Attention to Detail

I have a tendency to skip details from time to time, but nothing is worse than the email I just received from an old fling (the one who was more into David Gregory - http://theunsinkablemollybrownnyc.blogspot.com/2010/06/yea-he-said-that.html). I mean, he did mention that we should get together again, albeit 4 months ago...

hello all - sorry for the blast, but my phone decided it didn't want to remember anyone's phone numbers when I got back from Asia, so will you all please send me your contact info? Thanks!

Note to him... Pay attention to the details and stop being lazy, don't send a mass email to a girl you haven't spoken to in months.

Really man!

The Night My Sister Pimped Me Out

With my sister in town, it's usually a pretty good time. This particular weekend, was no exception. As we head to Brooklyn (yes, Brooklyn) for a Blues Traveler concert (really, this is the truth), we had some objectives. Fun, obviously, but if my sister could either find me a job or a date, she would get bonus points. Here is how the night unfolded...

After a rousing game of Brooklyn bingo (points for plaid, plastic rimmed glasses, facial hair, strange hats, etc...), we sat down for a little bite to eat with our drinks. My sister starts talking to this bubbly girl, who just happens to be Rachel Ray's cousin. No joke! Here I'm thinking, maybe I'll get a job with Rachel Ray, how great! Rachel Ray is there, at the concert. My sister goes over, dances by her, hugs her husband, and continues to work towards making a move, but is unsuccessful in the end.

Our focus shifts as we realize that we need better seats. I spot this cute guy, who happens to be on the upper level. My sister goes up to him, starts chatting, points at me, and next thing you know, we are in the VIP section, free drinks, food, and a guy who happens to be totally into me.

My sister totally pimped me out, earning her bonus points and multiple free drinks (which she paid for the next day). What I get? A cute boy who is eager to go out with me and a great weekend with my sister!

Networking - The New Pick Up Spot?

So I'm looking for work and putting myself out there, making a ridiculous amount of networking events. Now, I have heard people make the comparison of networking and dating. I get that, really. I mean, you dress up, put on a happy face, and seek out that connection. But I didn't really think that people would be at these events seeking out jobs and more.

At a recent NYU alumni event, I started chatting with this man after the speaker finished. He was older and married, looking to stop selling his soul in finance and seek out something with a little more heart. As we took the subway back uptown, we continued chatting. I found him an interesting contact (and nothing more). We exchanged cards and he head back to the suburbs to his wife and kids.

A passenger sitting next to me on the train started laughing once the doors shut and the train continued uptown, asking if that was the end of a date. I laughed and stated that we had just come from a networking event together. To which I got the following reply...

"Lady, that guy was interested in more than you job aspirations..."

Trick or Treat

As I am contemplating what slightly skanky version of something I should consider for the Halloween party I am attending this evening, my attention is driven to underneath my bookcase, where I see a little mouse scuttling by.

Instead of freaking out (as I did in my old apartment when I had the same issue), I calmly sat on my couch, pausing the old Friends episode I was watching, and got bothered. Ugh, now I have to get off my ass and get mouse traps, when what I really need to be doing is my hair and getting myself ready for this party.

I throw on my old college sweatshirt (which had spaghetti sauce down the front of it), skinny jeans and my flip flops and head over to the Duane Reade with my hair half done. I am surrounded by the slutty cop, the naughty nurse, and Tarzan as I ask the staff where I can find mouse traps. Yes, I am buying mouse traps, not body glitter, not beer, not candy.

As I set the traps, finish doing my hair (which came out great, by the way), and throw my witch's hat on, I realize, I am not about games. I take care of business and move forward. So take that my little mouse squatter!

**Writer's Note - the mouse has yet to be caught, but I am happily sharing my space**

The wrong attention...

As I settle back into reality, I am throwing myself into my life and more importantly, the job search - recognizing that the rent isn't going to pay itself. I find, however, that I keep getting the "wrong" attention in both areas.

I feel refreshed and revived, knowing I deserve better than I was getting before, both personally and professionally, but I guess the world hasn't caught up with me just yet. I figure, all attention should be good, right? Not so much. As a friend of the family set me up with a contact in my field, I went off for an interview, although I was skeptical that this will be a match. I was right. After two interviews and an insulting job offer, it almost makes me feel that my luck in finding that perfect job opportunity is bleak, especially since this has the only contact I have had.

On a more personal note, I continue to get calls from an ex, who is so eager to pay me the attention that he decided I wasn't good enough for almost a year ago. Persistence may pay off in the job market, but not as far as this is concerned

Let's hope the stars align and the attention turns more fruitful, as I continue to edit who I allow myself to receive attention from. I might be trying to put myself out there on all sorts of levels, but this is just the beginning...

Predictability

It's been a little overwhelming since coming home from Africa. There is so much going on around me, so much access, so many people - a definite deviation from the bush. I've been a bit of a hermit, keeping myself in my apartment, slowly integrating back within my world.

As I head out with friends to watch the Phillies (who ultimately choked), we landed at a local dive bar. Surprise of all surprises, everyone there was under 30 and in finance. I'm so over the predictability and realizing I know what I can get from that scene - not much.

I'll take my chance on me today, seeing what I can come up with, recognizing based on recent experiences that it is a hell of a lot less predictable than what NYC men have been able to offer me.

A Different Kind of Junkie...

As I have been in Africa now for a few weeks, I'm realizing that my priorities are changing. I am becoming a different kind of "junkie". No longer am I focused on seeking the perfect date and navigating the single scene in New York City. What I am seeking are new, more exciting adventures. I can navigate the dating scene, there isn't much new there (as it turns out), it has become quite predictable. Today, it's adventure, it's the adrenaline rush I'm after.

Last night while listening to the bull frogs and relaxing under the stars, I started chatting with a local guy, who offered to take me around Victoria Falls and show me all I need to see before I leave. Great, I think to myself, a little date in the middle of Africa! As I head out first thing in the morning for my white water rafting trip along the Zambezi River (boasting class 4 and 5 rapids, by the way), I was excited for the power packed day, including my afternoon rendezvous.

As soon as I capsized on the first rapid, I needed more. The idea of leaving after a half day of rafting was no longer satisfying. I needed to continue, chasing after the feel good feeling that this rush provided. With no way to contact my impromptu tour guide, I continued along the river, getting tossed around and rushing through the most amazing adventure!

Upon my return, this poor guy was sitting waiting for me, two hours later. Shame! With bruises, mud, and a huge smile on my face, I let him gently know that my heart was on the river that day...