<editorsnote>Hi, I'm Jen Friel, and we here at TNTML examine the lives of nerds outside of the basements and into the social media, and dating world. We have over 75 peeps that write about their life in real time. (Real nerds, real time, real deal.) Sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the stories!!</editorsnote>
OMG OMG OMG OMG so yesterday was pretty much the greatest day of my life. For REALS!!! I can't fucking believe I made it onto the pages of Mashable!!!! Huge huge huge - but here's how it all went down ...
SOOOOOOOO, as you all know, there is a lot going on behind the scenes right now. I'm basically running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and attempting to stay mellow yellow while being acutely aware that that is an impossibility; bottom line: we're becoming an official business. Seed money, advisors, all that fancy pants stuff - it's going on right now.
Now, I know where I add value - I have really fun, and crazy adventures - and tell stories in real time as a lifecaster; I don't talk tech, I very literally live it. So boom, right there is my value add. When you're looking to build the foundation to something however, you need the support of a team that brings different things to the table.
<tangent> Think about it like this - how delicious would a Thanksgiving day dinner be if everyone brought the turkey??? Pretty damn boring! You need someone to bring the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and omg omg omg the cranberry sauce with the lines around it from the can. YUMMMM!!!! </tangent>
When it came to launching things it was SUCH a no brainer to involve Mashable's Ben Parr. (And very frankly, I was INCREDIBLY humbled he was even interested.) How did Ben and I meet? When I crashed the Grammys to meet Pete Cashmore!! He and I had met briefly prior at CES in 2010, but we actually got to sit down and grab a drink after I met Pete. Seriously, though, can I just say he is not only one of the smartest people I know - but also the nicest. For REALS!! You can't ever be mad at Ben, and for someone to achieve a level of success like he has, and be so effin grounded - wow. Such a diamond in the rough!!!!
Ben then went back to San Fran, and I went on with my life and my adventures in LA - while keeping in touch via social media.
Flash forward almost a year, and we had shizzy shiznat going on with the pilot. (See, it's not just a scripted show - but there are tech components integrated as well.) When it came to building a team for said components - calling in Ben was SUUCCHHHHHHHH a no brainer!! Not only do I adore the dude, but he knows his shit (obviously). So the suits and Ben got to talking ... and we've all been in this nerdy little love affair for the last few months.
And now regarding yesterday, Ben came down to LA for a few days for meetings, and needed a place to crash. Dude, place to crash?! DONE! Mi casa es su casa!!! So he's been staying here for the last few days, and yesterday we were sitting at the kitchen table working, before heading out to dinner together, and I look over at my Facebook page and notice that page notifications were showing up in the left hand navigation along with the group and favorite notifications - I had never seen that before.
I turn to Ben and say hey! when did these start to show up??
He looks at my screen, looks back at his - I don't have that yet!
Dude, because it LITERALLY just showed up on my screen. Like right now.
Screenshot it for me, he said.
Alrite!
I then proceeded to screenshot my screen and email it to him, while he frantically started emailing the peeps at Facebook asking them about it.
Jen, you just might appear on Mashable if this is a new feature.
Wait, me? Jen Friel ... on fucking MASHABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dude, if that happens I am going to pee my pants.
Ben shouts over to my roomie - so Julie, if Jen pees her pants are you going to clean it up??
Julie comes storming in laughing - Jen's a big girl she can clean up her own pee.
EEWWEEEE!!!!!!
We all have a great laugh (HAHAHAHAHAA chuckle chuckle chuckle), Ben writes up the post, while giving Facebook an 8pm deadline on getting back to him before going to print.
We go have dinner and talk biz ...
(BEST CHOPPED SALAD EVERRR!!!!!!)
... and by the time we were done eating, and drive back home - I see this tweet:
Literally .25 seconds after it was up, you guys noticed. AH-MAZING!!!!!!!!
So yeah! There ya go! Ben and I were working at my kitchen table, I looked over and said dude! when did this happen, screenshot it, and BOOM!!! Now I'm on Mashable.
Have I said yet that this was the COOLEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME!??!!?!
HOLY FUCK!!!!
Love.
Love.
Love.
Love.
Love. IT!
I can die now.
Well, I take that back - I still have to have Pete Cashmore's babies.
Ugh! Fine - @mostlylisa is incredibly fabulous - fine fine fine, she can have them, I'll just watch.
Wait, that's creepy ...
Are you still talking? Shut up Jen
Alrite, I gotta prep for LITERALLY the biggest meeting of my life today with Ben. For reals, nerds, just do what you love, man. Social media was IT for me!! Tech, people, marketing and entertainment in one package?? Hello, God? Is that you? Ah-mazing! Work really fucking hard, don't ever give up - and watch the magic happen. I've been reading Mashable for at least 3 years now (dudes, it's STILL to this day my homepage) and bam! just like that - now I've been featured on it.
Do what you love. Do what you love. Do what you love.
I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT POINTER SISTERS!!!
Beer: The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems. -- Homer Simpson.Wow. Wow. Wow. There are no words for how unbelievably weird this post is going to be ... IIIIIIIIIII still feel weird. In fact, I'm drinking a corona as I write this, if by the end the words start getting all mumble jumbley - blame that.
So, I'm super stressed right now. Like UNBELIEVABLY so. We're RIIIGGHHHTTTT at this point of shizzy shiznat about to get real, but the problem is that it's all happening at once - if I stop moving for 1 second one of the pots is going to boil over and I'm fucked.
When I get this stressed out, the only thing that shuts off my brain is sex. Like literally - I want my eyes rolled so far back into the back of my head and my body to be experiencing SUCH tremendous pleasure - that my lovies is the ONLY way I will ever stop thinking about this brand, or that oh, I need to email this person, did that person call me back? Where do we stand with xyz??
So as a backstory all that's going on ... you can imagine my delight last night when I get an email followed by a phone call from the duderino I met at comic con during his bachelor party that had poured his heart out to me after us meeting and then a few days later told me he and his fiance were done. Yahhhh!! WEIRD!!! Read the whole story here.
Wonderin' what I was up to ehhhhh????
I sent him my number, and he called me right back. He told me he was about 300 miles out - so I knew he was going to be about 5 hours.
Perfect, I said. I'm just going to a dinner but we can meet up after and just hang out.
I'd really like that. Do you mind if I shower first though? I've been mountain biking for the last 2 days and am really dirty.
Me, now with the BEST MENTAL PICTURE EVER, muster up something along the lines of .. uh, yes.
