Flip Flopping

It's that time of year again. Time to shed the shoes and socks and slip on the sandals... or sandal's more controversial cousin: the flip flop.

Emotions run high when it comes to flip flops. Some people hate them because of that sound they make - you know that sound. Others swear by them and make them their summer staple.

Personally, I like flip flops. I know they annoy some people so at times I feel self conscious, but mostly I don't. I mean, I use a Ped Egg, my toenails are painted, my flip flops are cute, and my feet smell like flowers. I don't see the problem.

What do you think? Let's break it down.

Cons:
That flip flop sound when someone's walking down the hall.
Foot nudity and all that goes along with that (some people have gross feet, not to mention the smell).
The tan line. It's not good.

Pros:
They're convenient - no straps or laces, just slip 'em on and go.
They're inexpensive so you can have a lot of different pairs.
You can show off your cute pedicure.

While you're thinking about it, here's a video for your viewing pleasure. Don't let this sway you since none of you (I hope) are anything like this guy. Oh, and I'm making a poll to make it easier for you to weigh in.

To know or not to know?

You know what really stinks? Finding out something bad about yourself that you didn't realize before. Like when you see what you look like from behind from the first time in awhile and realize you need to lay off the cookies. Or when you meet a new person and they don't seem to find you charming or interesting.

A couple times recently I've had moments where it was brought to my attention once more that I am not perfect. Oh, you didn't know I wasn't perfect? Well, I'm sorry I broke the news to you so abruptly but sadly it's true.

No one said to me, "Wow, you're super obnoxious" or "You're really not as funny as you think you are." Those are just sort of lingering impressions I've had a couple times recently after spending time with people I've just met.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not depressed about these feelings, I'm just making an observation. Of course, it's not news to me that I have annoying qualities but I guess I'm not always aware of what exactly those annoying qualities are. And I suppose I'm not actively seeking out this information either.

Do any of us really know what annoys other people about us? Does the person who talks with their mouth full realize they're doing it? Does the person who acts like they know everything know that they don't seem interesting, but rather like a know-it-all?

And here's the question - is it good to know these things about ourselves? Will it help us? Or is it better to get rid of all two way mirrors so we don't realize how big our butts have gotten (so to speak)?

And PS, I'm not asking you to let me know of annoying qualities I have that I might not be aware of, so please don't misread this post and start making lists. I can't emphasise that enough.

A big question

I have a question for you, my blogging friends. Should a woman ask a man on a date? I've always been kind of against this because I have a theory that men think they like it but they actually don't. I feel like if a guy is interested in you, he will ask you out. But is that always true?

What do you think? Is it a bad idea to ask a guy on a date?

To my guy friends who read my blog, I would especially like your advice. But girls, I'd love to hear your opinions or experiences as well!

The Mystery of the Burp

I have a guy friend with whom I occasionally go out to dinner. And by occasionally I mean two or three times a year. We are just friends, and besides these dinners we rarely even talk. Partly because he travels a lot, and partly because our lives are different and our paths don't cross very often. But we do enjoy each other's company when we do get together and so make it a point to get together at least bi-annually.

One of these dinners was a few months ago and it had a somewhat confusing ending, so I thought I'd ask you for your insights.

The thing that set this dinner apart was that while this guy and I usually have a nice time together, it felt different on this occasion. The conversation was more lively than usual, and much more personal. We laughed, confided, and opened up more than we ever had before. After dinner, we lingered for quite awhile just talking and laughing. It was starting to feel like...a date.

So I started wondering...is he thinking the same thing? Do I want this to be a date? Normally when he and I go out to eat, we split the bill evenly but I wondered what would happen this time. Some people say that if you're not sure if something is a date, see if he offers to pay. If he does, it's a date. I feel like that's a bit pathetic but I don't make the rules. I just rely desperately on them to define my love life.

But when the bill arrived, that's when things changed. Just as the bill was placed on the table by our server, the guy I was with let out the tiniest burp. He stifled it with his hand and I hardly noticed it. But after he burped, he reached for the bill and said, "Let me pay for this. I just burped and it was very rude."

Huh?

So he paid because he burped? The burp was hardly audible! That changed everything! I was left completely baffled, totally unclear about his intentions. There's nothing in the dating rule books about burps. At least not the chapters I've read.

Anyway, he asked me if I'd like to do something after dinner, which I did. We had a lovely time and haven't talked since.

And people ask me why I'm still single.

Wednesday Thoughts

How do you feel about "whole nother" verses "whole other" (or is it "another whole?")? You would think as someone with a degree in English it would annoy me when people say "whole nother" but it actually intrigues me.

Who here's going to participate in No Shave November? Ladies? Guys? I love to see a guy with a good (well kempt) beard in the winter. Speaking of winter, I saw some snow flakes on my way to work this morning! It was magical.

I got too scared to finish The Changeling the night before Halloween when I watched it with Katherine. I've seen that movie one million times (to be precise) yet this time I couldn't finish it because I was too scared. What in the world!? I think I need to watch it with a big strong guy next time. Yeah, that's it...

