It says a lot...

... that my first bouquet of flowers delivered to me in corporate life is from my VP and not a man-friend.

In case you haven't heard (or in Whitney and Caitlin's case, you weren't forced to drink three bottles of wine in celebration with me on Thursday... thanks TF's), we had a major breakthrough with our brand work last week (should also mention here that is why I have been MIB [missing in blog] for a week). Long story short, we presented for a team of 20 corporate leaders to get their final ya or nay on whether they would support our brand recommendation as we moved it up the ladder. They voted in support... 100% unanimous support. And it felt good. Really good. Almost as good as getting flowers from a corporate executive at your company because of it. Especially good because I felt that I played a legitimate role in getting us there; I wasn't just a sidelines player.

Anyways, perhaps it is telling that these flowers are not from a potential love-ya-long-time suitor, but (hopefully) from a potential hire-ya-big-time suitor. Either way, I am just going to be really happy for myself that I am making progress in my career in a big way. I will just have to believe my TF's when they tell me to relax and trust the rest will fall into place.

<3

Thoughts? Short.

yeah yeah i swapped out the picture due to complaints of how terrible i looked. thanks beth ;)

It's spreading...

And she's only on page 150 of Twilight... she has no idea how bad it's going to get.

August AND December

Well, December 12 for the first movie, Twilight.

August 2 for the fourth book, Breaking Dawn.

It really is a toss-up which one I am more excited for. Considering the movie will take me just 2 hours to watch and the book might take me 5 hours, at the most, to finish... I think I have to go with the book for its added 3 hours of entertainment.

We are officially pre-teens. If our childish, everyday antics didn't already get us that status, this obsession certainly does.

Oh, and if anyone needs us, we'll be in our apartment not speaking and eating take-out with our faces in these books for the next week. Breaks may be taken only when Edward Cullen effects our breathing pattern to the point of medical concern. Interruptions for emergencies only please.

i could be reading right now

So I'm not really down with posting right now -- and probably won't be until I've finished the entire Twilight series. Why should I be typing away on this computer when I could be falling more and more in love with Edward Cullen as the seconds tick by?

I'm only here briefly because Beth wanted me to show off my Photoshop skillz... check these sweet bumper stickers I made for Facebook. Yes, I'm officially that big of a dork.

December seriously can't come soon enough.

Sizzle

I just got two compliments BAM BAM right in a row. Mailroom guy (who is always obvious about how much he appreciates the frequency of my visits. ...Hey! When you are entry level, you spend a lot of time mailing crap, OK!?) gave me the usual nervous treatment but then threw in a "You have really cool eyes" (BAM!). I'm impressed! He clearly had been planning the line... note the use of "cool" instead of "pretty". This makes an overused and somewhat barfy compliment a little more unique and therefore acceptable. I thanked, we FedExed, I left, he swooned... but then! Then! I was walking to the elevator, not two seconds later, when very-nice-but-older-security-guard-who-loves-american-idol-with-me tells me.. "You look... like... really beautiful." (BAM!)

*sigh. I really appreciate the double-prizes afternoon but I must say... I really don't understand how people are so easily fooled. I do not have what one would call a "classically beautiful face". I could stand to lose a few pounds. I count my armpit fat in my cup-size because if I didn't I would have to order bras from specialty shops for pre-teens. You get the picture.

What I do have is ALL the bells-and-whistles. We're talking long blond hair, green eyes, a working knowledge of pencil skirts, and a passion for really high heels. All together, the "on paper" sizzlers that I just described pretty much fool EVERYONE! I'm sure in a place a little hipper than Rhode Island I wouldn't get a second look, but here in Providence I am the CAT'S MEOW, I tella you! But I suppose when you work in a place where most women favor the "one-inch square-heeled loafer", a high heel really is that exciting.

All I'm saying is... I guess you don't have to be smokin' hot to be smokin' hot.

I really hate...

... when I want to brush my teeth before I go out and someone is in the bathroom pooping. It's like... go out with steamed broccoli teeth or put something in my mouth that has a fresh (and foreign) poop smell on it? I really can never decide.

