were turn signals optional for your car model that year??

apparently so. well...actually the cars all come equipped with them but there was no law in Florida stating drivers *had* to use them.

WHAT???

yep. you read right. as of July 1, 2005, it officially becomes a law that you must use your turn signals when changing lanes or passing another vehicle. i wasn't aware that this was optional before now, that this was nothing more than a courtesy one offered to other drivers if one felt the need to. (which by the way is not something most drivers felt compelled to do all that often that i've noticed!!)

i'm not crazy am i? this is already an enforced law in other places & not just a "common courtesy"...i guess maybe i am just stunned by this announcement. or maybe that's just because i don't feel as though my turn signals are there just for show & the occasional "good deed".

vent over.

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B is for...

...Being notified by Andie that we have meteorological action again.
...Been there, done that with hurricane season...and SO over it already.
...Bring it on Mother Nature! NOT!!
...Bermuda High which will determine just how many hurricanes hit landfall in Florida this season--something that was NOT in our favor last year by the way!!
...Bet the people in Mexico are less than thrilled with the fact that both tropical storms so far this year were on the Gulf side.
...Blogging about the hurricanes that form is good therapy & a way to vent while attempting to keep a sense of humor.
...Be sure to keep an eye out for a cool interactive tool i found that shows the tracking of the 4 major storms (Charley, Frances, Ivan & Jeanne) from 2004 as well as all the storms for 2005--i'll be adding it to my links on the left & i'll make an entry later tonight when i've done so! ETA: my link to that cool interactive tracker is currently disabled...hoping they will bring it back up. =(
...Believe me when i say i am grateful that we've only had 2 tropical storms at this point but it is also still only June for crying out loud!! last year the first storm was Hurricane Alex which didn't form until August 5th! little trivia tidbit for you: Since 1851, there have been only 12 years when two or more tropical storms formed in June.
...Tropical Storm Bret who thankfully did not become a hurricane AND did not head toward Florida.

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the replacements

had a conversation yesterday. have been chewing on some thoughts as a result of said conversation. the little bit of profound i have concluded is this:

i don't think we ever replace those that are truly important to us. we grow. we change some. we mature. sometimes that means we move on to varying degrees. but those that have touched our lives stay with us somewhere. they've helped to shape us, set the standards, learn things about ourselves we might not have otherwise known. but when you truly love someone they do stay in your heart somewhere for always. sure others may follow. but like bringing a new pet into your family or someone remarrying after a spouse passes on--you hold the memories & start making new ones. we don't replace, we simply add. we only replace that which we didn't cherish in the first place.

kind of reminds me of that quote that i will need to paraphrase since i don't know it right off the top of my head: love is the only thing that grows as it is divided. =)

i hope your lives are rich with additions as you continue to hold dear those that came before.

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random thoughts for the day

**just when i think i've seen it all in polk county, the woman in front of me in a really nice Lincoln Navigator lowers her windows & SPITS. note i said WOMAN. lovely. (this is 2nd only to the guy riding down the road in the bed of a beat up pickup, sitting in a lawnchair. as the truck took a corner, the guy's lawnchair tipped a little to one side & the owner of the truck had one of those white decals in his rear window that appeared right next to lawnchair guy's head: got brains? irony at its finest.)

**what on earth is the story with all the shark attacks in FL the last couple days? ok so only 2 but still!!

**i am already in serious withdrawal from my Disney Pass being blocked out for the summer months--and it's only been blocked for 18 days. i am sure i could remind myself why i'm not entirely unhappy about this in about 7 seconds by being in any one of the parks with 2 million sweaty people bumping into me but it *would* be nice to go in during the evening every so often...i have a feeling it's going to be a loooong 51 days.

**3 lanes on a highway are MUCH better than 2.

**my pictures shipped from Snapfish yesterday--i love knowing i have good mail enroute! (hey! if anyone is thinking of trying snapfish but you haven't opened an account yet, please let me know! if i refer you, i can get some free prints & so will you!)

**i also decided to do a little something for myself in honor of National Splurge Day back on June 18th which i didn't take advantage of immediately. however after much careful consideration i have chosen to indulge myself just a little bit & get a couple of magazine subscriptions. so yay for me for doing something just for me & yay for you when i pass along all my fun finds! LOL

**a little something for the girls (possibly bordering on TMI but it's a tip i appreciated finding). if you *ahem* maintain your bikini area with a razor, you are well aware of how sensitive the skin is in that region--and it does NOT make that much difference how new the razor is, my skin is still quite displeased. i have tried all sorts of remedies to relieve any ensuing discomfort after said maintenance. well let me share with you what i have found actually works with no stinging, no further irritating already cranky skin, no increasing the fiery redness you may already be experiencing: immediately after de-fuzzing (lol) apply hyrdocortizone cream with aloe liberally (and i would hope i don't have to point out that this is an external application only!! but for disclaimer purposes i say it anyway LOL!)--the aloe soothes & the hydrocortizone decreases itch, irritation & redness. i wish i'd known this a long time ago!

