Finally! The summer Olympics are here and I am beyond excited. The 3rd Annual (minus a brief skip in 2010 due to my cancer surgery) Olympic Opening Ceremony Party is today and I’m so ready for it.
The best thing about this Olympics in my opinion though? Social Media. I more or less will be able to know at all moments what is going on with the Games, even if I’m busy at work or running errands. Not to mention being able to have access to some of the best athletes.
Update: I still have a dance party in my office. Often. Recently, I was even caught, mid-rock out session in my office by a coworker. And you know what….no shame! It doesn’t even bother me that I have the same musical tastes as most 14 year olds. I like happy music. End of story.
My new songs on the Dance Party Playlist:
1. No Doubt – Settle Down. I love, love, love No Doubt and forgot how much I missed them. And this song is so much fun and it’s Gwen at her very best in the video.
2. Carly Rae with Owl City – Good Times. Yes, technically this song is featuring my friend CRJ but I like to give her more credit for this song and the fact that she’s just fun.
3. Pink – Blow Me (One Last Kiss). Pink is back too! And who doesn’t love her?! More dance party music.
4. Demi Lovato – Give Your Heart A Break. Don’t be surprised that Demi is on this list. Pop. Teeny Bop music. Of course, I needed a Disney star.
5. B.o.B feat. T. Swift – Both of Us. The dance party comes out of nowhere. You think it’s gonna be a slow jam for a hot second, then B.o.B comes in.
6. Rita Ora – How We Do. Little Ke$ha feeling for me, minus Jack Daniels and eyeliner smeared on her face.
7. Cher Lloyd – Want U Back. The best part about liking this song? The minute I said I had a new song, a coworker immediately named this song. A coworker I barely work with. My teeny bop music spreads apparently.
8. HONORABLE MENTION. Due to the fact that my all time favorite boy band is back with this one…. ‘NSYNC with The Biebs. Stop it. This is just too good. Boyfriend and Girlfriend remixed.
Additional honorable mention….The Obama remix of Call Me Maybe. Cause it’s just funny. (Thank you again Adam for the CMM remix videos!)
I wrote this at some point last year, but lately it’s been feeling more relevant due to a situation I’ve dealt with over the past few months. It’s interesting how people change in the course of a year or more and sometimes you need to walk away and take a step back to really understand who someone is/was as a person. It’s been a reminder to me to surround myself with people who are genuine and authentic. I’m fortunate to have those type of people around me on a day-to-day basis. Hitting rewind….
Like I said…words girl…and yet another word I’ve learned to love (in my old age of 28): Authenticity/Authentic.
To start off with, let’s break down the definition of the word: authentic. Good old Webster defines authentic as: of undisputed orgin or authorship, genuine, accurate in representation of facts, trustworthy and reliable.
There’s a few reasons why I love this word. First, it’s the type of person that I strive to be. I try to be authentic and genuine with everyone I meet and interact with, whether I like them or not. Second, it’s the type of people who I surround myself with. I can say that my true friends are some of the most authentic people who I know. They care with a deep conviction and are genuine in the words they speak. And I hope to one day be in a relationship with someone who has that character quality.
The reason why this came up: inauthentic people who are in my “circle”, if you will. People that are not genuine, that don’t care and are not themselves. People who are branding themselves as someone else, in order to gain attention (or worse: just a job). I gotta say: this rubs me the wrong way. Pretending to be someone who you are truly not – inauthentic. Following someone else’s path – inauthentic. And honestly, once I notice these qualities in a person, I stop trusting them. I start doubting their actions or questioning their motives. And almost immediately, I move them from the “friend” circle to the “acquaintance” circle (which by the way: look me up on google +).
So my final thought for the night:
Be yourself.
Brand yourself – by your interest, qualities and desires.
I have people close to my in my life that I admire (mainly The BFF) but I also seriously admire this woman, Bethenny Frankel.
