What to Do When the Thrill is Gone

Posted on January 26th, 2008 in Freebies, Podcast, Romance / Relationships by Glory

What to Do When the Thrill is Gone
By Glory Fink

When you first met the love of your life (or at least your current love), it was wine and roses, fireworks, and long Sundays in bed all day, every day. It was magic, unlike any love before. THIS romance would last forever.

Then one day you realized that your never ending game of “Slap and Tickle” had been on hiatus for so long that you couldn’t remember the last time you two played. Not to worry, my lonesome lovebird. Your romance is not dead. It is but slurping tapioca and playing shuffleboard at the nursing home. Your brain is the most powerful sexual organ you possess. It is time to revive your limp libido. Here are a sample handful of high octane ideas to rev-up your romance.

1. The day you stop pursuing your love is the day you stop being lovers.

Just because you two have “caught” each other and pledged your undying love in no way does this excuse you from pledging your undying love tomorrow, the day after and so on for at least the next 40 years. If you have already begun to whine that you don’t have time and energy to keep romancing your lover may I point you in the general direction of a few good abbeys, monasteries and Zen retreats. Great romances have never been achieved by lazy people.

2. Compliments will get you EVERYTHING even if you‘ve said it before.

Even lovers of psychics have to elaborate about their love. While you may have already explained in no uncertain terms everything you adore about your sweet-ums, you need to repeat and expound on their attributes for as long as you both shall live. You just might want to keep notes to avoid repeating yourself too often. Be explicit, be raw, be raunchy, be sweet, be grandiose, be eloquent – tell him/her in no uncertain terms why you like, love, adore, and find charming all of hers/his endearing qualities, eccentricities, strengths, talents, ect…. Leave no stone unturned, no compliment unsaid, no sexy thought undone. People love to hear compliments by someone who knows their foibles and faux pas. (Back to the whole, “I love you for who your are” principle)

Also, after the first five years or so the “same old” gets frightfully dull. Mix it up! If you usually whisper sweet nothings then write them instead. If you like to give tokens of your esteem, try music. Remember “mix tapes,” they were popular because they were so effective. Make a special playlist, “Songs to Love You By” and load it onto your sweetheart’s iPod. Nothin’ says lovin’ like Barry White and Rod Stewart on the same playlist.

3. Everything reminds me of you

You may be miles apart but staying in the heart and mind of the object of your desire will make your dreamboat feel as if she/he has never left. In order to stay in the upper most thoughts of your sweetie pie, you should remind your love bunny that you are always thinking about him/her. Text messages, notes left on the bathroom mirror and surprise $10 bills in their wallet with an attached post-it note, “To me you are worth more than all the bills in the Treasury” work well. Quick love notes hidden in coat pockets and glove compartments will endear your lambykins to you no matter what else is going on that day.

WARNING: This is a double-edged sword because if you remind sweetie-pooh too much, it’s called obsessing or smothering. At least two love gestures a week but no more than one a day is a safe zone. Hair dolls are not romantic in any way, shape or form. It didn’t work for Jason Schwartzman in “Slackers” and it won’t work for you.

4. The element of surprise has conquered battles, turned wars and won lovers.

Effective surprises can be big or small but the best ones are the kind that will be appreciated for their specialness. For me, red roses are okay, but they lack the wow-factor (I think my cat likes them more than me – to eat.) However, lavender roses are in a whole different garden. A surprise delivery of lavender roses sent to me by my husband while he was deployed overseas had me floating on Cloud Nine for weeks! When you combine the element of surprise with a romantic gesture, you will be able to steal into the unguarded chambers of the heart like a thief in the night.

Like any healthy relationship, the more you give the more you get. If you put in no effort, you will get jack squat out of it. A lifetime of love can only be achieved by the courageous and doggedly determined. Yes, keeping the thrill alive can be challenging while at the same time the rewards for success are immensely pleasurable.

