Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A Halloween of Swingers and Propositions

After what ended up a terrible Friday, I thought Saturday's full day of events would prove to be something more normal.

Ha, Ha, Ha. Oh, my life.

A manicure and pedicure with my fabulous mother to start off the day, things were off to a smooth start. We hopped over puddles in our sweats to do some last minute costume shopping before our big night out, when the mayhem would begin.

Before our Halloween Saturday night really got started, we attended a Nike/Doernbecher Children's Hospital Charity event in the city. It's an event we go to every year and a great thing for kids. The event chooses six kids from the hospital with various illnesses and pair them up with a Nike footwear designer to create a one of a kind shoe that shows off the child's life and personality.

It's a fantastic project that brings in lots of money for the hospital every year, and a touching event to kick off the holiday season. Each child touches your heart in a different way.

But our night didn't end there, and what happened after definitely wasn't touching.

After the party, we changed in the bathroom and headed out to two Halloween parties in our extravagant, but random costumes. We snuck out to the car without anyone from the charity event seeing us, but I'm not sure how they didn't notice...my mom was wearing a cape.

Photo credit: Maria Bruggere

Halloween party number only consisted of a few old friends and a great hummus and pita spread. It was good to see some old friends, but the party was starting to wind down when we got there, so Mom called the limo she had arranged to take us to the next party.

My friend and I didn't know anyone at the second party we were headed to but just decided to go with the flow, not that we had that much choice. Upon entering the party, the first people I spotted when we walked in were a very tall man dressed as a sultan and a female belly dancer with great abs and a veil over her mouth. Their costumes were great. Actually, all of the costumes at the party were great and it was also full of people who were 30 an older, so not really anyone I could relate to. Too many couples costumes.

My mom and her friends wandered off to get into trouble and my friend and I decided to post up in a corner and watch the action. That's when a man with an accent in a dark grey pinstriped suit and fedora approached us. We made the usual (he was drunk) small talk with him and then he started to ramble on about all sorts of things we couldn't understand. Entertained, we didn't hate it.

That's when his supposed "roommate" walked up to us in a homemade costume (he didn't even know what he was) and started talking to us as well. Roughly five minutes after that, a woman dressed as a flapper walked up to us, but didn't really say anything and kept looking at my friend and I. So I turned to her and jokingly said, "Do you know this guy?" and pointed to Mr. Pinstripes. His roommate goes, "Yeah he does, that's his wife!"

Ehhh....what?

She didn't seem pleased, nor did she seem upset, and eventually walked away. At some point the other two guys did too, and my friend and I made our way to the couch on the other side of the room.

However, it wasn't long before Pinstripes made his way back over to us. This time he meant business. He was really trying hard to flirt with both of us and we did nothing but laugh. "The belly dancer is attracted to me," he said.

"That's because she is a swinger," I replied. I figured he knew this. I knew this and I didn't hardly know a single person at this party. Not that it was hard to figure out. They were like two lions looking for zebras. Apparently that freaked Pinstripes out and wasn't something he was interested in.

"How about we all go to the basement," he then said.

I look at my friend, she looks at me, and we both say back to him, "So you aren't interested in this swinger chick but you want to take us to some dark, cold room when your wife is at the same party?"

Apparently he did.

I know he was drunk, but I think he may in fact be stupid as well.

He was really serious about the three of us going somewhere. I knew my friend probably hadn't been in a situation like this before (and let's be honest neither have I, but people have asked me some pretty interesting things over the years that I have quickly turned down), but we couldn't do much else but laugh. There was no way this was ever going to happen, even if the world was ending tomorrow. For starters, the both of us were too and also just plain not interested.

Minutes that felt like years went by and he wasn't giving it up. The belly dancer moved through the background behind him, still lingering for her prey. A red head dressed as Eve passed out on the couch next to me, and time just seemed to go on and on.

Then, finally, his wife shows up again. Thank you God. She was quicker to call him out on his drunkenness this time and also didn't act surprised, which meant that it must happen a lot. He was not eager to get up and follow her out. Not quick at all. He kept staring at me, and I'm staring at his wife, and she's looking and me and looking at him. It was so awkward at this point I nearly escorted him out because he just wasn't getting up.

After that was over, I realized I still had fear that the swingers were coming after me next. Not long after that, Mom realized we were ready to go, so my friend and I got a head start to the limo. We get in and guess who follows us, the Sultan Swinger and a dude dressed as a female cheerleader.

Not funny at this point.

We quickly looked at each other and non-verbally communicated that we hoped this wouldn't end bad. The swinger dude was in the car! Holy crap.

Finally, the correct people got into the car and we headed home, but not before my mom realized she left her house key in her car that was still in the city, therefore defeating the purpose of a limo.

To end it all, I didn't get home until 4:30 in the morning.

It's safe to say the next Halloween party I go to will be with people I actually know.

Lessons learned: Just because he doesn't have a wedding ring on doesn't mean his wife isn't lingering somewhere in the same room. And just because you are at a friend of a friends house, it doesn't mean that they don't have friends that swing.

Friday, October 26, 2012

It Should Have Been Friday The 13th

Holy Moly. What a day.

I woke up on a mild, but sunny Friday morning looking forward to the day. All I had to do was get through the last few hours of the work week, do my workout, and head to the airport for a weekend away.

I had it all planned out: get off work, go to the gym, pick up a quick, but very healthy dinner to take to the airport, get on a plane and be happy.

If course, even the best paid plans go astray, or something like that.

Photo credit: http://memegenerator.net/instance/24039045


So this is what actually ended up happening...

My amazing co-worker talked me into going to Ikea with her to pick up our client's beds and couch for his new apartment. How bad could that be?

It was ok, but when we realized we were $100 bucks short on the money he gave us to pay for the furniture I ended up fronting the money so we wouldn't have to drive back to the God-awful valley again this week. My co-worker's friend had met us at Ikea to help us get all the boxes from point A to point B, but couldn't fit everything in his car, so we smashed the last piece of the couch into the back of my car. If the couch looks funny on one side, I plead the fifth.

Photo credit: Maria Bruggere
Ok great, we've got the cheap furniture in the car (keep in mind I hate doing this stuff for myself, let alone another person), and drove it back over the hill to drop off.

