Should have escaped while I could

Though I am typically opposed to documenting personal information or dating experiences in the public blogosphere, I decided that the following story is just too good not to share. It came up during a game of Wii bowling late last night with my roommate and a couple of our friends and it was the entertining topic of the night. In fact, when I first told my roommate about this first-date experience, she chuckled lightly and responded with, "you just made me feel better about every bad date I've had the past six months, thanks." You're welcome.

A while back I met a boy while I was out with my friends. He was mid-20s, attractive, had a job to support himself, and could hold a conversation so when he suggested we hang out again I considered it. After discussing with my friends (as all girls do) they agreed that he seemed like a decent person. So when it came time to decide if I was going to attend a sporting event with him one evening after work, my mind went back to our first encounter and it seemed like a good idea. And in fact, it was. He managed to get my roommate and I two great seats to the game and we all had a good time. At the end of the night we concluded that he was really cool and I should definitely hang out with him again. But boy did he fool us.

He had asked me out for the following Saturday, mentioning dinner and a movie as a good possibility given that it was supposed to rain. During the day before the rain set in I managed to enjoy some sun and accomplish all of my weekend chores. Come 8 p.m. he had still not called, though by this time my stomach overruled my brain and I made myself dinner. A text message asking if he still wanted to hang out revealed that he did, but not until 10 p.m. This is where, if I would have been smart, I would have backed away. Maybe subconsciously I knew what was coming, and at least I'd have a good story to tell later, right?

...10:00, 10:30, 10:45 - incoming text: "left later than I wanted, be there by 11." ...11:00, 11:15, 11:25 - incoming call: "i'm waiting downstairs."

In the car I give him the benefit of the doubt and pretend that I forgot he said we'd be going to dinner. "So, how was your day? Did you get to enjoy the weather before this rain started?" To which he replied that in fact he got caught up in building his Web site and lost track of time. *Strike one* - since when is any Web site better than going on a date with a cute girl?

He suggests we go to a local bar because there's a good band playing. Given my experiences with local bands, I was skeptical, but for some reason believed the words that were coming out of his mouth (though if I'd listened to the music coming out of his stereo I would have known the band was going to suck). Regardless, we go, there's a $3 cover charge. He hands the guy a $5, gets his change and walks in. That's right. Not only does he not pay for my $3 cover, but he doesn't wait for me to pay my own way! *Stike two* - hello, moron. You asked me out on this "date." Man up!

Oh, but it gets better...

So after one drink (for which he surprisingly paid), I can't take the suckiness of the band anymore and suggest we leave. Head to another local bar with a better band and no cover for one more drink. The conversation was dull, and the moment he asked me if I had beaten my score on Wii bowling yet (huh?) it was time to leave. As we are walking out he says, "I'm hungry." Well, I'm not, and I'm ready to go home, and at this point I only give a damn about myself. I should have asked for him to take me home first (in hindsight, I should have done a lot of things differently, but you know what they say about highdsight). Regardless, I shut my trap and pointed him in the direction of the nearest fast-food restaurant still open. He gets in line, orders the biggest meal he can, turns to me and says, "I don't have any cash."

Me: "They take credit cards."
Terrible date: "Oh, I don't do credit cards at fast food restaurants. Can I have some cash." - which rendered me speechless for quite some time - but oh the things I could have said...
Me: *Taking the longest pause EVER, looking at him like he just asked me to give him my left kidney*

Terrible date: "Like 5 bucks if you got it."

Me: *Hands him the 5 dollars...only God knows why, I'll never see that 5 bucks again. But I figure the quicker I give him the money, the quicker I get home and am rid of him forever.*

He pays, get's change back, and pockets it. Shaking my head and laughing at the situation at this point, I'm just happy his car is headed in the direction of my apartment. When we arrive I let out a huge sigh of relief and get out of the car; and so does he! I should have asked him where the hell he thought he was going, but of course I didn't. He comes up to my apartment, sits on my couch with the assumption that he's going to scarf down the fast food meal that I just purchased for him right there in front of me, when finally I get the cojones to kick him out so I can go to bed and forget about this night. He seemed surprised (oh wake up son!). When I walked him to the door, the last words I ever heard him speak were "so, can I chat with you online tomorrow?"

