points of view along with embarrassing anecdotes...and admit it, you all still love me anyway (well....most of you still do....). Either way, you are all my friends and I happen to love each of you despite your flaws and foibles...and admire your great talents and abilities. That's why we are friends. So, here's the deal: I did it again....I changed my mind. And here I am....life is brand new again.Let's flashback to last week where this saga begins, shall we?
On my glamorous business trip to Cleveland on which I was representing a fruit smoothie brand at a series of sampling events where I poured Dixie cups half full of pomegranate-blueberry
and acai-raspberry juicy stuff and manhandled my Blackberry, keeping up on all the office politics and unattainable client demands. I sat with my brilliant and adept Account Exec, Annie T. (yes, another Annie...) and we tag-teamed, offering our spiel to every soul that stepped in our direction...."There are 2 servings of fruit in each 8 oz. glass"...."We are available exclusively at Wal*Mart but are expanding to select conveinience stores and supermarkets in '09"...."Isn't the pomegranate delicious?"....Ugh...whatever...Anyway....the highlight of the week was when four separate men from the adjacent gym stopped by the sampling and 1 & 2) Told us they would try the juice just because we were beautiful; 3) Asked us to email him nudie pics of ourselves (together of course...Annie T. is 5' 11" with jet black hair and porcelain white skin....my opposite...and apparently that combo sparks odd fantasies among some...in Ohio at least....); and 4) Admitted to being a lightweight but could he drink the juice m
ixed with vodka on a double date with us and his buddy at a place in Parma, OH called The Tradesman Tavern....Number four guy (double-dater) looked like an Ohio Mark Wahlberg (whom Annie T. and I both find delicious...) only on steroids (literally). Though we flirted and batted our eyes and made old Marky Mark believe that we would so meet him and his friend at the Tradesman, frankly, we were both separately envisioning a scenario not unlike Jodie Foster in The Accused. Needless to say, we stood him and his buddy up...but not after accepting his phone number and directions to his hot spot. So what was it with these Ohio men....did I live in the wrong city or were Annie T. and I actually that enticing? Regardless....it made me think about what I had signed up to do at this chic/groovy/cool agency in New York City....why was I in Parma handing out juice, getting accosted by gym rats while my Blackberry vibrated apoplectically? I hadn't seen my kids in a week.
ixed with vodka on a double date with us and his buddy at a place in Parma, OH called The Tradesman Tavern....Number four guy (double-dater) looked like an Ohio Mark Wahlberg (whom Annie T. and I both find delicious...) only on steroids (literally). Though we flirted and batted our eyes and made old Marky Mark believe that we would so meet him and his friend at the Tradesman, frankly, we were both separately envisioning a scenario not unlike Jodie Foster in The Accused. Needless to say, we stood him and his buddy up...but not after accepting his phone number and directions to his hot spot. So what was it with these Ohio men....did I live in the wrong city or were Annie T. and I actually that enticing? Regardless....it made me think about what I had signed up to do at this chic/groovy/cool agency in New York City....why was I in Parma handing out juice, getting accosted by gym rats while my Blackberry vibrated apoplectically? I hadn't seen my kids in a week.So the thought tugged at me the rest of the trip....
By Friday I left home again on a long-planned Girls Weekend to my uncle's home in Mt. Holly, Vermont with Sasha*, JennieLou*, Jacquie* and Arabella* (* please note, some names have been changed to protect the innocent....honestly folks, would I ever be friends with someon
e named JennieLou????)....We packed our cars full of every snack and dessert you can name including the makings of Sugared Brie, a vat of Pulled Pork, every variety of hummus marketed by Sabra and a banana bread that I had whipped up that morning. We had bottles upon bottles of wine and Sasha even packed up three beers and a few hard lemonades her husband found rolling around in the basement fridge. Sasha and I were in the Jag an hour and a half behind JennieLou who drove the other two in the family truckster (in metallic pea, of course...). So the whole way up I yapped to Sasha (my dear, dear friend...sage and counselor....) and expressed my confusion over my situation. What was it about this past year? Why had so many choices been put in front of me...and had I made the right decisions? Some maybe...some maybe not....
e named JennieLou????)....We packed our cars full of every snack and dessert you can name including the makings of Sugared Brie, a vat of Pulled Pork, every variety of hummus marketed by Sabra and a banana bread that I had whipped up that morning. We had bottles upon bottles of wine and Sasha even packed up three beers and a few hard lemonades her husband found rolling around in the basement fridge. Sasha and I were in the Jag an hour and a half behind JennieLou who drove the other two in the family truckster (in metallic pea, of course...). So the whole way up I yapped to Sasha (my dear, dear friend...sage and counselor....) and expressed my confusion over my situation. What was it about this past year? Why had so many choices been put in front of me...and had I made the right decisions? Some maybe...some maybe not....Sasha and I made great time, even with our stopover in Troy, NY at Epicurean (a must-stop 
melange of French cafe/bakery/gourmet/gift shop....an impressive selection of mustards awaits you, so get your butts to Troy, my friends....) and by 4 p.m. we were in front of a fire cooked up by none other than the multi-talented Jacquie, big glass of wine in our paws and my Sugared Brie being daintily scarfed by the lot of us. And I looked out at the beautiful foliage and landscape and muted sunlight poking through the uncovered windows, my friends surrounding me when I said:
melange of French cafe/bakery/gourmet/gift shop....an impressive selection of mustards awaits you, so get your butts to Troy, my friends....) and by 4 p.m. we were in front of a fire cooked up by none other than the multi-talented Jacquie, big glass of wine in our paws and my Sugared Brie being daintily scarfed by the lot of us. And I looked out at the beautiful foliage and landscape and muted sunlight poking through the uncovered windows, my friends surrounding me when I said:"I don't want to work at the agency anymore."
