Pride & Prejudice - the BBC version

source:  http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6200000/Pride-and-Prejudice-1995-pride-and-prejudice-1995-6285649-1280-1024.jpg

i could never get sick of it.

I just answered this Featured Question; you can answer it too!

i don't like getting my picture taken.  i don't just dislike it.... i HATE it!  i love to take photos, but i really don't like being "in" photos.  i guess i'm just not vain enough.

so the first business day back from Dubai, i sorta forgot that i was scheduled for a corporate photo shoot.  it's one of those things that they do when you've done something notable... they want to have an official looking corporate photo of you for company propaganda (or at least, that's what i like to call it).

hauling my sorry ass in to the office after two red-eye flights (total of 23 hours in transit... 38 hours without real sleep) is not really a great way to start off a week, but that's the standard sort of thing that i do when coming off a holiday.

i made it into the office... sat down at the computer... and the calendar said:

CORPORATE PHOTO SHOOT 9:00 AM

nice.  just what i wanted to see.

so i figured, how bad could it be?

well... i got the proofs last Thursday, and let me tell you, it can be pretty bad.  like OHMIGAWD, WHO THE HELL IS THAT kind of bad.

i quickly called the photographer.  he and i are good friends.  but then again, i pay him regularly with Bailey's chocolates, so of course he's my friend (what can i say... a smile from me and an offer of sugar is all it costs me to buy his friendship ).  "if i told you i hated my photo... is there anything that we could do?"

"i am only willing to reshoot because it's you.  if anyone else asks, i'm going to say no.  come down to the studio 9 am on Monday and i'll take care of it."

excellent.

so what happened... well... on Friday... i got sick.  like really bad cold sort of sick.  i thought i was dying.  okay.. not that bad... but bad enough.

Sautrday, aside from going grocery shopping for all the stuff i need for my big Christmas dinner (yeah... i do it up big for Christmas), i slept.  all i did all day and all night was sleep.  i conked out at 7pm.  what does *that* tell you?

Sunday... i took Elfie to have her photo taken with Santa at PetSmart (as well as get a nail trim and brushed out), and i forced myself to go to dinner with a friend of mine (probably shouldn't have, but oh well) and then crashed at 8:30.  did i forget to mention that i had a siesta from 1-3?  so yeah... lots of sleeping on Sunday too.

this morning, i got up... uber early.  we're talking 5:45 am here.  i took a really hot shower... washed my hair.  spent 25 minutes blow-drying it to corporate perfection.  did my make up (believe me... i don't do a full-face of make up often.  i'm *way* too lazy for that).  and we're not talking run-way makeup here.  or even rock star make up.  we're talking studio lighting make up.  yeah... that's some serious f-ing make up.  no one looks good in that damned lighting.  and then after the huge debate between green tones or red tones, i opted for the warm emerald green tone and my pinstrip suit.

and *that* is why i do not try and look photo worth every single friggin day.

but that's not all.

so i get into the subway system... and what do i hear?  no service between Yonge/Bloor and Union Stations.  not a big deal for me, because i take the St. George route.  oh... but it *does* matter.  St. George Station being the only other option for getting into the downtown core was completely rammed.  like TOTALLY!  i finally get into the subway car, only to have it stop in the middle of the tunnel, before my stop for 20 minutes.  this doesn't sound like much... but we're talking, full face of make up... down-filled winter coat, and suit.  i was DYING!  did i  mention that i'm still sick?  yeah.. that too.  when i finally got out of the subway, i was so relieved that i could breathe.  but now i'm going from insanely hot and stuffy, to friggin' cold and drafty.  oh... no wonder i'm sick.

so... i walk into my office building, and i get into the elevator.  as luck would have it, i have the elevator car all to myself.  i press 19 (top floor) and the elevator goes up.  what happens when it gets to 19?  the doors don't open.  yes... that's right.  i was stuck in the damned elevator.  by that time, i was so pissed.  i yelled, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!" at the sky.  and if in response, the f*ing doors opened.

i finally get to my office, fling my coat off and look at the time.  i've got 15 minutes before i need to be in the photo studio.  so i log into my email.  and what do i see?  an email from the photographer's personal Blackberry.  yup... he's off sick today (must've been too much snowboarding on Friday).  so after all that... i have to do it all over again, and look pretty for tomorrow at 9:30 am. 

i should've stayed in bed.

only in the movies and in fairy tales.

i think love is a very big part of life and necessary in every relationship (platonic, family, romantic, etc...) but it certainly as hell does not "conquer" everything.  this isn't a comprehensive list, but it illustrates my point.

love does not overcome the need for the basic necessities of life
a couple madly in love without the ability nor inclination to grow up, be practical, and contribute to the society in which they live are not going to last long (let alone forever).  what good is being madly in love if you can't afford to pay rent or clothe and feed yourselves? 

love does not overcome compatibility issues
just because people love each other doesn't mean they fit together.  love will not close the gap between levels of intelligence, stages of life, and goals for the future.  no matter how much people love each other, if they don't want to be in the same place at roughly the same time, it's not going to work.  watch the season finale of Being Erica.  perfect example.

love does not overcome distance
now... before all you LD relationship people come out of the woodwork let me make something rightfully clear here.  you can only say that love conquers distance IF AND ONLY IF your relationship works from a distance and you have no intention of EVER removing that barrier.  if you can say that you and your signifO are perfectly blissful in your LD relationship and you will both live to the end of your days with that distance between you, then i will retract this observation (even though i do not for one second believe you).  in my little world, everyone i know who is in an LD relationship expects that sometime in the future (be it 5 months or 5 years) the obstacle of distance will be removed.

love does not overcome responsibility/obligation
how many relationships have been destroyed by unapproving friends and parents?  nuff said.

i'm not trying to be a downer.  it's not that love is stupid or frivolous.

it's just my view that:

love greatly enhances and improves relationships.
but to survive, relationships need *more* than just love.

