The Catchy-Message Guy

I had to read this more than once. I was with my girlfriend and her response would have been: Cheese. Apples. You. Things I want to cut with a knife.
I almost died from laughter.
When your profile picture is of you making a weird kissy-face, I think it is implied that I am not going to respond. HA!

Melissa is getting hitched!

My sweet friend Melissa is getting married at the end of May and this past weekend a few of her closest friends got together to celebrate her Bachelorette Party. We had such a blast and the bride felt loved and showered by all of the ladies who matter most to her! 

Friday night, the lovely Melissa from Real Nutritious Living arrived into San Francisco a bit early, so I was able to get some time with her before all of the festivities began on Saturday. It was so nice to catch up and chat and eat delicious sushi at Okoze on Union and Hyde. Yum! 

Saturday, I got up and ran some errands, went to the gym and met one of the Bride's friends at the hotel, Baldwin Hotel, to drop off all of our stuff. The hotel was fine and what made it great was the location. It is a short walk to Union Square and there are tons of restaurants and bars around the hotel. I would recommend it if you are looking for a great location hotel without paying the pricey rates. She and I headed over to West Portal to meet the bride and two other bridesmaids for lunch at El Toreador. This restaurant is one of our favorite places from when we were in college, so we had to eat there. One of the BMs and I went back to the hotel after lunch to decorate and get everything set up at the hotel. 

The bride arrived and we had some yummy cocktails and snacks while she opened her lingerie presents. She definitely got lots of great items! We finished out homemade cocktails (I made a version of Sex on the Beach (vodka, cranberry, sparking oj and peach juice - I couldn't find peach schnapps!)) And we walked over to the restaurant, Puccini & Pinetti. I had coordinated a special pre-fixe menu for the 6 of us. We brought our own wine and champagne and laughed the entire dinner, it was wonderful! 

After dinner we headed over to see a theater show and then back to our hotel. We were looking for a wine bar of sorts along the way, but it was pretty late so a lot was closed. We decided to head back to the hotel and chat wedding and, you know, girly stuff.

It was such a fun weekend to be spent with such beautiful souls! Can't wait to celebrate the bride and groom at the end of May!

On LASIK

I am just under 3 weeks after having LASIK done and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. 
At the end of March I made a decision, that was pushed a bit by my boss, to finally get a consultation to find out if I was a good candidate for LASIK. I consulted facebook and was referred by a friend to the Pacific Vision Institute in San Francisco. I had my consultation on a Thursday morning, found out that I was a good candidate for LASIK and scheduled my procedure for the following Wednesday morning. To prepare for the procedure, you are not allowed to wear your contacts because your contacts have an effect on the shape of your eye. So, I stopped wearing my contacts and rocked my glasses for a week - an easy thing to do in the name of LASIK.
I scheduled a pre-op appointment for the day before the procedure where they take all of your eye measurements and send you on your way to buy some prescription drops (why you have to buy the drops on top of paying for the whole thing is beyond me, but oh well). I stopped at the pharmacy and bought the drops and headed into work.
On Wednesday, procedure day, they told me to arrive about 30 minutes early to my appointment. When I arrived they handed me a relaxing drug and brought me into the exam room to pump 350 million drops into my eye, one (or a combination of a few) is to numb your eye. They have you sit in the room with your eyes closed, take some more measurements and then put more drops in your eye and then bring you into the operating operating room. The first room is where they cut the flap open to expose your cornea. Here is where the most discomfort, for me, was felt. There seemed to be a lot of pressure on my eye, but there was no pain. This lasts for about 30 seconds on each eye. After this the doctor has you close your eyes and then you are walked into a second operating room where they actually perform the reshapping of the cornea. This lasts for under 10 seconds per eye and then you can see. You have to look directly at the laser, which can be hard, but it isn't uncomfortable. 
When the doctor was done with both eyes I looked up at her and said: "I can't believe I just did that." And then was moved into the waiting room for my mom to pick me up and take me home. You aren't allowed to drive because of the medication they give you to relax. While you wait, they put these eye guards to cover your eyes and give you dark sunglasses and you are required to keep your eyes closed for 4 hours. My mom picked me up and took me back to her house where I had my eyes closed and rested. 

4 hours later, I had to have my mom help me take the eye guards off because they tape them to your face - removing those was more painful than the actual LASIK procedure! Anyway, you take off the protective wear and have to put drops in your eyes, before you put the drops in, you have to get your eyes open, which is also very hard because your eyelashes will be glued shut - and you aren't allowed to get water or sweat in your eyes for the first week and you're not allowed to rub your eyes for the first month after the procedure. You then have to wear the eye protectors for a week (give or take) after the procedure while you sleep, which is also very painful because you have to tape them to your face, it is also sticky. ha
After the first time I opened my eyes after the 4 hour period, I could see. It was absolutely unreal. The day after the procedure I had a post-op appointment where they take a look to make sure everything is healing properly and they do an eye exam - I was seeing 20/15 the day after my procedure. Better than 20/20 within 24 hours. It was amazing.
Now just under three weeks later, I am happier than ever. The vain part of me is having a hard time though because I haven't worn eye makeup since the procedure. Which is hard because I feel like I look like I am 14 years old. It is required to not wear makeup for a week after the procedure, so I could wear it, but I am not allowed to rub my eyes for a month after the procedure and so I don't know how I would get mascara off! So, I figure I won't bother with it. It is pretty interesting to go on dates and not be wearing makeup...ha!
Anyway, moral of this freaking long post: if you have been considering LASIK put on your big kid pants and do it! It has truly changed my life for the better! And if you go to the Pacific Vision Institute, mention that I referred you and you will get a referral discount and I will get a referral bonus! ;-)

