The Look and how I got the name "Chopsticks"

One of the most important skills to have when going out without a group (A.K.A. by yourself [as I so often do]) is the ability to give the look. What is the look? It is the glance that you give to a complete stranger at a club to let them know you need rescuing. Many a time I have been dancing at Hometown Dance Club and found myself essentially stuck dancing with someone who I do not want to dance with, let alone talk to, it is times like these where having the look perfected is paramount.

There are many looks; there’s the “you’re cute, let’s dance” flirty look, the “sexy eyes” (I’d like to get physical with you) look, the “you’re a good dancer” (care to dance with me?) look, the “you’re a good dancer” (it’s fun watching you do your thing) look, the “you look like someone nice” (lets talk outside) look, the “you don’t have a prayer” (forget about it) look, “the leave me the fuck alone” look, the “I will hurt you if you don’t leave me the fuck alone” (consider this a warning) look, the “I’m sorry I’m stuck over here” (sincerely apologetic) look, the “I’m sorry, I’m stuck over here” (I am glad I am not over there) look, the shocked “oh, you’re here” (sometimes pleasantly surprised and sometimes quite annoyed) look, and many other looks… however the most important look to have in your “look” repertoire is, hands down, the look. When done correctly the look can be given to anyone, friend, acquaintance, stranger, ex, etc., and they will understand, and they will help you, as instantly as is possible. The look is also reciprocal, if you receive it, better step in, it is only fair after all, others are expected to save you when you give it, and thus you have to be willing to save them when they give it. It is an unspoken well known Dance Club rule

It only took me one night of pulling the “I have to go to the bathroom” and then sneaking out (after using the bathroom) trick before I had the look perfected. It took me about 3 more nights to figure out how to judge who to give the look to, to avoid having to employ it again within 20 minutes (or seconds).

I got the name “Chopsticks” by using the look. Halfway through an evening (night) at Hometown Dance Cub I had accumulated a rather large number of guys that wished to keep dancing with me; I had no desire to dance (or talk, or be in any way associated with) with any of them. While 3-5 of them were arguing over whose dance partner I was, I gave the room a quick scan and selected my newest target for the look – he responded quickly and effectively. We danced until Hometown Dance Club closed and as I was enjoying his company, I accepted his offer to go to his friend + friend’s BF’s house (it was also close to my house which didn’t hurt). Once there the four of us shared some champagne and the boy who I had accompanied and I were left alone downstairs. We talked for several hours before falling asleep on the couch. The next morning I woke up, left, and walked home.

At several points during the night I asked him if he knew my name… he never answered correctly (by “correctly” I mean with an affirmative and with my name) this never really bothered me, but it embarrassed him. The entire time we were at Hometown dance club he had called me “Chopsticks” because I had my hair up in a bun with chopsticks holding it up.

I have run into him several times since. I never feel awkward with our fun sarcastic little exchanges, so we chat for a bit… and then I ask him if he knows my name… and he gets defensive and embarrassed, he can never remember it. He is the only person in real life who calls me “Chopsticks”; however I wear chopsticks in my hair frequently, and think the name (and the style) is kind of cute. So I took it and made it my own. Now you know the story behind the name of my blog.

Tuesday Trivia: The Echidna

I have a migraine and therefore and not up to being clever or witty or what have you so here is some information about an animal I find fascinating, the echidna.

The Echidna (also known as the spiny anteater) is one of two monotremes (egg-laying mammals) in the world (the other being the platypus). They live in Australia and New Guinea. Echidna’s sizes range from 14 to 21 inches from snout tip to tail end, with 2.75 to 3 inches in snout length.

Echidnas eat termites, ants, and other bugs using their snouts and their very long (sticky) tongues. They have no teeth, so they have to crush their food between the bottoms of their tongues and the bottoms of their mouths. They live in hollow logs, holes, burrows, under bushes, and amongst the rocks.

If you would like to know more I suggest Google-ing “echidna” or if you are too lazy to do that but not too lazy to click on a link here, checking out Echidna Central.

Monday Miscellany (I can't always be clever and/or creative)

I am sleepy and don't feel to well (physically - am I getting sick again? I hope not.) So I decided it was time for a quiz. Oh yes, you heard me, a quiz. So here are my results:

What's your personality like?

Introvert/Unique You have something that makes you alluringly beautiful, but there's also a vibe that tells people to stay away. You like your privacy and expect others to respect it also, a thing that could sometimes make you look quite aggressive. Unlike other people, you learned to deal with loneliness, by necessity or plain desire to do so. You have wounds though, that might not be seen by others, but that you feel at the most unusual of times. Take this quiz

I have also been trying to figure out the solution to the logic-type puzzle "Petals Around the Rose" for multiple days now. I spent over 12 hours on it and just couldn't get it. I was going insane so LB looked at it and got it pretty quickly. You, dear readers, should try it and tell me what you think. Did you get it easily or did it take you a while? Or did you not get it at all? Do you think it is ridiculous or clever or neither?

