Dog #2 watches Codename Dance … and she LOVES it!!

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

If you know anything about Dog #2 – you know she LOVES to watch TV, Movies, Skype etc. I think she was a film critic in another life.

Oh and I forgot to mention that I told Homeslice that I thought it would be best if we were no longer friends. I realize how that sounds (betch!!) but I assure you that I did it calmly and it was not an impulsive emotional decision (wait whaa??). I wasn’t angry, sad, hurt etc. when I told him. I think very highly of Homeslice (even though I call him a double douche jerkturd). HAHA! As strange as it sounds (weirdo!) I can look at Homeslice and see everything wonderful that he did for me and COMPLETELY appreciate it and also feel like he was a bit of a douche to me in some areas. NOBODY’S PERFECT!!! I wasn’t a spoonful of sugar to him all of the time either! (ooooh – a bitter betch!)

Homeslice is in the middle of a fierce battle between his heart/values and his current actions. And until he lines those up – I’m not sure I can trust him. I won’t go into specifics but imagine you have a friend who convinced you she was ProChoice. 100% straight up. And then you find out that she’s been going to ProLife Rallies. Well – people can change their minds – that’s totally fine. But what if this wasn’t a “change of heart”? What if she kept actively participating in ProLife Rallies but continued to swear to you that in her heart she was ProChoice?

Homeslice and I have never even discussed ProAnything but I think it is the perfect example. He needs to get his actions in line with his heart or admit that his heart has changed. I don’t care which – truly. But I’ve dated too many men who lacked integrity of thought and action that even though we’re not dating, it’s still acts as a “trigger” to me.

And back to the title of this post? Here is the song Codename was dancing to: Barbra Steisand by Duck Sauce

Riverside by Agnes Obel – haunting, captivating… oh and Homeslice helped

Posted on May 5, 2012 by admin

I talked to Homeslice today. His call was perfect timing. So much on my mind – TOO much on my mind. He keeps accidentally rescuing me.

He gets me. He sees the way I work. He can follow my trains of thought and he knows where I’ll go with them, mostly. This would be great and fantastic and all but you’re not supposed to stay friends with former teammates – ESPECIALLY ones with bipolar baseball disorder!! BUT his heart appears to be bigger than the DOUCHE rooted deep in his psyche, so I’ve decided to accept and acknowledge he’s a douche, straight up jerkturd. HOWEVER he is a VERY good friend. In fact he’s pretty much my best friend – so as a bestie he will remain.

Tonight he accidentally helped me by suggesting, in absolute outrageousness, that I give up my dogs. And no he wasn’t joking.

I gasped in shock – I couldn’t help it. WTF was he thinking?

These girls are my life! And I quite frankly owe them my life. I thought I was rescuing THEM but learned quickly it was them who rescued me.

PLUS I love them so much I gave up my pride just so that we could stay together. Yes – that’s right. I moved HOME because although I can afford to live on my own – I can’t afford to live in a place where they would have a nice yard and be comfortable. I wouldn’t trust roommates with my dogs and they are just too big for apartment living. :-/

I got choked up (something I VERY rarely do) as I was telling Homeslice giving up my dogs was NOT an option. I made a commitment when I adopted these girls that I would take care of them for as long as they live.

Sure, they COULD be “happy” anywhere but NO ONE can ever take my place in their hearts. They love lots of people – but they are bonded to me. And even though I lived away from them for almost 2 years and they were loved, adored, and cared for while I was gone – they never latched onto their new caretakers the way they did and still DO to me.

And that’s when I realized/remembered that even if I feel like I am a little lost, struggling to find purpose, can’t find my direction and even if I feel hopeless. I DO have a reason to keep on kicking. If it is not a possibility in my mind to give them up because NO ONE will be as good for them as I am – how could I possibly force them to give ME up? How could I do something which would cause them to lose me?

I’ve had a tougher life than I like to admit. Sometimes the idea of living even just to senior citizen status scares me. It just feels like more than I want to bear! And I don’t see a point. However, if I set aside “forever” and just focus on sticking around for a few more years (while they grow to old age), THAT I can manage. THAT isn’t intimidating. It’s just a few years. Time flies. And who knows – maybe in a few years I’ll have a new outlook on life.

