Our World, Our Devices! Let's talk etiquette ladies and gentlemen

Hello ladies and gentlemen seriously!  I know I missed a few weeks in there with my posting.  I am SURE you were going through withdrawal.  But I trust that you are all behaving yourselves and enjoying your holiday season.  You have permission to do as I have done and refuse to get on the scale until after the first of the year.  Goal should be to simply maintain "ISH" your weight  .....  Remember to be classy and not get stupid drunk at parties and dress appropriately.  And that means dress like ladies and gentlemen, but also dress appropriately for the weather.  It is -2 in Chicago today...that means lots of layers and yes you might look like a snowman, but at least you will be warm.

Yes, well, I was waiting for a subject to hit me as important and LO AND BEHOLD...I was at the card store the other day picking out some holiday cards and it hit me.  Probably because the woman next to me, who was hogging all the space in front of the cards I wanted to see was talking on her phone the ENTIRE time about nothing...  And it got me thinking about this electronic age that we live in and it is time to discuss proper etiquette when using our devices.  So here is my ladies seriously list:

1. PLEASE ladies and gentlemen, when shopping at a grocery store, card store, etc or when on the bus, train, plane, keep your conversations to a minimum volume and minimum length.  I understand there are emergencies, however most of these people are just shooting the breeze.  Really?  You can't find a better time to have your chat.  Ladies and gentlemen seriously, I don't want to hear your conversation.   OH LORD, don't get me started on what it would be like if they let you use your phone on planes.  YUCK.
2. If you are somewhere playing Candy Crush or some other type of game, turn the volume OFF.  I really don't need to hear the bells and whistles on your game or more importantly your CHILD's game on a plane.  The game works just as well without the sounds.
3. If you are out with a friend, a date, your family, TALK to one another.  Put the device to the side.  My goal is to put it on my handbag, I don't need my phone on the table the whole time.  I know we are all guilty of it, but as a society we are losing the ability to speak to one another.  We text and email when a phone call might be more appropriate.  I can't tell you how many times I have seen people out on a date, both staring at their phones.  Even better when I was in Tahiti, I saw people on their honeymoon at the dinner table both on their phones.  I have seen a family of four sitting together ALL on their devices as well.

So here is the public service announcement from JZZRGRL, put the freakin phone down.  I am just as guilty, so ladies and gentlemen seriously, let's all vow to be less dependent on our devices and talk to one another.

Have a wonderful holiday season.  Eat, drink, be merry and keep it classy!

CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!

Don't forget to take care of your friendships

La orana ladies and gentlemen! (that's hello in Tahitian)  I have recently returned from an 8 day trip to French Polynesia.  I know, I know it's rough work, but someone has to go to see those hotels.  It was a fabulous trip.  I think the best part was the group that I traveled with.  These ladies were AWESOME, very fun!  I think our hosts will remember our group for quite some time.  I think at one point we were told we were the most fun group they had had.  Unfortunately, SMB was sick most of the time, so my wit and sarcasm were a bit dulled.

Recently, I have been thinking about the relationships and friendships that we have in our lives.  You know, ladies and gentlemen seriously, our friendships are some of the most important relationships in our lives.  You can't pick your family, but you certainly can pick your friends.  Which means that the ones that are important to you...you MUST treat delicately.  Classy men and women make sure that they take care of their friends regularly.  This means everything from picking up the phone to picking up the bill to perhaps picking them up off the floor when needed.  Many of us live in areas away from our immediate families (mine are in Nebraska and Kansas...not close to Chicago) and so when emergencies happen, our friends are the ones that need to help us.

Recently, I had a situation where a friend involved me in a situation with her family that made me very uncomfortable.  Additionally, she was a bit disrespectful to my family.  And now I don't know if we will continue to be friends, I haven't heard from her.  And we have been friends since we were 15 years old.  Thinking that we aren't friends anymore makes me sad.  So ladies and gentlemen seriously, be careful about how you treat those relationships.

A long, long time ago, I had a very good friend in school (it was a guy friend, heck I think I was in Junior High).  And we had a falling out (it was SO long ago, I don't even remember what it was about and honestly I am sure it was stupid).  And I took the higher road and called him and simply said I was sorry.  You know what, that's all it took and we are still friends to this day.

