Walking With Nora

I don’t read as much as I should. I know this.

When I really need to unwind I’ll watch a movie so I’m a big fan of Netflix with cheating trips to Blockbuster to get me through the days where I have nothing new to watch.

Tonight, rather than studying for my looming midterms, I rented ONCE. It’s nominated for a few Oscars and rightfully so. Perfectly timed at 86 minutes, this “real-life,” musical is honest, heart-warming, unsettling realistic and laced with beautiful music.

Please rent it, watch it and let me know what you think. I’m going to find their songs on myspace or iTunes.

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up more exhausted than when you went to bed? That is Nora today… It’s almost 3pm and I’m still in a fog.

I stood in the shower for an extra ten minutes hoping that would help, forced some hot chocolate down my throat (thinking it has some caffeine, right?) and walking around the office as much as possible. But I’m still not awake.

If you have ever lived in St.L you’ll know that our weather is as undpredictable and volatile as the words that come out of our President’s mouth during the State of the Union Address. Example: 67 degrees this morning. Now? 41. Later? 19. With rain, ice and snow to come. I am blaming my exhaustion on the rain, and thought this video would be appropriate:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/NwrL9MV6jSk&rel=1]

In other news I do have some excellent stories to post… now if I had the time to sit down and give them their proper due, that would be great!

I am also starting my book after this session of grad school. I’ll likely need to elicit some help from Darling. It might better if it’s written “as told to…” rather than by me.

Oh, and I’m thinking that 2008 is the year of change and that in 2009 I’ll be moving. I’m open to suggestions, so freel free to put in your .02 on your favorite cities!

Highlights from my New Orleans trip:

- Rooftop dining the first night there, at a hosted dinner, with a gorgeous breeze and view of the city. Bonus: heated pool and hot tub.

- Taking half of Thursday off from the conference to wander around the French Quarter with Darling. We covered Bourbon all the way to Cafe du Monde, St. Louis Cathedral and everything in between Bonus: I (stupidly) wore my work clothes out. While it was slightly annoying I kind of enjoyed the attention I received from the boys. My favorite phrase “Damn girl…” Darling wanted to swat them away with her umbrella.

- Thursday night’s dinner at NOLA (an Emeril restaurant). Talk about amazing food. And an open bar. And a chance to finally get to know people!

- The bar crawl. Amazing. Hurricanes down there are a whole different world from they way they are made up here. Wow. Bonus: Got to keep the glass from Pat O’Brien’s. And the Microsoft Corporate boys didn’t let me pay for a darn thing. Not one drink, cab fare or tip. One in particular even bought me a pink feather boa and cowgirl hat. I also enjoyed putting my feet in the hot tub after we got home at 2 in the morning.

- Friday evening’s dinner at the famou Antoine’s. A 15 room dining experience, decor unlike any other and tons of history. Bonus: free tour at the end of dinner, a giant Baked Alaska, free wine, beads, and the boys didn’t make us walk on cobblestone in heels on the way home.

- Finding that awesome connection with a guy… ignoring the fact that he lives hours and hours away, I forgot how great it is to have REAL butterflies and not just a nervous pit of a stomach.

I officially ruined my Blog 365. I thought about cheating (shocking!) and backdating my posts but decided against it.

New Orleans was amazing. I went out with the crew the last two nights I was there, experienced Bourbon Street, made new friends, tried new drinks and danced my way up and down the strip and got only 12 hours of sleep in three days. That explains why the drive home was so killer.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I had so much fun…maybe Key West? St. Thomas? There is something about being in a new city, with endless possibilities, hot spots within walking distance and freedom to be you. No worries. No drama. No gossip. Just be.

I’m finally in New Orleans. Eight plus hours in the car (which really wasn’t so bad as I peppered it with naps, conversations with The Boss & Darling, and reading) and we went from 12 degrees to 60 degrees.

I should have brought flip-flops.

My evening started out with drinks and appetizers on the rooftop of our gorgeous, celebrity hotel where cherubs and Greek Gods are illuminated with subtle lighting and positioned next to palm trees. Yes! That’s right… palm trees. Steam floated above the heated pool and bubbles were swirling in the hot tub. I should have also brought my bathing suit.

After the obligatory work for about an hour I left the chocolate cheesecake at my table and threw on my gym clothes to get in a workout on the rooftop fitness center. I attempted to ignore the work dinner still taking place in the room next to me and the faces a few of my “friends,” were making at me through the window.

I joined The Boss & Darling for complimentary PB & J sandwiches and ice cold milk in the lobby, followed by a few rooftop pictures. A few buildings are speckedled with gold, green and purple lights for the upcoming Mardi Gras festivals. Trumpets sounded from below.

