Thursday, May 13, 2010

Let's All Teach Colorblind Kids to Play Twister

You know you have a problem when the colorblind kid beats you at Twister.

It's high school graduation week, and I should be way more nostalgic/excited. But I'm not. I'm really, really not. This afternoon, we had to practice walking out on the field and receiving our diploma and whatnot. Can't I just practice walking to the mailbox when they send it to me?

How far would you go to preserve your youth? Would you go this far? Honestly, I admire his eclectic style and carefree spirit, but what's up with the outfits? Nonetheless, I got a kick out of reading his postings and viewing his pictures.

DB

Saturday, May 8, 2010

AP Test, Work, Charlie, and Mom

I took the AP English test (only the biggest test of my highschool career), and it slaughtered my very existence. Maybe I'm exagerrating; the multiple choice section was not hard at all, but the essays..yikes. Still, I'm pretty sure I passed and got the college hours for it.

Work was sooo crazy today! I got there at 7am and was supposed to get off at 3:30, but I had to stay until 4:30 (wahhh, poor me).

Your mission: greet customers as if your life depends on it. You are the crackhead that gets a buzz from customer service. Think you can handle it?

One of my supervisors (he's one of my favorites, and he's Egyptian. Way cool.) asked me to stand by the door and greet people as they walk in the door. After watching me timidly and passively tell shoppers "good morning," he decided to let me in on a little business success secret.
"Dani, the difference between Walmart1 and Publix is dat at Publix, the employee wants to check you out. Can't wait to help you find what you need. At Walmart, dey don't make you feel welcome. So, when da customer come in, you gonna say, 'Heyyy, how ya doin'?' and 'You find everythin' okay? You like the hungry shark. Ya going in for da kill.'
Me: o.0

Charlie, my dog, is mental. He runs into walls, chases leaves, and gets his head stuck in cups. And yet, he is a really well-tempered dog. In fact, he's the nicest dog we've had.
Mom: "He is such a good dog. I hope we have him a long time before he dies of natural causes."
Ohhh, Mom.

Speaking of which, Happy Mother's Day (tomorrow!). Be sure to call your mother.

DB

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1I've always wanted to try the balloon thing at work to freak out my coworkers. If I ever do, I'll be sure to tell about it on here.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Scholarships and Nostalgia

Favorite song of the moment: Coal War by Joshua James

This morning, my school held a ceremony for scholarship recipients and award-winners. Boringg. But I got three scholarships (and super fly commemorative certificates) and my mom cried because her little girl is graduating from high school. I'm truly not as nostalgic and heartbroken as I thought I'd be. I figured I wouldn't know what to do with myself once they let go of our hands and drop us from helicopters at high altitudes to the "big people" world. But mannn, I'm so ready to get on with life. I didn't invest my entire life into high school, and therefore I'm having an easier transition into the collegiate level education. I start two summer classes in June at the junior college, and then I'm hitting the University. Huzzah.

I need to study for the AP English test, so I'm gonna cut this short (I'm so nervous! It's a nail-biter! ..although I already bite my nails for everything else =/ ).

DB

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Simple Wins

The simple wins in life definitely keep me going these days. The vending machines that spit out two butterfingers at once. Just barely avoiding a red light. Getting a compliment from a complete stranger. Sonic slushies during "happy hour." Finding a funny youtube video.
Speaking of whichhhh (I wish I could say I didn't plan that segway..), here are some youtube vids for your viewing enjoyment:
- They found a kid, beat him up, asked him his name (to which he replied, "Rico"), so they named their band "Whoop Rico." Pretty sure Flogging Molly had a similar experience.
-This is one of the funniest mockumentaries I've ever seen. The Beatles in the year 3000.
I'm sorry if you've already seen those before. I hadn't seen them until recently and thought they were quite amusing, so I took a chance.