I'm not ready for winter. I like the snow, but I hate the cold. I think I need to plan a vacation to someplace warm to get away to when the cold and gray get to be too much. Where's a good warm place to visit that's not too expensive?

Happy Wednesday.

Communication Breakdown

When I was young and I wanted talk to a friend I had two options: call them or go to their house. If they lived far away, I had to call them long distance (sparingly) or write them a letter and wait days or weeks to hear back.

As you know, the ways to stay in touch with friends and family have changed dramatically in a short time. E-mail, texting, free long distance, video chat, non-video online chat, blogs, facebook, myspace, etc... These methods are wonderful when used to stay in touch with friends and family who live far away, but when it comes to loved ones who live nearby, I think they might be overused. Are we connecting emotionally less? I don't know. I haven't done any research on this, it's just something I've been thinking about.

From time to time I stay with a friend's teenage kids while she and her husband are out of town. When the teenage girl gets home from school, the first thing she does is get on her laptop and starts chatting online with her friends. I did something similar when I was her age, except that I called my friends on the phone after school. When she wants to communicate with a guy she's crushing on, she does so via Facebook or some kind of online chat. I didn't have that option at her age - I had to either call the guy I liked or talk to him at school. I know I sound old school when I say this, but I wonder if there's something dangerous or numbing about the one step removal from voice to voice communication. I could be wrong, it's just something I'm curious about. Does it make it easier to say things you would not say (or should not say) in person? Do you feel as close to your friends when you're not hearing their voices or seeing their faces? Does the same bonding occur? Does it make you more lonely?

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate technology. I think all these things can be used for good and quite frankly, I use all of them. And maybe I'm being a hypocrite. After all, I grew up without this technology and heaven knows I'm no master communicator because of it! But still, I can't help but wonder. The changes in communication technology all happened so fast that we haven't really had a chance to think about them. Some things have become normal that maybe shouldn't be.

Here are a few more questions/thoughts I've had on the subject:

1.) Is it ok to ask someone on a first date via e-mail? This has happened to me several times, and while it doesn't offend me, it also doesn't give me the butterflies being asked on the phone or in person does.

2.) Should you make a major announcement in a Facebook status update before you've told your family and close friends? This includes pregnancies, engagements, or life decisions.

3.) Do you find yourself always using an e-card to replace a paper card for your closest friends/relatives (for anniversaries, holidays, birthdays...)? I do this a lot, and I'm not saying it's a bad thing necessarily, I'm just wondering if it's over done.

4.) This last one is more of a statement than a question: long texting conversations do not count as real conversations. This is especially confusing when it comes to dating. So often after a friend of mine has gone on a good date, I'll ask her later, "So, have you heard from him since the date?" And she'll say, "well, he texted me..." with a confused sound in her voice. When it comes to dating, texting is confusing. Who's with me on this? I'm not saying it should be banned, but I think it should be used sparingly, at least at the beginning of a relationship.

I know this post is a bit random and out of character for me but I have been thinking about this stuff lately and I thought I'd post about it. I'd love any insights you have. I really hope this post doesn't sound judgemental - I just think that sometimes we use technology when it would be more appropriate to actually talk to each other. (Ironic that I'm communicating these thoughts to you via my blog, no?)

Wednesday Thoughts

I find myself from time to time feeling very passionately about things that, honestly, I know don't really matter. But every now and then it just feels crucial to make a decision on these things, even though no one but myself really cares. Actually, that's not true. Some of you care - I know this because I've talked to some of you about these things.

I thought it would be a good idea (or should I just say "an idea"?) to get these out there. If you think I chose wrongly in some of these debates, I'd be happy to hear your argument.

The Great Debates:

Who was the best boyfriend for Rory on Gilmore Girls?

1. Dean (by far the best, in my opinion! Love Dean! But I hate when he cheated on his wife...)
2. Jess (hot, but no good for Rory, and a punk to Lorelei.)
3. Logan (booooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!)

Mac vs. PC

I don't know which computer is better, but I know which group thinks they're better.

Who's the funniest character on Arrested Development?

This is a really hard one. I think this is where I've landed on this one:

Funniest: G.O.B.
2nd place: Tobias

But I can never decide between those two. And sometimes either Gangy or Buster try to move up into the top spot. Any opinions?

Which is freakier: claymation or optical illusions?

Conclusion: They're both terrifying.

The Replacements

Recently, as part of my apparent ongoing quest to waste time, I discovered that there are a ton of episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch on youtube. Do you guys remember that show? I loved it back in the day, although I really only liked the high school years. The college years, with no aunts or Harvey just didn't do anything for me.

Something I've noticed while re-watching these old episodes is that there was a replacement of best friends made every couple years that I find, frankly, unacceptable. First, Sabrina was best friends with Jenny, then with no notice, Jenny was out, and Valerie was in. Valerie was great, and definitely my favorite of the best friends. Then suddenly Valerie was out and Dreama was in! Dreama was no Valerie, people!

This got me thinking about other replacements that have been made in some of my favorite shows over the years. I think I need to talk this one out, so here are some of the replacements that stand out most in my memory, along with brief discussions about who I think was the better choice.