And then there was a time recently, when I reached out to a friend on his birthday, we had not spoken in over two years.  He stopped communicating with me....still don't know why (soon to find out).  And he was very grateful that I had extended the olive branch, even though the ball was probably in his court to reach out.  Glad to have you back around, HT.

So I think you all get my point, being classy means saying you are sorry when needed or even if it isn't needed.  If you are lucky enough to have several "best" friends, don't forget to tell them how much they mean to you.  I am talking to you ..... Smiley, Mattie, Southern, Gorgeous Redhead (now blonde).

Fall and winter are upon us ladies and gentlemen seriously.  Don't forget to keep it classy under those boots and heavy coats.

...keep your heels, your chin and your standards high....
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

I feel bad enough about myself...

Hello ladies and gentlemen!  Yep, it is once again that time where I impart my glorious wisdom to the universe.  You can all stop gagging now.  :)  It is fall and yep, it is almost time to let those pretty painted toenails go into hiding.  But don't forget about your tootsies in the winter, ladies AND gentlemen (especially you GUYS), they still need pedis and love during the winter months.  So we have had a rash of fabulous weather here in Chicago, so everyone is loving life right about now.

This past weekend I had an opportunity to visit a Gamma Phi collegiate chapter in Northern California.  The population of this particular campus is pretty diverse, think lots of Black, Asian and Indian decent (and plain white people like me ;) ladies on campus and who are equally represented in our chapter.  And I am talking some DROP DEAD gorgeous ladies.  And I have to tell you that I was SO disheartened to hear from these ladies and the other fraternity men and sorority women on that campus thought they were the "ugly" chapter...why?  Because they don't fit the stereotype of the blonde California girl.  Seriously...ladies and gentlemen, racism is alive and well all over the country (I know you know this but it really upsets me when it is hurting the self esteem of young beautiful college women).

As my other sorority sisters and I were discussing this issue (and of course other issues like...UM...men), a very wise sister said this..."I can make myself feel bad enough on any given day, I don't need someone else who does it for me"  Couldn't have said it better myself.  So ladies and gentlemen, here it is, DO NOT waste your time spending time with people that make you feel bad.  This goes for friends, acquaintances, boyfriends, girlfriends and FAMILY.  Life is too short.  DO NOT let others define how you feel about yourself.

It just lead me back to thinking about the gorgeous ladies in our chapter who think they are ugly because others say you are.  NOPE...I don't care where you come from, your interests, your intelligence, your body type...everyone has something to contribute.  BE proud, follow the simply ladiesseriously.com rules on dressing for your body type and your age and you are golden.  I wish I could wave my magic wand on these college ladies and give them all confidence and self esteem.

So here is the deal, surrounding yourself with people that make you feel good about your self is the classy way to live your life.  So examine those relationships and groups of people ladies and gentlemen seriously!

Happy FALL!

....Keep your chin, heels and standards high....
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

THINK Before you Speak!

Hello ladies and gentlemen.  Happy September.  I trust that you are all enjoying being in the full swing of football season (whether you like football on Saturday or Sunday...me personally, I like football on Saturday, Go Big Red).  And that you are having fun, dressing appropriately and keeping it classy.

So this week, a sorority sister of mine posted a link about things not to say to a childfree woman (thanks Melanie).  And it got me to thinking about what people say to other people about children.  Ladies and gentlemen seriously, children are a VERY personal choice and it is not our place to pass judgment on anyone regarding those choices.  For example...

If you are a couple or a woman that has no children, that is your choice.  Perhaps medically you are not able to have children and have decided that adoption or surrogacy is not for you.  OR you just don't want them.  Having someone say things to you like when are you having children is probably pretty insensitive or none of their business.

If you are a married couple with adopted children or a single parent with adopted children (or a gay couple that can't be called married (that is a topic for another blog post) with adopted children)...it is NOT ok for people to say why don't you just have kids of your own.  Really?  what makes the adopted children not their OWN.  Crazy I know.

