I’ve MOVED

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My latest “Aha!” moment – I’m going on a fast from advice about FEELINGS

I ² “Aha!” moments.  (which should be read as  “I heart squared” for those of you who don’t speak emoticon. and omgosh – I double ^{2 + extra} that I learned the html code for superscript!!! YAY! )  ANYWAY …

I really do HEART ² squared “Aha!” moments.  It’s like having a dirty window suddenly wiped clean with windex.  And I probably should have been more poetic.  How about this.  It was as if her thick mask of confusion was suddenly whisked away.  A new world was opened and she could see her past mistakes with a sharper clarity than she had dared to hope.  Tomorrow would be different.  Tomorrow she would face the world with a new perspective.  A perspective that would grant her greater freedom to trust herself and arm her with the tools …. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!   just kidding.

But seriously – drama aside – that kinda IS what my “aha!” moment did for me.  And it was ALL thanks to my mom. YAY for moms!  She helped me figure out 2 things.

1. Even though it’s great that I ask for advice and am always looking for better ways to BE, I need to stop.  EVERYONE has a different opinion.  EVERYONE has different advice.  And I will ALWAYS be “wrong” if I’m trying to BE everyone’s ideals at once.

2.  Most of my friends are boys and well …  Mom put it best: “Stop letting boys tell you how to be a girl!”

SO – For the next 36 days I’m going on a fast.  A fast from advice about feelings.  It’s time to stop holding myself to other people’s standards – especially when those standards are from a BOY.  I’m a girl. (no really?) and more than that – I’m ME.  Daisy.  A procrastinating, obsessive over-achiever who is a bit over-zealous, a touch too exuberant, addicted to chocolate and who over-shares and talks a lot.  I’m not perfect.  And I’m an INTENSE person.  I FEEL things intensely.  It’s who I am – it’s part of me.  I can’t be anyone else and I can’t feel anyone else’s feelings.  The only person who can really tell me how I should feel is ME.

And I feel pretty good about that.

“Far far, there’s this little girl, she was praying for something to happen to her.  Everyday she writes words and more words just to spit out the thoughts that keep floating inside.

“How can you stay outside?  There’s a beautiful mess inside.

“Far far, there’s this little girl, she was praying for something good to happen to her. From time to time there are colors and shapes, dazzling her eyes, tickling her hands. They invent her a new world.

“How can you stay outside? There’s a beautiful mess inside.

“Far far there’s this little girl, she was praying for something big to happen to her.  Every night she hears beautiful strange music, it’s everywhere. There’s nowhere to hide.

“Just look at yourself now, deep inside, deeper than you ever dared.
There’s a beautiful mess inside.”

~Yael Naim ~ “Far Far”

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Experience Australia – The Little Things #1 – Tim Tams and The Tim Tam Slam Video

Experience Australia – The Little Things

This Week’s “Experience Australia – The Little Things” (oh btw – did I mention this is going to be a new weekend segment on my blog? ) is probably the reason why Australia is a more obese than the U.S.  [gasp!  Daisy - you didn't just say that!!!  Oh yes I did.  Snap!]  What am I talking about?  The Tim Tam.

Tim Tams, an Australian iconic “biscuit” (aka cookie) is a little fattening devil which is absolutely delightful.  And I believe it’s safe to say you absolutely cannot have an TRUE Australian Experience unless you learn about and TASTE a Tim Tam.  Mmmm.  They even have their own aisle in the supermarket.  No seriously – they do. But they have to!  There are like a bazillion different flavors and each flavor is in high demand.  Who wouldn’t want a Tim Tam?

My favorite flavor is the Tim Tam Crush Toffee Nut flavor.  I them the best. And as you can see in the picture above, the Tim Tam Crush biscuits are a little different.  Instead of having creamy goodness sandwiched between two chocolate biscuits, the crush only has its indulgent taste of heaven on top of ONE biscuit.  Darn my gluten intolerance!  I could have set a world record for gaining the most weight due to a Tim Tam Crush addiction. 

NOW ONTO THE SLAM!!! It’s like WHAT YOU DO with Tim Tams if you’re cool.

