You Oughta Know

I'm a little worried posting this...you might read it and never come back! I guess it's a risk I'm willing to take because I thought it was fun and funny to write and hey, you guys deserve to know all about the big dork I really am! So here it goes:

10 Things You Didn't Know About Little D (aka 10 Things You Didn't Want/Need to Know About Little D)

1)I hate flying. It's two months out from my trip home and I'm already thinking about the flight and dreading it. When I book flights I think to myself "Am I sealing my fate? Did I just pick the one flight that week that is going to go down? Should I rebook? But then what if that's the one that goes down?" I used to be prescribed Xanax for flying because I get that nervous. I'd still take it, but I don't have anyone to prescribe it to me anymore. Weird habit for someone who chooses to live thousands of miles away from their family, thus ensuring at least two 14 hour flights home a year, right?

2) I freak out in crowds. I hate people touching me, being too close to me, blocking my way when i've got things to do...whether it's picking out movies or grocery shopping, I panic or get really pissed off and it's a toss up on any given day which it'll be between panicked or pissy. This amuses Boyfriend to no end and he sometimes laughs about how frustrated I get and other times he's really nice and can foresee when the crowds are going to get to me and gets me out of the situation as quickly as possible.

3) I became a vegetarian for a few years starting at age 11 because Jonathon Taylor Thomas did an interview in Teen Beat or some magazine like that where he said he'd only ever date a fellow vegetarian. I didn't know when or where I'd meet JTT but I wanted to have at least that one thing going for me if we ever did meet and he suddenly wanted to date me!

4) I used to have OCD (self diagnosed, but whatever, minor detail) as a child, probably around the age of 10-11 and everything I had to do had to be even....if I ate a bite of food and chewed it on my left side, well then my right side and in the middle had to have a bite chewed there as well. I had to eat an even number of chips or crackers or whatever, I had to flip a switch 2 times or 4 times, but never 1 or 3 times....I wanted things to be fair and I didn't want to hurt these inanimate objects' feelings....One day I finally realized that my little ticks were taking over and decided to try and stop them. I still catch myself from time to time moving different bites of food across my mouth so that things are fair and even, but for the most part I was able to unteach myself my OCD habits. The one thing that I still do(and it's funny given my love of all things being even, I think it has something with me wanting life to be fair and my Mom telling me constantly when I was little that "Life's not fair.") is that I have to wake up on an odd numbered time...the number has to end in a 1, 3, 7, or 9....I even leave out the 5 because it's half way through 0-9. It's the one habit that I just can't shake.

5) The first big concert I ever went to was the Rolling Stones with my Mom, Dad, and Nae when we were probably around 12 years old. It was at Dodger's Stadium and we had seats on the field pretty close to the stage and I thought the whole thing was so neat, but me and Nae kept complaining about the "funny smelling smoke" all around us!

6)For my 18th birthday I asked my parents for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tickets and that's what we did...Me, Mom, Dad, Nae and Nae's boyfriend at the time went and rocked out and it was really special. I went through a classic rock phase (I still love it, just don't have it on repeat like I did then). I also used the song "Teach Your Children Well" as the song on my Senior page in the yearbook. (I've also seen Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Neil Young on his own, Paul McCartney, and James Taylor over the years and about 100 other bands that aren't classic rock.)

7) I was on the yearbook staff my Senior year and it was really fun and I got to meet some good people and use 6th period as a time to just hang out, though I probably should've worked harder and actually met some deadlines.

8) The only school dance I ever really had fun at was at Senior Prom and that's because I went with my whole group of friends finally and my date was a really good friend, the Captain of the High School Football Team. I was really late to our meeting spot and he was really frustrated as I was holding up the whole group, but when he saw me he said the best thing ever, that "he couldn't be mad at me anymore because I looked so good." Swoon! We had a great time: he said something silly to me as our photo was being taken so I love our picture together because I've got the biggest smile on my face, we danced a slow song together but weren't together together so I was free to mingle with everyone and take pictures with a bunch of friends and not be glued to his side the whole night or expected to dance with only him, and at the end of the night since we weren't having prom night sex he serenaded me with this reggae song that I always used to love how he sang and then we partied it up and spent the night together (but once again, not together together) at one of our friends' houses with the whole group.

9) I have the biggest mouth in the world and am awful at keeping secrets, though I really am working on it this year and so far I have 3 secrets from various people that I've managed fairly well to keep secret. Boyfriend and Nae both laugh over my big mouth and commiserate with each other about how their embarrassing moments are never kept private. Oh, and I really talk how I write; there are constant asides that I go off on (just like in these parenthesis) and I'm sure it's hard for the average listener to follow along with, but I get so excited and sidetracked and caught up in details. Though I am a fairly concise speaker when I need to be, like in front of the class because I wouldn't want to confuse the kids. I also talk a lot and it drives Boyfriend and my family crazy. They pretty much think "Do you ever draw breath?" but I can't help it. I've got a lot to say and limited time with my family so I gotta get a year's worth of talking out in 3 months and I can't help it if I get a sudden burst of energy or thing of something really awesome when Boyfriend and I get in to bed at night and just have to tell him before I can fall asleep! Sometimes I like to sit back and just listen, too, to everything that is going on around me.

