Diary of a Fickle White Woman

Because I know you've all been itchin' at the bit to see my amateur photography skills, I have finally put together the first of many slideshows from my life in Hawai'i! You're welcome ;) But seriously, I'm weeding through 1,000+ pictures and trying to choose my favorites so as not to make each show 10 minutes long, and boring, but it's going to be hard. And will probably take a month for me to complete all of them, haha. If any of you are planning a trip to Hawai'i, well... ever, I would love to give you tips of must-do's; I absolutely love talking about the islands (as if you couldn't tell, right?). Better yet, take me with! I would love to be your personal tour guide! Note: I can't label the photos without paying, but the first three photos are the view from my dorm room. Diamond Head Crater is the peak on the left, Pacific Ocean in the middle (2 miles from my door), downtown Honolulu on the right. The last picture is the front of campus, Cha

It's that time of the week again: Feel Good Friday! This week, I'm going to write about something that made me smile for The Girl Next Door Grows Up 'smeme... And that would be: Catching up with my best friend (HI, CARY!)! Cary and I met move in day of our freshman year at college and the rest is history. Even though she transfered to a school in Boston after the first semester, it's as if there is no distance between us. We both hate talking on the phone, so we don't talk as much as we'd probably like, but when we catch up, we always pick up right where we left off. True sign of a good friend, no? She really is the best. So supportive, so genuine, so accepting of me and my nutty ways. And is there for me at the drop of pen. We are polar opposites, but mesh so well. And her family is just as awesome! A rare find, I tell ya ;) But the best part about catching up with her this week was that it was yesterday. I got a random text from her that said, "HI FRIEND!

... That I am deathly terrified of birds/anything with feathers (especially if it flies). I'm sure it pays to be an onlooker when I'm walking down the beach or through the park and a bird gets within 10 feet of me. Let's just say loud stomping, clapping, and spitting are some tactics to scare them away. Or I scream and run in the opposite direction. Whatever works. ... That the kids I babysit for tell me to cover my nose and mouth when I change their diapers because they know that I will gag. Babies bums are no problem, dissecting a cat doesn't even bug me, but give me the hiney of a kid of at least two years in age and I'm dunzo. ... That my nighttime routine consists of: vick's vaporub under the nose, vaseline lathered on the lips, honkin' piece of plastic in the mouth to stop me from grinding my teeth, and a blanket totally wrapped around my eyes. Lucky hubby I'll have ;) At least I don't sleep in a flannel nightgown... or do I? ... That if I want

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." --Winston Churchill

This post will probably be one of the hardest I will ever write. But it's something I feel I need to do; if anything, for my own good. It's something I need to get off my chest, and since I don't have the funds or time for a therapist, here I am. This isn't an easy thing for me to clue others in on because I have a tendency to keep a wall up bigger and stronger than the Great Wall of China and rarely let people see the "real" me. The me who hides behind a tough outer shell. The me that cracks jokes to mask the pain. The me that has been suffering from depression for the past 14 years, but never remembers it being as bad as it is now. When I think back on my life, I realize how blessed I've been. But I don't always see my life as having been a happy one. Not because I've been less fortunate or had horrible obstacles to overcome, but because of this damn demon in my head called depression. My mom always talks about my childhood as if I was a super bu

I've seen other bloggers post what their day-to-day schedule looks like and I usually find it interesting to see how much one person can do in a single day. Since my mom and I always "argue" about how infrequently I am home (she thinks I'm home 'a lot'), this post is for her. Because I like to prove her wrong. My weekly schedule: Monday: babysit 9-2 for two boys and a girl (ages 4, 3 in May, and 10 months). That night, I then either work out with my trainer at his gym or go do cardio at LA Fitness. Tuesday: babysit 8:30-4:30 for baby boy J (7 months). I try to workout this night, too. That is, if my trainer didn't kill me the night before. Wednesday: babysit 8:30-12:30 for my cousin's two year old twin boys. Volunteer in the NICU 1-4:30ish. Babysit 4:30ish-at least 8 for the Monday gang. Thursday: In the morning I'll either sleep in, workout, do homework, or babysit if asked. I then have class 45 minutes away from home from 3-7, so I'm really g

So much for not blogging for a while, huh? Anyhoo, I'm watching American Idol right now and all I have to say is... Ellen Degeneres is to American Idol what Charlie Sheen is to marriage: a nonsensical, horrible combination. And the show will not be the same without Simon Cowell. Just my two cents ;) Which contestant has YOUR vote?

