The Bachelorette

When I was in college, I used to watch The Bachelor faithfully with 5 of my friends in the dorms.  I haven't really watched it since, but I decided to jump back on the bandwagon this summer.  Mostly because its the summer and there's not much on TV so I needed something to fill my DVR, but also partly because it is The Bachelorette.  It is so much more fun to watch guys fighting over the same girl (they tend to take out their jealousy through pranks and hilarity) than to watch girls fighting over the same guy (bring on the cattiness!!).  

Normally I would keep this slightly embarrassing guilty pleasure to myself, but tonight I'm conflicted.  Meet my favorite guy on the show: Jake

Jake is absolutely awesome.  He is totally laid back, seems like a genuinely nice guy, has a little bit of nerd in him, is a pilot (hello?  airline industry!), lives in Lantana, TX (hello?  Like 15 minutes from me!), knows how to country dance (which I love doing!)...and did I mention he's kind of hot?

So I'm conflicted, because I really want the "nice guy to finish first" for once and for Jillian to pick him.  But even more than that, I want her to dump him so that I can meet him.  Cause you know, that's totally what would happen if he gets kicked of the show, right?

Jillian - you'd better make the right decision!!  And if you make the wrong one, go ahead and give Jake my number, okay? :)

An Open Letter to Santa Claus

Dear Santa,

Here’s the deal. I’m looking for 2008’s must-have, hard to find item: The Good Single Man. Tall. Handsome. Funny. I’d really prefer the Premium Model (you know…the one that comes with at least $150K annual income), but I’d be more than happy with the Standard Model too. I thought I was going to be able to find one, but some lady actually pushed me out of the way last week to grab the last one for her daughter!

I know, you tend to focus most of your energy on the <10 age group and I applaud that. They are definitely deserving. But you should know that I have been watching a LOT of Hallmark Christmas Movies this year. I have seen that you have a place in your heart for the single women (must remind you of the first time you met Mrs. Claus. How sweet!) and admit it…you really like showing up that snotty little midget Cupid who prances around in February like he’s king of the world. I heard he actually used to work for you til he decided he was "too cool for the Claus!" What an attitude!

I know you’ve got the ability to give me what I want for Christmas this year, so I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop by and help me out. I'm sure you’re a little overbooked on Christmas Eve, so I’ll even take my present late…just as long as its here by Midnight on New Years. :)

Thanks again Santa,
Emily

Frozen Dinner and a Glass of Wine

Today, I got home from work at about 6:45pm. I walked into a house that I own, and poured myself a glass of wine while I cooked a frozen dinner. In the 2 1/2 minutes it took to cook, I looked around and just started laughing. If you had told me 5 years ago what my life would look like today and where I was going to be, I would have said you were crazy. I figured I'd probably be married, working in marketing probably a couple of levels lower than I am now, and who knows...maybe even with a child on the way like a lot of my friends. Wine wasn't really a part of my life at that time (which i'm sure makes my mom happy since I was only 20!) so that part of my evening wouldn't have registered.

It's just funny to me how I am, in a lot of ways, so far from where I thought I would be 5 years ago. But with the way things have transpired, I know that I am right where I should be. I think I laughed tonight because its just amusing how we think we've got it all figured out, but God just says, "You have plans? Nope! I know the plans I have for you..."

I've been going through one of my "single hating" times, where I just get really annoyed at having to pretend that I am 100% happy being single and that I don't want anything else (because if you're a girl and show even the slightest sign that you would like someone to share your life with, you're labeled "desperate"). But it's nights like tonight when God, in a really weird way, reminds me that he's in control and things will happen on his timetable. And he did it all through a frozen dinner and a glass of wine. :)

P.S. For future reference, if you ever ask me if I'm dating anyone and I say no, please do not follow it up with "Oh, but you're only single because you're doing the career thing right now, right?" That just makes me feel like there should be something wrong with me if I'm not purposely staying single, and 2 or 3 of these comments in a row is what sets off the "single hating" time...

Look out Annika Sorenstam!

About 5 years ago, I was dating a guy who worked in a golf pro shop as some of you may remember. :) Somewhere during my 1st semester of college that year, I decided that I should take golf class at ACU because he wanted to go play with me. I had to take an Exercise Science class anyways...and this one didn't require the horrific ACU exercise science uniform. So that Christmas, Didad (Maggie and Katie's grandfather) made me a set of golf clubs and I embarked on my golfing journey. One semester later, I vaguely knew how to hit a golf ball and played my first game in which I shot a 97....on 9 holes. Other than hitting golf balls at a driving range one time during finals my sophomore year when I was in a really really bad mood, that was the end of my golf career.

Until now.