Homeslice turns K. Pete into a Grumpster

Posted on May 3, 2012 by admin

I keep telling myself I’m going to start blogging again. like for REALZ blogging. like do it on a regular basis like I used to blogging. And then I think about all of the back story, the new people, the __fill in the blank with whatever word delights you__, and it OVERWHELMS ME! AH! where do I begin?

So I’m just going to start with today, right now, this moment. I’m here (you don’t say…) and although I still have all of the YAY HAPPY PEPPY RAINBOWS AND BUTTERFLIES AND TWINKLY WHITE LIGHTS STRUNG IN PRETTY BLOOMING TREES in me – I ALSO have, at least in this particular moment, a grumpster inside.

OOOH K.Pete!! What’s a grumpster? asks the wild looking child who probably should be named Chin or Inch (INner CHild) but who is ACTUALLY called, at least for now, InchChin.

Oh my good gracious sweet heavenly angels. We need a better picture of InchChin because THAT is not a good one.

ANYWAY Good question InchChin. *teacher-ish smile* A grumpster is a mix between a plain old grump and a grump who likes to make up cool words LIKE “grumpster”, which could be a cross between hipster and grump OR dumpster and grump – either would apply to me *wink wink* but, at least in this post, it’s probably the latter because dumpsters hold trash and the grumps talk trash and I’m packing some trash talking baggage around. (oh and it’s FUN to say) *BRILLIANT!*

So where were we? Oh yes. My dichotomy. Let’s not focus on that too much, let’s just accept it and get down to the nitty gritty. This might have been (which means it WAS) the theme of my day today: “I know we’re not dating but whenever I see someone else flirting with you, I want to shoot them in the face.”

*SHOCKED LOOK*

Welllllllllll what can I say? A guy I didn’t think I was dating but who I was diggin’ on a little and who I was playing baseball with EXPRESSLY told me that we WERE indeed dating. Wait – whaaa???? the week before that he said we were JUST FRIENDS W/BENEFI*cough*playing baseball. But now we’re DATING?? His bipolar baseball disorder sent my head spinning, spinning, spinn – BAM! GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? you’ll never guess.

He was like “haha – it was OPPOSITE DAY when I said we were dating so let’s stop playing baseball and just be friends.” HAHA! Nice hit Homeslice!! You just scored a DOUBLE DOUCHE.

*and don’t judge, judge-y pants – it’s not what you think cuz I live in MoMo land and around HERE wearing a tube top is almost like wearing a scarlet letter so playing baseball is probably not what you think*

ANYWAY- Homeslice invited Coach (a girlfriend of mine) and ME! to a lil weekend MoMoHo weekend party getaway but because of a lot of OTHER back story that we’re skipping I wasn’t feeling the weekend getaway.

And when he asked me TODAY if I was going to go I was like, “Umm no”. and I couldn’t figure out why he was trying to convince me to go. Cuz like seriously? did he think I would take great satisfaction in watching him flirt with other girls or maybe he thought I’d consider myself oh so fortunate to be eye candy – omgosh…

That’s when it occurred to me – HE WANTED COACH AND ME AS MOMOHO STRIPPERS! (which means NOT STRIPPERS AT ALL but just two hot girls who are a lil crazy and as such provide entertainment and make it more fun for the guys there.) SICK! GAG! Homeslice you’re a DOUCHE! Especially because when I called you out on it you didn’t deny it. *extra evil glare*

Well Homeslice – THIS JUST IN! Coach said to tell you that we’d reconsider if you want to pay us an hourly rate.

Here’s my pic of the day:

That’s Codename and ME. We’re grabbing a little food-age. I cheated and ate gluten-full FRENCH TOAST STICKS and the rest of the day I envisioned the damage they were doing to my trying to get ready for bikini season body. Eh – whatevs.

In other news, last night I hung out with a really cool guy that I thought for SURE wouldn’t want to hang out with me again after he got a lil dose of k.pete ideology … but he did – so we did! AAAANNNDDDD we went on a hike/walk with my dogs which makes him radical.

Until the next post…

~K. Pete

Jerkturd. I know you are but what am I?

Posted on March 12, 2012 by admin

Papa Pete regularly asks for numbers. “What are the rankings today K.?” Despite this becoming a regular question, I still usually look a little dumbfounded at first. Rankings? For what? For my life? Well that’s standing pretty steady at 7734. And if you don’t know what that means – go type it into an old school calculator, flip that calculator upside down and see what you get.

It’s MAGIC!!

