Nicknames

My friend Jake always comes up with really good names for the guys that make appearances in my life. There's always some really good story that I share, and then the name is created, and it always sticks. Here are a few:

Flexmaster Funk
Gerald Ford
The Colonel
Boy Meets World (shortened to BMW)
California Dreamboat (the captain)
Quinnstigator

Here are the names I've come up for the ladies that come into his life:

Mysti

Wonder what that story is about, eh?
That's about it for my creative nicknames. Sorry Jake.

Recently, a new name has entered my life.
The Bubble Boy.
Turns out, he actually has no bubble.
I met him at a party. Have to give a guy credit for coming up to a group of girls and starting a conversation and alienating every other girl until I'm the only one left. I like to keep a healthy amount of space between me and a stranger, and every other person when talking. He doesn't. I tried to get away from it, but I couldn't. Luckily, I was standing by a piano which could support my back as I was leaning away from him. Didn't matter though. The non-verbals weren't enough, and he snagged my number. The date wasn't bad. Jamba Juice and less than one hour we were done. When we initially sat down, he did change his further seat to a closer one. It's a good thing I've been practicing my back bends so it's not hard to create more space between our faces.

But I am proud of this kid for really asking a girl for her number straight out and then taking her out.

The Value of a Good Reaction

This time of year reminds me and enlightens me on what a good reaction means to me. Turns out, I like a good reaction. Granted, I don't love fake reactions, but shoot, stroke my ego a bit and play it up.

Few cases:

homemade gifts. Hands down, always say how much you love it. And be quick about the reaction. Just plan on if someone says they want to show you something they made, or they are giving you something they made, rejoice. You don't get an opinion if you like it or not. If the giver makes mention about a fault the gift may have, brush it off and come back with how cute it is.

musical number. Not so much gusto is needed for this one. But if you see someone that just participated in anyway in an event, just mention that they did a good job. Eloquence isn't needed. No need to qualify why you liked it. And if that person comes back to sit at your table, notice that they were absent for a while and then remark that they did a good job. It's not hard. Unless you suffered a massive brain injury in the 5 minutes that they were gone, you really have no reason to not say anything.

ugly sweater. If someone shows up to a party, use this line "hey, that's a nice sweater." Same tone, works for everyone - those that scoured the good will aisles, grandma's closet, or just didn't have anything so they wore regular clothes.

Warning: there is no need to be excessive in any reaction if you aren't 100% feeling it. This may lead to disbelief and rejection of the compliment. Not your problem, but no need to feed it. Which leads me to the need for being gracious - accepting the compliment. Also a highly valued trait and skill.

It amazes me how a good reaction will make someone's day. No one will necessarily remember what you said, but the feeling will be remembered. Interesting how that works. I love the ability we have to validate people in the most interesting, yet simple ways. It's an under-utilized gift that we all have. Everyone wants to have a "the crowd goes wild" moment. And we all get to be cheerleaders for someone. We have moments everyday to validate others.

Oranges

Sometimes oranges just taste better when you climb over a fence to get them.

Eclipse Party

Late Friday Afternoon, it was decided to have a party to celebrate the lunar eclipse at our house. We were told that the eclipse was to happen at 3:00 a.m., so we told people they could come at midnight and we'd hang out until the eclipse.

Surprisingly, a lot of people showed up and then stayed all night long. Even after it was determined that the eclipse wasn't happening at 3. We had a dance party, snacks, chatting around the fire outside, games, a puzzle (this puzzle was chosen because it had a full moon, but it was really difficult), and a lot of giggling. The problem with late nights is the silliness. At one point, a few of the guys were talking about dating situations, and then they went ahead and role played with each other. I think we're all closer because of it.

When everyone finally left, around 5:30, I finished a few puzzle pieces, checked outside and saw that the eclipse was just starting. Whoops! The all-nighter was so much fun, and getting to see the eclipse was very cool. It seems as though my bounce-back after this kind of night is not quite what it used to be.