Haute Couture.

Fashion. Couture. Clothing. No matter what you call it, we are obsessed with it. Don’t be shaking your head and saying “No, that is not me!” Think about it. We like to go clothes shopping. We watch what celebrities wear. We are sent magazines that show us what is fashionable and “How to dress like celebrities” and “Get Blah Blah’s look for less!” But no matter how fashionable a certain look is, there are limitations on who should wear it. Example: At work today, there was a woman wearing white. A white pant suit type thing. I have no issue with white clothing; in fact I like white clothing. But you do NOT wear see through white pants with a black thong if you are over the age of, say 24. But let’s be honest. Don’t wear a black thong under white linen pants. I loathe woman’s fashion. It is an ever changing and evolving organism. I don’t hate the styles or anything like that. I hate how if one single celebrity wears something once, every single “fashionable” or “fashion-forward” woman thinks they can wear the same thing. I hate how women wear certain styles in situations that they weren’t made for. I understand women who work out or run that wear running tights and tight tops while they are working out. But then I see girls who go out in public wearing only leggings or tights for pants and a shirt. And they wonder why people stare at them. I don’t like how girls wear skimpy or, as I call it, stripper fashion out in public and then get angry when guys stare at them or hit on them. But on the other side of the coin, if guys don’t hit on them or stare at them, they get mad and think they’re ugly. Every girl is pretty in their own way. Here is a hint girls: Guys may chase slutty girls to hook up; but they want to take a classy girl home to their mother. Every man who grew up close with their mother seeks their approval of the girl they want to spend their life with. Personally, I want a girl with confidence who doesn’t care what others think about her. And I have found her. Sometimes she wavers in that confidence, but I try to instill it back in her whenever I can. She tells me that she isn’t, but she is. I know that she is. Otherwise she wouldn’t be the person who she is. She wouldn’t carry herself the way she does. This is why I love her.

Back to my original purpose of this post: Girls, be classy and that perfect guy you are waiting for will find you. Or you can be slutty and keep being used as a night time play thing for douchebags. By the way, douchebags exist because you let them.

Trekkin' with the Ladies

It's Sunday. I didn't really sleep last night. Yesterday was a long day at work. Underdstaffed, a busy Saturday, and a different manager. It's like we're playing a game show and every week we have a different manager closing and coming to help us out. Usually on a Saturday night at closing, we set the sale ad signs for the next week's sale. Kelly, the manager stepping in, informed us that at her store, they tear down all the old ad signs, and then they set the new ads on Monday morning, when everyone is fresh and not tired as hell from a day of running around and dealing with bitchy customers. So Home Accents was completely set, along with Scrapbooking and part of Floral. Then Kelly made the decision that we are going to tear down all the old signs, and then we were heading home. Nothing we were going to argue. But here is what pissed me off about yesterday: When I arrived at work, I was informed that I needed to make sure I did a good job cleaning the restrooms because they haven't been cleaned in a few days. I don't mind cleaning the restrooms. I get upset when someone doesn't do their job correctly and then I have to cover their ass. And to make it worse, we didn't have all supplies needed. I understand that there are only two people that do the closing duties of the stock room. But the "solution" is to have him come in at 8 AM and "clean" the restrooms and get the trash, etc. But he doesn't. There is no possible way that he can with the amount of trash in the trash cans, and how many rolls of toilet paper I needed to replace. If there is only to be two people that clean the restrooms, and I'm only doing so once a week, then why is the schedule set so no one cleans them for a few days? Doesn't make any sense to me.

