You can figure out a guy’s personality his way by what his “go-to” drink is. So, watch and listen next time you sit at the bar, cross you legs, and dive into that peanut and cashew bowl.

If you hear,

“Excuse me,” He eases up to the bar and says”

“Martini, please.”

Next, he?ll say, “Hey, beautiful, where have you been all my life.” A martini guy is a player. He’s suave and debonair, he has charming lines makes you laugh, well, most of the time. He has friends who sail: he knows which champagne goes with oysters; and, his sister-in-law’s brother’s cousin lives the next street over from Jennifer Aniston. Another guy slides up behind your bar chair. His breath smells like onions.

“Scotch and water.”

He taps his fingers on the bar, swirls the ice cubes, and winks. He then pulls out his cigar, and talks to your boobs. ?His moustache gets wet when he drinks. Meanwhile Mr.Jeans and polo shirt leans in and smiles.

“Cabernet.”

He wears brown leather shoes, and listens to the Dave Matthews band on his Ipod?not at the bar, of course. He’ll ask you questions about tasty restaurants in town. He likes to backpack in the White Mountains and can do the black diamond runs and tells you just that. Then there’s…

“Your choice..”

This guy pulls wrinkled money from the front pocket of his jeans. He is the Sports Channel. My team lost today. Manager should have pulled the pitcher after the fifth. He pops nuts in his mouth, but misses a couple. They fall in your purse tucked next to your leg.

Oooh watch out another one is right behind you— Pay attention to what he drinks and make your decision about whether you are going to order something with those peanuts and cashews or head for the door.

  Filed under: Chick on the go, Chick-ism, Stuff that floats through this chick?s mind. by  Gwen  No Comments »

Fast food ahhhh! I don’t drive through the golden arches, my daughter doesn’t have Dunkin Donut holes on the weekend, and what does a bell have to do with a taco?

But, twice a year I’m naughty.

I visit my brother in Atlanta. When the airplane wheels touch the ground and the wings level off, I begin thinking of wings attached to chicken and I plan my first taste of a succulent chicken sandwich, waffle fries, and lemonade at Chick-fil-A.

I?m the first to buy at my local farmer’s market even getting the heirloom chicken there, the carrots, the cucumbers, the creamy freshly made yogurt but when I get on that Atlanta destination flight all reason flies out of the plane when the stewardess? closes the door. I become a different person a  butter-roasted juicy chicken sandwich seeking person.

Upon entering the Atlanta airport tram, I spy my first red and white Chick-fil-A wrapper, and my heart beats faster.

My brother picks me up at the airport?and I smile at the Chick-fil-A billboard on the highway. When did you last have a chicken sandwich, bro?
He furrows his brow hummm. Last week, I think.
He doesn’t know how could he not know!
I get to his house. Hug his wife. Unpack my clothes. So, I lean on his black kitchen counter, Any chance I could have the keys
Yeah, sure. You want me to get something for you He offers.
No, just thought I’d head out for a few minutes. I’ll be right back. Do you remember how to get where you are going My sister-in-law asks. I nod and extend my hand for the key drop.

As I drive up route 140, I swear warm chicken smelling fingers reach toward me to guide my way. At last the bright red Chick-fil-A sign welcomes me like an angel. I pull behind the trail of cars that awaits bliss in front of me. I gnaw a left hand nail in anticipation.
“May I help you,” I think the man inside the intercom says I love you. “Number one combo, please.”
My car eases toward the take-out window.
The window slides open.
The exchange occurs.
I feel and smell the golden package in my lap.
I can wait no longer. I plunge my hand into the paper bag, rip open the sandwich bag and chomp on the chicken. Each chew releases tingles on my tongue?and the fries are such happy companions to my chicken.

So much fast love wrapped in such a small red package.

  Filed under: Chick on the go, Chick-ism, Stuff that floats through this chick?s mind. by  Gwen  No Comments »

My relationship theory goes like this the distance a couple sits apart from each other in public has everything to do with how much they are together.

If they are in the first phase?the lust phase, they use no less than four touch points:

–the shoulders,

–the hands,

–the hips.

Their feet are definitely kissing.

Don?t bother saying excuse me. Neither love bird will hear you.

Two touch points, the shoulders and the knees, mean they have entered the love phase.

They don’t know what’s happening or where they are going, but they enjoy every minute of their bliss.

Both will acknowledge your presence, and they will smile simultaneously. Whatever conversation you choose to have with both or just one (good luck), optimism will rain down on you. You will believe that anything is possible?even the odd notion that toothpaste can be stuffed back into the tube.

When a couple enters the comfort stage, they may not touch at all.

In fact, one may be talking to the bartender while the other one discusses politics with a stranger. Their eyes reveal though; there is a deep knowing.

