Short Hair

It all started the day Ricca returned from Beijing. We were lying on her surprisingly comfortable air mattress discussing everything from the Great Wall of China to knock-off Gucci bags, when we stumbled upon the topic of hair. Next thing you knew we were rummaging through old magazines in search of the perfect cut. It didn’t take long before I stumbled upon a picture of Rihanna in an old issue of US Magazine. I quickly became obsessed. I was tempted to make an appointment ASAP in order to get it cut before I changed my mind but the fear of regret was far too vast to ignore so I decided to let the idea of short hair marinate. I spent the next two weeks trying to envision myself with Rihanna’s hair. I told everyone who would listen about my plans to drastically shorten the lengths of my long locks but rather than try to detour me, my friends and family encouraged me to do it. So… I did it!

As soon as I walked into the salon I was consumed by a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I took out the Rihanna picture and showed my stylist. “I can easily be talked out of this!” I told her secretly hoping that she would advice me against it. She didn’t. Less than an hour later my cut was complete so I stepped out of the chair and over the lifeless long brown strands of hair that had so solemnly come to rest on the salon floor.

Yep, I now have short hair!

Hair Petting

Apparently I pet my hair… it’s true! I have no idea when or how it started but it was recently brought to my attention and now that I’ve become conscious about it, I catch myself playing with my long brown tresses several times a day! MM and E were the first to point it out. They say I primarily do it in the company of men… I do it when I see an attractive guy, I do it when I’m approached by a guy, I do it when I’m conversing with a guy, I do it when I’m at a bar with a drink in my hand, when I’m laughing, when I’m nervous, when I’m bored and especially when I’m flirting! It’s my thing. I have it down to a science. I tilt my head, smile and gently twirl my locks between my fingers. I am officially claiming the title of “Hair Petter” (Is “petter” even a word?)!

Friday The 13th

On our drive up to Long Beach on Friday night, I began to reminisce about my college days and all the nights we spent out on the town living for the moment! Back then it was not considered unusual to go to a bar, get drunk, meet a guy and end up making out with him before the night was over. We were young, carefree and adventurous! It occurred to me that as we’ve aged, we have become much more guarded with our actions and overtly concerned with how others perceive us. Instead of becoming less inhibited, we’ve become increasingly judgmental. So as we sipped our pre-party cocktails at Alex’s bachelorette pad that evening, we decided it was time to revert to our old college ways!

The prize was $100 and the winner would be the first person to make out with someone at the Auld Dubliner Pub. The rules were simple; you could do anything to win except tell the person you were making out with about the bet. With all the parameters of the wager established, we were off (and armed with our blue plastic cup roadies) to make things happen in the LBC!

As it turns out, acting like a pack of audacious college kids comes easy to this group. It was like riding a bike and no one was in need of training wheels! Less than an hour after arriving, Mandeep was caught leaning on a wall with her lips pressed up against her very own 21-year-old boy-toy. Shortly after that, I spotted Ricca out in the Patio covertly kissing Dallas, a 45-year-old we later determined was actually 38. Alex meanwhile was dirty dancing on the dance floor with her mouth and arms all over Greg, an engineer from Hermosa Beach. Just when I thought I had seen it all, I noticed Mandeep had ditched her boy-toy and replaced him with our very own Ernesto (despite the fact that he’s gay), and suddenly there was a serious groping competition on the dance floor!

Where was I in all this? I was sober, observing my friends in their uninhibited state and conversing with Alex’s tall friend, Jeff, who amid all the action had managed to steal my attention. As I nursed my Heffenweiser, I took pleasure in watching the night unravel and by the evening’s end, Mandeep, Alex, Ricca and Ernesto had all managed to score points for their random hookups. I on the other hand kept my lips to myself but did divulge my phone number to Jeff before we parted ways.

Needless to say... I didn't win the bet!

