Save me!

So...it feels like it's been forever and a day since the last time I wrote a "real" update about what's going on with my life, career, love life (?) etc., and tonight is the night where updates go parading! LOL.

First off, my career. Within the last few months I have been phenomenally busy with various marketing reviews and re-strategic developments for my clients, which are needed at this time of the year. For those of you who may not know what I do for a living - I work as a Director of Marketing and Conference Program Development for an Association Management Company in Fairfax, VA. I have been in this business world for almost 6 years now (started when I was 20/21) and it appears this is where my passion is. So, anyway, aside from re-constructing tedious marketing plans, I have also been made responsible for coordinating and developing the next annual meeting for one of my clients -- from pre- to post- conference developments and activities. This project will have me tied up for the next 10 months!

As that may sound all complex and everything, I try to look at it on the brighter side! It's good experience - up's and down's given - which will surely pay off in the future. This particular field is not exactly what I had planned, but I'll make due. And, perhaps, it's a good stepping stone for me to elevate from Marketing to International Outreach or Professional Affairs. We shall see what happens next and hope something good will come out of this.

Now, off to the next topic - school! Oh, yea, school!!! I just love going to school. Some of you may already know that I attended NOVA Annandale campus to take Meeting & Exhibition Law and Ethics last Fall...and guess what?! I'm back there again! I'm now taking Principles of Association Management. My class started mid-January and will end in late-April. Yea, it's like "Damn!", but it's all good. I enjoy it! I get to meet some other professionals in the non-profit business world in the DC metropolitan area. Anyway, the class (instructor included) is not the greatest, but, then again, I'll make due what I've got. I will just keep telling myself "two more months and it's over!". April is just around the corner... (and so with my one-week San Francisco meeting in May. So excited!)

And now the best part -- love life! (I noticed I seem to write about love life last! Not sure why!) As a matter of fact, something motivated me to write this tonight. All of you (except Jabari, Dana, and Mary) doesn't know that I went out on a date last Saturday. He (and I swear not to mention his name) and I started chatting about a month ago. We actually talked about two times during that period, but the majority were by texting. (Yea, I'm also a text whore!) About two weeks ago, He and I agreed to go on a dinner date. (Initially, it wasn't planned to be a date!) I wanted it to be just a casual dinner, you know, between two guys (or "friends") who have had nothing but not-so-intimate prior conversation. But, in any case, the agreement, nevertheless, got settled as a "date".

So, I drove up to Arlington to pick him up at his condo and there he was -- a very good looking 26-year old! Quite frankly, I was like (quietly) "Whoa! He is hotter in person!" So, I picked him up, drove to a Thai Restaurant in Rosslyn (food was incredible!), talked conservatively during dinner, a few laughs here and there, but mostly serious, short topic-talks. After dinner he nicely offered to go back to his place and show me his condo--which was really nice! LOVE his Coca-Cola collection!!! (He said he's been collecting them since he was a kid) It reminds me of my younger years!!! Anyway, we chilled for a bit, watched Family Guy--which generated good laughs--then, we decided to head to "TOWN" downtown. I drove while we played our music in the car, parked a couple of blocks away, bundled walking on the street to the club, stepped right on in and had a drink, watched the drag shows (which he loves, by the way), and danced for a bit. It was quite a low-key night and yet quite intensive!

I must tell you that I felt embarrassed for him by walking into the club WITH me. I'm sure people were humiliating him at the point we stepped in. Okay, okay, okay! I'm being utterly ridiculous...but, realistically, I'm not in his league of things--physically. So, with that insecurity all over me that entire evening made any possible connection impossible. Yes, it was completely my fault! I ought to have extended my comfort level just over an inch longer and, perhaps, things would have been slightly different. Hope's still there, but only when/if he is willing to. I emailed him on myspace and apologized for the fact that I was unnecessarily distant. I stressed the fact that my email wasn't a goodbye note...but, was to tell him what/how I was feeling and should clarify anything, in the event that he wondered why I acted the way I did. I hope he got my email and has a better understanding now.

So, that's love life! Not so exciting, huh?! Yea, somehow I always manage to mess things up one way or another. Quite frankly, it's not really a pleasant feeling! Like he always say "Dust it off your shoulder and move on!". I will leave things "on pause" for now and, hopefully, some improvements will come along in the next day or two (or three or four...).

Whew! I feel much better now! Well, I'll write some more soon on here, so please stay in touch! For those of you I made plans with this weekend, depending on the weather, we're still on!!!!

I love you, guys! See y'all soon!!!

d-Jae :)