Fine, everything went fine. I got back into my car and I'd had just over 30 minutes to get to the gym on the west side. I could do this.

I'm driving, I'm cruising, and then my car skids, stops, and the emergency light comes on telling me to "Pull over slowly and safely." WTF. Really? RIGHT NOW? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

So I pull over, put the car in park and get out to check and see if I had a flat tire. No flat tire. I got back into the car and put it in drive, and the entire car locked up. I turn the car off and back on again and everything is fine, no warning light, nothing. So I kept going, still thinking that I was going to make it to my workout, just like I planned.

Then it skids and stalls again, you've got to be kidding me.

This time it says that the motor is too hot. So I turn the car off and on back again and everything appears fine.

This continued to happen seven times for the next eight miles until I finally made it back home. I missed my workout, I was a nervous, sweaty mess from thinking my car was going to explode, and now had to figure out how I was going to get to the airport. Fan-freaking-tastic. What sort of bad karma do I have to deserve this?

Thinking I could catch the ten dollar shuttle down the street, I grabbed my two bags and proceeded to run down my street to catch the shuttle. I had five minutes to go a half a mile with 20 extra pounds of crap attached to me.

I made it. I made the shuttle.

Relieved, but still irritated, I sat next to a woman who did not want to give up the empty seat next to her (the bus was full and her stupid Gap bag was taking up an entire seat, what gives?). The shuttle actually worked out better in a way because it's cheaper and faster since we got to go in the carpool lane.

I arrived at the airport, cruised through security, saw Paris Hilton, and things were finally starting to go smoothly. Improvement noted. I hate a crappy veggie sandwich, made some phone calls, and headed to my gate.

Photo credit: http://haveuheard.net/2010/09/
paris-hilton-to-plead-guilty-to-drug-charges/
As I'm waiting at the gate, thinking we are supposed to board in 10 minutes, there isn't even a plane present. I figured it had been a few minutes late and took a seat with the rest of the people. Then I really started to wonder where the sucker was as it was after our takeoff time and there was still no plane.

Finally, I got up to look at the board, and we are not scheduled to take off until 10:30.

Is today a joke? Bad dream? Halloween prank? C'mon.

I was tired, cranky, annoyed, and now confused. Why did today happen like this?

I just pray that after I finally get on the plane that nothing else happens, at least not until tomorrow.






Lesson learned: When in Los Angeles, don't ever think that your car is going to do what you want it to do when you are trying to do something important. Also, try to make as much money as quickly as possible so you don't have to put up with buying other people's cheap furniture.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

10 Things No One Tells You Before You Move To LA

When I moved to LA over a year ago I only focused on the positive things — beautiful people, sunshine, and more job opportunities. But I wish someone had told me a few of the harsh realities before moving that might have prevented my chronic honking problem and grocery cart rage at Whole Foods.

These are the things I wish I had known going into this new life:

1.) No matter where you go, 99 percent of the time you will have to pay for parking. They might "validate" but that generally just means you pay a lower price. Even to go to the grocery store you have to get a ticket and have the cashier stamp it. Alternatively, when it is a rare occurrence that parking is free for two hours, they have at least two "security guards" that patrol the lot to make sure no one is parked for longer than two hours. What a sin. But parking security must be such an invigorating job.

Photo credit: http://www.caller.com/photos/galleries/2011/apr/30/buc-days-parade/46988/












2.) Gas is at least 50 cents more than almost anywhere else in the country. I know it's typically really high in Hawaii, but I think L.A. has surpassed even that. Today, it was $4.67 for regular. I want to throw up. We HAVE to drive everywhere we go, it's just not fair.

3.) There are crazy people that walk up and down Sunset boulevard who pretend to be homeless or hungry and in reality, they are neither. For instance, just the other day this scraggly guy came up to my friend and I and asked if we could spare three bucks. After denying him, he walked by again 10 minutes later and invited us to his villa. Wait, what? Five minutes ago you were telling me you couldn't afford to eat. What kind of idiot are you? Please, spare me.

4.) It is never a good idea to move into an apartment in Los Angeles without air conditioning, even if it means cheaper rent. I live in an apartment with no A/C and I was miserable the entire summer. I would sit on my couch trying to enjoy my weekend watching movies and I would do nothing but sweat. It's foul. Go for the more expensive place if it means preventing heat stroke. Trust me.

5.) While there are more jobs in general down here in the land of sun, and you may in fact get a job, you will get paid peanuts. I'm not kidding, your check might as well be Monopoly money. You could get a job in a smaller job market and make more money even if it took you two years of unemployment and living at home. Just be prepared that if you come down here looking to work in a specific industry, you better be well connected or a hard worker, because you'll never get anywhere if you're not.

6.) You will not make as many friends as you think you will make in the first year. I moved to LA hardly knowing anyone my own age and I would say it took a good six months or more before I felt like I had people I could call a "friend." Even today I don't feel like I have made that one friend that you can call whenever. They're all back in my hometown still, living at home, and holding out for that job to get paid twice as much as me.

7.) Trying to organize something fun to do with a group of people is impossible. Everyone work at the same place or go to the same gym, but they might as well live on opposite ends of the Earth, because if you live in Beverly Hills and your co-worker lives in Silver Lake, you can bet your bottom dollar you won't see them outside of the office hardly ever unless it's work related. There's just too much traffic to deal with.

8.) Everyone is doing a cleanse. And I mean everyone, which is funny, because they're also all chain smokers and recovering alcoholics. Yeah, yeah, we get it — you want to appear healthy by drinking vegetables turned into liquid form, but you're still drinking mass amounts of coffee, inhaling each other's cigarette smoke, and stressing out about a lunch meeting like the world is ending. But don't worry, you're still cool. Rock on.

9.) If it's not on your phone, it's not important. Need I say more?

10.) Everyone has a T-shirt company. I can't tell you how many random people I have met in random places and when I ask them what they do the response is, "I have a T-shirt company." That's great and so very entrepreneurial of you, but do you know that you're out there competing with 10,000 other companies that are doing the exact same thing as you? Go back to business school buddy.

So if you are thinking about moving to Los Angeles, or maybe you already have, be aware of these things. They will undoubtedly cross your path at some point during your existence in LA if they haven't already.

