Dating Virginia: Double-Dipping

This past weekend was probably my busiest when it comes to “dating” – I crammed 3 dates into 2 days. Yes, readers, I double-dipped in the dating pool and met two different guys in the same day. And, of course, it’s all very story-worthy. Let’s start with date number 1:

****Note: all men have been given proper nicknames. Trying to protect the innocent (and the not so innocent) here****

"Soba noodles" and I decided to meet on Friday night and take a walk around town. It was a nice night, I agreed to meet him in a public place and I got to choose the “walking path” so that I felt comfortable walking with him at night (i.e. no dark alleys, no creepy cross-through streets, and no scary night-time parks) I should have known it would be a dating disaster when I saw him show up in a t-shirt, rolled up jeans, and flip-flops. He looked like he was heading to go find some crawdads in a creek. I wish I could say that was the worst of how he arrived! He was carrying a plastic container (one that your soup from a Chinese restaurant would come in - hence the nickname "Soba noodles") that was full of whiskey! Yes, he was drunk, sweating, stumbling all over the place, and drinking out of a plastic bowl with a top. He said he was nervous (hence the alcohol) and I felt a little sorry for the guy – so I decided to walk with him a bit. (I am entirely too nice.. I should have run away) We ended up sitting on a bench near the river – to which he said it was romantic and asked if he could kiss me. I said “um.. alright” since I was planning to leave anyway. (this is where it gets weird) He reached behind me with his hand, and grabbed my hair, took his other hand and cupped the side of my face – he then forced my chin up with his thumb and went straight for my neck. Yes, he vampired me. He connected so quickly, I had no idea what was happening --- he essentially hoover-vac’ed me. It was very fast, but it hurt really bad – no, he didn’t bite me, but it was like he was trying to suck the skin off my neck – I yelled, and pushed him off, told him that I was NOT interested in that and that I was leaving. He apologized, but I was done – I walked very quickly away at that point. AWKWARD! I have no idea what alternate universe he has lived in that would make that okay (or romantic!) but zOmg! Wtf!?

I went home, still trying to figure out what the hell had just happened, I took a shower, because I had the heebie-jeebies and when I got out of the shower, I noticed a mark on my neck. Yes, he sucked hard enough for 1.5 seconds to give me a damn hickey! Imagine how awkward it was trying to hide a hickey I got the night before on my coffee date scheduled the next day!

Date number 2: "Aerie" and I decided to meet for coffee at 1:30. As I got off the subway uptown at 1:25, I had a voicemail from him – asking if I wanted to meet “for lunch or something” that afternoon. Um.. what? I thought we had already made a plan! I called back, said that was fine, and that I could be uptown in about 15-20 minutes (Hello! I totally had other plans, but I’d be willing to drop them to meet him! Duh!) ;-)

So, I’m standing outside the café waiting for him, hair in a side pony to hide the vamp-bite on my neck (of course) and off the bus comes "Aerie". Let me paint this picture for you. He had a cute face, glasses, (I thought, “okay, good!”) then I begin the downward glance. Faded beige button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up, giant backpack, khaki cargo shorts, mountain boots with pushed down socks (almost like leg-warmer style) He looked like he had just repelled down a mountain! (Or a building) Though I could tell in the first 5 minutes that I was not really into him, I decided to stick it out and give the guy a chance. I still haven’t figured out how to just say “I’m not interested”. We sat, talked about music, which was nice (I had plenty of things to deliver to the conversation because of my mother, thanks mom!) but after a while, I was just tired of the whole thing – he talked in very poetic language – like he would say something like “One doesn’t want to be overbearing” ::hand woff:: - - so I decided to just play along. “Oh yes, I’ve traveled all over the world soul-searching!” “I just loved Australia – I spent an entire week with a shaman learning how to play the didgeridoo!” He ate it right up – he probably thinks I’m fantastic. ::sigh::

Okay, so date number 3, later that night. I was meeting "Seaman" again (I had hung out with him last weekend). Let’s see - - how to describe my “relationship” with "Seaman"…. We put up with each other in a traditional “about town-date scenario” so that we can eventually hook up. Yes, I think I have found my “summer fling”… He’s an ex-Navy guy, which I originally decided to not even go there because of the obvious C-reference, but he caught me with nothing to do on a Saturday night. The alternative was watching the Oxygen network, eating Oreos, and going to bed alone – so, I decided to meet him for drinks. Since I had already polished off half a bottle of wine before I met him, after a few beers, we were making out in dark corners in no time.