If you are a couple or a single woman who chooses to use fertility treatments to have children, that is your choice.  And it is simply NOT OK for people say things like I don't understand why you don't try harder.  GEEZ.

Ladies and gentlemen seriously, no matter what your opinion or religious belief is regarding children, having them, adopting them or not having them, it NOT classy for you to say RUDE things to them or be insensitive.  It is NONE of your business.  Support your friends and family in whatever decision they make, as it was the right one for them.  So the bottom line is watch what you say.

Everything is status quo here with JZZRGRL...still teaching class, loving my job, living with RCH Jr, volunteering for Gamma Phi Beta.  My awesome parents are coming into town at the end of September.  And I think I told you all this, I am heading to Tahiti in October.

That's all for today.  ....keep your chin, standards and heels high...

BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

Twerking? Really ladies?

Hello ladies and gentlemen!  Hope all is well with all of you.  School is getting back in the swing and all of the little people are heading back.  And of course, the big little people as well are heading back to college.

So this week, one of my friend's husbands wanted to know my opinion of Miley's performance on the VMAs, which of course, is what everyone is talking about, right?  Honestly, ladies and gentlemen, I haven't watched, I am sure I would be disappointed.  Apparently, grinding is now twerking...who knew?

So I guess my statement or opinion on this whole thing is that I think it is sad that our young women in this world think that being trashy and acting inappropriately makes you sexy.  Not sure that Miley is overly worried about that...as everyone is talking about her and she has a new album coming out.  But I am talking mostly about our young ladies, college age to 30s.  These ladies think that girls gone wild, getting crazy drunk and acting generally trashy makes them sexy and makes men want to talk to them.  Yes, men talk to them, but not for the right reasons.

Ladies, being sexy is all about your attitude, not about how trashy you can be.  Ask a man who he thinks is sexy and he will tell you people like Eva Mendes.  Does she act trashy?  Nope, she is a confident, beautiful woman, who dresses appropriately, doesn't have her bootie or boobies out, and she acts appropriately.  Ladies seriously, acting trashy attracts the wrong type of people to you.  Love yourself and dress appropriately and the right people will think you are sexy.

It makes me sad that our young ladies are not confident enough in themselves in this day and age.  Public service announcement WARNING:  ladies and gentlemen seriously, if you know a young lady who acts inappropriately and dresses trashy, perhaps coaching that young lady into being proud of who she is will help you to be the change agent she needs.  Let's tell our young ladies that they are OK just the way they are.  :)

Well, that's all I have today ladies and gentlemen seriously.  I am happy to say I am getting ready to travel again....to Tahiti this time in October.  Super fun part of my job.  My sister and brother in law are heading here over the weekend bringing my AWESOME niece and nephew to visit Chicago.  And my FAB parents are heading here in September as well.  So fun things coming up for SMB.

Continue to enjoy your summer!  Keep it classy!

...Keep your chin, heels and standards high....
BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!

Would you go under the knife?

Hello ladies and gentlemen.  Hope you are all having a wonderful, classy summer.  The other day a friend shared a story with me about someone he knew that had had some plastic surgery.  And based on the story, the person wasn't forthcoming about the surgery, it got me thinking about the decision to have plastic surgery.

Let's face it, the majority of people receiving plastic surgery in this world are American women.  I am not the type of person that makes a judgment on someone who has surgery as it is a very personal decision.  Heck, I would love to suck out some of the fat out of my bootie and put it in my chest, BUT ALAS, I would prefer to spend the money on shoes or handbags.  I have another friend who lost over 100 pounds and after having kept the weight off for 5+ years, she decided to have the surgery to have the extra skin removed.  And the thing that I loved about her decision was that the decision was for her ONLY.  She was smart about it, made sure she could keep the weight off, she had been in counseling....and let me tell you, she looked FAB!

And so I guess my point, ladies seriously (and even you gentlemen), if you decide to have some type of surgery, make sure the decision is for you and not for what someone else wants.  Many women choose to have their breasts enhanced, which is fine, but make sure that you want those bodacious ta-tas for you and not for your husband, boyfriend (girlfriend), etc (of course, they will get the benefits).  The sad story is that some women choose to get surgery in order to get more attention from men (which usually does happen), but I would sure love for those same ladies to get attention from men because they are AWESOME and happen to have great boobs.

