Thoughts for my high schoolers

Here's my new WWPRD number: 305-741-3251 call me and leave a message for a consult!

Todays thought is about the prom. My little brother is in high school and he's been asking me what I did to get a date to prom. There isn't a particular order to all of this so things might be random at times.

I remember my first prom (11th grade) was kinda boring to say the least. I was really nervous and I went with a girl that I really liked, but I really never asked her to go.

Men, take it from me... this sucks! Passivity is never an attractive male trait. I look back on it and cringe...I was lucky my date asked me or actually she called, and told me that she would go with me...LOL!

I encourage all guys or people who have a girlfriends to take the initiative to wow your date! Its fun. Don't think of it as risking your heart.

Take them on the date that all others will be compared to. Do it for you as much as for them... treat them like you would want to be treated. Don't know why but I like being the standard to which others are compared but I do.

Little brother read closely but not too closely as I'm still single!

1. I decided on my date. I didn't personally know her. Had never even spoken to her. Admittedly, it was based on the fact that she was attractive. I asked a few teachers what she was like and I asked one teacher to introduce us.

I know its hard, but an introduction from a trusted person is invaluable. It definitely helps if you are on good terms with your teachers... from there I got a phone number and made a few friendly conversational calls no more than a few minutes each... try to ask something that she wants to talk about and just listen, maybe give a little unopinionated non-judgemental commentary about what she is saying.

I would indirectly ask about prom even going so far as to make her think that I would ask but then I wouldn't. You'll see why later. People like anticipation.

Its a good idea to make sure you feel some measure of chemistry before going on...it will save you some worrying. Don't know if you have chemistry or not? That's a whole other article!

2. I talked to a counselor to figure out her schedule (I had to tell the counselor about the plan to ask her out in order to get this info).

3. I bought flowers from walmart...lots of them for cheap maybe 25-30 dollars. At this age women often don't know quality flowers from walmart specials so that will work for what you are trying to do here. This isn't a proposal.

ADDED BONUS: I figured out her favorite flower also. I think I talked to a mutual friend and asked her to bring it up indirectly.

4. I divided the flowers up before school and went to every class that she would attend that day. I asked each teacher to hand them to her during or after class. They were not to tell her where they came from. There were little messages in each one, I can't quite remember what they were. But I think funny messages are best because it helps things not seem overly serious.

Arranged for 2 teachers to give her the opportunity to place flowers in the teacher's lounge refrigerator so that she wouldnt have to carry them around all day. In hindsight, having the teacher present the flowers right at the end of class means an entire class of wondering whether or not theres more...so that might work too.

Anyway by lunch time half the school was talking about this girl getting flowers during not one but every class. This seems kinda boring to me now, but trust me nobody does this in high school.

Now all these girls want to know more about this unknown guy straight out of a cheesy romantic comedy. John, even if things don't work out, trust me, you will be more than OK!

That being said, I was oblivious to that attention... because I decided to place my affections in what was admittedly a bad choice lol live and learn. We will definitely discuss who is worth the time and who isn't :)

Thats about it. Oh I made sure I was out of class a few minutes early so that I could meet her in the hall with the last flower...her favorite; and say "I wanted to ask you to prom the other day but I wanted it to be special..." or something like that... LOL I promise it was like I flipped the emotion switch or something. Strangely enough, there was some music playing in the hall and to this day I am associated with that song. Its like an imprint or something.

Give it your best shot and see what happens! The game of life is not fun if youre standing on the sidelines.

Good Luck Little Bro!

Meetup group update: "Eat, Pray, Love" Traditional Roman Food!

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to post a quick update on the Meetup group:

So dinner was awesome! The food was wonderful and I got the chance to meet 23 new people! Special thanks to Natasha, our new group photographer!

Learning from past experience, I took the time to make reservations and set up a menu for the group and it worked out well. Here are a few pictures of the event:

 Ok will post more soon...really busy so I have to go for now. Click below to join.

Never eat alone in NYC!

Update on the meetup group! Thursday September 30th

Hey Everyone, I still don't feel like posting Paris stuff yet...not sure what I'm waiting on but I will give you an update on the meetup group! We ate at Max Brenner last night and it was wonderful! I recommend this place to everyone! Check us out on www.meetup.com/nyc-eats.

