Cheers to 8 Years and a Re-Introduction

8 years ago Monday, I started this little space. It wasn't my first blog- I had a Live Journal when that was a thing (anyone remember that?). And of course Myspace (and a rotating Top 8- I hated that part). For the first 2-ish years, all I really posted was answers to survey questions that I would find. I never told anyone I knew IRL that I blogged, I was private on every social media platform (and still am)- hell, I wouldn't even share my name in the "About Me" on Blogger. It was actually an ex who was the first person I told I had a blog, but he was unimpressed. "Why don't you blog about, like, your life and stuff?" I liked reading about other people's lives, but was unwilling to share much of my own at first. So I started sharing that stuff. More of the happy than the negative, because I don't like dwelling on the negative, and I don't need it poisoning my happy place. I write for myself and always have. I write to hold on to the good stuff and remember, and occasionally look back and see how far I've come. I write to keep myself accountable on goals. Anyway, in the spirit of nostalgia, here's an update of my first ever post: 

1.Who in your life is most likely at any time to be in a state of confusion? Other than myself, my friend Verlisa. 

2. Some people have described nirvana as a state of perfect nothingness. Which of the fifty United States could best be described as a state of perfect nothingness? Parts of OH and PA.  

3.When were you last asked to state your name and address? I honestly don't remember. 

4. How many of the United States have you been in? 20

5. Why does it seem harder to maintain a positive state of mind than to maintain a negative state of mind? 
I think it's because I will keep dwelling on whatever got me in the negative state of mind to begin with. Plus, there are lots of little things that can get you to that negative frame of mind easier than vice versa.
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And because I don't have an "About Me" section and never really did a proper introduction, allow me to re-introduce myself!

My name is Dani and I'm from New Jersey. I have a BA in Psychology which I've never used. I work at a college in NJ in IT as a user support specialist.

One of my nicknames is "Lil Desiqua." It's a compound word/name because I'm half Indian (Desi) and half Puerto Rican ([Bori]-qua). And "lil" because I'm physically small.

The title of my blog is a song lyric from Nelly Furtado's song "Trynna Find A Way": 

"All this inspiration is passing me by
All I can do is chill when I really wanna fly
And this pollution do nothing but dirty up my mind
Faster than forever in the blink of an eye
To see past my lethargy is hard I feign
The beauty of my youth is gone
But the chemicals remain"

I like mini foods, except cupcakes. I don't have much of a sweet tooth. 

I'm not a fan of cooking but I can follow a recipe. I used to like baking, but haven't done it in awhile.

I have a weakness for deep discounts and super sales. I also really love finding the perfect present for friends and family.  

I can't get into any of the real Housewives series or the Bachelor/Bachelorette, but Married at First Sight is my jam. Other (current) favorites include Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Big Bang Theory, Food Network Star, Orange is the New Black, Westworld, and Stranger Things.

I will always get a cheesesteak when going to see the Phillies/Eagles. And yes, I like Philadelphia teams because I got into baseball and football post-college when I was living closer to Philly. 

I despise dark and white chocolate. I prefer milk chocolate when it has something in it (like Snickers, Raisinets, Chunky, Twix) instead of plain chocolate, with the exception of  Hershey Kisses. I also don't like pickles, olives, feta cheese (obviously I'm not headed to Greece anytime soon),... pineapple, oranges, coconut, grapefruit, cauliflower, cabbage, cottage cheese, yogurt, or licorice. 

Cheers to 8 Years! 

What's a fun fact about you? 

[Non] Guilty Pleasures

Today I wanted to share some of my guilty pleasures, but I don't have any. Or rather, I don't actually feel guilty about any of these things I take pleasure in (except maybe liking Joe Dirt, but I can't help that). But I wanted to play along anyway. Of course I also love sleeping in and graphic tees, but don't most people? Here are a few of my personal guilty pleasures. 

Romantic Comedies
I was going to say chick flicks, but that would include sad love stories too, and I'm not a fan of those. The Holiday, Love Actually, Pretty Woman, Sweet Home Alabama,... basically anything with Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, or Cameron Diaz, and... Joe Dirt. I love the movie Joe Dirt. I have no idea why.


Fast Food
GIVE ME ALLLL the Taco Bell, Mickey D's, Wendy's, Popeye's, White Castle and Burger King! Seriously. I probably get drive thru from one of these fine establishments about once a week. It doesn't help that they are all within 5-10 minutes from me! In fact, I can (and have) walked to the nearest Wendy's, which is quite literally around the corner from my apartment. 