He’s cute, but he’s not someone I would really ‘date’… with the tattoos and pot smoking (not allowed near me) but we have amazing 'sexual chemistry'. Ah, whatever, I'm enjoying this for now.

I had another date last night. “Mealplan” – so named because the first 2-3 days we “talked” he kept asking me what I had to eat that day, in a “what was for lunch?” “what did you make for dinner?” kind of way… Annndddd.... I officially have my first crush! I've been on so many dates with so many different people and I normally walk away from them either completely freaked out (as you've read above) or with a general apathetic feeling. Most of the dates are "alright" but there's never been a real spark. Now, I finally got that feeling - a small flutter in my stomach when I get a message from him. Ahh! I'm feeling girly again!

But, it's also terrifying. I mean, I haven't done this in a LONG time. I don't want to get hurt again (especially over something meaningless) but I also don't want to close myself off from something that could be great. Internal struggle: commense!

Dating Virginia: The Gender Reversal

It seems that during the time I was "off the market" and "in the pit" a reversal of gender happened. We all know that typically, the women are the ones who whine to their girlfriends over mimosas saying " why didn't he call me?" "what does this text mean?" "he gave me a kiss at the end of the date and never called?! What the hell??" But, for some reason, I find myself constantly interacting with a bunch of whiny boys!

First, let's go back to February, to my first real adult date. After interacting with the guy for a few days, agreeing to meet him for dates, after date number 2, he was suddenly in love with me! Crying (yes, crying) and saying that he wanted to "love [me] forever" GAHH!

Another case: there are a few guys that I have communicated with online that will randomly send me messages like this:

OnlineGuy2298: Why haven't you said hi to me lately?
OnlineGuy2298: What did I do?
OnlineGuy2298: Do you want to meet?
OnlineGuy2298: Hello?
OnlineGuy2298: Hm, guess not.

Really? When did this happen? When did guys become neurotic little babies who bug the hell out of you in a "I'm going to keep calling you until you realize how NORMAL I am!"???

Also, guys today seem to be more insecure about themselves than women are. They constantly want to know if you find them attractive or if you like their personality. Like the guy who tells me every day that he goes to the gym. ( I get it! You work out! I'm so proud!) Or the guy that asks, "why don't you want to hold my hand? You don't like me?" (Really??)

I'm certainly not the most confident person out there, and I definitely don't have the highest self-esteem. But, I know how to carefully hide it and make guys think that I've got it all together (at least, I think so - who knows, they might be able to see right through me..)

So, to all the men out there - please, stop whining!

Dating Virginia: It's all about the number

Dating online is essentially man-shopping. I can only equate it to what it would be like to pick a sperm donor. Not that I've ever done it, but I imagine it to be something like: here's a book of eligible men and their stats. Pick the one who has the best qualities for you!

Online dating is the same way. You wade through pages and pages of men from the comfort of your could-fit-another-person bed and pick and choose the ones that you think are cute, smart, or funny. Because the website I'm using likes to rub your ego, it allows you to see everyone that has viewed you. In the same vein, you are seen by all the men after you view their profiles. So here's my technique: I spend about an hour or so each day clicking on random profiles, reading through and making mental notes about each guy. I then wait for me to pop up under their "viewed me" section. If they like me, they message me. It's the perfect combination of stealthiness and laziness. And, it saves me from the self-esteem attack that happens when you send a witty message to an eligible bachelor and get no response (ouch). This way is much better, I love it.

So, it's probably too passive of a technique to really get the "man of my dreams" (though the man of my dreams changes way too much, so there's probably not someone out there that totally "fits") But, it has worked decently so far.

So, they send messages, I check them out again to determine if I'd like to chat, and we start a conversation. A lot of times, these small chatting sessions end after a few messages, but there are a few that have matured into a full-blown volley. Then comes the next step: the phone number.

Because my phone number had to be changed after many deranged phone conversations with a former acquaintance, I have been very careful about giving out my number. But, once I become comfortable enough with someone from chatting online, I normally give out my number (only if it's asked for. Come on, now, I'm a lady!)

So, here's the thing. We chat online, we're trying to do the preliminary "get-to-know-you" stage, then the number comes out and.... nothing. What the hell? I give you my number (because you said it would be easier to communicate that way) and then you don't call?? If the phone number is such an intimidating thing, why do men ask for it to begin with?