 

 

“Awesome dinner. Food was delicious! Ate so much food so many intelligent people! Who would imagine having dinner with: a college student, an accountant, a legal assistant, a project coordinator, a computer programmer, a web designer, a molecular biologist from Columbia, a contractor for the federal government, a stay at home mom, and a real estate agent?!?!! Then imagine finding something in common with all these people... I wish everyone's dinner was this cool! ” I also wish I had a camera because I used my phone with these pics. I wasted money buying a camera for someone else, a while ago lol. I'll get one for myself soon.

 

 

Hey Guys and Gals,

Have you ever felt incredibly busy and yet not busy all at the same time? 

I still have yet to add the changes that my site editor Jennifer Parker has suggested but I promise I will do it soon.


I do feel like updating you guys on my www.meetup.com group progress with the following message that I posted to all my members.

I'm proud to say that after only 3 days we have reached almost 300 people from around NYC, all paying me money, hey maybe you should pay me too! Kidding...unless you want to do it.

Anyway here is what I wrote them all...


Dear Members,


I would like to thank you for joining and for your interest in Never Eating Alone!


I started this group because I simply hated eating alone! I see dining out as a social experience that should be shared with at least one other person! In a city like New York, it makes no sense that so many people are lonely.

Our first few meetups have been successful with an unexpected 22 people showing up at one place and forcing the restaurant to put several tables together to accommodate us all. This has given us a little power with restaurant as 22 customers represent a significant amount of money in one night. Presently, I'm considering a group sponsor.


While there (at dinner) I met some of our members: 

an accountant who works for the city, 

a train conductor that drives (conducts) an Amtrak train each day from Washington DC to NYC, 

an 18 year old high school student who just wanted to get out, 

a 60 year old retiree looking to do something for the evening, 
and the list goes on and on.

It was a very enjoyable experience and when dinner was finished, we all went our separate ways. Some exchanged facebook/twitter info, some people made friends, some people said they would show up at the next meetup. Everyone seemed to have a good time.

But this is why I'm email you: while the group serves me, (as I NEVER have to eat alone) I started thinking maybe it could serve others in the same way? Instead of only having the option to join groups that are eating out, I would like the extend the option to every member of the group (yes you) to become co-organizers of the group.

It might sound more complicated than it actually is, but all you basically do is type in where you want to eat and what time you want to eat there and people can join you. This will mean more options for everyone and meetup events potentially going on all the time. As a coorganizer you are under no obligation to plan any event, you just have the ability to do so.

So if anyone is interested in sitting with random people from around the city let me know and I'll give you the option to post any restaurant where you will be eating. In the future I may even develop a site completely devoted to the concept. Until next time.

Here's to Never Eating Alone,

  Paul Rogers
 "Turning the enjoyment of life into a public service since 1983."

No eating alone! Dinner with Friends in New York

Hey Friends,

So I'm still working on that update for day 2 of my Paris trip. In the meantime, if you didn't already know, I'm in NYC for the next few...well I'm not sure how long I'll be here! But I started what's called a meetup group at meetup.com. If you're in NYC and you are interested in networking its a great way to do it in a public place where everyone is new!

Click below to check it out:

Dinner with friends in NYC

See you soon!

Paul

I really liked this article...it explains why I prefer the gift of experience

Study shows experiences are better than possessions

The satisfaction we get from buying vacations, bikes for exercise and other experiences starts high and keeps growing. The initial high we feel from acquiring a flashy car or megascreen TV, on the other hand, trails off rather quickly, reports a new Cornell study.

                 

Day 1: of an awesome trip to Paris!

And now a disclaimer about Paul's (my) personal view on tourism:

When I go on vacation, I want to do all of the tourist-y stuff. There is a reason all the tourists want to go to these places! If you want your trip to be special, do the behind the scenes tour!
 

With that said, I present to you day 1 of my trip to Paris!

When you arrive at the airport you are probably getting off of a long flight! I was lucky enough to fly first class, but even with a comfortable spot, it was a long flight.





 The trip wreaked havoc on my sleep cycle so be sure to start adjusting your sleeping patterns before you leave.

My trip was 7 days and I planned something for each day. Inevitably, when you do this, you will never have enough time to do everything you planned. Its OK that's a good thing.

Took a trip and ate lunch in the Montmartre area. I just tried a random sandwich shop, it was different but then again I expected that

Next I visited the Sacré Coeur church. (I hope I spelled that right). This is one of the most beautiful Churches I've ever seen! Its actually an active Church, not a museum, so security won't allow you to take pictures as people are often praying. Hopefully I won't get in trouble for snapping a few anyway...I had to avoid security guards but I got them.