Lesson learned: Get to know the natives before you pitch a tent on their land and call it home.





Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Why I Quit Drinking Coffee

Diets and workout routines come and go, as do the pounds but I always think the sooner you develop a healthy lifestyle the better. Some people cut out soda, some candy, others stop eating high fructose corn syrup.

I quit drinking coffee.

Shocking, I know, but it was suggested to me about three months ago and I was determined to be as healthy as possible, so I gave it a whirl.

I was advised to by my trainer who called caffeine a "drug," which in all truth, is a fact. Without saying too much, he convinced me to give up my morning treat. Instead of coffee, I now drink green tea, and I don't mind it at all.

Photo credit: www.starbucks.com
I know it's confusing when there is a new study out every week saying coffee is good for you. Like most people, I bought into it and started drinking tons of coffee. I totally embraced the coffee culture. In high school I drank mainly mochas and sweetened coffee and then moved on to regular coffee with cream in college.

I was the queen of Starbucks. Everyone knew my mom and I when we walked in to get coffee. Sometimes they would even have it ready by the time we got to the cash register. I bought Starbucks every morning and on several afternoons as well throughout college. I had my own coffee maker, became a Starbucks snob with a gold card, and wouldn't hardly drink anything else. It's actually kind of sad now that I think about it.

For the longest time it never crossed my mind that coffee wasn't particularly healthy. My parents drank coffee all throughout my childhood, it seemed normal. It gave me energy, went well with breakfast, and kept me focused on my schoolwork. What's so bad about it?

I didn't really think my life would improve if I quit drinking coffee, and it's safe to say that I was definitely addicted, but I was wrong. I have more energy and no 2:30 p.m. energy crash.

Photo credit: http://www.yourdrum.com/yourdrum/2007/11/what-the-expert.html


It took me about two weeks to adjust to the lack of caffeine I was ingesting but after that it was smooth sailing. Since quitting, I have had an easier time waking up and I maintain more of a normal energy level as opposed to one that comes and goes.

In general, I try to eat and drink foods that are natural, organic, and raw and I think that going hand in hand with no coffee drinking has given me a renewed sense of liveliness.

Although, there are times where I crave coffee and want it for just a treat, it's easy to talk myself out of it. I understand that most people won't ever quit drinking coffee because it's been apart of their daily routine for so long, but I'm happy I did it. I feel healthier and I know I'm doing something really awesome for myself.

Sometimes changes like this in life are good. It can help revive you in ways you didn't think it would. If there's something you've been doing for a long time that you know you need to change, don't be afraid to change it.

Lesson learned: Sometimes it's the little things that make a big difference.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Music To Heal Your Soul

Today was a crazy day and I didn't get around to writing an amazing blog to write for everyone but I promise tomorrow will be a great post. Until then, I leave you with five of my favorite songs at the moment...

1.) I'll Be Seeing You - Billie Holiday
This song warms my heart, there is nothing 
like great jazz music to heal the soul.


2.) Only You - Ellie Goulding
This young lady is blowing up and she is an 
amazing talent. If she comes to your town, buy tickets, 
you will not be disappointed. She is also dating Skrillex.


3.) Clique - Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and Big Sean (Explicit)
When I saw Kanye and Jay-Z in concert, it 
changed my life, they can do no wrong.


4.) 212 - Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay (Explicit)
This chick is crazy but she can make a great song, 
really looking forward to hearing more of her. 


5.) Decisions - Borgore (Explicit)
I have the pleasure of working with this Israeli 
dubstep (EDM) DJ and he's also a comedic genius.



Up and comer:
Not on the list but also one of my favorites who I was fortunate to see at Coachella is Gary Clark Jr. He is often compared to Jimi Hendrix and just recently released his first album. Watching him play the guitar is mesmerizing. He's definitely going to be around for awhile.

Gary Clark Jr.  - I Don't Owe You A Thang



Monday, October 22, 2012

Virgin America is My New Best Friend

The days of flying on a comfortable, affordable airline are long gone, or so we thought.

It's been years since I've been on an airline where I felt like I had enough leg room, a comfortable seat, and great flight attendant service. Fuel is expensive and airlines are always broke, things aren't what they used to be. 

Generally I don't mind flying — going from place to place and sitting on airplanes for an extended amount of time, but it seems that every time I step foot on a plane it's increasingly less comfortable and more rundown. Even international flights have taken away everything that makes an eight hour flight more comfortable. 

I recently went to England and I flew United — so uncomfortable. I was on that sucker for hours in pain, couldn't stretch my legs, my back ached, and I felt very antsy.

I haven't been a fan of United for awhile, but sometimes they are your only option. When I can, I fly Alaska mainly because I fly on the West Coast and they are reliable 99 percent of the time. And I get miles, which add up eventually.

However, I've recently discovered my new favorite airline, Virgin America. It's new, it's stylish, and oh so very comfortable. 

I flew one-way out of Portland for 78 bucks. When I stepped on the plane, I immediately felt like I was somewhere else. Some of the overhead lighting was pink, the seats were black leather, and the staff was hip, friendly, and upbeat. I was in heaven, why aren't all airlines this cool? 

Photo credit: http://www.cellstream.com/intranet/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=240:virgin-america-our-new-1-airline&catid=39:cattravel&Itemid=137
My seat was an aisle seat towards the back of the plane, which I wasn't thrilled about, but it ended up being okay. I managed to get two good hours of sleep in an aisle seat, which was much-needed on a 6:30 a.m. flight. Had I decided to stay awake for the flight, I probably would have been graced with Sports Center on cable and great flight attendant service. 

Regardless of where your seat is on the plane, every seat has it's own personal TV. You have the option of watching TV, movies, cable, music or play a game. Most of it costs money, but the cable and a couple of the games are free. How fancy. 

Prior to takeoff, the pilot came over the loud speaker to make an announcement. He was joking around, but then said that for some reason, they forgot to put gas in the plane, which you could tell freaked everyone out just a little. We ended up taking off roughly 15 minutes later than planned, but he assured us that once the plane was full, that he would get us into the air and "go really fast" to LA. 

Bravo, Richard Branson, you never cease to amaze me. Your planes are fast, employees friendly and professional, and your interior designer is a genius. Well done.

