Thursday, July 31, 2008

Lessons we learned from the boys that schooled us

Graduation: Looking back, Sami and I have actually learned a lot from our various experiences with the opposite sex.



So I mean obviously Sami and I have lives, that often involve relationships with boys. And with both of us being 18 now, it seems as though we've finally come to a place where we can look back at our experiences and feel like we've grown and actually learned from them.


So here's a thought, let's pass the wealth on to you by telling you all the juicy, dirty details about every boy we've ever gotten involved with. AND we're gonna give you the highlights and disappointments about all the guys!!! Yeah you better hope you're not on this list because YOU WILL BE SHAMED!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


Just kidding. We're not that cruel even though half of these guys do more or less deserve it. The way we're going to do this is to go through all of our experiences/relationships and describe them using fake names and by being vague enough so you won't be able to guess who we're talking about unless you know us really well or you're one of the guys we're talking about. (BTW if you're one of these guys and you feel like we're revealing too much, sorry deal with it. You had it coming. Karma's a b****. And I doubt anyone else will know we're talking about you anyway.) We're also going to mix up our experiences so you don't know who was with what boy or the chronology of how they occurred in our lives. This is going to be very interesting...so listen up!



Wall of Fame, Shame, Games, and Lame



Mickey: Mickey was the biggest mistake I've ever made. He was basically just a distraction I was using to get over another guy, but rebounds can be very tricky. Things moved really quickly with him, and before I knew it, he was telling people I was his girlfriend. Then he told me he loved me, and we had only been "dating" for like a couple weeks. I also had to sneak around to see him because my mom thought I had been dating too many guys recently. (If there's one thing I could pass along to anyone still in high school, it is to listen to the advice your mother gives you because mine has been right like 92% of the time.) Anyway, it didn't take long for me to learn that he was as desperate as I was. Anyone who tells you they love you after only knowing each other for a couple of weeks is desperate (unless it's love at first sight I guess). This became very apparent to me after hearing that, a couple weeks after we'd "broken up," he started dating someone that he told me was annoying.


Highlight: Knew how to express his emotions
Disappointment: Too eager and too fast


Stanley: Oh God. Stanley started out as a casual whatever... okay well we said it was that but to be honest not so much, we connected on a deeper level, but we could never make it work, when I wanted something more he wasn't ready, when he wanted something more I was "afraid of commitment." For a long time I thought that we would eventually work it out that eventually we would both want the same thing at the same time, but I think that both of us had had enough of going back and forth, but whenever I thought it was over between us he would come back to me or I to him, he was always there, and we felt comfortable with each other. We went through a lot with each other, he's the one guy that I trusted with all of me with. I did some things, that I regretted for a long time, with Stanley, but I think that he taught me more about myself than anything. He showed me that I didn't need someone to be happy and he gave me the needed self confidence boost every once in a while. For a long time I resented the fact that he used me, but on some level, I think I used him too. Oh and I learned NOT to believe a guy, that has a pretty shady history of lying, when he says that him and his girlfriend broke up, more likely than not, he's trying to play you.


Highlight: fun/funny

Disappointment: biggest jerk ever

Hal: Hal came along at a time when I really didn't know how to control my life. He was one of my best friends and when he asked me out, I said yes just because I didn't know what else to do. It wasn't absolutely terrible because at least I liked him as a friend, but here's the lesson I learned from Hal: if you're going to take yourself off the market for someone, it better be somebody you really like or else you're just wasting your time.

Highlight: very sweet
Disappointment: nervous in person


Ted: Ted, Ted, Ted. Ted was definitely one of the best looking guys I've ever dated, but there was a catch to that...a reputation. Let's just say that this time my mom wasn't the only one telling me not to go there, but I did anyway. Why, you ask? Because he said all of the right things and got me to believe every word of them. He even got me to believe that he was willing to change his ways for me...WRONG!!! So we dated for awhile and it was definitely fun. Then it started occuring to me that his lines were recycled and the games he played with me were very deliberate. We ended up breaking up once it was clear how shallow and devious he actually was. It was the first time I actually had to fight to make sure my standards were respected, but he didn't exactly respect them; he actually gave me a dirty ultimatum. Anyway, he taught me that bad boys are fun but still dangerous, and that if I let someone have full control over the relationship then I'd end up getting used and abused.