Last semester, Christina, another girl named Vineeta, and I decided to take golf lessons through TCU continuing education. We took 6 lessons (actually I only took 5 - I missed the last one) and our teacher was absolutely fabulous! I started off only slightly worse than I left off 4 years ago...and to be totally honest only ended up slightly better than 4 years ago! But tomorrow, I'm venturing back out into the world of golf to play my first real game since the end of my ACU class. And let me tell you, its going to be a really funny sight - Me, Christina, Vineeta, and our friend Jasmine (who actually knows how to play). Ironically, we're playing at the course that the afforementioned ex worked at that started this whole mess! How's that for life coming full circle?
















Me tomorrow!

April Fools!

I have kind of started dating a new guy named Alan. Nothing serious, we're just having fun. Well last night my brother Ben really wanted me to invite him to come out with Ben, a couple of his friends, and me. So I called him and invited him and he said yes. Now I hate Ben meeting new guys because he will either 1. REALLY dislike them or 2. Like them and say something to embarrass me. But I took my chances.

So Ben, his friends, and I are standing in line and Alan was on his way to meet us. I'm giving Ben the "don't embarrass me" lecture and he says "Hey, I've only known one Alan in my life and he was awesome. So if this guy is anything like him, then we're all good" and goes on to tell me how he became friends with this guy because they dated the same girl.

Alan gets there, walks up, and he and Ben start going "OH MY GOODNESS! IT'S BEEN FOREVER!!" and talking about this is the guy he was talking about earlier and how we can't believe how small the world is. I'm freaking out because I just can't believe it and don't really know what to do with this new bit of information.

They go on for about 2 hours letting me believe this ruse and right as we're leaving, they tell me that they've never met and it was an April Fool's joke! Apparently, Ben stole my phone yesterday afternoon at a family birthday party we were having and called Alan and planned the whole thing. Nice one Ben. Two thumbs up.

In other news, after I got home I decided I was hungry and wanted a sandwich (for some reason Turkey sandwiches always sound good around 10 or 11...). Fast forward to this morning when I woke up and very suddenly realized that the turkey I used must be bad. Morals of the story - always check expiration dates on lunch meat (should be common sense I know, but I just bought it!) and rubber bands to hold back hair are a girls best friend. :) Hopefully I'll be in better shape tomorrow - busy week ahead! But if you need to find me today, I"ll be on my couch, anxiously awaiting a new episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Emily's Reasons Why Not

Has anyone seen this show? I have to admit, I only decided to watch the first episode because the main character and the title have my name....I didn't even know what it was about. The show is actually rather corny and the acting a little over the top sometimes in my opinion, but the premise was eerily close to my heart. It's about a single girl named Emily (similarity #1) who is frustrated with the dating world (sorta similarity #2), always falls for the wrong guys (eh, I guess I haven't found the right one yet, so similarity #3). Now for the part that was freaky because I actually do this in my head and didn't realize it until this show - with each new guy that she likes, she has decided that after she discovers 5 reasons "why not," she has to let him go. I've never set a limit for myself, but while I was watching it, I started thinking about the guys that have been in my life recently and how I have thought of reasons why not. I have talked to a few of you about a particular person that is "All wrong for me on paper" - translation: He actually has 6 reasons why not and I didn't realize that I was truly making that list until I watched the show.

Some of my reasons why not for various people I have encountered are very valid reasons that need careful consideration (not a Christian, has cheated on past girlfriends, etc.) while some of them are admittedly a bit superficial (not tall enough for me to wear heels with, a democrat, etc.) Sometimes my reasons why not serve well to help me get over someone who is all wrong for me or who nothing will ever happen with so there is no purpose in continuing to think about him, but in other cases I realize that I have been talking myself out of something that could be really good because I was still hung up on someone I shouldn't be. I honestly don't know where I'm going with this post now...I just thought it was interesting that a show with my name could be so closely related to the actual me. Is anyone else out there neurotic enough to think of reasons why not? Or has anyone gotten past the superficial reasons and turned it into something good? Okay, I'm really done talking now. Have a great day.

"...And he's single!"

I am 22 years old, female, and I'm single. Apparently, this has placed a large sign on my back saying "SET ME UP!!! INTRODUCE ME TO GUYS!!!" I cannot even begin to tell you how many times people have told me that they have a guy I should meet. Even tonight at the Hip Pocket Theatre (read Lindsey's blog for the full story of this event!) we were talking to a guy who worked there about this pirate picnic they are having and he said, "...and 3 of the pirates are single!" Even complete strangers are trying to fix us up!

There is one person that actually goes further than just mentioning people to me - Gary Cooper. It seems that Gary Cooper's sole purpose in life right now is to get me married off because every time I see him, he has a new "special friend" to introduce me to. He seeks me out at church to introduce me to the boy of the week or to tell me how much he wishes I had been at the wedding the night before because he had a guy to introduce me to there. And here's the thing...I don't mind at all! I mean, if you're going to tell me there is a guy that would be good for me, at least do me the courtesy of introducing me! Now someone just needs to go one step further and actually set me up...I like tall guys.