**WARNING: This post is all over the board. If you can't appreciate A.D.D. (diagnosed. explains so much, eh?) don't read ;)** I get the phrase "The grass ain't always greener on the other side." Because it's really not. Case and point: graduating from college and becoming an "adult." So totally over-rated. And I really wish I had realized this prior to graduation. I was the girl that was ready to move on after sophomore year. That's not to say I didn't love college, because I did. Trust me, some day I may get the guts to share some of my crazy stories from nights of a wee bit too much alcohol. Like the fact that I got kicked out of the same bar once a year. I have wonderful memories and even more wonderful friends that I would have never met had I not gone to UD. I was just ready for bigger and better things; or so I thought. And now I am an adult. I pay more bills. I'm rarely home (although my mom (for whatever reason) doesn't agree

**This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the following words, it's just one of my favorite non-Hawaii photographs that I have taken and I wasn't in the mood to rip something off of google images :)** Quote of the Day: "He who has HOPE has everything" -- Arabian Proverb Song of the Day: "Undiscovered" by James Morrison. P.S. If you don't know this talented musician, you should. I am obsessed and have him pumping through the stereo often. Of course, this better fits the theme of HOPE (and the title ;))... I probably won't be blogging much this week. I babysit 12 times in the next 10 days, I have a major Anatomy exam (cardiovascular system, ugh) on Thursday, and, quite, frankly, I don't really have anything interesting to blog about (assuming all my other posts have been relatively interesting). So unless I think of something terrific, or one of you fine ladies has a special request, the only time you'll here from me will be from comme

I've slacked on posting the positive little things that made me happy that past few weeks, but this week's Feel Good Friday seemed like a must . Because I LOVE making lists, I am going to bullet five things that made me smile this week; so here it goes... 1. Today, Saturday, and Sunday I have absolutely NOTHING on the schedule. I can spend more time with my family, I can WORKOUT, I can visit with friends, I can sleep in, I can do WHATEVER I WANT. This is the first time I have had more than one day off in a few weeks and I plan to enjoy every. last. second. of it. 2. I was able to spend some time with two of my favorite cousins ( Molly and Bridget ) and their amazing kids. These beautiful women are technically my "third cousins" (our parents are first cousins) and I am so thankful that we all grew up together. How many people can say they are close to their very-extended extended family? I really am fortunate to be so close to so much family. It makes holidays that

I'm sure most of you have seen these, but they ALWAYS make me laugh! Sidenote: Is is possible to train your kids to always speak in an accent? Because a child with a British accent is swoon worthy. Or maybe that's a bad idea; I'd probably think it was too cute and they would get away with murder. Personal favorite moment is at or after 38 seconds.

I like to think of myself as a pretty positive person. I like to find the upside to most things and hate to be a negative nelly. But for some reason I don't feel like that has been very well reflected in my posts. Maybe it's because I've taken on more than I can handle and am struggling to find a balance or maybe I am delusional and not as positive as I think. Regardless, I don't like it. So, for the next week, I am going to write nothing but positive and uplifting messages. I need to start appreciating the simple things and remind myself that people are in far more dire situations than I. Hopefully this will become habit and will extend past a week, but for now, 7 days of nothing but optimism :)

