Last Resort

The other night I was at the subway station after work, walking down the quieter-than-usual platform, when I noticed a cute guy standing alone. He was travelling the opposite direction to me, and I'm not someone to start convos with random men, so our encounter ended before it began. He was around 5'8" if I'm being generous, and he had shaved his obviously receding hair. Not so appealing? Nonetheless he was well-dressed and had a cute face. What struck me at that moment was that I check out guys who are supposedly bottom-of-the-barrel to other women. Most women refuse to even meet men who are under a certain height, maybe 5'10" (I'm short so I have a reverse height requirement) and a full head of hair usually tops the requirements list.
I figure if I'm back on the market in the future I should have no problem meeting someone who meets MY requirements, since all other women are shooing those same guys away.

Year in Review...Days Before My 27th

I can't believe it's been a year since I started this blog. I remember doing a year-in-review last year at the end of March when I hit my 26th birthday. This year was another great one. Although I didn't have quite as many changes or adventures this year, it was still great. Please excuse me for a moment while I publicly reflect on everything I accomplished, learned and enjoyed as a 26-year-old.
- I visited Winnipeg a few times, which although not exotic is a wonderful place where the people who love me most in the world live. Two of the highlights were spending quality time with my Granny and her great stories, and becoming closer with 5 of our family friends' tiny kids. Visiting more often means they don't have to re-meet me each time and I can be important to them like their parents are to me!
- I had a few weekends away and many weekends in town with great friends and family who came to visit.
- I had a 2 week wonderful adventure in Brazil, with two of my closest friends. What a beautiful, amazing, exciting country! I'm planning to return for World Cup 2014!!
- I moved in with my boyfriend who continues to amaze me with his kindness, patience and sense of humour.
- I was promoted at work which has made my job about 100 times more interesting and challenging.
- I got two different, challenging positions at United Way Toronto and am loving being back in the community service scene.
I realize this seems like a blatant opportunity to brag , but that isn't the purpose. I think it's important to reflect at the end of a year, and to set some goals for the coming year.
Aside from my quantitative accomplishments, I feel like I have become a more confident, attractive and fun person. I worry less about the physical things beyond my control (I'm under 5'0"...) and have found some good ways to make myself look and feel better. I enjoy dressing up, love my sense of fashion even if it's different sometimes, feel hot wearing high heels, and love buying new make-up. I don't think I would have admitted to any of those things a few years ago. So far I love getting older and in turn, more comfortable in my own skin.
And in case anyone is wondering, goals for my year as a 27-year-old include completing a good chunk of my first book, spending more time with my family, and planning a Russian adventure with my mom for next spring!

It's Warm Outside!

When the weather starts to warm up I feel like the single life is the way to go. Everyone comes out of their hibernating states and people are dressing more attractively (think leather jackets and blazers instead of down coats and toques), making the casual 'bump into' way more likely to happen. Think about those nights after work in the winter when you're supposed to go out with friends or meet a date, and you can't be bothered to trudge through the blizzard that's happening outside your office. Now reconsider that on a warm night where all you have to do is throw on a sweater and you can even wear your pumps! Girls, I know you feel me on this. Meeting up for drinks at a chic place in your Uggs or Wellies just isn't the same.
And it goes without saying that warmer weather = increased construction = more construction workers. Hot.
Obviously a few weeks of pre-mature spring weather isn't worth a break-up, but I think things are looking up for the single peeps out there.

Meeting Men

Why is it that some girls meet a new guy every week or two, when others go months without touching the 'new contact' button on their phone? Of course there are the obvious reasons - some girls are prettier, more outgoing or just plain easy. But I have witnessed vast differences among friends and acquaintances who are near equal in these fields. I know girls who are cute, confident and smart and go weeks without flirting.
I think there are 3 main reasons to explain this:
- Go out more. I know how it is - you're finished work at 7pm, feeling frazzled, and really cannot be bothered to walk to the subway in your pumps and navigate the crowds to get to the table in the back of the lounge where your friends are meeting for drinks. Pull yourself together and make an effort to get out there - you never know which night will be the one when you bump into your new BF.
- Don't be too picky. Yes you may not like balding guys, or maybe tall is your thing, but that nice guy in line behind you at Sobey's could still be a good catch. Give him a chance, after all you're looking to meet a good BF/husband, not a leading character in a Harlequin romance.
- Network. Network. Network. The more people you know the more chance you have of meeting a new guy. Make new friends, whether they're girls, gay men, guys you would never date in a minute, or people twice your age. The more people who know you, like you and want good things for you, the better that someone will introduce you to a fabulous guy.

Wow...

I totally didn't think about that. That's me, post-clearing my computer of old pictures. My last computer died on me a few months ago, and I'm just disposing of it now. It was easy to move my resume, cover letters and the few other documents I had onto my new computer. But looking through my pictures I feel torn between my old life and the one I'm currently living. I love my BF and the life I have now, but reliving the details of previous relationships through pictures is tough on the heart. Not to mention I now have little (or no) reason to keep those pictures. It's like throwing away several ground-breaking, important relationships, as well as a good chunk of me, without a second thought.
On the plus side, viewing a slideshow of pictures that document the past 7 years of your life is a great way to determine your best hair colour.