Been a few weeks! Happy Anniversary to my blog!

I've had this blog for one year.... as of April 16th. I wanted to go all out and create this anniversary post, but things were a little crazy the past few weeks, so I missed out on my anniversary blog post. Damn.



Last weekend, I headed to Seven Points Marina on Raystown Lake to spend three nights on a houseboat with a few of my friends my the MA in Creative Writing Program at Wilkes. I can't tell you how awesome the weekend was. It is just so great to get together with people who have a common dream-- and then to spend the weekend sharing our work with each other, getting feedback, advice and whatnot. And the fun.... what a great time. Good food, drinks, games and lots of adventure, that's for sure. If anyone is looking for a fun weekend or week get-away, I highly recommend that you consider renting a houseboat at Seven Points Marina on Raystown Lake. The staff was wonderful and the houseboats are super cool. We have an 8-sleeper, but they let us look at the next "ship" bigger, a 12-sleeper which was brand new last season- a lot more modern than the one we had.

Our boat had a deck on the stern and bow and also a roof with a hot tub and lounge chairs. We had two "bedrooms," the stateroom and salon, as well as guest rooms in the "bowels" which had two full mattresses on either side, dowstairs. There was a bathroom, or the Head and a kitchen/dining area and a living room areas and of course, the captain's chair. We had a dinghy that we towed along that came in quite handy when we became stuck the one morning.

Raystown lake is beautiful! It is a man-made lake-- a project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-- they flooded the area, and in fact a little town, to create this lake for recreation and energy. It was just so peaceful to be out on the lake- and it's not really in-season yet, so we had this lovely environment to ourselves! Aside from Seven Points Marina, there are also camping areas, hotels, resorts, hiking trails and lot of other places to stay around this lake.

Lots more happened in the past few weeks since I blogged- and I had all these ideas for blog posts, but they are all kind of old news now.

Like- they are finally doing some work on Route 118-- that's making headlines. Hopefully this road will become safer because frankly, I hate driving home every night.

And also- I am so tried of gas prices. It almost cost me more to drive the 3.5 hours to Raystown than my share of the houseboat rental. That's sad. All these poor tourist places may start to lose money because people can't afford the extra few hundred dollars to drive there. A plane ticket from Wilkes-Barre to Orlando may have been less money! Cripes.

I'm Walking a Little Funny Today

Paintball post coming soon.

Just a random post- tanning, CDs, NPR, old friends and the like

This week has been great. Lots of good stuff.

Writing & the Memoir
Had a great writing workshop with some Wilkes U. creative writing classmates and friends on Sunday, so I am feeling all sorts of motivated. I've been getting some great feedback from my mentor as well. I finally understand what some of my roadblocks have been and have some ideas on how to get over them. The first thing is to turn off the Internet and get writing, meaning I really should not be writing this. My big thing now is to reconnect with the people I was close to at ages 13-16- so I spent a few hours on MySpace and Facebook last night to find some old friends. Memories are already flooding back at just the mere sight of someone's name.

Tanning
I'm not just a white girl. I am a very white girl. I used to tan regulary a few years back, but I let myself get back to being Casper-esque. I feel healthier when I am darker, so I am now committed to tanning and getting a nice glow. And then maybe next is to whiten my teeth. (Years of coffee stains and my dentist swears I smoke.)

CDs & Wayne's World
My next blog will be about how I like tangible things, so I'll elaborate. But today, I went to Wayne's World, which is in the same plaza as the new tanning place. The smell of incense filled my nostrils and I went back to high school where I lived for spending my ice cream parlor money on incense and Dead t-shirts and other rock-and-roll apparel at Gallery of Sound in Mount Pocono or Living Dyes at Blakeslee Corners. So, I bought 10 incense sticks for a few bucks, a really cute Dead shirt and a local artist's CD. The sounds of guitar lessons at Wayne's World reminded me that I really want to learn guitar someday.

