Life Update and Advice

I really hate that I’m writing the obligatory “I’m Not Dead!” post – but I’m going to.

I haven’t updated for a long time.  But as they say, Who is worse shod than a shoe makers wife?  Not that I am shoemaker with a wife.  Or a shoe maker or wife, period – but you know what I mean.  I’ve been spending so much time working with computers – writing a well-thought out blog post is pretty much the last thing I want to do.

But here we are.

I graduated college in December, and shortly after began working as an online advertising coordinator for a publishing company.  How I happened upon such a sweet gig, I couldn’t tell you -  maybe dumb luck or the always-deadly combination of optimistim and persistence, but either way I feel very lucky.  Lucky not only that I got a job right out of college, but also a job in my field, and most importantly – a job that I love.

Yes, I realize it’s entirely possible that one of my bosses or co-workers could find this post (hi!) but I swear i’m not just saying that I like my job because of that possibility.  I really do.  Seriously – I look forward to going to work.  I feel good about promoting a product that’s doing the world some good, utilize skills I learned in school, and  I Love my coworkers (ok, that last one really was just in case they read this).

All work and no play make Mindy a dull girl – and make her blog posts pretty dull as well.  Since graduating college I’ve had less free time, but now I spend my free time doing things I really like.   I think because in college I didn’t appreciate free-time as much as I do now that I work 9 – 7ish, Monday through Friday.  So Saturdays and Sundays are to be enjoyed to the max.  In the last few months, my friend Sean and I have been doing alot of exploring and adventuring around Connecticut.  Vineyards, Hiking, Kayaking – so on.  Mostly in support of his latest and greatest blog, The Connecticut Weekender.

It’s interesting – now that I’m insanely busy, I fill every minute of my limited free time with awesome things to do.  I’m enjoying life more now.  Make sense?

I’ve been more consistent about updating my tumblr blog.   I treat it more like a combination between my shared items on google reader & twitter updates.  Not as well thought out (not that this post is particularly well thought out), and more sporadic.

I think I’ll end this post with a few life recommendations, based on anecdotal evidence.

- Singing in your car during the morning commute is generally embarassing; however, singing along during the evening commute is great and will put you in a great mood.

- Listening to music as you work will make you happier.   Use Pandora to listen to music you like, and find new music without even trying.  Here’s a link to mine if you’re into it.

- Twitter, much like any social networking tool, becomes cooler the more time to put in to it.

That’s it.  I’ll try update more often, but I make no promises.

“I hate puzzles!”

This week I’ve been helping my good pal Christina move in to her new apartment.  Earlier, I assembled a coffee table, and tonight I assembled a bed frame.  Both from Ikea.

I did this for two reasons:

1. I love Christina.

2. She is easily frustrated by furniture assembly.

My father is also infuriated by furniture assembly.

I understand that it’s tricky sometimes and you have to be very patient with aspects of it -  pieces have to line up perfectly and there’s a whole mess of screws to figure out, but I actually kind of like putting furniture together.  It’s like a puzzle.  But it’s a puzzle you can put your coffee cup on or you can put your new fun mattress on once it’s done.

I’m just wondering now though – am I the strange one for enjoying this, or is it just coincidence that the people I surround myself with loathe putting together furniture?

I also really liked playing with Lego as a kid.  Maybe there’s a tie in with this too.

Mindy + Brodie + Fall = <3

My dog Brodie is really in to fall. 

 

I am too, but I rarely pose in parks surrounded by the early fall leaves and basking in sunshine, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Return of the Montauk Monster

Yesterday evening, my friend Danielle called me to say she wouldn’t be able to meet up with me as planned.  She was going to Mystic because her mother found a corpse on the beach that she thinks might be another “Montauk Monster.” 

That’s a pretty legit excuse in my book, and Danielle knew that I knew about the Montauk Monster so I was totally cool with it.  What I am NOT cool with is the idea that there is a beached demon monster in my home state of Connecticut.  I had a nightmare about the beta / Long Island version.  This Mystic – Montauk Monster, who I’m going to refer to as Monty 2.0, is a direct threat to my sleep cycle.  I wish I was kidding. 

Ugh, here’s a picture of what’s most likely going to ruin my night:

 

The story was on NBC 30 tonight – if I find a clip of it I’ll post it up too, and here’s the story from their local paper.  In the mean time, I’m going to get some Ambien so I can sleep…

Everyone has a Paul Newman story.

When I was younger I worked in an ice cream store.  This particular ice cream store, located somewhere in Fairfield County, Connecticut, stayed open through the winter, and it was during a winter day in 2004 when the following story took place: 

I was honestly almost falling asleep.  It was frigid out, nobody came in the store all day and I was reading a textbook on microeconomics (ZzzZzz).  Suddenly the door opened and in walked an older man.   I took his order, and then I took a better look at him.  He had piercing blue eyes, just like Paul Newman – but looking at his outfit, I thought - it couldn’t be him.  He was wearing old jeans with paint stains on them, a pilling sweater and a pair of old, beat up sneakers.     As I was ringing him out I said, “Ya know – you look just like Paul Newman.”   To which he laughed and said “Maybe on a bad day.”  

