a car or a feathertop bed, could you be happy? If you didn't have any clothes besides maybe 3 sets of clothes and shoes, could you be happy? If you didn't get to eat at Nobu and other "high-end" restaurants every week, could you be happy? Could you be happy with just your family and friends? Could you be happy with just enough food for sustenance and enough clothes to keep you modest?

Something deep to think about on this hump day......

Terrible TV shows

I feel like I'm being redundant by preceding "TV shows" with the word "terrible". Why? Well, because I feel as though I'm pointing out the obvious. All TV shows are terrible. Why in the world would people watch some of these shows that exist???? What idiot at the studio gave the "a-okay" for these shows to be produced???

As if we don't already have enough TV shows based on Southern California towns, I just discovered another charming show! It's called "Laguna Beach: The Real OC", on MTV. It claims to be a reality show, but is so scripted that you would have to be an idiot to think that it was the real deal. HP and I were running down the list of all the shows named after SoCal towns and its amazing how many there were! There was "Pasadena", "Beverly Hills: 90210", "Melrose Place", "The OC", "Laguna Beach", and "Baywatch" which was based in Malibu. Am I missing any? I'm waiting for "The Southbay - Life of a Surfer" or "Palos Verdes: Making the Grade" or "Brentwood - The OJ days".

The people who watch these lame ass shows need to be beat (btw, this site has the greatest list of people that are in need of some serious beating). I mean, seriously, don't you people have anything better to do with your lives? Maybe try going to the gym? Maybe try reading a book? Maybe try serving your community?