(Note to self: stock up on GUM.)


**Disclaimer from Caitlin: she's not talking about me. kthx beth. don't alienate our audience this early.

eff.

well then. that was the most expensive falafel lunch date i've ever had.

Natural Born Grillers

what I do at work

In other news:

I'm going to go running (not outside, whatareyounuts?! It's like 100 friekin degrees out! I'll be in the ACed gym, tyvm) and then go home to shorty to follow through on this texting conversation from this morning:

B: mondays suck. i just want to come home and cuddle wichu on the couch all night. while blasting AC of course.
C: omg agreed. and time is going by sooo slow.
B: worst. lets be hermits all night.
C: yes. and a nap is in order.
B: OK. yes. in underwear and tanktops.
C: naked perhaps?
B: OK, twist my arm.
C: We can grill kielbasa :)

Sorry, I gotta run, dear readers. I guess you all will just never know if we are truly going to fry up some sausages for dinner or if "grilling kielbasa" might mean something more... I mean, it was texted amidst talk of a naked couch nap.

what i do at work

3:00pm Crash Will Bring You Down -- Down to the Level, In Fact, of Creating Ridiculously Long Run-on-Sentence Type Article Titles in Order to Test Formatting. Let's Hope this Works.

My eyes are currently experiencing that familiar burning sensation that stems back to my high school History courses. I know that with this burning comes a struggle -- a struggle of Epic Proportions -- a struggle so .... struggly.... that I can't even properly flip through my internal Thesaurus to think of a word better than "struggly."
Robert Goulet once told us that Emerald Nuts could assist us in escaping this 3:00pm slump. In what was perhaps his attempt at a final laugh, Goulet dropped dead shortly after these Emerald Nuts commercials begain airing.
Was it nut poisoning? An overdose of "essential" oils? A failed digestive system caused by internal bleeding from the presence of sharp nut shell fragments that accidentally made their way into his can of Emerald Nuts?
No one knows for sure. All I know is I'll stick to iced coffee, thanks.



(for clarification -- by "what i do at work" i didn't mean i was simply blogging at work. i mean i actually wrote this for work. yup.)

i'm useless

Why don't I have a hobby? A talent of any kind? Even an interest would suffice. Being particularly good at something or particularly interested in anything would probably make me feel a little better about myself. The only thing I think I'm any good at is eating more than the average person -- and that's not much to be proud of. I can't even bother to take that to the next level by purposely becoming obese or entering some eating competitions. I'M SO AVERAGE. Blast.


Current Mood: Infuriatingly Mediocre



I'm gonna work on this, I promise.

Too good

OK, so let me set this up. The Emerson AAF team came to Textron to present on Tuesday. Also here conducting an education/working session with our department was Shel Holtz, a social media guru among marketers. He got to see the presentation as well and posted the following on it on his blog today:

I have seen the future. Advertisers and marketers should be afraid. Very afraid.
I spent today with a client. It was an interactive session with members of the company’s communications team, but during the last couple hours, the group watched a presentation by students from Emerson College, finalists in this year’s National Student Advertising Competitionsponsored by the American Advertising Federation.. (The professor guiding the team, Douglas Quintal, is married to one of the company’s communicators attending the weeklong summit.)

The presentation I saw—one of several trial runs before the students head to the finals in Atlanta on June 8 and 9—was one of the best I’ve seen in years. These kids—who have already made it through several rounds of competition—put on a 20-minute pitch that rivals the best I’ve seen from polished professionals with years of experience. From their personal delivery to their presentation support materials, to the written plan, their work could compete—and win—against any agency out there.

All of which is beside the point. The point is their organic understanding of the way social media and traditional communication have integrated. They’re not gushing enthusiasts proclaiming social media this and social media that. Social media is just part of their lives and they understand the way they—and the target demographic established for them by the competition rules—use these tools as day-to-day vehicles for communication.

Because their competition can still benefit from knowledge about their pitch, I won’t go into any details, but I hope somebody is videotaping it. What I can say is that AOL, the sponsor of this year’s competition, issued the equivalent of an RFP to which all student teams had to respond. Teams were required to propose a campaign to promote an AOL brand.

