Nicole DiGiose

My Super Powers

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

Some cool super powers I wish I could have.

Teleportation – Being able to be anywhere in the world (even beyond the world!) in the blink of an eye would be absolutely astounding. I could see so much without the hassle of planning and getting on a plane or a boat or a crazy super rocket ship and at no cost. Just think it and explore it. If I’m running a little late for something, whoosh, not anymore!

Invisibility – I don’t mean to sound like a creep, but sometimes I want to watch people when they think they’re alone. Not during any of those private moments, of course, but in the way that this super power defeats what I want out of saying I want the ability to read minds. Watching someone when they’re at their most honest points, alone, seeing their actions says a lot about them. So don’t invade their minds (that’s too private!), just hang out in their room with them (totally not in a creep way) and find your answers through their actions. Invisibility would also come in handy while investigating something, or when you have one of those moments when you just want to vanish.

Flight – Who wouldn’t want to be able to take off into the blue? Flying at your own pace would be so peaceful and freeing. The closest I’ve been to flying was when I went skydiving, and the rush was incredible. Once the second parachute was pulled and we slowed down, the view was breathtaking and having the time to let the experience sink in was phenomenal. So if I want to just casually fly to work or to a friend’s house, I can float over, see what’s going on below, and enjoy the ride.

Time Travel – Nothing like learning about something than actually being there or doing it yourself.  Chuck those bogus books out the window and get in your time travel machine. The big bang theory, dinosaurs (turn on your invisibility when you come across the velociraptors), Benjamin Franklin. I’m not sure how I feel about sneaking into the future though. That would be unfair, but definitely helpful, when it comes to certain things. That would just turn the world into a mess, I believe. It’s giving me a headache just thinking about it. So let’s only time travel to the past. Educational purposes only. Now that I think about it, you should be invisible at all times so that you don’t interfere and mess up the future (this reminds me of A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury and you should read it).

Healing with a touch – A sick person or a wounded animal, right in front of me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. If I could heal with a touch, I’d be able to restore them to their healthy self and we’d all be happy. Then comes the thought of extreme over population, but in a world of super powers where there’d be invisible people and others time traveling and teleporting off the planet, it would be fine.

Having the perfect amount of money when I need it – $26,000 for a Toyota FJ Cruiser, $60,000 for a Master’s degree, $60 to fill up my gas tank, $28.73 for dinner and drinks, how about some giant cannolis? Do you like cannolis? I’m not much of a fan, honestly, but here, take ’em. Have ’em all, they’re on me, don’t worry ’bout it. No matter how much something costs in this money-run world, I wish I could have the exact amount I need at that very moment.

What do you think? Which super powers would you like to have and why?

Carbon Monoxide Evacuation

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I put together from a make believe press conference when I attended SUNY Purchase.

Fifty people evacuated their apartment building early yesterday morning, many of them barefoot and in their pajamas. Some of them were carried out, dangling over the shoulders of firefighters. Residents soon learned that carbon monoxide was detected throughout their building.

Tanya Jones, 27, was one of the 50 who lived in the apartment building on East 12th Street in the East Village. She lived on the fourth floor and was woken up around 5:15 am to the sounds of screaming and men’s voices. She went into the hallway to investigate, where she passed out in her neighbor’s doorway.

“I woke up at about 4:00 in the morning with a splitting headache,” Jones says. “I thought it was just the stress of my job and I went back to sleep. Then the next thing I knew, I heard crying and screams in the hallway, and I thought ‘Just another day in New York City,’” she says. “Then I heard screams and men’s voices. That’s when I realized something was wrong. I  looked at my alarm clock and I realized that I slept through my alarm.” She takes a breath. “I thought to myself, ‘I need to investigate.’ I got out of bed, my knees buckled beneath me and I hit the ground.” Read More

Teacher Acts Like A Chicken

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I put together from a make believe press conference when I attended SUNY Purchase. Based on true events.

According to a class of eighth grade students, their teacher, Eva Brady, was behaving oddly during class time and acting like a chicken.

On March 24th, Brady, 47, was driven home from Pentucket Regional Middle School by a colleague after her history class told administrators that there was something “wrong” with their teacher.

It was 10:00 a.m. on March 24th when additional information was given from Chief Holmes and Officer Forni regarding the incident at the school. Holmes said that she had information from the Groveland Police and one of their employees that Brady asked a student in her class how he thought it would feel to have a bullet in his head. The student confirmed the question with Assistant Principal Ken Kelley.

