Quiz or obsession?

I have a confession to make.



You know those little quizzes that seem to be popping up by the minute in your Facebook news feed?



Secretly, I love them. And no, it's not because I give a crap about your answers...kidding, you know I love you... But I complete them every time I see a new one that catches my eye.



Though I never, ever have them published - just so no one knows my little secret. Until now that is.



I'm not sure what it is about these things, but they are just so much fun. In high school I was always the girl who would get those really long e-mail surveys, fill them out with gusto and forward on to all my friends. It was an obsession, to say the least.



And now, Facebook isn't helping my need to find out stupid personality quirks based on questions like: what's your favorite Jelly Belly flavor? It's tutti-frutti in case you were wondering.



Anywhooo...



Given that I've never made these public, I thought this might be the perfect venue for sharing. So without further adieu, here is my personality according to Facebook.



Q: What breed of dog are you?

A: Golden Retriever

You are fun, loving and kind to others. You are very outgoing and love to meet new people. You are a faithful friend and sympathetic and understanding of others and their needs. You can be full of energy, but know how to relax and take it easy as well. You thrive when you are around the people that you love. You are golden in both personality and heart. You are something special, so don't stop being who you are!

And this is totally one of my favorite breeds ever.



Q: What color is your heart? (who comes up with this crap?)

A:Violet

The Violet Heart is resourceful, thorough, dependable, responsible, loyal, patient, placid, stable, sensual, affectionate, comfortable, solid, earthy, strong, money-oriented, practical, productive, cautious, musical, and artistic. They can also sometimes be stubborn, indulgent, insecure, acquisitive, possessive, rigid, stodgy and slow.

I dunno about the slow part, but I'm definitely stubborn and indulgent!



Q: How Texan are you?

A: A little bit Texas



The whole not owning a gun thing definitely set me back on this scale. But there's so much more to being a Texan at heart.







Q: What Periodic Element are you?

A: Iron

You are strong in character, emotions, ethics and physically. People who know you believe you are reliable and steady. You say what you mean and you will follow through with it because you weighed the positives and negatives of the commitment before you even said yes. Life may though difficulties your way but you are able to cope with them because of your strength.

Iron seemed scary at first, but I like what it's got to say.



Q: What Hills character are you?

A: Whitney Port



I'm not a regular watcher, is this good?



What Facebook quizzes have you taken lately? Oh c'mon, fess up. You know you have!



Cheers!



-A

Long lost gym buddies

Over the years I've been blessed to have people I connect with at my gym. Typically, I enjoy solitary workouts where I can go at my own pace and not have to feel like I'm competing with a workout partner. But having active friends around is an important thing for me, as it provides a little extra motivation to get to the gym after work every day. Wouldn't want them thinking I'm a slacker, now would I?

Back in college I hit the gym at 3:30 every day of the summer. Toward the end of each session my buddy Jackie would come strolling in and we'd chat while we stretched (post workout for me, pre-workout for Jacks). He was a great gym buddy. We talked about workouts, plans for the weekend, all that fun stuff. He was my guardian too. When skeezy men would come talk to me, Jackie was right there to step in and handle it (lucky for me, he was an intimidating man). As the days grew shorter and the sun set earlier in the day, Jackie would often walk me to my car for safety in the dark parking lot. We were gym buddies for 3 years, until I graduated and moved far, far away.

Luckily I soon found a new buddy at my gym in San Antonio. Tony was one of the salesmen at the gym who turned out to be a great friend in the end. He hooked me up with a free training session after I was laid up from running due to a stress fracture. Our conversations on my way in and out of the gym were often brief, but enough to keep me coming back. He even stuck by me after the incident...let me explain.

While I was living in SA, my boyfriend at the time came to visit. I hooked him up with a gym pass so he could work out with me during his stay. Jealousy ensued when he met Tony. During one conversation, he decided it was necessary to step between us, give me a kiss, look Tony in the eye, and walk away. He should have peed on me, that would have been just as effective in marking his territory.

