Tag Archives: relationship

Aug28

The Facebook Conundrum

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Facebook has certainly added another element to dating and has applied a pressure that just didn’t exist even five years ago.

Remember the time when you started dating someone new and your friends found out because you brought him to a party as your plus one?

Or when a guy broke up with you it was via text instead of deleting you as a friend off Facebook…ok both awful examples but you see where I’m coming from!

Oh and I’ll note here that both of the above has happened to me…classy guys I tell you!

I’m going to shout it loud and proud right now lest my friends reading this dare to call me a hypocrit…my name is Natalie and I am addicted to Facebook!

There I said it and it felt good! They say that the first step to overcoming an addiction is admitting to it, but this is an addiction I don’t necessarily want to overcome!

The first thing I do when I wake up? Check Facebook.

The last thing I do before I go to sleep? Depending on whether someone’s lying next to me…check Facebook.

About 100 times during the day? Check Facebook. OK…that’s an exaggeration…it’s more like 99 times.

I know I’m addicted and, at times I care and recognise that it may be an issue, but, most of the time, I enjoy the interactions with friends and family around the world more.

Sharing photos and experiences with people far and wide is something I love. I also use it as a source of advice.

Now I’m going to break here to issue a disclaimer in case my mum is reading this. She gives me lectures every time I speak to her about sharing too much on Facebook. It’s the same lecture time and time again and it’s one that some of my friends have also given me.

I have different levels of restrictions on my page. I share a lot publicly – quotes, promotional pieces about my businesses, blogs and work and even some photos. But those more personal pieces I share only go out to those I count as my good friends. So, now that I have put that to rest, back to Facebook in relationships.

A ex of mine asked me early on in the piece to change my relationship status on Facebook from single to ‘In a Relationship’. The catch? He didn’t have his relationship status listed and therefore he didn’t want to place it on his page to be ‘In a Relationship’ with me. He said that only when he was engaged would he do that.

Loved up Nat didn’t question this reasoning (the knowledge hindsight offers is a wonderful thing) and, instead, did as he asked (I did that a lot in that relationship actually – once again the knowledge of hindsight is a wonderful thing) but deep down I was upset. What’s good for the goose has to be good for the gander surely?

How did I make myself feel better? Oh I tagged him everywhere and placed multitudes of photos on his wall. Everyone would know that we were in a relationship regardless of a silly status change! Yes, I turned into that Facebooker that I hate! Boasting about my newfound romance at any given chance and posting cuddly selfies in romantic situations to declare to the world, I am not single anymore.

I know, I know…it was a lapse in judgement and I swear I will resist doing that in future but it happened to me and I know it has most likely happened to you.

So, how do you manage Facebook in your relationship? Do you do as several friends of mine have done and not even say they are in a relationship…ever? I’m talking even when they get married!

That is the path I am going down moving forward I have decided. The section isn’t even visible on my page anymore lest I have to deal with the outpouring of comments and likes when it re-appears.

Fun fact: the most comments and likes I have ever received on a post was when I entered into what ended up being a brief dalliance earlier this year and changed my relationship status. The joy that was expressed at my new union bordered on hilarious!

I made this post visible to all my friends and I had people I hadn’t seen in more years than I can remember expressing their pleasure in my status…why?!

That also begs the question, why are they my friends on Facebook I guess…OK I get it…but who knows when I’ll need to organise another primary school reunion and having them there will save me so much time!

Does Facebook rule your life and relationships more than may be deemed healthy? Share your stories here or on our Facebook page – trust me, there’s nothing wrong with logging onto that particular page, no matter how much you want to ease your addiction!

Aug28

The Romantic Comedy Challenge – Nat’s Entry

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So the challenge is on and the stakes are high! This is how it’s going to work:

My date from last week (let’s call him Mr Vaughn) challenged me to write a romantic comedy storyline to rival his based around a chino wearing guy we saw at Ivy on our first date.

* My story is below – if you like it, comment or ‘like’ this blog post or hop onto our Facebook page and ‘like’ the post on there.

* Mr Vaughn’s story will be posted straight afterwards and, if you like his do the same.

At 5pm Friday we will tally up who has received the most likes or comments on both Facebook and this blog site and the “loser” will have to fulfill the “winner’s” dream date!

We have set parameters so that when Mr Vaughn loses he doesn’t have to fork out for a romantic week in Hawaii but I know I’m going to get creative and I think Mr Vaughn might as well…if he wins of course!

So here goes…in all of its romantic, cheesy goodness. Beware…the cheesiness factor is off the Richter scale!

Nat’s Romantic Comedy Storyline

The year is 2005 and Cody is preparing for his HSC. He’s the guy everyone knows and loves…in the computer studies group at least.

The guy whom the other geeky types look to in their social endeavours because, out of all of them, he is the only one who could possibly break down the walls of the cliques at school and actually get a date to the Year 12 formal.

He seems to wear his intelligence with pride, whereas they all shy away from it and spend their time in the computer room designing new programming with the hope to be the next Mark Zuckerberg.
Facebook is fairly new to the cyber world and the computer studies group are confident that a networking site like that will make dating fair game for them since they can hide behind the facade of shiny profiles rather than needing to have the confidence to actually speak to the popular girls at school.