*This is a major "debbie downer" post; if you don't want to hear complaining, don't read it.* It's 12:45 and I am drinking wine. I rarely, RARELY drink. But this has been the most off week I have had in years. Today's test, overall, went well. I scored an 82.4% (which is above the national average). I was in the 95% percentile for three of the sections. And then came the science. Which I failed, by 3 points. And I wouldn't say it is due to a lack of intelligence. Silly me just didn't realize I needed to know what kind of rocks form islands, or how to know which element would transfer electrons to form an ionic compound in order to become an RN. Never mind the fact that I scored 15 points higher than the national average in Human Body Science and a whopping 35 points higher in Physical Science. That doesn't matter at all; not to them at least. They only care about the overall for the section. Since I failed that ONE section, they won't even look

... to ship myself back to the islands... http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100216/sc_livescience/happieststateshawaiimovesintofirstplace Also, I have my TEAS test tomorrow (the entrance exam to get into nursing school). If y'all don't mind, could you please say a prayer to the Man Upstairs that I do really well on it? The program is really competitive, so the better I do, the better my chances are of being accepted. Thanks, darling's. :) Smooches!

the snow has been falling nonstop since I woke up at 8. pandora.com is pumping out the sweet sounds of Jack Johnson and the like. I am feeling more confident with my preparations for the nursing entrance exam I take Wednesday and in two hours I will be released from the chaos that has been the past 5 days of caring for three girls. and then I am going to go spend time with my cousin's children, to remind myself that I still want my own someday. God is SO good. Wishing you a blessed day :) Image from Google Images

For fear of being too debbie downer on here, I thought I'd highlight the little things that bring me joy... ~Sunshine ~Good music (Frank Sinatra, Norah Jones, Michael Buble, big band music, Billy Currington, Carrie Underwood, Adele, Duffy, Colbie Caillat, Journey, Bon Jovi, Richard Marx... basically anything. Except Lady Gaga. I can't stand the "woman" (or whatever she is)). I couldn't go without the radio, Pandora, or my iPod. ~Reuniting with my friends (I don't see them nearly enough) ~Traveling ~The beach/ocean. Hands down, the one place that always brings absolute peace to my soul. ~My family ~A really good glass of wine ~A good book. ~Pretty people. ~Driving with the windows down. As long as it's at least 60* and not raining, my windows are down. Even if it is 110 outside. ~Blogging :) ~Getting comments on my blog :) ~Weddings (I may or may not already have mine planned out.) ~Spring/Summer/Fall ~Photography (especially black and white) ~Thunderstorms

I haven't watched American Idol the past couple seasons, so I'm not sure what's made me sit down and watch it every week this season, but now I'm hooked and already have chosen the winner. This man: He took a song that was decently successful and made it 100 times better. Youtube search his name and there are plenty of other songs he's put his own spin on as well (I'm loving the Michael Jackson medley (with Cathy Nguyen) and his version of "Sunday Morning"). Now if only I could find a full version of this cover...

As you know, I earned my BA in Journalism last May. You also know that I am not pursuing a career in journalism. It certainly isn't because I don't enjoy writing. I love it. It's such a wonderful way to express ones creativity. However, when it came down to it, I didn't see myself writing for a career. For one, the newspaper industry is dying. It is all going online, and more papers are closing than hiring. Not that I would have ever wanted to work for a newspaper (horrible hours, not a guaranteed job, crummy pay, etc.), but it is a source of print media, nonetheless. And a job would have been a job (especially today). Two: most print media outlets won't even consider hiring someone unless they had solid internship experience. I had none. And not by choice. Journalism internships are hard to find. Unless you want to live in NYC for the summer... but then you have to pay rent and the internship is unpaid. And seeing that I my money tree in the backyard is dead, this

"Hey, eharmony is free until the 15th... maybe take a look at it... never know!!!" Is it pathetic to be on eharmony at 22? Given the amount of people that suggest it to me, I'm guessing no. She has a point though, I don't ever know. And considering my social life is nonexistent and all my time is spent with people under the age of 10, perhaps it's not a bad idea. Decisions, decisions. Thanks, Mimi. You're always lookin' out for me. ;)