And one last thing, if you do decide to get surgery, OWN IT!  Don't be embarrassed that you have bigger boobs/smaller tummy/smaller bootie/a different nose, heck, you paid for them.  BE PROUD!  And if the doctor did a good job....all the better.

So ladies and gentlemen seriously, my underlying message here is that it is classy to have positive body image, no matter, if it is natural or not.  Be proud of how you look.  And if you don't like how you look, do something about it.  Whether, it means diet, exercise or surgery, please be healthy about how you do.

Case in point, I have gained almost 20 pounds of "relationship" weight, thanks RCH Jr!  And it was time to do something about it, so I went back on my trusty Isagenix and I am down about 12 pounds in a 5 weeks.  Just about 8 left to go.  YAY.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.  Keep it classy!

BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

Celebrate the Women in your Life

G'day ladies and gentlemen...ah, the Aussies in my office are wearing off on me!  Happy summer to everyone.  Hope you are all keeping it classy.  So I am reminded that today is National Girlfriends Day, and what better way to be classy than to remind the girlfriends in your life how special they are.  One of the things that we talk about a lot at dear ol' Gamma Phi Beta is the idea of gracious living.  This includes manners but also includes sending out positive messages to the women and men in your life that do something special for you.  And that special something could simply be .... being your in life.  So many times, we, as women spend time cutting each other down and we don't do a good enough job of supporting one another.  So, I am here telling you to take the time to shoot a text message if you want to remind people that they are special.  Trust me, not only will it make the other person feel great but you will as well.

Gentlemen, this includes you as well.  When was the last time you thanked your Mom or your Sister for being fabulous...or your wife or your girlfriend for that matter.  DO IT, they will probably be floored and honored.

Can you tell that I have been doing a lot of self reflecting lately?  I am finding that sometimes when your relationships are not giving you what you want, you need to reflect on what you are sending out there.  The energy that you put out is many times reflected back at you.  So if things are not going right, perhaps it is time to evaluate yourself first.

BOY, I am philosophical today, aren't I?  Well, short and sweet today.  Enjoy the balance of your summer.

BONSOIR, CHEERS and CIAO BELLAS!

Sports - It's Just a Game, Have Some Class

Hello ladies and gentlemen.  Have you melted yet?  Special shout out to my ladies in Wicker Park who have been Jazzercising with me this week with no AC....yep, you read it right.  Dancing in the heat.  I thought I was going to fall out last night, but we made it.  And we have two more classes this week.  I hope that even though it is hot, you are still keeping it classy with your clothing :)

So I had the pleasure of seeing my niece and nephew this past weekend.  And I also got to see them play baseball and softball.  Both of them did a great job, they are both little athletes.  But let me tell you, some of those parents need to take a chill pill.  I am always AMAZED when I see pictures of parents freaking out at kids sports games.  Yes, sports can be intense (I mean, I usually pace when I watch Husker games, ask RCH Jr, he has seen it), but ladies and gentlemen seriously... it really is JUST a game.  And these kids are out there trying their hardest, calm down.  No need to yell at the ref or ump or yell at your kid.  Sometimes you lose the game and sometimes you don't get the call, but that's life and trust me, your kid isn't going to die because he/she lost a baseball/basketball/football game.  Wins and losses are a way of life.  And sometimes it stinks.  Part of being a classy parent is keeping it under control.  My sister and brother in law certainly are classy, good parents, but I can't say that for others that I observed over the weekend.

Fortunately, I didn't see too many fashion victims while at the games and let me tell you, it was hot. Maybe because I was in conservative Kansas... :)

So short and sweet this week.  Happy to say that I am changing jobs with Gamma Phi Beta, moving on to a regional director position.  And if you had to pick ONE region that would be appropriate for JZZRGRL, which area would say?  The one with wine country you say???  You guessed right.  So I will be managing a great group of regional coordinators in region 8 - the Northwest.  Part of being classy and self aware is knowing when you need a change and I had reached that point with my previous position.  So I am excited for my new venture.