Highlight: great kisser
Disappointment: too experienced


Charlie/Bobby/Earl: The list can go on... the random flings everyone has...I don't think that anything was wrong about any of my casual hookups/no strings attached/whatever's. I just kinda wish that I hadn't of had so many... because who wants to look back and not remember the guys name that you made out with at beach last summer. (I do remember his name btw)

Highlight: good stories

Disappointment: no disappointments, I didn't know any of them long enough to be disappointed


Herb: Oh Herb. I found Herb at a time in my life when I was really determined to find a perfect guy, and cross my heart he sure seemed pretty perfect. He was good-looking, charming, had great manners, and we had a lot in common. Everything he did just seemed to be something out of a modern-day fairy tale, and we just seemed like a perfect couple. So I went for it and it was great for awhile, but it didn't take me long to realize that we just didn't have that great of chemistry. That was the first time I figured out that you can't choose who you love, and you can't force things to work if they just aren't meant to be.

Highlight: I felt like I finally did something right. He's a really nice guy.
Disappointment: bad breath, cheap


Mitch: Probably the most complicated relationship I have had. Mitch and I progressed way to quickly. We went from just being friends, to more than friends, to right into a relationship, with no stopping to breathe, looking back at it that was probably the biggest mistake we made, we moved to fast. We went straight into a relationship without completley knowing each other. Soon I felt that I could no longer trust him, and thats a hard place to be. Then in happened, the "oh my god I can not believe he did that to me" moment, and we were over. I thought that, that was the last I would see of Mitch, but to much of my friends dismays I went back to him, slowly of course, but shortly after I knew he would never change his ways, until he wanted to and I wasn't going to wait around until he changed. He showed me that while things may seem fun when they're fast and unpredictable, in the end your heart ends up getting broken, and thats not a fun place to be, slow it down, get to know them, you have time, don't rush things. AND stick to your choices, something might seem like it wasn't as big of a deal as you made it out to be but you'll go back to that person and you'll see that they really did break your heart and why would you want to put yourself in that situation again?
Highlight: most down-to-earth/amazing guy I've ever been with


Disappointment: oh I don't know... the whole cheating on me thing comes to mind.



Casper: Honestly, Casper was the first person I ever thought I loved. He was the best guy friend I had ever had and the first person with whom I really felt I could be open. We dated for awhile, but things never really went anywhere. I guess we just got bored after awhile. I really did care about him, but that experience showed me that great relationships don't just happen; you have to work at it and nurture it. That was the first time that I realized being a good girlfriend meant more than just being a pretty girl that your boyfriend was proud to show off.


Highlight: great conversationalist
Disappointment: gave up



Homer: The highlight of Homer was the butterflies he'd give me. He came at a time when I just kind of needed someone to care about me, and he did. He made me feel good, and it was actually one of the longest relationships I've been in. The reason it didn't work out was because we couldn't keep it alive. We couldn't be together enough and just stopped trying. From Homer, I learned that long-distance relationships are not easy. It's hard to be with someone and not be able to see their face all of the time or hold their hand whenever you want.

Highlight: Always smelled good
Disappointment: distance made it kind of boring


Hugo: Hugo was always that guy that seemed so far out of reach, that I could never have, I was young and naive when I get involved with Hugo, it was kinda like in My So Called Life when Angela is in love with Jordan but really doesn't know him, that was Hugo and I, we were great friends and had amazing chemistry but it was always one of those things that seemed like it would never in a thousand years happen, and then it happened, and it was unbelievable, but at the same time not so great, it was like I built up this image of how our first kiss would be in my mind, and when it actually happened it was nothing like my fantasy, I'm sure both of us were disappointed, we remained friends for a long time, but I think we both always wondered what would have happened if we tried again...
Highlight: funny
Disappointment: never really went anywhere


Stanley: (Yes this is the same Stanley as the one previously mentioned. Both of us went there.) For a long time, I regretted ever getting involved with Stanley. It's the one relationship that makes me feel the dumbest. Anyway, I chose to go out with him because at the time we were good friends, and I also had to choose between him and two other guys. I felt forced to choose one of them, but I didn't see that I had the option not to choose at all. I picked him because I felt the most comfortable around him, but that was probably the very thing that broke us up. First of all, let me confess that I shouldn't have gotten involved with him in the first place because one of my friends used to like him and, even though she said she was over it, I was still breaking a cardinal rule. Another thing was that Stanley and I differed in our values. There were certain things that I decided to let go because I wanted to be open to different opinions, but he didn't feel the same way. It was pretty apparent that he didn't feel comfortable with our differences, and there were several that added to that. From then on I made a point to take the ideals and values of any guy I wanted to date into consideration because there's just no way around it.