Photo credit: http://www.virginamerica.com/press-release/2012/virgin-america-expands-jfk-psp.html
My experience on Virgin America was above and beyond any other airline I have flown in the last four years. It wasn't a hassle, it was a pleasure. The last time I had this kind of experience was on EVA airlines traveling to Cambodia. On that airline, all of the flight attendants are the same height and they leave you a mint while you're asleep.

Now that I know Virgin America is within my reach, I can fly virtually anywhere with them, and relatively cheaply. This will be my first choice for an airline from here on out.

Lesson learned (aka fun fact): If you fly VIrgin America, and then you tweet about your experience with the airline, they will most likely start following you and tweet back to you. Now that's a great company. 

Friday, October 19, 2012

Offensive Comics and "Wear Black" Campaigns

No one is perfect, but that doesn't also mean at times that one doesn't know better. 

Case and point: University of Arizona's student newspaper, The Arizona Daily Wildcat


On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 the Wildcat published an obviously homophobic comic strip:



Photo credit: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/10/19/1046681/university-of-arizona-student-newspaper-apologizes-for-homophobic-cartoon/?mobile=nc


As you can see, this is a disrespectful comic and it's wrong of the newspaper to publish it. I'm not sure what the students and people overseeing the Wildcat were thinking, not to mention the student that drew the comic, unless he/she was trying to see what he/she could get away with. The good news is that the student has since been let go. 

This issue at Arizona could have a very similar ending to the one Oregon State is hoping for this weekend concerning their "Wear Black" campaign at Reser Stadium for the upcoming football game against Utah.

Several years ago Oregon State had a "Blackout" for a football game and the date landed around Halloween weekend. During the weekend of the football game, there was a fraternity with a noose hanging from a tree that was not taken down after the Halloween festivities, a student who painted his entire body black, including his face and who wore a black afro wig, and then the Oregon State student newspaper published the photo of the student on the front page the following Monday.

The "Blackout" did not bring positive results for the school, but instead sparked a racism discussion and  a ban of the blackout at football games. This upset students as they did not think that the entire University should be punished for a small group of people's wrong-doing, but it only takes one person to ruin a party as we all know. 

My point here is that it has taken Oregon State until now to give the blackout another chance. However, they are calling it the "Wear Black" campaign instead of a "Blackout." The school released statements at a press conference saying they want to be able to trust the students and fans to make appropriate decisions regarding the campaign and that they were going to give everyone another chance.

It took a few years, but after much media coverage from the Oregonian and student requests, Oregon State turned it into a teaching moment, and has finally given the people a second chance, in hopes that they have learned a thing or two. If the weekend goes well, the Wear Black campaign will continue; if not, it may disappear forever. 

I hope that the University of Arizona takes their incident as a teaching moment as well.

They have offended an entire group of people on campus whom I'm sure feel very uncomfortable and even unwelcome at their own University. It's unfortunate that it happened.

This is a moment for the University to look at what has happened and for them to explain to the paper and the student body why it is wrong and why the LGBT community deserves just as much respect as everyone else. 

If I were the editor of The Daily Wildcat, I would write an extensive apology and explanation for what happend and try to communicate that this is not how Arizona wishes to view the LGBT community. 

Colleges and Universities are meant to be places of progress and positive change. They are filled with the country's (and some of the world's) future generation of decision makers. These institutions need to remain places of progress and change, because the last thing we need is to go back to the way things have been in the past. 

If you are a college student, an alumni, or a parent of a college student, be sure you understand this: every human on this Earth, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, social status, economic status and beyond, is created equal. No one should ever have hate put on them because of how they were born or what they choose to represent (as long as it's not a serial killer or a child molester). 

I believe in the power of positivity and believe that we can all exist in peace.

Lesson learned: "Be careful of the words you say, keep them soft and sweet, you never know from day to day which ones you'll have to eat." --- K. McCarthy

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Why Young People Should Vote

I am an election baby. This year, my birthday falls on election day. Not to mention I come from a political family. Politics and religion was what we always talked about at the dinner table, nothing was taboo.

Now that I'm a bit more grown up and also a voter, I feel that all young people need to take more time into figuring out who they are going to cast their vote for in any election. Many of the decisions that are made to day are decisions that will affect us in the future.

I'm not saying you should vote for one person or the other, I'm saying vote. Take a day, do your research, decide who you like, and fill out a ballot.

In regards to the presidential debate last night, I didn't think it went all that well overall. It would have been much more entertaining to watch the two duke it out with their fists than to watch them walk circles around each other talking about "binders of women."

It was a complete and total cock fight.

Which is why we need to look at their policies, what's on their websites, and what their campaign truly represents.

So here, I'll make it easy for you:

Barack Obama:
  • Before President Obama took office, the economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month. Now, we've seen 31 consecutive months of job growth and 5.2 million new private sector jobs. U.S. manufacturing has added 459,000 jobs since January 2010—the most growth in a decade.
  • President Obama refused to let the American auto industry die. He took a chance on Americans, and it paid off. More than 1 million jobs were saved, the U.S. auto industry is roaring back and adding jobs and all government loans were paid back ahead of time.
  • President Obama has a plan to bring jobs back to the U.S. by eliminating tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and creating incentives for businesses to bring jobs back to America.
  • President Obama passed Wall Street reform to make sure that Americans would never again have to pay to bail out big banks. 
Information from www.BarackObama.com

Photo credit: http://nj1015.com/a-lighter-look-at-mitt-romney-and-president-obama/

  • Part one of Mitt’s plan is to achieve energy independence on this continent by 2020. 
  • Part two of the plan is trade that works for America. He will work to open new markets for American goods and services, while also confronting nations like China that cheat on trade and steal American jobs.
  • Part three is to provide Americans with the skills to succeed through better public schools, better access to higher education, and better retraining programs that help to match unemployed workers with real-world job opportunities.
  • Part four is to cut the deficit, reducing the size of government and getting the national debt under control so that America remains a place where businesses want to open up shop and hire.
  • Finally, part five of Mitt’s plan is to champion small business. 
Information from MittRomney.com


Look these over, check out the websites, watch them, observe their demeanor, and cast your vote.

The decisions about what you're going to wear when you get up in the morning is as important as voting for president.

