#WTF: About the last 48 hours ... can I get a rundown? (@brokeassstuart, documentary, @harveylevinTMZ)

Aug 20

Oh what a wonderfully productive little weekend this was.

First up, here's the song that goes with the post ...

So, last week I started working at the SUPER FREAKING AWESOME co-work space @iola. They're a marriage of Hollywood and the tech scene offering both an incubator (coming soon) and an ecosystem of very creative minds coming together to help further each other's projects. You have mentors here from Courtney Cox to Shepard Fairey and various Oscar winners literally just kicking it. The energy here is palpable and I've done more networking in one week here than I have in the last 2 years flying solo. It's AH-mazing!!

That being said, on Friday io/LA hosted a Lean LA start up event. I invited my buddy @brokeassstuart to come along since he was in town and I was SUPER stoked to get to meet him for the first time ...

There were drinks sponsored by Diablo, and our attention spans made it through the power point presentation by dicking around on Twitter. The speaker kindly asked the audience not to tweet out quotes or anything during the event but we're both not the type of people that ever listen, and we were more interested in talking about John Tesh and his star outside of io/LA than anything else.

HOW DOES JOHN TESH HAVE A STAR?!!?! WHY!?!?!

The speaker btw was a total freaking genius at community building having built out both Facebook and Twitter - and I'm not gonna lie, he was also pretty hot. I totally asked him out on twitter on Saturday and now we're going to kick it next time in the bay area.

WINNING!!!

Anywhoo ... after the event Stuart and I putzed around Hollywood getting into all shades of trouble - it was pretty great but the two of us together are definitely trouble. You can't have two firestarters in a group. We literally at one point were contemplating going up to the Griffith Park Observatory and lighting fireworks. (Stuart had a bunch in his car from his trip to New Mexico.) Since I NEVER say no to anything us two together is just a bad bad thing.

I got home somewhere around 2am and then had to get up early to film this documentary this director is doing on the site. He's been a reader for a while but wanted to sit down with me, my family, and friends talking about the movement and how everything got started.

It was pretty cool seeing my bedroom being turned into a set, but I ABSOLUTELY lost it at one point. The director had asked me a series of pretty surface questions but at the very end he goes, "and what would you like to say to your readers of Talk Nerdy To Me, Lover?"

Simple question, right?

WRONG!

I lifted my head up looking into the camera and immediately started choking up.

This wasn't even pretty girl crying, this was baby sea lion level ...

I didn't realize until that very moment just how powerful the two words "thank you" were. I'd still be doing everything I'm doing even if no one was watching - but the fact that you guys read, and are SO engaged allowed this to become a business and it has literally changed my life.

I've written out the words 1,000 times on this site but to look dead into the lense of a camera and know that I was speaking just to you guys was a very, very moving thing.

I was such a blubbery mess. It was pathetic and awesome all rolled into one.

I'll letchoo guys know when it's going to come out but it'll be about a month or so.

After we were wrapped filming Eric and I had our second social dynamics workshop class. See, he and I not only teach guys the basics of social dynamics and interactions in general, but we then take the guys out into the field and have them open and build up rapport. We're of course right by their side, but to watch these guys go from being SO shy and SO scared of their own shadow to these CONFIDENT and OUTGOING men in literally ONE NIGHT is truly astounding.

Like everything, it is going to take practice with these guys, but we have a private Facebook group where we all encourage each other outside of the workshops. Here read what one of the students wrote ...

How. Amazing. Is. That?

It's one thing to be this "dating expert" and to have obviously SO much experience - but it's all about giving it back. I KNOW the nerdy brain and how wrapped up we can all be in our own neurosis so to be able to now help guys get out of their own way and have them be able to live up to their own potential and awesome is TRULY a specfuckingtacular existence.

I am very very very humbled to get to be of service and these workshops really do mean the world to me.

Oh! And in the most random experience ever btw, during the workshop this COMPLETELY glittered out transsexual gave us palm readings.

My reading was surprisingly extremely accurate. She even picked up on the fact that I danced previously and she told me that I needed to get back into a dance class to feel more fulfilled. It was COMPLETELY random but pretty cool.

THEENNNNNNN, on Sunday morning I had scheduled to have lunch with Antonio. I had texted him on Saturday asking when we were going to meet, but it wasn't until 8am that I actually heard back from him. Seeing as to the fact that he's such a planner and strategist the fact that we hadn't even picked a time to meet up seemed out of character. As I was getting ready to head out, I said to Eric (who was crashing on the couch) that I had a really bad feeling about what I was walking into.

I even tweeted about it actually (only to then have to delete it once I realized his friend who was chilling at his place knew who I was). I may do a lot of random and crazy things, but it's actually a pretty calculated thing. I KNOW so through and through how to get myself out of situations and am genuinely always prepared for whatever life has for me. After being shaken to my core two weeks ago (read more here) I didn't know what I was getting into.

There is no predicting Antonio. He's not linear at. all.

Everything with him is hot and cold hot and cold. He's balancing what he feels in his heart with his logical brain that screams that he and I could not be any less compatible.

I was literally shaking as I got into the cab to head over to meet him. Breathe Friel, breathe I kept reassuring myself over and over.

After about 20 mins I arrived at the arranged place, and he, as usual, looked incredible.

I hadn't seen him at that point since our lunch which was after the 18 hours I spent in Vegas puking on myself and hookers.

Our meeting had gone well the first time, but I was still confused over what everything meant. Why couldn't we still see each other without having to place boundaries or expectations on things? Can't people date for the purpose of emotional growth? Isn't that what we are all here for anyway?

We then started to have brunch and Antonio called me out within the first 5 minutes.

I leave you for one week and already your guards are back up.

I smiled not knowing what else to do. I genuinely am not even expecting anything from him anymore, but how is someone just supposed to so blindly place their heart in someone's hands without knowing if it will be cared for or not?

I got really quiet and what little I did speak was always about business.

As the champagne went down however, I could feel myself starting to loosen up and remember just how. much. fun. he and I have together.

We then continued to bop all around town as I met up with some of his friends. Meeting Antonio's inner circle has been absolluutteelllyyy incredible. All of his friends are so accomplished and SO intelligent - it inspires me to do even more with my own life and push MYSELF that much harder.

<tangent> While we were out and about btw, I totally saw Harvey Levin from TMZ.

Apparently he lived in the area, and dudes he's WAY more buff than I anticipated. Holy shit, I would not cross that little duderino!!! </tangent>

After dinner we both then passed out on his friend's bed and I fell asleep on sheets smelling like lemon and ginger.

Our bodies kept tossing and turning on the king size bed, but they always remained touching.

This is true intimacy, I kept thinking to myself. This is HANDS DOWN the most intimate relationship I've ever had with someone. We STILL haven't had sex yet, yet this man is inside of my mind, body and soul.

It's like every dimple, every freckle, every curve on my body was made just for his hand to touch. Every time he touches me it sends these shockwaves through my system that remind me of what it is like to be alive.

I've absolutely never felt anything like it.

After having fallen asleep so early we both woke up this morning at dawn.

He then laid his body ontop of mine and I just stared into his eyes.

If this is all I get to experience in this life is just this moment with this person - I know I have lived well. The power in that statement is enormous.

Men have fought wars for women like you, he said lovingly.

I laughed as I then rolled over ontop of him placing all of my long hair in his face.

I then had to get back to Hollywood so I could head over to work, but I was so grateful for yet another day with Antonio. Sure, he and I may want different things out of life but I don't necessarily need to have all of those things tomorrow. We enjoy each other's company and whatever that means I am just going to have to accept it.

Be present, Friel. Be. present. always.