OOOHHH!!! Silly me. Papa Pete wasn’t talking about magical calculator tricks. He was talking about VIP Cootie Cardholders.

Say wha?!? Oh come on – you didn’t *actually* think I’d be rollin’ (in the deep) with just any guy with cooties, did you? HAHAHA! That deserves a congratulatory slap on the back! Please give yourself one from me because THAT was funny!! Only certified VIP Cootie *cardholders* for ME baby!! HA!

Roll big or roll on home is what I always used to say (and by that I mean I said it once and just now realized I should NEVER say it again.)

AAANNNYYYWAAAYYYY I’m jumping the gun (CHEATER!!) and giving Papa Pete the rankings before he even has a chance to ask.

He ranks in at a solid 2 today. And I don’t mean 2 as in second place. I mean he ranks # (which right now means number not hashtag) 2. Like as in A #2. OOORRRR as the Dr. who traumatized me when I was 8 by asking about my #2 poo poos were – I mean he ranks at 2 as in #2.

poo poo.

“Do you go #2 poo poo?“ The Dr. asked me.

I stare at him, speechless. and think, “doesn’t everyone?”

“Do you know what #2 is?”

“Yes.”

“#2 is not pee pee. It’s poo poo.”

Me: still staring. still speechless. Now super embarrassed and uncomfortable. I had JUST said “yes”!!!!

“So do you? Do you go #2 poo poo?”

“Yes.” *squirm*

“Do you need to go #2 poo poo right now?”

“No.”

“How often do you go #2 poo poo? Do you #2 poo poo every day? It is very important to #2 poo poo every day. We might need a #2 poo poo sample.”

Now I’m terrified. He said WHAT??

He keeps going, ”Do you think you could try and go now? Maybe if you just go sit on the potty you’ll be able to #2 poo poo and we can get a little sample to do some tests.”

I’m close to tears. What kind of Dr. is this??!?!?! He wants to look at my poo?

SOOOOooo now that I’ve shared what made it so that I NEVER wanted to go to the Dr. about a tummy ache again – EVER… let’s move on to my new word of the day. (which I just invented IN MY MIND – right now.)

Jerkturd

oh yes. It’s PERFECT!

~K. Pete

Stress Kills, Fight Back: Distract Yourself with Mad Skillz

Posted on October 24, 2011 by admin

SOMETIMES – after I’ve just downloaded some GREAT music (“We found love“, “Mr. Saxobeat“, “Good Feeling“, and the new David Guetta Album, which btw – the we found love music video is depressing so I just linked the audio) – and I’ve been dancing around in my room to my new music – and I’m about to write a blog – I get this crazy urge to like do a BlaVlaLog. Which in MY head is the equivalent of my being able to TYPE the way I’d SAY something so that you could alll benefit from the FULL… umm… welll… the full YAY!! that is in my head right now. YAY! :) SMILE!

But since I don’t really want to VLOG and BlaVlaLogging is something I made up (in my head) let’s just all be aware that everything I’m writing tonight should be read LIKE it’s pepped up on caffeine but it ISN’T because this high? It’s au naturale.

hahahaha. I smile every time I see that picture. That’s Duchess, my dog. She pretty much loves the park. SPEAKING OF WHICH!! The PARK is a GREAT distraction from dwelling on stuff you can’t change.

So is looking at that picture. In fact, maybe you should look at it again.

K cool – we have that settled now. Let’s dive right back into Distraction Techniques.

No – wait. Let’s do a quick recap. WHY are we talking about this? Because sometimes we get overwhelmed with stress and when THAT happens? We usually cope with stress by using self-defeating behaviors. Blog One was Common but Self-Defeating Stress Coping Mechanisms. Then we discussed Radical Acceptance in Blog Two and explained that the FIRST tool in fighting stress is acceptance. Once we get the gist of acceptance we can start distracting – which brings us to today. MAD DISTRACTION SKILLZ. YAY!

Mad Distraction Skillz #1 – Stop being self-centered!

I don’t know that much needs to be said about this one. If you serve others and put others first – you won’t have time to dwell on your own stress. It is kinda that simple. BUT let’s delve a little deeper.

Do Service
People Watch (observe as many details as possible so you have no time to think of anything else. AND if you’re like my brother … you might sneak a camera phone pic of some fashion faux pas awesomeness and send it to a friend – you’ll both laugh and hopefully feel a little guilty for being kind of mean – but still laugh.) Or you could be like the people of “People of Walmart” and take pics like the one below. Aaaannnnddddd Please Bless I don’t go to Hades for posting this. YAY!