What they don’t know about Cody is that he has been crushing on the same girl for years though. His next door neighbour Isabella.

Isabella’s flowing dark hair cascades down her back and she has curves that no 17 year old should be allowed to have.

The constant flow of friends at her house is testament not only to her popularity but also to her bubbly, vivacious nature that is so infectious, everyone wants to be her friend.

That’s what Cody was though…her friend.

He had been relegated into the friend zone when they were younger…back when their two families would take holidays in the Gold Coast together.

His computer studies friends were so jealous that he got to share a hotel room with such a beauty, little did they know the torment it put him through.

Seeing her in her bikini frolicking by the pool with the other guys staying at the hotel, he saw how differently she looked at him compared to them.

How would he gather up the guts to ask her to the formal? If she said no, he would be gutted…and would never be able to face her again.

The challenge was on…he had to do it for the guys in his computer studies class. They lived vicariously through him, although he didn’t understand why.

With half the grade just having turned 18, word had spread around school that a few of the students were going to head to the newest rooftop bar in the city on Thursday night during their study break. Their exams were around the corner and they needed to let off some steam.

Cody was nervous, this was his chance to ask Isabella in the most romantic setting he could imagine. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees and the moon glistened on the pool that already a few of the jock types had pushed each other into fully clothed.

The stage was set and he was thankful that his Dad had taken him shopping recently to buy a new pair of chinos and boat shoes which he coupled with a blue checked shirt that his mum said brought out the blue in his eyes.

He was also thankful that his dad was the lawyer for the owner of this new bar and was right on board with creating a night that he and Isabella would remember for a lifetime…for all the right reasons.

He spotted her from across the pool, standing with the popular girls who were all giggling as the boys tried to garner their attention by showcasing their hot new dance moves.

The DJ made way for a live band on the stage in the centre of the pool and the Black Eyed Peas-inspired group got the bar pumping really quickly.

This was his chance…his lessons after school all led up to this moment…

The rif started and his dad’s client met him by the stage with a microphone. As he patted him on his back and wished him luck, Cody’s heart was beating at triple time.

He caught the eyes of his computer studies group who looked more nervous than he did and then he saw her.

Isabella.

Resplendent in her fuschia strapless number showing off her natural tan and, as ever, skimming her curves deliciously.

She looked at him with confusion as he stepped onto the stage, untucked his shirt, threw his glasses into the pool and broke out into the first verse of rap in the number one hit, “Don’t Phunk With My Heart”.

The Fergie wannabe lead singer whooped in excitement and gyrated against him like no-one had ever done before and the crowd cheered.

It was happening, it was really happening!

Isabella locked eyes with him swaying her hips to the music smiling that infectious grin that lit up her face and then it happened.

The popular boy Brendan had lined up his friends alongside the stage side of the pool and all at once they water bombed the band dousing them completely.

As they surfaced, laughing at their joke, security met them by the side of the pool, manhandling them out dripping as they yelled their objections.

Cody stood there on stage…dishevelled. Chinos stuck to him like a second skin, new boat shoes ruined, hair plastered to his face but that wasn’t going to stop him.

The music had stopped and there was an almost eery silence before the microphone squealed as if in terror of what may happen and Cody’s voice rang out over the crowd.

“Isabella, will you be my date for the year 12 formal?”

She grinned and yelled back, “I thought you’d never ask!”

Like this post either on this blog site or on Facebook if you want me (Nat) to win her dream date!

Aug27

The Romantic Comedy Challenge

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I’m always up for a creative challenge and I thought I would take this particular one public.

On a recent date, I enjoyed a night filled with chatting, laughing, people watching and, yes, if you read my blog last night, a couple of fireworks thrown in for good measure.

You see Thursday nights at Ivy welcomes the uni crowd and we had a ringside seat to all the action!

There were the jocks, the blonde bombshells in skimpy dresses, the homey g wannabes, the hipsters and there was the one token “geek-type” who let himself into his dad’s wardrobe, slapped on some chinos and boat shoes and tried out the preppie look. Bless…

The after-work crowd made way for the frat crowd and we were essentially the oldest people there…or at least it felt like it!

Did it dampen our spirits? Not at all, it made the night even more interesting as we people watched and created imaginary lives for those surrounding us…in between having drinks spilled on us of course.

What was interesting was watching the mating call of these young, nubile beings who were out for a good time trying to impress the opposite sex. It was akin to watching a David Attenborough documentary.

“The lioness roars at the lion who approaches her with some abandon, yet with a look in his eyes that says he wants to eat her for breakfast.” OK slightly gross analogy but you get the gist!

With all the makings of a Hollywood teen rom com, my date has challenged me to write a script based on the chino wearing male as the lead.The funny thing is that he has already accepted the challenge himself and presented it to me last night.

It was impressive to say the least and contained all of the makings of a hit teen chick flick…but while his might go straight to DVD I’m aiming for a box office smash with mine…and so the challenge begins.

I wonder if Vince Vaughn is available? As the cool teacher who helps transform chino wearing boy to a man whom all the girls love…