Posts Tagged ‘Los Angeles’
Are You Too “Busy” To Date?
Posted on: October 11, 2012
The busy-with-work excuse is the oldest in the book (once you move out of your parents’ house and the curfew excuse no longer applies).
However, in Los Angeles it seems that everyone is “busy.” We all have jobs, projects, and events. Every week there is a birthday party, premiere, or drinks with friends. When is there time for love?
The secret, behind the “I’m too busy at work” excuse, is the founding principle that we are all capable of making time when we really want to. Those of us that ignore what we really want and do not make time are royally missing out.
Thus, when someone says, “I am so busy with work right now,” in essence they are saying, “I am busy BUT I am also not sure if you are important enough for me to rearrange my schedule,” OR “I am busy BUT I am also playing hard to get to see if you are really interested in me.” For example, just because gluten-free bread is better for you and comes in cinnamon-raisin flavor does not mean you will instantly be convinced to switch out your wheat loaf! People need added motivation when life is so hustle and bustle.
In the world of dating, therein lies the importance of a great first impression. We all do not have enough time to determine interest in another person after five or six dates. Usually all we get is one or two, if we are lucky. However sometimes a great first impression is not enough. Suitable matches can still be overlooked or missed.
I feel blessed to meet a lot of great guys, often. Yet, a challenge to living in LA is the high number of options. You may workout, have a good sense of humor, and like to party, but so do a majority of people living in this city. What is it that makes you and I a better match?
At the beginning, no one knows the answer to this question. All we have is our instinct to guide us. If someone is using the “busy with work” excuse on you, forcing it and blowing up their phone is not going to work! Find a different approach or try having some patience. Things that progress slowly always end up a little better anyway. Instead of rushing that first kiss and half bumping your forehead into her cheek, just wait until the time is right.
I am definitely one of those busy people that makes time for what I want. I like my projects, friends, and spending time with myself. I also want to get to know new people but not to the point of flipping my life upside down or adding extra stress to my routine… until the time comes that I deem you exceptional and worthy!
One of my projects is my LA based mobile app prototype called cLeoGo. She is a social, location-based mobile website that connects venues to users in real-time (use internet explorer on your smartphone). Your social life radar for which bars, restaurants, and cafes are hottest right now. Check her out! This is not a review site and should be only used while you are out. Signing up is free and easy.
I am also running a contest for the month of October where the #1 cLeoGo user and #1 person to refer new users will receive a free, professional car service for 5 hours on Halloween night or any night the following weekend. Treat yourself and up to 3 friends to a VIP evening of spook and spunk.
Welcome to Fall, fall sweaters, falling in love, and falling for cLeoGo.
Love,
Cleo
As far as I understand, when something does not fit well, you have two choices: shove it in OR give up. I tend to practice both philosophies in my life, mostly out of curiosity.
Sometimes you meet a cute boy and he asks for your phone number. It is new and exciting until he decides to text you for the first time at 3am saying, “Wanna make out?”. Square peg may not even be screwed in properly.
Other times you meet an average looking boy and he surprises you with wit and charm. You have lots of fun together and special exchanges of butterflies. Then you start to think that maybe what you wanted was a triangular peg after all.
You can change your mind all you want, but a triangle is not comfortable inside a circle.
Sometimes you can find bedazzled square pegs. These fancy ones are fun to keep around for entertainment purposes but does not necessarily make them fit better.
Other times you meet square pegs with round edges and it’s such a close match! Attraction, conversation, and availability. Yet something is missing that you can not explain.
And then one day you do find a circle peg! What a rush.
But sometimes the circle peg is not done meeting square holes.
And the cycle begins again.
The good thing is that this time you know how to recognize a circle from a square and you know that trying to make a square fit or trying to make a triangle appealing is just effort without results.
If you are really lucky, then you now also have the experience to realize that all these pegs can not do anything to change your shape, what fits you best, and what you deserve.
To summer flings and more,
Cleo
Whenever a man/boy/guy/gentleman/dude/douche offers to buy me something, there is always a little voice in the back of my mind that asks, “What will he require in return for this?”
Depending on how well I know the person and what the size of the gesture means to him, I will deduce an appropriate response.
For example, if a poor actor friend offers to take me to a fancy dinner, then I will take that as a grand gesture. On the flip side, if a super wealthy man offers to give me jewels and buy me designer clothes, I will take this as a medium, not-so-serious gesture and if a middle-class guy offers to get me Yogurtland, I will take this as a small gesture. (Offers are real and not fabricated.) Also, a good friend or coworker may not be thinking “SEX” if he buys me some drinks during a night out, but a stranger most likely will be. All of these factors influence my decisions.