I just answered this Featured Question; you can answer it too!

so this is probably long over due.

You Are Bright and Intuitive

You can take in a lot of information at once. You're excellent at remembering details, and you are able to see how each piece of the puzzle fits together. Beyond understanding what's in front if you, you're also good at seeing what's missing. Your energy level is fairly high and consistent. You are good at being able to get yourself going. Your signature latte would be a skinny latte. Even if you aren't on a diet, you don't really like your food to weigh you down.

the funny thing is it's bafflingly accurate.  i know these are just for fun, but sometimes, it's kinda scary.

long live the extra crispy skinny latte (extra hot, non-fat)!!

sometimes, i can be so silly and naive.  here i thought guys are only stupid when they're at the bar.  and i don't mean stupid in all facets of life.  i just mean stupid in the department of girls.  i really thought the only time guys said exceptionally stupid things was when they're half in the bag (or all in, in some cases) at the bar with their guy friends (who are equally inebriated) cheering them on.

but i was wrong.

even when they're alone and text messaging, they can achieve that level of stupidity.

there's this police officer that i met last year.  and i use the term "met" loosely.  we were introduced through the wonderful world wide web.  so there were some pictures exchanged and some conversation through IM, sms, and a couple of phone calls.  but that's it.  all of this fizzled out after about a month.  i lost interest and assumed that lack of msgs from him meant he also lost interest.  no harm no foul.

every 2-3 months though, i get a random sms from him with something benign like, "hey, how's it going?"  i usually ignore them since i have no burning desire to talk to him.  but it's pretty regular -- every 2-3 months.  so a few week ago, when i got another one of these random messages, i decided to reply... just to amuse myself.  for the sake of this blog, i'll refer to him as TF, Toronto's Finest.

TF:  How are you doing?

Me:  I'm doing okay.  Though must admit I'm curious as to why you send me these random txt msgs every few months.

TF:  Well I don't know.  I always like to stay in contact.  How goes the job search?  And dating life.

Me:  I think you must have me mistaken for someone else then.  I wasn't looking for a job.

TF:  I may have mistaken a detail but I remember who you are.

my thought -- yeah right

cut out random chit chat that is neither interesting nor funny

TF:  So wanna make out in my car again?

Me:  Again?  You *do* have me mistaken for someone else.

TF:  I don't think so, or at least I hope not.  Or not.

Me:  Well, we'd have to have made out a first time before we could do it again.  And as far as I remember, we haven't even met in person.

TF:  Well we will have to solve that.

Me:  We'll see.

TF:  You seem hesitant.  About the idea?

Me:  You just haven't convinced me.  Besides... I'm not the booty call type.

TF:  I never said you were a booty call type.  You are too smart for that.

Me:  Or at least I sound smart.

TF:  Ha ha you are smart, you are too pretty not to be smart.

Me:  You don't remember who I am and you're calling me pretty?  And when did pretty = smart?

TF:  Well you must be smart cause you remembered a lot about me.  You are not pretty?

my thought -- i didn't know that having a good memory was a qualifier for intelligence (or "smartness").  and i'm glad to see that our finest police officers have such a stellar memory.

Me:  I didn't say that I'm not pretty.  Just that pretty doesn't make someone smart.

cut out random chit chat that is neither interesting nor funny

TF:  So what are you doing tonight?

Me:  I'm gonna make dinner now and then go out with some friends.  Movie.

TF:  Ohhh movie what one?

Me:  Foreign flick.  Coco Avant Chanel.

source:  http://slsvggfashion.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/coco_avant_chanel.jpg

TF:  Sounds like and interesting film.  I assume it's about fashion.

Me:  Not really about fashion.  It's about her life and how she came to build her iconic fashion house.

TF:  Sounds riveting.  I will pass thanks for the invite though.

Me:  That's pretty much the reaction I expected.  Though I don't quite remember inviting you.

TF:  Ohhh snap she didn't ha ha!  I guess the girls will have some wine and then home for a pillow fight.

my thought -- what adult says "oh snap"?!  pillow fight?  what does he think this is?  Girls Gone Wild!?

Me:  Uh... sure.  If that thought helps you sleep at night... let's say that then.

TF:  Ha ha it doesn't help me sleep.  A hot night of making out or a soak in the condo's hot tub does.

my thought -- okay... i'm done with this now.

Me:  Well I can't help you with that tonight.  I guess you'll just have to ask some other girl you don't really remember.

i did get another sms the next morning asking how the movie was, but that's neither here nor there.  who needs reality television, when i've got *this* for entertainment?  <*shakes head.*>  i need a different hobby.