After the collective silence and subsequent profuse supportive chatter, my friends listene
d...and we talked through the night about that difficult balance we women are all expected to strike: mother/wife/professional/great cook/life of the party/comedian/sage/sexpot....How in hell is this possible? I try desperately to be every one of those things (well except of course being a sexpot.....that's completely effortless for me...just kidding...(well...as far as you know)....). Either way, my friends echoed my thoughts...and so, I started hatching a plan.Th
e next day (after Jacquie fixed the water heater) we literally drowned in some retail therapy in Manchester...and by some, I mean copious, copious amounts....I am pretty sure that Sasha singlehandedly jumpstarted the economy (short-lived as it was....sorry all my beloved Wall Streeters....). Arabella was the voice of reason as always, making sure no one bought anything that wasn't an absolute deal or unique enough to be worth the price. We jammed that family truckster with so many bags that an old man asked us if our tires were in good shape because they might blow under all that weight.
e next day (after Jacquie fixed the water heater) we literally drowned in some retail therapy in Manchester...and by some, I mean copious, copious amounts....I am pretty sure that Sasha singlehandedly jumpstarted the economy (short-lived as it was....sorry all my beloved Wall Streeters....). Arabella was the voice of reason as always, making sure no one bought anything that wasn't an absolute deal or unique enough to be worth the price. We jammed that family truckster with so many bags that an old man asked us if our tires were in good shape because they might blow under all that weight. 
So after that we spent the rest of the weekend in front of that fire again talking and gossiping....this time Sasha's famous chocolate fondue making an appearance...and we stayed up until 3 a.m....jacked up on a chocolate high, not wanting our weekend to end. But it did....
Monday morning I met with my bosses and the decision was made: back to consulting work I go. And for the first time in months I feel like I made the right decision....I get to see my kids before bed now....I get to meet my friends for drinks and lunch and dinner again....I have the freedom to go to that Halloween musical I just knew I was going to end up missing...
So some of you will think I am crazy...a schizo even...why would she turn on a dime and change paths in a matter of months? And what fool would give up fulltime work in this economic climate? Guys...you all know me...I may be all over the place...my hands in everything...but deep down, just like all of you, I want to be valued and to value the time I am spending on projects I believe in. And while Marky Mark was cute and all...and I was flattered by his attentions...do I really want to be pouring juice five states away from my kids fending off advances of some steroid monkey? Yeah...not so much....
xoxo, Suz
P.S. Oh hey....by the way....a special reward to the first reader who can identify the film from which this post's title is lifted....My money is on Gwen...
Photo 1: My First Born...completely thrilled to be enjoying a fab dinner with her crazy mother...
Photo 2: Acai-raspberry smoothie...apparently an aphrodisiac to the Ohioan male.
Photo 2: Acai-raspberry smoothie...apparently an aphrodisiac to the Ohioan male.
Photo 3: Ohio Marky Mark or the real deal? If that was the Ohio version you know I would still be serving up samples Cleveland-side....
Photo 4: JennieLou driving the Griswold family truckster...next year she is snagging the Porsche...
Photo 4: JennieLou driving the Griswold family truckster...next year she is snagging the Porsche...
Photo 5: Sugared Brie -- dare I say better than hot sex on a plate??? Nah! well...maybe...
Photo 6: Super Mom has nothing on my a**....
Photo 7: Shopaholics Anonymous meeting....
Photo 8: Guess who's serving "Sasha's" famous chocolate fondue...
Photo 9: Yeah....I really didn't want to miss that Halloween musical....
10 comments:
I know this wasn't an easy decision to make. I was in awe of how hard you were working. It is good to know you can do it if you need to, but it is great that you don't have to. Sign me up for lunches, dinners and drinks. I have missed you tremendously:)
Can I admit something.......I'm so happy!!!! I miss you. Pencil me in for drinks or lunch or whatever....screw the acai berry!!
You go, Girl! It will certainly be nice to have you livening up 'pick up' again (wearing all your new fashions, of course!)
Your a Rock Star...don't let anyone tell you differently!
I/we are so happy to have you back...this is a good thing for all of us...hello reinvention (and short order cooking!!)
Also, I realized pretty early on that your (former) firm couldn't effectively manage catching a cold in the middle of winter...they were definitely misguided to have the person formerly responsible for crafting the PR message of WW relageted to pouring some crappy drink and handing them out to a bunch of (apparently horny but with very good taste) yokels in some po-dunk OH town.
WELCOME HOME...I/WE missed you!!!
BTW, I do know the quote, but don't want to answer to early and ruin it for everyone...don't wanna be a you know who...
desperate housewives
p.s. I, and the rest of middle America, TOTALLY appreciate the 5 desperate housewives of Wyckoff stimulating the ecomony back into the black....apparently your credit card transactions didn't hit up until today and that's why the Dow is up 300 points....well done Ladies!
I loved this. Feels like ... well ... me. If I was a chick. Then again, that OH guy might have hit on ME or anyone with a pulse. And I am cute, if old. And a little bit like a girl. Except for the penis. Um ... okayyyyyyy ... where was I ...
How depressing that it's Wednesday and no takers for the movie reference? I was initially having a 'what about bob' vibe, then went back to Notes on a scandal.
Glad you're not pumping the tasty juice in outer, unwaxed armpit of Ohio. May you begin each day with the wise words of Bob Wiley from "what about bob?"...
“I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful. I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful.”
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