The man sat down inside to eat his ice cream.  The store was quite small, and him sitting inside to eat meant sitting about eight feet from where I was reading my economics text / falling asleep.  Glad to have the company, we started chatting.  He was asking me alot of questions about myself – Where do you go to school? What are you majoring in? What do you want to do once you graduate? and so on.  I learned the town he lived in, he told me a little about his wife and he told me some winter driving tips since it was my first time driving in the snow.

He finished up his ice cream and got up to leave.  He said how nice it was to have met me and that it was really nice talking to me.  Wished me the best and hoped to see me again.  I said the same to him.  And I meant it – It was nice to talk to him, and I did hope to see him again.  He went to leave, then suddenly turned around to face me.  He dug his hand into the pocket of his old jeans and said,

“Oh, by the way – I am Paul Newman.  Good luck with school.”

He took his hand out of his pocket, and left a fifty dollar bill in my tip jar, then left.  Got into his volvo and drove away. 

——

I told that story when I was a Sophmore in college as a part of a public speaking exercise.  “Just get up in front of the class and tell us a story.  Anything.”  After telling my story, a few members of my class had their own stories, that either happened to them personally or somebody they knew, all involving the generosity and good will of Mr. Newman.  Something he was renowned for around Fairfield County, CT - a place he called home.

Mr Newman’s humility not only won him the affection of people world wide, but also that of those in his own community.  We’ll miss him.

Stranger Danger

I have the most bizzare interactions with strangers. 

Recently, I’ve had a drug addict asked me if I would bite her drug dealer. (No)  Or if I would let him bite me. (Also no.)  This woman then told my friend and I that we’re ”gorgeous, and educated too. You can tell!”  To which my friend replied, “Don’t let the accent fool you.”  She’s not wrong, she’s just a jerk.

A few days ago I met the self proclaimed town drunk of Fairfield, CT., who in addition to telling me three semi-funny jokes, also told me that he was in the French Foreign Legion, was a graveyard shift construction worker, was the man who issued the subpoena to Monica Lewinsky, and then accurately guessed my ethnicity.  He told me his house was “twenty yards that way” but then later it was “ten feet that way.”  I reached the conclusion that he lives in a mobile home / his car.

Next time I try to pick up random, obviously uninterested girls at a bar, I’m probably going to use those lines.  They’re solid gold.

My most recent and new # 1 favorite stranger interaction happened late Friday afternoon, at the New Haven Green.   I had gone out to lunch and was now sitting on a bench with my lunch date, chatting and people watching.  

We notice a man on the other side of the green wearing a three piece business suit, and has flowing locks growing from the bottom 2/3 of his scalp, and had chosen to leave the top 1/3 bald.   Walking in our direction, he suddenly changed his route.  What’s this he’s found?  A lawn chair under a tree.  He picks up the chair and walks towards us once again.  “Min…I think he’s gonna try and sit with us”

He comes over, mumbling something incomprehensible.  Something to do with the chair.  “Oh that’s been there since before we got here – I think someone left it.”  He tries to assemble the forgotten chair.  “Oh it’s broken right there on the corner.  That’s too bad.” 

The man says in his British accent (sounded educated to me), “It’s difficult to resist picking up trash from a concentration camp.”  And walked away.

Now, I don’t know if everyone is familiar with the New Haven Green.  But let me tell you, it is by no means concentration camp. 

Immediately after the mans departure, another one came into our lives.  This fellow, an elderly man with bleached blonde hair in a similar 2/3 of the scalp style said, “That guy is crazy.  I smoke ALOT of pot and I don’t even talk like that!”

I really don’t know what it is.  I don’t talk to strangers or really do anything that should instigate these interactions.  I’m a normal looking, normally behaved person.  So, I wonder if other people have equally odd interactions with as much frequency, and if so  – why am I not told about them?

Any takers?

I’m giving myself seven days to get it together.

I’ve been meaning to do this for months.  Maybe even years. 

Mashed potato pizza at BAR, Downtown New Haven. 

About five minutes from my office, why I haven’t done this already, I have no idea.  But it’s reached a point where I can’t take myself seriously anymore. 

(Steph, if you want to come you’re my #1.  I’ll buy and be a charming dinner / lunch date instead of being some jerk who slept through breakfast.)

I Even Liked “Hard Times” by Dickens.

I went out for dinner last night (Temple Grill in Downtown New Haven. Nice place, sit outside if you can) and was talking to the girl I was with about books. 

(That’s sort of a go-to conversation for me by the way.)

When she asked what I’ve been reading this summer I rattled off a bunch of books, and ended each description with, “It was really good.” 

Since then, I’ve realized it’s not that I enjoy every book I read, I just enjoy reading.  Sure, I have my favorite books of all time, but I’ll also suggest whatever I’m reading at the time to anyone else.   You’d think, given that I’m a writer myself and read an awful lot, I’d be more picky.  But this is not the case.  

My new favorite book is generally whatever I just finished reading. 