According to Forni, students told him that Brady was in the back of the classroom flapping her arms, making chicken noises and trying to fly. These allegations were not confirmed during the school’s investigation.

“Ms. Brady has worked in the district for the last five years without incident and has denied the incident,” said Principal Debra J. Lay. “After an investigation by our school board, we are inclined to dismiss the accusation and welcome Ms. Brady back to the classroom.”

When parent Tracy Dalton picked up her son and his friends from the school, they reported the “bullet” incident and Brady’s other odd behaviors. Dalton reported information to parents of involved students and also to the school on March 24th.

On March 25th, the school was still investigating the incident and talking to students.

According to Kelley, the student involved in the “bullet” incident said that Brady had asked him to teach the class. He said that though “she was acting strangely,” he was not afraid of her or her comments to him.

On March 26th, Officer Michael Dwyer contacted the father of the student, who said he was satisfied with the handling of the issue and did not want anything to go forward as far as charges.

I hate “Kk”

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

My friends say it, your friends say it. You’ve probably said it too.

“Kk.”

Being a complete grammar geek, this peculiar acronym annoys me to no end. After I read a text from my boyfriend saying “Kk” last night, I had enough. It was time for a serious, serious talk. But that’s a different story.

I began researching as much as I could about this “Kk” that gets around everywhere, creeping into phones, emails and online communities across the globe, hypnotizing its readers to spread it so it can conquer the precious, well thought out English language, with its growing number of similar lazy buddies who want nothing more than to get around.

But where did “Kk” come from? I can’t pinpoint an exact mastermind or location, but I’ve done some digging.

The double K means the message has been acknowledged. I know that and I’m sure you do too. But why not just write “Ok” in the first place? You’d still be using two letters. Originally, it didn’t just mean “Ok.” “Kk” came from, “k, kewl,” translating to “Ok, cool.” I’ve never heard anyone say “Kk” in person, except when reading a text message out loud. Even then, it sounds beyond stupid. It is stupid. It’s an acronym for two words that are misspelled and conjoined. It makes my head sick. It makes me lose hope for the human being.

Conversations like the following wouldn’t be said like this in person.

“hi how ru i just ate a corn dog”

“lool kk im good cant complain hbu”

Read that aloud. What a catastrophe.

Through research, I discovered that “Kk” was born in the 1990s. Not surprising, with the Internet really growing up back then. It’s part of online/texting conversation culture and was first used in online communities, not texting, as many would now assume.

The younger generations especially use “Kk” without knowing what it means. They think it means “Ok” and they use it that way, when it really stands for “k kewl” (Okay, cool). So, if you think about it, a conversation like the one below would be messed up.

“i cant make it tonight i gotta go to my grandpas wake”

“kk im sry”

These things happen. This also reminds me how many things are so impersonal now. I love technology, but sometimes I feel that the younger people in this world aren’t going to know how to properly communicate, especially face to face. The ways of the future interest me.

So, those are some of my thoughts and facts on the subject.

Okay, cool.

Liebster Blog Award!

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

I received the Liebster Blog Award from Jane Fritz. She always has something meaningful to read on her blog, which focuses on her lifetime experiences and thoughts. I’m honored that she chose me and I’m more than happy to know that there are people who enjoy my work.

The Liebster Award is for bloggers with fewer than 200 followers and is meant to encourage them to keep writing.

The rules of this award are as follows:

1. Thank and link back to the giver.

2. Answer the giver’s questions.

3. Nominate five other blogs with fewer than 200 followers.

4. Ask five questions for one’s nominees to answer.

5. Post it on your blog.

Jane’s questions:

(1) What is it that you like about blogging?

I’m able to showcase my work and express my thoughts. It’s meaningful to me because these words are mine and they come from deep within. I can write, share it with others who have similar interests and receive feedback. It’s something I’ll always appreciate.

(2) What is your favorite time of year and why?

When summer fades into fall. The air is crisp and refreshing, it’s warm but not hot and there’s a subtle breeze. It’s the perfect weather to admire the scenery or to go out and have fun.

(3) If the Internet didn’t exist, and hence the possibility of blogging, would you still write?  If not, what would you do instead to get the same satisfaction?

Of course. I still write with a pen in my diary at least once a week. I can’t escape putting my imagination and experiences on paper to preserve, and I don’t want to.

(4) What’s your biggest weakness/indulgence?