Australians feel it is their duty to tell all foreigners about the Tim Tam Slam. From the clerk in the grocery store, to the attendant at the airport who sees you’re taking home Tim Tam souvenirs – EVERYONE stops to tell you about the Tim Tam Slam. Which is why I posted a HOW TO DO THE TIM TAM SLAM video.  And lol on the video – can you tell this was taken REALLY seriously?? And no he wasn’t trying to sound Australian – that’s his “This is dumb and I can’t believe you’re making me do this” voice.

Warm and Fuzzies. :)

Today I had one of those warm fuzzy moments. YAY!!! I am in a class at school with a LOT of people who are learning English by immersion – it’s not their first language.  And then to make things even more difficult, they come from a completely different ideological background (in this case Eastern) and translation … wow – it’s not easy.

I have studied a lot about communication (gee really?) and I’ve made it a point to learn about cultural communication.  One of the kids in my class gave a huge presentation which the teacher and all of the other students misunderstood.  They were coming down on him and giving him criticism for something they had misinterpreted.  Not wanting to overstep my bounds I hesitated to say anything but finally I could take it no longer.  The poor kid!!!  I interrupted.  “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe he’s trying to say …..”   OOOOHHHHHH.

After class the guy was waiting for me outside the room.  “Daisy I wanted to thank you.  You said exactly what I meant.  Thank you for helping them understand me.  You understood me.  Thank you so much.”

Ah.  That made me feel really good!  YAY!

Darn Darn Darn!

I did it AGAIN!  I wrote a post – JUST NOW – and as my cursor was hovering over “publish” I chickened out.  WT-flip?   So yeah … including yesterday (when at the last minute I deleted SOME of it) – I HAVE DONE THIS EVERYDAY THIS WEEK.

I guess the good news is I’ll have a week’s worth of posts for some week when I finally decide I CAN post them.  It’s such a shame.  Today’s post was awesomely terrible in a fabulously nerdtastic way.  I’m doing a PowerPoint Presentation tomorrow and it inspired me to make a CHART for my blog.  LOL!  I can’t believe I did that!!!  And then I was like, “This is sooooo absolutely mortifying that I did this.” So then I wasn’t going to include it – but THEN I was like – omgosh – I already made it – no sense trying to hide what a nerd I am.  So yeah … can you tell I’m pepped up on a peppy detox drink and too much caffeine AND passionfruit gelato (sugar) ??

I hate when things are so current that I REALLY want to talk about them but they’re just a little TOO current to post about. Lame.  Lame-ee, Lame-O – LAME LAME LAME.

So instead of telling you about one of the reasons my head is spinning I’ll tell you this:

I’ve completed 27 of my 101 goals – YAY!  And I’m starting 4 others TODAY.  1. For the next 40 days (not for Lent obviously – but similar to it) I am going to give up a bad habit.  2.  For the next 40 days I will meditate every day.  3.  For the next 14 days (while on this superfantastic detox) I will drink 64oz of water a DAY and 4. Since I can breathe again it’s time to get back into the exercise habit.  5x per weeeeeeek for the next month.

Wish me luck!  This is going to suck.  And btw – wish me luck that I’ll actually fall asleep tonight.  I’m WIRED!

You spin me round – right round – right round

“With all her love of knowledge she had a natural shrinking from raising curtains and looking into unlighted corners.  The love of knowledge coexisted in her mind with the finest capacity for ignorance.”

~The Portrait of a Lady ~Henry James~ (I swear it’s eerie the way I relate to this book.  )

My head is spinning a little today.  In fact it’s been spinning for a few days. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to be exact.  What is UP may actually be down and what is down may actually be sdrawkcab and inside out.  It’s not really one particular thing – though there is one particular thing that seems to be extra swimming around the mad whirlpool of thoughts swirling in my mind – but it’s a multitude of things.  All sorts of things.  Things I really don’t want overflowing in my head!

If you were my mom – here are the signs that would tip you off to things being a bit “off.”