It looks like something right out of Lord of the Rings. Nothing in the US compares to grandeur of this Church. This really is the city of kings.

The building really makes you stop and stare. I went inside with my driver and guide, Louis, and we soon began a discussion about faith. It was such an inspiring place. Not because of the structure's size but rather the painstaking intricacies that made it up. God inspires people to create such beautiful work with such care, love and dedication. It really made me think about my own passion in life.

Above is my secret shot of the ceiling...yes it was painted, so its much bigger than this picture portrays.

Night 1 of An Almost Perfect Trip to Paris... Next time it will be perfect.

Preplanning: The most important part of the perfect trip to Paris, France

So I took a trip to Paris!

I will tell you what I did, however I will not tell you how I figured out how to do what I did. That simply required too much effort and I think I would prefer that you call me and pay for some of that work!

Pre-planning:
Since my friend was already in Paris, I had an edge here. I only had to worry about purchasing one ticket and with a little work and research I found one at a reasonable price on orbitz or some similar site. I suppose most people will be going as a couple so I suggest buying tickets well in advance. Please buy traveler's insurance, it will come in handy.


I was a little nervous about driving in the city so I decided to find a driver. Again I will not tell you how I found him but if you like I can get you his info. His name was Louis (pronounced Louie) and he was excellent.

Also don't feel like you need to spend a lot on hotels you will or at least you should spend the majority of your time out and about. Because of this I don't really have suggestions for a place in Paris but as you will soon see I was only there for a few days. I'd say you can budget 150-200 USD per night for a really nice decent place.

Don't forget for fun, I consult for a $5.00 fee! 305-741-3251

Coming Soon... MAN IDEA #3: A Trip to Paris

Recently, I was thinking about a trip that I took to Paris about 2 years ago. I had a friend who was studying abroad and because I really cared a lot about her, I really wanted to put effort into making my visit with her something special.

After returning from the trip, I realized 2 things:
1. This was someone's honeymoon and I wished it was mine.
2. Food in Paris is magnificent.

For those considering a honeymoon, anniversary trip or just a wonderful vacation, I will be posting an iteniary of my trip and the plans that I made for a week-long excursion to Paris. This will be a several post idea so you may have to look further back to see each day:

Man Idea 2: A short last minute trip

Think you need a long time to take a vacation?

You don't...and you won't be tired. Unless you're just old...which means you are running out of time! You definitely need to go!

Ok first things first:
http://www.chateauelan.com/

Recently I had the chance to plan a weekend trip for a couple. Basically they only had 1.5 days, so it was going to be a very short trip. After doing some research I decided to send them to a place I visited a while ago called Chateau Elan. Its about 45 minutes North of Atlanta, Ga and it is worth the drive! http://www.chateauelan.com/

If Chateau Elan is not at option, I suggest you consider one of the Preferred Brand Hotels. They are typically excellent locations for leisure trips and along with starwood hotels, I like them more than any others! Note however you will pay more to stay at the other hotels. Just trust me, Go to Chateau Elan.

The big thing to think about here is that you are planning a trip. It's about the journey not so much the destination (though an awesome destination helps). I suggest people start out with the destination in mind (the icing) and then come up with the awesome stuff to do along the way. Oh, and remember this rule: FOOD MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER. If I stop to do something, I always try add food to the mix.

To married guys, I suggest you keep the place a secret from your wife until getting there. I won't tell if you don't! Basically all she has to know, is that you are leaving town and that you will return the next night(or night after depending on your trip). Here is the basic itinerary:


Arrive in Atlanta around 11am

Visit Six Flags Amusement Park or Stone Mountain Park (some place that requires you to be active, have fun, and work up an appetite). They picked Stone Mountain: http://www.stonemountainpark.com/. They have a cool laser show that starts at the end of May each year but you have to be there at night to see it. Everyone is very, very, friendly at the park, and it features a train ride, a 4D movie (which was a lot of fun) and a cable car that goes to the top of the mountain.

This is all only around 15.00 per person if you go around 3pm. I think it's a little more later in the day. But you'll have time to do everything if you get there by 3pm. Also check to see when the firework show begins each evening. I think it runs from June to December.