DB

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Neon Trees, Ugly Shoes, and Avatar

I think I've found a new favorite band, and you'll never guess where I found it. MTV! Yeah! They have more than just reality shows now! C-c-c-c-crazyy. Listen to the Neon Trees and see if they tickle your fancy, too.
I find it incredibly rude when someone tells me that they think my shoes are ugly, especially when I'm wearing them. I'm loving my Tom's so far, and I will continue to wear them even if someone else finds them repulsive. Just sayin'.
On a litter note, I got Avatar on dvd! I started to watch it with my mom, but after the first hour she got up and said, "I can't take it! I hate this movie."

I was shocked, too.

Hey, I'm not a big sci-fi fan, either, but you can't deny the ingenuity and visual amazingness James Cameron has to offer.

Peace, love, and hugs,

DB

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

It's been far too long since I've posted anything on here. I've just been letting life in 2010 slip by without commentary, which is not to say that 2010 would be lacking any substance without my two cents. I'm just disappointed that I've approached writing as a chore lately and not as an opportunity to share myself with others. If there's one thing that my newest favorite TV series, Bones, has taught me, it's that you (usually) have to open up to others and show your humility and vulnerability before you will be confided in. Bones has also taught me that there is a certain ilk of bugs that eats away the flesh of burn victims so that forensic pathologists can identify the victim's bones. I'll be sure to share stories in which the latter information is relevant and useful.

Back to purpose for writing: By nature, I tend to take a stance of complacency on the issue of making my voice heard. I think, "With the insanely large number of blogs, opinion/advice columns..etc, why would I put my thoughts out there when the fact that at least one other individual has the same opinion as me is nearly guaranteed?" But I'm revolutionizing my thinking. My goal is not to change the world or to have people pining for my every opinion; by putting my thoughts out there I hope to a) find my voice, b) learn to live and commentate life on the rogue side, and c) to induce an "Ah-ha!" moment for at least one reader.

And now for something...completely different.

Tell me, how much do you love Justin Bieber? Do you love him
this much? (It's okay, sweetie, listening to Justin's music makes me cry, too...for different reasons.)

For the past two months I have been searching for the perfect pair of shoes for work. While on the job, I am on my feet for all but twenty minutes, if that, so the perfect shoes have to be comfortable (arch support, no chaffing) and stylish (just because I'm in a hardware store doesn't mean I can't look cute). Tired of tennis shoes, which are miserable to wear on a hot summer's day, I searched for something less bulky for the coming Alabama heat. I drank the Koolaid
(oh yeahhh) and bought a pair of Tom's shoes; they are so much fun to walk in! We'll see if they hold up. And in case you don't know about Tom's shoes, I implore you to check out these eco-friendly shoes that correlate to a great cause that donates shoes to children in need. One for one, baby :]

Yes, I just rambled about shoes.

And that is all for now.

DB

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sky, Park, Air

Another free form written in church. What a heathen.


The sky hovers like spilled ink
Over the park.
His fingers tease her hand
And she grins.
They sit on the bench for hours,
Talking, planning, laughing,
Until he hears a voice
From behind a tree that whispers
Too low for her ears.
Contrite, he lowers his head
And walks away.
The air tonight numbs and pricks,
but she has nowhere else to go.

The sky burns red like licking flames
Against the park.
Another finds her standing alone
Under the magnolia tree.
Without saying a word
He kisses her long and hard
And she counts herself lucky.
They sit on the bench
For a minute or two when he says,
"Thank God for a girl like you
To make me feel happy,"
But even dogs tire of playthings;
Ennui smolders his passion.
He walks away.
The air this evening is thick
And sticks to her arms and legs,
but she has nowhere else to go.

The sky melts gray with ripe clouds
Against the park.
She clasps her hands together,
Looks out to the river
That cuts through the park,
And lets her eyes trace a single wave.
The air today swallows everything
In a dense fog,
But she has nowhere else to go.

She falls asleep on an iron bench
And wakes to find herself
Warmed by a fleece coat spread
Over her body.
She looks up at humble eyes
That match her curiousity with benevolence.
She knows him.
He sits down next to her
On the bench and says,
"Thank God for a girl of God.
Use me to show her Your love
And her worth."
She rests her head on his chest.
The air this morning is ubiquitous as always,
But she'd never know it.