Sure, right after my World of Warcraft marathon and before I start my Halo game... *Strike 3, 4, 5, and 6* - no explanation needed

I, in fact, said nothing and shut the door.

So there you have it folks. Next time a date goes bad and you're feeling a litte depressed, please feel free to revisit this post for a reminder of how bad it could have been - and of course for a good laugh!

Comments on other date stories that are rediculous, funny, or just plain sad highly encouraged.

Cheers!

-A

Group of Spartans

For the past year I have lived in a state where not only is it a sin to have grown up in Michigan - regardless of the fact that I dispise the Wolverines just as much as everyone else this side of Toledo - but finding like-minded Spartans is a needle-in-a-haystack venture. What's most surprising (to me at least) is that in my time in Dallas I met 2-3 times more MSU alumni than I have here in this neighboring state. It hasn't taken me long to realize why Michiganders tend to steer away from Ohio: "We don't give a damn about the whole state of Michigan, the whole state of Michigan..." Yeah, it's a real song, and Ohioans love to sing it. But that's a topic for another day "Why Ohio hates Michigan..." though I'm not sure I even know why.

One of the things I tend to find most annoying about graduates of other universities, specific to the Midwest, is the mentality of Ohio University graduates. Let me be cynical for a moment, then I'll get back on track. Promise. Ohio University alumni take great pride in having attended this school in small-town Ohio, as any dedicated alumni should. Where does it become annoying you ask? When that's all they talk about, all they think about, and when they get together in groups, all they reminisce about. For those of us who have to witness this, often daily, YUCK! It's right up there with the couples who decide to grope each other in public - only it's "Bobcats forever" with this crowd. On occasion, I've actually thrown up in my mouth a little when I've had to sit through Bobcat reunions, it's just gross.

Anyhow, to my surprise on Friday, the tables turned and I got to be one of these annoying alumni for the night (just ask my friends who had to witness it). After a lovely sushi dinner with a close friend, we went to a bar downtown to hear one of our favorite cover bands. When we walked in we were greeted by a group of guys who were there for a bachelor party. Free drinks were offered so we decided to chat them up for a while before the band started. They seemed nice enough and within a few minutes of typical get-to-know-you conversation, it came out that I was an MSU grad. Maddness ensued.

Everyone in the bachelor party was a Spartan. Most had graduated in early to mid 2000s, one was still a student. To my surprise, he was the one who intrigued me the most. Though only 21 and a finance senior in the business college, he was articulate and interesting to talk to (or maybe he was just more sober than the others).

Throughout the night this group of fellow Spartans got pretty rowdy - at one point they even started a "Go Green, Go White" chant; and yes, I joined in. Now, had this happened back in Michigan, or even in Texas, I would have refrained from joining this ridiculousness. But given the sheer annoyance of Ohio State and Ohio University alumni throughout the city, I decided it would be a good idea to get a little obnoxious myself - sort of a taste-of-your-own medicine effort I suppose. I'm not so sure that it worked, but regardless, I had a lot of fun with these visiting Spartans.

Thanks, guys, for brining a little MSU spirit to Ohio, and for reminding me how green my blood really is. Until next time...

Go Green!

-A

Living in symbiosis

With continuous changes in the marketplace and the rise of social media and digital marketing strategies emerging at the forefront of our profession, the lines between public relations, marketing, and advertising are beginning to blur. Communications efforts of all kinds sit comfortably together under the umbrella known as marketing. Relationships among these agencies are morphing with each passing day, causing the relationships between the agencies and the media to shift.

The relationship between the media and professionals under the marketing umbrella goes beyond symbiosis - it's becoming interdependent. Traditional media is seeking the stories generated and spread by the buzz online. Marketing professionals are pitching prominent bloggers to influence public opinion. Media outlets are reaching out to the marketers before we go to them. The days of the dreaded pitch call are diminishing. If a story has legs, reporters are dying to run with it - and they are racing along side the influencers in the blogosphere to be the first to get the word out.