I didn’t know NOLA before Hurricane Katrina, but driving I saw remnants of devastation. The bayous were clearly hit hard. Tree stumps floating in the water. Houses half-sunk into the mirky water. Boats abandoned and drifted up and down the several mile long strip. As we approached the city there were hotels and apartment buildings with no lights, dumpsters in front, trash strewn about.

Tomorrow I’m participating in the bar crawl (okay, who am I kidding? Bar stroll is more like it. I’m the youngest one here) on Bourbon Street and then Darling has found a few parade routes near our hotel for us to take in on Friday. I plan to get marginally acquainted with NOLA while I’m here. In addition to the jazzy blues they play here, I’ll have him as my internal soundtrack:

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(turn your volume WAY UP!)

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Maybe this is why guys never leave messages?

It’s cold.
Not just regular winter weather cold.
We’re talking so cold that it’s the headline news.
It was -1 on Saturday morning and a whopping 3 degrees last night.

Tonight we are expecting up to one inch of freezing rain and ice (which I know is nothing compared to what the Northeast has been hit with in the last few weeks), but it makes me want to hibernate.

Last night Jack and I curled up on the bed (sweatpants, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, plus an extra blanket on top of my comforter) to read books and watch movies. His little dog legs were strewn across my stomach as he snored and had doggie dreams, presumably of running in fields of flowers, not rock-hard ground.

As much as I don’t like the cold weather I do like how it makes everyone slow down, stay inside, rest, catch up on projects, with one another. These are the days I wish I had a real house, with a fireplace, two comfortable chairs and a giant, steaming cup of hot chocolate to warm my hands.

Until then, I’ll settle for cuddling with the best dog ever.

Happy Winter!

Quotes while heard out at the bars last night…

“I came to America to be in a video clip with Nelly.”– Man from the Netherlands on why he’s studying chemical engineering at Washington University. He did an imitation of how/why he thought he would make it: the booty slap.

“You girls are so preettty.”- Paolo & Tony, also foreign, on myself, Tricia and Emily while we are at a very cool bar with very few men to pick from.

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27 Dresses = story of my life. Not just the bridesmaid part but many other aspects of the movie. (And no, I’m not in love with anyone at my office. More the personality traits of Jane, the main character.) I highly recommend it.

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My advice for the day:
If you are married, stay that way.
If you are dating someone, continue to date them.

Why? Once again I decided to give someone the benefit of the doubt and believe them (Mr. “I love my ex,” Cop) only to find out that I was once again lied to. He is not, in fact, in love with his ex but instead dating someone else (which he probably was the whole time we were talking). Trusting or believing men is nearly impossible anymore.

Frankly I am cool with not dating him (His con list: short, no college degree, kid, ridiculous work hours and a lot of baggage, can’t spell to save his life). I am, however, annoyed that he couldn’t man up and tell me the truth in the first place.

Good luck to the new girl and good luck to his son trying to figure out who his real mother is, how to treat a woman and not be a total liar like his dad.

So people always tell you that you aren’t alone and for the most part you believe them. But when it comes to dating and you have as much bad luck as I do, you begin to wonder what is going on with the Dating Gods.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve come to expect nothing, appreciate the funny stories I get out of each dating disaster, but it gets tiresome. Who would like to tell all of their married/couple friends why the last guy didn’t make it on a regular basis?

To give you the short list:  Baby Mama Drama? I’ve experienced it. Twice (yeah, shame on me I guess.) Recovering alcoholic? Surely. Abused as a young child? You bet. Not enough time/too much time? Add it to the list. Seemingly normal but eventually overly clingly and stalkerish? Ugh, yes. Only interested in dating but tells you well after the fact? Uh-huh. (NOTE: they never reveal their true colors until they are drinking or casually mention one of the above. Usually this occurs after you have deemed them to be worthy of your time, a few dates, your little black dress, and maybe even a home cooked meal. Bonus points if they break down in tears at any point during your brief dating experience. Yeah, I have had that too… three or four times now.)

After realizing the other day that I have dated seven (7) guys in six (6) months… well, I was astonished.

Until this evening. Enter my good friend’s 25th birthday party where I found three other single woman, all like me. Young. Successful. Similar age. Single.

We started swapping stories. We all have had guys who do nothing but text (hence the dating phrase, “talking to,”) and never call. We all have had guys just randomly stop calling after they tell us how much they like us. We have dated young, old, (un)employed, (lack of) college degree, etc etc. And there we stood, drinks in hand, laughing and rejoicing in the fact that it’s not just us. We are not alone. So we swapped phone numbers and vowed to expand our friendship circle… whether we will or not, let me tell you, not only was this weight off my shoulders it was reassuring and reinforced what Darling and my good friends have been telling me for years now:

It’s not me… it’s them!

And perhaps sweet irony as I’m getting out my car upon my return hom, Mr. “I love My Ex” Cop drove by and waved. I just walked on.