Find Me
Anal Organization
Oldies But Goodies
More Stuff
Nonsense Notes
Whiskey Notes and Parachuting Fish
the ups-and-downs and sides-to-sides of the little things that make up life
10 GDW’s: Week 7 – New Games
I’m always experimenting with something. This post happens to be part of the 10 Guys, 10 Drinks, 10 Weeks experiment. You can see the others here. Enjoy the laughs, I sure am!
Guy #7. Drink #7. Week #7. Similar to Week 6, I have another confession. It’s not really week 7. I finally decided to pick up where I left off. Maybe not for the right reasons, but this time I’m determined to give it a real go vs. just a silly game. I’m tough. There are few guys that I take seriously enough to care whether they stay or go. But, James (not his real name) just might be different. James is smart, playful, laid back and a party animal all rolled into one. I’m also not sure what to do with him. Most guys I know. Most guys you flirt, have fun and by the end of the night are bored enough to not care what happens next or the next day. But, with James I kind of care.
The drink? His choice – Cafe Patron. He says it’s so good you can shower in it. I disagree. While good, I think I’ll pass on this one. But, the guy? Well, lucky #7 is the first time I chose the guy over the drink.
Posted in 10 Guys
Reinventing Myself
I started 10 Guys, 10 Drinks, 10 Weeks for almost all the wrong reasons. I stopped it for (what I thought were) all the right reasons. I tired of the project when I was 60% complete. Today, I think it’s time to bring it back for all the right reasons. And, what better week than this week? This week, I’m reinventing myself… new title, new dress, new hair cut and color. Plus, I’m thinking of going straight vs. curly on a semi-permanent basis. Sometimes, you need a little reinvention to remember who you are.
Posted in 10 Guys
My Bucket List
It’s short. It’s immediate. It’s all things I can do on my own… no “better half” needed, you know, just in case 🙂
- See the Northern Lights
- Visit London, Greece and Ireland
- Cross off a few more items on my sex list
- Visit the Warhol museum
- Spend my last days in St. Thomas on a beach, near the ocean
Short, sweet, simple and easily doable. I’m sure there’s more, but I like to keep my lists to five or less.
The Real Reasons I Dislike BDA's
Aside from all my gripes with BDA’s, I finally narrowed it down to the three main reasons why I dislike ’em so:
- Nothing’s done on a handshake. Everything is a process. It’s corporate. I hate corporate bullshit.
- There’s always an over-the-top anal-retentive AM assigned to your account. Someone, somewhere thinks this is the perfect fit for Vegas Clients. It’s not. These people never survive Vegas. Ever.
- You never talk to the people who are really working on your shit. Those people are locked in a dungeon somewhere, never allowed to interact with you. The result? Lots of things are lost in translation on both sides.
And this folks, is why I will always choose the small, creative shop and internal help over a BDA.
Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Rant
Life is a Highway
I like to believe that life is a series of moments. I call them rides. People come into your life for a reason. And sometimes, as painful as it is, they also go. Sometimes, they come back, but not often.
Matt came into my life to teach me about first loves. He also taught me that white picket fence realities weren’t real.
Christopher taught me the unconditional love of a mom. He taught me I was breakable, but that I could also put myself back together.
Rory. Oh, where to begin? He taught me about real sex and friendship. Most importantly, he taught me about the people who come into your life for periods of time to fill a void. I filled a void for him and he for me. A true “friend in need is a friend indeed” scenario. I could never say it to his face, but I loved him. I loved him for the man I watched him become.
And then there’s Mr. M. He was one moment that thankfully lasted longer than I ever imagined. The ride I took with him was one I broke a lot of rules for. But, my heart rarely listens to my head and is stubborn enough to always gamble it all. As many rules as I broke, I wouldn’t change a thing. The bumps, the broken rules, the things that went wrong, helped me appreciate when things went oh, so right. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet again on another ride.
The one lesson I remind myself each time? Even if the moments are short, you never have to stop loving the rides taken and wishing those who took them with you happiness.
Answers Unfound
I’m always searching for answers. Maybe it’s the kid in me. When I was little, my mom used to say, “The answer machine is broken” after I had asked “why” too many times. Maybe it’s the writer/journalist in me. Maybe it’s a girl thing. Maybe it’s a me thing. Either way, I’ve always liked getting to the root of things. Maybe it’s why I’m good at analytics and forecasting… I dig and dig and dig until I find the root of the issue.
Sometimes though, I have to remind myself that it’s okay to not have all the answers. This post reminds me that sometimes, the answers that you think you need aren’t what you need at all. But, I sure as hell still want them… that’s the part of me that enjoys the harsh reality of honesty 🙂
Posted in Personal
Broken Walls and Tattoos
I build a lot of walls. And sometimes, I let them down just enough to let someone in. Other times, I break them entirely. And sometimes, you build walls because you don’t believe in the “impossible.” But, what happens when the impossible becomes possible? What happens when you want something (or someone) so badly, that you’re willing to let down all the walls? Usually, when that happens you end up with a broken heart and a tattoo 🙂 And no, my June 19th tattoo won’t be of a brick wall. You’ll just have to wait, but suffice it to say it’ll have many lessons behind it. And yes, it’ll hurt like hell. More than my first one.
Posted in Personal
Lost… Again
This whole year, all I’ve done is turn a corner only to be dragged down into the abyss again. When will the rip tide let go? When is it my turn for things to go as planned or wanted? I hope it’s soon, because there’s only so long someone can fight a rip tide.
Four Simple Ideas
Just like the White House and Pope are kicking butt and taking names in the interactive space, so is Coca-Cola. When such a large brand can think about social media in these four, simple and real ways, it makes me wonder, “Why can’t we all?”
At a Blogger Outreach presentation, Coke talked about four “truths”:
- They don’t own their brands – people do
- Every day is election day – woo the audience constantly
- Fish where the fish are – be where you should be
- Success revolves around genuine and compelling content
Posted in Interactive Media, Social Media
Get Out of My Way
At iMedia’s Agency Summit this past week, one of the speakers talked about 3M’s motto since the 1940’s being, “Hire good people and leave them alone.” I love that idea. I wholeheartedly agree with that idea. Give people goals, encouragement and enough thought-provoking questions to take them to the next level, but on a day-to-day, project-to-project basis, leave ’em alone!
While long, the below video, What Motivates Us (You and I) is a fun example of just that. While a bit counter-intuitive, it’s a good reminder that us crazy humans (to an extent) are more motivated by social rewards like recognition vs. cold, hard cash. If you want your team to bring you to the next level, start thinking about how you can leave them alone more often 🙂