When it was time to move up to Dallas, Tony even came over to help us move my couches out of my 3rd floor apartment. He's surely been missed.

Since San Antonio, I've been without a gym buddy; until recently that is. This past winter I was getting in the habit of working out a couple times a week with my neighbor, Shawn. We would ride to the gym together, work out separately, then catch up post workout to head back to our apartment. I didn't realize the value in this routine until it ended. After my recent move, and heading to the gym alone after work, I have been missing my post-workout chats. Last night I ran into Shawn at the gym and had a nice chat after my run. It's sad that we don't see as much of each other as we once did, but comforting to know that my gym buddy is still there for the post-workout conversation and a little subliminal motivation.

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

Account Executive

This will probably be my last posting for a while, as I am headed down south for some R&R with the friends I left back in Texas. But the good news is, I’m bound to come back with numerous encounters to share with y’all – and maybe a little of that cute Southern accent as well. So to honor one of my former Texas colleagues, I’ve decided to salute him in a recent encounters tribute.

When I first met this man he seemed like the cool kid on the block. He was the unshaven, creative type that you’d expect to run into at an ad agency. Our first encounter left me with the impression that he had a laid back disposition and tended to keep to himself – boy did he prove me wrong. We worked closely together on a large account, and as the weeks and months passed, I came to realize the extent to which my initial impression was completely misguided. He was not only outgoing and opinionated, but his sarcasm bordered on infuriating at times. Not to mention that over time he learned that I have my moments of complete vulnerability, and he loved to prey on this – anytime I left myself wide open for insult, this AE was right there to step in and serve it up.

There were moments in Cubicle Land where I wanted to throw my monitor over the wall (in addition to the rubber frog and two-year-old bag of potato chips that frequently came flying over cube walls) in hopes of knocking him unconscious for a few moments of piece and quiet. But in the end, I’m not sure I would have survived that place without him. Thanks to random witty (though often vulgar) banter, 80s music trivia, and the occasional tiff he enjoyed starting with our other cube mates, the junior staffers managed to make it through the long days of media pitching and press release writing. We all owe our former colleague a hearty thanks for cutting through the stress that loomed in the air and keeping us sane with a little laughter – even if it was at the expense of others from time to time.

Luckily, we’ll have the opportunity to do so in person this weekend, as we all join back together for a reunion happy hour for some margaritas on the patio – can anyone say 80 degrees? I am greatly looking forward to meeting back up with my former colleagues and catching up on everything from new jobs to babies to the bitter weather we’ve experienced here in the North. But mostly, I’m looking forward to the laughter that will ensue upon our former colleague’s arrival. He never fails to make us all laugh until we cry.

See you soon.

Cheers!

-A

Major Mike

Due to recent blizzard conditions in the Midwest, I was snowed in this weekend. Thankfully I was blessed with the company of my neighbor so the days were not completely awash in boredom, but that doesn’t change the fact that there were no opportunities to go out and encounter anyone – the place was a ghost town from what I could see out the living room window.

So I’ve decided to go back in time to an encounter that took place during my time in Texas. And in the spirit of my upcoming trip back to the Big D for a much needed vacation, what a better time to introduce one of my favorite Air Force men.

Working as an a junior account team member on a large military financial services account, I had the opportunity to travel back to San Antonio (my original stomping grounds in the Lone Star state) for a weekend long event at the Lackland Air Fest. This thought, of being around military planes for an entire weekend, excited me in and of itself. But to my surprise, there was another element to the event that made it one of the best experiences to date.

When my oversized purple and red jet landed in San Antonio, I picked up my rental car and headed straight for the Starbucks in the Quarry. It was great to be back in the city, there was always this feeling of complete freedom that I can’t seem to find anywhere else. My day started with errands, followed by a stop at the client’s office for additional logistics planning before heading to the event site for set-up. When I arrived at the office, I was greeted by my boss who took the flight after mine, my favorite co-worker Chris (seriously, but we’ll have to get into that another day), and an active duty Air Force Major who was the other point person on the event planning committee, we’ll call him Mike (though that’s actually his name).