I see others my age who are successful and on their own and I’m nowhere near that. I find myself comparing myself to them. My weakness is being too hopeful about my future in writing. It’s what I want to do and I have to push myself sometimes to get that dream out of my head and to slave away in another field. Then the other half of me says to never give up.

(5) If you won the lottery next week, would you make any major changes in your life?  What?

Definitely. I’d be out and on my own, away from where I currently reside. I’d be somewhere warm, in a city where I have a better shot at my career. My college loans would be paid off and so would my brothers’ and my boyfriend’s. We’re all being held back because of them. I’d get my parents to where they want to be and I’d certainly go traveling all over the place.

I nominate these blogs for the Liebster Award:

MsTizzle

Kirsten Lopresti

Summerization

Lesley Carter

The Secret Burrow

My five questions:

What inspired you to start blogging?

Out of all your posts, which is your favorite?

What stimulates your imagination?

Is where you are in life where you saw yourself five years ago?

Out of the twelve months each year, which month best represents your eyes? Why?

Green Bride Guide

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

An article I wrote for Chilled Magazine.

Green mixologist, Kate Harrison, provides eco-friendly drinks for brides.  She planned her own green wedding in 2007 and founded greenbrideguide.com two years later. Her goal is to help couples use their weddings to promote social and environmental change, as well as support the local organic economy.

The inspiration for the guide sparked from Kate’s engagement. She and her husband Barry got engaged in 2007 when they were both in graduate school at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

“We were trying to plan a beautiful budget-friendly event that was in line with our values and beliefs and I thought it was much harder to find the resources we needed than it should have been,” said Kate. “I wrote The Green Bride Guide: How to Plan an Earth-friendly Wedding on Any Budget to help other brides navigate the process.”  Kate launched greenbrideguide.com after her book became a best-seller in the wedding planning category. Read More

When I Was A Kid In The Summer

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

Buzz of the pool, barbeque’s glossy air

Swaying beneath painted skies

Drops of chlorine slipping from the ends of my hair

Splattering around prune-like toes, mixing with the popsicle raining down my sticky wrists

Family and neighbors laughing with food in their mouths

Dog’s eyes scurrying up the table

Chicken lathered in sauce, bread stuffed with meat, butter melting into corn on styrofoam plates, sheltered under umbrella

Brothers and cousins chasing me up the slide as I snatch the first firefly, only to release it to the first twinkling star

Tips To Make A Bad Day Good

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

Exercise. This always works for me. Go for a run, ride your bike, do yoga, walk your dog. Endorphins can reverse a bad mood in no time!

Go to sleep early. It’s true that things usually get better in the morning. It’s a fresh start for a new day.

Talk to somebody you’re close with. Vent to someone who understands you for some comfort and good advice. Getting negative thoughts off your chest will help clear your mind.

Do something for someone else just because you can. This will automatically make you feel better about yourself. It’s magical.

Make a happy list. Remind yourself of everything that makes you smile. There’s nothing like triggering positive memories or goals you know you can reach.

Get fresh air. Sometimes all you need is a step outside to breathe and collect your thoughts.

Change up your look. Buy some new clothes or style your hair differently. When you look good, you feel good.

Snuggle with your significant other. Being reminded that you are loved and cared for will brighten up any lousy mood.

Snacks That Will Make You Miss The ’90s

Posted on by Nicole DiGiose

DunkAroos – More cookies than frosting, every time. Tasty, but as a kid, I was disappointed when I had to scrape up what was left of the frosting tucked into the corners of the little square to get my fix.

Handi-Snacks – I don’t know about that “real” cheese, but I’d day dream of these things as I waited in the classroom for lunch time.

Gushers – No question about it, these explosive treats were in every kid’s lunch box.

Fruit By The Foot – You always had the longest one, even if you really didn’t. Looks of envy swung your way if you whipped out this edible, artificially flavored rope of plastic.

Fruit Roll Ups – Who didn’t enjoy unraveling these masterpieces to pop out Nickelodeon characters, Sonic the Hedgehog, or some random made-up shape? Unfortunately, there were those who just stuffed them in their mouths without appreciating the designs sketched into them.

Welch’s Fruit Snacks – Bursting with flavor, there were always handfuls to share with the pairs of hungry eyes around you. Always something to marvel at when some of them were stuck together.

Lunchables – Made you feel like you could cook. Lunchables seemed more like real food compared to what the other brown-baggers discovered. There was a moment of pride when you slapped that glossy piece of turkey on that giant cracker and topped it with that overly bright slab of cheese. The half-filled packet of special sauce gave it that extra kick. Read More