March/April 2005 Archive
Friday, April 29, 2005
So, tomorrow there is a garage sale here. Mainly for Martha but I will have some stuff there as will Pamela and Ambiorix and any of the neighbors who choose to. Hopefully it doesn't rain, but I can't say it's looking good.
I am having Pamela and Ambiorix to dinner tonight. Invited Jim and Claire who couldn't make it and also Lloyd and Amber although I haven't heard a positive or negative back from them yet. Eric will be coming and will get to meet and be meeting. I will be making Chicken Parmesan with pasta and a nice salad. I have bread and bread sticks and will probably make some of that if Lloyd and Amber come.
I have been pretty busy and rather delinquent on keeping this web site updated. Lloyd tells me he has an interview at SAS. I suspect he will do quite well.
I will be in Mississippi next week doing customer visits and another SBE meeting. Suddenly I have some NAB stuff coming back at me and have been busy trying to get literature packages out and respond to quote requests. It never rains, it pours.
Take care.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Thankfully today there was sun. My pre-trip errands went well yesterday and I finally found the black suit I have been looking for and even some shirts to go with it. The suitcase I bought to replace my ratty large one is more than I need, but it will be good the next time I am staying over after NAB.
Today I got my eyelashes dyed and it seems to have made a big difference. I am pleased. I knew my lashes were long, but they have been getting lighter and lighter over the years. Now you can see them without the clumping of mascara.
Anyway, I am off to NAB at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I am not sure what my internet status will be, but I am sure to be busy regardless. Hope everyone has a great week and I will see you next weekend.
Take care
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
My mood seems to have taken a rather sudden turn for the worse. I find myself feeling quite melancholy and introspective. Sometimes I think I would just rather be alone (alone is so much less pressure) but then there is the loneliness. I don't know if it's the stress of the upcoming trade show, the rainy, overcast days or the stress of dating. If nothing else I think too much, worry too much and overanalyze everything.
Now dating, there is a paradox. It can be fun. You get to know someone new, you both are still interested and excited by each other and just want to know more. Then, on the other hand, the more of yourself you let go the more able you are to be hurt if and when things go amiss. And we all have many more unsuccessful dating relationships than we do successful ones. Right now I am fighting an overwhelming urge to build up my walls again and go hide within them.
I would really like to break out of this funk that I am finding myself falling into today. I guess if nothing else the trip to NAB will fix that in the sink or swim kind of fashion.
I need to get out and do some pre-trip errands. Taking care of some of those things should help take care of the overwhelming.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
As I promised today we get to learn about the basketball game. First, it should be known that at the basketball game I was meeting Eric's children for the first time. Nice kids and funny. I can see why he doesn't like to introduce them to girls he dates. Within 30 minutes of meeting them they had proceeded to say the kinds of things that kids say to adults that really embarrass them. I would normally provide more detail, but assured Eric I wouldn't so you will just have to use your imagination. If it helps the girl, Sydney, is 10 and the boy, Eric is 12.
Let's fast forward to the basketball game. It had been my understanding that the kids wanted to go because it was the last game of the season. Now, I am not really into team sports but was pleased to learn that Fayetteville (which was the home team) was playing Florida (where I grew up) for last place basically. The team that didn't win would be the WORST team in the league and the team that did? All that would be between them and the worst is that one team. As you might suspect the teams were well matched and the game was close until the end.
At half time they gave away a house. Yes, a house. In fact, the VERY house parked in the parking lot in front of the arena. (You see where this is going now). It was pretty sad actually. A friend of Eric's told me that they had actually been having people enter the drawing for the house at every game this year. The guy that was drawn was one of thousands of names. And what did the drawing get him you might ask? A really fancy single wide? Nope. A chance to throw three half court shots in front of 7,000 people and win the house parked in the parking lot.
In the end the poor dude didn't manage to make any of the three shots he had been granted and someone had to drive that 'house' back to their lot. Sad.
Anyway, that about sums up the interesting points of that weekend. The only other thing I can think about is that the Fayetteville mascot is Sergeant something or other and is kind of creepy because he reminds me of the Doom guy.
**Update** My mother asked so here it is. Fayetteville won, the Florida team was the Florida Flame. The teams weren't college but I was given the impression they were professional. The 'house' in question was indeed a mobile home and if the man had gotten any of the 3 shots he would have gotten to take the 'house' home.
I will see what I can come up with for tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Monday, April 11, 2005
I got a lot of flack from my mother for my last post. She thinks I am mean or rather more specifically she said that it wasn't nice. I suspect she is right. I should have told him from the beginning. Problem was, I was trying to be nice. Dating is difficult.
Anyway, there is one guy I went out with that I really have liked. Pamela knows him as the 'funny guy'. He has a name too. Eric. Looks wise he is rather polished which is a bit odd for me, but I really enjoy him and find that we actually have a whole lot in common and that he actually has a lot of depth and brains. More than anything though, he is funny. I think he even gives Martha a run for her money.
He isn't really a foodie, but I have introduced him to Thai and the concept of enjoying the food you eat. He likes to get outside so I have someone I can go hiking with again.
