The Schedule

April 12. The day I am supposed to hear from the London program I applied for as to if I have an interview or not.

I was thinking that was a long time away but its Monday. I haven't heard anything yet. If I do get an interview, I will fly to New York City for it.

So, upcoming April-May, my little sister will graduate May 8, all my family is coming to visit (even my sister and her hubby and baby from Europe!). May 23-25 I'm going to Kansas for my cousin's wedding. And somewhere in there, I might be taking a trip to NYC.

My sister and I also want to take a two-week trip to Costa Rica in June or July.

And then perhaps I will leave for London in August.

I'm really excited at the prospect of all this- I miss airports and planes. Even though my parents will be on the only flight I have confirmed thus far, I have high hopes for my summer travels.

Side note: Harry was invited to the wedding (by me) but he doesn't have enough money.

So, basically, I'm going to work, putting up with the insanity, trying to leave by five and ready for an invitation to take a leap from my current life to my next adventure.

Until then, I will be excited about my flight to my family reunion!

Social Skills in Social Settings

I have been enjoying a new blog lately, Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist. Flipping around her site is entriguing and intimidating. She is like, she-women, a super dupper risk taker, fearless of the odds. Completely witty, pointed and self-assured. I don't agree with everything she says (or does) but her intrigue and ingenuity cannot be ignored.

One post struck me today, titled in short, Social Skills Matter. As her blog focuses on work, as does most of her advice on this topic. As my blog focuses on boys, I decided to steal the topic and give it the little20slife twist.

Social skills are definitely the key to success in this world, and by success I mean, getting what you want. Just think, what stands in your way of most goals? Gatekeepers. Decision makers. Bosses. Parents. Teachers. People. The power of persuasion is now simply called good personal relations.

But how do you relate to people in a good personal way? Here's how I do it.

1. Talk to them. Make an effort to take interest in their individual, special, unique lives. I just love it when I find a talker, the questions start to roll off my lips. What can you ask them you may wonder. Well, how about do they have kids? What are their dreams and passions? Where did they come from? Have they been out of the country? And each question's answer leads to about 5-500 more. Just go for it.

2. Remember what they tell you. And follow up. Nothing says they are important to you other than your genuine interest and following questions regarding your initial questions. It means what they told you was not taken lightly. You took it to heart and care about what is going on in their life. Details count. Stash them away. (But only if they told you. Don't share tidbits they did not tell you unless you can explain it without looking like a stalker.)

3. Give off the open vibe. I can shut a guy in a bar down within .01 seconds. They smile at me (or make eye contact), I hold my lips tight, shoot a couple daggers out my eyes and turn away asap. Want to invite them over to talk? Want to win over the boyfriend's friends? Mother? Roommate? Smile. Laugh. Keep your eyes and body language friendly. Make eye contact and hold it. They will warm to you. (And guys are stupid. Sometimes the inviting body language doesn't work, you just have to approach them. Sorry.)

4. Ask a question. People like to feel knowledgeable and unintimidated. If you ask a question (in a non-quizzical manner), they will feel empowered, important and respected. Ask them about something they like (is raising children rewarding?), or something happening in front of you (why is that girl crazy?). It will stimulate conversation and compliment them.

5. Compliment them. Something that you mean. Being fake just turns them the other way.

6. Persist. If they are not buying you for some reason and are not being hostile or mean, just keep it friendly if it is important to get to know them. Some people are naturally untrusting. The walls will come down with people that are worth getting to know.

So, there are some of the things I use, in work and in life. Its fun seeing what happens just because people like you. Besides the typical free drink at the bar, I get directions, song requests played, behind the scenes tours, discounts and most importantly, friends.

Formal Events, Blow Up Sex Toys and a Darn Good Man

It might be true most of the time to say no two days at my work are ever the same. Well, It was never more true than today.

So, sometimes I plan events for my work. We have a big, formal dinner in honor of the clients tomorrow that I have been planning for some weeks now. The president of the company is coming, the CEO is speaking and everyone has been running around looking for the "perfect" outfit.

So, I ordered a great big expensive backdrop custom made to drape across the back wall and accent the room. Its gorgeous. A night view of the city taken by a professional photographer. Its one of those photographs that make all the lights in the city glisten like stars. Over done I know but I am catering to my audience. Modern art they would see us as too forward and move on. Anyway, due to the many layers of approvals, sign-offs and proofs, the backdrop was not coming in until today, the day before the event.

This is pretty typical. People always hold out until the last minute and I have other crap to do so I'm not worried. I got back from lunch today and saw the package outside my door and clapped my hands in joy. I drug the thing in my office and got to work, not having time to take it out. I knew what it looked like anyway. We could just unpack and hang the following day.

Well, Office Neighbor came in and wanted to take a look so we opened it up. It had some odd packaging in it that I disregard as repurposed cushioning material (since backdrops needs big time cushioning.)

Office Neighbor pushed my non-inquisitiveness and proceeded to pull the entire thing out of the package. Well... it was pink. And curvy. And inflatable. And a she. Visions of Lars and the Real Girl start running through my head. Rather than my scintillating cityscape backdrop, I received a larger than life blow up sex toy.

Like, huge.

Thus, I stand in shock with Office Neighbor not knowing how to act. Soon, we begin dying laughing but on some level I'm still thinking my expensive time sensitive backdrop will some how unfold from the folds of this submissive seductress' plastic skirt.

So, I get on the phone and call my guy, the guy who I place regular orders with who had assured me this would be here right on time, and explain the situation.

"You are kidding me. Its not funny." He says.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. Quit picking on me. You know I'm going to have a stroke if you do this to me."

"Favorite Middleman, I am not this funny. There is no way I could make this up. "

"Ok, let me make a call."

Favorite Middleman shows up unannounced in my office ten minutes later. I had already tidied up (except for the woman all over my floor. That i left out for effect) because what man would miss this hilarious/stimulating scene.

A couple phone calls later it unravels that my super expensive time is of the essence I need it tomorrow as in today is at some porn shop in south Florida. And guess where his time sensitive larger than life need it for the grand opening this weekend super-sized sex doll is.

So, Middleman leaves to say some things in appropriate for a young girl's sweet unknowing ears to witness and lays it on the line to old sex shop owner that he ain't seeing nothing of his sexy plastic friend until he overnights the cityscape.

So, I now have the cityscape on a plane somewhere.. or boat or bike, (I really don't care as long as it gets to me) headed straight to a particular Middleman who is going to bring it directly to my event and hang for me as well as complete any other last minute preparations that need to be done.

And I have a super-sized pretty in pink blond haired blue eyed half naked life of the party blow up sex toy in my office.

O-so-pro-fesh-shi-on-al.