Highlight: funny and gentlemanly on the surface

Disappointment: shallow and cold-hearted


Ricky: defiantly the biggest mistake that I have made in the boy department and the friend department, I will admit that I was probably the worst friend ever when this happen, and I apologize greatly for that. Ricky caught me off guard, we were just friends at first, I swear! but somehow somewhere it turned into something more than that. I thought he was amazing, and I ruin a wonderful friendship because of him, he proved to me many times that he was a complete asshole but time after time I went back and I hurt a lot of people to be with him. Ricky defiantly taught me to ALWAYS put your friends before a guy and NEVER get involved with a guy if he's involved with your best friend. Don't believe guys, thats have lied to you many times, when they say that they're going to change and that your the one for them and don't put all your hope into one guy.
Highlight: good kisser/very experienced

Disappointment: broke my heart


Eli: Eli was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. He proved to me that I was important to him by trying over and over again to be with me. Even after I said no, he came back. I definitely hurt him more than I've hurt anyone else too which is kind of ironic I guess because we both loved each other more than we've ever been loved and hurt each other more than we've ever been hurt. What I learned from Eli is that you just can't plan great things. You don't have to be exactly the same to fit together. He taught me to take risks and pushed me to be spontaneous and adventurous, everything a great love should teach you. Actually what I got the most out of that experience is that sometimes caring for someone else more than you care about yourself is one of the biggest and greatest parts of life but also the scariest. You can never completely depend on someone else to complete you or make you happy because they're not always going to be able to do that for you. And sometimes getting hurt can be soooo worth it if you really allow yourself to get the most out of the relationship. Eli taught me that love is real.


Highlight: Completely honest. Fun. Aggressive but sensitive. Laid-back and lighthearted.
Disappointment: Commitment issues. Not serious enough. Lack of priorities.



We hope you've gotten something out of the experiences we've shared, if nothing but entertainment. Let us know if you've had similar experiences or if one of ours helps you with a situation we're in now. You can also ask us questions about how we managed certain relationships. Or you know, tell us which stories were the most amusing. I don't know. Talk to us!



Oh and btw, if you know who any of these guys are, please don't like share the information. We're attempting to air our dirty laundry in the classiest way possible.


P.S. Sorry for weird formatting if you were annoyed by that. Sometimes this blog has a mind of it's own, and it's beyond my control. ~Alex

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

HELP: anonymous is seriously in distress


Dear anonymous,
First off let me say thank you for reading our blog! We like to have loyal readers and hope that we can help you in anyway we can! 
Love, SamiandAlex


"I'm 17 years old and i have this fat crush on my soccer coach, he's 21 single and after practice few times a week we have private lessons. I know there's an age difference but i can't get over this crush there are nights i cry myself to sleep because its feelings that i know i cant act upon..should i tell him how i feel or would that just make things awkward? i mean sometimes i feel like he likes me to because there are times our eyes glance at each other for a few moments and he's always smiling when i talk. Please respond? we even text each other its not that flirty usually about soccer but i donno...."


Sami says: Hey anonymous! First you should know that it is completely normal to have feelings for someone that you spend a lot of time with. Now if the only thing that was standing in your way of being with him is the age difference I would say dont let it bother you, plently of relationships work with a large age difference, and he isnt that much older than you, but I'm going to have to say that I think that the age difference isnt what is holding you back. I think that, given the fact that he's your soccer coach, that having any sort of realtionship with him would be wrong. You dont want to strain the realtionship you have right now as teacher and student by telling him how you feel, because I can only see it ending badly for you. You dont want to pour your heart out to him and him blow you off, because that would make being around him extremely akward, and if you do tell him how you feel and he feels the same way, you guys cant really be together because he's your coach. I think that if he has feelings for you than he will come to you, and if he doesn't, maybe you should go look for someone else. I personally think that by telling him that you have feelings for him would be crossing a line, wait it out and see what how he deals with you, if he has feelings for you than he will surely come and talk to you. So maybe for now you should focus on something else, if you need help getting him off your mind let us know and we can give you some pointers. I hope I, in some way, helped you out!

Anybody else have some advice for our anonymous reader? I would love to hear what you guys think of age differences in relationships!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Why being SINGLE doesn't have to be SO SAD

Cheer up!: Life isn't over when you're not in a relationship!