Today I did something that I don't normally do: I went to the mall. Namely, I needed to go shopping for a pair fo Steel Toe work boots and I needed to get some black shirts. I ended up finding both at Sears and JCPenny, respectively. After finding what I needed, I eneded up buying a Cubs hat and getting a hair cut. But I noticed something while I was talking around. It seemed that all at girls that were younger (by younger I mean either there with a parent, dropped off, or just old enough to drive) girls were wearing the same type of outfits: All were wearing either spaghetti strap tanks or strap-less tops with short, tight jean shorts. And it seems that each one was wearing a push up bra to try and show off their boobs. Now a few things came into my mind: A-How are parents letting their daughters leave the house like this? and B-What started this fashion trend? And it was just the under-18 crowd. The "older" females were wearing bermuda shorts, jeans, skirts, and a nice top with it. And moms dress like moms. One thing that might be causing this is that this is the time of a young person's life were it is becoming increasingly more and more popular to have a boyfriend. And yes, statistically, teen pregnancy is on the decline. But it seems that girls are trying really hard to be "sexy" at a young age. When I was that age, all the girls I knew wore jeans, or longer shorts when outside of school. Granted, I went to a Catholic School where we, as students, could actually get in trouble and punished by the school administration if we were to wear inappropriate clothing outside of school, but at a school related event. But in the 5 years since my high school graduation, it appears that fashion for girls that age has taken a drastic turn, which in my opinion, is a turn for the worse. I think about it this way: kids these days are discoving their sexuality earlier and earlier in life. I know that high school children having sex is nothing new. There were kids having sex when I went to high school. I wasn't one of the them. I lost my virginity when I was 20. I'm not ashamed to say that. I'm not ashamed to say that I've only had sex with 2 people. I'm not ashamed of anything in my past when it comes to girls and sex. Like anyone else, I do have a regret or two. And those people involved know what they are. While I do regret one of them more than others, I did what no one else thought I would do: I kept my word and my promise that I made to her at the very beginning. Some may call me stupid. At times, I do feel like I made the wrong decision. But at the same time, I know that she is better off. I need to move on from that. I've been trying. But some convention wisdom suggests that we can not be completely over a former love until we begin a relationship with a new person. I know that I've covered the tradgey that is my dating history. I'm still looking for that girl. The one who can fix me and remove me from my past. I have told every ex girlfriend (that I still have communication with) that I am happy for them when they find themselves someone who makes them happy. I told the same thing to a girl who I was talking to and then just changed her mind about me and started dating another guy. I told her that I'm glad that she is happy and that is what matters to me. She seemed...shocked. But I meant it. I'm happy when my friends are happy. I'm happy when girls I like are happy, whether it involves me or not. I will never tell a girl to choose me. I will tell her to choose what makes her happy. This may be a bad thing, considering I may have lost a couple potentional girlfriends to this. I will be the first to admit that it is my fault for my current relationship situation. But I think that I take a different approach with girls than most guys. When I ask a girl out, there are a few factors/facts that I feel are worth noting:

1: I won't ask a girl out unless I am sure that I like her and that she may like me.

2: I'm not asking for a full on relationship when I ask a girl out; I'm just asking for a chance.

3: I'm old fashioned when it comes to dating. I like to pick up the girl, and drive her and pay for everything.

4: I will do the best in my ability to treat you like a queen.

I feel like the way that many guys approach dating and girls that it is something that most girls don't think about with me. I'm not going to try and get you in bed. I WILL call/text/talk to you the next day. If I can tell that you had a good time and are willing, I will ask you out again. If not, I will continue to talk to you and let you cut your losses and move on. I can't be mad at a girl if she gives me a chance and we find out that we just won't work out. I can't be upset about that. I can and will be upset when I get stood up and/or forgotten. I've had that happen to me before. The worst if when "something came up" and she is forced to cancel on me. I know that you just don't wanna go with me. If you didn't want to in the first place, why not just tell me? I had a girl in high school lead me on for the second half of my senior year and the following summer. It was a constant hell because she was like hot and cold, but one of her best friends was trying to help me out and she would give me some advice. And when I would take her advice and apply it, the girl was cold. When I was about to give up on her, she was hot again. It was like trying to sleep when you're sick; you get cold so you cover up, then you get hot and start sweating so you kick off the covers. Imagine that, except it is your emotions getting the shit end of it all. I can take a lot of bullshit, and I have taken a lot of bullshit for girls while in relationships. That is nothing new for me. I'm working on building back up my self esteem. I am working on recognizing said bullshit and trying to remove it from my life. I don't need any other distractions in my life. I have enough without someone trying to destroy me from the inside-out. I am hoping to stumble across the right girl for me that will not feed me any bullshit and help keep me on the path that I am currently on. Maybe she can help me forget my past and help me look towards the future. I am hoping that this is someone that I come across soon. I feel like I am at about 95% ready for a girlfriend. Almost there.

In unrelated news, I start my new job tomorrow. I go in for orientation at 1. I'm excited but nervous. From what I was told, the first few weeks will be training, safety video watching, and certification. I really can't wait.