Regardless, and I think I speak for most women, the following list are 10 things that women have the hardest time saying “No” to:
10. Would you like some cheesecake? My treat.
9. Would you like to skip the line and enter [insert venue name] for free?
8. Would you like another skinny-girl margarita?
7. Would you like to go shopping and take my credit card?
6. Would you like me to talk about why all of the other girls around are not as pretty as you are?
5. Would you like some more bread? You are too skinny.
4. Would you like to watch a Ryan Gosling movie?
3. May I Instagram this photo of you and your friends?
2. Would you like to see other people while I patiently wait for you and only you?
1. May I please go down on you? ;)
Be careful of men that abuse our weaknesses! But giving in every once in awhile can be oh so much fun.
Have a playful weekend,
Cleo
The Mud Run of Love
Posted on: June 12, 2012
I grew up as an athlete and still carry the same “hard-core” mentality to this day. I do not claim to sit at the top of the bad-ass pyramid, however I dabble in my fair share of physical challenges and can keep up with some of the best.
Despite the half-marathons, ocean swims, and Equinox circuit workouts, the concept of a Mud Run has always interested me. What is not fun about getting dirty and tackling people? Or maybe hiking a mountain would be fun (but only with a guarantee of zero snake encounters). I have other friends that enjoy rock climbing, riding motorcycles, running ultramarathons, or going on wacky juice diets.
As much as I understand the appeal of a good challenge, I can not help but wonder if maybe we are all crazy. Life is already one huge obstacle course! What sense is there in adding MORE?
Living in LA has many challenges of its own. I plan my schedule around rush hour traffic, know that discovering street parking is close to a miracle, find that most people are rude unless trying to get something out of you, frequenting trendy bars and restaurants gets pricey, and most of the hottest men are gay.
Sculpting the body you want is a challenge. Getting over your first love is a challenge. Smiling while at work is a challenge. Being an entrepreneur is a challenge.
Not to mention that DATING is one huge challenge.
So why do we even try? Why don’t we all just eat brown rice and chicken, walk around the block, watch TV, and live alone forever?
Oprah would not accept this of you. This is not living! Being safe and mechanical is a waste of your amazing human brain.
So I am going to stop watching the Mud Run of Love from the sidelines. I am going to stop running circles on the treadmill of the same men. (Can I get an amen?) I am coming out of my dating comma even if that means I need to start online dating, hitting on guys at the gym, burning incense, or praying.
I am currently accepting blind date proposals from trusted sources.
Good luck to you!
Cleo
Follow me on Instagram! @cleoheartsyou
My Prerogative With “Free Stuff”
Posted on: April 17, 2012
Social norms of this city dictate that women gain entrance into nightclubs without charge and wait in shorter or nonexistent lines. Women get drinks bought for them, dinners, flowers, designer bags, nose jobs, and sometimes cars. Los Angeles is a city run by money and contain many people with bank accounts too large for their own good.
free flowers just for smiling!
From an outsider’s perspective it sounds pretty awesome, right? Free stuff for doing nothing! Sharing the wealth IS a great concept, sign me up.
As a writer/blogger that likes to eat out and go to fancy gyms and wear stylish outfits, I’m pretty broke. I have to avoid shopping centers, unnecessary Groupon deals, and online shoe sales in order to keep a roof over my head and food in my cat’s bowl. Thus the appeal of a free meal is high for someone of my non-trust fund status.
I’m sure that every girl that has flaunted red lipstick and shown some leg has her share of crazy proposals. Mine? Trips to Hawaii, Miami, Dallas, Big Sur, and New York, a Chanel bag, $250 cash, spa days, 7 billboards with my face on it, housing in a 15 room mansion, and a puppy are probably my top thus far. And since I have been single and unattached for a really long time, these are all from men I am not romantically involved.
Of these proposals I have only accepted one (not telling you which!). Even though I did nothing but share my time, receiving an unearned gift made me feel like a dirty pirate hooker. That is when I vowed never to be a gold-digger and to maintain a sense of dignity no matter how shiny an object dangling in front of me may be.
Although there are so many random men that can afford to bribe young women, their generosity or hidden agenda is not mine to judge. Some men really do just want to share. Others want to project an image of power to hide their insecurities. Others are bored and want attention. And still others are so accustomed to their lavish ways that life has lost perspective.
More importantly however, what is accepting these gifts saying about the receiver? It is one thing to have free things offered to you. It is quite another to accept.
I struggle to respect women that accept free stuff for the sole purpose of feeding one’s ego, personal gain, feeling entitled, or laziness to rightfully earn something independently. The mentality of let’s see what I can get is gross. There is a power and tremendous sense of self that comes with the phrase, “No.” I may not be going to Hawaii for free next week, but at least I won’t have to deal with undesired sexual passes, a sense of dependence, the discounting of my intellect, or the sacrifice of personal integrity.
What kind of woman do you want to be?
Happy Spring-time,
Cleo