NPR
Tonight American Idol is doing a fundraiser which I guess is cool. But part of me just hates that fact that all these celebs and muscians-- that became famous the 'hard way' are being part of a show dedicated to insta-fame. Not that the Idol contestants aren't talented, I just mean that in the old days, people packed up, moved to Nashville or LA or Seattle or Austin with nothing but their guitar/keyboard and a notebook full of songs and poems and paid their dues and played their hearts out for years and years until they finally were at the right place at the right time. Now, people on Idol get stylists, make-up artists, etc. and record deals even if the lose. Okay, this could be a blog post on its own, but what I meant to say is that I pledged my annual membership to WVIA last night for George Graham's show, specifically- local and unique music every night. And of course, I also want to support WVIA for its NPR affiliation- I love Morning Edition and Fresh Air. So, $120 per year to get the best news and music. Worth it.

Okay- enough rambling. Time to microwave some corn. I was supposed to rotate 1/4 way ten minutes ago.

The School Bus: My Favorite Shot

I have to thank Jimmy R. and my days at Froggy 101 for learning how to ride the bus. The school bus is my favorite shot.

I've been doing more school busses as of late, and wanted to write a tribute to them. In 2003, I was actually paid for an essay I wrote about the school bus shot for a book called The Buzz on Beer- I am not sure if my essay didn't make it, or if the book wasn't published. At any rate, I tired tirelessy the last few days to located the essay. No luck- that was two computers ago.

So, what is a school bus? A school bus was long before Jager Bombs. But, it's a similar type of shot. It's a mug filled a quarter the way with orange juice and a quarter the way with a draft light beer. It's served with a shot of Amaretto. This shot works best with glass mug and glass shot glass. Then, you drop the shot glass in the mug and slam it. It tastes so smooth! Yummy! I love them.

I was introduced to this shot my a record guy from Nashville when I worked in radio. It became a popular shot among the radio staff and we always did them at our regular hang-out, Hops and Barley's. After the first few times of getting them there, the bartenders knew exactly what the school bus was. But, I must take credit along with the old radio crew for spreading this to NEPA. Everytime Jimmy would come to town, he would jingle his keys and say, "Ya'll ready to ride the bus?" At the big Country Radio Seminar one year, be made a bus pass- it was a laminated pass with a professionally drawn caricature of him driving a school bus. That's what he was known for! The School Bus shot. I still have this bus pass, by the way. I'll try to find it so I can scan it in here.

The school bus can be messy. While dropping the shot glass in is the best way to do it, the bar staff will be upset if they have to follow you with a mop. So, try to respect the floor and ease the shot in. : )

I've been doing a lot of school busses lately with my new co-workers and they are quickly becoming a favorite! I've included a few recent pics!

So- spread the wealth. Teach your local bartender how to do a school bus. And remember, school bus safety: don't drive your own car if you've done too many busses.

My First Ticket

I've been know to live life in the fast-lane. However, I don't drive there.

I am a slow driver. People pass me all the time. People ride my ass all the time. In general, I think I piss other drivers off. I'm a 29-year-old grandma driver.

Yet, Wednesday morning, I was given my very first speeding ticket. It's like a life milestone. Your first tooth. Your first step. Your first word. Your first "time." Your first beer.

Your first speeding ticket.

It was my first day at our new location in Shavertown, so I took a different route to work. Work is now about 12 minutes closer for me because I don't have to go into Wilkes-Barre on the Cross Valley, or through all the lights on Wilkes-Barre Boulevard. I have a short-cut that I can take which leads me right to the road my new office is on.

My first day going to my new workplace. I am driving on Sutton Road in Shavertown, which has some gorgeous houses. I dream of living on this road, actually. So, 1) I was extremely hungover. 2) I was in la-la land and 3) I was starting at houses, left and right. Next thing I know, I see flashing lights-- no siren though.

I do a double-take because I thought these lights must be intended for someone else, but I realize that I am the only car on the road, so I pull over.

I was quite embarrassed because if you are a regular reader of this blog, then you will know about my letter to the editor a few months ago-- about speeders and terrible road conditions on Route 118. So, I tell the cop this, as well as the story about it being my first day. I still got a ticket. $164. I was nice, polite, didn't object or anything. It is what it is. He was doing his job, and I was now late for mine.

