TBB Asks: Back to School Edition

It's time for another "the Blended Blog Asks!" I saw this going around last week, but I'm late to the party. There were originally 27 questions, but that seemed like too many, so I cut it down to the 20 I liked.

1) Did you love school or hate it? 

Loved it! I was a super nerd. 

2) Start school before or after Labor Day?
I think it started after Labor Day? It was a long time ago! 

3) Wake up: eager beaver or slow poke?
Super slow poke, which hasn't changed lol. 

4) Favorite breakfast?
I was never a big fan of breakfast, but I remember Pop-Tarts and cereal. 

5) Favorite cereal?
Cocoa Krispies, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Honey Nut Cheerios. Same as now!

6) New outfit on first day of school or no?
Of COURSE! My mom would take me shopping and for a mani and haircut every year until I could drive (and then she'd still "sponsor" my back to school shopping!). It was a bonding thing for us. I remember checking out magazines to see what was "in" and I'd have my first day outfit picked out days in advance.

7) Walk to school or take the bus?
In middle school I took the bus. In high school my mom would drive me and I'd walk home, until I could drive halfway through my junior year. 

8) Backpack, tote, or messenger bag?
Backpack (had to be Jansport!) until high school, when I moved on to a messenger bag.

9) Eat school lunch or pack lunch?
Packed lunch until high school, when it depended on what the specials were. Pizza and cheesesteak (which was more like Steak-Ums) were my favorites. 

This was called the PV: plain bagel with cream cheese and Doritos.
Still a favorite!

10) Remember the little milk cartons? White or chocolate?
Who doesn't? Chocolate all the way!

11) Favorite back to school item?
Notebooks- I preferred 5-Star 5 subject college ruled- and writing utensils.

12) Homework as soon as you got home or after dinner?
ASAP. Always. 

13) Favorite after school snack?
After school I usually had sports practice, so I'd bring something fast, easy, and healthy. When I didn't have practice, I'd go to a babysitter and then the after school program at the local recreation center when that was established. So I'd eat whatever they prepared, usually healthy snacks. In high school I just went home so I'd eat whatever was around. 

tennis team

14) Favorite subject in school?
English and Social Studies/History. And gym. I'd rock those Presidential tests!

15) Least favorite school subject?
Calculus and Physics. 

16) Name of your best friend in high school?
I had two- Kristen and Tracie. I hardly speak to either of them now. 

high school musical with Kristen- senior year

with Tracie, sometime right after high school

17) High school mascot type?
Hornets.

Hornet Player of the Week

18) Favorite year in school?
Oooh, Junior year- I went on a class trip around Europe and got my license and a (used) car.

19) Class ring or no class ring?
Class ring. The center stone is my birthstone, grad year on one side and tennis racquet on the other. And my signature on the inside.

20) Attend or not attend high school reunion?
Hell no. Whoever I was friends with I just follow on FB. If I wanted a high school reunion, I could just go over a few towns to the watering hole- they're all still there! (I just ran into my old cheerleading and softball coaches recently!)

What was your favorite thing about back to school season?

What's New With Me/Currently

Reading: I Am The Messenger by Markus Zuzak

Watching:  movies for the Fall Film Challenge! So far I've watched Beauty and the Beast, The Magnificent Seven, John Wick, Passengers, Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Golden Compass, and Real Genius. Next up, I'm thinking The Jungle Book (2016). 

Listening to:  Feel It Still- Portugal. The Man. Have you ever listened to a commercial and thought I NEED to know that song? That's what got me hooked on this one! It's currently on a Vitamin Water commercial. 

The Afghan Whigs- You Want Love

And NEW Kelly Clarkson! Love So Soft-

Eating: BBQ. Lots of it! 

1 lb. pulled pork, 1 lb. of brisket, a full rack of baby back ribs,
a bunch of chicken wings, 4 sides and 4 pcs. cornbread

Celebrating: my friend who recently got a divorce and is finally moving out. 

Welcoming: fall weather. Just kidding- I'm not ready! World Market and Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! stores are opening in my area though, so I'm pretty excited for that. I love the stuff at World Market but never wanted to pay for shipping. 

