rub it in, if you must

Recently, I notice that people announce their upcoming activities as a sign of importance, especially for work.

For instance, a colleague mentioned 4 times this morning that he has an important lunch with an industry heavy weight today.

At first, I thought it was funny that he kept talking about this lunch. Then, I realized that it was in the tone of "Important me going to lunch, and you, not important, not going to lunch."

I almost LOL because I actually went to a very leisurely lunch today with a friend of mine. The idea of a working lunch may be overrated b/c...it's work.

ability

An unexpected result for all the traveling and having fun in the last 6 months - a drive for a stellar career.

Not only do I want to always be able to finance a packed personal life, I want my work to reflect my energetic personality.

I like my work right now, but I want to love it. Never knew this is what aiming high is all about.

Don't know if all the ups and downs at work created this new sense of self, but I just know that there is untapped potential with career.

Started to apply to jobs and side gigs. No longer limited to a traditional path, but it'll also take like-minds to take that chance with me.

future of SF

Took a walking tour yesterday of downtown SF with SPUR, the planning organization in town.

It's amazing what's coming up for the downtown area.

You can create your own walking tour with this website of San Francisco development projects.

get your tickets

In the past, I've created evites and sent e-mails to have some company at film festivals. This time around, I am just going to put the link here in case anyone is interested:
San Francisco International Film Festival

Got tickets for The Unforeseen 4/27, All in This Tea 4/28, Hana 5/2, Reprise 5/6 and Ab Lib Night 5/7.

Get your tickets early. The easiest is to order online for will call. I like to go in person to the kabuki or embarcadero and have them in my hand.

Tip - read through the special categories, like spotlight to see some of the highlights already picked out by the festival. Or, pick films from a particular place that you want to visit. Indie films are always current on in a particular region/city/country.

testing the limit

2007 is rocking.

6 trips out of town so far, and I have DC and LA lined up in the next month. Peru in July and Miami in Sept! Hosted 9 overnight guests so far, and there will be plenty more visitors.

This is all in the name of fun.

All the going away had an effect. My routine fun things in town weren't as important. I missed a lot of dancing and local events like big films at the recent film festival.

Got me to think about directing all my extra energy into my career. Maybe I can handle a legal career after all? Just a thought as I think about how I am going to support my lifestyle.

live for the weekend

Just made a breakfast get-together with my friend E at 8am Sat morning.

I love the weekends b/c it's a true reflection of who I am.

After breakfast, am going to the south bay for coffee at 11 and the family for lunch after. Have dinner plans with another friend and then going to do my favorite thing - dancing at 10. My old dancing partner is finally free for a night out, and I am ready to boogie. Plus, might also check out a club near me that supposedly has great house music.

Sunday will be low key. Just a brunch and maybe movie and more family time. Might go to salsa class Sun night, since another friend is going.

I know that this crazy single period of my life will not last forever, so I want to take advantage of the opportunities. I feel lucky that life is so full right now. There will be a time to settle down, but not now.

Now if I can only figure out when to make time for the new guy...

bliss

Had lunch with a friend today. Asked how her relationship is going. She said just fine. There was a knowing smile that came with that "fine".

I always know when my friends are in a happy relationship. It's when they have very little to report. It's when they are almost quiet about how good it is. It's when they have that knowing smile because they are loved.

Sigh. Lucky Ducky (as my friend M from Rio says).

I don't know if I will experience that ever again, but I am hopeful. Bliss may be a ways off. It may just be around the corner. I just know that my happiness is all about being myself right now.

focus

Started a new study group with a couple of women I met in the real estate business. They are both project managers at real estate development companies. What I thought I would be doing upon joining the company a year ago but not what I am doing at all.

It's nice to have the support on the career front, since most of my friends from school are doing other things.

Tempted at times to go back to law, because it's the one place where I do get some respect. Love my lifestyle too much though.

Like everything else, each step of my journey has led me to good people. Starting to truly believe that even my career ups and downs have their purposes.

the best part...

about dating is this initial period, when all one can do is flirt.

There is a certain freedom b/c if it ends now, no one gets hurt.

Ironic that in the past, I just want to get to the actual relationship. Now I just want to prolong the fun.

Yes, it would be great to have that one person who I can count on, but I already have that person, me. Plus all my family and friends. Yes, it would be wonderful to start a family with someone, but that'll happen in due time. I've got lots of time.

I still hope that this next person will be the one to settle down with. If not, at least there will be lots of fun.

mission v. destiny

Read B. Obama's book "Dreams from My Father" over the weekend. Grateful that I have enough time to read a book cover to cover in a short time.

It was a glimpse into someone who is relatively obscure on the political scene. It also got me to think about destiny. Barack Obama is, like the rest of us, just a culmination of his experiences. Those experiences ultimately led him to his candidacy.

Perhaps one reason I am still trying to figure out how to live in Argentina for a year or two is to find my mission. I am grateful for my life and all the happiness. I often feel as if I am the luckiest person alive.

Now, it's time to see where else I can make a difference.

why car?

Am organizing a trip with 3 girlfriends in another city. We are e-mailing about transportation today. Seems like some in the group defaults to renting a car. Why?

I'm at a point in my life where I am trying to not drive as much as possible.

Take work. Am using the free shuttle at my work a couple of times a week and lobbying for a car share company to designate a car at my building's parking lot. Then I don't have to drive at all.

Take errands. Try to walk to as many things as possible or order things online.