And these kids nailed it. Sure, there were some quibbles and ideas for improvement here and there, but they nailed it. If I could package these students up and bring them with me, I’d put them in front of every communication leadership team I meet and say, “See? This is what I’m talking about.”

Some agencies will be very lucky to hire these kids. A smart one would hire them as a team, but I doubt there are any quite that smart.

There are two possible outcomes of the competition next week. The Emerson team could win, and I suspect they have an excellent chance. Or, they could lose, which has even more significant implications. If they lose, it means the Emerson team isn’t a fluke, a rare combination of raw talent guided by a savvy professor. It means there are a lot of advertising and marketing students poised to assume positions in agencies and companies where they can bring their organic understanding of the new media world to bear. They can work on campaigns based on their innate understanding of new communication models.

For all those communicators putting off learning about social media, hesitating, resisting, this is very bad news. You could quickly become expendable as agencies populate their ranks with those who (and I really do hate using this phrase) “get it.”

I was only barely aware of the National Student Advertising Competition before today. Now I’ll be awaiting word of the outcome with tremendous anticipation.

Go Emerson.

I am so proud. And thank you to everyone on this year's team for making my equity as an Emerson grad and former AAF presenter go through the friggin' roof.

Now, a lot of people have inquired into my personal emotional and mental health through the whole "OMG they won districts." situation. The answer is simple: bittersweet, as much as that is a cliche (and total cop-out!). Watching 40 people get exactly what you wanted more than you've ever wanted anything and didn't get, is an emotional quandary I don't recommend exposing yourself to. That said, when the 40 people are people you love and respect and absolutely want to see succeed as much as yourself, it becomes sweet again. Am I jealous that we didn't get as far as this year's team? Of course! I love to show off! But do I know in my heart of hearts that I helped pave the way for this team's success? Absolutely, and it is like giving a gift that is difficult to give, but feels right and good. I also know that this year's team has some sort of mojo or just "got it" in a way that we didn't. You can say "It all depends on the judges!" as much as you want, but there is no denying that there is something special about the team this year.

My experience with last year's AAF was perhaps more intimate and emotional than anyone else and contributes to my deep connection with the program and the students. I wouldn't change the experience I had for anything and I doubt any of my team members would either. It was something completely unique to us; it's not as much exciting to remember as it is difficult.

Either way, I have no reason to be jealous of this year's team. As my VP told me "You're the one with the job!". ...Touche.

<3

PS- Don't you just hate text heavy blogs that talk about emotions? Me too. I promise to post something nonsensical again soon.

i just made seven bucks

and that sucker isn't escaping

What good is a roommate that won't be a spider hitman for you? (NO GOOD.)

B: I'll give you five dollars.
C: No. That's insulting.
B: Ten?
C: No!
B: ... Ten and a lap dance?
C: OK, sure.
*b gets excited
C: NO.

i'm busy blogging

Sweet. I have a new excuse not to do things for Beth. Like kill innocent spiders. (Note: although she is supposedly terrified of said spider, she is currently on her tiptoes getting very very close in a desperate attempt to take a picture of it. Presumably to post it here. Let's see how well I know her.)

I am going to take revenge for the soon-to-be-dead spider and release this fun foto of how we spend our nights in the lovenest.

RIP spidey.

post-grad just means BROKE.ASS.HOE.

Currently regretting my leather graduation gift from myself. Having a BA from Emerson College should have been considered the only gift I need.

NOT that anyone who might be reading this blog needs to know specifics regarding my finances, but this is too good not to share. When I say I'm broke, I'm not kidding.

This realization is particularly fun because I have made a valiant effort not to spend excessive amounts of money lately besides the budgeted $50 for groceries. This is mainly because I knew that was all I had to my name, and I've decided sustaining my life and well-being is the most important thing I can spend my measly income on -- but also because en général, I know I need to restrain from frivolous spending and get my shit together this summer.