Quotes from the 6-year-old I'm taking care of from the past four months. "Marianne, how many boyfriends do you have? You should have more than one in case you get in a fight." "Are boys all over you? I think so, you just can't admit it. I'm sure they are. They should be. You're too old, if they aren't." "Marianne, how many boys have you kissed? I've kissed 5." "Oh, A, you've kissed more than me." "Oh, I'm sorry. That's sad. My bad." And the best... Her 8-year-old sister was talking about the valentine her "boyfriend" gave her. I started chuckling (I have my own opinions about this new phenomenon of "dating" at 8, but they aren't my kids. Let's just say that my kids better think the opposite sex has cooties until they are at least 12.). ANYWAY... so I'm chuckling, and her 7-year-old friend looks at the 6-year-old and me and said, in complete seriousness, "Don't

Murphy: Yes, folks, my 2 1/2 year old fur baby wears a diaper. I know the little shit is potty trained because it took FOR-EV-ER to get him to do it (thank GOD we got him in the summer, because otherwise I would've looked into bladder removal), but he finally learned. And didn't have any issues for the next 18 months. And it's obviously not due to him being of geriatric age and suffering from incontinence. No, it's because his hyperactive, half poodle, neurotic self let anxiety get the better of him and decided that lifting his leg on every. single. corner. of the rooms he's allowed to go in was acceptable. So now that our family room could stand to have the carpet and furniture replaced, I marched over to the pet store and bought him a diaper. And upped his medicine. Oh yea, he's also on Prozac. And receives 3 pills a day. He also wears a seat belt in the car. Ridiculous, right? (Muffin as a wee-one) Fortunately, Murphy is beyond sweet. He's half poodle,

Compliments of some private business owners in Minnesota: Funny, no?

1. I'm more comfortable socializing with adults than I am with people my own age. Crap, I just realized I fall into the "adult" category. OK, I'm more comfortable socializing with people at least 4 years older than me. 2. I'm a goody-two-shoes and proud of it. I didn't drink until college, I've never so much as even touched a cigarette (nevermind any other drugs), and I'm saving myself for marriage (or at least until I'm with the man I know I'm going to marry); And I'm clearly OK with the world knowing that. 3. I sleep with a blanket totally wrapped around my head. I like it to be as dark as possible. Much like I prefer my chocolate. And men..... kidding ;) (My mom's going to be embarrassed when she reads that) 4. I'm addicted to crime shows. And I'm not talking about CSI and Law & Order. I mean real crime shows. Investigation Discovery channel is my favorite station. That Keith Morrison, he's so captivating (note the sa

We all need a little motivation or uplifting words more often than most probably care to admit. I've decided that every Wednesday I am going to post a positive, inspirational quote to help get through the last half of the week. Remove those 'I want you to like me' stickers from your forehead and, instead, place them where they truly will do the most good -- on your mirror! ~ Susan Jeffers~ Happy hump day to all of you BEAUTIFUL readers! Image from Google Images

*This will be broken up into multiple posts and pictures will be added ASAP =)* Growing up, I remember being fascinated with Hawai'i. Whenever we put in a trade request through our timeshare, I'd always scream HAWAII at the top of my lungs. Of course, I had no concept of how expensive it was, and still is, to go there (from the Midwest, at least). I assumed I'd be one of the millions who chooses it as their honeymoon destination and that would be that. After all, my parents were in their 50's before they were able to go for their first time, when they celebrated their 25th anniversary. Little did I know that when I chose to go the University of Dayton, my dream of going to Hawai'i would happen sooner than I could have ever imagined. My first weekend there I was hanging out in my brother's room and met one of his friends who said he was going to Hawai'i in the spring semester. Obviously I asked 9 billion questions and HAD to know how the heck one goes about d

1. In case you missed it: the Indianapolis Colts lost the Super Bowl. And the local news is probably going to talk about this from now until next season. Personal favorite moment from the game: the Doritos commercials; "Two things: 1. Don't touch my Mama. 2. Don't touch my Doritos." SO CUTE! And the dog collar ad was hysterical. 2. I made it to Ohio over the weekend! Hence my absence :) My friends pressured me into leaving Thursday night after class, so I would get there before the snow storm. It was such a good decision and I am so happy that I was able to see my friends for the first time in 9 months. But how I managed to survive 4 years at UD with the crazy people I call my friends is beyond me. They take partying to another level. Friday the ice and mass amounts of snow rolled in, but we didn't let it deter us. And I did make it back in time to babysit Saturday night; but that's not the kind of drive I EVER want to do again. I saw 22 cars on the side of th