So ladies and gentlemen, keep it classy and remember it is just a game.  Keep cool out there and remember your fashion mantras from me....Keep them covered, keep the girls up and out, wear the right panties and no rubber flip fops.

....Keep your chin, your heels and your standards high.
BONSOIR (Happy Bastille Day), CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

Being classy also means know how to give appropriate feedback...

Happy 4th of July ladies and gentlemen!  I hope that you are all enjoying your long holiday, being safe and merry while still having fun and being classy.  This 4th of July, I am enjoying some alone time as RCH Jr is working.  And still keeping my promise to you all and posting every two weeks.

So I was fortunate enough to be at a Leadership Development conference last week with many of my sorority sisters.  And due to the brilliance of my best friend, the program was great and really allowed the attendees get some professional development time.  We discussed issues like communication, motivation, dependability and accountability.  And, you know, no matter how much experience we all have, we can use some training on these subjects.  As women, we have a tendency to downplay our successes and always want to keep the peace rather than having difficult conversations when someone needs to be confronted on issues.  Personally, I am my father's daughter and am very non-confrontational by nature. I know that I needed some training on how to give appropriate feedback.  So thank you to Smiley and the women of Gamma Phi Beta for giving this to me.

And so here is the message for the week, ladies and gentlemen seriously, avoiding conflict and avoiding difficult conversations is NOT classy.  How many times do people upset us and we don't address the issue?  And then we are ticked off, complain about it to our loved ones and then continue to think badly about that person that we didn't confront.  That isn't healthy for any of us.  So if something is bothering you....give yourself a day to relax and get some perspective.  And if you are still upset, then speak to the person about it.  Make sure that you present the information in an non-confrontational way...address the behavior and don't blame the person.  Tell the person how the behavior makes you feel and ask for a different way for them to behave in the future.  Trust me, not only will you feel better about the situation AND your relationship with that person will improve.

I am trying to practice this advice myself.  And in the case where it is a family member or your significant other, you need be careful.  For example, I know my RCH Jr needs to have situations addressed in a certain manner so that he "understands".  Ladies...you know what I mean.  Remember, you have to live with these people, so don't say things you don't mean in anger...you will be sorry.

Ok, so I know this subject is a little deep for a holiday weekend.  However, you know I love to address ALL parts of being a classy lady or gentleman and that includes how you communicate with people.  So ladies and gentlemen seriously, have a great holiday weekend and start having those tough conversations!

For me, I am heading to see my niece and nephew next week, I am SOOOO excited to see them.  Can't believe this summer is half way over.

....keep your heels, your chin and your standards high....
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be rude....

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen seriously!  So I have a little reminder in my TO DO list every two weeks to do a blog post and as the time gets close, I seem to be searching for a good topic and then LO and BEHOLD, one presents itself.  :)

So, yes, it is another bus riding story.  I seem to get some good material there.  So the other day, I was sitting in the bus shelter waiting for the bus to arrive.  And a group of three teenagers came in.  And they were being typical teenagers, loud and obnoxious.  I kind of ignored them...since they are teenagers.  One bus stopped....TOO FULL.  SMB doesn't like to stand on the bus (can't, in the heels that I wear).  And the three boys waited as well.  So the next bus approaches, and it is fairly empty so I stand up.  Two of the teenage boys literally PUSH me out of the way to get first in line to get on the bus first.  I am literally standing there with my mouth open.  They both get on the bus and I am standing there, the third boy finally realized how rude they were being and he stepped back for me to get on the bus.  I did stay thank you to him.

This isn't just about the fact that these are boys and chivalry sometimes seems to be dead.  This is about common courtesy, I was there waiting for the bus well before those boys.  So here is the point ladies and gentlemen seriously who are parents, please teach your children some manners in public, even if you aren't there to supervise them.  There is no excuse for rude behavior and children should be taught appropriately.  I know that my sister would never let her son act like this in public.  And additionally ladies that are moms to boys, teach them to treat ladies appropriately and how to act like gentlemen.

