#NerdsUnite: That time I got stiffed (instead of getting something stiff)

#NerdsUnite: That time I got stiffed (instead of getting something stiff)

Review after review spoke really ill of him. One review directly called him a "bully" and what a "horror he was to work for." Clearly, these are just disgruntled employees, I thought thinking the person I had just talked to seemed far from being a "bully." Depending upon how the date goes, I will tell him about his ORM (online reputation management) and offer help (if he asks), I thought.

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#RealDeal: I went to prom and took molly in front of Moby

#RealDeal: I went to prom and took molly in front of Moby

I then quickly slid the loose wristband off and walked back outside. Pro tip: when a bouncer of any kind is putting on a wristband, explain to them you feel "claustrophobic" if it's on too tight. When it's loose, you can slide it right off your wrist and pass it to someone else. Before you pass it though, make sure you say "one second, I'll be right back" to the security guard so they have a visual memory of you and you can reenter sans the band. It doesn't work every time, but 9/10, you're good.

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#RealDeal: 50 Shades of Friel (that time I became a FinDomme)

#RealDeal: 50 Shades of Friel (that time I became a FinDomme)

... got kicked out of a (coincidentally) crypto-event-based happy hour ... tried talking my way out of it (with a full plate of every food they were offering at the buffet later) ... epically failed ... only to walk back over to the table and ask my friends confused wondering "what gave me away?" My new "girlfriend" and I happened to be stopped by a group of guys as we were leaving, so I wondered if security thought we were "working the event?"

Considering our happy hour tab was SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARSI kinda wish I was "working it."(We had a big group but not SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS big.) Only not selling my body for sex. Cause, that's kinda not my thing. BUT I was a findomme once. And yes, that actually IS a thing.

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#RealDeal: The boomerang effect of boundaries (its been six years, I'm super okay with you not being in my life anymore dude)
#NerdsUnite: Hi @Britneyspears ... We heart you too.
#RealDeal: Here's what it's like to have your life turned into a TV show (& then to have it actually sell) PT 3

#RealDeal: Here's what it's like to have your life turned into a TV show (& then to have it actually sell) PT 3

While we didn't have much time to chat at the first party, she had also later in the year invited me to her birthday party (scheduled around Halloween). I'm going to talk to Morgan, I said to myself and I'm going to use the fact that this is Halloween to my advantage (as costumes are my thing). Nothing like showing up with a lampshade on your head to get the attention you want.

That's not a euphemism btw, I really did show up with a lampshade on my head.

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#RealDeal: Here's what it's like to have your life turned into a TV show (& then to have it actually sell) PT 2

#RealDeal: Here's what it's like to have your life turned into a TV show (& then to have it actually sell) PT 2

Barely able to speak I explained that in this exact moment I was putting bins inside the Ford Fiesta. I didn't know I needed a sign, but the fact that you are calling me in this exact moment can't be a coincidence. I need to keep going with what I'm doing, I just can't see it all yet.

We cried it out for another minute or two as I thanked him for the call.

"I love you, Friel. You're a good one," he said.

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#NerdsUnite: An algorithm for happiness (an understanding of expectation vs reality)

#NerdsUnite: An algorithm for happiness (an understanding of expectation vs reality)

We then make the trek up the hill to my new friend's car, and I could tell within .25 seconds we were going to be friends. Out of everyone in the group, I could tell how down to Earth she was, and could intuitively tell she was going to utter the same sentence of "this isn't really me." I entered in the address quoting that we would arrive by 8:30 (FUCK ME, I thought but didn't say ... my stomach growling, I just want a burger ... and a glass of wine ...).

Before we hit the highway we had discovered that we're both obsessed with our dogs, and are both from back east (she happened to be from MASS and I'm from CT).

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#NerdsUnite: The cost of "whatever it takes" ... is it actually worth it - (Part 2)

#NerdsUnite: The cost of "whatever it takes" ... is it actually worth it - (Part 2)

I got the news that my test was "unremarkable" (which is the MRI term for you're all good in the hood) on a Friday. I chose to work from home since I had absolutely no idea which was the pendulum was going to swing.

Out of all of the theoretical outcomes, the "you're good" made it worse in my mind. I recognized that I had allowed stressors to overwhelm me to such a point that it had finally (as predicted) affected my health.

I wasn't okay with that, and knew I had to immediately make life changes.

It started with closing my laptop and taking a nap that afternoon.

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#NerdsUnite: The cost of "whatever it takes" ... is it actually worth it?

#NerdsUnite: The cost of "whatever it takes" ... is it actually worth it?

"So what has Jen Friel been up to?" she asked as we sat down for an impromptus happy hour (my office happens to be across the street from her building).

With a straight face, and little to no emotion I said, "I've experienced a fundamental shift in the last 30 days, I'm ready to get married and have babies."

YAY!! She said super excited.

My actions weren't mirrored, and without an actual mirror, I'll just have to assume that my face looked something like this ...

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