10) I have a blankie. It's not one that I've had since I was born; my Mom got it for me the first Christmas after I moved to Australia. It's sky blue and has snowflakes and penguins on it (I love penguins...we call them pengoos, Boyfriend and I, is that lame in general? Is it lame couple's talk? Probably on both counts but at least we don't call EACH OTHER Pengoo or Snuggle Butt or whatever, right?). It's a little throw blanket and it's down. It's the best blanket to have on the plane cause it just covers me and means I don't have to use the icky airplane blankets (I've heard stories and you really don't want to use airplane blankets). It's also warm in winter and cool in summer and a great blanket to lay on the couch with. It's a security thing because it reminds me of my Mom and home and being loved and wrapped up in a big hug, but I'm not Linus from the Peanuts...I don't take it to work with me or school with me or hide it in my purse or drag it behind me at the shopping center, but it is nice to come home and throw it over me at the end of a long day or to throw over my shoulders at night in bed for just a little bit of extra warmth.

Ummmm, ok, so are you ever coming back again now that you know the dark, dark secrets of my soul? Do you think I'm a freak? Oh well, if you're reading my stuff, you'd might as well know the real me and not just some bright and shiny version. So in summary, I, Little D, am a bad flyer, angry in crowds, a vegetarian to get boys, a reformed OCDer, a concert/classic rock nerd, as well as a yearbook geek (though actually really cool/popular girls from my class were on yearbook), a hater of all school dances in memory minus Senior Prom, a big mouth who can't keep a secret and who talks until her face turns blue, and I'm Linus lite. Stick around if you dare. If not, I understand and it's been nice knowing you! Hah!

But really, things might start to get a bit more interesting around here over the next couple of months because we've got another Ikea trip planned for next weekend(really, this is exciting/interesting to me...we don't have a lot of fun stuff on the Coast, can you tell?) plus a wedding in Terrigal with the whole group, and I've just booked my trip home for the end of October and will actually be celebrating my first Halloween in 5 years! (I told Boyfriend today that we have to raise our kids, should there be any, in America because, really, it's cruel for kids to miss out on Halloween. It's not very big here, no costumes or trick-or-treating...how depressing and that means I won't have any kids' Halloween candy to raid some day!) In the meantime, Boyfriend and I have to decide whether or not we are keeping our little house to rent for the next year or whatever and if not, where we will store all of our stuff until I come back and we find a new place together. There will probably also be a recap of another tearful goodbye between Boyfriend and I, as well as a post to all of you in case I die on my flight home (remember Confession #1?) and then a recap of the crazy people I was forced to sit next to on my flight to San Francisco. Then the process of finding a job and hopefully working lots of hours until Christmas and then Boyfriend coming to California and all of our adventures there this year. There will probably be an influx of posts about me suddenly wondering why I miss my family so much while I'm in Australia because they drive me nuts when I'm home (Mom and Dad and Nae actually had this conversation when they were out to dinner the other night..."I will love being home for a week and then I will hate everyone" haha). I'll also probably have lots of pictures and recipes to share soon because I cook a lot for my parents when I go back home (mostly because they are pretty bad cooks, sorry Mom and Dad but you know it's true, Nae would agree) and Nae is a pretty awesome chef and baker, as well, so I'll share her awesome Thanksgiving and pie and lemon bar and cookie recipes. So keep checking back in and if these posts aren't exciting enough for you guys, then remember you can email me or leave me a comment on what you would like to see me write about instead.