Go on a quest to take a GREAT picture of a Fanny Pack!!! Double points if you get TWO fanny packs in one pic and TRIPLE points if you manage to get YOURSELF in the pic with a fanny pack. OH!!!! And one billion ga-jallion points if you email the picture to moi. :)

(please extra please bless I don’t get sent to H.E.double hockey sticks for these.)

Think of someone you care about.
Keep pictures of people you care about around where you can see them and then LOOK at them when you’re SpIraLinG.

Mad Distraction Skillz #2 – Change your thoughts!!

This one is SOOOOoooooOOOO much easier said than done. But being AWARE of your thoughts and AWARE that you CAN change them gives you power.

YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS

This doesn’t mean you can change the way you feel!!! This also doesn’t mean you are going to forget. We can’t always CONTROL our thoughts. It’s not even worth trying. But we can DIRECT and CHANGE our thoughts. We can distract ourselves.

This concept is SO important that we will have a blog JUST on thought patterns. I’ve read a few books that focus on this specifically and it’s SO WORTH giving it some extra attention. But for NOW? When you feel yourself thinking about things that can’t be changed – TELL YOURSELF NO. Be aware. Think of something else … for example:

Remember things that were fun. Maybe a specific event where you couldn’t stop smiling. Remember that feeling. Remember what made you laugh. Remember as many details as you possibly can. (don’t get side tracked remembering that things might not be as good NOW as they were THEN.)
Find something lovely outside and FOCUS on it. Look at every detail BE CURIOUS.
IMAGINE! FANTASIZE! You’re a superhero – who are you going to save? What has your super villain arch enemy done THIS time?
OR imagine you just won the lotto – what do you buy first?
Pray
Do something on the Really Long List of Things To Do
Tell yourself No again – and then remember something happy – remember the FEELING
Watch this video because it’s SO FUNNY

Create a distraction plan.

Mad Distraction Skillz #3: Create a Distraction Plan

Is there something on your plate or in your life that overwhelms you? Be aware of it. Decide NOW that the next time you feel yourself dwelling or spiraling because of this issue that you WILL do _________. It doesn’t matter which technique you try. Just pick one and try it!!

Mad Distraction Skillz #4: LEAVE

Don’t run away from your problems but be aware when walking away from the situation until you can clear your head might be best. If the situation involves another person, relationship guides suggest you tell the person you are going to clear your head for X amount of minutes and give them a time frame for when you will come back and discuss things.

Mad Distraction Skillz #5: Whistle While You Work

When life gets overwhelming, sometimes we let daily tasks fall behind. It’s not that we WANT our sink to fill up with dishes, or to look in the mirror and realize it’s been WAY too long since our last eyebrow wax – but sometimes it happens. Crossing off tasks from your to do list is AWESOME. And cleaning can be cathartic. AND sometimes if you attack dirt and grime and come out the WINNER? It feels GREAT!

Clean your car
Pull weeds
Vacuum
Clean the kitchen
Wash blinds
Reorganize a shelf (any shelf)
Reorganize anything
Rearrange furniture
Get rid of old stuff
Color coordinate your closet
SCRUB the bathroom til it SpArKleS
Clean the garage
Sweep
Mop
Get the haircut/wax/manicure you need
Treat yourself to a massage
Wash your car
Mow the lawn
LAUNDRY
Homework?
Extra assignment from work?
Clean your jewelry/watches/shoes
Cook – then CLEAN up afterwards
Pay that stack of bills
Respond to emails
EXERCISE
Take your dogs to the park because you’ve promised them every single day that you’d go and every single day you don’t end up going… wait… haha – you don’t have to do that one. That one was just for me.

Mad Distraction Skills #6: Count Dracula

Ok so SOME of the ideas in this blog come straight from my book – and nooooo not most of them – just some of them. And Counting? That is DEFINITELY one of the book’s suggestions. BBBUUUUTTTT maybe it works! If it sounds dumb? Try watching this youtube video first. hahahahaha. And maybe remember while you watch it that it’s SO easy to misinterpret people and maybe a recent conversation that upset you deserves another look. Did you give the person the benefit of the doubt? Did you ask them to clarify? Did you repeat what you “heard” back to them? If not – maybe you should. (and yes THAT stuff was all me – not the book.) haha – I amuse myself.