<tangent> As I said in the original post - this guy is HANDS DOWN the HOTTEST GUY I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!! Yup, you heard that right and I'm superly duperly sorry Pete Cashmore, you know I love you ... but this guy - holy fuck. He is that perfect blend of sexy, cute, and flat out GORGEOUS. Like seriously ... I'm not even attracted to the GQ looking boys anymore, but this was one of those moments where you realize that woman-kind needs you. If you have the opportunity for a guy THIS gorgeous to get naked in a place where you get naked, women everywhere will have to bow down out of respect. You were the girl that got that shit done and put it on LOCK!!!!! </tangent>
So for woman-kind, yes, I was going to let him take a shower in my apartment. Was it weird because here I was at 3am after Comic Con meeting this dude in the lobby of a hotel, and now a few weeks later he was going to swing on by on his way back to San Diego to take a shower at my place? Absofuckinglutely!!!!!
That's what makes life awesome cause I spend it ...
(and I also checked with the roomster, and she was cool - so that made it all that much better)
So, we get back home from dinner - and he calls to ask for our addy ... I give it to him, and also ask that he picked up some corona before coming by. Hey, I wasn't sure what the fuck I was getting myself into with this one, but to use our shower the least you can do is just grab a 6 pack.
A few minutes later my phone blows up again -
hello?
I'm here! he says.
Why yes, I'll COME right down. ::snicker snicker snicker::
I look over at my roomie who was in the hallway announcing:
I AM NOT HAVING SEX WITH HIM.
I'm not!! I barely know him ... no way. Not having sex with him. Nope nope nope.
She turns back without skipping a beat - who are you trying to convince of that fact? You, or me.
I laugh as I run out the front door to get him.
I walk outside, and see his truck in the street. Yes, of course, in the fantasy life of Jen Jen, the hottest guy I have ever seen would of COURSE drive a pick up truck with a mountain bike strapped to the back of it.
Such a fucking panty dropper.
I run up to his truck and tell him to just park anywhere.
He finds a spot, and a few minutes later he approaches with the corona and I take him upstairs.
I'm really dirty, he said, I don't want to hug you yet.
Why yes, yes you are a dirty boy - I think ... what actually comes out of my mouth was something along the lines of "shower is this way."
I didn't even show him how to use the damn thing because frankly I was busy still picking my jaw up with how UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS this guy is!!!
Like seriously ... I NEVER EVER get like this about dudes unless they are Pete Cashmore!!! This guy is like Pete's hotter older brother with a body like Beckham, and the height of an adonis.
Perfection. Whoever made that thing needs to like be plucked from the general population and tested for some genetic mutiny. There is NO WAY two mortals should have EVER been able to produce something like that. For reals.
I crack open the corona (12 pack - good job duderino!), and as I am opening one for my roomie as well, my phone starts ringing.
Oh god, who could this be ...
Oh yes, it's my Fornication Under Consent of the King buddy. I. KID. YOU. NOT.
Apparently I must have been putting on full blast with just how UNBELIEVABLY horny I was and he read the bat signal.
I ignore his calls and after about the third try, he leaves a voicemail. To protect his identity I won't upload it, but I can transcribe it:
We are never around each other when I want to get fucked, or you want to get fucked. It's Awful. Awful. Anyway that's what I was thinking for the evening ::chuckle:: obviously. If you get this give me a call, alright bye.
I take a swig of the corona and start laughing HYSSTTERRRIIIICALLLLYYYYYY ... of COURSE this would be happening right now. HAHAHAHA!! Omg, my life has now entered the realm of ridiculousness.
The roomster and I sit down on the couches in the living room and a minute later he emerges from the shower.
No, not in a towel dripping wet asking to be dried off as he can't quite reach his back - that was just in my fantasy. ::sigh::
In reality, he was perfectly dressed with wet hair, and smelling DAAMMMNNNNNN GOOD.
He approaches me, here - now I can give you a hug.
OMG, I think - the hottest guy I have ever seen has now just felt my boobies on his chest. Like seriously - is this happening right now?!?!?! Breathe Jen ... DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE!!!! Well actually, he's in the military - forget to breathe, he might have to perform CPR ... that could be hot. ::slaps my inner voice:: Stop it!!! Stay present.
He sits down next to me on the couch with open arms and legs - VERY INVITING BODY LANGUAGE!!!
Can I get you a beer?
Yeah! Just one though - I'm only going on two hours sleep.
AHHH so you'll be tired soon, I think. ::insert Mr. Burns voice:: Excellent.
He then starts talking about his ex fiancée ... and when I mean he starts talking - I mean he starts TAAALLLKKIIINNNGGGGG!!!!!!
This dude is only 24 and was about to marry this woman til DEATH DO THEM PART - and now that's gone. Albeit, yes there were also certain "perks" that came along with being married when in the military (click here to read the original post).
I totally recognize that he is at the point in his life where he is in need of an epic adventure. For reals, he totally had the good boy syndrome growing up with a troubled family, then did the good boy thing of getting engaged to the girl that he had been dating for a few years - and because he wasn't listening to his heart, BAM he ended up here. Well, technically speaking SHE ended the engagement by updating her Facebook status before actually talking to him about it. So super fucking weird. Dudes, have you not read the original post? What's going on here!?!? GO! READ!!
After about an hour of us all talking, I reach down and grab my phone, pretending to respond to an email and text my roomie on the other couch.
SHHH!! Stop it logical, and AWESOME roomie!!!
I. want. to. bone.
I. need. to. bone.
This. has. to. happen.
FACT
The conversation sways to political parties, and I quickly nip that in the bud. So, you're more than welcome to take my bed, and I can sleep here on the couch.
<tangent> for reals - from a logistics standpoint this guy has to be EASILY 6'3, there is no way in hell he is going to fit on our couch. I on the other hand am merely 5'7 - and can perfectly fit; it all made perfect sense. </tangent>
I go into my bedroom and show him where he was going to sleep.
You're not really going to sleep on the couch, he said.
Um, well, if you would like me to sleep in here with you I will, but I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I can sleep on the other side ...
He interrupts me - it's fine.
I went into the bathroom and changed into my PJs - however, this time, there weren't sock monkeys on them. HAHA!!
I walk back into my room expecting him to be stripped down with the ceiling fan fanning him juuuuussssttttt right - and there to be this air of ... come hither baby.
I walk into my room and there he is. Still in his clothes, looking at my framed poster of the first time I shot at a shooting range.