Pop music
You guys, I bought myself Britney Spears tickets for my birthday this year. In Las Vegas. The first concert I purchased tickets for was Z100's Zootopia. Yeah, sometimes the songs get overplayed and the lyrics are stupid, but usually they're so upbeat that I don't care. (And don't try to tell me you haven't had "Despacito" stuck in your head at some point this summer!)


War of the Roses
I'm one of those weirdos who stills listens to the radio. Actually, I'm one of those weirdos who actually purchased a new iPod nano (the really old one with the video camera and radio) two years ago when my old one broke and even though Apple stopped making them, I will probably search eBay for the same model if this one breaks. Anyway, this is a cheater's program on KTU that I started listening several years ago when my coworker used to drive me home from work because that's what she listened to. Even though she no longer drives me, I still listen to it every weekday on my commute home. 


Researching/planning
I guess I should be more specific. If I get curious about something, really anything, I will research it until I find a meaning that makes logical sense to me. My latest example would be the last episode of Game of Thrones, when someone mentioned something about an annulled marriage. Except there are too many damn characters in that show, and they all have weird and complicated names. I spent the next 45 minutes looking up family trees, and then who played which characters, so I could figure out who they were talking about and what that meant for the characters involved. 
Another example? I spent approximately 7 hours on Monday looking up "things to do in Las Vegas besides gambling." I do this level of research before every trip, because I want to experience everything possible in whatever small amount of time I'm visiting. I also research best prices on purchases large and small. You'll never find me spending full price when I can find a good deal! 

What are some of your (non) guilty pleasures? 

Tuesday Topics: 7 Places To Visit

When Jenn listed "7 Places You Most Want to Visit" in her Tuesday Topics, I thought it would be a breeze. Man, was I wrong! There are waaaaay more than 7 places I want to visit! So I decided to narrow it down to 7 places within the U.S. And then I found 7 things within those 7 places that I really want to see/eat/do. 

Nashville 

• see a show at the Grand Ole Opry and The Bluebird Cafe (the original- the one from the show is a replica)
• experience honky-tonk and fried bologna sandwiches at Robert's Western World
• southern food: The Pharmacy, Acme Feed and Seed, bonuts (fried biscuit donut holes) @ Biscuit Love, The Loveless Cafe, "meat and three" @ Arnold's, Hattie B's hot chicken
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
• The Nash Trash Tour - comedy show on wheels/driving tour
• Draper James (Reese Witherspoon's store) and Third Man Records (Jack White's Headquarters)
• Nashville Pedal Tavern- basically pub biking instead of crawling, with a group 

PNW (Seattle/Portland)

• Hop in the Spa beer spa
• Space Needle
• breweries + food trucks
• "World's Best" mac n' cheese @ Beechers, the original Starbucks, and the Gum Wall- Pike Place Market
• Voodoo Donut + Stumptown coffee + Salt & Straw (ice cream)
• Portland food trucks
• Powell's City of Books

San Francisco

• drive down Lombard Street and see the Painted Ladies- particularly the "Full House" house
• ride in a cable car
• picnic in Golden Gate Park and see the Golden Gate bridge
• Fisherman's Wharf
• The Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree
• Alcatraz night tour
• check out the Muir Woods- redwood forest

Austin TX

• Shop the funky, eclectic shops on South Congress Ave and wait for the Congress Ave bats
• BBQ in general
• Swim in Hamilton's Pool and float down the San Marcos River
• Friday Night Lights driving tour
• Climb to the top of the Baylor Street Art Wall
• Stubb's BBQ for live music
• The "Cathedral of Junk" 

Chicago

• deep dish @ Pequod's, Chicago dogs @ Superdawg, and Chicago Italian beef at Al's
• The tourist-y stuff: check out the "Bean", Sears Willis Tower, and Navy Pier
• Cubs, Bears, or Blackhawks game
• Fulton Market
• 1893 World Fair tour
• The Shedd Aquarium
• Stand up comedy at Second City- I didn't know stand up comedy was a "thing" Chicago was famous for, but Steph said it is so I'll take her word on it! 

Maine/Vermont area

• try "creemee" and Sugar on Snow at Morse Farm (and buy some syrup)
• check out Paul Bunyan, the world's largest telephone, the world's largest blueberry (the fruit of Maine), and The Fisherman
• Alchemist Brewery, Hill Farmstead, Allagash Brewery, Oxbow Brewing Co, Maine Beer Co. 
• Take a fall foliage drive along Rt. 100
• Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory and Vermont Teddy Bear company
• LL Bean flagship store
• lobster roll at Red's Eats or the Clam Shack

Las Vegas (Going in December!) 

