no thanks

I turned down an invitation for "a drink" tonight.

Because the truth is I would rather get off work, stop by Trader Joe's to do some grocery shopping, make dinner for myself, go to the gym, and watch the juicy new Gossip Girl - in my PJ's - alone. What is wrong with me?! I want the rewards and I don't want to do any of the work. I would rather just automatically have some boy sitting in my living room when I get home. So you're telling me I actually have to find him?

PostScript - there is almost nothing better than getting through your day, guilt-free - knowing you've made every smart eating decision there is. And this Berry Fulfilling Jamba Juice is just amazing.

come pick me up

**DISCLAIMER** My writing is therapeutic for me and my goal is to provide a (slightly biased) perspective into the world in which I live. This includes the good, the bad and the ugly (to be completely cliche). So, if I sound bitchy and boastful - please know this is not my intention. Or stop reading.

Other than that - business as usual. If you haven't tried any of the Amy's Organic food products, you should. I'm heating up her fabulous black bean burrito at this very moment before heading downstairs to the gym. I have my usual hot date with Oprah at 7. Ahh working out - because you never know when you might get invited to the Grammy's (was asked this past weekend), or some crackhead wants to fly you to Miami. (more than once) I mean you just.never.know. Before you get the slightest wrong impression, let me assure you I am NOT bragging about this - nor am I taking up on either of these offers. The crackhead is - well, a crackhead. (figuratively speaking) And the Grammy guy is well - just too old for me. *sighs* However, I thought this was one of the most amusing attempts I've had thus far:

*The following is a text conversation with a man whose intent was to invite me out to the table he had with some friends at a club in meatpacking*

HIM
ME

"Oh come on everybody expecting U"
"Haha nobody knows me there"
"The owners and the press asked me about U. I told them U were a Southern socialite-beauty who just moved to NYC"
"Haha I bet!"
"I'm telling U, they're all asking. Tonight come. I'll send U car service."
"Haha doesn't matter...im not anyone famous...and if i drink alcohol i will just die."

Needless to say, I didn't go. I'm sorry - he just lost me after "Southern socialite-beauty"...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

good news for people who love bad news

all that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.

-- j.r.r. tolkien

Sometimes I feel like I'm on an extended vaca in NY. Oh I'll be going back eventually. No. When people up here ask me (and almost everyday someone does) "do you like it here" and "will you ever go back"? I tell them in the most exasperated tone that I simply love it and that the only other places I would consider moving beyond New York would be San Fran, San Diego, or Europe. Everyday is such a plethora of experiences and explosion of sensory pleasures, that anything less would surely result in death by boredom.

My roommate, Gabor had his family (father, mother, brother, brother's girlfriend) visiting NY these past couple weeks for the holidays. They're from Hungary. Well, Camilla the girlfriend is from Poland. His mom doesn't speak English. So that was interesting enough to have to have everything translated. His brother and his brother's gf don't know eachother's first language so they oddly enough speak their second language (English) to eachother only. It was Camilla's first time in the States. She really liked it. As we were sitting in our living room watching MTV's super stupid "Super Sweet Sixteen" - Camilla tells me these shows are blasted across Europe and that she (along with everyone else) is under the impression that THIS is what American teens are like. She was completely surprised when she actually got here and found out that wasn't the case. She asked me if I had a Sweet 16 party like the ones on this show. I laughed out loud and told her no. I was in shock. No wonder so many people despise us. We are the superpower here and hold an immense responsibility in this world. Why is everyone so disillusioned? Sad to say, the media is responsible for the majority of this misrepresentation.

But you have to ask yourself...how far off is the media from the truth? We have deserted our once industrial society and traded it for a consuming one. A society dependent on services. It's all about us. What can you do to make my life more comfortable, flamboyant, sexy, fun? Work ethic out the window - let's depend on our rich Daddy's who work in the Pharma companies to throw us parties worthy of MTV. But oh, there's no real-life reward in that - is there, little girl? Depressed much? Good thing your Daddy is working hard to pump out a multitude of shiny new pills each year. I saw the saddest thing on TV a few days ago.

More drugs for people on drugs. That's right. NatureMade has come out with a new line of products called RX Essentials. Their product line ranges in everything from Arthritis, to Heartburn, to - that's right - depression. It's simple really - some of those perscription drugs you're on right now, remove natural vitamins and nutrients from your body. WHAT?!
Therefore...you need this:

http://www.naturemade.com/ProductDatabase/prd_prod.asp?tab=Products&section=2&productid=200

Ahhhk what's with all my venting lately?

I've become sublimely aware.

Heeey! You suck, let's date!

I've recently discovered that I only attract psychopaths and gay men!!! Let's get this out on the table first, I am not complaining about the gay men part. For the most part, I get along with everyone and some of my close friends happen to be gay. But after a year or two of being single, you have ask yourself, "Do I look like a drag queen?". . .

And then there's the crazies. The straight men:

I mean do I SCREAM, "HEY ALL YOU CRAZY WEIRDOS WITH THE QUIRKY TENDENCIES THAT DRIVE ME CRAZY, YOU WANNA ASK ME OUT? OH YOU DO? PERFECT! IT'S EVEN BETTER THAT WE MET IN A SKETCHY CLUB WHERE MY BLOND HAIR AND PAINFUL WHITE-GIRL DANCING GOT YOUR ATTENTION. DINNER YOU SAY? OH GREAT. LET'S GET HALFWAY THROUGH THE APPETIZER BEFORE I REALIZE HOW INCOMPATIBLE WE REALLY ARE AND HAVE TO GULP DOWN A FEW MARTINIS TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING - AT WHICH POINT, I WILL NOT CALL YOU AGAIN SO PLEASE DON'T GET WASTED ON THE WEEKENDS AND DRUNK DIAL ME A MILLION TIMES."