About the Author:
Glory Fink is a writer, a housewife, a semi-permanent college student, a mystery wrapped in an enigma covered in cashmere. She can be found playing with Shrodinger’s cat, traipsing through the back roads of the Mississippi Delta or concocting experiments in her lab/kitchen. Glory does not suffer fools gladly but will gladly suffer endless tours at the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory as long as the samples keep coming. She does her best writing in her pajamas and her best sleeping out of them. Glory’s cat is suspicious, her dog obliging and her husband humored by her many antics and efforts to become in reality what she is in her dreams.

Glory can be found living it up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in a quaint (read: run down) house in a newly historic district but still less reputable side of town with her husband/best friend, a miniature dachshund, and one cat who isn’t. The two outside cats came with the house; they are not pets as much as ninjas. Please feel free to email or call on Glory any time, her life could do with a few more interesting people.

Copyright © 2008, Glory Fink
For information about this work, please contact the author at the address set forth below. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce and distribute copies of this work for nonprofit educational purposes, provided that copies are distributed at or below cost, and that the author, source, and copyright notice are included on each copy. This permission is in addition to rights of reproduction granted under Sections 107, 108, and other provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act. Before making any distribution of this work, please contact Glory Fink to ascertain whether you have the current version. Permission inquiries can be made to Glory Fink at copyright@askglory.com.

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College Sex 201

Posted on January 13th, 2008 in College Life, Words / Language / Talk by Glory

College Sex 201
By Glory Fink

Welcome back to school, future college alumni. We are now in a new year, a new semester and new classes. All of you seekers of sensible sexuality have completed the first semester of “College Sex 101: An Incredibly Brief Survey of Sex in America”. So buckle up my eager readers as we delve deeper into specific areas of sensuality, sexuality and all things that will enrich your carnal knowledge in “College Sex 201: Things you should know but are too nervous to look up at the Library.”

First off, every proper course has reading material. College Sex 201 is not exception. After all, you are a college thinker and therefore a seeker of knowledge and truth. This salacious researcher received many gifts over the winter break from friends, family and fans. Some of my notable recommendations include:

The Pop-up Book of Sex by Melcher Media published by Harper Entertainment. This book is a fun and quick read. The illustrated pop ups have moving parts to illustrate various positions with a short written description to guide you. Aside from the occasional nipple, this book doesn’t contain much noteworthy nudity. If it were a movie, its rating would be a “PG-13” for nipple exposure.

Playboy: 50 Years: The Cartoons published by Chronicle Books is a five-pound tome of the best cartoons to grace the pages of Playboy. Over the years, I’ve come across three kinds of people who like Playboy: professional and amateur photographers who value Playboy’s innovative style, people who simply like the “nudies”, and those who actually read the articles, jokes and cartoons. This book is sure to please if you are an erotic cartoon reader or need to gift one. The book contains drawings of women’s breast and nipples and the occasional allusion to pubic hair maintaining the level of decorum set by Huge Hefner in the mid 1950’s. As a movie, it would get a “PG-13” or a soft “R” for sexual situations.

The Kama Sutra Sticker Book published by DK Publishing is really more of a workbook for the reader and partner to follow than simply a book with stickers. This book is intended primarily for couples with a fair amount of flexibility. For the less flexible or older couples, I recommend a yoga class to limber up before attempting some of the positions, such as the “Torrid Tripod” or the “Depth Charger”. This book’s “R” rating is for the explicit positions in the photos and occasionally a nipple but no genitals are shown.

Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices by Brenda Love new edition published by Abacus originally published in 1992 before Wikipedia and Google. In 750 entries, Ms. Love offers the briefest amounts of information necessary to educate. With ready access to the internet Ms. Love’s book isn’t so much an authoritative source as a book to test your sexual breadth and depth of knowledge. Opening the book at random, I read about Maieusiophilia, the arousal some individuals feel around pregnant women. Then, Sitophilia, sexual arousal by food (see article “College a Time to Experiment, 9/7/06) and candaulism which refers to two people having sex while a third watches. Now you and I both know three new words we can use at cocktail parties to sound impressive and diversely educated. This book is a little too much like those B&W educational reels from my childhood; therefore, there is no rating for this book since who in their right mind would go to the movie theater to watch an educational film?