Lesson learned: Don't argue with people over politics, just present the facts.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Food Is Not Always Your Friend

From about age 16 to 30, we young people think we are invincible — we eat what we want, drink like fish, and get away with hardly working out.

We also think we're always right, that authority means nothing, and that we will get a high paying job right out of college.

Eventually, all of that comes to a drastic halt. You end up with an unpaid internship or minimum wage job, living at home, and all of a sudden you notice those bags of M&M's and vodka cranberry's going straight to your hips. Uh oh, it's happening — the aging process

Grab the botox and get to work, there's no turning back now. But wait...

Fortunately for your health and bank account, there are much healthier solutions to this issue, and I speak from personal experience.

Until I turned 21 I thought I was totally invincible, I had the world at my finger tips and I took it all for granted. I was in great shape, going to school, and had a job I liked. I should have known then that I had it good, but apparently I wanted to teach myself a lesson.

Instead, I started eating a lot more, decided to go to summer school in a different country, and quit my job. This resulted in a 25-pound weight gain, a senior year of school with no fun job, and a less-than spectacular study abroad.

I had signed up to go to Costa Rica on study abroad for six weeks in the spring of 2010 thinking it was going to be a great experience and a way I could graduate college in four years.

Photo credit: Maria Bruggere
Photo of the sunset in Jaco, Costa Rica 2010
Parts of the trip were great, it was more of my personal struggles of being away that ended up hurting me.

We helped a lot of people in remote communities, visited schools and rain forests, and learned about how they are trying to keep Costa Rica green. Still a developing country, it lacked many things like good public transportation, healthy food, and good shopping.

But underneath a lot of the learning we were doing I was going through my own struggles. I ate like it was going out of style. It was an awful thing to do, but now that I look back, it was all out of anxiety and a feeling of not being in control.

I had been threatened to get sent home at the beginning of the trip for not speaking Spanish at the airport. We signed a contract before we left saying that we would only speak Spanish for the total time we were in Costa Rica.

My host mother force-fed me a lot of the time too. This was a problem with the language barrier. She spoke zero English, so when I told her I was going out to dinner with friends and coming back later, she would still have food on the table for when I got home. Even if I said no and went into my room to do homework, she would bring me slices of pizza and ice cream every hour. I ended up eating it a lot of the time because if I threw it away she would have seen that too, and I didn't want to be rude.
Photo credit: Maria Bruggere
This is what you see when you go on a real jungle cruise.
About halfway through the trip I realized what I was doing to myself, but I was so far out of my comfort zone that I felt like I couldn't turn it around until I got home. So, I just tried to enjoy myself and the rest of my trip and change my habits once I got home.

That's when I realized I wasn't invincible.

Although I'm nearly back to my ideal weight, it hasn't been easy. I've had to change my eating habits more drastically than normal and focus on making my life as positive as possible to get over what I did to myself in Costa Rica.

When I first got home I thought with a good workout routine and normal eating that my body would bounce back right away because I was still young. I was wrong — it was going to take a serious program to get rid of all the crap.

Healthy Eating Recipes From My Trainer:
Photo credit: http://rbgsocialclub.wordpress.com/2011/12/04/293/
          Kale Salad
  • Chop up as much kale as you think you will eat
  • Put in glass tupperware 
  • Add 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • Squeeze all the juice from a fresh lemon into the container
  • Add handful of dried cranberries or cherries
  • Mix well
  • Let sit overnight
  • Enjoy.
As I continued healthy eating, I also trained for the Santa Barbara half marathon in 2011. That was one of the hardest training programs I had ever done. After my internship, I ran anywhere from three to seven miles, three times a week, and then one long run on the weekends. My body was crazy tired, but I lost about seven pounds doing that and it felt like a great accomplishment.

The only downside of that was I gained the weight back because I was so burnt out on running after the race that I took the holidays off from any hard exercise. So by the time April 2012 rolled around, I was fed up and ready for a serious change.

Photo credit: Maria Bruggere
I work out at an LA Fitness near my place and I'd been going there for months when I finally made the decision to bite the bullet and sign up for some personal training. The training director set me up with a guy named MarLon, who is a former trainer of NFL athletes and an overall great trainer for any kind of person. I was stoked.

He incorporated all aspects of fitness — cardio, weight training, plyometrics, and more. He also gave me a great diet plan that I will try to stick to the rest of my life.

I've been training with MarLon for nearly seven months and I have noticed such a difference in my overall health and wellness. Not only has he gotten me into better shape, he's helped me change my  eating and parts of my lifestyle for the positive.

Lesson learned: Don't let your emotions and the world around you get the best of you, just be your happy self, things will be ok.




"Don't You Worry Child" Feat. John Martin
Swedish House Mafia

Monday, October 15, 2012

Valentine's Day Gone Wrong

People always tell me that dating in your 20's is comparable to a sick joke. True.

The problem with boys is they are not men.
Photo credit, http://www.contentping.com/news-and-blogs/internet-and-mortar-great-product-copywriting/
But that's not even what women want, we just want mature.

It's more advanced than anything in high school or college, yet no one is quite ready to settle down into a lifetime of love.

However, I have come across some things since I entered my 20's that I find appalling, and this is directed at the boys in the room.

Guys, come on — we know you're thinking with the wrong brain, afraid of commitment, and want to have your cake and eat it too, but can you at least be polite and mature when it comes to these things?

A funny story goes along with this complaint.

Senior year of college I worked at the Oregon State bookstore. I sold lots of printer paper, entertained the older ladies I worked with, and taught everyone how to fold origami paper cranes. For a temporary job it was fun, but also boring at times. Like many work places, you end up developing friendships with the people you work with.

I was living life on the down low in those days, trying to finish up the last year of school so I could get the hell out of Corvallis and wasn't super focused on making new friends. But like I said, you often develop friendships with people you work with.

And then there was Jeff.

Average height, pale, dark brown hair, he was the completely average college dude, and the only other person at the bookstore I worked with that was my age. We would talk on our shifts and got to know each other, he was funny enough. I never thought much of it beyond that.

Jeff liked to play tennis, so my friend and I and his roommates would all go hit balls on the court when it wasn't pouring down rain. It passed the time and we all became good, platonic friends.