So now it's time to turn the race into a collaboration rather than a competition. Reporters, marketers, and bloggers are already working together to inform and influence the public through countless lines of communication. Between blogs, advertisements, press releases, newspapers, RSS feeds, television programming, cell phones...the list goes on...professional communicators need to work in a seamless, interdependent manner to fulfill the ultimate goal - providing information to the target audience as quickly, accurately, and efficiently as possible.

I will now get off my soapbox.

Cheers!

-A

Amazing media relations

For those who have ever "pitched the media" before, you might be intrigued by the title of today's post. In marketing and public relations, this is a task that is often slightly frustrating; especially when you are pitching a story that is not top-of-mind for the reporters and/or audience you are trying to reach.

However, when your story has a pulse and it reaches the broader consumer, you feel as if you have hit the media relations jackpot. This has been the story of the last four days of my life. Sunday night when my phone rang I knew it was going to be a long week. Between managing a crisis communications effort, 2009 social media campaign planning, and finishing a move to my new apartment, the days have been quite busy (which also explains my absence these past few days).

The crisis communications effort has been extremely gratifying. I tend to be an adrenaline junkie (noted by my supervisor during my review, and 100% true) so client crises are right up my alley. The media relations efforts have been more than successful, and this was solidified by a conversation with a local radio personality at 8:30 p.m. last night.

A colleague of mine had tuned in to the station on the way to work yesterday and overheard a conversation about our client. Additionally, they mentioned that they were unable to reach a local company representative for comment. What a great opportunity to capitalize on their need and provide them with this interview, right? After bouncing around the station's production department, I was ultimately led to an administrative assistant who took my contact information. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to receive a call from one of the shows co-hosts (and honestly, I didn't expect to get a call back at all, given all the people who transferred my initial phone call).

This conversation turned out to be the highlight of the project. Not only was he grateful that we reached out to them, but that we were able to secure one of the company's executives for an on-air interview. In our short conversation we built a strong relationship and he has asked that we continue to stay in touch for future opportunities. He even took the time to follow up with me from his home with an e-mail outlining the interview details and providing his personal contact information if any questions, concerns, or issues should arise. He was accommodating me just as much as we were accommodating him and all other media contacts we had spoken to this week. Impressive. And much appreciated.

So thanks, Joe, for the great conversation and for allowing our client the chance to go on air and talk about their commitment, their loyalty, and the situation at hand - we truly appreciate you.

Cheers!

-A

BFAD

Although Best Friend's Appreciation Day is a made-up holiday, it's by far my favorite. Thanks to the wit and creativity of the best friend a girl could ask for, we were able to spend the weekend - conveniently place between our birthdays - up to no good; and I'm talking some serious shenanigans!

The weekend started with drinks and people watching. It's always entertaining to be on the sober end of a crazy bar night to witness the personalities that come out of the woodwork. It seemed we picked a venue where everyone who crossed the threshold was put under a spell that made them think dancing like an idiot was a good idea - that spell being our friend vodka of course.

After a night of much needed rest I woke up to a day filled with the unknown. The plan was to partake in a series of activities, all of which were to be a surprise to me until the moment we did them. The day's festivities, however, turned out to be a surprise to both of us. Though no huge shocker that the day didn't go as "planned." With us, it rarely does, but that's what makes for an amazing time and some great stories to share. Besides, if the ride of life was a smooth one, what would I have to share with all of you.

"Work went well today. Finished all my assignments. No traffic on the way home. Went to the gym where everyone was friendly and I did my exact planned workout. I made a delicious dinner, again, and went to bed...can't wait to do the exact same thing tomorrow and tell you all about it!"

But back to BFAD. He made us shirts. Yes. Shirts. Matching shirts to be exact.

We drove around in the Solstice convertible. The one he fixed up and put a V8 in.