I finally know the solution (no, I will not tell anyone, you can have a friend figure it out or Google it if you have to), but I think it is the most ludicrous thing ever. I hate this puzzle. ARGH. It is pointless. Do I only think this because I couldn’t figure it out? I doubt it, but it is possible.

JFSB's Co-Worker

I went to a pre-New Years party at JFSB’s house. At the liveliest point in the party there were maybe 20 people there. I think there were more like 10 people there most of the night. JFSB made “Jungle Juice” (which I had never had) and I felt obligated to drink some. Wow, that stuff is strong.

At some point during the night RBNB text messages me, I text him back, then SLN and HSM take my phone and text message back and forth with RBNB without my (or his) knowledge. So he thinks he is talking to me the whole time, and I have no idea what is said between any of them. I get my phone back and get a one word text from RBNB “whore”. I was very upset by this (even though I know it is not true) so I drank some more (I know, bad reason to drink, but I was already tipsy my logic wasn’t very good).

By the time people start leaving I am very drunk and semi-asleep on the upstairs couch. JFSB and some of his friends (2 other females and 2 other males, none of them couples) decide to watch a movie downstairs, so they rouse me and get me to go with them. We watch part of the movie before one of the guys stumbles off to the bathroom and gets sick. Then I semi-fall asleep again while everyone else works on getting the sick guy taken care of.

Around 3am I wake up freezing. There is a fireplace upstairs so I decide to go up there to sit in front of the fire and get warm. JFSB’s co-worker apparently has the same idea, so we sit in front of the (pretty much dead) fire and talk for about an hour. Then JFSB’s co-worker explains to me that I should go back down to the couch downstairs to sleep and he should stay upstairs so that JFSB doesn’t think there is anything going on. Whatever, I don’t care; nothing is going on between me and any of the other people there (besides conversation). So I find a blanket and go back downstairs where I try to sleep (and am semi-successful) for the rest of the night.

The next morning I call my parents and they give me and my car a ride home (I was too hung-over to want to drive). JFSB calls me later in the day and he gives me his co-workers phone number. I call the co-worker and we talk about getting together to do something, but I wake up sick the next day so it never happens. It is no big deal to me, but I figure I will never hear from the co-worker again.

I got a text-message from the co-worker tonight (about a month later). He said he saw me at the gym and that I looked good but too busy to talk. He also said “you never got to hang out at my new house” I texted him back that I am free tonight and that he should call if he wants to do something.

Update: He called, he just got back from the gym and needs to shower but says he'll call back in about an hour.

Next day update: He did call back, around 1am, I didn't answer. He is now annoyed because I did not respond to his "booty call"; Heh, too bad for him.

Shy Boy

A while ago I went to a party at PIPF’s house. This party consisted mostly of drinking and live music (drums and keyboard) and talking to many people who I had not seen since middle school (and who I seriously doubt are old enough to be legally drinking).

At some point during the evening I got tired of standing in my heels and decided to sit in the only available spot on the couch. I ended up smooshed between PIPF’s roommate and a boy I will call “Shy Boy”. I was a bit tipsy and a bit bored so I started talking to Shy Boy. I found out that he is 20, a junior at Hometown University, and was the DD for a bunch of his friends who are there. He was also kind of cute so when he asked for my number I gave it to him.

PIPF was annoyed with me when he left saying I couldn’t just do that to boys. Pfft, I didn’t do anything, or so I thought. She said he was wrapped around my little finger.

He called me the next day, I answered, he said he had enjoyed talking to me and that we should do something. I agreed to make plans and he said he’d call later that week when I wasn’t at work (this was all rather awkward as I was in a male co-worker’s car and we were driving back to my car after having just had dinner together). Shy Boy called the next day while I was working – I didn’t answer my phone, so he left a message saying he’d call again later. The next day he called as I was scraping my windshield (with a credit card – I am always so prepared) after work. I answered and we arranged to go ice-skating on Thursday at 9pm.

Thursday comes around; I get off of work and am again scraping the ice off of my windshield when Shy Boy calls, he informs me that he has hurt his leg so we should go to a movie insteadof ice-skating. I tell him to choose a movie and that I will call him when I get home. I call him, he tells me he wants to see the new Bond movie and we arrange to meet at the theatre.

We meet (he was 20 minutes late), he pays, and we go in and sit down. He says a total of about 5 words to me in the half-hour before the movie starts. We watch the movie (I found it entertaining, he did not) and we determine that we are both walking the same direction (he to his car me to my house) During the 5 block walk I get him to tell me he is going home for the holidays, and he says he will call me when he gets back. I wish him Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and figure that is that. I got to see a rather enjoyable movie for free, and I determined that he and I have nothing to talk about.

School has been back in session for about 10 days. Shy Boy has called me 5 of those 10 days… I finally called him back this afternoon because he invited me to a "game night" which sounded fun; I thought maybe a second chance was in order. He called again while I was out seeing ‘Children of Men’ (by myself) my phone was off so he left a message. He is going to a Basketball game “with the boys” he wants me to call him or stop by around 9 or 10. I give up. Conversations with Shy Boy are like pulling teeth, and I am tired of plans changing all the time. I am not calling him back, and I am definitely not “stopping by” his place later tonight.