Back to the “counting” suggestion.

Count your breaths – breathe slowly.
Count anything. The cars passing by, the people you see, how many letter Ts are in this blog…
Count in increments of 7. Go up or down the number line.

Yep – I’ve got nothing to add to that one … soo….. back to number #3.

CREATE A DISTRACTION PLAN

What are you willing to try? Decide now and do it next time.

Refer back to the HUMONGOUS list of things to do if you want more ideas.

And next time? We’ll cover relaxing yourself to fight anxiety.

A new breed of exercise: Water Aerobics ;) & have you seen Barbie’s Wedding pics?

Posted on August 26, 2011 by admin

Be honest – when you read the title “Water Aerobics” did you think of old ladies?

Or maybe the word LAZY popped into your mind? Followed by little snickers? I mean for real – WHO in the world does water aerobics?? Well, well, well … Do THESE people look old and lazy to you?

I didn’t think so!

Wait a minute- those aren’t pictures of water aerobics! Those aren’t even pictures of people!! Those are dogs!! Where is the picture of young, energetic people doing water aerobics? :-0 Are you telling me such a picture doesn’t exist? And that my next door neighbors had every right to make fun of me when I got home from water aerobics tonight? And that you also wish you could tease me to my face because I went to water aerobics for the first time? And you are laughing out loud because it’s only been 3 hours since I finished water aerobics and I’m already sore?

Ok. Fair enough.

Water aerobics IS an old lady sport.

An old lady sport I just discovered I LOVE!!! YAY!!!

p.s. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Mattel announced that Barbie and Ken OFFICIALLY divorced. Which actually wasn’t funny – it was just sad. But what IS funny is that this brilliant photographer had them get RE-married! AHAHAHAHAHA! You can see more pics HERE.

Seriously brilliant. I love that she even captured all of the cliche wedding poses. :) AND the latest trend to have different colored shoes! HAHAHAHA! I love it.

Btw – tonight, after water aerobics, a bug flew into MY EYE! Siiiick.

Reframing – and my dog is a drug addict.

Posted on June 30, 2011 by admin

ok so look – I know I said the next blog was going to be about the value trifecta but I changed my mind. :) If I waited until that blog was ready – I wouldn’t blog for a LONG time. And then I just read Vanessa’s blog about Dog Soup, and yes it was made with REAL DOGS siiiiiick (but for realz – go read it!!! I laughed OUT LOUD) and I remembered that I once said I would NEVER eat cow tongue – NEVER EVER EVER!!!!

But then HE happened:

And I DID eat it because you see that guy above? I fell in love with him. And he lived in Honduras for a few years and he said, “Trust me – it’s good.” So I did.

And I liked it.

siiiiiick

But I really did like it – which is still siiiiiick but when cooked correctly – very succulent! ;) But ANYWAY life is unpredictable and you never know when you might change your perspective – so…. what I really want to talk about today is CHANGE. :)

Reframing – a necessary tool

Reframing has been one of, if not THE biggest factor in my ability to accept, change and move forward. It allows you (or me! YAY!) to change your ENTIRE pattern of thinking without feeling like a poser ;) It lets you save face – *YAY* – and it lets you stay true to your values even while changing your mind on big issues. And the best part!!! If you are logical and keep an open heart and mind, reframing can create change or at least cause ripples immediately.

p.s. I MAY have thrown in a few confessions here and there to keep this post spicy. ;) So back to blogging …

WHAT IS REFRAMING?

Wikipedia “…reframing a situation or context, thus sees a situation in another frame. A frame can refer to a belief, what limits our view of the world. If we let this limiting belief go, new conceptions and interpretation possibilities can develop...”
Changingminds.org “..A frame, or ‘frame of reference’ is a complex schema of unquestioned beliefs, values and so on that we use when inferring meaning. If any part of that frame is changed (hence ‘reframing’), then the meaning that is inferred may change.”
NLP Reframing “…Changing the frame of an experience can have a major influence on how you perceive, interpret and react to that experience.”
On a simpler note – reframing can be as simple as understanding that “truth” with a lower case t, CAN have more than one side. And just because you experience or perceive ONE truth – it doesn’t mean there can’t be an equally compelling truth if you look at the situation from another direction.

Btw – Chloe – my dog who is a bumbly bear – hurt her leg and was limping a lot. So I took her into the vet.