This is where I screwed up — I made the giant mistake of making Valentine's Day plans with the guy. What was I thinking? I wish I knew. Definitely one of the weaker moments in my life I guess, but at the time it sounded better than sitting at home, drinking wine alone and watching The Notebook.

And oh man, was he excited. At the time I was too, even though I had a different idea in my head of how I wanted things to go. He had been telling me about some great Hawaiian chicken recipe he wanted to make for me, so we planned for what I thought was going to be a casual dinner at his place.

I had never been so wrong.

I showed up at his house, walked into the kitchen and all the food was cooked and ready. I made my way into the living room only to see they had moved their makeshift dining room table into the middle of the room, lit candles, candy at one place setting, and a dozen folded paper cranes that had been spray painted red and put in a vase (remember, I taught everyone how to make them at work).

Oh God. I just walked into a ticking time bomb, that I was definitely not expecting.

Not only that, but Jeff had also decided to invite his roommate and girlfriend for dinner as well. So on top of everything else, it was now a double-date.

Help.

I was pumped for the food, which, in my head was one of the main reasons I wanted to do the dinner at all. So the plan in my head became: eat, drink, give thanks, and peace out. After all, it was a Monday night.

Wrong again.

After dinner and all that jazz, he then tried to lure me into his dungeon of a bedroom. It was technically the basement of their grossly old house. I was really hesitant to go down there, not to mention I had a big midterm the next morning and I needed to study more, but I also felt like I couldn't dine and dash even though that was most ideal.

Photo credit, http://memegenerator.net/instance/24029089
"We can study together, I have a midterm too," he said.

He thought that was so slick. Okay, I'll sit down there for 45 minutes, pretend I'm getting tired, and leave.

Nope.

This is where it got really awkward. He was trying to make a move and I dodged the bullet. Now I really knew it was time to go. I got up, gathered my stuff, made the excuse that I was coming down with something, thanked him for dinner, and left. He was still all happy and giddy so it was clear that he had no idea he'd just been harshly rejected on Valentine's Day.

But things quickly went downhill from there. I avoided playing tennis with him and really just tried to keep to myself. He was turning 21 on the coming Saturday and had mentioned he wanted me to celebrate with him and his friends. At the time, I didn't give him and answer but after what went down, that was definitely not happening.

Saturday rolls around and I get the classic text message, "Hey! So it's almost my birthday, you comin' out with me?"

"I actually have plans with friends tonight, sorry," was my response.

"Ok, well when you wanna quit being such a bitch, let me know," he said back.

Good one, buddy.

It's safe to say after that response I wasn't going to give him the time of day, which was going to make work awkward. Eventually we talked it over a bit and he made the claim he never liked me, which we all know was a big fat lie.

Lesson learned: Don't do dinner with a boy, wait for a man with a real dining room table.

Friday, October 12, 2012

My Father is Not My Husband

I love my dad — he's the best father a daughter could ask for.

We've always been very close throughout my growing up and he's been good to me my whole life. Since before I could walk, we've gone on an annual Christmas shopping date, which includes afternoon tea at the Heathman Hotel. We've done a lot of things together throughout the years —  dinner dates, vacations, played sports together, and more.

And as I've grown up, most of that has remained the same except for one thing, the way we look when we're together.

I'm in my mid 20's now, blonde and well dressed.

My dad looks great for his age.

You see where this is going.

So now, instead of the automatic, "You have a great daughter," or "Is it 'take your daughter shopping day?'" It's more like, "Awe, are you two enjoying your honeymoon?" or "Would you like the couples massage?"

Pause. Awkward moment passes.

Wait, yeah, still awkward.

He's my dad! C'mon people.

Photo credit: http://www.someecards.com/family-cards/dad-youve-always-been-like

My dad on the other hand loves it. Not that he necessarily goes along with it as it's happening, but when telling the story, he gives himself credit and assumes that if he did have a significantly younger wife or girlfriend that it would be believable. Meanwhile, I'm in the corner aggressively drinking wine, trying not to gag.

The honeymoon thing happened one time a couple of years ago in Hawaii. We were staying at the Hilton at Waikiki and went up to ask the woman at the concierge where there was a good local place to eat. For some reason she couldn't conceptualize our question and understand that we didn't want to eat at PF Chang's. Already confused, she then asked my dad if he and I we were on our honeymoon. Already frustrated with the woman, I looked at him and said, "I'll be in the room," and walked off.

I knew at the time that me storming off not only made us look like more of a couple, but it made us look like a fighting couple where I became upset when people assumed we were married. Weird deal. It makes a great story now, but in the moment it's always something that creates unusually long awkward silence.

After that incident, I became increasingly more aware of the way my dad and I were viewed when out in public together, especially after I moved to Los Angeles, a town swarming with Hugh Hefner wannabe's and 20-something gold diggers.

The good news is that the solution is easy: whenever I go out in public and I suspect people are looking at us like a couple, I make a point to say "Dad" a bit louder than normal.

Let's just hope someone doesn't think it's a pet name.

Lesson learned: When Christmas shopping with Dad, don't go into Victoria's Secret with him for any reason, even if you're buying hand lotion for a friend.


"Fathers, be good to your daughters. You are the god and the weight of her world."

-- John Mayer




"Daughters"
By John Mayer


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Hollywood Assistant

Real life, it's been great the last year and a half and I salute you. But...

I want to go back to school.

Not because I love the education system so much, or because I want to shower myself with degrees so other people will think I'm smart. I am simply tired of driving in traffic to get other people's lunch and in turn getting paid in Monopoly money.

Ok, well I don't really get paid in Monopoly money, but it's not much. I get it, you have to pay your dues to get anywhere in the world these days, but you also have to go to college. It seems you should be able to graduate with a four year degree and move into something a little more substantial rather than an unpaid internship.

Photo courtesy of www.quickmeme.com
So I go to college, get the degree of my choice, and go out in the world to get the unpaid internship or entry level job where I am paid a below entry level salary and my life begins to swirl around venti iced decaf americano's with three splenda and non-fat latte's. And don't forget the splenda.

Assistant life sucks.

If this is what majority of people my age spend their 20's doing, then what's the point of going to college? I've met all kinds of people from 20 to 30 years old who are still doing unpaid internships and getting agents and managers pumpkin spice lattes every four hours. Not exactly your idea of a dream job.