48 in a 25.... yikes. That's almost double, a co-worker pointed out to me. It didn't feel like I was going fast. Maybe since the road is hilly and curvy, I was caught while I was coasting? I don't know.

I wanted to say to him, "Oh thank goodness you got me this morning because I was shit-faced when I drove home from Hops last night..." but I didn't think that he'd think it was funny. Haha. I sort of wondered if my breath still smelled like alcohol. I read Tucker Max, I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell, and he actually had his own breathalizer and was still reading drunk the next morning. I mean, I doubt I was, but it was a funny thought to actually get a DUI the next morning on your way to work.

And, as Murphy's Law would have it, I did win a Spiff at work-- $100! Collected it that same morning, which was quite comical. Last time I won on the slots (five years ago), my car broke down, so as Donna Luck would have it, win money- something happens to my car, or in this case, my driving.

What Keywords People Used and Found My Blog

I write my blog for fun, pretty much. I don't write it with SEO (search enging optimization) in mind. I don't pay attention to keyword density-- I just type away with whatever story or rant I wanted to share. But, also for fun, I have Google Analytics on my blog. For the most part, people who know me will just click on the link to my blog from my MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, e-mail signature or other social networking.

I also know that strangers from 44 different states and 26 different countries have stumbled upon my blog looking for things on Google, Yahoo and MSN. I thought it would be cool (and in some cases, funny) to blog about the keywords and keyphrases people used to find DailyDoseoDonna.com. I find this kind of like Big Brother because what we search for should be secret.... I am sure my blog was not the research they were looking for, but hey, at least I had some readers-- no matter what circumstances they used to stumble upon my blog.

The #1 Keyword used: "Woodfield Manor" and variations
How many times my blog was clicked on for this keyword: 100+
Why I blogged about it: I wrote about one of our clients new restaurants/hotels. This is very cool that my blog is coming up in the search because I gave it a rave review. I think this is very cool as well because it means people are searching for this restaurant.

Other Keywords:

My blog about Two Girls One Cup got hits from these searches:
2 girls one cup, barf in cup, Two Girls One Cup, dose girls one cup, naked girls barf, naked girl barf, scat two girls one cup video, two girls + one cup scat video, two girls one cup web link, video of two girls and one cup

My blog about Green M&Ms got tons of hits from these searches-- probably the most cursiosity of any topic I wrote about actually:
Aphrodisiac Colors, Wearing Green on Thursday, green M&M thursday, donna green, green M&Ms + horny, aphrodisiac CVS, are green m&ms aphrodisiac, color m&m's aphrodisiac, green m&ms pr, green m&m character, green m&m band, green m&m thursday, how did the green m&m thing start, looking for green m&ms, meanings of the green m&ms, pictures of the sexy greem m&m lady, sexy green m&m, seperate out the green m&ms, wearing green is said to be an aphrodisiac, wearing green on thursday makes you horny, what does wearing green on thursday mean, why does green mean horny celtic traditions,

My Blog About Office Space and my old job got hits from these searches:
--Office Space movie + marx, Office Space movie + management theories, office space marx, sociology of the movie Office Space, movie the office space peter paper sociology

My Blog About the Wendy's Snack Attack garnered a few hundred hits through various keyword searches like: snack attack double cheeseburger, snack attack Wendy's price, wendy's snack attack, etc.

Other various keywords that I think are hilarious- in my blog, they seemed normal to write as they pertained to a story, but when they are just typed into a search engine, it just makes me laugh:

- her asscrack showing
- bar with expired license
- knew I needed gas
- bar catfight
- broke half driver's license
- can I get served if my license is expired?
- cave with train pennsylvania
- crash on Route 118
- donna best buy - I did work at Best Buy! Do you think they were looking for me?
- g club 10
- gmc yukon out of gas
- harmonica recommendations - this is one of my favorites
- is wilkes university the real deal
- hillbilly
- liking new things
- norman mailer agnostic
- racing eating too much
- self-depricating humor
- skippy+beer+lemonade mix+ how to make
- my cat is eating too much
- oh donna

And, a few people that I know who I wrote about have been searched for as well. They will remain nameless, but my blog obvioulsy comes up now when people google their names. I had a bunch of hits on my blog by searching for a particular person. Either they google themselves (like I do) or have adoring fans! I hope for the latter.