I'm getting the Mac painted a little more each day. I'm also working on ripping the CD collection onto the HTPC so we can enjoy some music while playing games or working in the kitchen. The CD collection is a decent size, then I will be adding to it any and all downloaded audio that we have saved up on my desktop and Jayme's iMac. This will give us a wide variety and hopefully set up streaming to a laptop in the garage while playing cards or having a drink and cigar. I'm really excited to finish this project as it is one that I can mark off my list. Tomorrow I will be stopping by Home Depot to pick up some more paint. I need at least two cans of blue, and one can of clear, maybe two just to feel safe. I also need to pick up a couple 1/4" metal screw on pipe clamps. I will be using these while converting my night stand into a charging station. I will be mounting the surge protector to the inside of the cabinet. A hole will be drilled to allow the plug to reach outside to the wall. My cell phone charger will be plugged in, with a hole just large enough for the plug to pass through near the top of the cabinet, near the top. THe pipe clamp will be installed to help ensure that the cable stays in place for when I go to charge it at night. I think that using a couple of my zip tie anchors to keep the cable organized inside the cabinet. This is a simple project that will help keep cables organized and keep wires off the ground and out of the reach of the cute puppies.

Star Trek is awesome. I started watching The Original Series. Sci-Fi is all it's 1966 glory. This is obviously a remastered HD version, but still sandboxed in the 4:3 aspect ratio. It is still a pretty damn good show and I'm glad that I am given the opportunity to experience this classic piece of Sci-Fi television.

The So-Called Fairer Sex and Myself.

I currently have two people who are willing to let it be known that they follow this blog. Fair Enough. I don't know it there are any more out there who read and keep it a secret. Here is something that I know that the two followers know: I have trouble finding a girlfriend. This is not nothing new. I have for a while. I have been single for around 3 years. That isn't the real issue that I have with being single. The main issue I have with it is that I have a mother who always asks the wrong questions and makes it worse for me. She has been watching wedding planning shows like a mad obsession in the past few months. That in itself is not a bad thing. But then she starts to plan my wedding for me whenever I happen to walk into the room. This is the bad part. I just smile and think to myself: I think I need to get a date first. I haven't been on a real date since July 2008. It is not for trying. Believe me. I'm not mad at anyone though. I have asked out girls. Most have said no, few have said yes, none that have said yes have actually showed up for the date. I have never been mad at the girl though. I take each one differently. I always find something to do that takes my mind off the entire situation. Drinking was never my first reaction. For one, I just worked on my photo experiments for a weekend straight. No sleep. No eating. I just worked. It happens. For another situation, I painted my HTPC case. I have a different reaction. It has come to this point: Whenever I make plans for a date with a girl, I always make a backup plan for WHEN (not IF) she decides not to show. I have very little faith in the female gender when it comes to dating.

I have a few suggestions and criticisms for the female gender. My largest complaint: Why do girls spend so much damn time preparing for a date with a guy? Let's go through the list: Showering/Basic Hygiene, getting dressed, and make-up (optional). If a guy likes you enough to ask you out, then why spend a few hours getting ready so you can "impress him"? Personally, I like the girl to be comfy. Jeans, and a shirt. Make-up is completely optional; it is up to the girl. I don't feel like I'm special enough for the girl to spend all the time to get ready just for me. Just a personal opinion. My next suggestion: If you say "yes" to a guy who asks you out, then please just show up. You may be thinking that you're doing him a favor because you don't really like him, but it is more devastating. Think of it this way: A guy is taking a complete leap of faith when asking a girl out. Because sometimes it is impossible to tell if the girl actually likes you or she is just between hook ups and needs you to do something for her. So he is taking a leap of faith in asking you out. You have a choice to make: say "yes" and go on a date with him, or say "no" and let him move on. This saying yes and not showing bullshit is what ruins guys, and often the good guys that girls always complain that they can't find. Yeah, you can't find them because you have fucked them up so much that they don't wanna take that chance again. It is like this: Say you have a closet in your house, and you know that every time you open the door, there is a chance that you will be shocked. After opening the door and getting shocked so many times, you're say "fuck that" and not use the closet. You don't wanna take that chance anymore. Neither do the guys who get stood up all the fucking time. Here is my suggestion: If you say yes, then go on the date. What is the worst that could happen? You get a free meal, and you both find out that it just isn't going to work? You will risk pregnancy and STD's by sleeping with a different guy every night, but you won't risk finding out you can have a great relationship with a good guy? What the fuck, females?