*After this blog, I'm sure that I won't have anymore bad dates to complain about - as I probably won't be asked out on any*

Ahhhhhhkkkkk...but you know what? This is dating. I mean this is it. True Life: I'm 23 years old, single, and dating frogs. I'm running out of steam here and I'm only 6 months into dating here in NYC and I feel like I've seen it all. Two financial consultants, a few Europeans, toss in a couple models and actors (come on, it's NY), and a even a "my new haircut" or so...and still nothing substantial. Poor Carrie - I feel her pain.

And then I look at my friends who are in serious relationships. What a joke. Half of them aren't even really happy. So I have to ask myself? What am I REALLY trying to accomplish here? Am I hopelessly scouring the streets, bars, ice skating rinks (yes I've met one there too) for a McDreamy who doesn't exist - just to get STUCK in one of those dead relationships my so-called "happy" friends are in?

Sighs....okay I think I'm done now. My post-work-out energy is finally fading. I should really stop watching WE's "Platinum Weddings". . . stupid crap.

Annnnnd we're off

O-eight is here and my New Year's resolution is to start eating eggs and find a man. Claudia (my roomie) and I spent 1/1 sleeping in with the most accomodating overcast weather outside. We made it as far as the LIC diner to drink black coffee and tall OJ with granola/yogurt and - of course - egg white omlettes. I miss my grits, but I feel much healthier with this breakfast spread.

I missed my flight back to SC - it was the shuttle bus' fault, not my own. After being put on a connecting flight to Charlottesville (I'm still not even sure what state that is), I made it to Charlotte much later than anticipated. My entire family met up in Charleston at my Mema's house on Christmas Day. Mom threw an amazing dinner party the next night with Grand Marnier/Champagne punch and we all sang Karaoke until we decided to meet up with Mikail and Callie in Aiken. The Holly House. My friend from high school, Colin went with us. The next few days were a blur of hibernation, Planet Earth (my Dad's Christmas gift and one of my favorites), and Christmas leftovers.

My flight home was an all-day affair. Awake at 7 - pack - Madelaine drove me to Charlotte (2 hours) and my flight was delayed an hour. Wait wait wait. Finally on board - cat naps - landed - dragged huge luggage to the shuttle bus from the airport to the subway. At that point, our shuttle bus got hit by a car - and the car "ran". UGHHHH. We waited on another bus to arrive (way overcrowded) and we get to the subway. 7 train is having repairs on the Manhattan-bound side. It took me 3 hours to get home - at which point I made myself a vodka/Dr. Pepper (all I could find in the apt) and sat on my roofeck, staring at the skyline. Fast asleep at 8:30PM.

New Years Eve was spent at Lotus. My friend Val was throwing 12 NYE parties around the city - and he was beyond stressed. He gave Claudia and I tickets to the Lotus and Maritime Hotel parties. Wild wild wild.

The holidays are hectic - I'm sort of glad to be back in the swing of things...I miss my family though - xo

singin' dolla dolla bill ya'll

I was invited to a Christmas party at someone's loft on the LES a few nights ago. I took the 6 down and waited outside of the building for my friend to arriva via cab. (still a few blocks away) It was in the low 30's and although he offered to call up his friends to buzz me in, I decided to wait.

Through squinted eyes, I saw a sleek, black Maybach 62 (one of the top 10 most expensive cars in the world) pull up to the curb in front of me. The folded cream blindes on the back windows mechanically slid to a close and a dark, mafia-esque man emerged from the backseat. It was obvious I was waiting outside the door of the building and as he pressed the buzzer, he turned to me. "There's a party, are you coming?" * "Actually yes - I'm just waiting on my friend" * "Psh, it's cold out here - come up with me."

Enter: my new friend and I are greeted by 10 or 15 well-dressed foreigners. I say "foreigners", because they were all from various international places. The loft is dim and candle-lit. House music moans quietly from a flat screen. Shrimp cocktail and brie sit on a nearby table and a handsome man with sweeping brown hair is pouring a foamy fruit cocktail while wearing a scarf. Hello. I just stepped into an episode of Sex and the City. In addition to this, there is no possible way that I could stand out more. The upside to this is, of course, that international people are the most open-minded, easy-going people you could ever befriend.

"Would you like a beautiful, sexy drink?" -- this is verbatim.

Don't mind if I do, mister scarf-wearing-sweepy-espresso-hair.

So, I join my new friend on a black leather couch and I learn of his yacht in Miami and how he watched this year's tree lighting from his apartment above Rockefeller Center. We laugh synonymously about how I'm making what he probably made last week. More people arrive and so far I have met: the starving Jamaican model who is throwing the party, a Harvard graduate who is a tad bit cocky and seems to be putting forth an immense amount of effort to impress, a few Italians (the real, not Jersey kind), a quirky Swedish girl who made the most incredible facial expressions I've ever seen, and a gay couple who looked like they were upset they had to leave the gym in order to be at this party.

My friend finally arrives and we stay until we decide we are hungry. When we leave the building, the Maybach 62 is still sitting outside - running. Must be nice, having a driver.

Cab it over to Yaffa Cafe and it was there that I had my first crepe ever.

Cash rules everything around me.

AHK! IT'S SNOWING!

It's 23 degrees outside and I just woke up to this: (I know, I'm such a Southerner...)