Summer of the Shoutout: Partner in Crime J

Ugh, raging hangover...But as always, I have my good friend J to thank for a night of fun and frolic on the town.

Ladies and Gents, Meet J

Vital Stats :

Years of friendship: Almost 2

Hometown: St. Louie

Occupation: Sexpot and fashionista

Special talent: Bargain shopping (I'm taking notes)

How we met: How else? Abony

Favorite memory with J: The "Club AJ" Party (aka Sausagefest 2k5) in the Boom Boom Room

What's next: Who knows? According to J, "The summer is young..."

Why I love J:

• She says things like: "Let's be honest. My ass is never going to look this good again."
• She has impeccable fashion sense and a knack for accessorizing
• She's always up for a bottle of Prosecco and dancing (hip hop, please!)
• She doesn't mind if I say to the guy on the dance floor: "Actually, no, she doesn't want to dance with you."
• A night out with J = No waiting at the velvet rope and VIP status
• She introduces me to fun/interesting people
• She knows what she's worth and has no time for men who can't recognize that.
• She can turn my day from zero to awesome in 5.2 seconds flat.
• She's generous with compliments ("Ari, you look RETRO hot!")
• Her dad went to HBS (clearly we were meant to be friends. LOL)

Summer of the Shoutout: Best Friend M

I know for sure that I am two things: easily bored and blessed with many good friends. So, without further ado, I think you should know a little bit about my peeps, starting with the end-all-be-all of best girlfriends:

Ladies and gents, meet M

Vital Stats

Years of Friendship: 10 and counting...

Hometown: ATL

Prized Possessions: iPod Nano and VW bug convertible (so hawt!)

Celebrity Crush: Dr. Phil

Secret (or not-so-secret) obsession: Starbucks

Special talent: Giving people nicknames (my personal faves: Chubs, R-Head, French Wanker, Happy Bastard, and Doobie)

How we met: 9th grade homeroom. It was just downhill from there. We always got in trouble for talking during the afternoon announcements.

Where we've gone together: Destin, Zurich, Greece, and next year - Australia!

What's next: Being bridesmaids in E's wedding. Sounds like trouble...

Favorite memory with M: Dancing at my parents' 50th birthday party

Big plans: M and I are retiring to a beach house eventually...haven't decided yet if our husbands/boyfriends/lovers/cabana-boys are invited.

Why I love M

• She puts up with me, which is not always easy to do
• She doesn't mind if I drunk dial her or complain about man problems
• She has big dreams and a bigger heart
• She loves animals
• She has an awesome family
• She makes me laugh and kick my feet
• She misses me when I'm gone
• She has grown so much in the time I have known her
• She will look at this post and say, "R, thanks for the shoutout...but couldn't you have picked a different photo of me?"

Graceful Ari is the Shizz: Or a List of My More Auspicious Accomplishments

Just because I felt like reflecting...I have:

• Moved recently
• Joined match.com (it's really not as psycho as you think)
• Sunbathed on the beach while secretly hoping for more than five minutes that I would sink into the sand and never reappear
• Considered a serious life change
• Postponed said life change in favor of manipulating the system for a bit longer and "milk it" for all its worth
• Watched way too much tv and pondered whether it really rots your brain
• Sighed with happiness
• Wanted to rip someone's eyes out of their head
• Driven through farmland
• Googled a crush...several times
• Drunk way too much Starbucks coffee
• Started reading a ridiculously long and academic-type book...for fun
• Wanted to fly
• Run for my life
• Cried to my mom on the phone
• Rolled my eyes at someone else's idiocy
• Danced in my bedroom
• Been serenaded by guitar in the woods (very romantique!)
• Told my best friend I love her
• Walked to the metro station
• Had eye sex with a stranger
• Taken a friend with benefits that is "bad for my soul" (but I told him so first)
• Watched my brother graduate from high school and known that I was happier for him than he has been/will ever be for me
• Seen every current movie in the theatre that I had a desire to see
• Cheated the system
• Watched a grown man cry...and felt inexpressable joy that he shared that with me
• Been dumped...twice...and counting...
• Seriously considered that I may be single for the rest of my life
• Overeaten
• Obssessed about my weight
• Called a boy one too many times
• Bought many things I did not need
• Fantasized regularly
• Blushed and laughed
• Been called "genuine"
• Sung at the top of my lungs
• Seen a photograph and pondered the story behind it
• Prayed
• Passed a homeless person without ignoring him but lied about having money to give him
• Felt ashamed of my country's leaders
• Not resolved my anger over Hurricane Katrina
• Cried because not everyone has access to quality healthcare
• Too many pairs of shoes
• Drunken Prosecco with a good friend
• Watched two of my best friends make out with each other
• Canceled one gym membership to join another
• Lost touch with loved ones
• Called an old friend
• Networked my ass off
• Not let go of a number of girlish crushes
• Been to Greece and thought that the Aegean Sea looks like blue raspberry Jello
• Argued with my parents
• Considered that writing may be my true calling (and no, I don't really care for your opinion on that)
• A serious addiction to Pinkisthenewblog.com
• Decided that the birth of a celebrity baby does not qualify as "breaking news" suitable for distribution on a certain reputable 24-hour cable news network.
• Managed to find something wrong with all MBA programs except Harvard's
• Made my parents proud
• Not learned to cook enough
• Stopped to smell the roses (I'm not kidding. My neighbors have the most beautiful bushes...)
• Asked for forgiveness
• Worked really hard
• Exceeded my monthly cell phone minutes
• Felt lonely...often
• Not been kissed nearly enough
• Learned to love me just as I am

That was cathartic. I'll probably make another list every once in a while.