Just like olde times

I got a text this afternoon from Kelly.
It read: "YCB night?"

My response: "Definately"

For those of you who are not "avid" readers yet, this is in reference to this post.  Being a CB generally includes trying new things, restaurants, drinking sparkly things out of fun glasses, accepting compliments graciously (we're still working on that one), looking people in the eye and just being fabulous.

So in the spirit of the YCB, we gussied ourselves up (okay, that's not really true...neither Kelly nor I changed our clothes, but I did reapply my eyeliner.  That totally counts as gussying.) and headed to Little America for dinner.

I immediately felt classy upon walking through the door. Can't get more classy than Early Bird Special time.  Okay, in all seriousness, I always thought Little America looked like some sad joke played on the masses.  There it sits in the shadow of The Grand America, it's red brick looking very tacky and depressed (a brutal combination).  Upon actually stepping inside, I was soon eating my words...or thoughts that is.  The place is quite nice, and really, any place that has a gift shop selling stetsons next to another gift shop selling Disney figures cut from Swarovski crystal and a giant decorative horse's head is a win in my book.

Classy Traveler

Today, I purchased a ticket.

No, not a golden ticket.  You can't buy those...you have to find them in chocolate bars....so that idea was out.
Nor is it a ticket to a sporting event.

The ticket I purchased was for a flight to Switzerland!

That's right kids, I am winging my way back to the land of cheese, chocolate, knives and watches.

On March 22nd, my mother and I will board various aircraft and jet off to see my sister and her family.  I need to stock up on my motion sickness medicine (because throwing up on a plane is not classy) and make sure I'm set in all other areas and I will be good to go.

So excited!

CB Hair

About a year ago I decided I was going to grow my hair out again.  I had cut it into a short a-line bob for about 9 months, and while it was cute, I missed being able to just wash-and-go.  So here I sat a year after the fact, and indeed, my hair was longer.  But not much.  For some reason, my hair decided it didn't want to grow long enough to actually touch my shoulders, just taunt them with their vague presence.

On my way home from work today, I made a command decision.

I chopped it again.

That's right ladies and gentlemen (are there even any gentlemen who read this thing?) I again have an a-line bob.  What can I say?  It suits!

On the Interweb

As you may know (since I don't exactly hide the fact), I am "online"
Meaning: "I am an online dater"
Meaning: "I have multiple profiles on dating websites in hopes that I can expand my dating pool and possibly make some connections with people.  Male people.  Single male people.  Gainfully employed, single, male people.  Gainfully employed, single, male people who do not live in their mother's basements"
Meaning: "......I'm a single gal in 2011"

I have been involved in this spirited dance with online dating for quite a while now.  Well over a year...and this may or may not be my first time at this rodeo.

So, in all that time I have learned to figure a few things out about online dating.

Here lie some of my observations:

1. There will always be horrible, awful people (who may or may not be married) soliciting young girls for sex.  Sad, but true.

2.  I will still consider it to be the man's job to make the initial contact.  I must be old-fashioned in this new-fashioned world.

3.  There will be men older than my father looking and commenting on my profile.  I will not find it flattering.

4.  Men will undoubtedly be embarrassed about the fact they are looking online for love.

5.  Men will post photos of themselves with small children (most likely nieces and nephews) that seem to scream out, "SEE!  I'M BABY FRIENDLY!"

6.  Photos taken in mirrors will always make me laugh inside.

7.  It will always be slightly awkward trying to get to know someone through short e-mails and IM's.

8.  People who never seem to check their profiles before midnight always seem to be slightly shady...and they should be asleep.

9.  If a person cannot send a message of substance, and can only manage to say cheesy lines from 90's movies, I will not respond.  I got "Can I keep you?"  as a first contact from a guy just today....he clearly thinks I haven't seen Casper.  And really?  Pick a better movie!

10.  People will always tell me I don't need to date online.  To which I respond..."but I want to date!"

11.  It is very, very, very important to feel comfortable with a person before accepting their invitation to dinner (or a movie or frolicking in rain puddles, or whatever) otherwise it can get really awkward and uncomfortable REALLY fast.

12.  DO NOT become Facebook friends with someone you talk to online but haven't actually met.  But if you want to make sure they're legit, go ahead and make sure their stories match up via Facebook...Google is a great thing.

13.  I have to make sure they don't listen to and like Glenn Beck.  That is a deal breaker.

14.  Some people sabotage themselves by what they write in their profiles.  I have read a lot of angry, bitter diatribes about past girlfriends, and females in general.  Doesn't really inspire me to talk to you.  It does inspire me to pity you and then close your profile poste haste.

15.  There will always be some eager-beaver 19 year old who is so totally stoked for marriage that he hits up your profile every day saying how awesome you are.  I want to reply that he reminds me of my younger brother...and I just couldn't do that.

16.  Online dating really isn't all that bad....it just....isn't that good either.

Personally, I prefer to meet people organically (read: in real-life situations), but alas, I don't have tons of opportunities in my current situation.  So online it is.  Though I think I'm going to take a brief hiatus.  Wish me luck!  I hope my 19 year old admirer won't be too heartbroken.

