Detox. January 19, 2008

Hello, my name is Brianna Taylor, and I am a recovering diet coke addict.

I had a problem. I am ready to admit. I never used to admit that I had a problem. I convinced myself and tried to convince others that rather than it being an addiction, it was just a liking. An extreme liking. That I would go out of my way to meet… Anywho, last week I decided to take steps in correcting this. So, as many people are glad to hear, no more diet coke for me, at least for awhile.

And let me tell you, detox has not been a pleasant experience. Like, in all seriousness, I must have really been addicted, because I really haven’t felt that great over the last weekish I’ve been trying this.

•  headaches
• weird dreams (though that was kind of happening before)
• moody

So… it’s been interesting. Like, I know it’s good for me. So i’m glad about it. I just didn’t really expect it to affect me really. Pretty sure the headaches are in direct result of it. Kind of pounding-ish in the back of my head. my NutraSweet and Aspratine levels have dropped drastically and it’s flipping out my brain. most likely.

The weird dreams are kind of a variable, I have weird dreams a lot, they just haven’t been like crazy-weird like usual, just rather weird-sucky. so i am not sure about that one. Though I did have one dream about diet coke chasing me…. probably unrelated.

As for the moodiness, that has been fun. Mostly I have just been irritable. mostly at myself though not others. well. some others. ok, there were a handful. mm, again, could be other things. But my knee-jerk anger towards the people I see with diet coke could argue otherwise.

Luckily, I have some good friends to help me through this rough time. I appreciate that. for the most part. But I will prevail. I’m thinking I could handle one of those Celebrity rehab places though. Must be tough to get over an addiction while at a spa or the like. Pretty sure a facial would help this whole process. or a massage. perhaps both. sigh.

*note to self: achieve stardom before becoming substance dependent again*

A mix of seriousness and randomness. As many of the best things are. December 23, 2007

11 things I have learned to appreciate as I get older

Progression- moving forward…

Remembering- how things were… how we were…

Learning- how to grow up…

Spontaneity- can make a perfect moment…

Planning- but sometimes a well thought out plan is nicer…

Silences that Speak- when you can look at someone and they are looking at you and you both know what the other is thinking without having to say it…

Passion- believing in something with all your heart…

Wandering- not knowing where you are going and not caring, just looking for an adventure…

Conversation- never running out of things to say to someone…

Enthusiasm- founded or unfounded…

Laughter- the saving grace…

Each of these things have become more and more important, and seem to be trends in my life as time goes on… many underestimated, each essential…

11 things I have learned to not appreciate as I grow older

Mushrooms- …. why do the exist. honestly.

Bedtime- there is never enough time in the day…

Alarm Clocks- i love my batman one, hate what they stand for…

Egotism- joking is ok… true cocky behavior is just aggravating.

Drama- hate it…

Drama- hate it a lot…

Jealousy- not pretty.

Forgetting to block- just ends up with a mocking and a headache.

Bad Timing- sometimes timing makes an event, but bad timing can hurt…

Indecisiveness- or should i write that?

Klutziness- gosh i hope it’s endearing or something. not just uncoordinated.

Each of these too have influenced my life, often to my much dismay.

But life goes on, we live, we grow, we write random posts.

and so it begins. September 14, 2007

Got my books today.  $300 dollars, baby.

/cry.

Inflation June 28, 2007

    Early this morning, my littlest sister woke up enthusiastically. Those of you who know my little sister will truly appreciate the true wonder of that statement. And let me tell you, she was on a mission. Got dressed after carefully considering the weather, and bounded downstairs. She strode into the den and grabbed some paper, glue, coloring supplies, and the phone. In my sleepy stupor I noticed little else, that is until I heard her exclaim, “See you at noon!” saw her hang up the phone, and noticed her proudly holding up a paper sign reading “Lemonade! $.50!”

Ah, the lure of the lemonade stand to a kid in the summer. Do not underestimate it’s power. This particular lemonade stand disturbed me on so many levels. I’m serious.

First of all, I remember having lemonade stands at my old house. I used to love to have them. Sharon and I would drag chairs out to the end of the culdesac, a table, lemonade, and a whole lot of cups and ice. There we would sit for hours on end, sometimes joined by Cody, or Carmen down the street. Talking, giggling, having a grand ol’ time… and barely selling any lemonade. In fact, I think we probably had an average of about three customers every time. Our parents would sometimes buy some, and this one guy who lived across from our street would come out and buy some. We would replace the ice about 10 times, and occasionally we would find that we’d drunk all the lemonade, and one of us would run in and make more. Ahh… good times. It kinda makes me a little bit sad to think back to those summer days… we had such fun out there, whether or not we made any money. It was so simple lol. Hehe we’d get discouraged sometimes, and we’d  convince my mom to let us bring out da baby… thinking that it would lure people to our lemonade stand, having that cute little baby out there…

which brings me to the next disturbing point. Emylee was the cute little baby. And now she is the one out there with her best pal attempting to sell lemonade. It’s kind of surreal, truth be told. They are out there sitting side by side, drinking up most of the lemonade they have out there, and occasionally running in for more ice. It’s like deja vu. But not cuz it isn’t me. Just like it’s happened before.

But while many things seem extraordinarily similar,  it is clear that times are not the same. I mean, $.50?? Jeez. Inflation rears it’s ugly head. We used to charge $.15. If we were feeling particularly adventuresome. Not to mention the fact that they have an elaborate chalk mural on the sidewalk in front of their stand. Some things have definitely changed. And yet everything is so freakily familiar. And totally different. All at the same time.

The appearance may be more extravagant then in my day, but the basic idea is the same. Kids, opening a lemonade stand on the side of a dead residential street where 3 people pass by in an hour or two. A couple people stop and take pity, buying a glass or two and leaving an over the top tip with the excuse of not needing change or not having a smaller amount. The kids drink most of the lemonade themselves, the ice melts, and they have a great time. At the end of the day they count the money they’ve made, which looks a lot like that scene in Napoleon Dynamite where Napoleon counts the change he got at the chicken farm place. It is never quite as much as you think it is going to be. The kids split it evenly, excited about it even though they made like a buck fifty each, oblivious to the fact that doesn’t even cover the cost of supplies… craziness. Lemonade stands are so bizarre. They are like a world of their own.

I don’t know. It’s weird lol.

Jobs I Wouldn’t Mind Having. May 23, 2007

I will preface this by saying that I get bored a lot. And think of things like this.

• Car safety statistics tester or whatever the heck they are called. Anywho, the person that gets to crash cars to see what happens. I’d be like, “Hmmm… lets see what happens when I hit make this car hit the wall at 97 MILES AN HOUR!! MWAHAHA!” *heavy breathing*… okay okay, that probably wouldn’t be the best job for me. sigh. /me daydreams

• The Diet Coke official taster. I know there is one. That would be good.

• Travel accommodation tester. One of those people who travel agencies send to all sorts of extravagant places and pay for them to stay in expensive hotels with pools and ginormous beds with tons of pillows and marble staircases and delicious food. And then ask what you think of it. Yeah.

• The person who hair supply companies pay to try their new product. I have good hair for that too. They’d be like, “Brush your hair and we will try this and then your hair will look amazing, and we will pay you for it. or it wont work, you wash it out none the worse, and we pay you anyway.” sounds pretty good to me.

• The maintenance person in the It’s a Small World ride in Disneyland. Oh wait…