I joke a lot that anything that can go wrong in my life, will. Nothing ever serious or life-altering, but petty little things just don't work in my favor very often. Like, if I am running a couple minutes behind and have to drive across town, I will, undoubtedly, end up getting stopped at every single stop light. And 9 times out of 10, if there is the world's slowest driver on a two lane road, you can find me right behind him. Or if there is a slick spot in the road/on a sidewalk, I will find it and inadvertently contort my legs in a position that is beyond unnatural. Twenty-two years of this nonsense and I've learned to expect it. And do nothing more than laugh. It is quite funny, and how can I not laugh at the fact that I am notorious for face planting? It is what it is. So of course, the one weekend I plan to socialize with people above the age of 4, the weather men (weather persons, for you politically correct folk) in the area are predicting, and I quote, "The big

My 87 (almost 88) year old great uncle has joined facebook. EIGHTY SEVEN. On Facebook. I absolutely love this man. My grandmother, who is the same age, asks me all the time, "Marianne, so you can look up anything on that there computer? Anything you want? And you get a good answer? What is this 'google thing?'" And let's not forget the time I told her I would print my aunt's boarding pass out. She about had heart failure. "WHAT? Print it out? Well you can't do that, you have to get it at the airport, don't you???" Yes, Grams, the printing press has now entered the home. You just can't help but love her sweet little ole' self. But I digress... Uncle Mac, you are the hippest person I know, I love you.

Growing up, there were two things I wanted to be: a mother and a nurse. And while I temporarily lost sight of the nursing dream in the high school and college years, my desire to be a mother has never changed. I remember begging my mom for a little brother or sister all the time. There's pictures of me when I was six feeding and rocking a family friend's baby to sleep. I look like a mini-mom. And my love for children has only grown over time. When I was 10, I took a babysitting course through St. Vincent Hospital that my parish was offering. I learned how to change a diaper, do CPR and the Heimlich maneuver (thankfully, I've never had to do either), and lots of other useful tips. When my cousin and his girlfriend welcomed their son on Halloween 1998, I was praying they would use me as a babysitter. So when JJ was probably around four months, they had me go over to my aunt and uncle's and take care of him (my uncle stayed, in case I needed him). And let me tell you, JJ d

How do you moms do it? Seriously, this blog thing is a lot of work to get going! I mean, I'm busy, but I also have my nights to me and only me, I just can't believe some of you ladies have the time to take care of the kids, the hubby, AND do this! Superwomen, that's what y'all are. And should probably be up for canonization in the after life. Anyway, a HUGE thank you to sweet Merri Ann for giving me a heads up on how to create a signature! Now my signing off doesn't look as dumb :) Thanks, Merri Ann, I really, really appreciate it! And I added my email to the sidebar! Hopefully as time progresses, the looks (and writing, haha) of the blog will continue to improve. P.S. Please tell me if my signature is kind of hard to read, I couldn't decide...

God is good. This prayer certainly brought me peace and all things are back to normal :) Image from Google Images

I absolutely LOVE photography. It's one of my greatest passions, and while I certainly don't claim to be good at it, I enjoy it immensely, which is all that matters, anyway, right? So while I'm working on transferring nine billion pictures from the past four years over to this computer (which will give me more to blog about), I decided to create a slideshow of some of my favorite photos. They are all from either New York City or Hawai'i -Oahu, Kauai, and Maui. The pictures from Hawai'i are just a prelude to the massive slideshow that I will be posting soon. And just a side note, the black and whites look a little off in color because I *gasp* used a film camera, not a digital, so I obviously had to scan them in and the scanner made the pics look a little goofy (technical language) Anyway, hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! XOXO All images are my own Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com