Yep, that was my first time - dude, look at that grouping!!
Pretty good! He says.
I then proceed to get under the covers.
He removes his shirt, stands up and says, well I didn't have any clean underwear to put on after moutain biking, so I'm not wearing anything under these jeans.
OMG in the porno that is my life, that line could NOT have been delivered any better. SERIOUSLY!! Did that just come out of your mouth??
"Well I didn't have any clean underwear to put on after moutain biking, so I'm not wearing anything under these jeans."
MY.HORMONES.ARE.RAGING!!!!!
I take a few deep breaths as his half naked, still jeaned self climbed into my bed and under the covers.
OMG, I think. The hottest guy I have ever seen in my entire life is now half naked in my bed. I AM WINNING AT LIFE!!!
WINNING WINNING WINNING
He then tells me that after being in the military he can't sleep in silence because his ears have a permanent ring to them.
Oh dude, no problem! I normally have to fall asleep to netflix just to shut my brain off.
I climb out of bed and run over to my macbook pro and pull up my account. To my delight, Ape to Man pulls up from the History Channel.
OMG OMG OMG OMG!! YES!! I've been wanting to watch this!!! Do you like the History Channel?
Of COURSE, he says.
Oh yeah - we're totally going to bone, I think.
I get back under the covers and then realize how far awwaayyyyyy from me he is. For reals, I only have a queen size bed - and I never realized there was THAT much room in this thing. Note to self: threesome can totally go down on a queen. SCORE!
But wait, I thought, why is he all the way over there, and I'm all the way over here. Ruh roh.
He then starts talking ... and talking ... and talking.
Again, peeps like pour their soul to me - I'm not mad at it, I get it all the time - I'm used to it. But right now, I'm horny, you're half naked ... words need to not be a part of this.
Then as we're both laying there awkwardly - my phone starts BLOOWWINNNGGG up ...
OMG not now - talk about a buzz kill.
Sorry, the bars are getting out - it's just my friend.
He then continues to pour his heart and soul out ... and 20 minutes later, it starts up again.
I go to reach for my phone which was charging on his side of the bed. Wait, I quickly realize my boobs are going to be straight up in his grill if I continued (this may not be a bad thing Jen!!) - no, respect him, and stop being the dude. Let HIM make the first move ... you need to be the chick Jen Friel!
I ask him to hand me my phone, where I turn it onto silent.
WHEW!
He then continues talking ... for LITERALLY hours. Like hours hours he's laying in my bed half naked talking about his life, and where he wants to go with it - and how confused he is now.
I explained to him that I was the same way when I started my website. I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew it felt good - so I had to keep going. I had nothing else to win or lose in life.
He said he understood, and my eyes slowly started to close. I continuously snapped myself out of it. No, Jen, you MUST stay awake!! Woman-kind needs you to bone this dude tonight. This is a ONCE in a lifetime opportunity to bed an adonis ... must. be. done - literally.
Somewhere past the point of feeling like I needed to charge for a therapy session, I fell asleep.
I can't believe he actually just used me for my brain not my body. I feel like such an emotional slut.
He then wakes me up by saying, I can't sleep in these jeans - they're too uncomfortable.
I reach over and grab my big red blanket. Here, take off your pants and wrap this around you. I can't promise at one point I won't sneak a peek, but I will be INCREDIBLY respectful - you are a guest in my house.
Thanks, he says as he grabs it.
But I also have a habit of kicking off covers during the night as I get too hot.
LIKE SERIOUSLY!?!?!? QUIT WITH THE BAD PORNO LINES DUDE!! MY HORMONES CAN'T HANDLE IT!!!
I place the pillow over my face - I can't take this anymore. I can't ... I CAN'T!!!!
Well, what do you want to do?
I want you to kiss me, I say breaking my own rule of making the dude make the first move.
He stays on his side of the bed for a moment, and I slowly start to realize he is turning me down.
AHHH fuck, I say under my breath. Back under the pillow, I think. I really just want to crawl back into my hole right now.
Just then, he leans over and kisses me. Like HAAARRRRRRRDDD.
FUCK YES!!!!!!
He pulls back, is this on the record or off?
If you get me off - it's off, I think.
Off the record if you want it to be, I say. I'm always incredibly respectful of other people, this just happens to be what I choose to do with my life.
He kisses me again.
And that ladies and germie men is where I have to leave it - I promised him no matter what happened, I wouldn't say anything.
I can however, say that sadly, we didn't bone - just had a whollleee lotta heavy petting.
And that my friends, was good enough to silence my inner animal.
HAHA totally not kidding either. Not that I feel like this isn't an obvious one, but mom … dad … love you … go away. You don't need to read this. Like ever. I'm safe, used protection, yada yada yada.
Cool they gone? Bitchin! HIT IT!
So I finished high school early, and was planning on moving out to NYC. I was going to be studying at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in Manhattan, and the parentals were gracious enough to help out with an apartment literally 1 minute from the school. Yep, I had my own apartment at 17 in Manhattan. Kinda rad … but either way, I had this odd irrational fear that by being a virgin and officially "living on my own" - I would do something stupid … or boys would be able to smell that I was a virgin and it would be weird.
Dude, I'm totally not kidding. I literally thought people could smell that you were a virgin. I'm sure I even justified said irrational fear by saying that well technically speaking, the sweat your body secretes when you have anxiety over a situation you've never been in before …. blah blah blah. I assure you, I probably at the time had a very valid reason for thinking this - hahahaaha I was killer in debate, and loved researching weird shit online.
I never dated in high school. Like at all. Like anyone. Like ever. Well, Joshie and I kinda dated twice - but he didn't want anything serious until he had his license and frankly at that point, I was already done with school. But yeah - either way, I had very literally no one on my radar screen.
My best friend and I followed a bit of the alternative crowd, so we used to go to some pretty dodgey places - one of them being this pool hall on the Berlin Turnpike. We were always on the look out for boys, and thought the boys in Berlin were uber hotties.
Anyway, April 2001, we get to the pool hall, scope around - TOTALLY on the prowl … not necessarily thinking about looking for a guy to take my virginity, but just our normal Friday night hunt. I walk over to this one table, and see these two boys; one of them in particular is just wow, unbelievable, jaw droppingly beautiful. Super dark hair, light eyes, pale skin - I mean wow. Could to this day TOTALLY pass as Pete Cashmore's brother or cousin. They seemed a bit lost in their own world so after 5 minutes of batting my big blue eyes I thought, well, I'm not getting any younger here … and stroll up to their pool table.
