(Photos from Getty, AP)  Well, Buble is now off-limits.  Standing next to him in the elevator on Monday made me realize that I need a new Michael Buble for the rule and fast.  Otherwise, I have to really start thinking about my list and make a guy stand up to that, rather than an far-fetched celeb scale...and that doesn't sound like as much fun.

The replacement celebs below needed to fit under the below guidelines:

• Not married, preferably single
• Uberceleb that it would be only a ridiculous chance that I would run into them...but, as seen on Monday, it can totally happen
• At least 5'10''

As you will see below, I definitely have a type.

Apparently, I'm going to be running in the Chicago Marathon this year.  I signed up over lunch, my fate has been sealed.  Running the marathon has been on my list of lifetime to-dos for years now and I've decided to just make it happen in 2010.  I attempted to do it two years ago, but completely wimped out when I realized how much more fun it was to hang with my friends than it was to run.

Reasons why this is an awesome idea:

• The marathon this year is on 10/10/10, which just sounds lucky.
• I can opt out of lame events and blame it on the fact that I have to run all the time.
• There are a lot of really hot guys that run...the fact that I am usually chasing them is irrelevant!
• It'll be like last summer when I traveled through all the Chicago neighborhoods to visit 50 Festivals...except I won't be boozing, eating or generally enjoying myself.
• I love the phrase "I've done it", so much more than "I want to do it."

You are never going to believe this.

Last night, I went to meet my day job client for birthday drinks at ROOF on top of theWit hotel.  She called me earlier that week to tell me Michael Buble was having a private concert at theWit in conjuction with 109 The Mix.  I'm a hardcore Drex in the Morning fan, so I hadn't heard about the promotion until it was far to late to do anything about it.  In either case, she still wanted to have drinks at ROOF.

I wanted to be anywhere else in the whole wide world.  Yeah, he's hot and yeah, he's Michael Buble.  But he's engaged now...off the market.  It's like starving for days and seeing a steak dinner, but not being able to touch it.  He was the last person in the world I wanted to see.

It's February...whether you want to call it a dumb, commercial holiday (read: no one likes you) or the most important day of the relationship year (I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say you love the Jonas Brothers)...Valentine's Day is on its way.  To get your minds headed in the awesome direction, I've pulled together a list of the five best, underestimated forms of pre-action action.

Practice on your guy...or practice on your mirror...no one's judging...

(sxc.hu)

Harry and Sally, Joey and Dawson, Ross and Rachel...can straight guys and girls ever REALLY be "just friends"?  I would like to say yes, as a matter of fact, I would LOVE to say yes.  Most guys that I've dated have had more gal pals than guy friends and it seems easier for me to befriend guys than girls.  So...it really, really sucks that I'm about to make the case that I am.

Yes, you absolutely can be just friends, however, at some point or another, from one side or another, the whole issue of dating/attraction/sex absolutely comes into play.  Men and women have an instinctual desire to hook-up.  The only cases where you are friends are if, a) you're not attracted to them, b) they aren't attracted to you, c) you grew up together and are like siblings.

(sxc.hu) Don't ignore the signs!

I have a big problem.  Now that Michael Buble is engaged, I don't really have anything to measure my attraction to someone against.  While I audition possible fillers, I've come up with a list of five warning signs that mean you shouldn't do the boyfriend/girlfriend thing.

I'm finally emerging out of my loved-up haze from this weekend's double date with two RedEye hotties.  Get jealous, because it was awesome.  In fact, as far as dates go, I should probably just give up.  These two are going to be hard to beat.

 

This is an actual picture of my dad...yes, he looks that scary all of the time...yes, he's pointing at you.

With this date with Stephen Markley of Off The Markley and Elliott Serrano of Geek To Me looming terrifyingly on the horizon, my dad has started to morph back into that guy that all the guy's in high school feared.  He's six feet tall and has a resting face that looks like he may have killed eight people ninja style on the walk from his car to the gym.  He's the kind of dad that is standing in the shadows cracking his knuckles and twirling his six-shooter El Dorado style when I try to introduce a guy to him.

Markley, Elliott and the boys of Chicago, my dad has something he wants to say to you.

As I sit snugly in Starbucks writing my post for tomorrow about boys, dating and fun, I can't help but feel a mixture of extreme gratitude and injustice.  I don't have any updates on what is happening in Haiti and I don't know anyone there.  I do know, however, that life happens suddenly. You will never know exactly what your next 24 hours, or really your next breath, holds. 

• Take the happiness that is given to you.  When you have that moment, completely embrace it.  Don't question it.  Whether or not the next second includes pain, your current one holds peace.
• Don't forget to love unconditionally and without bounds.  Love your dog, love your neighbors, love your parents, love your siblings.  Regardless of what they've done to you or what they'll do tomorrow, you owe it to yourself to love.

My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti.  You are loved.