Nicknames

"Anna Banana! Has anyone ever called you that!?" Someone actually asked me that when I was 19. I was tempted to punch them in the face but instead I answered, "Nope, I was raised by wolves and everyone knows that wolves can't rhyme."

You won't be surprised to hear that I've been called Anna Banana my whole life. When I was a kid I hated it so much that I wouldn't eat bananas. I was already peeved that grownups called me Anna Banana and I didn't want to add fuel to the fire by actually being seen eating one.

But there are certainly worse nicknames than Anna Banana. My brother Jack confided to me and Ben, my other brother, that people had called him Jack Ass in high school. We were sympathetic but secretly we were mad that we hadn't thought of it ourselves. My poor friend Kathryn wins for the worst nickname. Her siblings called her "Kathriena Vagina". So horrible (although pretty funny).

What nickname did you hate growing up?

I haven't heard Forever Young in a long time and I forgot how nice it was. Enjoy!

2/25/09 - Good Advice 2

It has been one of those days. My alarm didn't go off this morning so I was about an hour late to work and when I got there it is was a total mad house. Needless to say, I didn't start the day off very Positively. So, as usual, I turned to my best pal Mandy for advice (more Mandy advice).

Mandy: What a morning you've had! I would probably go in the bathroom and start crying!

Me: I might go in the bathroom and punch someone.

Mandy: That'll work too. Make sure it's somebody you don't work with though. (Pause) Oh! Go to Starbucks. There's bound to be an annoying girl reading a book in there. Punch her!

Here's a good country song that always picks me up. Please enjoy Garth Brook's Callin' Baton Rouge.

2/24/09 - Oscar Party!

Well I survived hosting my first Oscar party. As I've mentioned the Academy Awards are my favorite night of television. I've been planning this party for months, stressing over the guest list, menu, decorations, etc. My goal was to get enough done in advance so that I could actually enjoy the show instead of hopping up every 10 seconds. And I did pretty well.

The menu consisted of a few staples, like dill bread dip, hummus and sausage stew. As well a few themed dishes.

Benjamin's Buttons - Crackers with goat cheese and dried cranberries. One of my favorite flavor combos. Try it!

Slumdog Samosas - I don't think I'm ready to open my own Indian restaurant but I was happy with the way these came out.

Red Carpet Cocktails and Cupcakes

While I LOVE the Academy Awards, they can get a little long, especially on a Sunday night. We had an Oscar poll which is always a lot of fun. And to add even more fun we played Oscar bingo. Guests placed their chips on boxes when a winner would cry or thank their parents or get played off by the orchestra.

Academy Award for Excellence in Oscar Bingo

I had a great time at the party. I hope my Oscar party will turn into an annual event.

Today's song is this years winner for best song, Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire. Every time I hear Jai Ho I immediately start clapping and bouncing up and down. GREAT SONG!

2/19/09 – Genius Journal

I'm pretty sure I'm a genius. And if I'm a genius, then you definitely are! YOU probably know the difference between jeans and genes. Anyway, the reason I think I'm a genius is that I have proof. I write all my great ideas down in what I like to call my Genius Journal. I carry my Genius Journal with me everywhere. It is always in my purse, goes with me to work and comes on every vacation. The only place my Genius Journal doesn't go is the gym, but I'm thinking of taking it to spinning. Although, I don't think the instructor will be impressed when I fall off the bike because I just had a great idea for a post.
I started using a Genius Journal when I was having trouble coming up with my Songs of the Day. It is hard thinking of upbeat songs, especially when I am not having an upbeat day (GASP! Yes, even Positively Anna has bad days). And I would get pissed because the night before I thought of 5 great songs or a friend would recommend a perfect one but when it came time to actually post a song, I couldn't remember a single one. Now whenever I think of a Song of the Day I immediately write it down. It also helps me keep track of what songs I've already used, which can be tricky when you have posted over 150 songs (please excuse me while I take a second to pat myself on the back).

I also write post ideas in my Genius Journal too. I'll make a quick note if I have a little idea that I think could have some legs or I will just write a whole post out. I wrote the post about my poor rat-tailed friend BJ (Rat-tail) while riding on the Chinatown Bus. But you don't need to be a blogger to use a Genius Journal.

My new favorite thing to use my journal for is for vacation packing lists. I'll start my packing list a few days before my trip. Too many times I've been riding on the subway and think that I need to remember my camera charger, or my neck pillow, or tweezers, and then I forget when I'm packing and I'm stuck on vacation with my camera being as useful as a paper weight, a sore neck and bushy eyebrows. Now as soon as I think of something I will need I immediately add it to my list in my Genius Journal, which I always have with me. SEE? I'm a genius! You may think I'm crazy, but writing out a packing list in your Genius Journal will ensure you never head off on vacation without packing any underwear again. (Oh come on! You know you have done it).

I promised Matt I would play Rock Band with him tonight. And this will be the song I'll choose to rock out to. Please enjoy the Dixie Chicks Let Er Rip.

2/18/09 - Typos

A few of you pointed out a typo in yesterday's post. I used the word "jeans" instead of "genes". I obviously know the difference between the two. I was pre-med for my first 3 weeks of college.

I've never been a great proofreader, although I am trying to get better. It is important for my job and for this blog. I've even read blogs on proofreading. The best advice I've found so far is to read your work backwards. Start with the last sentence, reading that forward, of course, and then work backwards. It has been very helpful, although it clearly has not cured me completely.

And thank you to those who did mention the typo to me. Having a typo in your blog is like having a booger in your nose or your dress tucked into your underwear. You want someone to tell you!

We heard this song last night at spinning. Pretty 80's and pretty fun. Please enjoy Aretha Franklin's Deeper Love.