Though I have never read the book or seen the movie, I'm a firm believer in the "He's Just Not That Into You" principle. If the guy is into you, you'll know it. He'll try. And he'll be persistent. If not, he just isn't into you! It's simple. But still, it's hard to accept that quiet cell phone.

Oh, and if any of you are wondering about my last date. Well, silent-phone. It speaks louder than words.

The Guilty Party

"Are you sure you're not Catholic? You seem to have a lot of Catholic guilt..."

It was a random comment in a jesting conversation between my roommate and me. Though I laughed it off, saying "Ha! Maybe so!" it didn't come back to me until today. I never really thought of it so directly before, but I do harbor a lot of guilt.

I feel guilty when a man holds a door open for me when he can see me down the hallway. I feel the need to rush toward the door so he doesn't have to stand there for very long.

I feel guilty if someone buys me a drink. Or if someone buys me food. I have a hard time accepting gifts.

I feel guilt when I have to ask someone to help me. And we all know how the guilt was overwhelming last fall - when really, I didn't do anything wrong in the relationship...

So where does this come from? I wouldn't categorize it as selflessness because it causes more of a self-pain and an obnoxious after-effect. Weird. I don't think I learned it from family members - there isn't really anyone else I know that has such a strong guilt-pull.

Last week, I sent an email out to my family members asking them to help me network so I could try to find some other employment opportunities. Genius, some said... but I couldn't help feel the tiny twinge of guilt after sending it. Why? They're my family! They wouldn't get upset because I asked them to talk to some people... still - there it lies. I don't get it! Ugh. I obviously need a therapist.

Part of my New Year's Resolution was to understand that it is okay to ask for help and that there are plenty of people out there that WANT to help (just as I would) but I still have a very hard time letting go and saying "could you do this for me?"

Well, half the battle is understanding that you have a problem, right? There it is, blog: I have a guilty complex.

Anything can happen here...

If you have ever paid attention to movies and tv shows that are filmed/set in New York City, you'll notice that there is a reoccurring theme - the idea that anything can happen. While I haven't exactly reached my "happy ending" there are some very strange things that have happened to me and experiences that I have pulled in that make a lot of my stories sound trite and made up. I've often been told by friends and family alike that the situations I get myself into are just "unreal".

Here's an example: On Friday afternoon, I got a G-chat message from an old college roommate (and awesome friend) saying that she was going to be in the city this weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. Since I hadn't seen her since... I really don't remember --- graduation?? ... I was really excited to spend some time with her. I met her and her friends at a place called the "Frying Pan". It is an old boat/pier that has been turned into a really awesome outdoor space for eating and drinking. I didn't really know anybody else there, but that's kind of how it is no matter where I go, so I just casually chatted with everybody there.

"Just so you know, you're sitting next to a Calvin Klein model..." Nancy leaned in and whispered to me.
"What? Seriously?"
"Yeah, he just walked the Calvin Klein show in Milan."
"Well, hot damn."

So, I was sitting next to a guy that models in his underwear. Love it! He got up a few minutes later to get a bottle of wine to split with friends and as he came back, he stepped over a grate that was covering a port-hole on the deck. The grate gave way and he went crashing down into the rusty boat. He caught himself on a table and as he pulled his leg out of the port hole, there was a gaping wound and a large amount of blood streaming down his leg. Though he brushed it off, I couldn't deny the first-aid deliverer in me.. I had to do something (not because he looks hot in his underwear, but because it would have driven me crazy to have his bloody leg next to me and my instincts wouldn't let me let it go, of course!) So I offered up my services to at least clean the wound and bandage it the best way I could.

Picture this: we are in the hull of a rocking ship, he's sprawled out on a couch (this sounds a lot sexier than it was, I assure you) while I'm running around looking for a first aid kit, there's not one there, so I have to MacGyver a bandage out of crappy paper towels. Long story short, the bleeding stops, we all keep drinking, and I throw out a couple "I saved your leg, when you're famous, I should totes get some credit" comments :)

Yes, that would be him there in the picture.

Sometimes my life is so very boring - but then sometimes I get a really good story out of a typical Saturday outing. That's the beauty of New York City, really. Anything can happen.

A world without Hope

It is with a heavy heart and bleakness of soul that I journal here tonight. For I have lost a dear friend - our beloved family pet, Hope. Tears journey down my face now as I think about the emptiness that will be felt in my house without her loving presence. She was the greatest companion one could ever wish for. The happiest of dogs, you couldn't help but fall in love with her smiling face.

We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults. Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment.