The oddest thing is that he thinks I am pretty and tells me so and since this has started happening I have had more people tell me I am pretty and more guys notice me when I am traveling. It's a bit unnerving. Lloyd points out that he has been telling me I am pretty for months, which is true. So I should have listened to Lloyd, but you know how a friend is always going to say nice things and try to build you up? It's different to get compliments from strangers.
So anyway, maybe this dating thing isn't half bad. I will tell you about the basketball game tomorrow.
Cheers.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
So it's April. A lot has happened, but with all the traveling I haven't really been in a position to elaborate. When I last updated I was about to go on my first speed date. Well, it was pretty dreadful. The guy was a bit weird. I suppose I should have been clued in by the long emails and phone messages he had a tendency to leave me. I ended up going to a blues concert with him and dinner with the blues artist. Ended up with a terrible headache that may or may not have been related. He asked me on a second date before the first had even started and then again to a movie later that week (that he had as a free preview flier stored in his pocket) somewhere in the middle of the date.
It was awkward. He seemed to be more defined by his activities (works at the Shaw radio station as a volunteer and had little cards printed with his show time) than an actual personality. At the end of the evening he took me back to my car and I panicked and told him I would make him dinner before NAB. Didn't want to then and as I thought more and more about it I really regretted it. He wrote me an email later and weeks went by and I didn't respond hoping that the problem might just go away. So then on Thursday I start getting those long messages (to each of my phones) and another long email asking me about dinner. It was a bit freaky and stalker like. So anyway I was sick enough of the 20 minute phone messages that I responded hastily in the form of a 'Dear John' email. The really funny thing about this is that it seems that he responded to me in the form of suggestions and advice. I won't be responding to him, but my advice to him would be: Don't start planning our lives together before the first date. Don't make a date feel like a field trip. Don't ask me on a second date before we start the first. Don't ever leave me a phone message more than 45 seconds long. Don't include links and other information on our 'field trip' activities in your email. Do get a clue when the girl that you went on a date with doesn't return your call. Do not respond to her rejection with an evaluation of the date.
For your entertainment the correspondence from this gentleman follows:
This is the first email and should have been a clue:
good morning,
i enjoyed talking & would like for us to get to know each other better. on that note,
we could do something fun some evening! saturnite looks very promising for a great time
if u r free? as a single i stay pretty busy so here's my current sched:
tonite i'm hosting a movie for the alliance française Ciné-club chez moi!
(parlez-vous?)
frinite is a full-moon/bday party hosted by a reiki master that i *may* attend
(i'm open to other options/ideas so please share any suggestions, ok?)
saturnite i'm taking a famous blues musician to dinner & then going to his show:
http://www.artscenterlive.org /write/calendar.html March 26, 2005 Corey Harris 8 p.m.
In Scorsese's film, "Feel Like Going Home," Corey Harris visits Niafunke, the Sahara Desert hometown of Malian master musician Ali Farka Touré, known around the world as the king of African blues. His latest album "Mississippi to Mali" was inspired by this project and recorded on location. "Harris bravely wanders the edge between African-American and African folk sounds. Hauntingly primitivist and intellectually exhilarating" The Boston Globe. Part of our American Roots Series. $15, $13 ArtsCenter Friends
corey harris webinfo: http://www.rounder.com/index .php?id=artistDisplay.php &musicalGroupId=6645
i suspect we are going to tyler's in carrboro since it's next to the concert venue but we may do weaver street if he wants/prefers organic... so please consider joining us! here's an irony: i once took anoth famous blues musician to eat at south end brewery before he played on my show & the restaurant unintentionally/coincidentally played one of his songs on their music system while we ate!
sunday 4pm-8pm is my radioshow, i actually have a blues musician coming from california to play onair ~5pm but i was also considering a nice easter brunch buffet somewhere, tho not sure where yet, let me know if u have ideas!
:)
here's my blues host info:
http://www.wshafm.org/about _waha_volunteers.htm
here's info on the musician playing sunday:
andy has a couple cd's out & occasionally plays locally
he's coming from calif, here's his website for more info:
www.andycoats.com
let me know what u think/prefer then we can make some plans...
-jeff
This is the post first date email:
hi jill,
i enjoyed last nite & glad we got to spend more time togeth
hope u have safe trip(s) & i look fwd to dinner (even if i don't help cook)
:)
i found a dvd i could bring if u want to do that after dinner:
'around the bend' - http://imdb.com/title/tt038481 0/
or we can just visit + spend time with a half dozen animals!
oh, u mentioned u had a website but i forgot to ask the url
please send it & i'll check it out, thx!
p.s. i am impressed at your thoughtfulness, i like that.
This is my 'Dear Jeff' letter
Jeff,
I apologize for not getting back with you sooner, but I have been quite busy and are still on the road. I just received your messages and realized I had not yet responded and must apologize for my thoughtlessness.
Although I had fun going to the blues concert last month, I find that I really can't see you again. You are a very kind and thoughtful person but for me the spark I am looking for just wasn't there and I have so little personal time that I need to use it carefully.
As a busy person yourself I am sure you understand and wouldn't want to waste your time on someone that wasn't interested in a relationship.