And just on a side note, ladies and gentlemen seriously who are parents, not everyone in the world thinks your child is wonderful, so be mindful of them in public, letting them scream and run around in a restaurant, isn't cute.  Well behaved children are much cuter.  :)

Everything else here in my world is status quo.  RCH Jr is good.  Work is great.  Jazzercise is good as well.  Heading to Scottsdale for a sorority conference next week.

So it's summer time, remember sometimes less is not more ladies seriously, keep everything covered up appropriately.

....Keep your chin, heels and standards high....
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

Are you really wearing that to work?

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen....already making good on my mid year New Year's Resolution and am posting regularly.  YAY ME!  Happy to report that everything is back to normal after having been gone for almost a month.  Also happy to report that I am back teaching regular Jazzercise classes.  YAY ME!  Cuz there is New Zealand and "relationship" weight that needs to come off quickly.  BOO ME!  The good news is that my classes are literally 1.5 miles from my house.  And now my whole life....Work, Home, Jazzercise, SBUX, Walgreens, Dominicks, Nails are all within 10 miles of my house.  I think this is the first time this has happened since I graduated from college.

With my office being so close to my house, I have been taking the bus to work, which as you can imagine does create lots of great ladies seriously blog material.  First of all, let me say to the people that ride the bus, stop being so EFFING rude, don't put your bag on the seat so one can sit next to you, don't put your suitcase in front of a seat so no one can sit in the seat.  And gentlemen, I am sorry, I do not believe chivalry is dead (right Mattie?)....get up and offer your seat to the ladies, even the not so attractive ones (my RCH Jr would always offer his seat to the pretty ladies).

Second of all, and for my regular readers, you know I preach this A LOT.  LADIES!  Dress appropriately for work.  I have a pretty casual office so I am lucky, and can wear open toed shoes, sleeveless tops, ETC....but I am sure most of you can guess that I am still appropriately covered up at the office.  Some of the things that these women wear to work, I wouldn't even wear to the club on a Saturday night (much to RCH Jr's chagrin).  Case in point, I saw a young pretty woman the other day wearing skin tight skinny pants and a open weave top (so think very open crochet patten) with ONLY a bra.  I could see the full pattern of her bra and her belly button.  Is that appropriate for the office?  I don't think so.  Come on, put on a tank top underneath.  Ladies seriously, what they say is true....dress for the job you want.  And to the cute lady on the bus, the job you are telling me your want is stripper.  So there you go.

So summer and festival time is upon us in Chicago.  Although you wouldn't know it from the weather! So stay tuned for more fashion advice from me.

....Keep your chin, heels and standards high....
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!

Update from JZZRGRL! - Kia Ora from New Zealand, Notes on how to impress Kiwis.

Kia Ora, ladies and gentlemen seriously.  I know I have been a VERY VERY bad blogger of recent.  You see I have this VERY tough life where I have to travel a lot and just seems to get in the way.  I know you all are getting out your violins for me.  I realize it has been over three months since my last blog post.  Just so you know, I had a few New Year's Resolutions:  1.  Take the bus to work (still doing well on this one)  2.  Make my coffee at home (still doing well on this one)  3.  Start saving some money (and make more of it) (yep, savings account is open and my 401K is started again).  So I will add to those resolutions and try to write at least 1-2 posts a month.  Because I know you have been missing my entertainment.

Few updates from me....RCH Jr and I have officially been together over a year now.  And honestly, ladies and gentlemen, it is still going well.  We are both over the age of 40 (SSSHH...don't tell anyone), he is a first and only child and a Leo.  I am a first born perfectionist and a Taurus!  Can you say STRONG, STUBBORN personalities? Yep!  He moved in last June and we are both still alive and actually still like each other.  We have had to work HARD at it, but he is A-OK in my book.  And he bought me a lovely ring for my birthday (NOT that kind of ring, people).

Let's see, I still LOVE, LOVE my job, we moved to an awesome new office in the same building with views of the city and the river.  I have a new car...her name is Lexi, because she is sexy (Acura ILX).  And after spending a lovely week in sunny snobsdale (Scottsdale) with my parents and my aunt for my birthday, I traveled to New Zealand for 16 days.