Preparing: for our annual Halloween party! We already decided on a theme and have parts of our costumes, and we'll be sending out Save the Dates this weekend!

Can you guess our costumes?

Buying: fall staples. My boots fell apart at the end of last year and I need more cardigans. I used to get them at Old Navy, but I can't find them there anymore. Help!

Photographing: what I've been up to lately. Last Thursday Blue and I headed to the NY Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles pre-season game. It was awesome because we got seats 10 rows from the end zone for $25, but terrible because all the players were second (or third) string and it was a shitty game. The last time we went to an NFL game we weren't even together yet, it was Giants vs. Eagles, and it was FREEZING cold. I loved that it was actually warm out but just like last time, my Eagles lost :( 

So close!

On Friday we decided to clean house on Blue's liquor shelves. Kidding, kind of. Each of those bottles only had about 2 shots in them. 

whiskey gingers

Saturday we met up with some friends to go check out Defiant Brewing Co. and Smokehouse in Pearl River, NY. The food (pictured above) was delicious, the beers were cold, and the company was awesome. After that, we did some bar hopping in the area. I actually don't remember the last time I went bar hopping, and I paid for it dearly the next day! 

Pre- meat sweats

I've lost my pool shark chops. 

Sunday was a straight up recovery day. We watched a lot of movies, ate a lot of pasta, and rehydrated. On Monday, we headed over to Blue's sister's house. She was super excited for beefsteak. I've actually never had it before, and OMG. Thinly sliced, perfectly grilled steak on fresh French bread with warmed butter drizzled on top. HOW HAVE I NEVER HAD THIS?! I ate it all so fast I didn't get a picture. Maybe next time. We also got assaulted loved on by her dogs. Bella Marie thinks she's a lap dog. 

Where is your favorite place to purchase cardigans? 

What's currently going on with you? 

Linking up with Anne, Lowanda, Kristen, and Gretch! 

September Goals

I had been participating in seasonal goals with Steph, but I think that has come to an end. Just as well since I've decided to go back to monthly goals after my summer of fun. Time to get back to business and get shit done. Here's what I've got lined up for September. 

• Continue reading for  Erin's 7.0 Book Challenge (7/1-10/31)
• upload and organize photos from my phone

• Organize music on computer

• Try 5 new recipes

• get screen door fixed (for real this time! This has been on my list for approx a year!)

• research credit card options

• sign up for a credit card

• schedule a Veterans pick-up

• Poshmark: set up mannequin, take pics, sell $100 (keeping this low so it's easier to accomplish, but more would be better!) 
• Participate in Jenn's Fall Film Challenge- would you like to join? Make sure to check out the FB group! Here are my picks! 

one. starring anthony hopkins. Thor: The Dark World
two. listed on nathan bransford's best hundred movies challenge. Manhattanthree. about charity: an organization, an individual, a cause, an act... interpret this as you will. The Way, Way Back
four. starring robert downey, jr. Zodiac
five. about envy: a character, a plot device... use your imagination. Envy
six. about faith. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
seven. about greed. Wall Street
eight. about hope. Rudy
nine. starring jeremy irons. Beautiful Creatures
ten. about justice. Lila and Eve
eleven. starring kevin bacon. Sleepers
twelve. about lust. Y Tu Mama Tambien
thirteen. starring ian mckellen. Mr. Holmes
fourteen. set in a castle. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
fifteen. about fortitude. Unbreakable
sixteen. about pride. Boogie Nights
seventeen. starring alan rickman. Alice Through The Looking Glass
eighteen. released last year and reviewed on slothsandmovies.com. The Magnificent Seven
nineteen. about temperance. Coraline
twenty. about prudence. Driving Miss Daisy
twenty-one. starring val kilmer. Real Geniuses
twenty-two. about wrath. John Wick
twenty-three. set in an exotic locale. The Jungle Book (2016)
twenty-four. about gluttony. The Bling Ring
twenty-five. set in space. Passengers

What are your current goals? 

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.
---------------------------------------------------------

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!