At the time, I was a newbie to playing pool - and very literally didn't even know how to hold the pool stick. With my best practice audition for a porno, I sashay on over and say excuse me - my names Jen, I'm new at this whole thing … I place the pool cue on the ground mimicking rather sexual movements and say, can you show me how to hold this thing?
The guy I was eyeing was just in fucking stitches. He turns BRRIIIGGHHHTTTT red, laughing, and his friend pipes up and goes - oh SURE, as he grabs his own pool cue and says, place your left hand up here and the back one supporting this …. his flushed friend cuts him off saying, YO, she's hitting on me.
I smile. Yay! He got it!
HAHAHAHAAHA!!!
I grabbed my friend and introduced her to his friend, and we had such a fun night. Totally hit it off. Super super super cute and super super super smart dudes. They went to Xavier which is a prep school in Middletown, and ooohhhhhh myyyyyyy I liked this boy.
At the end of the night we swapped digits and AOL SNs, and went on our merry ways.
I remember dashing home, popping on my computer and immediately adding him to my buddy list. OMG OMG OMG he's so cute! Does he have an AOL profile? or is he just on AIM? OMG please don't have a sub profile to see that I'm stalking you. (oh bless the days of pre-social media-ness. Even just the screen name popping up with the sound of a door was enough to give a young girl chills.)
A few days go by, and I couldn't stop thinking about this boy. I was crushing so hard. I would intermittently restart AIM a few times as to not appear that I had really been online for 48 hours straight. Dude, I even tried accessing AIM in our school library.
Either way, a couple days go by, then his screen name pops up on my buddy list. OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG … he's online. Is he going to message me? Am I going to message him? My screen name was Perfect80sgirl, but sometimes people misspelled it, or put an O for the zero, he seemed smart - I don't think he'd do that, but what if my handwriting wasn't clear, I do have very messy handwriting, hence why I type … I click his screen name … ::sound of keyboard keys:: h-i-y-a
Hiya works. Sexy, and inviting without being come over here baby. K … ::click enter::
The blue font shows up with the word, yo.
We start chatting. We both had pretty intense ADD, so I'd like to say that there were fireworks and long loving poetic gestures …. but there weren't. I think he said school was lame, and he was getting ready for work … bbl.
Alrite, alrite - I can do this.
A few more days go by, I hit him up again asking what he was doing for the weekend. He said he wasn't sure, but what did I have in mind? What did I have in mind? A candlelight dinner, roses, strawberries with champagne, garnished with Godiva chocolate. Oh wait, snap out of it Jen … ::sound of keyboard keys:: I dunno. Wanna kick it?
Blue Font: Sure.
Red Font: Cool. Call u l8tr.
We hang out, and by hang out - I mean literally. He picked me up and we drove around for a while settling on some lovers lane in East Hartford, or some place I had never been.
We start making out. OMGGGGGGGGGGGGG he is a good kisser. Like wow. wow. wow. Nice lips, good tongue pressure, sweet spit.
Then, before things got too hot and heavy, he takes out a joint and asks if I wanna smoke. I pretended to take a hit, but didn't even inhale. (Dude, I was suchhhhhh a goody two shoes. Drugs in high school just weren't my thing.) We then talked about goals, and what he wants to do with his life. I think at the time he actually wanted to be a pharmacist. I told him I was going to move to NYC when I finished school. He thought that was cool, and then continued to make out with me knowing it was that much hotter that I was leaving in a few months.
He drops me off back at the house, I don't even think I let him get to second base. There was some major heavy petting, and some motion over the crotch area - but other than that, nada.
I get back to school, and everyone starts buzzing about prom. It was a few short weeks away, and I still didn't have a date. FUUUCCKKKKK MEEEEEEEE!!! Like literally can there be anything worse in life than high school when you're such an outsider? I was there to study, do my thing, and leave. I didn't date anyone, at all, ever. Thought no one is going to ask me, I can't not go to my prom. FUUUCCKKKKKKK!!!!
I get home, pop online, and message the pool hall boy. Now, I had to be careful with exactly how I worded this … prom is a big big big deal. This boy and I had gone out, but we weren't even remotely considering dating each other. I was leaving for NY, and he was going to go to college. I think about how I wanted to word this; I can't just point blank ask him to my prom, why don't I tell him about my plan of not wanting to be a virgin while I'm living in NYC, and ask him if he wants to take my virginity!
Yep. This happened over AOL instant messenger. hahahahaa Blue Font: Are you sure?
I explained to him that I hadn't really dated anyone, and I really enjoyed spending time with him. I failed to mention my irrational fear of being released into the real world while still holding onto my cherry - but eh.
Dude, a chick you just got hot and heavy with asks you over AIM to take her virginity? Like really? HAHA what do you all think he was going to say …
Blue Font: I'd love to.
BOOM! Jen's got a prom date. ::happy dance::
Then came the logistics of planning this thing. I didn't want to lose my virginity in a car as yes, vehicular sex can be quite nice … but this is my virginity, and my life evolved around John Hughes. Losing it in the back of his car just wasn't going to happen.
We went back and forth on messenger, he suggests a hotel on the Berlin Turnpike. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called - can see the sign, had a moon on it - other than that, I got nothing! Mind you too, he was 18 - so he could get a motel room.
Sounds perfect, I thought.
Berlin Turnpike … prom night … me …. and the hottie from the pool hall.
Prom to me was unbelievably anticlimactic. I didn't do the whole group picture things with your friends; I was a loaner. I bought my dress on a half whim with my mom, and did my make up myself. I had however, gotten my hair done - so that part was pretty kosher. Oh, and I think my grandparents were over for dinner that night, and my mom might have made a casserole. Like literally … hahaha. John Hughes this was not.
After arriving about a half hour late, pool hall hottie finally shows up. The parentals snap a few pics, and on our way we go. I didn't do the whole limo thing - again loaner … party of one … loaner …
We get there, and the place was still filling up. We were pretty early. I remember sitting at a table with a few of my friends, but I wasn't really interested in talking to anyone. Only my best friend knew what I was planning on doing that night, and I forget why she wasn't there … but whatevs.
I was so nervous, I had such a shit eating grin on my face. I just couldn't believe I was about to have S-E-X.
We stayed for a bit … and I remember one song we danced to, Bryan Adams Everything I do - I do it for you. In my head, that became our official prom song. Not like the actual prom, but the little fantasy version of awesomeness that I was living in my head.