My trip was what we like to call in the travel industry, a fam or famil, which simply means the suppliers are giving travel agents free or discounted rates to stay in their hotels and tour with their companies, in order to have them sell more.  I traveled for 9 days by myself and for the additional 7 days with my a group, which was part of the MegaFamil sponsored by Tourism New Zealand.  NOW, I have been on a fam before and most of the time travel agents are traditionally over the age of 60 and have a tendency to COMPLAIN a lot.  When I joined up with the group of travel agents, not only was I PLEASANTLY surprised by how awesome our group was, I had a BLAST and honestly made some lifelong friends...Sue and Mandy (that's you). No one really complained much, everyone participated, everyone talked to one another.  They all laughed at me and my constant wine drinking.  It was awesome.

So not only was everyone VERY classy on my trip, everyone I met in New Zealand was wonderful.  Kiwis, as they call themselves, are extremely hospitable.  And the crazy thing is, they loved me!  Why?  because I had positive energy and am generally a very happy, classy lady.  Apparently, my positive attitude rubbed off on people...who knew?  I always thought I was a jaded, cynical woman, guess I wrong.

I was even on the news in NZ, click here.

But you know I always like to leave you with a message, so here it is ladies and gentlemen seriously, don't worry, be happy.  Yes, the saying is a bit tired.  Trust me, I know, I have been through SH** in my life (divorce, bad breakups, bankruptcy), I get it.  But you know, eventually, things do get better.  Just look at me, in one year's time, I completely changed my career, sold my business, traveled to Antigua and New Zealand and found a great BF.  And now my jobs are to sell travel, teach Jazzercise, write this "AMAZING" blog and volunteer for my lovely sorority.  Who wouldn't be happy?  And you can do it too.

So thanks to all for continuing to read.
Keep your chin, your heels and your standards high.
Bonsoir, Cheers and CIAO BELLAS!

Why dating is like football

Hello ladies and gentlemen!  Yes, it has been entirely too long.  This classy girl has been busy and lacking a little inspiration for a new post.  Guess that happens with you live with your BF, right?  But Pittsburgh was really wanting to post again, ALAS, he has been dating online.  So here you go...

Hey everyone guest blogger Pittsburgh here back at it once again. So, I’ve recently had a string of bad luck in the dating department and it has lead me to once conclusion…

My dating life is basically a game of football. Now I know this is a shocker to a lot of you ladies that a guy will come up with a sports analogy but news flash we either think of sports or women sometimes at the same time but rarely women’s sports. We don’t exactly sit around and discuss gymnastics and such. But please allow me to explain my theory a bit further.

• The Three and Out – In football this is where a team’s offense can’t get anything going and has to punt after three shots at a first down. Well I seem to be on the opposite side of this in the dating world. I will meet plenty of women and gain a certain level of interest to get three dates but then for some reason that’s as far as it goes and the girl punts. Or more specifically will give me the “you’re a great guy but...” text.  Sometimes I will get close and get a fourth date and try to convert on fourth down but those have not been successful either.
• Off Season Training - Now that the Super Bowl wrapped up last week I think I also need to take a break and have a bit of an offseason. This is where players work on their skills and tools and come back even better the next year. Who knows how long my offseason will be but like any good player (poor choice of words in my dating analogy) I will be ready to step into the game at any time when it’s called for. I do wish I had some game film on some of these dates to review….
• No Place For Nice - I have also come to the realization that like the game of football dating is just not for nice people. In football some of the most successful players have been outright mean and nasty guys. In dating it seems like jerks and d-bags have the upper hand. I have been told by all my friends I am too nice to people and I can’t change who I am but I guess I need to work on holding off in the onset.

Well enough of my random sports / dating ramblings for now. Hopefully one of these days the right one comes along and I can convert the first down or who knows maybe take it all the way for a touchdown.

Your Buddy,

PITTSBURGH

Side Note: After running thru target today I realized Valentines Day is this week. I totally forgot since for one of the first times in years I haven’t had to buy any chocolates, flowers, jewelry, stuffed animals, over priced dinners etc. it’s kind of refreshing in a way. #StaySingleStayRich