~George Eliot

Her body failed her - and though I am grateful for the ability to end and unbelievable amount of suffering for her, it is surprising how painful it is to know that she is gone. It is hard, of course, not being able to be with my family during this time. Knowing that they are hurting is as heartbreaking to me as knowing that I too have lost.

She picked us. For some time, my mother and father had secretly been searching for a puppy to surprise my sister. Upon reading about a litter of shelties in the local paper, my father ventured out to have a look at the available pups. He would later tell us that he walked into the room where the puppies were kept, and sat down on the floor. All of the puppies scattered away, afraid of the large stranger in their midst, but one, the tiniest of the litter, walked directly over and crawled into his lap. She picked us.

Some of you may know that Hope was born with a slight birth defect. She had no elbow joint in a front leg. As a puppy, she had difficulty walking, but eventually gained enough muscle strength to have a fully functioning leg - she was able to run, to fetch, and would always go to far, too fast for her small body. But as long as you were around, she was happy.

She was always there. She knew when you were happy, when you were sad, when you needed a friend, or when you just wanted to be left alone. She was the one that was there on the front porch with me that morning I received a phone call that turned my world upside-down. She was there before the margaritas and ice cream. I will never forget the way she could weasel herself up underneath your arm so that she was snuggled with you - a place she knew you wouldn't want to move from.

She was with us for too short a time. But long enough for each of us to truly understand the happiness of owning a dog. I am so very sorry for not throwing the stick more times or complaining about her fur on my black pants. If I could have just one more day, I would let her lay all day on my nicest of clothes and I would throw the ball and never tell her that I was tired.

You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

I will eternally miss you, Hope. I will miss your smiling face and your kind soul. I will miss the way you always knew, but never judged. I hope there is someone in heaven throwing the stick over and over again. And one day, I know I'll see your smiling face again. I love you, Hope. There could never be a pet as wonderful as you.

Hope Zint (akc: Laura Beth's Last Hope)

April 2004 - July 2009

D-Day

So, yesterday, 7/7/09 was my D-Day. No, not the invasion of Normandy (That was June 6th) - but Decision Day. It was the day I had selected months ago for the deadline to make a decision about what I wanted to do next year. And I have decided.

I want to stay in New York City.

It feels a lot better now that I have decided what I want to do. But, the decision is not the hardest part. The big question now is this: HOW am I going to stay in New York City? And that, my friends, is a very difficult question.

I think I ultimately made the decision to stay here a few weeks ago, and when I happily shared the news with my mother this weekend (who was visiting with my sister), she didn't exactly have the best reaction.

Essentially, she gave my "reality" a swift kick in the balls. (We're going to pretend that "reality" is a man. After all, "reality" is kind of a jerk) "That's great," she responded, "can you afford to do that?" What? Where's my "You go girl!"?? My silver-lining? Geez, mom!

While her question was completely legit, and very "mom-like", it threw me into a tail-spin. Suddenly, everything was clearer to me. I'm not in a permanent job, I'm not making nearly enough money to get an apartment, not to mention that I owe my roommate a ba-jillion dollars for my CURRENT apartment! Why in the hell do I think that this is something that can seriously be done?

I was consumed with my own thoughts for most of the past 2-3 days, still taking my mom and sister around the city, trying so hard to get them to like it as much as I've started to. We were almost to Union Square on Sunday afternoon when I stopped. Above me, there were 5 jets flying in a perfect line across the sky. "A little late for 4th of July," I mused. But, I quickly noticed that they weren't just doing a fly-over, no, this line of jets was etching something into the sky. "SKY WRITING!" my sister noticed. "Whoever CUNNING.COM is must have a lot of money to burn," my mom commented.

Though it didn't really phase me for most of the day (a day spent in Central Park and 5th Avenue), I still had a nagging feeling about it when I got home. "What is cunning.com?" I typed it directly into Google (my best friend) and I was shocked to find that Cunning is an ad agency located in NYC and London, that specializes in branding and guerrilla marketing.. What? That's exactly what I want to do! How is it that 5 jets write the name of an ad agency that I would love to work for in the sky at the exact time I was walking to the park? 10 minutes later, I would have been in the subway, completely oblivious to the cloudy message. A sign from God. "It has to be!" I thought. So, I immediately started drafting an email saying that I saw their message in the sky, loved their devotion to branding and told them that I would love to hear about any employment opportunities that may be available. Attach resume. Send.