To top it off

Okay, it has been a week since I last filled you in on my CB happenings.

Well, the NLG (nice looking guy) from my previous post accompanied me to church last Sunday, and afterward joined Kelly and I for dinner.  We talked for about 3 hours and then parted ways.  I do not plan on hearing from him again.  And I am okay with that.  He is a great guy, and will make someone very happy, I just don't think we jive too well together.

Monday provided me with an opportunity to stay at home, and later have my parents take me out to dinner at a great little Chinese restaurant before I went to FHE which consisted of grab-bag skits and other various games.  (not the classiest of activities, but that's ok)

The rest of the week was primarily filled with work.  And some frustration regarding school, but the school stuff has since been taken care of and I am happy once again.

I have also recently started going through my pictures that I took in Switzerland and have been editing them.  It's amazing how much better they look!  There is almost a professional quality to some of them (if I do say so myself).

I am glad the week is drawing to a close though.  I just have to make it through my birthday dinner tonight and all will be well! 

867-5309

Today was...a day.

At work, I have been getting pretty stressed out about some things.  I am the go-to person for my particular area, and so naturally, everything comes back to me.  When person A does something wrong it comes back to me, when person B does something wrong it comes back to me.  You get the idea.  Well, today I was at the end of my rope.  I couldn't decide if I wanted to punch something or just crumple in a corner and burst into tears.

Fortunately, I did neither of those.  I'm a CB after all!

I decided to go to the Temple instead (I actually decided to do that last night and had therefore taken my temple bag with me to work, but we can pretend it was spur of the moment).

I had a really good session, and was able to pour my heart out to the Lord about a few things I've been pondering.  I also saw someone from my current ward and 3 people from a previous ward while I was there, thus again cementing the fact that I can't go anywhere without seeing someone I know.

Feeling uplifted, I decided to catch Trax home instead of my usual bus.  The car was crowded, but I was able to procure a seat next to a nice looking guy (bonus).  Riding along, I pick up snippets of conversations around me, strangers meeting strangers, when all of a sudden...the nice looking guy starts talking to me.

We end up talking for the rest of our ride, and he ultimately asked for my number.  Not having felt creeped out, nervous, wary or threatened, I gave it to him.  Not a bad way to end a day that started out so horribly in my opinion.

Now, you may be wondering "What about this is CB material?"

Well.....I drank my rootbeer from a martini glass.  Can't get much classier than that right?

Cooking with Class

I have been craving Chicken Coconut Curry for days.
The thought of it has been thrusting my senses into overdrive, and if I happen to get a whiff of the exotic spices and sweet coconut as I wait for the bus (that just happens to have a stop near a Thai food establishment), I might as well just keel over and die out of longing.

Suffice it to say, I wanted some curry.

Well, what's a Classy Broad to do in this situation?
There are a number of good restaurants that serve curry nearby, but my inner CB sense told me this was not the answer.

Then what in heavens name was the answer?!

Well, apparently the CB makes her own coconut curry.  No, that was not a typo.  This CB made a batch of delectable curry featuring all the spicy goodness accentuated by the coconutty (let's pretend that's a word for now) sweetness that she had been in search of.

If I was the type of person who takes pictures of things and put them on their blog, I would absolutely favor you with a delightful before and after shot of the deliciousness of which I partook this evening, but this CB has issues remembering what day it is, let alone remembering to pull out the camera to mark auspicious occasions such as this.

Just know that it happened, and that it happened in a very classy way.

YCB

THIS is the Year of the Classy Broad.

Yes, you read that correctly.  The Year of the Classy Broad.  Which classy broad?  THIS classy broad. (Please don't be offended by the use of the word broad....I do not mean it in any sort of a negative way, it just rolls off the tongue a bit better than "dame" does, and "Year of the Classy 20-something" doesn't have the right ring to it)

Anyway, back to the point.

I decided last year (ever so long ago) that I wanted to mix things up a bit, in a good way, for myself.  I have gone through so many phases in my life; the cat lover (I may have actually thought I was a cat in my youth), the tomboy (this one lasted a LONG time), the actress (also lasted a long time, with some lingering effects), the girly girl (hard to believe, I know, but I did at one point own (and wear) a plethora of pink), the awkward "I'm trying to be girly but not quite doing it right because I don't want to be TOO girly" girl (those were some...interesting times), and the beauty you see before you (Why, Hello there!).  I am happy with who I turned out to be (really, who wouldn't be?  I can use my power drill while wearing 4 inch heels!) but I still feel the need to expand my horizons a bit in certain areas.

So this is the year!  This is the year that I try new things (I did it in past years too, so that's not really that big of a step), meet new people, dress up when I want to dress down, drink out of champagne flutes, use the fine china (if you'd like to buy me fine china, I wouldn't object), be gracious, smile at strangers, complain less, eat at classy restaurants, fall gracefully (because it is inevitable that I will fall), read more books, keep certain topics to myself, and hopefully reign in some of my sarcasm (this is a yearly effort...it's apparently going very well).

There you have it, the Year of the Classy Broad.  Feel free to join me (but you have to bring your own cheese)

(sorry about all the parenthetical thoughts....including this one.  Add that to the list)