It was weird, I wasn't in love with him, but I trusted him. He was really wise for all of 18, really really absurdly hot, I just very much wanted to do this. Whatever it meant. The time was now. Like right now.
We leave the prom early. I had asked my parents if I could spend the night out after prom and they said oh hell to the fuck no. My parentals were actually pretty lenient considering all of the bullshit I could have gotten involved with - but thankfully, they raised me to keep my noggin on relatively tight. In high school, I assure you, they had nothing to worry about.
We get to the hotel, and hahahaha omg it was hilarious. You can totally rent the rooms by the hour. I forget how long he booked for though. I literally just remember being half out of body wondering if this was going to happen, and what it was going to feel like - while at the same time trying to not be mortified that it was SOOOOOOO obvious what we were doing as we were both still in our prom outfits.
Dude, I would PAY to see that security tape - hahahaa goodness gracious.
We get in the room, and pretty much just get down to business. There were no candles, but no vibrating bed either. It was a queen sized bed in a very dark room, with a bathroom and a TV.
No foreplay, no nothing - he coached me into it. He kept saying, are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure? I took a deep breath, yes I'm sure.
This was just such a surreal experience for me from head to toe. I had never even been fully naked in front of a boy, or anyone outside of the family doctor - now this is totally happening? FTR, I wasn't a complete prude. I had done my fair share, but not much … and certainly not anything like this.
Totally naked. Boy totally on top of me. This is happening.
He goes to try and put it in, and I literally almost die. I had seen one or two penises before, but this one was … omg … fucking huge. Yeah, imagine Ron Jeremy taking your virginity. I hadn't even let a boy finger me - now you're going to stick WHAT inside of me? Ohhhhhhhhhhhh mmmmyyyyyyyyyyy gooooooodddddddddddddddd.
hahahaha worst. experience. ever.
Well, not the worst, it had to happen - but no one explains to you just how painful it is for a female to have sex for the first time. There's no lubrication, or barely any - and it's not like an 18 year old boy knows what the fuck he is doing either. He kept trying, and eventually succeeded. I don't even remember him coming or anything - I think the pain literally shot me into another world.
When it's over there was no cuddling, no nothing - he kissed me and asked if I felt okay … I lied and said yes even though when I stood up I could barely walk it felt so uncomfortable. He kissed me again, and let it linger. I didn't know what love was then, but I know in that moment, he cared. That was a first for me.
I got dressed, and he drove me back home. I remember stumbling for my keys, as my dad opened the front door. Dude, SOOOOOOOO not the person that I want to see. He asked how it was, etc … I said I was tired and was going to go to bed. Had fun, but really exhausted. OMG, I do not want to see my dad's face right now!!! Why are you still awake?!?! Stop it!! Stop it!!!!
I turn on my TV and fall asleep. Wow, I just had sex.
I very literally felt like a different person the next day. It wasn't this moment of, man, I feel like a woman - it was just more of …. that's what all the fuss is about? I don't get it!
Sex, like prom, was very anticlimactic. They prepare you for it so so so much in school, you learn about every body part, and about 15 different types of birth control - but I just have one question for the school system, why does not one prepare you for the emotional toll that having sex at a young age can do to you? Literally. I do not remember a single class where anyone, anywhere talked about emotions regarding sex, only the physical mechanics of it. Was I supposed to talk to my parents about that? My parents who have been married since they were in their late teens, and were each others firsts onlys and everythings? With the next person I have sex with, I have doubled my parents record.
I was feeling very confused.
I putzed around my day in a bit of a fog. It's not like I loved him, but I certainly didn't think of him just as a friend - but what was he? The guy that took my virginity? Really? And that's it?
I waited by the phone for him to call … it never rang.
I didn't dare get on AIM, I know I may have asked him to take my virginity over AIM - but I felt he should have still been man enough to just pick up the phone and fucking call. Nada.
I remember writing in my journal what had happened, and I literally wrote - "I'm curious to try the sex thing one more time, but I don't know if he's going to call."
And very honestly - he didn't.
After a week, I took him off my buddy list.
A few months go by, and I move to NY as he heads to college. I wasn't heartbroken, more just incredibly confused and a bit hurt by everything. I know he didn't owe me anything, but I felt so blah. Plus too, he was so incredibly big it wasn't like I enjoyed any bit of it.
I proceed to do the only thing I knew how to do - get to work. I threw myself in my studies at Strasberg. My class load was incredibly intense - I had writing classes, acting for film and TV, dude, I even got into the super secret wednesday advanced acting class. I loved what I did - but I put boys out of my mind for a while. I was here to study.
Then shortly after the new year I got an IM - it was from the boy. A bit shocked, I didn't really know how to respond to him.
Blue Font: Hey.
::keyboard typing::
Red Font: Hi. Blue Font: How r u? Red Font: okay. Red Font: What happened with you? Blue Font: What do you mean? Red Font: I never heard from you again. Blue Font: Yeah, sorry about that.
I don't honestly remember the excuses he gave me for not calling - I just remember knowing that it was complete bullshit. He asked if he could make it up to me, he wanted to come to NYC. HAHA yeah right. You're going to come down here to see me after you couldn't pick up the phone to call after you took my virginity? Yeah! My sister is there too.
Ah fuck. This is happening.
He knocks on my apartment door. I open the door, ddaaaayuuuummmmm he looked good. Like looked good good. He kissed me on my cheek.
I invite him in, and we start talking. He immediately apologizes again for what he did. I said I was kind of over it …. which was a total and complete lie. I'm two for two with this dude. What was I supposed to say? Yes, you hurt me. Now you're here, in my life again - what is supposed to be accomplished here? I'm not really understanding any of this.
He asked me if sex got any easier (or something more likely a little more classy, but you get the idea), I said no, I hadn't even had sex again. Really? he replied. Yes really. I told him I've been focusing on my studies - which was half true, but half a defense mechanism from not wanting to get hurt again.
He kissed me, and laid down in the bed next to me. We fell asleep. No sex.
In the morning he went on his way to see his sister, and I went to class. I wasn't really sure what any of this meant, but I just didn't care at that point. I didn't regret letting him take my virginity - in fact, I was still glad that he did. I probably would have just done something stupid and gone home with a stupid boy at some stupid party. At least I cared for him, and I knew in that very moment when I was getting dressed in the motel room - he cared for me too. That's all that mattered to me in that very moment.