Good luck in your future dates, thank you for the new experience last month and I hope you had a Happy Birthday.
Take care,
Jill Walters
This was his super weird response:
dear jill, i guess i felt the same way & later realized i didn't treat the concert like a real date sorry about that & thx for replying, i was concerned about whether u were ok! good luck jill in the dating world & again i'm sorry i was so casual- guess it was sort of like taking things TOO slowly, oh well, it was a good learning experience... practice makes perfect, right? :) sincerely, jeff mcdermott p.s. may i suggest (for future dating) to just end it that nite instead of inviting someone to dinner? as a result i had been thinking of your positive qualities i had gleaned from our mtg. having taken these notes i was looking fwd to actually getting more acquainted but i understand your response, given how i was so casual last time! just for fun, here's the summary of my impressions: mature/experienced in life/arts/travel/cuisines/etc. cook thai
calm/confident/flexible /content/secure/sincere /sensitive
from orlando (didn't like cold in c'boro!) pleasure island, disney, oldest, taking care of sib ling (martha-sheraton)
smart-biol ogy +mba, wow!
snorkel+asked me when i was going to carib as soon as she got in my car
:)
attractive kate winslet type -great eye contact & nice 'interested' opening remarks at southend smokehouse!
(very honest about sharing that she wanted me to come over to the table when m-f ratio was uneven)
trusting - willing to meet at my house! (i.e. possibly less baggage than some women)
mentioned 'we' in reference to st.croix - may have gone with a boyfriend so may be bouncing back?
(end of email)
Sooooo....
The interesting thing here to me is that somehow he got the idea that I was taking care of Martha. I think that must have come from hearing that Martha moved up here and lived with me for a while. Perhaps he thought we still lived together? I also find it funny that he assumed that the 'we' with St. Croix was a boyfriend. As those of you who know and have seen this site know, St. Croix was with my family. No bouncing there. But I am alarmed that he remembered these things and Martha's name. Guess he has a great memory. I had forgotten my opening line at speed dating. He was at a table by himself since his first date didn't show. I felt bad for him. I had forgotten that.
Overall, he was a bit creepy and definitely came on too strong. Somehow I feel like part of a science experiment. I know that he seems to have friends (I met a few of them) and he also has several siblings. Perhaps one of these people could help to steer him in the right way when it comes to dating. (Curiously he is the 2nd person in a week to tell me I look somewhat like Kate Winslett.)
He is correct that I shouldn't have said anything about dinner, but I am bad about hurting people's feelings and he had asked me out twice already. I guess at the time I wasn't against seeing him again but ultimately decided I couldn't force myself to like this guy and he might be a stalker and I didn't want him to know where I lived. For the first post Bryan date that didn't involve Lloyd who I already knew and was a friend thing anyway, I was doing my best.
That's my defense anyway.
Maybe tomorrow I will let you all know about the date with the guy that I liked....
Saturday, March 26, 2005
I have my first follow up speed date tonight and are trying my best not to be terrified and look forward to it. Dating again is not something I had planned to do and I guess I am not as mentally prepared to be doing it again as I would like to be. Hell, I don't think I have ever been mentally prepared for dating. Sigh.
See the top link in News. A guy has been smuggling art into museums and has hit NY. It's great!
Easter Weekend is in full swing, check this out:
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Ahh, it has been a while again. Seems like I will be updating every two weeks whether it needs it or not? There is lots of travel on the horizon with trips to Greenville SC, Birmingham AL, Las Vegas NV, Charlotte NC and Jackson MS all in the next 6 weeks.
I tried to get a $10 UPS from Office Depot last night but they were all out and then I got a last minute opportunity to go 'speed dating'. I met some nice people and some people that were as uninterested in me as I was in them. I guess sometime later today I will get to find out if any of them actually are interested in dating me.
Pamela and I are heading for the day spa on Friday to enjoy our day off. It's something I have wanted to do for a while. Costs too much of course, but it should be nice. I can't remember how long it has been since I had a facial...but I remember it was nice. And I could really use a pedicure and a manicure.
I really need to get it in gear and finish my presentation on the 'pros and cons of multi-format routing' for the Tuesday SBE meeting but it's not something I really want to do and the first presentation of it makes me nervous. Oh well. That's enough of an update for now.
Cheers?
Thursday, March 10, 2005
So, it's been a while and a lot has been going on that I haven't really felt motivated to write about. I am sick for the second time in a month and as of last night I have lost my voice. I also seem to have developed a nervous tic where my lower left eyelid twitches uncontrollably - although that seems to have subsided.
In better news I have completed the final assignment for my MBA and the class that turned out to be a lot more like 'How to be a Consultant' and dull, virtually useless and so on. Once I get my grade I can apply for the degree and assuming the requirements have been met (they better have) I will finally, just shy of 3 years later, have my MBA.
Jim and Claire have discovered that they will be having a baby boy. Pamela is in Brazil and should be back tomorrow, I think.
Reptile and Amphibian day is this Saturday at the Museum, but I am not sure that I am going to be much use to anyone without my voice. They haven't called back to tell me where I will be working so maybe that's a sign.
Anyway, hope all is well. Take care. I know I need to.