my crowdsourced life

Well, it’s the new year, and I’ve resolved that this will be the year of my crowd sourced life. More polls, more help from you to decide things in my life, and more proof that I’ve followed your decisions. To start the new year out right, I’ve decided that you can help guide my overall goals for this year by helping me choose a single, but big, resolution! I’m leaving this poll open for a week as I try to build my crowd back up. So here’s the poll. Oh, by the way, you told me to go to Paris? That’s where I am right now! I’m posting this from Paris! It’s 9:52 p.m. here. Last night, New Year’s Eve, I spent above Paris in Montmartre. Cold, a little lonely, but FUN! I’ve just had a chocolate croissant. Life is good.

Okay, here’s the first poll of 2011:

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I began this site as a lark, but now I realize how important it could be to me. So:

I’m going to begin again. I am going to make this a real, consistent experiment, to begin January 1st, 2011, and to run through January 1st, 2012. Each weekday I’ll post at least one poll. I’ll make more of an effort to provide proof of following through on your votes.

In the meantime, I’m going to begin my new job, and take a trip to Paris (thanks to you!). I appreciate your patience. I’m excited!

I was escorted out of the office first thing this morning. I was given 10 minutes to pack up my stuff and walked out of the building. The good news is that I’ll get paid for my two weeks’ notice. The bad news? Well, I guess that’s the indignity of being treated like this. Not sure why this happened. It’s possible, although only remotely, that they caught wind of this website. But since I’m anonymous and they’re anonymous, I’m not sure what the problem could be.

So I have a little time before I start my new gig. This means that I’m sitting in my apartment, trying to figure out how to keep busy and not look back until the new job starts. I’ve spent much of my day tweeting with my friend about all this. We’re platonic, btw. With joking. But platonic joking.

My boss wouldn’t budge. So in the meeting with him, I quit. I was nice about it, mostly. And calm. I said I’d like to leave as soon as possible, but I gave two weeks’ notice. Then I went to my car and called the new place and accepted the offer. So new job accomplished. I’m not sure there was a point in talking to my boss, but who could know that ahead of time? And it did feel good to be able to tell him in person that I was leaving.

I spent the weekend doing lots of soul searching. And, unfortunately, eating. I didn’t exercise, sorry Crowd, I’m having some trouble with motivation. But knowing I have a new job ahead, and will meet lots of new people, well, that’s helping. So Sunday evening I threw out all the bad food in my apartment. I now have a fridge full of veggies and chicken. My downfall will be Thanksgiving.

Well, the place I interviewed a couple weeks back offered me a job. It pays less than my current. Been thinking about the pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Gets me out of my current unpleasant and possibly sinking ship of a job
2. The actual work is a little more fun. If one can consider work fun. (I used to.)
3. People seem really nice.

Cons:

1. Less pay. I could make ends meet, but it’s tough to go backwards.
2. Longer commute.

Do I take it? They’ve told me they don’t accept counter offers. I have until Friday to decide. Okay, here’s the poll:

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It has been brought to my attention that I owe you some updates, and I need to get you more involved in my life. It’s true! First, updates:

1. He tweeted more, but again, nothing flirty. Dunno. No mention of meeting.

2. I’ve been exercising! I’ve lost a pound. Okay, it’s not much. But I feel so much better, just doing something. It’s been a week and a half. I try to get in 1.5 miles a day, which might not sound like much, but for me, well, it’s like going from 0 to 50. First couple days it wore me out. Now, it feels good.

3. I have another interview tomorrow. Never heard back from the first place, must have done something wrong.

4. Need to post more polls, I know. Here’s one, it’s kind of lame, but I’m trying to decide what to have for dinner:

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UPDATE: Sometimes you think, you’re certain, that things will go a certain way. For example, I was certain that I wouldn’t be attracted to my twitter friend when we met. I was nervous, though, because I really do like him. But I didn’t think there would be any sort of spark between us.   I didn’t really want to meet him, because, in a way, it’s been much more fun to fantasize. Without actually meeting him, I could continue to pretend that he was extremely attractive. I already knew he was clever and funny, qualities that I’m really attracted to.

So, not really wanting to go, but having been told by my Crowd that I must, I went to a nearby Starbucks. Not romantic, and really crowded. And there he was, looking just like his photo… only thinner. He spotted me, and grinned and it was, well, scary wonderful. That’s what. I wandered over and stammered, and tried to calm down. Not really sure what I said. I excused myself to get some iced tea and then, back at the table, pretty much immediately spilled some down my shirt. So graceful.

I think he’s great! I do. I think I’m as attracted to him as I ever was. He had me laughing the whole time. And blushing. When he left, an hour later, he kissed me on my cheek. Wow!

Okay, the thing is, he’s been on twitter since, but he only DMed me once, to thank me for meeting him. That’s it. No flirting. No nothing. Maybe he didn’t like me. That’s what I think it is. Crap.

Remember my twitter flirtation that you told me cool off? I have, and it’s gone pretty well. He makes comments sometimes, little things that let me know he’s kind of interested in me. But in general, we just joke around. But here’s the thing, he wants to see me. He’ll be in my city next week on business and will be here on Saturday, and has asked if we can meet. Crowd, I’ve left him hanging, but I need to give him an answer. I told him I’d let him know tomorrow evening. Help! Poll closes in 24 hours.

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UPDATE: By one vote, Crowd, you are sending me to PARIS! I’m excited and more than a little scared. Should I start learning a little French? Would welcome advice on how to prepare. I’m booking my tickets today! I probably would have gone to the family reunion, had I made the choice, but I’m so glad you didn’t choose that!

The questions I’ve posted have been, up to now, kind of low stakes. I mean, no matter which decision you made, I had very little to lose or gain by taking it. I’m raising the stakes a bit with this decision. I have about a week’s worth of vacation time, and have some options for New Year’s. First, I can go to the family reunion in [location withheld, but trust me, it's a boring, boring, boring place]. Second, I have a free place to stay in Paris, where I’ve never gone before. I’d be alone. But in Paris. Third, a friend in heading to Vegas and wants me to join him. (It’s a him, but it’s not like that, honest. Just friends.)

So, dear Crowd, where will I be ringing in 2011?

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Maybe it’s the walking I’ve been doing, maybe it’s the chance I’ve had to vent on this web site, or maybe it’s knowing there are people out there listening to me and talking to me (I love the comments and twitter conversations!), but this overcast Monday is not getting me down. I’m feeling happy and optimistic. No decisions to make just now, but maybe later today.

Might be the extra hour of sleep that’s helping, too.

I need your help more than ever, but I’m not sure where to begin.

I think I’m about to be fired. I think. The last few weeks, I’ve tried harder than ever to do excellent work. I get to my office, start working, and don’t stop until it’s time to go. Literally. I might get up for a quick bathroom break, but that’s the extent of it. What’s really strange about this is that people have become less friendly. Stopped talking to me. Stopped inviting me out to lunch (do they assume I’ll say no, so don’t bother? I’ve almost never said no.) Is it possible to work too hard? Do people perceive my intensity as some kind of dislike for them?

How do I deal with it? Quit working so hard? Okay, poll, even though I’m not certain what the choices should be.

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