Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The Urge to Surge

When I woke up to the news of a re-release of the short lived 90's soda, Surge, the other morning I didn't think much of it... Just another, everyday internet publicity stunt. My boyfriend wanted to order it and when I heard the $14 price tag I thought it was a waste of good money. We could buy 3 giant delicious burritos or pay for nearly two months of hulu plus with that money! But, my arguments were too late, because he was already hitting the buy button as the initial announcement came out of his mouth.

This news upset me for some reason... 

Then he started reading the comments and reviews, which were mostly written in a tone that is classic Amazon snark. Like most of these commenters, I was in the prime Surge drinking age bracket when it made its original run. I can recall the quintessential 90's splatter logo design and advertising campaign that was putting a positive spin on the peak of energy you'll get from the ("carbos") sugar high, but I don't remember liking this beverage. And, like most things from the 90's, I prefer they live in my memories and not in my belly, like Rice Krispie treats cereal and purple ketchup.

So I had to ask the question, is this soda, which sold out almost immediately, actually enjoyable or is it just food for social media?

How many posts are we going to see on Facebook and Instagram over the next few weeks of people drinking from lime green cans and climbing atop their sofas to prove their true devotion to the sugar gods? Believe it or not, I'm not trying to hate on those who genuinely love Surge, I'm just questioning the values driving humanity is all...

I also recently discovered a popular YouTube vid cast called Good Mythical Morning, where two lovely grown up southern gentleman sit at a table in what looks like your grandpas basement, talk about random topics and make cheesy jokes. Each episode is about 10 minutes long and seems completely unrehearsed. Last night, I watched one about Narcissism and they defined their generation (mid 30's) as the "I love me" generation and the current, younger group as the "you love me" generation.

This whole surge thing seems like a perfect example. I doubt anyone will just sip on that Surge while enjoying a family dinner. Why do I assume this? Because I know that I won't either. If I'm going to be a part of this Surge release, I'm probably going to post at least one pic somewhere on the internet. What irks me is that I'm playing right into the hands of marketing people! As a marketing professional myself, I hate to think that I've fallen for their master plan!

Can anything be genuinely enjoyed in private anymore or do all occasions now call for a selfie? Do people share because they can't hold in their excitement for life or because they want attention? Does anyone else battle these questions when they post things on the internets?

Anyway, see you and the other Surge fans on Friday. #picsoritdidnthappen

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Welcome Back

I recently had a moment where I recalled the fact that I have a blog and it has been neglected for a while. Then I went to look at my blog and realized it has actually been a full year since I last posted anything.

I know I've been a little busy, but this is unacceptable.

It's not that I don't have anything to write... here's the rundown of things passed:

Sad Days on Main Street


I closed my business that had been open for a little over two years. It's strange to think about all the time, effort, passion, and money that went into making that project go, but for whatever reason it didn't fly. We still run a small online shop and have plans for local pop-ups but it isn't quite the same.

There are many feels about this and I will likely share as we move forward.



Climbing the Volcano


In April, while enjoying a beverage with my tortilla chips on my friend Nikki's deck, she very seriously said the words "you should come" as she told us about her plans to go to Maui in exactly 2 weeks. I laughed it off but then my boyfriend looked up the flight info and after an hour or two of debating the final decision fell on me. I set aside my extreme fears of flying across the ocean only to land on a small volcanic island and said "ok."

After only a mild panic attack and a complimentary bottle of wine (the good stuff) from our friendly Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant, we made it to the island and had a lot of fun. It was my very first tropical experience and my hair grew larger every day in the humidity, just like Monica's hair on that episode of Friends. I also got to see a sea turtle and realized that I am, apparently, the only person in the world who isn't really into snorkeling.

I have too much to say on this place/experience, so I'll save it for later.


Seahawks Win the Superbowl


Or I think that's what happened while I was busy deep frying razor clams in my fancy Seahawks inspired attire (blue dress, green fake frames).

The game they played before the Superbowl happened while on Friendcation with about 10 of the coolest people I know. We rented a cabin in Leavenworth and I got completely enthralled with a very large and complicated wildlife puzzle. The cabin had a bear theme... although my fear of bears is very real, the stuffed ones are pretty fun to hang around on. Nikki and I spent the entire football game meditating for the win on a pile of giant stuffed bears. We also attempted to distract the group with cheeseball throwing. Obvs it worked because the Seahawks won.


What's It Like Being 30?


Merely three days after I turned 30, I was asked "what's it like being 30?" That very same day, I had actually considered my potential answers to such a question and what did I come up with? Nothing really...

I do remember being 22 and being totally surprised when I would encounter someone that much older at a party. I probably even asked someone that question at some point!

I suppose at 30 things ache more and being drunk is a lot less fun (so it doesn't really happen anymore). Being 30 also means I've earned some wisdom and probably make better choices in life and I sometimes get tired and fall asleep at 9:30 pm on a Friday night.