Remember when I said food makes everything better? Visit AMC Fork and Screen and catch a movie and late lunch. A lot of people don't know about this place but it's awesome! It's a movie theater where you can order food and drinks and watch a movie! And when I say food, I mean a whole meal

Heres the website: www.amcentertainment.com/Buckhead

Head to the Resort and see how the top 1% of America lives...


This resort is ranked number one in Georgia and trust me when I say there is a reason. In addition its not nearly as expensive as the St. Regis in Atlanta or the Ritz Carlton (both cost upwards of 475/night). Breakfast was also included. There is a spa, room service, concierge and at least 4 restaurants and a bar that are all part of the resort! French, American, Italian, and an Irish Bar! When I went, I had the Italian menu and it was very reasonable around $55/person to eat and drink. It was easily among the best restaurants from which I have eaten in the US. Top 20 definitely. Oh, and the rooms were very nice, with real furniture, a 2 headed shower, and a spa tub in every room! Make sure you go for a walk around the property as well.

The next morning, I suggest you have Breakfast at the Chateau Elan Buffet. There is a very nice variety of foods, the waffles are awesome! If you book online, or call for reservations you can get the breakfast included in your package. It might seem a little pricey, but when you really think about all the convenience, its really not that bad. Like I said earlier, its cheaper than the Ritz and 99% of people don't know that this place is even here.

On the way out stop by the Mall of Georgia. Its only a few minutes from Chateau Elan and its the largest Mall in Georgia. I'm not sure, but I would venture to say its probably the largest in the Southeastern US!

www.simon.com/mall?id=208

Thats it. A vacation in less than 2days!

Man idea 1: Flowers are boring but can be a fun starter

I've decided to put my posts in the form of ideas that everyone is free to use. I'm still willing to do the consulting stuff if people want to call.

You can start with something ordinary and develop it into a really extravagant series of gifts.

Personally I like to come up with a theme and then seek the advice of my very creative friend at http://www.canuemagine.com/. She is a creative genius when it comes to ideas and themes. Anyway, here I've decided on a series of small gifts with a Prince Charming theme -- Definitely my favorite theme! I'm going to be cautious here: just in case she's reading this post now, I won't spoil too much, and I'm only going to post the first surprise...

Yeah I know flowers are simple but its the theme that matters here.

The card insert will start out with Once upon a time... (remember Prince Charming)I will post the next step (there are 3 total) after this step is complete.

The difference between love and romance

"Often in our lives, we fall prey to the idea of a thing rather than actually experiencing the thing itself. We see this at play in our love lives and in the love lives of our friends, our family, and even fictional characters. The conceptualizing, depiction, and pursuit of true love are multimillion-dollar industries in the modern world.

However, very little of what is offered actually leads us to an authentic experience of love. Moreover, as we grasp for what we think we want and fail to find it, we may suffer and bring suffering to others. When this is the case, when we suffer more than we feel healed, we can be fairly certain that what we have found is not love but something else.

When we feel anxious, excited, nervous, and thrilled, we are probably experiencing romance, not love. Romance can be a lot of fun as long as we do not try to make too much of it. If we try to make more of it than it is, the romance then becomes painful. Romance may lead to love, but it may also fade without blossoming into anything more than a flirtation. If we cling to it and try to make it more, we might find ourselves pining for a fantasy, or worse, stuck in a relationship that was never meant to last.

Real love is identifiable by the way it makes us feel. Love should feel good. There is a peaceful quality to an authentic experience of love that penetrates to our core, touching a part of ourselves that has always been there. True love activates this inner being, filling us with warmth and light. An authentic experience of love does not ask us to look a certain way, drive a certain car, or have a certain job. It takes us as we are, no changes required. When people truly love us, their love for us awakens our love for ourselves. They remind us that what we seek outside of ourselves is a mirror image of the lover within. In this way, true love never makes us feel needy or lacking or anxious. Instead, true love empowers us with its implicit message that we are, always have been, and always will be, made of love."

Its hard to admit you’re not ready to fully commit and in fact you’re actually ‘just thinking’ about the concept of love...

About Me

I think I'll do a video here about me. Or maybe a run down of what I've been up to for the past 10 years or so... meetup groups, family stuff, ect.

About My Site

I designed this site as a kind of journal of my experiences in life that I wish to share with others. In the beginning, I thought this would be a great way to share my experiences as they relate to relationships, but I've decided that my focus will be the adventure of life and all that it brings. Thanks for visiting. Always feel free to comment or email.

~Paul