Jenny Kelly vs. Valerie Birkhead (Sabrina, TTW)
So, Jenny was fine I guess. She had really big hair which I can relate to, and she was open minded to the weirdness surrounding Sabrina. But I still think Valerie was a much better best friend. She was funnier and less annoying than Jenny. She was also much more like-able. I'm not even going to discuss Dreama, who was an awful replacement for Valerie. Boo!

Rudy vs. Olivia (The Cosby Show)
As if kids aren't self conscious enough when they hit puberty, the Cosby show sent a not-so-discreet message to poor Rudy that since she was no longer adorable, she'd need to be replaced. Cue Olivia. Based on the way I started this rant, you probably think I prefer Rudy. That's where you're wrong - I just feel bad for her. But who can deny the over-the-top cuteness of Olivia!? I approve of this replacement.

Sharona vs. Natalie (Monk)
For Monk fans, this is a sensitive subject. At the beginning of the show, Sharona played Monk's assistant, but due to some sort of contract negotiations gone bad, she was replaced with Natalie. This one was hard for me to get used to. Jason Evans, who always watches Monk with Katherine and me, claims that Natalie is way better and feels very passionately about this subject (and anyone who knows him knows how passionate he gets when arguing his point). I always thought that Sharona was a good fit for Mr. Monk, but I also like Natalie. This one's a toss up.

DJ's boyfriends: Stevarino vs. Viper and Nelson (Full House, duh)
Guys, I still miss Steve-a-rino. Remember him? He'd eat all of Mr. T (Tanner)'s food, he was on the wrestling team, and one time Michelle wanted to marry him. Why did he and DJ have to break up that one day when they went rock climbing? After Steve, DJ went through a series of bad boyfriend choices. Viper!? Come on, DJ. And Nelson!? Booooorring!! No one can compare to Steve. Sigh.

Now that I've revealed my embarrassing knowledge of Full House plot lines, I should probably move on. If there are any important replacements that I've forgotten to include, feel free to vent. Personally, I feel better having gotten that off my chest. And yes, I do feel a little bit embarrassed about watching so much tv.

Facebook: Blessing or Curse?

The joys of facebook! So many of my conversations come back to facebook these days. Facebook is both good and evil. It's good in the sense that it makes staying in touch and sharing pictures a lot easier. It's bad in that you often find out too much...Or not enough. I blame the newsfeed. Do I really have to know that one of my friends removed "Bon Jovi" from his list of favorite music? That just confuses me. (Why would someone do that?) Or what about when a casual acquaintance on my friend list changes their status to:

"Samantha isn't sure."
or

"Tom might go for it."

Isn't sure about what? Might go for what? Should I write on their walls and ask them? Or should I let it go? I guess if it's something major, I'll find out in the newsfeed eventually.

One of the weird things about facebook is that you find out about stuff much faster than you normally would. And more often you find stuff out that you might never have known. Like the ups and downs of your friend's relationships. Or you find out that you weren't invited to something that some of your friends were invited to. Like I said, both good and evil.

The following are some conversations I have heard or been a part of. I have changed the names and events to protect the identities. You might be able to relate to some of these.

Alice: Did you hear about Sam and Annie?

Jasper: No, what about them?

Alice: They're dating.

Jasper: Really? Who told you that?
Alice: I read it on the facebook newsfeed.

Four months later...

Jasper: Hey, too bad about Sam and Annie, huh?

Alice: What do you mean?

Jasper: I saw on facebook that they changed their relationship status to "it's complicated" and Annie's facebook status is, "Annie is really sad."

Alice: Poor girl.

Jasper: Yeah. Maybe I'll send her some flair to cheer her up.

Alice: I'm sure she'd like that.

Another conversation I have heard, and possibly been a part of:

Sabrina: Were you invited to Max's party?

Valerie: What party?

Sabrina: I saw on the newsfeed today that "15 of my friends are attending Max's End of Summer Blowout Bash."

Valerie: What!? I can't believe Max didn't invite me!

Sabrina: I know!! I think I'm going to unfriend him.

Valerie: Good call. Me too. That'll teach him.

A couple weeks later...

Max: Are Valerie and Sabrina mad at me?

Conan: I don't know. Why?
Max: I thought I was friends with them on facebook, but today I saw them on the "people you may know" list. I wonder if they unfriended me.

Conan: Did you do something to them?

Max: Not that I know of. I wonder why they didn't come to my party?

One more:

Kelly: I met this cute guy at the party the other night and I friend requested him!

Beyonce: Oh yeah? Did he accept?

Kelly: Yeah, he did. I was thinking about writing a message on his wall, but I'm not sure.

Beyonce: Why not?

Kelly: I don't want it to show up in our mutual friend's newsfeed.

Beyonce: Yeah, that newsfeed is too much. Maybe you should just invite him to play Scramble or Scrabulous. You guys can bond that way.

Kelly: Great idea!

There you have it. I hope some of you can relate to these conversations. I know some of you can, because a few of you readers were a part of these very convos! There's only one name I didn't change, but I'll let you guess which it was. (If you guessed Beyonce, you're right!)