(Bright Lights, Big City currently)

Maybe I’m just easy to please.  Maybe I just don’t put enough thought into it.  Even in high school I liked most of my assigned reading, and in college even more so.  Basically what I’m saying is don’t expect a stellar book recommendation from me, because I like everything.  I’ll gladly accept your book recommendations, I’m almost guaranteed to enjoy it, and I need something to read.

(And I really enjoyed dinner last night, too.)

Smokin’ HLBs.

I don’t smoke. However, I would like to be able to take a Healthy Lung Break in the same spirit of those who step out of the office to go “have a cig.”

To once or twice a day, get out of the office for ten minutes or so without a specific agenda like lunch or running an errand, would be incredible. It is absolutely gorgeous out today, and some of us in the web department went outside to take some updated pictures of the exterior of our office building. After a mere five minutes outside, I feel like a new woman. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but no – I wouldn’t take advantage of my Healthy Lung Break – i’m busy, I have deadlines, and (perhaps most importantly) I’m in New Haven, Connecticut – not exactly known for its stupendous weather. So it would really only be a few months when HLB’s would really even be a possibility. 

I think that Healthy Lung Breaks (HLB’s) should be rewarded to all non-smokers. It clears the mind, and even promotes team building because you get to talk to your coworkers. Basically the same things that I imagine the smokers go outside for, without the cancerous side effects.

Not that i’m without my potentially cancer causing vices…

 

Three cans between noon and 4:30pm.  This has gotta stop. 

(And um, w/r/t my recent techno-rambles, I somewhat reluctantly signed up for twitter.)

Staying In is the new Going Out. Experiments in agoraphobia.

I spent all of Saturday afternoon and evening at a friends’ BBQ, complaining about how hot it was. Not the BBQ, but the outdoors. Today has been stifling hot as well.

“But Mindy, you’re Australian – isn’t it always supa hot down unda?” – Everyone

(Stop with that ridiculous accent, Everyone)

Yes, it’s very hot during the summer, but it’s a dry heat. I can handle that. That, and the bushfires and terrible droughts. We have Vegemite and Koala’s – fair trade.

—–

Woman: It’s so human out there!

Man: Yeah, if the heat doesn’t get you, the humanity will.

[via overheardinnewyork.com]

—–

Anyway, I’m being serious. The humanity / humidity makes me feel claustrophobic in my own skin -as a result, I spent my entire day today inside, save for a seven minute excursion to the bank.

Earlier this week, I went out for coffee with some friends and said, “I go out almost every night these days, but I lovestaying in. I should do it more often.” After the action packed excitement of a day spent hibernating, I couldn’t agree with myself more. I actually got alot done today within these four walls. (There are more four, I just never counted.) In addition to actual work-related productivity, I did some reading, watched some really terrible TV, tried (in vain) to fix the disk drive on my laptop (help me, Internet), and decided I need a haircut. The whole thing reminded me of a conversation I recently had with Holly:

Me: I’m going out w. Melinda tonight
but like out-out, downtown sort of situation. Kinda feel like hibernating though. It’s early yet, we’ll see
Holly: hibernation!?
you aren’t a bear
Me: hibernation.
in fact i wanted to write a blog post about hibernating
1:41 PM Holly: haha
Me: i have a theory about it
Holly: that’s its nice for bears?
Me: no.
that it’s nice for me.
and that I’ll be a better person if I hibernate
Holly: hah ok
1:42 PM but for how long?
Me: TBA
Holly: I don’t like the sound of this. can you hibernate while I’m in Paris?
1:43 PM Me: it won’t be an extended period of time.
Let me run my theory by you…
Holly: haha ok
Me: If I go out like, one MAYBE two nights a week – good things will happen.
because we already know i like staying in anyway – i just rarely do -let me explain:
1:44 PM 1. I’ll have more money because I won’t have to buy drinks, spend money on gas / train / subway things. Won’t eat out as often and so on.
2. With said saved money, i’ll be able to buy cool stuff – like books, music and movies which I’ll have time to read / listen to / watch. And cool clothes – all the time.
3. Considering the above, when I DO go out – I’ll have rad outfits, and have cool things to say because I’m super cultured from the books and movies, and people will be glad to see me, because they miss me.
the last part of that of course, assumes that my friends like me.
that’s my theory.
1:45 PM Holly: its a good theory, I like it.
Holly: but do your friends like you?
Me: you tell me.

———————

(I never noticed how often I use dashes in internetspeak before)

If you start seeing me less, it’s not because i’m too busy, too cool, or uninterested in hanging out with you. It’s most likely because i’m testing this theory of mine or feel claustrophobic in this North East weather.

Realistically, I highly doubt i’d be able to go more than three or four days without seeing my friends. Even if you / they just came here and hibernated with me – I need the interraction. But it’s still something I consider. Going out is expensive, and I usually have just as much fun staying in (either here, or at someone else’s place) and just enjoying eachothers’ company.

What do you think? Hibernate for the summer? How should I get my hair cut?

And, of equal or lesser importance: should I go to grad school?
p.s. Kara, feel better. I love/miss you. Let’s stay-in soon.)