All My Single Ladies

I’d wanted to try speed dating for a while but hadn’t mustered up the courage.  I’m very shy when it comes to meeting new people, so the idea of meeting a twenty or so guys at once was intimidating… but also kind of intriguing. So much possibility, and how nervous can you really get about a date if it’s only going to last two minutes?! (Also, it looked like a lot of fun when Reba McEntire went speed dating with her best friend on her sitcom, and I’m pretty sure she met someone cute in that episode.)
 

Sitting pretty, ready to date speedily!

Last Tuesday I finally went for it! I rounded up a few of my single lady friends and went to a speed dating event at Inc Lounge in midtown. Starting with our first happy hour drink, we had the best time. The four of us got to sit next to each other while the guys sat across and rotated every few minutes. It was kind of a whirlwind, but a fun whirlwind, where you had no idea who you were going to see next and what you’d talk about for the next two minutes.  With a few guys it was the standard “what do you do” and “where are you from” conversations, then with another it was two minutes about the Australian pop music scene. One guy spent the whole time talking about how he’d attended a speed dating event before, hadn’t met anyone he liked, but had been asked to come back by the speed dating company because he was “such a great dater.” He then repeated the story (with not even one hint of humor) to my two friends next to me, and later to another girl across the room.  Another guy, in a bid to be most interesting, made up a very involved story about his job creating new toothpaste flavors (none of it true, but I was amused).

We each got a score card to keep track of the different guys, but it was more fun to gossip with my friends as the guys moved on, so by the end I was having a little trouble keeping track of everyone. I didn’t end up with any matches, but I did have a lot of fun and would definitely give it another try. Maybe next time - speed dating in the South?!

The Middle of My Movie

If my life were a movie, I’m afraid it would be Bridget Jones right now.  I’ve been having a lot of clumsy heroine type of moments recently, moments that would fit right in to the middle of a Bridget Jones movie. You know, like when Bridget is trying her very best to get herself together, stop drinking too much wine and reading too many self-help books… and then she falls off her treadmill.

My most recent hapless heroine moment: I failed my driving test. And I failed without ever leaving the curb.

I don't know what happened. I didn’t even think I was nervous the day of the test. I was doing all my best deep breathing, positive thinking, cracking jokes with my driving teacher and the other student who was taking the test with me.

And then the test started. I sat down, adjusted my seat, adjusted my mirrors. I went to turn on the car and I have no idea how, but the windshield wipers came on. And, I freaked out. I had no idea how it happened, and no idea how to make it stop. Then the horribly mean DMV lady started yelling at me to “turn it off!!!” so I turned the car completely off… then turned it back on, and there go the windshield wipers again. So she yelled at me some more, and I did the exact same thing again, hoping I guess that it would go better the second time? (It didn’t.) Then, I just started frantically pushing and pressing every control I could possibly reach in the car.

FINALLY the wipers stopped moving, the car was running, and I got ready to pull out. I signaled left, checked my mirror, checked my blindspot… and I drove the car right into the curb.

And then the test was over.

So I have to wonder – what would happen to Bridget next? We all know she never becomes totally self-assured and graceful by the end of the movie… but she does end up with Colin Firth, who loves her just the way she is. So maybe there’s hope for me yet. Guess this mess of a heroine is off to schedule some more lessons…

One week till my road test...

... and some how I'm still mixing up the gas pedal and the brake? (eek!) I'm not sure how this is going to go. But, in general, I think it is probably a good sign that my driving instructor (still the most supportive person in the world) has started allowing for off-topic conversation. She's been playing music, asking me for restaurant suggestions, and giving me tips about speed dating. I'm going to take that I'm doing better than I think I am... as long as I can stay calm and keep track of my brake and gas!

Things I love today

People who say “bless you” when strangers sneeze
Sunny days
Rainbow sprinkles
Kids who speak two languages and use them interchangeably
Real Housewives reunions

On Facing Fears, and The Nicest Person Ever

My driving instructor is seriously the nicest person I’ve ever met, and thank goodness for that.

Driving lessons started last weekend. I wanted to be upfront, so I started off by explaining exactly how old and exactly how nervous I am.  I’m sure my instructor, Wendy, must have thought I was a crazy person, but she was super sweet and patient. She kept reassuring me that I was doing great, and that she couldn’t even tell I was nervous at all. (Definitely lies, but lies that made me feel good.) I didn’t expect to be out on the streets so quickly, but after just a few minutes of going over some basic instructions, we hit the road! Since it was early in the morning, there weren’t many cars out at all, and soon I was (somewhat) confidently breezing along the empty streets.

The lesson this week was not quite so breezy.  I had an evening class this time, and there were tons of cars on the road. I freaked out. All my nerves came back. I was shaking every time I had to make a turn, and kept stopping the car way before the stop signs. I pretty much forgot everything poor Wendy had been telling me.

A big part of me wanted to jump out of the car and run to the nearest subway stop to renew my unlimited Metrocard. But I really want to do this, and I can’t spend my life running away from things just because they make me uncomfortable.  So I kept telling myself to take a deep, centering breath and listen to Wendy’s pep talks. And I managed to keep myself in the car.

I was still feeling pretty shaky by end of the hour, but my driving was much smoother. Wendy had me drive straight for a while, and I was feeling good about ending the lesson without killing anyone. Then all of a sudden she told me to make another left… onto Cross Bay Boulevard! My inner monologue was going nuts – sounding something like OMG I CAN’T DO IT WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE I’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!

But, there was nowhere to go, so I listened to Wendy’s instructions, made the turn, and then there I was, driving with six lanes of traffic on the Boulevard.

I only drove for a few blocks until we ended up at my drop off point, which, perfectly enough, is the Starbucks. I know I have lots of work in front of me – I need much more practice, have to memorize my stop signs, and need to build my own confidence up instead of relying solely on Wendy’s positivity. But at least for now, I can say that I faced some fears, and I definitely earned myself my frappuccino.

#flashmob

Here's the video of our flash mob, released today by UrtheCAST and Flash Mob America. Clearly I'm watching it again... and again... and again... reliving all the fun! Best time ever!

And here's a picture of our I <3 NY formation from the helicopter. So cool... so happy!

Some things I'm thankful for today

Pineapples
Slow sailboats
The randomness of my ipod on shuffle
People who have found a job that’s the absolute right fit for them
Brightly colored beach umbrella
Patriotic sing-along songs