I think I have way too much time on my hands to look into all this stuff, but it's fun. I like data.

Ice Ice Ba------ cteria. (Fecal matter too)

I can't prove it. But I think the ice scooper is the culprit. People in the office are sick. We all share a common ice scooper that:

1) Is oftentimes found lying inside atop the ice instead of firmly placed on the holder on the inside of the door.

2) Is dropped on the floor and then placed back in place on the holder on the door. (I saw this yesterday, hence the blog.)

A year or so ago I saw one of those in-depth, undercover investigations about ice. The reason for this investigation was the death of a young athlete (the reason for lots of health-related investigation- it seems anytime someone "with promise" is affected, people pay attention. nothing wrong with that, but still.....) which was traced back to bacteria in the ice.

In my own words, this is what happens:
1. People touch the scooper. Maybe they are sick or didn't wipe their ass or touched something or someone who had a bug.
2. The scooper holds this bacteria.
3. Then, when the scooper is dropped back on top of the ice.
4. The bacteria spreads around the cooler as some of the ice melts
5. Someone scoops it into their cup
6. They get sick
7. The touch the scooper... the cycle begins again

I am not OCD. You should see my house. But, in an office building or school or restaurant, people should have a little respect and put things back where they belong, and if a common item is dropped on the floor, take responsibility and rinse it off. Other people have to use it.

When people who work or learn together get sick, it's bound to get passed around in some way, shape or form. Bacteria is everywhere, we can't help it. But- I think people should think a little more and not be completely oblivious and inconsiderate.

Wow. I haven't done a rant in a while. Feels kinda good actually.

Hard Data:
Chicago Sun Writes About Restaurant Ice & Fecal Matter- Dec. 07- blog reference
Blog about a CNN Report of Ice & Fecal Matter

And what the heck- I did a little more digging in the CNN transcripts and found that thist study was from a week-long series they did called, "Enough to Make You Sick." You can follow this link to read the whole thing- you have to really dig deep into thise transcript- there are several news stories before the one on ice and bacteria. Here's a snippet:

Take Denton, Texas, 1999. Fifty-eight members of a high school drill team were infected with various levels of gastrointestinal illnesses at a camp. The ice got contaminated with E. coli after campers used their bare hands to scoop ice out of the machine. And recently, a British government study surveyed clubs, bars and pubs in London, and found half the ice they used was full of bugs and bacteria that can make people sick. (on camera): So that got us thinking, what would we find if we bought ice just like you would on any given day at any given restaurant across the country? (voice-over): We took our ice samples in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles, at a combination of fast food chains and local establishments in each town, a total of 23 samples. In each location, we walked in and ordered our drinks with our ice on the side, and then carefully, without touching the ice, poured it into sterile bags, and then set the samples off to a certified food laboratory, Microbac Laboratories in Warrendale, Pennsylvania. (on camera): Now, our study didn't follow all EPA protocol. That would mean we would have had to have gone to each restaurant four or five times, tested the city water, and then made sure that our sample ice touched nothing before it went into our sample bags. But our results were tested against the most basic EPA standards, and what we found was disturbing. (voice-over): In every city but one, there was a restaurant that failed those EPA standards. This McDonalds in Atlanta failed. This Dunkin' Donuts in Chicago failed. This 7-Eleven in Dallas failed, and so did this Burger King in Los Angeles. On the day we tested, according to Microbac Laboratories, each ice sample from these four establishments was contaminated with fecal matter.

And, leave it to me to come up with something corny:

Adds a whole new meaning to POOPER SCOOPER!!

Why do I fall for advertising?!