She’s now on drugs.

BENEFITS OF REFRAMING:

Allows acceptance
Allows forgiveness
Creates a new reality
Has life-changing potential
And I think Chloe is now a drug addict.

EXAMPLE

The other night she kept looking at me with her happy smile.

Pant, pant, pant, puppy eyes, smile, pant pant pant. I couldn’t figure out what she wanted!! I said, “Show me” and she lead me into the kitchen…. uh oh – the kitchen? This had trouble written ALL over it.

I went to the treat jar – no no – she didn’t want that. SHE – piggy of all piggies!!! – WALKED AWAY FROM THE TREAT JAR!! So I asked if she wanted to go outside – she took two MORE steps back and sat down with stubborn determination. She was NOT going to go outside.

Pant pant pant. More puppy eyes. SMILE!!! WAG WAG!

“Chloe bear – WHAT do you want?”

WAG WAG WAG WAG WAG WAG WAG WAG – she went back to where the treat jar was - and that’s when I noticed. Her pain pills were sitting RIGHT next to the treat jar. *oh boy* My dog wanted drugs. My dog is a drug addict. ***SHOCK OF ALL SHOCKS!!!*** Well – ok – maybe it’s only *mostly shocking* she is a little chubby wubby lazy bear – it doesn’t surprise me TOO much that she likes a lil something something extra to help her stay EXTRA lazy. ;)

OK!!!! BACK TO REFRAMING!!! Though you will find that I tie my confessional of Chloe back into reframing in a bit but for now – If you want a great life changing personal example of how a bloggy friend/reader helped ME reframe – I’d recommend reading the following posts – I went from feeling like an utter failure with every reason (in my mind) to logically believe so – to just days later understanding that there was another side and that I may have been too hard on myself. ALL FROM THE HELP OF ONE COMMENT!!!! Sure I still feel like a failure on many levels – just not the same ones. :)

Post One: My Self Measure Means Failure

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote … depresses me because it screams at me, “YOU ARE A FAILURE!” A complete and pathetic failure with no backbone and no sense of identity. (Read more if you want)

Post Two: I told the Dr. I didn’t know who I was

I remember, at the age of 25, when I went to see a psychiatrist.

“What can I help you with Daisy?”

“I don’t know who I am, what I want from life, or what I like.”

He looked at me with surprise. He and I had met before. …. He had always believed I was very self-assured, confident and independent. How could I not know myself? (Read more about my search for identity AND find suggestions to help you find out more about your OWN self YAY! )

Comment on Post Two because I turned comments off on Post One: Phoebe’s paradigm shifting comment

“This sort of relates more to your last post, but I think maybe you’re failing to recognize that the fact that you didn’t just allow everyone who was trying to make you conform means that you actually WERE “finding yourself” all of…” (read the rest) and Thanks again Phoebe!!!

Post Three: A New Perspective to my Failure (with a side note on the dangers of “comfort zones”)

…Is it possible that I’m not such a failure after all?…although I may not have known my mind completely – I was learning what I didn’t like. :) I did play along with “THEM” and played the part – but I suppose I never really conformed did I?… Maybe I need to have a little more faith in myself. :) I never conformed in my heart. Never. And looking at the circumstances I pushed through – I feel safe to say I never will.

And back to Chloe, the drug addict.

MAYBE – just maybe – she’s NOT a drug addict. MAYBE – just maybe – she likes the cream cheese I wrap her pills in. AAANNNDDDD Maybe – just maybe I might have discovered, after testing, she is equally happy with a tiny dab of cream cheese as she is with a pain pill wrapped in cream cheese.

So in conclusion. :) Reframing – keeping an open mind – looking for another side or being willing to hear another side – continually giving the “benefit of the doubt” and actively searching for ways to confirm this benefit of the doubt you gave - INCLUDING GIVING THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT TO YOURSELF (and Chloe) – this may not seem like much. But I promise you:

Reframing has the power to permenantly change a frown upside down and to help you accept (yourself or others), forgive (yourself or others), move forward, and provide new realities that might unlock a newer, happier you.

Please feel free to email if you have questions or would like more information. Daisy@australiandaisy.com or watch for upcoming installments on areas of life that might benefit from reframing. And as said before – watch for an upcoming post on Humility!

Oh! Oh! AND I’m GOING TO WASHINGTON D.C. for the first time TO CELEBRATE JULY 4, 2011 with my honey!!!!!