A couple of years go by, actually more than a couple almost 8 until I hear from him again. I had left my AIM open on an old computer and when I went to boot it, BAM! There he was!!! I was surprised. Again, I don't really know what to say … but I don't want you out of my life. I just … don't know what to think of you.
He then tells me that he was engaged, but he also has a baby girl!!! He sends me the picture over AIM, and ommmmmgggggggg this little peanut is BEAUTIFULLLL!!! Like crazy beautiful!!! Looks just like her daddy, only in female form and not the creepy wow, you take a little after your father too much kind of way.
He still lives in CT, and is a chef now. I guess you could call him a happy little clam. hardy har har har.
I actually just became Facebook buddies with him about a month ago, and sent him this message …
So thank you Marky Mark and your Facebook bunch! I wondered for years how to label this individual in my life, but I am now happy to report, that we are in fact, "friends." =)
Alrite, so!! Super lame day at the show yesterday - I dunno man, I just honestly wasn't all that impressed. I love love love coming to shows to get to kick it with you all, talk about what projects are going on, and what not, but these shows are terribly overwhelming and riddled with pockets of crapola. I can respect the hard work that goes into all of these shows, obviously - but there's just always so so so much going on its not only hard to see everything, but really I could just sit on twitter and read #NAB or #NABSHOW and feel more caught up than being here IRL. It's strange ... very strange ... but whatevs ...
I totally had a picture of him and his getup, but apparently my droid deleted it ... NOOOOOO!!! No straight up, this happens to me every like 15th picture. SUPERRR FAIL!!!
Either way, we're both OWLE junkies ... so it was rad bonding over the love of the future of livestreaming, and how unessential 3D is to our existences. HA! Seerrrriouuuslllyyy! I am so not a 3D person. I just don't get it. It very literally does nothing for me - and at these conventions people just pump it up, and pump it up ... its like why?!?!?!
Whatevs. I'm over it ...
Left the convention center, and had a hunger for some adventure. Just started walking down the strip, and dude, totally bumped into @mostlylisa!
*sigh* she totally gets to bone Pete Cashmore. Part of me really wants to be mad at that, and the other part of me is super grateful that I have an active imagination - hahahahaah! Can't take away all my naughty thoughts now can ya?!?! Huh?! Huh?!
Lisa actually took this pic ... so friggen talented. BAHHHH!!!!!
K ... calm down hormones. But for reals, if you guys ever wanna have a threesome, I'll bring the tequilla.
Wait, who am I kidding - I don't need tequilla. HAHAHA!! Alrite ... simma donna.
Left my random street meeting, and still had some time to kill before the Digital LA event, so I decided to hit up some bars in an attempt to be social outside of social media.
I am literally a social n00b at bars. I really really really dislike polite conversation - and the whole hey, how you doin? thing does ABSOLUTELY nothing for me. I'm attracted to weird looking peeps, the kind that don't go to bars and don't pull those tricks out of their hat. BAHHHH!!!
Realizing pretty quickly that social interaction with cute boys was pretty much meh - I took matters into my own hands ...
Dude, it totally didn't suck!!! Was pretty rad. Love me some Sinatra. OH! And is anyone else watching The Kennedys?!?! Dude, the guy playing Sinatra TOTALLY does not have blue eyes!! It's like WTF!!! UBERRRR FAILLL!!! How can he not have blue eyes???!?! Dude, throw some contacts in ... UGH!!!
Don't even GET me started on Katie Holmes diction either. Somewhere her acting teacher is crying sweet sweet tears. Dude, she was rad in Go - what the hell happened after that? Crazy ... Alrite tangent over.
Then, hit up the Digital LA event - and it was pretty bitchin! Again, it was great to see everyone, talk about projects all that fancy pants stuff. I love love love me some social media and I love love love seeing those shining avatars IRL. Wahoo!!!
Alritey then, I'm done talking - er typing. Seriously ... I've had WAYYYYYY too many Diet Dr. Peppers and coffee this morning. Dude, free coffee and food in the press room. I'm lovvinnnnnnn it!
If you're at the show, feel free to find me and say hi. Don't be all weird, and say that you saw me but I looked busy or whatever. I assure you, I'm not busy. If you read this site, I wanna thank you and give you a hug. It's a thing, I'm very appreciative. So make my life by saying hi.
And uh, yeah! That's it!!
Off to film which is why I am here to begin with. OOHHHHHH lorrrdddyyyy.
Editor's Note: This is an epic epic epic series of posts. No, like seriously. The week these were posted was hands down our biggest week ever on the site. It's very involved and very addicting. I warn you of this not to toot my own horn, but to make you aware that this will take time away from your life. If you have children, please make sure they are fed - and the dogs have been walked. Disclaimer over.
In conducting my OKCupid social experiment for the last 8 months, I have found that out of 98 dates, there were only 4 of which I actually felt that "spark" with. All of the 4 have come from different backgrounds, have entirely different personalities, and look completely different; I've isolated as many of the variables as I could (with what little I knew about each one) and discovered that the only trait they all shared was emotional unavailability. I don't believe in soulmates or this notion of there ever being a "one." I think we are attracted to someone because of there being a lack within ourselves that resonates within this other person - and vice versa. In fact, I'm pretty black and white on that. So, I am attracted to emotionally unavailable men which results in me continuously having my heartbroken. I am so not kosher for that passover. I have to get over my emotional unavailability. What's my next doable action in that? Addressing the cause of said emotional unavailability. I present to you ... my best attempt ...
First up ... this is what's groovin in my ears ... HIT IT Cee Lo!
Alrite, so it's no secret that one of the reasons this site got started was because of a broken heart. Like a really really really bad broken heart. The kinda broken heart that pains the soul, and leaves you incapacitated for an extended period of time - OR motivates you enough to change your life for good. Yay for taking the more productive of the two!
I've sort of talked about it, but I haven't publicly released any of the anger that I still feel. I am ANNNGGGRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY at this human being. Like, I swear to you, if I ever see him - there is no doubt I am going to deck him. I use his face all the time as I am boxing. HAHAHA, I was actually in a training session once and I was so pissed off at him I threw this medicine ball and broke it. Clearly I have some unresolved issues with this human being - and it is causing a major blockage in my current dating situation. I need to rectify it at once. I am hoping this post will help. I'm not an angry person - the exact opposite. There's gotta be a way to work through this. Alrite, enough delaying Jen ... spit it out.