Last week, I ate at Quizno's. And not because it was convenient, but because I have been seeing the commericals for the Prime Rib Ranchero. Was it the deep, sexy voice talking about the tantalizing concoction of prime rib and habernero peppers? Or was it just the huge picture of the meaty sandwich dripping with sauce that filled my entire TV that did it? Either way, the multi-sensory image haunted me all the way to the new Wilkes-Barre Quizno's and until I took my first bite. Was I impressed? Eh. Somewhat. Could have used more sauce. It didn't ooze like it did in the picture. Was it worth the $7+? Definitely more meat than other sub joints, and I'd eat it again, but Quizno's is a bit too pricey for me to frequent the place. (Until the next new sandwich that becomes an overplayed commercial; I'll just fall for it all over again.)

Today, I worked late. Didn't feel like cooking when I got home- it was too late to pick up Chinese from the place on my way home, and the pizza place close to my house, Red's, is closed on Mondays. So, what pops into my mind?

What did you do with your 30 minutes? Yep. Didn't walk into the Domino's and fake a Brooklyn accent or shaved-off eyebrows (I do need a waxing) or anything, but I did get the BRKLYN special. And the coolest thing was that they had an LCD screen in the lobby with my name on it and exactly how much time was left, as well as the status. I saw my pizza go from "Being Made" to "In the Oven." The timing was right on.

I don't watch a lot of TV. But goddammit when I do, I succumb to those bastard advertising agencies every time. Kudos to them, man. I used to dream of working on Madison Avenue coming up with creatives-- but the stress of the city, I dunno. I think I'd rather fall for it then create it.

So, I'm kinda thinking the Cheesy Beefy Melt from Taco Bell for my next stop. "I stop the world and melt with you...." See-- it's in your head now too.

Out of the Blue, I Heard From an Old Friend

Last Saturday I was making Hamburger Helper when the phone rang.

"Is this Donna Talarico?" Yes

"Did you ever live in Tulsa, Oklahoma?" Yes

"Did you know a M.M."? Yes

"THIS IS HER!!!"

Holy shit. M. (I am using her intials to conceal her identity incase.) I hadn't seen here in 14 years. I've Googled her many times to see if I could find her and searched all the social networking sites for her, and even earlier on, just searched the online phone books. (That's how she found me, the online white pages.) I never had a any luck finding her. I never stopped thinking about her- we were best friends for a few years-- during those crucial years too, the ones where you get drunk for the first time and lose your virgnity and all that fun teenage stuff.

One of the last times I saw her before I moved away from Tulsa, to Muskogee and then back to PA was when she was going to do some bad things with some random strangers. I left. She left the job we had together and then I moved. And that was it. Before that, we were inseperable.

One of the first things she said to me was that she did not do drugs anymore. Turns out she's been off meth for a while now.... All this time I've been living my life, not exactly perfectly, but I find out after 14 years that my old best friend has been struggling with drug addiction, had an abusive relationship (he's in jail) and right now her children live with her mom. This is likely why I never found her online, because she was caught up in this other lifestyle where technology didn't fit in too well.

However, the call was a happy one. Things seem to be on the upswing for her. I swore to her that I'd be a phone call away if she needed someone to talk to, if she needed a friend. I told her that sometimes it just takes one positive person in your life to help you get through a hard time.

We talked about the old gang and our lives and it felt so great talking to her. I am so glad to hear from her after all these years; it was quite a surprise. She told me how smart I was back then, and how she should have listened to me. I know there was nothing I could have done, it's just the way life happened, but when I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but think how her life could have been different if I stuck around. Or-- how my life could have been different if I stuck around. It's funny when you think about what one small choice can do and how big an effect it can have on your entire life.

This call stuck with me for days. It was difficult to process some of the things she told me because I left when we were 16. But I didn't want to be mad or judge because she only came back into my life for a few minute long phone call. I hope she stays cleaned up and that if I ever get back to OK to see my family there that I can visit her. I am glad her story is leading toward a happy ending. ; )

I'd post the picture I found of Milissa and I, but I am far too embarrassed of my feathered hair. I'll have to dig deeper. The picture above is the whole Tulsa Word newspaper crew on a trip into Rogers, AK. She's the one with the cowboys jersey and I'm the chick with cartoon band-aids on my knees- it was a dumb fad.

I walked away without a scratch. How the F*** did that happen?