I was so excited the next day. This was all going to work out so well! What a story I would have to tell - "What a cool business card! How did you find your amazing job?" people would ask me. "It was written in the sky," is all I'd say. Man, this was going to be great! My elation was soon halted when I got back home Monday night to find an email from Cunning saying "We're all staffed up, but we'll keep you on file!" Well, damn. There went my awesome story, my hopes, my dreams. After that, I began wondering - was my "sign from God" just a stupid coincidence? I am trying so hard to keep faith and know that I will ultimately be put where I'm "supposed" to be. But, am I misreading the signs?

_____________________________________________

Yesterday, I experienced a panic-attack inducing moment when I went to get some money out of the ATM so I could wash the sheets and towels that were used over the weekend by my visiting family. A twenty dollar bill popped out of the machine along with a receipt showing me the balance of my account.

Available Balance: $0.00

Oh.My.GOD. ZERO DOLLARS? How is that even possible? I know I was low because my rent check was just cashed, but ZERO!? How could I have been that irresponsible this month?? Then, my mother's words stung me again. I'm not going to be able to stay here. I can't afford to stay here. So what do I do? I'm desperately needing more money from a job (any job) but taking a second job isn't really an option here either. So what do I do???

My mind has been working overtime - almost making it impossible to do anything at all (except get a headache) What if these are my signs? What if the signs that I've been searching for, the ones that were going to tell me that everything will eventually get better, are really the things that are making it so hard for me. Could I be misunderstanding what is being shown? Am I being continually tested? Are the frequent obstacles really telling me not to live here because it's not supposed to be what is for me? Or am I just really over-thinking this?

Dating Virgina: A tangled web

Confession: I am dating online.

Yes, friends. I found another option for meeting men besides going to 80s night downtown. (Since 80s night downtown usually just ends up participating in make-out sessions with strangers under flashing neon lights being serenaded by a cover of "Hey Mickey!" - gosh, that's romantic) And since trying to meet guys that way has come up with a big fat nothing, it was either go to bars alone during happy hour and try to catch the eye of a cute twenty-something in a suit or take a stab at the world of online dating. I picked the lazier of the options.

So, I did some research. Essentially, I wanted a website that was legit (not Craigslist) and free. Not that I wouldn't be willing to spend money on a website meant specifically for dating, but I'm not desperate enough for dates to skip a week of groceries each month. I'm not going to divulge what site(s) I'm currently using, but if you're truly interested in trying it out, I'll be happy to give you my opinions.

After deciding which site I wanted to post my carefully construction version of myself, I spent a long time figuring out what type of person I wanted to be portrayed as. Did I want to be fun and flirty? Sassy? Totally calm and cool? Badass? I decided to go with fun and down-to-earth. We'll see if they come e-knockin' on my door.

So I put myself online. Along with photos and a brief description of my likes, dislikes, goals and values. It didn't take long for messages to start coming in. People liked me! They thought I was pretty! What a novel thought - and a reassuring one, at that! After being told many times that I was worth nothing and no one could ever love me, I found that there are men out there that might want to try... ah, always a good refresher.

Though, with the promise of finding men for "all da single ladies" also comes the crazies. I have gotten some of the strangest messages from men. Here are a few of the good ones:

Hey. I’m Rich. I enjoy all types of movies, mystery and thriller novels. I enjoy lots of music (mainly rock and some pop, also almost all Irish music (classic and new age), some classic rock and old music (Sinatra, Bobby Darin, etc). I am currently a junior in college but in my spare time a writer and am currently writing my own television series. I give great massages, love to cuddle, enjoy playing bored/trivia games and spend time with my family and friends. I can definitely be your Edward Cullen/Jacob Black/Noah Calhoun/Troy Bolton/Jesse Tuck/Landon Carter/Lucas Scott depending on your preference/favorite romantic couple and am looking for my Bella Swan/Allie Hamilton/Gabriella Montez/Winnie Foster/Jamie Sullivan/Peyton Sawyer.

Sorry Rich, but any man that references High School Musical or Twilight in a message is a definite no. Next!

____________________________________________________

Ahoy! I'm Billy, and frankly I think you're adorable. Your profile, though, lacks a lot of essential information, and that just won't do.
What's your opinion on pirates? What about dorky redheads who dress up like pirates sometimes? What about muppets?
I mean honestly, you really can't know a person until you know what they think of Kermit the Frog.
How's that for an icebreaker message? Too weird?

Yes, Billy, that's too weird.