While you might not find these books at the on campus bookstore try the erotica/self help section of your favorite local or online bookstore. Keep your eyes open for other reading materials for us and then send your literary suggestions to ask at askglory.com with “Attention: Glory” in the subject line.

If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

Posted on January 8th, 2008 in 42, Welcome - News - The 411 by Glory

Today has been all about getting situated.

I’m back from our great trip to visit the in-laws in Vermont. Hubby is preparing to be deployed overseas for a few weeks. I’m getting ready for another semester. And we’re back to remodeling/finishing the work that the contractors didn’t finish. Yes, we were screwed by opportunistic Katrina contractors along with everyone else. *sigh*

I’m also mentally ready to get back on track with my plans to improve my health. I rejoined Weight Watchers because when I was actively participating in the WW program I did get over my plateau. (Which was a relief)

I’ve really been struggling to take with a fitness regimen of any kind so I have made some commitments toward that. I’ve signed up for beginner golf, yoga and weight training at the University. Yes, you can get college credit to work out. Woo Hoo! I like yoga, need to learn how to better weight train and have always wanted to learn how to golf. I think taking these as credit courses will sufficiently motivate me to improve my physical activity level.

I’ve also decided to start training for a walk-a-thon. I found several week-by-week marathon walk training programs that look realistic for me and my level of fitness. The local Relay for Life is an event I am going to look into participating. My mother is a two-time cancer survivor and I am keen about raising money and awareness for cancer prevention and diagnosis.

Meanwhile, the furniture rearrangement, improved lighting and organizing of all our “stuff” means that we are that much closer to restarting the podcasts. That is if SiteMonkey will help me with the whole coding/capsulation thing.

TTFN,
Glory

When I grow up, I want to be like Neil Gaiman.

Posted on January 6th, 2008 in 42, Welcome - News - The 411 by Glory

I just finished watching “Stardust.”

When I grow up, I want to be like Neil Gaiman.

Neil Gaiman will fearlessly take daydreams we all have on the edge of where our human minds dare to go and then he will run with it.

Mentally, I can slip into the world of fear and suspense so easily that I have difficulty finding my way out into the light. Neil has no problem not just going into that world of darkness but also setting up shop and building a little cottage of apocrypha as well.

That is why I am more than a little careful before I go on an adventure down the rabbit hold with Mr. Gaiman. He will cheerfully take me to his story’s logical end but sometimes I fear that while Gaiman will make it out of a story of his construct I may get lost within and be forced to live within some insane story about axe murdering Vermont Teddy Bears and then where would I be? Stuck in some crazy story about angry, insane teddy bears, that’s where!

I first found Neil within “Good Omens” and did not just revel but danced more than a few jigs. Ok, I read the delicious book about 4 times before I said enough is enough and that I must move on. Pratchett and Gaiman…if only, again. *sigh*

Then I briefly flirted with the BBC version of “Neverwhere.” It’s…ok. Not stellar but it will more than get you through the day. Like coffee versus heroine.

After that, I’m not sure how I stumbled upon “American Gods” but lo and behold, I was jumped started, again. I even convinced (with out too much cajoling) my very own Shadow and Wednesday to read the book and they became convinced of Gaiman’s ability as well. It was only upon listening to “American Gods” as an audio book and “Two Plays for Voices: Snow Glass Apples & Murder Mysteries” during my student teaching that I realized how dangerous the rabbit hole Neil was beckoning me down truly was. It is for that reason that I am attracted to the story of “Coraline” and yet repelled by it much as a moth is to a flame.

Neil, you are indeed a consummate storyteller and have won my deepest respect as one storyteller to another. You don’t need it but good luck, darling.