Even for eating out. I am encouraging people to come over for dinner or go to places around me.

With parking, maintenance, chance of accident and getting lost, driving doesn't seem all that liberating at all. Still, all these friends read the blog, so I am sure we will eventually figure out the best way to get around, rental car or not.

ride

i am crazy about the snow, but growing up, i would never have guessed that i would be skiing and boarding

was and probably still is quite uncoordinated

but there is something about carving on powder and being in nature

got into the sport for social reasons, but now this is something just for me

took another lesson today. my first female instructor in 11 years. she is in her early 20s, ready to go to grad school

the best thing about taking advanced boarding lesson is that so few people do that i often get a private

very cool. two chicks carving blacks. she got me to tackle some baby moguls too

yeah. life is pretty good right now

hahaha

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/Careers/10/20/cb.cushy.jobs/index.html

I could be a motivational speaker. :)

checking out the competition

I stopped dating off of match, but it's still entertaining. I suppose it helps to narrow people by interest or values, but who isn't nice and together on these one-pagers? At the same time, it's great for first impressions. I think it should just be head shots only, so we can just trust our gut reaction.

I like match in reading what the other women have to say. The modern version of "come and get me". Saw the profile of one woman that I just could not stand. She is the friend of a friend. Don't know what it is, I had a genuine dislike for her. Yes, I actually can dislike someone, and I am quite curious about her b/c of my strong negative reaction towards her.

Reading her profile today, my reaction changed. Despite her father's subsidy of her lifestyle, she is just like everyone else and has to put up a profile to be asked out. I guess wanting to find the right guy is something I have in common with her. We're just going about it differently. I don't need someone who shares my passions, since I am fine doing those things on my own.

I am looking for someone who is on the same wavelength. Perhaps due to work, I do care a lot about my career and don't want someone to be in the way of that pursuit. In fact, people who work a lot are going to get bonus points in my book. They can slave away at the office while I take over the world (or just jet off to the next vacation)...

investigation

A co-worker was fired Friday while I was on vacation. Hum. I wasn't very close to him, but my curiosity got me to ask around.

Definitely politics more than anything. Am uncomfortable that a senior manager at a sister company wants me to help. They were friends. Why get involved when it is the will of the board/management to fire someone? Maybe this is meant to be?

What was incredulous was that the senior manager wasn't willing to stick her neck out but asked me to talk to the board! I started to investigate and realized that the person simply didn't meet the standard of his supervisor.

Welcome to the corporate world.

what we cannot control

Had a great weekend, thanks to good company. No, it wasn't a romantic trip, but hanging out with people who are willing to ski in nonstop rain and snow was quite a bonding experience.

The crazy weather was a reminder that there are so many things we cannot control. There is always our attitude and being grateful.

better to be a woman

Went to see a few movies by myself during the film festival that is in town. Going stag has its benefits: there is always a good seat, and I can focus on the movie. Even the usher recognized me (very few people watch movies by themselves?)...

Last night, I happen to sit between 3 men, except they were all going stag too. It was funny b/c they all left a seat b/t themselves and the next guy. Is that how it is at men's bathrooms? Good for me, since I got one of the best seats in the house.

My friend C would say this is a good time to pick up. It was good practice, to talk to people in line and around my seat. Still, I kept to myself and my magazine. Just not up to picking people up randomly. Maybe this weekend if I sit next to someone interesting?

rules

What's up with this guy who got my number and actually calls? You are not suppose to call. It's all courtesy. You know, to make the woman feel good and say goodbye before you proceed to get the numbers of the rest of the women in the room.

Even he admits that he is breaking the five day rule: get the number Sat and wait at least until Thurs to call. He called Tuesday night!


We do have a first date, so let's wait and see.

girl power

Over the weekend, my little cousin corrected me when I mentioned for all the "girls" to take a picture. This eight-year-old announced that we (the older cousins) are women, not girls.

It was a touching moment. The spunky spirit of the family has just been passed down.

Lately, despite the ups and downs in every other area of my life, many, many women have been there for me. As much as we talk about needing a man, there is a reason why statistically, female companionship is the number one indicator of a woman's happiness.

More than ever, it is these women, most of them single, that are seeing me through my highs and lows.

So even though my Prince Charming must be at some finishing school, I am all right with some love from the ladies.

changing and accepting

Feeling so content. More than ever, I am taking the time to listen to my intuition. Yes, it's nothing new for me to follow my gut, but never have I been so aware of its inevitable truth. By asking myself what is meant to be before an event, I am more aware of the true meaning behind ordinary moments.

Take tonight. I was suppose to meet up with a girlfriend and her friend at the film festival. Then, my friend called to say that she couldn't get tickets in time. It was going to be me and her friend. Given that we have never met, we ended up not meeting.

I was also planning to meet up with a blind date from CL but decided against it. Something about the pushy e-mails made me not pursue it. I even programmed his phone number in case I wanted to meet up, but that feeling never surfaced.

Part of the coincidence was that I am so used to going to movies by myself that I felt more confidant than usual (I am actually more calm rather than my hyper self).

Of course, this would be the night that I run into someone from my past. It was
good to see each other because this was a person who earned my respect. It was a pleasant surprise to see someone I cared about doing well.

In that moment, I felt like a new person because of all the meant-to-be. It was a very sweet moment that reminded me of all the good things ahead.

Life is indeed wonderful, and I am so moved by the beauty that comes into my life each and every day. I just hope I am smart enough to figure it out and cherish it with care and grace.