The story of the mentalist. You ready? I actually knew him for a few years before we started dating (as is typically my MO, I almost always end up dating boys from my circle of friends). I met him the way that I meet most people, in the most RANDOM scenarios ... this one was on a super shuttle back at the end of 2007. It was a Tuesday afternoon, and I was flying to NY to do this charity event that I was hired as a producer for. Super rad! Was getting off the phone as I sat down next to this duderino who was also the only other person in the shuttle. We strike up a conversation, I have no idea over what, and then he goes - I'm gonna read your mind right now. Me being me (who else would I be in this scenario. What does that MEAANNNN), and alwaysssss game for a good mind fuck, I said alrite! Followed his little rules, wrote it down on this card ... didn't show it to him. Whatever. Low and behold, he actually got it. The reveal was incredibly impressive. He does this thing where he looks you dead in the eye and tells you to hold onto the name. In my head I'm thinking as he's going through the alphabet, are my pupils dilating when he reaches each letter? Of course that's not the case ... ALL of these tricks are crazy stupid simple (mirrors, little pencils under the fingers) - it's all for show.
Well, bottom line - he was totally good, and totally got my number. I was actually interested in talking to him as well for the charity event I was working for. I said I had no idea in what capacity I could use him, but that I thought he was good ... damn good. At the time he was on this big show on a major cable network, so he told me he'd be busy for a bit but would love to keep in touch. He then friended me on Myspace, and Facebook - and we kinda just went our own little ways.
Flash forward to the spring of 2009, and he had posted this thing on Facebook saying that he was going to be on this super super super huge talk show. I watched that show religiously at the time, so I was all STFU!!! That's AMAZIINNNNGGGGGGG!!! I was on the east coast at the time, and he was on the west coast - so of course the second it came on I messaged him saying that he did such a great job, because again, this dude's talent has never been in question. He is very. very. very. very. good at what he does. A little too good. We then started exchanging Facebook messages back and forth, and he asked for my number, so that quickly turned into some long phone conversations. I fell for this dude - so so quickly. It was the first time in my life I felt like I was dating someone as smart as me; mentalists aren't dumb. My dating record prior had been a lot of GQ looking boys that were straight up dumb as rocks. It was tragic actually - but those were the only boys that would really ever talk to me. The douchey ones are the ones that have nothing left to lose and will at least say "how you doin" at the bar. This was the first time a guy wasn't intimidated by my intelligence, dude, I could use BIG WORDS!!!!!!! omg omg omg omg omg such a turn on.
I'm sure he profiled me, figured out what type of person I was so he knew how to play me ... again, this guy does this for a living. I am not ashamed to admit that I fell for it (a bit embarrassed, but not ashamed). He then said he wanted to come out to Florida to see me - he was going to fly all the way out there specifically to get to hang out with me. Amazing! I thought! Who does that for someone unless they really like them? Huge deal. Fucking huge.
I met him at the airport, and I just instantly fell head over heels in love with this dude. Like hardcore. Head. Over. Heels. There's clearly no doubt that I was played, but there was just this organic component of absurd attraction. Whatever this guy had, I wanted. Bad. He stayed in town for a week, and we got to know each other. I'm so embarrassed for how quickly I fell for this boy. I mean you just have no idea ... putty. I was fucking putty. I really enjoyed spending time with him. He was so smart, and so accomplished - he had this air about him that was undeniable. It was insane. At the time, I had never met anyone like him. He was different, for sure.
He would tout his celebrity status in my face all the time, and when he was offered a car at the car rental place of COURSE he upgraded to a Mercedes - but none of it interested me. No literally. Like none of it. My parentals have a Mercedes and it's a nice car and all - but meh. Shit like that doesn't work on me - I come from it. It's like so what. It was his happiness for what he did, and this unshakeable confidence that attracted me. When he walked into a room, you might not have noticed initially - but you were left completely stunned by what he was able to do, and you wanted more. He was just one of those. There was something special about him, I can't describe it.
He wasn't commercially speaking the most attractive person in this world, but I remember picking him up one time at the airport and he literally took my breath away. It was just this feeling of - wow. He had it. Whatever that "it" is.
So, we had a wicked time in Florida ... and back he went on his adventures. He said he had to go to Jamaica (remember that tidbit) for a performance, and a wedding. Super cool. Was totally jealous, always wanted to go.
I actually had a shoot the weekend after he left, and I used him as inspiration- even posted it on Facebook:
How disgusting is that. Like seriously? Tell me that's not the face of a chick that is SERIOUSLY in love.
Oh shit ... I feel it coming ....
Crazy.
At the time, I had been wanting to go back to LA (as I was commercial modeling in Florida for about 7 months), so I used him as the best excuse to head back home. I asked him if I could crash at his place for a bit while I got back on my feet looking for an apartment with a girlfriend of mine, and he had no problem with it. Of course as any chick knows, that was just a rouse to get my foot in the door. I was only 25% serious about wanting to get a place with my friend. I just really wanted to be around this human being, and I can't help but go after everything that I want in life.
We moved in together (again, a bit under false pretenses. my b), and I'm not even kidding you, I was the happiest I had ever been in my entire life. He gave me this escape from what I thought I knew about life to something that I constantly wanted to question. I wanted more! We talked at great lengths about the universe, and what consciousness is ... amazing. He would run all of these tests on me, asking when I touched my hair, what was I thinking? I used to be a constant fiddler - so this went on for a very long time. I could tell he was taking an inventory of my emotions and my response to stimulants, but I just didn't care. I found the fact that he could figure me out super sexy; it certainly kept me honest knowing that I couldn't tell a lie (which of course I tried a few times, and was immediately called out on).
I asked him all of the time if we were boyfriend/ girlfriend - but he kept insisting that he didn't want to label what we had. *cough cough BULLSHIT* He didn't even position it that way, it was just more of a "let's see how things go" type scenario. I, at the time, adored labels. I kept saying over and over that I didn't want to keep introducing him to my friends as just a friend - I wanted a relationship. I said I can't even look at another guy - let's make a go at this. Yeah, cardinal rule #1 in life, don't ever pressure dudes for anything ... ever. He brushed it off ... and brushed it off ... til eventually I gave up asking.
I had won a settlement in a lawsuit a few months earlier, (in 2007 I lost everything I owned in a massive cockroach infestation. Can't talk about it per the settlement I signed, but it was a nice lil' chunk of change) so I didn't have to go immediately into a job search or anything. I was honestly learning as much as I could about the social space while at the time feeling completely consumed with this head to toe love that I felt. He was pretty savvy when it came to business, so he and I would sit there and really get off on talking about business and how I can help his career etc. I can't be with a guy that doesn't LOVE what he does. I knew the web, the social space, and can edit videos, so I offered to help him as much as possible.