1. I didn’t blog for 2 straight days. And the blogs I DID post this week weren’t the “original posts” for the day.  I couldn’t bring myself to publish those thoughts.
2. I was an hour late to class.  I’m never late to class.
3. I have an ever-growing list of people that I haven’t gotten back to…
4. I washed all of my bedding but didn’t actually put it on my bed – I’m so dumb!  Instead I slept in a mess of sheets.  (This will be changed today however – I’m on a cleaning frenzy – another sign btw.)
5. I started not one but TWO “detox” programs this week.  And the one I started today is so gross but I’m doing it anyway.
6. Last but certainly not least – I am baking today.  Oh yes.  Baking.  And btw – that deserves it’s own post – so I’ll do that tomorrow.  Let’s just say I’m a flippin’ genius.  And now I can officially cross off #1 on Daisy’s New Life Plan. I don’t have to say goodbye to my Presidential dreams after all.
7. Oh just remembered one more.  I only got a 27 out of 30 on this mini-Mensa quiz.  Those who know me will be surprised that I didn’t get a 29.  I knew I wouldn’t get a 30 – but as soon as I hit “submit” I realized my error.  And if I had actually double checked my answers like I would normally do!  Oh well … it was just a mini-test and I didn’t use a calculator or cheat so apparently 27 is still pretty good.

Oh and btw  4 is the number of days I’ve had to go without Skype this week because my wireless connection currently blows.  grr.

When I grow up I want to be (amended.)

So in my “Dreaming Big – when I grow up I want to be” post on August 28, 2008 I explained how once upon a time the only thing I ever wanted to be was the First Female President of The United States of America. I was on track with a B.S. in Argumentation and Decision Making at the age of 21 and an acceptance letter to law school at 22.  BUT THEN I DIDN’T GO!

Blah blah blah – skip to then (August) – I thought my fabulous Peace and Conflict plan was going to help me make a difference in the world and blah blah blah – skip to NOW – I’m in Digital Communication.  I’m pathetic – yeah yeah – I know.   But it’s all good because my “life plan” hasn’t changed.  Here is a copy and paste from the past:

Written August 28, 2008 – still applicable March 27, 2009. 

Here are my NEW goals for what I want to be when I grow up.

1. To learn how to make the yummiest (for REAL yummy not for fake yummy) gluten-free treats. And then after I’ve taken the State Fair by storm and won ALL of the HIGH Blue Ribbons, I’ll move on to publishing my collection of delectable gluten-free dessert recipes. But why stop there? I see a COOKING SHOW in the future.
2. With my new found cooking talents I have no doubt I’ll be an amazing hostess. Move over Martha Stewart! Wait til you see MY cooking/entertaining magazine!
3. And then with my celebrity status I’ll adopt a child and plaster myself over the tabloids. I may even sell my story about the bitter life of being discriminated against as an American in Australia. HAHA!
4. My story will sell wildly and I’ll be offered a book deal to write children’s literature. No Harry Potter’s for me – instead I’ll write about pretty flowers and butterflies.
5. Last but not least, I will have so many connections in so many places that I’ll return to my childhood goal and finally run for President. Hey – it’s entirely possible.

For now – I’ll settle with my newest “When I grow up” goal: Learning to decorate cakes.

When I grow up I want to learn to decorate cakes and present them like this.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  At least I make myself laugh right?

The picture from Flickr by Cupcake Queen.
HWTM’s Blog is where I saw the lovely cupcakes presented.

Back to 2009 – yeah – yeah – I know – it’s pretty sweet.  And thanks to my baking endeavors today I can officially cross off number 1. (well sort of – I can cross of part ONE of number one – but I’m on my way!  )

I’m an explorer/negotiator/builder something-or-other – what are you?

TAKE THE QUIZ YOURSELF

http://www.chemistry.com/whyhimwhyher

Tuesdays are soooo long.  I’m out of the house by 8:00am and don’t get home until after 8:00pm.  What do I do all day?  School.  Gee whiz – super fantastic.  Anyway – at about hour 7 in my school day I got really really bored (I had a break between classes) and I thought – “A QUIZ will relieve my boredom. Hip hip horray!”  But then my conscience got the best of me so I did school research instead of taking mind-numbing quizzes.  HOWEVER – awhile back I took the quiz below and have decided to share my results.