It's virtually impossible to be taken seriously when you're in your 20's, unless you invented Facebook.

All the while, the people you're supposedly working for are telling you that if you keep working hard they'll find a place for you. Crap. As long as you look good and your ass-kissing skills remain on point, they'll figure something out for you, but they couldn't care less about your actual skills, you know, all that knowledge you just spent thousands of dollars on. Forgettaboutit.

It's about knowing people. That's how I got the job I have now. I knew my boss prior to asking him for a job. I was so desperate to have something, I took the job out of fear of being totally bored, so I became his assistant, getting his coffee, filing his papers, and so on.

Photo courtesy www.knowyourmeme.com


Yes, I once had an internship for three days in a PR office and the CEO still filed paper. The three female interns had to rush up to his desk when he announced "Filing," and literally catch the papers as he threw them at us.

I had been warned about what I was getting myself into before I took the internship, but I was up for the task and wanted the PR experience. Not to mention the entertainment PR industry is fascinating, even if I never saw myself in it.

After three days I had never been more creeped out in my life. I am not one to quit a job (or an unpaid internship), but there was absolutely no way I was going to survive a three-month internship in that environment even if I had been promised to become a "junior publicist." I felt like I was in a harem, or some kind of sister wife or something.

After the first (and only) three days, I made the bold decision to resign and to never step foot in that office ever again. The other interns and I decided that the best way to go about doing it was to wait until the end of the day when he was leaving.

In true Hollywood Executive fashion, we had to help him put his jacket on, grab his keys, and carry his brief case and camera (around our necks) down to his car. He wouldn't carry anything himself, so I volunteered to do it for the first and last time.

"So I bet you're pretty worn out after your first week here, huh," he said.

"Nah, not really. I actually feel pretty good," I replied.

Pause. Cut to puzzled look of Exec, as I continue...

"I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work at your company, but after today I will no longer be interning here."

"Ok....may I ask why?" he said.

"Well, to be honest with you, I've taken an assistant position at a music management office and I need the money right now," I said.

"So you're telling me you willingly took this internship and made a commitment to this company but that you were still actively looking for other jobs?"

BINGO.

Now, you'd have to be crazy to not to think that every unpaid intern out there is looking for a paid job. I went on to tell the man that his company was not conducive to good work and that there was absolutely no way I was going to put in a "two weeks," or anything close to it. I was done, and his intimidating demeanor did nothing for me.

I've been in Los Angeles for nearly a year and a half and it's safe to say the chrome isn't as shiny as it was on day one. Lunch orders are the same, mailers go out, and phone calls are transfered, and even though I haven't made my way back into sports yet, I shouldn't complain too much. A job is a job and I have one a lot of people would kill for.

I am grateful, but also anxious for the future, and what lies in assistant afterlife. And dammit, I will get there before I turn 30.

This misadventure has been one of the stranger ones, but lesson learned: you have to try a lot of things before you realize what you're truly in love with, and when you do figure that out, find a way to make it happen.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Looking Back on College Life with No Regrets

O-S-U! OREGON STATE, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!

Ahh, the beloved college years. The four glorious years of pretending to grow up that are actually spent sleeping in, partying, going to football games, and learning (I think).

In case you didn't know, I went to Oregon State University — not Cornell, not Yale, not Georgetown, Oregon State, home of the Beavers. The quaint, West Coast, public university swarming with years of tradition, brick buildings, and the ever strong smell of cow pies. I'm not a rocket scientist or a Computer Science engineer either (shocker, I know), I'm just a blonde with a state school degree and big dreams of working in sports.

I enjoyed college. Looking back, there aren't too many things I would have changed, and I think that's the idea. Move out of your parents' house, figure out how to pay rent, learn to cook (kinda), and do everything you want to do on your own terms. You try all kinds of new things in a safe environment. You have successes and failures, it's great. Experiment while you can.

Oregon State was a great place to go to school. Set in the small town of Corvallis, there isn't much there besides the school itself. Ten months out of the year the streets are bustling with students on caffeine benders with bedhead, speed walking in the rain. You went to class on most days, finished papers in the morning and Facebook-ed through the afternoon.

OSU vs. UCLA 2009, photo credit Maria Bruggere
Classes were mostly boring, but my favorite part of the academic college process was the practicum credits I got from working at the school newspaper, The Daily Barometer. I started as a sports writer and eventually took over as the sports editor (I even got my own office). I had access to everything sports and loved it. Writing, interviewing, and attending games gave me great experience and insight into the world of college athletics and journalism. However, therein lies the one thing I do regret about college — quitting the paper.

I shouldn't have let the burnout and stress take over and untimately talk me into quitting. I shouldn't have let my nightmare of a living situation get me down, but I did, and learned one of the biggest lessons of my 20's so far — don't quit something you like doing.

After I quit the paper I was bored. I had nothing to do and I didn't like writing research papers and studying for tests enough to get straight A's. Hell, I got better grades when I was working 30 hours a week at the paper on top of full-time school. Clearly, I do well when I'm busy.

The following fall, after returning from study abroad in Costa Rica, I worked part-time at the OSU bookstore selling school supplies — seriously. I sold pencils, notebooks, rulers, you name it.  Long story short, that job lasted less than six months and it was painfully boring. I quit that job with zero regrets.

However, my bookstore chapter overlapped with football season, which for me meant the most exciting time of the year. I made sure I had time off to go to all the home games and cheer on all the guys I'd been friends with for nearly four years and writing about for the last year. There was no way I was giving that up for pencils and .05 lead.

The previous two years the Beavers had been in the running for the Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, CA, and although we had gotten off to a rough start, I thought maybe we had the team that would get us back into that situation. There was a lot of hype, I loved it, and I wanted to do something with it.

I had just gone to see The Social Network, the film about the creation of Facebook, when I became inspired to start a project of my own. I thought the University could use in help in creating more team spirit around the football team. That night I came up with "We Will Chomp You."

Corny? Yes. But hey, I wanted to do something that would not only benefit me, but also the team and the athletic department. Not to mention after seeing what the University of Oregon did with "I Love My Ducks," I figured Oregon State would welcome the idea that a student wanted to reciprocate, it's great marketing, and who's going to turn down a student?

Beavers have big teeth, they cut down wood, they chomp. It's a wrap.

