I am Cougar, Hear Me ROAR

(and I definitely don't mean this in the BYU variety...)

I have always claimed to like older men. In dating scenarios, I feel like if the guy is older than me, they are "dominant." Just as if they were taller than me, or outweighed me by more than 10 pounds. I've always had a dominant personality so it's always been important for me to find those characteristics in guys I date.

I guess my "cougar" tendencies really started to come out in high school (strangely, when I had only been dating a year or two). There were a handful of freshmen boys I coveted during my own senior year. What can I say - they were adorable. I even had baby crushes on my brothers' friends.

During my adult life, I put that side of me to rest - insisting on only dating guys who were my age or older. Yet last year when the opportunity arose to go out with a guy I had been lusting after for months, despite his very young age, I took it. He was taller than me (by a head), and outweighed me by at least 10 pounds (times 5 or more), there was just this little matter of 6 years I had to look past. And look past, I did. I talked to some friends about it, dubbed myself a "cradle-robbing, cougar, whore" and got on with it. It seemed the only one who had issue with my age was me. Sadly he has left me for 2 years (you figure out why).

Since then, I have semi-fully embraced the title Cougar (although I don't think you can actually be called a cougar until you are 40). I have found solace in being attracted to the younger generation of Hollywood:

Joe Jonas

Zac Efron

Fast forward to THIS Monday in my real life. I'm working on a fundraising campaign through several high schools in the state and I had the privilege of visiting West High to motivate and encourage them in their efforts. I showed them the ever-motivating "Sydney Video," answered several intelligent questions about diabetes and went back to the office. Their teacher called me a few minutes later and told me I had forgotten to bring some supplies she needed, so I booked it back to the school the second time. As I dropped the materials off, she mentioned to me that after I left some of the boys were talking about me, "I think they would fundraise better if you come talk to the class a few more times - they think you're pretty cute." I had a little giggle walking back to my car, flattered and appalled at the thought of high school boys being attracted to me.

Takeoffs and Landings

In the past eight days (that's 192 hours), I've driven to the Salt Lake International Airport no less than five times.

The first (Wednesday, March 3rd) was to drive myself, en route to Boise for what seemed the 50th time this year.

Second (Friday, March 5th) was to pick up the lovely and fabulous Tiburon and Hub from their excursion to Mexico.

Third (Saturday, March 6th) was to really pick up the lovely and fabulous Tiburon and Hub when their flight actually landed in SLC (I had my wires crossed the first time - silly me).

Fourth was this morning, being the amazing roommate that I am, to take Bre and the Skipper to catch their flight to a luxury resort in Mexico (seriously, what's with all the trips to Mexico - and why is no one taking me with them?!).

...And finally

Fifth was this morning, continuing to heighten my roommate status, to take Bre her passport, which she left, forlorn, on her bedroom desk.

Quit Playing Games With My Heart

I was driving home from the gym tonight, scanning the radio waves and stumbled upon a true classic. I was launched back to 1996, the year the Backstreet Boys debut album was released:

• I was only 13 years old
• I was in 8th grade at American Fork Junior High
• I had braces on my teeth
• I thrived on riding my bike to Smith's to buy cheap nail polish, Bonne Bell, colored mascara, and Lee press-on nails.
• I was best friends with Kim Hansen - we bonded in band, she on the flute, I on the clarinet.
  
• I had a crush on Sean Johnson - his place in my youthful crushes was sealed when Mr. Dickerson wanted he and I to get in "the crawl box" together (as the two smallest pupils in 7th grade science)
  
• We had The Box (which was forbidden to watch, until my dad discovered that during the month of October Michael Jackson's Thriller could be requested - at that moment, the ban was lifted for a short time. Interestingly enough, the ban was again lifted for BSB's As Long As You Love Me as well). When this particular music video was released, it ended up on the air non-stop. It was during this time that I fell in love with Nick Carter - how can you NOT love him (and even the other four) sloshing around in the water?!
• YouTube is retarded and won't let me embed video here, but if you want a reminder of how awesome Quit Playing Games With My Heart really was, click here.
  

...life was so much simpler then.

Retail Therapy

I have mentioned time and time again that spending money makes me feel better. I am a big believer in retail therapy. Who needs a REAL therapist, when I can spend away my woes in a flurry of tissue paper and a swipe of any array of plastic. When I saw these cardigans, something instinctive inside of me wanted one. Yearned for one. I'm not caving in...I'm blogging about it instead.

THIS picture makes me want to buy things. Lacie things.

I am THE person they target when they create their direct-email marketing. It's sad, really. Even worse is the display at the actual store...where they sort the panties in a beautiful lacie rainbow. I'm doomed from the get-go.

It's a sickness...justified by an alluring spectrum of color.