Hey guys! It's Alex, and I have a topic that desperately needs to be addressed.

I've been talking to a lot of people lately, and I've come to the realization that more people that I thought tend to feel incomplete when they're not in a relationship. Whether they've just gotten out of a relationship or if they've been single for awhile, a lot of people seem to feel like they can't be really happy unless they have a significant other. Other than the fact that I just don't want people to be sad, this sense of loneliness and restlessness can provoke even more problems, like rushing into a bad relationship, taking whatever attention you get from the opposite sex, or just being depressed for forever and never attracting healthy, happy people that you actually want.

Before I talk about why you don't have to be pathetic and hopeless when you're single, let me give you my perspective on the subject. There are some people who just always seem to be happy no matter what, even though they never have a girlfriend/boyfriend, and who seem to be apathetic toward the thought of pursuing relationships. I am not one of those people. I mean, I do enjoy my independence. I like being alone sometimes, and I don't feel like I need someone to be around me constantly like some people do. However, the sick twist to that is that I am always craving love. I love being in relationships because I love guys, I love kissing, I love having someone to hang out with all the time, I love having someone to talk to before I fall asleep, and I love falling in love. So when I'm not in a relationship, I'm more bored than anything, but because I'm such a sap, whenever I see a movie or something with a couple falling in love it makes me want to be in love so I get sad if I can't have what the movie couple has. So that's my pathetic little explanation, but beside that I have also been in love, and I know what it's like to fight with the thought of being single once the relationship is dwindling. So here's how I've learned to cope:

While having a boyfriend or girlfriend is definitely a ton of fun because you have somebody to kiss and cuddle with and make you feel good at any time, that doesn't mean being single can't be fun too!

Here's a cheesy little acronym thing (there's a word for this, but I don't know what it is) that explains why being single also has its benefits.

When you're SINGLE, you have the freedom to be...


S- elf-centered.

When you have a significant other, you have an obligation to think of their needs before your own. When you're single, all that matters is what you want. So if your last boyfriend/girlfriend didn't like the same music you like, now's your chance to listen to your heart's desire.

I- ndependent.

Being in a relationship means that a lot of your time is devoted to that person. So many parts of your day revolved around them, and I mean, you just get used to always having a companion everywhere you go, but it's really refreshing to do things by yourself sometimes. Do something you've been wanting to do for a long time but haven't had time to do, or hang out with friends that you had to neglect in order to be with your boy or girl. Bottom line is that now you can do whatever you want without having to answer to anyone or work around their schedule.

N- egligent.

One under-the-radar perk of being single is not having to look good for someone all the time. Like, hello! If you don't feel like shaving for a couple days, you don't have to worry about somebody touching your hairy legs or pits or face! I mean, many girls for example may feel kind of gross going too long without shaving, but guys love being hairy! If you're a guy, grow that nasty thing out as long as you want without having to hear some girl whine about you scratching her or giving her acne! (Yeah I read in a magazine that kissing a guy with stubble can irritate the skin enough to make you break out! That sucks!) And I mean other than shaving, there are other things too like not always dressing to impress, although I'm sure some of you had significant others that said they liked you best when you looked all dirty and nasty and ungroomed (ps they didn't mean it).

G- uilt-free!

Remember how while you were in a relationship, you would get hit on and couldn't go with it because you were trying to be loyal. And maybe for the most part you didn't really check out members of the opposite sex once you were dating someone because you were pretty satisfied with what you had, but every once in awhile you would see somebody and think, "Whoa they're pretty hot! If I was single I'd totally go for it." Well now you can! And even if you're not trying to jump back into a relationship, at least you get to flirt! Flirting is one of the very best parts of being single!

L- earning.

Ok it may sound kind of unappealing, but let's be honest here; when we're in a relationship, we often make our lover priority over like say...school. Of course you probably get things done when you need to, but a lot of time you could have spent putting extra effort into schoolwork and stuff gets neglected by being with your special someone. So get good grades while you have the extra time, and if you're not in school at the time then here's your chance to maybe, I don't know, like read a book or the newspaper or something. Yeah, like I said before it sounds kind of lame, but you'll learn that there are other things going on in the world besides that one person.

E-njoying life!

Not that you don't enjoy life when you're with someone, but there's something about never having to worry about anyone but yourself... I mean unless you're just a nice person +]. You can dress the way you want to dress, flirt with whomever you please, and have secrets. The people you can associate with are unlimited, and so are your activities.


That's what I have to say. How bout you?