Mike was in his early 30s, had a great sense of humor, and was eager to make this event a success. Having the opportunity to work side-by-side with Mike and Chris was a privilege, and I learned a whole hell of a lot more in one weekend than I ever expected I would – while having the time of my life. Mike wasn’t a pilot, though he, like me, was absolutely head over heals for the aircraft, the power behind them, and the feeling of merely being in their presence. From the first day of the air show, Mike could see my passion for the planes, and he not only respected it, but completely understood my infatuation.

Through the dull moments of the event, he would step outside the guest tent with me and watch what was happening with the show. On day two, when the clouds had cleared and the crowds were heavy, there wasn’t much available time for watching the show. The day was fast paced, and before I knew it, we were in the lull just before the Thunderbird’s final performance. Mike came over and asked me to hop on a shuttle with him to head up to the air strip, saying he needed help with crowd control after the event. I was surprised by this as the event still had almost an hour until completion, but complied with orders (get it, orders, he’s an Air Force Major) and got on the shuttle with him. We arrived at the show just in time to see the Thunderbirds start their performance. It was an incredible 45 minutes, being directly under these powerful machines as they maneuvered above us – a feeling I cannot put into words.

After the show, we indeed needed to help with crowd control. The next couple hours were a blur, until it was time to head out and get on a flight back to Dallas. I couldn’t thank Mike enough for the opportunity to see the Thunderbirds up close and personal – and I couldn’t stop smiling about it all night. This was an amazing opportunity for me to experience such a successful event for our client, not to mention having met someone who understands one of my greatest passions, even when it can’t be put into words.

Encountering Friendship

In the short 20+ years since my entrance into this world, I have been blessed with the ability to travel. During my travels, I have taken up residence in a number of big cities around the United States. These stints in often intriguing places have provided experiences that I would not give up for anything. Granted, moving is challenging, and getting acquainted with new colleagues and meeting new friends is often the most difficult aspect of the venture, but upon my move to Dallas in years past, I was blessed with an amazing experience that leads me to believe that the people that are meant to be in your life are often found in the most unexpected of places; you just have to be prepared to welcome them.

Upon arrival into Dallas proper, exhaustion quickly sank in. Between the constant lifting, carrying, and arranging, my muscles insisted on a break for lunch and a little shopping trip to purchase those last minute items (oh yeah, a shower curtain would be helpful, huh?). With a meal in my belly the effects of a the prior sleepless night and long drive across the state of Texas had begun to congeal, and fast. Little did I know that a quick trip to the nearest Starbucks would introduce one of the most genuine people into my life.

At 2 p.m. on this random weekday (I think it was a Thursday, though that’s not really relevant), the store was slow and the barista chatty. He asked me how my day was going, formality of course, but when the topic arose that my weary look was due to the immediate move, he was intrigued. Conversation led to my alma mater, Michigan State University. He was quick to point out that, he too, was a Spartan. At the time, this was an outstanding notion; the first person I’ve spoken to in town (outside of the woman who handed me my keys at the apartment complex) was a fellow MSU alum. As time went on, however, I came to learn that Dallas was filled with those of us who bleed green – it was quite wonderful, actually. We exchanged e-mail addresses and he informed me of the alumni association chapter that gets together to watch the games at a local bar (though if you’ve never been to Dallas, local doesn’t necessarily mean close; it just means within the city limits, which seem to go on forever). I left with my coffee feeling proud to have made my first new friend; one that has stuck by my side since that first meeting at Starbucks, and one I forsee being in my life for a long time. He continues to teach me how to be a better person, to think objectively, and most of all, to believe in myself. This is a person I trust and highly respect. You can’t ask for much more than that in a true friend.

Cheers!
-A