However, I habitually checked my accounts today (this became a daily routine when I discovered an unauthorized credit card had been opened in my name at my home branch while I was across the country -- BOA users beware) and was nearly brought to tears when I discovered I was not $8 rich as I had thought but in fact -- due to the erratic order and timing in which credits seem to clear -- I am FLAT. BROKE.


Checking overdrafted, savings took the blow, and here I sit -- somewhat shocked and mostly pissed off (yes, yes, at myself. I blame no one.) I know there's $10 there, but I obviously can't touch that $10 considering the possibility that if anything were to go wrong and I were to overdraft, it would cost me three times as much.

SAD.

So, Beth and Matt (and anyone else who might be considering hanging out with me): FYI. When I say I'm broke, I'm not kidding. When I'm sad because I can't do anything fun with you, it is not an attempt to avoid you. When I toss and turn at night, it's because I'm having nightmares of my shitty car running out of gas, falling to pieces beneath me and tearing off my uninsured limbs for which I will not be able to afford any hospitilization or medication. I'm going to die.

Oh, and fuck you Emerson College. Thanks for taking all my money.

Whoever invented linen skirts should be sacked!

Seriously! Look at these wrinkles!

I fell asleep.

The title is actually relevant to many things going on in my life right now. Primarily, it means that I fell asleep before Caitlin's entry was done last night (it also falls into other categories such as "excuses I've been given recently" and "things I do on my couch"). After a ridiculous morning at work, I finally got some time to waste at 11 a.m. (aka now) and was delighted to see:

a) The subtitle regarding our need to entertain each other
b) My semi-nudity was involved (I was simply demonstrating how the elastic band on my "old flame stolen man shorts" was completely shot and they kept falling off. And of course I made Caitlin watch a full demonstration of this.)
c) We are bloggers!

I am becoming many new things lately. I have most recently become:
A blogger
A runner (seriously!)
A roommate
A dater
A former restaurant worker
A mother (...jk)

And I agree with shorty that the title of this blog will probably become increasingly relevant as the summer progresses. In fact, allow me to illustrate with a simple graph:

As you can see, our laziness will increase as the summer goes on while our value to society slowly declines. Nudity sees a drastic peak in August, but tapers off as autumn rolls around. Come September, it seems our laziness will plateau, but the damage will have been done and there really is no saving our value to society. All may be lost.

(Reminder: Do stuff related to job ASAP.)

OK, gotta run... I'm getting a call right now from some professors at Brown who apparently want to use my chart above for some major research initiatives. It seems I've uncovered some breakthrough scientific connections between nudity and laziness.

<3

there's a leg on my keyboard

Providence Summer '08 begins in a roasting living room with a leg in my face, making it difficult to type. At least it's a smooth leg.

I decided that I wish I was a blogger. They seem pretty cool, intelligent, witty.... must have free time. I at least have the latter as a recent college grad with no full time job and no solid plans. If other people can blog, why can't I? I do think I'm a little boring, but when I expressed this frustration to Beth, my new/favorite/weirdest/best roommate ever, she sympathized. And so our co-blog was born. Literally in 30 seconds. I didn't know it was so easy!

In fact, it happened so quickly, we decided the title was not even important. Or we both just have writer's block and are lazy. In fact... now that I'm thinking about it, I bet the title will turn out to be the most relevant title possible by the end of the summer. I predict we accomplish very little in the next three months besides grilling on the Astroturf and taking weekend trips to the beach, along with some fro-yo and Honey Moon action. Maybe some man love thrown in. I should figure out my future, but I'll probably be too busy gallivanting around Rhode Island with her. Thinking about the future is for jerks. I would rather enjoy my current view of Beth's shorts around her ankles and the soft hum of the AC.

On that note, I would like to mention that tonight we ate sushi, watched House, found amazing frozen yogurt and began to plot future nights of matched delight (on the list: Spike's, falafel, cheap movies, more fro-yo, lots more, and maybe some boys from Brown.)

(Just kidding Matt.)

So my first day of settling into this new city was successful, and tomorrow brings my first day of the Executive Assistant gig (ooooOOoooOOo) that Bethers helped me land for the summer. Now I'm going to go spoon her and do some pleasure reading.... because I can do that now. I grajuatid. I have time.