Our first destination was a failure. The second worked out exactly as planned with lunch and Frostys. Our third destination was also a failure. Turns out the putt-putt golf place we tried to locate was actually inside the mall. You'd think somewhere in the directions that would have been communicated. That's poor marketing if you ask me. We didn't attempt the fourth activity because we had a feeling it would bomb too. So we went back, enjoyed the amazing weather in the city, ordered a pizza, watched a movie from the high school days (I'll spare y'all the details, needless to say, it was entertaining). The night finished off with a live band downtown - though we decided not to match for this event.Though the weekend seems pretty generic on the outside, I have to admit it was one of the best weekend's I've had in quite some time, and much needed quality time with the BFF. I highly recommend joining in on next year's celebration of BFAD. C'mon over. We'll even make you t-shirts.

Cheers!

-A

What's your doctor's personality?

Bedside manner. It's one of the most important traits of a doctor, if not the most. Given my track record of encountering shady medical professionals - the Dallas dentist, the surly orthopedic surgeon in San Antonio, the "we're going to cut your foot open and see if we can locate the glass" general practitioner - it's no surprise that a friendly personality is key in selecting a doctor. Of course, I'll openly admit that I'm a bad patient. I am scared and nervous, which often leads to getting worked up (I've been known to yell at such physicians), but that doesn't diminish the importance of the bedside manner.

Today's encounter was with an amazing podiatrist. We are still in the middle of treatment so I can't vouch for his medical skills just yet, but the combination of wit and professionalism of him and his staff really made my experience.

In the marketing world, we see this as a great customer service experience. My nerves were calmed and I was provided with the information and services one would expect from any quality doctor's office. The nurses were thorough in their background questioning and cared to listen to my concerns and answer any of my questions. The doctor came in and welcomed me with a smile - this goes a long way in my book - and he asked me about my training, my past injuries, and conducted a series of tests on each metatarsal. Subsequent X-rays showed no stress fracture, yet - TBD at the next appointment.

Doc instructed continued running on a freshly taped foot. At the next appointment in two weeks we can determine if the stress fracture is back or if in fact my marathon training continues. Fingers crossed for the latter.
For having found this doctor on the Internet and seeing him without a referral, he certainly exceeded my expectations. Overall, the experience was educational and stasfying. Who can really say that after a doctor's appointment?

Though the office is inconveniently on the other side of town, I will continue to make the trip as needed, knowing that the physician and his staff will continue to go above and beyond.

Cheers!

-A

The nicest man in digital

One of my more time consuming projects lately has been developing and executing a social media campaign for one of our larger clients, and one of the most enjoyable. In the short amount of time I've worked with this talented, high-energy team, there is so much I have learned while having more fun than I ever thought I could at the office. The project allows me to really grow my creative and digital skills, and as we all know, it's my goal to head down the path toward becoming the next Digital Diva.

But it's not just about the assignment itself that makes this project so enjoyable, it's about the team of people I am blessed to work with. It was apparent from day 1 (exactly one year ago today that I started my position in this office) that our team is not only talented but fun to work with and always willing to step in when needed. And yesterday, I met a new member of the global team who proved just that.

I was tasked with finding out intricate details about our client's web development environment and decided to reach out to one of my colleagues in another office who had previously worked with this client. The conversation proved beyond successful. Not only did he provide me with the necessary information, he provided guidance on execution and offered to help facilitate any follow up meetings with partners and vendors that may be necessary to get this project off the ground. And this is a client he doesn't even work for!

During our chat he asked me how the project was going and offered to provide any guidance or assistance I may need along the way, given that I'm fairly inexperienced with the technological and development side of social media. (My forte is definitely in strategy and account management, though again, this is not about me).

Needless to say, this man went out of his way to make sure that I had all the information I needed, and then some. This area of business tends to be frantic at times. The team is called on for most client work, given the increasing impact of social media in the public relations world. But even in his hurried state, my colleague took the time to ensure that we were set to execute and deliver top-quality products to our cherrished client. I can't begin to express my gratitude enough, but you best believe I'll be calling on him again in times of urgent client need or just to discuss the latest digital project. I am truly grateful to be working with such as supportive, cohesive team. Thanks, to all y'all across the global network that make this such an amazing, talented, and generous account team.

Cheers!

-A