So I had a mock up of the design made for the T-shirts, grabbed a close girlfriend (also the starting quarterback's girlfriend), and went to work. Initially, we had 60 shirts printed up with "We Will Chomp You" on the front in block letters and the OS logo on the back.

In less than 24 hours we sold all 60 shirts. We also got slapped on the wrist for using the OS logo without going through the royalty department, so we took that off for the second round of shirts.

Joe Newton wearing the Chomp shirt at the OSU/Arizona game in 2010.
One hundred more shirts were printed in the second batch, and we went into business with a friend of a friend who said he would make us a "We Will Chomp You" song to go with the shirts and eventually a music video. The song turned out decent, but wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. That's when things got weird and the truth behind the music production came out.

I got an email from the guy who had actually created the song – the "friend's" cousin, and not a student. He had his own studio setup and everything, but he was also the main vocal on the song. I had originally been told that the first guy we were dealing with was the vocal. So as it turns out, the guy we had originally told to create the song didn't create anything, he was just the messenger of lyric requests, which they also got wrong.

I met with the real songwriter, adjusted the song a little, and went to work on the video. The song ended up being called, "We'll Chomp You Up," but it had original music and lyrics so I ran with it. They did the song for free and I promised them I would try to turn it into something, so I didn't have much choice. Ultimately, the song wasn't made by a student, but I thought if I pulled it off in the end it wouldn't matter.

Meanwhile, my girlfriend and I were selling shirts like hotcakes. Guys on the team were buying them and so were our families. We had orders coming in from all over campus, so it was time to start pulling it all together. I had plans for putting the shirts in the video and getting the athletics marketing department, marching band, Benny the Beaver, and more to help bring my vision to life. I wanted nothing more than to show Oregon that students at Oregon State could create something worthwhile.

Because we had gotten so much positive feedback from everyone so far, I took the T-shirts to the bookstore and pitched the them to the clothing department manager. Intrigued at first, he said he'd take it to his boss and get back to me with an answer. I was stoked and ready to do the deal with the bookstore just to get more people aware of what I was trying to do.

A week later the clothing department got back to me with a firm pass on the T-shirts. They told me they had already purchased too much merchandise for the year and couldn't afford to take anything else on. I understood and politely moved on, continuing to sell shirts on the street corner before games, but something weird with the bookstore happened several days later.

While on my break one day, I was walking through the store looking at the clothing when I came across a black women's T-shirt with orange block letters that read "We Will Rock You."

Seriously?

I laughed out loud and thought to myself, "You gotta be kidding me!" Genuinely irritated now, I grabbed the shirt, marched over to the clothing department office, walked in and said, "Got a minute?" and held up the shirt, anxiously awaiting an explanation.

"It was a coincidence, we had purchased the shirt in June or July, it had nothing to do with your idea."

Right. So you've had the shirt since probably August, it's now October, and you're just putting it out? I call BS on that one, guys. Nice try.

I know the bookstore isn't technically part of the University, they just rent space in the Memorial Union, but come on, support a student with an idea.  Not to mention the store was only going to put out 30 shirts to start with, and it would have cost them hardly anything. Support some gumption and determination to do something positive for the University.

When it came to doing the video, the marketing department tried to shut down as much as possible. The band couldn't participate, I wasn't allowed to put the mascot on camera, so I was slowly watching the anticlimactic climax of my project.

"WE'LL CHOMP YOU UP"


Video by Maria Bruggere
Music and lyrics by Traumatize the Tan Superman featuring Doug Law



The video ended up being a compilation of game and fan footage which I edited in sync with the song and posted on YouTube. It's got a couple thousand views and is lackluster compared to everything I had hoped for. I even still have shirts for sale, we didn't end up selling all of the second batch.

I wouldn't say this project was a regret, but I do wish I had thought of it all well in advance of football season, things would have made more sense. On the other hand, the Beavers didn't end up having the season we were all hoping for, so in the end, it all worked out the way it was supposed to.

I'm a Beaver until the day I die, don't get me wrong. I love my University, but I hope in the future the school gets behind student projects and experiments with something new.

Yet another lesson I learned in my 20's: planning is everything.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Let the Misadventures Begin....

Still considered a recent college graduate with a degree in New Media Communications, I've set out to make my mark on the real world, a place I've realized I know nothing about. And so begins the journey, er, misadventures.

It's easy for parents to say, "go back to school," or "just keep plugging away and the right thing will happen for you if you welcome it."

Yeah, because they have been through it all. They've had their first job, been 23 with little money, had their hearts broken, etc. You think they don't understand what it's like to be living your life, but they do. That's why they laugh.

But that doesn't mean that your recent introduction into the real world doesn't suck. You made it through college, you graduated, and life began, but when do the fun dinners with friends and expensive wine appear?

I took the bold approach to post-grad — moved hundreds of miles away, found a place in Los Angeles where I knew no one, and took an unpaid internship to "fulfill my dream of becoming a film producer."

Photo courtesy Google Images
Film wasn't what I expected at all, and a year and a half later, here's where I stood:
  • Living in a big city 
  • No boyfriend
  • Working as an assistant in music management

To some, that's a great combination. For me, the living in Los Angeles is great, the boyfriend will come eventually, but music is not my ideal job. I'm a sports girl.

After three months in my shiny brand new grown-up life, interning in film, there was one thing I found out about myself: I missed sports, a lot.

College football Saturdays, NFL Sundays, and NBA winters, that's what this blonde is made of.

Since I moved to the city of sunshine I've worked in film, sports retail, PR (for three days), and now music management. It's a crazy way to go about the beginning of adulthood, but your 20's are unpredictable, which I've come to realize over the past four years. 

Like I said, just when you think you know something, you realize you know nothing at all.

That's why I came to the conclusion that I must find a way back into my beloved world of sports, and to continue convincing myself that moving away was the right thing to do. After all, who would want to move all the way to Hollywoodland only to return to the cow town they went to college in? Not this broad.

But while I figure all of this out, there is still a life to be living, misadventures to be had, and stories to write. My life is weird, I'm warning you, but it's also strangely entertaining.

So sit back, relax, and let me take you through the past, present and look into what could be the future.

-- M. Blonde

Photo courtesy Pinterest