I’m just starting reading “A Place of Yes”, which I hear will change my life, but the thing that I love the most about Bethenny is that she never stopped. I see a lot of myself in Bethenny. Independent and career-driven especially. She knew what she wanted, she knew there’d be struggles and yet she kept going. And she literally has it all.
So, besides a close friend/family member (or maybe in addition to) who is someone that you admire?
I’m pretty sure I’ve stated before but I am a complete and utter sap. I don’t really know when this all started but I cry now at TV shows, commercials, articles and seriously, the Olympics.
It’s my favorite time of the year every two years. The Olympic Games – whether it’s summer or winter. Winter tends to be a little closer to my heart due to The BFF and the fact that the last Olympics included skaters that he coached (which made that so much more fun to watch).
I have yet to make it through watching anything Olympics-related without crying. The Olympic Gymnastics Trials….tears. The movie Miracle….sobbed. The P&G “Thank You Mom” commercials….well you probably can assume. I’m not sure what it is that does it to me about the Olympics. It may be knowing the back story of some of the Olympians. Understanding how hard they really do train. Understanding what they give up (friendships, a real “high school” experience, college, jobs, time with family….).
I’m throwing another Olympic Opening Ceremony Party this year (I had one in 2002 which I barely made it through due to tears, and again in 2006. Cancer caused me not to host one in 2010 but at least I was able to watch the entire Olympics). I’m sure my friends and coworkers will have a good laugh outta watching me cry the minute the Olympians walk in (though I usually am crying in the first few minutes with the montage of Olympians with their stories leading up to the games).
What’s your favorite Olympic sport/Olympian? Am I seriously the only one that can’t handle watching it sans tears?
Would receive this video from two different coworkers/friends within hours of each other…apparently a lot of people know of my love of “Call Me Maybe”… (so thank you Adam and Angelo since I know at least one of you reads this blog!)
Highly aware that it’s only July, but I’m starting to prepare for The BFF’s big event in September and what am I most concerned about? The speech I have to give? Presenting the award? Standing in front of family and friends and not crying? Of course not. I’m more worried about what I’m going to wear.
I’ve started to look for dresses knowing the following details: the event is in early September, it’s indoors at Windows on the River, it’s a wine and champagne event so the dress will be cocktail and I will need to eventually be on a stage to present the award. An another detail semi-important – I will not need to wear huge heels, as The BFF is only 5’9ish (I say 5’8) and I’ll be taking pictures with him throughout the evening so I don’t want to tower (aw it’ll be just like prom!).
Here are two options so far:
BCBG
BCBG
Opinions? Do I go with my signature color (black)? Short or long? I tend to like one shoulder…so many options!
The thing I need to learn the most? Apparently I need to learn how to golf. There’s a few reasons for this.
The first – I’m the only girl on an all-guys account team. For the most part I can keep up with the boys. I teach them a few things too. Like how to properly use the following terms: btw, ftw, totes, perf, samies and twinsies.(For example, in conversation with my boss on Monday, I yell over – we have offices next to each other – “hey, I’m going to shoot that email over.” He replies “Perf!”, quite proud of himself. I also teach them a little about music. We all (almost all) have a love now for Carly Rae, Ke$ha and the Biebs. But, I need to pull myself together in the sports department. Yes, I can talk Browns, Cavs and Indians. But when it comes to golf and taking our clients golfing, I have no clue.
The other reason I want to learn – well…this Forbes article told me to. After reviewing the list with a couple coworkers, we realized I had all the other ones down except for #9b about golfing.
Of course, I’ll need pink clubs…
The nine rules women should follow according to Julie Steinberg:
Work hard
Do work no one else wants to do
Cultivate the people in charge
Know what you want and go for it
Promote yourself legitimately
Network with your peers
Make your own career
Leave to get ahead
Dress well and play golf
So there it is. I’m going to learn how to play golf. Maybe not today, tomorrow or even this month. But I have a couple coworkers who are willing to teach me.
Life in the CLE 