• Britney Spears concert- her run in Vegas is ending at the end of this year! 
• Cirque du Solieil Zumanity show
• Gambling- duh
• Helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon
• Tour of The Neon Museum  and the Mob Museum, ride the High Roller (world's largest observation wheel, check out the Shark Reef Aquarium
• Food- Lotus of Siam (Thai),  The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, breakfast at The Peppermill (where Casino and Showgirls were filmed), In-n-Out Burger (we don't have those here), and dinner at Giada in The Cromwell- her only restaurant!
• Off the Strip- check out Pawn Stars and Henderson, NV for Ethel M's Chocolate Factory (and cacti garden) and a few breweries

What's are your list? 

Have you been to any of these places or have any recommendations for me? 

Linking up with Jenn for Tuesday Topics! 

Tuesday Topics: Favorite Country Songs

I thought I didn't really like country music. I wouldn't say I'm a  big fan, but I do like the more "pop" ones. I just can't do the twangy ones. I mean, they like whiskey, beer, boots, tailgating, and chillin on dirt roads. I love all those things! As I was putting this list together, I realized it was hard to narrow it down to six! But I did, so here ya go. 

In no particular order (except the last one- that's my #1): 

Body Like a Back Road- Sam Hunt

Blake Shelton- Honey Bee

Jake Owen-  Beachin

Carrie Underwood- Before He Cheats

Florida Georgia line ft. Luke Bryan- This Is How We Roll

Sugarland- Stuck Like Glue

Josh Thompson- Beer On The Table

Honorable Mentions: 
Jason Aldean- My Kinda Party
This Kiss- Faith Hill
Shania Twain- Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
Rascal Flatts- What Hurts The Most
I Run to You- Lady Antebellum

Do you like country music? What's your favorite one? 

Linking up with Quirky Pickings!

Show Us Your Books: July

Everything Changes- Jonathan Tropper: 4 Stars
Read if you like  dark humor, dysfunctional families, dramedies, and having to look up words
own, paperback

Tropper has a way of creating characters where even when their situation is completely different than your own, you can feel for them and understand them. Zack had this perfect little life but wasn't really happy in any part of it since his best friend died. Then his absentee father comes back into his life and shakes things up (sometimes literally). I didn't even want to like the raucous father, but I did and I fell for his lies right along with Zack. But he was necessary in helping Zack break out of his shiftless cycle.

I already knew I liked Tropper's writing style (witty and sarcastic, yet poignant). I liked this one far better than This Is Where I Leave You (the only other Tropper book I've read thus far). Sidenote: I had to look up quite a few words in this book- does anyone else do that? I decided to make a list so I wouldn't forget. 

avuncular- relating to an uncle; relating to the relationship between men and their siblings' children

excoriate- censure or criticize severely

copacetic- in excellent order

soupcons- a very small quantity of something

schadenfreude- pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune

Memorex Man-

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. - Samantha Irby: 4.5 Stars
Read if you like humorous short stories, memoirs, cursing, sex and sexuality
library paperback

I really dislike it when other authors that I like put their review on a book I'm currently reading that say things like "side splittingly funny! A must read!" because I feel like it's a challenge or dare. I'm like "Ok woman, make me laugh." Well, she did. A LOT. Though she often pokes fun at herself, she did so in a way that was relatable (I mean, I fear dying alone in my messy apartment for fear of judgement too, girl. I feel ya).  Even her checklist for compatibility was spot-on: 

Loses a half star for one essay that  left me gagging in disgust and another one that broke my Grinchy little heart. Just know going in that there are some graphic sex scenes with both sexes, and more than a sprinkling of f-bombs.

