Days as a Freshman: 6

Current Mood: Confused

So, it’s almost been a week since I got here. A week and already it feels much longer. It must have something to do with living in the same place you to go to school at. You never leave anyone, so people and days just drift into each other to make this huge vague cloud of time.

Six days in, and its 50% great and 50% I want to turn around and go home. Part of that 50% of awesomeness is Sasha. The kid who sat next to me during orientation and who I’ve seen a few times since. He’s got a smile that makes me forget my name…and my ability to put words together to make a sentence.

I attempted to talk to him the first time at a bonfire that followed the ‘Welcome’ ceremony.

Standing with my roommates, shielding my face from smoke and wayward sticks piled high with marshmallows, I felt someone brush by me in an effort to get closer to the fire. Without looking I moved over, but stopped when I heard his voice.

“Hey. That speech took forever, huh?”

He was smiling at me again, a huge grin that took over his entire face. It was almost completely dark outside but I could still make out his smile. The first real friendly smile I had seen since coming to college. Read More »

Nothing creates a buzz like a crrrrraaaaaazy combination. Like PUGGLES!! And MEGGINGS!

Which is why “Smexting” – or, the combo of “texting while smoking” is all the rage for people who need their fidgety fixes. Recent research shows that as more and more smoking gets prohibited in restaurants and other public places, the number of sent text messages increases.

UK’s phone brand, Orange, coined the term after discovering that, in the two weeks following a workplace smoking ban in England, text traffic went up by seven and half million messages!

Okay, it’s not exactly a phrase that rolls off the tongue, (“She’s been smending me creepy mext smessages,” “He won’t stop smexting me!” etc, etc) but smexting totally makes sense.

Engadget.com says, “…smokers freshly ousted outdoors to get their smoke on need something to do to pass the time — out comes the phone, and, well, you know the rest. Secondly, smokers that are working on quitting as a result of the ban are turning to texting to give their fidgety, nerve-wracked fingers something to do and to seek support from friends.”

Even though I’m not a smoker myself, I definitely have been comforted by the art of the text – sitting alone on a bench, awkwardly standing in a silent elevator, waiting on my friends to show up at party (what, they were late, ok?) and feeling that burning desire to whip out my phone and start texting like a crazy person, just to keep busy, look distracted and not look like a complete loser with no friends. Read More »

You’re on the subway reading the latest New York Times bestseller, when you look up to see a gorgeous stranger giving you the come-hither look. You lock eyes, flirting with raised eyebrows and half-smiles until one of you gets off (the subway—get your mind out of the gutter!) By the time you get home, you’ve planned the wedding and have named your future child Orange.

The only problem? You don’t even know this person’s name, let alone their phone number. Luckily for you, there’s Craigslist. The same place where you buy your used furniture and sex is also the place to go to for your “missed connections.” Just post your ad with details about where and when you saw your future soul mate/one night stand, cross your fingers, and hope they’re on Craigslist looking for you too.

I’ll admit—I may have perused the Missed Connections section in NYC in the past. And I’m always left feeling some mixture of hopefully, disturbed, and amused. A rundown of my favorite recent missed connections:

The Good:

F train- you told me I was beautiful as you exited the train – w4m

Around 11:30 this morning (Saturday, June 30th) -

you: orange polo, great smile, got on the train somewhere in downtown brooklyn

me: brown hair, polka dotted pink dress

Exchanged smiles and eye contact. I wish I wasn’t such a pussy and had talked to you at the time. What you said to me as you were getting off the train was very sweet and has kept me smiling for the rest of the day. Read More »

I don’t really have a problem with asking guys out. It’s pretty simple. You go up to them, compliment them on their shirt, and then say, “hey, let’s hang out sometime,” although who are we kidding — it usually comes out as: “Coffee? I like coffee. Do you like coffee? Tuesday. Let’s drink coffee on Tuesday. If you like coffee, too.” And after this initial conversation, awkward as it may be, the guy magically becomes putty in your bold, feminist hand. However, that’s where the fun ends. Nothing good has ever come of any of the relationships where I’ve been the instigator. Not to sound old – fashioned, but I think it upsets a natural (or at the very least, longstanding) balance of power. Also, I don’t want to be expected to pay for things as the pursuer. I’m no Romeo — I’m just Juliet in Romeo’s clothes.

But I get really frustrated when there’s someone I like, and I’m pretty sure likes me back, and he just won’t make a goddamn move. Read More »

No, it’s not a requirement. But it’s also no secret that for most guys, a girl who can talk sports (even if only a little bit) increases her attractiveness exponentially. “But I don’t know a lick about sports,” you say. Fear not… I’m here to fill you in on everything you need to know so that you can impress that hunky guy who’s throwing around the football on the beach this weekend.

The Week that Was – The Yankees took 2 out of 3 from the Red Sox. I hate both of these teams as much as anyone, but they do in fact dominate the baseball landscape, and so that’s an easy conversation starter (even if you’re getting him talking about how much you both hate those two teams).

You should know that the Sahx still hold a ginormous lead over the Yanks. Oh yeah, it’s quite possible that Roger Clemens will pitch next week, and now would be a great time to get a guy going about how ridiculous it is that he won’t have to travel with the team on days he’s not pitching. Read More »