I Am Happy

Last week I came to the realization that I am happy. I am proud of who I am. I am successful and I am where I am because I work hard and I deserve all of the great things that I have and that will come my way. --- The other day, I was sitting on my couch and needed to refill my water. I got up and walked to my fridge, opened up the door and grabbed my mavea filter. Filled up my nalgene and sat back on the couch to keep up with my show. When I opened the refrigerator door, I saw the pictures on my fridge and I thought to myself: I own this, I did this for myself. I also realized: I am happy. I am able to pay the bills to keep the stuff in my fridge cold (beer only - yes, I am a single dude), to keep the lights on in my house, to keep my gas tank filled, to go on trips, to pay to keep a roof over my head, to pay for my basic living and it is so liberating.  It is fulfilling to know that I worked hard and I am able to live a comfortable life. It is rewarding to know that I can work on my own, support myself and make decisions because they are good for me.

The First Guy

The first guy I dated after I moved into my new place was a property manager who showed my mom and I apartments when I was looking. The guy seemed nice enough, and he ended up showing me a few different apartments on two separate occasions. Anyway, I found my current spot and sent him an email to thank him for all of his time spent, let him know I found something and to, well basically, have a nice life.

He responded to my email and congratulated me on my place and then said that when I was settled we should get together for coffee or a drink. I had to re-read this email, like, 15 times and then read it aloud to my friend and text my mom. ‘I think I just got asked out on a date,’ this hadn’t happened in a while! (I know, sad, right?)

Anyway, short story long, we went on a few dates but he didn’t last long because I felt like he didn’t listen to me or really care about what I had to say. I know that I talk a lot, but that doesn’t mean that you get to forget/not listen what I said 4 ½ minutes ago. Also, he was a bit older than me and everything with my ex was still so new so he really didn’t even have a chance. 

But honestly, when I tell you it’s my birthday, you freaking remember that it’s my birthday and you wish me a happy birthday on the actual day! I promise, I am not high maintenance and I don’t require much, all I ask is that you are present when we are talking (ie. not of the phone, which he wasn’t) and that you listen and engage in conversation with me. 

Men...sheesh. 

The Mom Guy

I had my first weird-o message me on one of the sites I am using.

Mom guy: Hi (insert some emojis)

Mom guy: Is that your mom on the Golden Gate Bridge?

(this particular site links to your facebook account and pulls your profile photos)

Me: Yes, it is actually my mom in all of the photos.

Mom guy: Well she is beautiful.

Me: Yes, yes she is.

Oh ok, buddy (insert: I blocked him - haha)

What I should have responded with: Thanks, she is taken.

smh

Dating Apps

When I was married I always told friends who were looking to date or to find someone to use dating sites. I would say that if I was in their position I would do it because it is so hard to meet people organically (can I get an amen?). Now that I am in the dating game again (can I really say again? whatever..), apps and online sites were the last thing I wanted to get involved with. It is just so odd, to me, to think that I am basically judging someone on their looks, talking with them for a while and then going on a pseudo-blind date with them. But I guess that that is sort of what you do in a bar and the nerves are semi-removed from the whole experience.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago some friends signed me up for a couple of the dating apps and so far, I have chatted with a few people, haven’t met anyone in person and have had talked with some weirdos.

It is also an interesting feeling to be out in San Francisco and see guys in bars or walking on the sidewalk and think, “Oh my god, they have probably seen me on one of these sites...What are they thinking? Did they ‘like’ me? Ew, I wouldn’t like him...” The internal monologue goes on. Or, like yesterday, I am pretty sure I literally crossed paths with someone who I have messaged with back and forth with (I would have said hello, had I not been on the phone with AAA - that is a different story for a different time).

Anyway, wish me luck and get excited for my fun stories. Part of me is really excited to go on dates just for the stories….

Wine Cork Wreath DIY

Mom and I spent Sunday afternoon being crafty. We have been talking about making wine cork wreaths for a while and we finally decided to do it. Aren't they great? I love mine and I am so proud to show mine on my door! 
We found the tutorial here.  Here are a few 'pro' tips:
*Wear gloves.  (I may or may not have dropped a cork that had just been hot glued and then grabbed it with my hand and the cork glued itself to my finger. I was convinced that I was going to lose my finger completely.)
*Wear pants. (My mom may or may not have dropped a cork that had just been hot glued on her bare leg.)
*Have tequila and shot glasses nearby (After each said incident, we may or may not have taken shots to ease the pain....and it may or may not have worked.)
It was a gorgeous day and we did this craft outside on the deck in the sunshine. I also recommend doing this project outside because it is very very messy and I can guarantee that you will not be happy cleaning up the mess in your house.