Wednesday night was probably the scariest night of my life. And all I could think about were two things:

1) I wonder how many eggs are cracked open
2) I really have to dig into writing my memoir because I almost didn't get to write my collection of essays about my life because I almost died.

I left work around 7:30ish and hit up Mr. Z's on the way home. I loaded my groceries into the truck and headed home. It was a chilly night and kind of odd-- there was a lot of water around, but yet some ice. It was as if the h20 was confused... do I freeze or do I melt. Most of the treacherous, rural road I take home everyday that I hate with passion, Route 118, was clear.

The last thing I remember was listening to David Bowie on 102.3 The Mountain. I was just chugging along-- not going to fast because I drive like a grandma anyway. Next thing you know, I totally lost control of the truck and was skidding across the highway backwards, also spinning out several times. I don't know how the hell it happened the way it did, but I hit the embankment just the right way that I just slid down-- rather than roll the truck over as it fell down into the ditch. (The picture below doesn't look like it's that big of an embankment, but it was about six feet.)

It was miraculous that there were no oncoming cars. I had the highway to myself as I spun and skid out of control.

When the shock wore off, I took a mental inventory. I was buried in the snow in an embankment on the opposite side of the road, the east bound lane, facing east-- the total opposite direction I was going. I was snug in my seatbelt. I turned off the engine and called Dave-- losing him several times before I was able to convey what happened. For some reason, I was calm-- no tears or anything. I was just shaken up.


Dave said he'd be on his way. I looked up. A woman in a white car had turned around to check on me, and so did a man. The woman turned out to be the cook at the bar I live across from. I told them both I had someone coming for me. The man made sure I was okay and then left. The woman, Liz, stayed with me.... motherly (or nosy).

NOW a PennDOT truck drives by and drops some cinder down on the black icy road. I can't blame PennDOT for my accident-- as the water probably had been washing away the cinder all night and they had to keep laying it down-- it was an odd night, teetering between freezing and melting.

The PennDOT driver stopped to make sure I was okay as well, and put down some flares. He stayed until Dave got there. I slushed through the snow and realized that there was not a dent or a scratch on the Yukon. I also realized something else.

"Holy Shit!" I screamed as I noticed the perfect landing. I had landed between an creek and a telephone pole and tension wire... the way this accident happened was if a Hollywood stunt man plotted it out to excite, and then relieve thedience.

I was okay, there was no damage- there was no need to call the state police- however since it was dark, rural and the noted problems and history on 118, the tow truck driver wouldn't come without the police knowing he was there. Liz called the police and they said they didn't need to come and they'd send the tow truck to get me out. The driver arrived with a flat bed-- but this road is dangerous and there is no way he could do his job with traffic, so he called the Sweet Valley Volunteer firefighters and three of them came out for traffic duty.

They put out more flares (the ones from PennDot had burned out) and blocked the road from either direction. Dave hopped in the Yukon to steer the truck while the driver pulled the truck out with a winch. It was freakin' amazing..... they almost nailed the tension wire since I was so close, but with the driver's directions and Dave's careful steering, they managed to get the truck out. The road was closed less then ten minutes.... I was so appreciative of everyone's help. The volunteers got there in a heartbeat-- just can't believe how lucky we are to have people like them who will come at the drop of the hat to help.

I am by no means a religious person so to hear everyone who was at the scene gasp at how I landed and say "someone was riding with me" made me feel very lucky to be alive. I have nightmares a lot about getting into a car accident and in those dreams, I feel so helpless and out of control. That is exactly what it felt like to be skidding across the road- only I couldn't just wake up. It was real this time.

By the way-- only ONE egg broke during my groceries' wild ride.

HISTORY OF 118

I really hate my road. I dread my drive home every night. I don't so much mind it during the day, but I despise driving it at night, and this accident just confirms my fears. Last summer, I wrote a letter to the editor about Route 118 and then a few months after that, there was another deadly accident.... here are some links.

http://randomthoughtsfromdonna.blogspot.com/2007/11/deadly-crash-on-route-118-again.html
http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/letters/20070429_talarico_letter_ART.html