You can have an in depth conversation with one of the members of the duo and come away enlightened especially after the sharing of a good Tuscan wine. You will even know the best castle to explore while visiting Austria.

Questions have been answered by this couple. Eyelids blink slowly.

They?ve come upon a secret.

A together feeling a together secret no more performances are necessary.

  Filed under: Chick-ism, Stuff that floats through this chick?s mind. by  Gwen  No Comments »

Frosting is the perfect, sweet mix of butter, sugar, and milk. A white butter cream slopped in gobs on top of a deep chocolate cupcake is enough to send any toddler screaming with delight, and her mother too for that matter.

The process of creating frosting is pure fun.

On one particular day, my little one became the frosting.

She unwrapped the butter quarters, plopped them into the mixer, and watched as the wire whip cut and creamed the hard butter into yellow fluff. She helped measure the sugar?well, she poured it into a measuring cup and purposefully made it overflow onto the counter. He eyes increased in size as she stuck her finger deep in the middle.

?Yum.? Can I do that again, Mommy? She grinned.

?We need to make sure we have enough for the frosting,? I said.

?Oh, okay.? She momentarily understood. Though, the overflowing sugar part of the process was especially wonderful, the final product would be ecstasy?if she could wait that long.

The butter, sugar, dash of vanilla, and milk spun in a dizzy dance. She leaned over the mixer and reported several times, ?I think it?s done.?

Each time I checked, her level of anticipation increased; she leaned into the mixer more, her knees dug into the counter, and her feet tapped the stool.

At last, the creamy treat was ready.

?MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY!? She was frenetic. Heaven was within her grasp?inside a shiny, aluminum bowl. ?Can I please lick the bowl??

?Of course!? While I spread the frosting on top of the warm cupcakes, she sat on the stool with the bowl between her legs. Frosting covered her hair, her cheeks, her shirt, both legs, and some became toenail polish.

She officially became my cupcake.

To save this event for posterity I created the Simply Chickie t-shirt design?I am the frosting.

She is the frosting on my life.

  Filed under: Chick-ism, Uncategorized by  Gwen  3 Comments »

Go ahead look at your shadow. The shadow knows.

Lurking shadows can slow your business down.

What are you avoiding? What or who is following you around that you don?t want to deal with? Do you have a problem shadow?

Frank Asch in the children?s book, Bear Shadow, reminds us about business problems we need to confront in order to move forward.

Bear went down to the pond to fish one afternoon. Bear saw a big fish. ?I?m going to catch that fish, thought Bear to himself.?

Something scared the big fish away?his shadow. ? ? Go away, Shadow!? cried Bear. But Bear?s shadow would not go away.?

Is there something you keep avoiding doing in your business? What?s nagging you? Do you have a problem client? A legal issue? Have you not dealt with public relations? Or, getting your product submissions out to magazines in time for the holidays?

Bear?s shadow does not leave him alone. Bear tries many ways to eradicate his shadow. ?He ran through a field of flowers, jumped over the brook and hid behind a tree?But when he stepped from behind the tree the first thing he saw was Shadow.? Shadow is in capital letters!

A small problem that is avoided can become a big one.

Bear sees a cliff. ?Bear walked over to the cliff and looked up. I?ll climb so high Shadow won?t be able to follow me, thought Bear. Bear climbed higher and higher until at last he pulled himself up to the top. Huffing and puffing, he smiled with pride. Then he looked down and saw Shadow.?

Problems have a terrible way of taking up so much of our time. We obsess over not dealing with ?a problem.?

Bear tries to hammer the Shadow to the ground, but that doesn?t work. He digs a hole, but his shadow does not fall into the hole.

When he finishes filling the hole??the sun was high in the sky and Shadow was no where to be seen. ? At last! sighed Bear. ?No more shadow.? ?

Bear is tired, so he goes to bed. The next morning when bear opens his door—his shadow greets him again! ?He slammed the door, hoping to lock Shadow inside. But Shadow was too quick.?

So, sit down and make of list of stuff you are avoiding?the stuff you will do after you get to x, y, and z. Reverse your list. Put that ?stuff? at the top. Deal with the issue one phone call at a time, one thought at a time, one letter at a time.

Bear talks to Shadow. ?How about this?if you let me catch a fish, I?ll let you catch one too. Nod your head like this if it?s a deal.? When Bear nodded his head, Shadow nodded too?.By this time the sun was in a different part of the sky, which made it easy for Shadow to keep his part of the deal. And when Bear caught that big fish, Shadow caught one too.?

So, make yourself do the tough stuff in the morning?when your shadow hasn?t had a change to take full, sharp form!

Cheers,

Gwen

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