Nerds. Geeks. These are often used as derogatory terms against someone. But, we (yes, I strongly consider myself a nerd) are often the guys that make the better boyfriends. Here is why: We will do the things to keep you happy. We will not (for the most part. I can not be certain, but this is mainly what I believe) cheat. We are easy to keep happy. You know where to find us on Friday and Saturday nights. We are easy to shop for. We will be so fucking grateful that you have given us a chance that we will treat you like a queen. Think about it girls. How can a guy cheat if you are the only girl that will talk to him? If you have to work on a Friday night, you can be certain we are mostly likely at home playing games. Christmas: we are easy to shop for. A gift card to the local computer hardware store; a novelty gadget; a computer game we don't own. And you can train us, if you will. We don't know what we're doing most of the time when it comes to girls. You can show and teach us what is right and what is wrong. It won't be the same for all girls, but the basic concepts remain the same. I know that we're not the most attractive guys or socially awkward at times; doesn't make us any less human. A human who has feelings.

I have no issue taking the blame for when I do something wrong. Some might say that I take the blame even when I shouldn't. But why is everything that is wrong with a relationship the guy's fault? Why are we made out to look like the bad guy? Girl cheats on her boyfriend, and it is his fault cause he "wasn't paying enough attention to her" at home. What the fuck? If you cheat on him, it is all your damn fault. And guys, don't take the blame for that. If she's not happy with the relationship, she blames the guy. Maybe you need to put a little more effort into the relationship and maybe try to fix it. If you decide that you don't like the guy anymore, then end it. No need to keep dragging a dead horse. But if you do end it and leave him for another guy, don't come running back when it ends with the other guy. If she does, then guys, don't take her back. She hurt you before and she will do it again. It like the little kid at the beach: he keeps going a little further and further into the water to see how far he can go before he gets in trouble. It will keep happening until you finally say no to her.

It is not my choice if I have a girlfriend or not. It is not in my hands. I can only do so much. The rest is up to her. I can talk to her, be nice, and then take the chance and ask her out. That is all I can do. I can think a girl is cute; and ask her out. But that is all. Not to sound corny, but the ball is in her court. I gave her the ball, and it is up to her on what to do with the ball. She has two choices. Say yes, or no. If no, then the guy will know that it won't happen, and move on. If yes, then give him your phone number if he doesn't happen to have it already. Then go on the fucking date! Not that hard.

Another thing I have an issue with. Girls: if you like a guy, don't be afraid to ask him out. I feel that for as far our society has come in the past century, we are stuck in an old way of dating and romance. I was taken out on a date. Miranda and I were dating at the time, she ask me to go on a date with her, and I accepted. Since she asked me on the date, she felt that she should pay for the meal. I wasn't too keen on the idea, but for reasons that I will not mention here. But why is it frowned upon for girls to ask guys out? I blame the girl's mothers. They give them all this advice, and part of it is that is to wait for the guy to come to her and ask her out. If I ever get to the point where I have children and I have a daughter, I will tell her to take the chance and ask a guy out if she likes him. Maybe the guy is just too damn nervous to ask her out. I mean were is it written that a guy who can't be taken out on a date by a girl? I don't think it is necessarily fair that a guy has to take all the chances by asking a girl out and possibly getting hurt by her? This is where the girls have taken control of our concepts of romance and have all these daydreams and notions and expectations to point that a guy has be a fucking millionaire to be able to live up to. And because of their control of this, I feel that red roses are only used by guys when they want to get out of trouble. A guy thinks he fucked up, he buys roses. Why? Cause females perceive them as romantic and accept it. I have bought flowers for girls before. I have never bought red roses. I bought flowers every year for my mom's birthday and took them to her at work; save for this year because her birthday was on a Sunday. I am very hesitant to have flowers delivered to anyone but my mother because the last time I did, she dumped me that day. It is a bad memory connection. Also, roses don't last more than a week.

Girls claim that chivalry is dead. It is no longer a mainstream concept. But there are guys out there who still do all the little things for a girl. But most of the time, she never notices. Hold a door open for a girl: nothing. Open her car door for her: doesn't notice. Give her your jacket when she's cold: who cares. But then you watch a "romantic" movie with her, and she complains that guys don't do that anymore. Seriously? So then the guy wonders why he keeps doing those things for the girl when she obviously doesn't take notice then complains. THAT is why chivalry is struggling for its last dying breath.

I would like to take this time to apologize to the females that don't do these things to guys. I know that not all girls are the same. I know that all guys are the not the same. This applies to some girls, and this covers some guys. I'm giving my opinion and I don't give a fuck if you think I'm wrong. If you do, then step up and tell me. I will have a discussion with you. Just remember: this is all coming from my personal experience and my personal observations. I know that I'm not 100% correct. No one is. I can just express my opinions at my will and try to do so the best to my ability. Thanks for sticking with me through this one.