After a few weeks, he came back from the pool one day and said that we were going to have some visitors. Visitors? Oh peppermint patty. Alrite, I can deal ... a little weird I thought since it was a 1 bedroom apartment, and not exactly a spacious one. Where the hell are they going to sleep? The living room, he piped up! He got out this queen sized air mattress, and low and behold later that evening, there were 2 girls that started to live in the living room. He had told me that they were in town for a few weeks from England, and had been kicked out of their hotel room. He felt bad for them and wanted to take them in. It didn't help that both of these chicks were serious hotties. I mean - wow. Total Betties.
I was honestly never intimidated by just how hot these chicks were (it's LA, hot girls are a dime a dozen), because after the first night of kicking it with them - they were so effin rad. Super sweet girls with the cutest English accents in the world. Like literally, we are all still besties on Facebook.
It was pretty much common knowledge in the house that the mentalist was off limits. I can be a pretty kinky bitch and all, but not when it comes to anything within a living situation. I am INCREDIBLY black and white about non-sexualness that goes on with roomies. Not going to happen, ever.
I asked them all about their life on the other side of the pond, and we bonded and gabbed like any 3 chicks living in a 1 bedroom apartment would.
The mentalist loved touting to his friends that he had all of these chicks living in his apartment. He totally got off on having a harem of sorts. Mind you, for me, if this was his little version of the Playboy Mansion, at least I got to be his number 1 - I slept in his bed.
This guy wasn't romantic - at all. He wasn't even particularly nice to me, yet I always brushed it off because at that point I couldn't help the fact that I was in love. (This part is so embarassing to write, you all have no idea - I cannot believe I let someone treat me that way.) He would tease me for dancing like Elaine from Seinfeld, or by sitting on Mashable morning, noon, and night. He literally used to just say, why don't you marry Pete Cashmore - you're on that damn thing so much. You and your social media!!!!! He teased me pretty much relentlessly, but I would always smile and just sort of brush it off. Dude, I grew up with an older brother - if anything I processed it more as a term of endearment. Very sad, but very true.
Sex with him however, was literally the best I have ever had in my entire life. We were anatomically very compatible. In fact, he gave me my first orgasm from intercourse. My body CRRAAVVEEEEDDDDDD him, and he turned me on to sex in ways that I didn't know my body could be turned on. I even at one point broke his bed, hahahaahahaahhaha!! That was fun!!!! (Like literally - I busted a support beam in the middle while I was on top and the whole bed just went BOOOOMMMMM) Again, it honestly had way less to do with anything he did in a physical sense, it was more of the fact that I had never loved someone like I loved him. Oxytocin and endorphins pumping through your body make you a bloody idiot.
All while experiencing my summer of bliss, my grandmother was in the final stages of her life. My family was an absolute wreck over it. I didn't know how to process this 24/7 doom and gloom of talking to my family and then this UNBELIEVABLE high from being in love. I did the only thing I knew to do ... I escaped into my bliss. Wrong, yes. Do I regret it? Kind of. There were CERTAINLY way better ways to handle the situation than completely just close up emotionally to my family. Like literally, screaming matches with my parents were a weekly thing. They didn't understand what I was doing, why I was treating them like that ... that in and of itself is an entirely separate story - and doesn't have anything to do with this, but the timing was also something to note. He actually encouraged me to talk to my parents, and continuously work things out. We talked about it all the time, he just kept saying, they're your parents - you have to be there. I couldn't deal. Emotional stability, at that time, was not my friend, as was evident from the time I threw my phone across the courtyard. (Yay the Voyager for surviving that one with just a few scratches! Muy impressivo!)
An emotional escape artist dating a professional escape artist. HA! Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Now are you starting to get why I am so insistent on life being so reflective? Kinda makes sense now? eh? eh? eh?
My parents threatened to come out on a plane multiple times to "knock some sense into me" - little did they know though, that he was in their corner. That's the truth! I just needed my own space, needed my own time to breathe. Again, worst. timing. ever. But everything for a reason, and I am still working on repairing our relationship which is all I can do at this point.
Alrite, I am going to take a breather here. The next bit of the story gets incredibly. incredibly. incredibly intense. It involves the English girls going home, two more girls from Minnesota moving in, a girl who baked brownies, and the blowjob that would change my life.
Again, this isn't about airing out dirty laundry on this duderino. This is just my side of the story, which is why I'd never publicly release his name - it's not my style. I very literally cannot move on with my OKC experiment until I emotionally release this individual from my life. I thought I had, but clearly based on my experiment's findings - I have a ways to go. It's amazing when you're naturally a busy worker - I can DRRROOOWWNNNNNNN myself in work. Fuck, because of this dude, I launched an entire brand with the energy I had for our relationship. That certainly says something ... but I still have to process the emotions behind it. It's the only way.
I ask as a favor to the community for comments, tweets, whatever to be INCREDIBLY gentle. These are very raw wounds I am exposing, and I am incredibly embarrassed by how fucking stupid I was regarding this individual ... but its a part of life, and this is my next doable action.
Thanks so so so much for reading. You have no idea how good it feels to just let these feelings out.
Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 9:14AM
OMG OMG OMG OMG so yesterday was pretty much the greatest day of my life. For REALS!!! I can't fucking believe I made it onto the pages of Mashable!!!! Huge huge huge - but here's how it all went down ...
When it came to launching things it was SUCH a no brainer to involve Mashable's Ben Parr. (And very frankly, I was INCREDIBLY humbled he was even interested.) How did Ben and I meet? When I crashed the Grammys to meet Pete Cashmore!! He and I had met briefly prior at CES in 2010, but we actually got to sit down and grab a drink after I met Pete. Seriously, though, can I just say he is not only one of the smartest people I know - but also the nicest. For REALS!! You can't ever be mad at Ben, and for someone to achieve a level of success like he has, and be so effin grounded - wow. Such a diamond in the rough!!!!
And now regarding yesterday, Ben came down to LA for a few days for meetings, and needed a place to crash. Dude, place to crash?! DONE! Mi casa es su casa!!! So he's been staying here for the last few days, and yesterday we were sitting at the kitchen table working, before heading out to dinner together, and I look over at my Facebook page and notice that page notifications were showing up in the left hand navigation along with the group and favorite notifications - I had never seen that before.