____________________________________________________

Hi there.. I seen your profile on here and thought I would say hello. Im sweet and affectionate guy, who would love to find that someone I can be happy with, but aren't we all... So as for me I am a very passionate, sweet and geeky man who has an old fashioned sense of romance and would love to find that woman who I can just be myself with. So if you would like to get to know me some more, feel free to read my profile and write me back. I'd love to hear from you.

Scott

Scott, you ruined all of your chances with the 4th word in your message.

____________________________________________________

hey have you ever read Thief With No Shadow? It's a great book :)

No, can't say that I have, but thanks for the suggestion! Next!

____________________________________________________

hey there... how u doing.... friendzz..?

LOLZ OMG, can i haz friendshipz? No.

____________________________________________________

All I can say about you right now is... you have a cute smile, but you also look like a girl that could kick a guy in the nuts!

Well, thanks for turning me into a badass. I appreciate that!

____________________________________________________

since you were so honest in your pro, ill b in my mail. I liked what u wrote, it was witty, I liked that your educated, I find u attractive and i think southern accents are sexy, check out my pro and hit me up if you may b interested.

Yes, I b very educated. (it was hard for me to write that sentence.)

____________________________________________________

As you can see, there are some definite crazies out there, but I have also received messages from men that understand that I also have a brain behind my eyes. For now, I'll keep on weeding out the nutty ones and keep looking for the decent men. I'll keep you posted!

Resolution check:

Since it is now July (where the hell is 2009 going??) it's time to check in with the New Year's Resolutions - let's see how I'm doing.

For reference, these resolutions were posted back in January.

Resolution number 1: Family - keep in contact and make sure they all know how much they mean to me.
I'd like to think that I've done pretty well with this resolution. I make sure to speak to my parents almost every other day (if not every day) and call or email a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin once a week. Of course, with Facebook and Myspace, it has become easier to keep tabs on my cousins and to be involved in their lives. Success.

Resolution number 2: Independence - "I need to understand that independence doesn't come just from moving to a new place or getting your first job - that it's a process and a journey and it's okay to ask for help or receive help without asking for it. There's nothing wrong with getting a little help."
While I still have problems asking people for help, I think I definitely have become more independent in the past few months (or at least I've gotten a better idea of what that means). Verdict: getting there.

Resolution number 3: Friends - Foster relationships with the people that mean the most to me. Make sure I stay up to date and continue to be involved in their lives.
I could not do this without G-chat. Thank you, Google, for your wonderful invention. Not only am I able to stay in the loop on what is going on, but I would go crazy if I didn't have Anna to talk to all day long! Now, if I could just get more of my friends to start blogging..... hmm... Status: Check!

Resolution number 4: Make new friends in the city.
While I haven't found life-long friends yet, I definitely have met new people and have hung out with other people more than once. Also, I've become more comfortable with interacting with strangers - I've found that there are a lot of people in this city that are just looking for companionship like me. Still, I'm not very good at the initial interaction. Verdict: iffy.

Resolution number 5: Start dating.
Well, I've definitely started doing that! You can read more about that soon. Verdict: mmm hmm... :)

Resolution number 6: Professional - "..find a new job that allows me to experience the industry for which I spent years studying. Also, to increase my salary in order to save a bit of money (or at least to be able to buy legitimate groceries) and to get some sort of health insurance."
Well, this is my worst category. I'm still in the same job, still can't get sick, and still skimp on groceries. But, it's a work in progress, I guess. Hm... fail.

Resolution number 7: Be more selfish.
This is a hard one to gauge. While I have made a conscious effort to not do everything for everyone (yes, I'm learning how to say "no"), I still have that twinge of guilt that comes when I've been a little snotty to someone. A few months ago, Good Morning America featured a new author - she wrote a book about "Self Love" and one of her beginning steps was "Make one person mad each day." I know that sounds mean, but it actually makes sense. Knowing that you can't please everybody all the time and starting to change everyone's perception of what you're willing to do really helps. Hopefully, I can start to change the "pushover" image. Status: in progress.

Virginia: 4 , Resolutions: 3 (win!)

Well, overall, I think I've done pretty well in keeping with my resolutions. Of course, there is still a ton of work to be done, but I think it always helps to check back in and remind yourself of what you resoluted to back when you were feeling all nostalgic about years past. It probably helps that I actually made realistic resolutions this year. I guess I've just finally come to the realization that there will never be a time when my thighs do not touch.

So how are you doing with your resolutions? Do share!