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Erin's 7.0 Book Challenge updates: I changed my pick for "Published in 2017" AND "Animal on the cover" because I was #21 on the wait-list for the Irby book, but I got it much sooner than expected. While I was waiting, I started Let's Pretend This Never Happened because I found it on my bookshelf.  Here's the updated reading list:

|5 points| Freebie: Some Girls Are- Courtney Summers
|10 points| Starts w/ “B”: Beautiful Ruins- Jess Walters
|10 points| Yellow cover: Everything Changes- Jonathan Tropper (currently reading)
|15 points| An animal on the cover: Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by The Blogess aka Jenny Lawson (currently reading)
|20 points| Published in 2017: We Are Never Meeting In Real Life. - Samantha Irby
|20 points| Compass/cardinal direction in title: East, West- Salman Rushdie
|25 points| A most commonly banned book in America: Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging- Louise Rennison
|30 points| About mental illness: Everything Everything- Nicola Yoon
|30 points| Non-human main character: I Am The Messenger- Markus Zusak
|35 points| A Disney movie /book/ based on a Disney movie: Holes- Louis Sacharn OR The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe- C.S. Lewis

What are you reading this month?

Linking up with Steph and Jana! 

TBB Asks: Summer Edition

I just spotted this on Marie's blog and wanted to play along! I actually had a "summer favorites" type post in drafts, but this was even easier, which is perfect for a Monday. Here are some of my favorite things with questions courtesy of The Blended Blog. 

1) Pool, lake, or ocean?
Pool. I like going to the beach, but not going in the ocean, unless I'm on an island with crystal clear waters and I can actually see what's going on underneath!

2) Camping, cottage, or hotel?

Hotel.

3) Favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate chip mint... or pumpkin in the fall. 

4) PJ's, Nightgown, T-Shirt/Shorts or Birthday Suit?
T-shirt and shorts


5) Fave Summer Beverage?
Iced tea


6) Would you rather be hot or cold?
Hot! I can't stand being cold!


7) Sandals with heels or flats?
Flats


8) Shorts or skirts?
Shorts. These firework shorts that I got from Old Navy last year are my favorite!

9) Sit in the sun or the shade?
Sun until I overheat, and then some shade.


10) Water, Tea, or Soda?
(Iced) Tea


11) Fave Summer fruit or vegetable?
Tomatoes or roasted bell peppers

12) Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset

13) Winery or Brewery?
Oooh... both! Though I've been leaning towards breweries/brew fests more this year!

14) Big summer concert or music in the park?
Big summer concert


15) Fave cookout food?
Potato salad or shrimp kabobs


16) Dine indoors or outdoors?
Indoors. I'm a slow eater so my food always gets colder faster when I eat outside. Also, I overheat easily when I'm eating. I know it's weird.


17) Fave summer destination?
DTS (Down the shore aka at the beach for all those not from NJ)! Especially Asbury Park and Pt. Pleasant

18) Big theme park or local carnival?
Local carnival


19) Drinks blended or on the rocks?
Blended. 

20) Hot Dog or Hamburger?
Hot dog, preferably with chili and cheese. 

What are some of your favorite summer things? 

What's New With Me: July

July is always my favorite month, because I love summer, and July feels like the summer-iest. And because Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. However, I've been a little bummed out lately. I had to sell my tickets to 2 concerts that I really wanted to go to, and just ate the cost of another one due to heavy rain. I've been wanting to go to see the hot air balloon festival since last year (when it got rained out), and while I was able to attend this year, they weren't able to fly the balloons due to high winds. (However, they DID fly the day before AND after... just not the day I was there.)

Really I should just be happy I was able to sell instead of whine about how I didn't get to go. And that even though they didn't fly the balloons, I did get to see and hear Pat Benatar perform live and she still sounds amazing. I had a great time at the beach with friends and enjoyed a brunch with other friends that I haven't seen in months. I was able to break even playing penny slots at the casinos in Atlantic City for Blue's birthday last weekend. 

Yes, I think that last one is my favorite. 

I obviously need to readjust my perspective. Especially since I just realized that I've almost completed my summer bucket list already! 

Summer Bucket List

Go Camping/river tubing- DONE!

Check out Brew at the Zoo: Yup!

Attend a Phillies game: Yes, and they lost! Boooo!

Attend at least 2 concerts (tickets purchased!): Saw 3! U2, Train and Pat Benatar!

Participate in Erin's 7.0 Book Challenge (7/1-10/31): 2/10 complete, working on 2 more

Visit the NJ State Fair: No, because there was a shooting on the first day and after that I didn't want to go. 

Go sailing: Check!
Go to the beach at least 3 times: Went twice and #3 is scheduled for mid-month!



Complete at least 5 goals from my 101 list: Totally forgot about this... time to get on it!  

Attend at least one food festival: Planned for next week!

Watch fireworks: yes, on the 4th of July and last weekend at the balloon festival!
Complete the 30-Day De-Clutter Challenge: Didn't do it in 30 consecutive days, but I did it!

What's new with you?