Reoccurring Nightmare

I woke up this morning in a cold sweat, panic stricken and distressed as the result of a nightmare that seemed to have an all-too-familiar theme. The dream began with my now ex-husband and I frolicking at the beach and culminated with my agonizing discovery of a text message on his phone alluding to an affair. It has been over a year since this ACTUALLY occurred in real life… and while I feel like I’ve managed to move past the heartbreak and humiliation that can only come from infidelity, my subconscious mind feels the need to make me relive some altered variation of that horrendous experience every couple of weeks! Will it EVER stop???

Hot off the press...

In preperation for my job interview on Thursday, I whipped up a press release about my current job search...

Orange County Native Announces Her Departure From Real Estate; Seeks New Career In Public Relations

IRVINE, Calif.—July 09, 2007— M. Bryant, current broker/owner of a successful Orange County based realty company, announced today that she will soon be exiting the real estate industry in pursuit of a challenging and rewarding position in public relations.

The announcement comes amid various reports that the real estate market will continue on the downward spiral it began to take more than a year ago. “I’m looking for a position that offers more stability, longevity and growth potential,” explained Bryant. “Although I've had great success in real estate, it is not something that I can see myself doing long term.”

As her education and earlier employment background reflect, public relations has always held a special place in Bryant’s heart. “I may not have recent traditional public relations experience, but I have the know-how of a PR professional and the dedication it takes to succeed in the business” said Bryant. “I’m an incredibly driven individual who is focused and committed to excelling in the PR industry.”

Aside from having excellent organizational and communication skills, Bryant has valuable experience in the areas of public relations, marketing, advertising, sales, product development and launch, market research, event planning and community involvement. In addition to producing results above and beyond what is expected, she has consistently demonstrated leadership skills in environments where deadlines are a priority and handling multiple jobs simultaneously is the norm.

“I am confident that I possess the creativity, experience and ability it takes to make it in the industry,” declared Bryant. “I’m looking forward to a long and prosperous career in Public Relations.”

Bryant is an alumnus of California State University, Long Beach where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations, and a Minor in English, Creative Writing.

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7-7-7

What’s all the fuss with 7-7-7? To me it’s just a Saturday in July but apparently the media has set out to make it a national holiday. I get it… It’s 7-7-7… Jackpot! But seriously, the gaggle of couples flocking to the alter (including Eva and Tony) betting on an everlasting marriage simply because of their “lucky” wedding date are in for quite a revelation! I hate to be the skeptic here but trust me, there are absolutely no guarantees when it comes to love regardless of whether you get married on 7-7-7 or 10-1-05 (my doomful wedding date).

Wisdom Teeth

As I sit at my parents’ house recovering from the two wisdom teeth that were so viciously extracted from my unsuspecting mouth yesterday morning, I find myself once again reflecting on my so-called life. To say the past year has been hard for me would be a colossal understatement.

Let's recap: my seemingly ideal husband cheated on me, I filed for divorce, moved out of my picture perfect “Stepford Wives” house and into an overpriced 1-bedroom condo, I became the primary caregiver of an over-zealous Boston Terrier, the real estate market crashed, I had emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder, I gained nearly 15 lbs. and most recently I came to the startling realization that I may need to file for bankruptcy in the very near future!

But here I am… alive, healthy and with two giant holes currently exposed in both corners of my gums! Now I know that having my wisdom teeth removed isn’t exactly equivalent to all the hardships I have recently endured but still I find myself milking my all-too-common dental procedure for much more than it’s worth and enjoying all of the plush comforts of my loving parent’s home. If you ask me, I deserve it! And my parents (bless their hearts) would be the first to agree.

Mom is in the kitchen making dinner. Dad is outside playing with Larry. And I’m on the computer with my “I Love Mom” bell nearby just in case of emergencies. And by emergency I mean in case I get thirsty or hungry or both. So yes, it’s fair to say that while I’ve been dealt numerous bad hands over the past year, I’ve been immensely fortunate when it comes to family. So tonight, as I sleep in my childhood bedroom, I will say a prayer for my parents and thank God for all of their love and support! It feels good to be home again!