Make It Last

Last night Boyfriend (that’s what I’m calling him now instead of S) and I met up with his friend Turk (cause he looks like the guy from Scrubs, Donald Faison, except white) and his wife Stylez (cause she’s got amazing style, that looks so effortless and so wow on her, she also makes handbags-I might ask her if I can put a link up to her stuff on here: http://rejenerate.blogspot.com/). They just moved in to the coolest house. It is three levels and the top level is Stylez’s work studio and from the windows there you can see all of Sydney and the Harbour Bridge. The view is breath taking. We caught up with them about their recent wedding, that unfortunately Boyfriend had to miss in order to come to California for Christmas and about what’s been going on since the last time we had seen them. Stylez is awesome because she’s not afraid to say, “Food, I need it now, and lots of it,” I obviously appreciate a girl that doesn’t just sit there eating celery while everyone else has a real meal. We decided on Mexican because I’m always down for it and Stylez and I were both in the mood for margaritas. Turk called around to all the Mexican food places we could find online, but they were all booked out. We were pretty disappointed until Boyfriend said he knew a little place we could go to. We ended up in King’s Cross at Guzman y Gomez, which was near where the show we were going to was anyway. Here’s a link to it (http://www.guzmanygomez.com/)(the picture is an example of their burritos, but the rice is something I made) because if you are ever in Sydney and in need of cheapish, fast Mexican food, this is the place I’d recommend! The place had real Mexican people working (I’ve never seen a Mexican in Australia before!) and it tasted like legit Mexican food, and although they didn’t have authentic Mexican style red rice, it was still good. We got margaritas even and you could tell there was alcohol in them; I think they’ve just gotten their liquor license so they are fairly liberal with their shots. Also, the guacamole was spot on, spicy with chunks of avocado and cilantro and tomato in it. Really good food, other than the minor rice gripe I have, the only thing I was like “What the funk?” about was that they use corn tortillas for their quesadillas. You can also get flan and those fruit juice drinks in a can by Goya. I think they also did rice bowls. The guy at the corner was super nice and really talkative. The Aussies had trouble understanding him, but it was nice to hear that accent again. I’m going to get Boyfriend to start either bringing me burritos for dinner on Friday nights from there or just bring me a few of their tortillas, because they taste authentic, not like the too thick, cardboardy things that are available here. Probably too much information, but on the drive home way later that night I was burping a lot and it all still tasted like awesome Mexican! Haha! So once again, if you are in Sydney and craving decent Mexican food, go to Guzman y Gomez. They also have locations at Bondi Junction, the CBD at the Australia Square food court on George St, and Newtown so look them up!
From there we walked over to the venue, it wasn’t very far, but the night was muggy so I was sweating away and felt so gross. We had a little hill to hike up, and it didn’t make me huff and puff or anything, but it did make me sweat a bit more and then we were at the venue. So I get in and I’m already sweaty and there’s no air conditioning and a million other people standing around so I kept sweating. I put my hair up and that helped, but then my bangs were falling apart from the humidity, and I thought I had started the night looking half-cute and by that time I felt like a gross beasty. We missed the first opening band, but came in just in time for the second. They were from Sydney and the lead singer was this chubby, obnoxious guy. Boyfriend said he looked like Meatloaf. His voice was all right: nice but generic, and he was all about posturing- constantly trying to clap to the beat of his own songs, doing all these “cool guy” moves with his hands and it really took away from his music. I think he’s been watching Saosin or Anthony Green videos too often and was just trying to copy them. Also, his cut off jean shorts were about 2 sizes too small so he had a full on muffin top and his gut hanging over- I thought that was something only girls did. Not in Sydney, not when you’re a cool guy! Stylez started not to feel well and went out and got some air. I desperately had to pee, but the venue had a lame design, where there was only a double door space between the stage and the bar to get through to the bathroom and it was packed at that end of the bar and people wanted to be next to that part of the stage so it was nearly impossible to get through everyone. Frustrating! Kris Roe (do you think his parents spelled his name that way? He was born in Indiana and they aren’t known to be really happening there. I bet he changed it from Chris so he could be “different”) the lead singer of the Ataris came out looking like Ben Folds. He played a lot of really old songs and it was just him and his guitar and that was pretty awesome. He then decided to “rock out” and got the Sydney band to come up and play some songs with him. The Meatloaf look-a-like was yelling over Kris’ singing in some spots and it kindof ruined it. We then walked in to the city and caught a cab back to Turk’s and Stylez’ place. From there, Boyfriend and I drove home (yay for no trains for once!) and we blasted the music the whole ride home and I sang and danced in my seat to keep Boyfriend awake and entertained while he drove. It was a really fun night!

Stay What You Are

S and I went and saw Alkaline Trio and Saves the Day in Sydney. It was so much fun. Oh, there is a big stick bug on my kitchen window right now. How cool! I have seen some big one’s while I’ve been here. This one landed on S’s screen one time and it should have been called a branch bug it was so big! Anyway, back to the bands. We hadn’t been to a show in forever so it was good to go. We stood right in the front and in the middle. Between us and the stage was just a group of punk rock lesbians, who weren’t there for Saves the Day who just made out and texted the whole set. We were so annoyed, I don’t want to see anyone making out at a show, how rude was it for the band to see you bored in the front row, and let someone up who really wants to rock out with the band. So I sang and danced along and it was so cool. Chris seems like a normal, dorky guy. So does Manny. He looks like an Indian/Sri Lankan version of Steve Urkel. They had this other guy, the bass player and he had on a hippie leather vest and a hippie headband, and long hair and a mustache. Really similar to what I think my Dad looked like after high school in all honesty. It was a great set and I wished they would’ve played longer. It was even cooler because after they played, Chris and Manny came out to the bar and were happy to chat and take pictures with anyone who would ask. I went up and said Hey to Chris and I felt like such a dorky fan girl. All I could say when shaking his hand was, “I think your awesome” and while that is true, what I really wanted to say is “your music is awesome and has changed my life and has helped me through some really tough times. You are an amazing song writer and I hope I get to see you guys again soon.” Whatever, he was still super nice and not stand offish at all. Alkaline Trio came on and they put on a really good show, too. They played a handful of songs from their album From Here to Infirmary and that’s the only CD of theirs that I know. I listen to it because it reminds me of Nae, she is so blonde and surf-y but when you see her artwork (she had a double degree in enviro science and art) and listen to the music she likes, you realize she’s pretty dark and twisted!