Please wish me SAFE TRAVELS!!! YAY!!!

And I wish those of you in the United States a

VERY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

I’ll post pictures upon return. :)

Dr. Dre vs. Lady Gaga: Instant Immersion in Ghettospeak

Posted on April 2, 2011 by admin

My mom speaks a few foreign languages: twitter, text-talk, file-sharing, Facebook, Emoticons and Pretend Ghettospeak. She’s only fluent in Emoticons – the rest she speaks with an ultra-conservative-mom-from-the-fifties accent. And the first time she threw down a “True that” for me I laughed so hard I didn’t know if I’d stop. *hee hee*

Anyway – My mom is pretty rad. :)

Today’s story happened over the weekend. We were driving along and “I love it when they call me big poppa” started playing on the radio and I had to make a choice. Change it because I’m in the car with my MOM! Or leave it and see what my mom thinks. I hesitated. The song is about “Seeing some ladies who should be having my babies” and yeah … that’s when I noticed my cute mom tapping her leg to the beat.

*Pause while I play the memory back in my mind. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!*

Needless to say, I left it on the hip hop station. When a lil Jeremih feat 50 Cent came on she asked, “This is hip hop right?” and that’s when I knew.

My mom was attempting to refresh her Pretend Ghettospeak with a bit of instant immersion into hip hop. Something she, before this weekend, couldn’t fully distinguish from pop or rap.

Yes – I said “before this weekend” because AS OF TODAY my mom not only has opinions on hip hop, pop and rap but can tell the difference. *big cheesy smile*

Her verdict?

Pop is ok. Lady Gaga wasn’t particularly impressive. But HIP HOP?? Now THAT is something that makes you want to shake.

Yes that’s right. My mom has good taste. And you should be even MORE impressed that her verdict came while listening to Dr. Dre’s “Kush” (but she listened to the edited version.) She said that hip hop, more than pop, really makes you want to “shake” and then she asked me if “shake” was the right word.

Bahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

I screw things and my mom giggles

Posted on April 2, 2011 by admin

*Archived from January 2010*

I went and did a little shopping with ma mère today. It was pretty sweet.

And so is the fact that I added the accent over that e.

Anyway – at Best Buy I was asking the super awkward sales guy in the camera section about their different tripods. (Awkward as in he probably blushes when he walks past Victoria’s Secret so purposefully takes alternate routes to the video game store to buy his Wizard Dragon 4000 trading cards.) He told me the perfect tripod for me depends on how many knobs I’m willing to hassle with; many of them are screws.

And then I, in perfect Daisy style, say – out loud, “I don’t mind screwing a lot of things.”

It got a little quiet and a few people looked at me. My mom giggled. Why? Maybe it was because I had JUST said in my 10 yard whisper voice for the entire camera section to hear:

“I don’t mind screwing a lot of things.”

Wow.

So I stuttered an awkward, “That sounded bad.” And the sales guy looked incredibly uncomfortable, refused to make eye contact with me OR my mom, picked up a different tripod and changed the subject.

Slippery as ice!! Sydney’s dangerous sidewalks!!!

Posted on April 1, 2011 by admin

What’s more dangerous than walking on icy snow in wicked tall high heels?

photo by John Fraissinet’s under a CC license

Walking on SYDNEY SIDEWALKS in FLIP FLOPS!!!!

photo by Joseph Robertson under a CC license

No joke. I’m not kidding you. AT ALL. Walking down a sidewalk in Sydney’s CBD when it’s raining and you’re wearing normal flippy floppies (or thongs for all you Aussies) is MORE SLIPPERY than walking along an icy sidewalk in heels. And believe me – I have experience with both.

Normal sidewalks? No problem. The rain can’t get ME down. But a sidewalk in the city? or in the central business district? or just anywhere non-residential? WATCH OUT FOR YOUR LIFE!!! If you don’t have kick-A traction on the soles of your shoes – you are going DOWN – flat on your rear. Or if you have the powers of grace (like me hee hee) you’ll just slide around and look like you’re ice-skating for the first time.

photo by ??Tex Texin?? under a CC license.

I guess the good news is I get to feel like I’m dancing in the rain – a nice slippery smooth dance. and really … if it weren’t for my flailing arms trying to keep balance – I’d probably be mistaken for a fairytale ballerina.

*Archived from September 2009*