Full Disclosure… And a Cast of Characters

I’ve found this to be eminently helpful on other blogs, so here is a little backstory/ bit about me, and the wonderful and not so wonderful people who make up my social universe. I will endeavor not to dwell too heavily on past events going forward except where incidental to events going on in the present.

All names are fake.*

About Me

• I’m 28 years old and a girl.
• I have worked as a lawyer in a big corporate law firm for the last 3 and a half years
• I have had three long term relationships – Nick (high school to college, 4 years), Jimmy (college to law school, 4 years) and Tom (3 ½ years, post law school). If you do the math on that, I've been single for a total of one year of my life since high school. and the last few months, too, I guess.
• I am constantly trying, or not-trying-and-feeling-guilty-about-it, to lose weight, work out and quit smoking. As a corollary, I imagine you can picture me: an overweight (but not obesity-city-joining-the-200-theory-club), "she’d be really pretty if she just lost 20 (or 30 or 40, depending on your preference) pounds," smoker. What can I say? I like all of the gluttonous pleasures in life. Unfortunately, I don’t think my joie de vivre translates into highly dateable material.
• I like to drink. A lot. So do all of my friends. Except Tom… at least until we broke up.
• Tom and I broke up in October, and I kicked him out of our apartment. We continued to see each other (read: sleep together) until I left the country in January. When I got back, we saw each other again, had one last blow up, and it is O-V-E-R. I mean it.
• I work all the time. No joke. I’m writing this right now (on a beautiful, sunny, 85-degree saturday) from my office (procrastinating a bit on the fund documents I am supposed to be reviewing).
  

My Circle of Somebodies

Kate: my best friend. Kate is also a lawyer. I’ve (reluctantly) seen her through the affair she had while living with her fiancé and the ensuing break-up of that 7 year relationship, as well as a year-and-a-half relationship with a married man who wouldn’t leave his wife (until he fell in love with his secretary- NOT Kate). Kate can annoy the crap out of me, but I love her to death. And she’d never judge me. "Nuff said.

Ana: Ana and I work together. She’s a super rad lady who I trust, and with whom I can always get my drink on. She’s a lesbian, currently in a relationship she’d rather get out of.

Brandon: Brandon and I went to high school and college together, then moved to New York together where we were roommates for 5 years. Kind of like a real life 90210 where everyone follows each other from place to place so the show doesn't have to end. He is the Will to my Grace, except we’re nothing like them. Brandon has never been in a relationship of any kind and accordingly cannot understand, and hates, all of mine.

Jane and Cara: This couple has been together for 3 years or so. They were mutual friends of Tom and me. I got them in the break up. They’re getting married in October. They're so super well adjusted and excellent together they make me smile and aspire to better relationships. And gag, too.

Sam and Mary: Sam and Mary are a couple I hang out with on a regular basis. They’re good together, despite the fact that he can sometimes be less than good to her.

Mark: my brother. He’s older, but everyone always assumes he’s younger. He’s just finishing med school and he moves here in June. New friends! He’s also the coolest guy I know.

Tom: my most recent ex. College drop out who is just now beginning to succeed in his chosen field of restaurant management. We lived together for the last year plus of our relationship. I could write a really long book about him, but suffice it to say, for now, that he loved me to death, and treated me like sh*t.

Nicole: another girl I work with. She’s HOT, and every man in the world is in love with her. That is NOT an exaggeration – every time we go out somebody else succumbs. Personally I find the damsel in distress act to be a little vapid and cloying. But I guess it works, so who am I to judge.

Patrick: one of the men I work with. I used to have a mini work crush on him, but he was totally off limits- married. So we were just good buddies. Only now he’s getting a divorce and dating ("so super in love with!") Nicole. Figures.

The Partners: I work for a lot of partners. Rather than differentiating, they can all be grouped under the general heading of "suck."

Others will come into play, but these make up my general day to day life. You’ll notice a decided lack of single men, and an abundance of lesbians. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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* for those of you anonymous bloggers out there (who aren't reading this), are you ever worried your friends might somehow stumble across your blog? Mine would be really transparent to anyone who knew me... something to ponder.