Feel the Burn

Took my first group strength class this AM.  Wow!  I am in horrible shape!  Time to work on the inner thighs and triceps and abs and calfs...two days from now I will be relishing the time I spent at the gym!

Time Warner Cable - Charlotte is AWFUL

I, like so many others, went with the TWC bundled package.  When the promotional period was over, my rate sky-rocketed.  This is to be expected.  I, of course, call to discuss what they might be able to do to lower my rate.  Nothing. OK, fine.

I set up service with Vonage & AT&T (internet).  Call TWC to cancel and they are soooo ready to help me out.  "What can we do to keep you as a customer?"  Me, "Nothing.  I have already called and asked for a lower rate and the customer service person was unable to provide any options. I have spent my time and energy researching and purchasing alternatives.  There is nothing you can do to get my business back."  TWC, "Even if we were able to save you money?"  Me, "No.  At this point I have invested too much in setting up alternatives."  TWC, "Uh..OK." Hold for a few minutes.  When they come back they tell me that they will be UNABLE to disconnect my service because I have leased equipment (the cable modem).  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  Terminate my service.  Put a charge on my bill for the amount of the unit, credit my bill when it is returned.  TWC, "You have to turn the equipment in."  Me, "Can you come pick it up?"  TWC, "Yes, there is a courier service, let me give you the number."  Me, "Is there any cost to me for this pick up?"  TWC, "No."

Next call...the courier service.  There is ONE woman who can schedule pick ups and apparently, she is at lunch at 4PM in the afternoon.  She will return my call.

I am not going to hold my breath.

And this does not even take into consideration that they have incorrectly applied my payments since DECEMBER of 2007 and turned off my service for lack of payment when all of the bills had been paid!!!!

Apple is Taking the World DOWN!

The first thing I did this morning was hop online to update my iTunes & iPhone.  I was not alone.  Reading all of the blogs...it looks like the iTunes store has crashed and burned.  Now my lovely iPhone is a nice paperweight on my desk while I pray that my connection to itunes store will come back and make it a wonderful, amazing new phone.  AGGGGH!!!!  

Also, Twitter is crashing.  AIM and Jabber too....

Jimmy!

Jimmy Buffett kicked off the summer concert series in 40 degree weather last night!  My friend Matt drove in and took me to the concert.  (Thank you Matt!!!) We had a grand time, he is still at the house nursing a pretty wicked hang over.  I am at work!  Sucker.  I must admit, I did sleep in this morning and probably slept through the worst of the hangover.  

While I was in and out of sleep I was thinking about 2008.  Part of me feels like it has been SUCH a DIFFICULT year.  Unexpectedly losing my job and then severely injuring myself are not the harbingers of good things!  I realized I was only focusing on the negative things that had happened.

I started going through all of the good things that have happened this year.  I have traveled to Cancun, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Richmond and DC, I have done a lot of rewarding work in the garden, I've started dating again, I've been to a Bruce Springsteen AND Jimmy Buffett concert.  Not a bad year at all and frankly, it's off to a better start than most.

BRUCE!

This past Christmas, I gave my mother tickets to see Bruce Springsteen.  Well, the show did not disappoint!  I'm sure you have been to concerts that were good.  And, I'm sure you've been to concerts that are GREAT.  The GREAT concerts happen when the performer hits that vibe with the audience and it's just awesome.  Maybe all of Bruce's concerts are like that?  I've only been to one before and I recall it being pretty darn great.  Baby, we were born to run!!!

A Weird Weekend

I will dispense with formalities first.  

What the hell happened to the Tar Heels???!!!  My team completely fell apart on Saturday night during the final four.  It was horrible to watch.  They were down by 31 points at one time, then brought the lead within 4 points...only to go down by 18.  Ugh.  The press conference afterwards was even MORE painful to watch.  I have never seen a more distraught team after losing a game.

Now for the fun stuff.  I have started dating again.  I'm really trying to focus on it since I have neglected that part of my life for a while.  A friend set me up with this guy and we were supposed to go out this coming Thursday.  Well, Sunday afternoon he shot me a text and asked me to dinner Sunday night.  I had triple booked Thursday anyway, so this was a great loop hole for me.  I also figured that there was no point in playing games...the whole,  you didn't give me enough lead time so I'm "not available" crap.  Thought I'd skip it.

Dinner was nice.  He showed up in stylish clothes.  Driving a Merecedes CLK350 (turned out it wasn't his, but he drives a BMW645).  Suggested a good restaurant (which had gone out of business in the last week but quickly accepted my suggestion of a decent place down the road).  Conversation was good.  He was funny.  Oh - this was a blind date too.  He was hot (go B! thanks!).  

Now, maybe I have become a bit uptight in my old age?  Maybe the following will explain why I am still singe.  Most of his stories involved dates that went sideways with girls who had at one time or another been employed as strippers.  Now, he was careful to point out that he doesn't frequent strip clubs (not a fan) but seems to meet them.  The stories were damn funny.  But, is it odd to bring up stripper dates on a first blind date?

The nice car thing threw me for a loop.  I NEVER date guys with nice cars.  I have no idea why, but every guy I have dated (last two excepting...maybe I've found grown up men?!) has driven a POS.  Either really old, really dirty or stunk, or a combination of all three.  So, a date with a guy who has a real life nice car is an oddity.  It's a good thing, particularly since I like cars!!

I need to scoot, so for now, I'll wrap with I don't expect him to call.  I don't think I'm his type of girl.

Wow - So This is what living feels like!

I have been so focused on work and building my career the past 2.5 years that I had begun to neglect parts of my life.  I was working 10+ hour days and loving it.  Only, I forgot to do little things that were important to me.  I forgot to go to the gym/work out.  I forgot to spend lots of time with my friends.  I forgot to garden.  I forgot to take my dog for walks.  I had even forgotten to read! (For as long as I can remember, I have almost always read at least a chapter every night before bed.) I forgot to be involved.

Since THE LAYOFF I have been slowly regrouping.  I've started to exercise again. I've started to cook.  It's even easier now that the stove I burned up has been replaced.  I've started to think about dating again.  Stop - let me rephrase that.  I had started to think about it back in the fall when the blast from my past popped back into my life.  Even though he wasn't an option for me (pesky morals), I had such a good time with him (as always) that I remembered that it was FUN to flirt and go to dinner and have drinks, with someone other than your friends and family.  I had forgotten.

Here's to remembering!!