I found the link to the quiz on Empossible in El Paso’s Blog.

This quiz is a trip!

I’m not kidding – it pretty much describes me to a T! So yeah – are you bored?  Will you be bored in the near future?  Do you have a weird obsession for quizzes?  Oh nevermind – just take the quiz anyway!  It’s FUN! 

PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GET IF YOU TAKE THE QUIZ  and for you shy ones – you can always leave an anonymous comment   My results are after the section break.

Daisy you are an…

My Pretty Sucky Essay and the Ugly Dandelion

It’s done!!!  hip-hip-hooray!!  It SUCKED.  Yes it SUCKED.  Big time.  Super big time.  However – it’s done!!! and that means I have more time to do other stuff.  Here’s the link to the sucky glory of my essay (probably DON’T click HERE)  I haven’t proofread it.  honest to death – in fact – I haven’t even read it.  I wrote it – and then sent it WITHOUT reading it. Not a smart thing to do.  But I’m trying to live life on the edge. anyway … it was 1500 words and I resented EVERY SINGLE WORD which is why I haven’t read it over – but my mom said she’d read it – even though she doesn’t want to.

NOW BACK TO LIFE.

I have to tell you that I wrote this super great post for today – and then I sent it to my mom and she LOL-d.  And not because she’s my mom – but because it was funny.  BUT THEN SHE SAID TO NOT POST IT – say what?  Yeah – she thinks it would be best to wait because it’s a little TOO current.  So I’ll wait – ohIdon’tknow – a week.  Yeah – a week.  Maybe next week I can tell you about dumb boys.

In the meantime I should tell you a different story.

ONCE  UPON A TIME (oh this will take forever … remember the story of the ugly duckling?  Substitute a dandelion for the duckling and a daisy for the swan and you’ve got the jist of the story. )  Ok so I just spared you 90% of the story.  WAHOO!!  I’m being economical. 

The part you missed was when this ugly dandelion/tom boy/ NERD was like 10 years old she was diagnosed with asthma.  But it was a hassle and the inhaler WASN’T COOL so she couldn’t be fussed and then FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT!

Fast forward to Daisy time. I went to the Dr. because some days I can jog-it-up left and right and others I feel like I’m going to kill over after 1 minute!  Not cool.  So the Dr. was like, “Hmm – that’s strange.” So he took FOUR vials of blood and gave me a heart x-ray (this was last week) – everything came back normal except he said I need to eat more red meat – and THEN he said, “No one in your family has asthma do they?”

DARN DARN DARN DARN DARN

I smiled.  “Umm … well … I was diagnosed with it when I was like 10 but surely I don’t have it anymore right?“

[long pause.]

Let’s skip the part where he reacted to my news and I felt dumb.  We DEFINITELY can skip that part.

Well anyway … he made me do some dumb breathing test at the lab – which I failed – and now I have an inhaler.  LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME.

But the good news is that I go back in one month to see if my daily treatments help.  I’m hoping he’ll tell me it was all a misunderstanding. Hey – it could happen.  Sure the asthma thing explains a whole lot – but I’m not convinced.  AND if I fail the breathing test AGAIN in a month I can be like “See?  I DON’T have it – I just have poor breathing test technique.”  -IT COULD HAPPEN-

Remix and Intertextuality – My research lead me to this: Freelance Hellraiser – “A Stroke of Genius”

The song “A Stroke of Genius” by Freelance Hellraiser is a combination of “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera and Strokes’ “Hard to Explain.” Oh boy – stroke of genius? YES IT IS! One of the benefits of my degree “Digital Communication and Culture” is that my research includes what’s hip and happening. YAY! This song is old – remixed back in 2001 – so many of you may have already heard it. But it’s new to me and I LOVE it! Listen to it once or twice and all of the sudden you wonder how it wasn’t THIS song on the radio instead of the “Genie” song.Adaptations are never better than the original? I think not.

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