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let's play a game...

got this little prompt in my inbox this morning from Ten on Tuesday:

This week's topic is up, something a little different and interactive:8 Truths and 2 Lies About You (let your readers guess which are the lies)

hmmmmm...maybe i'll be a better liar in type than i am in person. at least here you can't watch my face or hear me laugh to give them away. =P

and so i present to you, 8 truths & 2 lies. wanna see if you can pick them out?

1. i got my driver's license when i turned 18.
2. i have never been issued a traffic citation of any sort, not even a warning.
3. my very first car was a brand new black nissan altima that i leased all on my own.
4. i have been wearing glasses since i was 7.
5. my hair used to be all the way down the middle of my back.
6. i was in marching band in high school.
7. i majored in human services in college.
8. i graduated 14th in my high school class.
9. i would love to see Jim Brickman in concert.
10. i once had a 10 minute conversation with WWE celebrity Mick Foley (aka Mankind).

so? care to take a stab at which statements are the lies? hmmmmm...?

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ok...by popular demand...

here is what knocked me flat on my virtually non-existant butt on thursday:

exterior elevation


interior floor plan

this would be the house that there is about an 85% chance of ken having built. saw it in person both inside (only framed out though) and outside (completed). the drawing does *not* do this thing justice. love the floor plan (again, you can click on an image for a larger view). the optional dining room would actually be a den/scraproom. and there would definitely be a lanai, not the optional living room extension. i wish i could find you all the exterior colrs of choice but my feeble attempt at describing it will have to do. the main body of the house would be a light coffee-ish color with a creamy almost-white-but-not quite-that-stark trim, with a deep brownish-red door, similar to a mahogany or deep cherry wood color. the whole combination is so warm & classy & rich looking, especially with the stonework accents...i am nowhere near describing the way this house looks in a way that does it justice but it really is gorgeous!

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i can't help it

some things are just funny to me. i don't expect anyone else to make the voyage into my psyche to understand how or why something ridiculous is so amusing. just nod along & talk about me later lol...

so i was chatting with Brian while we were working today. talking about what else but food. (if you know me even a tiny bit you will just accept that this can be a lengthy discussion lol.) so he tells me he is having Kung Pow Chicken for lunch today. immediate case of the giggles. from me, not Brian. ;-)

is it just me or is anyone else really compelled to be dramatic & over-emphasize the "pow"? it just seems that a word like "pow" needs the extra oomph when you say it.

Kung POW!!! Chicken

ok really. i'm done. back to your regularly scheduled programming.
=P

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i say...and you think...?

borrowed this one from Stacy (who got it from Unconcious Mutterings):

Useless: some people i've worked with
Radiant: new mother
W: XYZ
Unpaid: delinquent
Geek: Pea (you'd have to belong to Two Peas in a Bucket to make that leap though i believe lol
Unfaithful: bad decision
Reboot: something i need to remember to do at home soon
No!: means no
Squad: car (as in police)
Fetish: foot

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i can find cool things too!

i have to admit to being mildly envious of all the bloggers who seem to stumble upon the coolest things. i lacked all ability to do so...except for the cool things i find on other people's blogs. well *finally* i bring to you--courtesy of the magazines i allowed myself to splurge on--"dawn can find cool stuff too!". i don't have a snazzy title for my cool finds. nope.
just gonna share.


Orly Nail Lacquer in Bump, Set, Spike which i have to tell you i think would look great on summer feet in sandals. so pretty & vibrant & happy & innately SUMMER. *and* bonus: did you know that orange is the color of optimism? yep! sure is! how great would it be to look down anytime you want to see a little bit of optimism peering back up at you!





now how freaking cool are these?! i mean really! not so much just ice in your drink right? i am thinking of that episode of Friends where Monica leaves Phoebe in charge of ice...so she buys every kind she can find just to "show Monica": crushed, cubed, shaved & *dry* (lol!!!)...well how rockin' would THIS have been as an ice option?! no need to say more.






you just don't even know how these cutting boards bring me back to my childhood. especially the watermelon & the orange. my gram had these old vinyl placemats that she used all summer that were different fruits & vegetables: lemon, watermelon, orange, bunch of grapes, corn on the cob...i see something like this and i go right back to being 8 & setting the picnic table, carefully matching up each placemat to the proper person.



i am normally a prefer a bic velocity retractable ballpoint pen in black and i have a definite aversion to gel pens which write like a silky dream but always seem to end up smudged when you write or they spring a leak when you're not paying attention or some other means of ultimately finding their way onto my clothing. but this little writing untensil known as the uni-ball 207 gel pen has a special ink that is touted to "become trapped in paper, thus making check washing virtually impossible & helping to prevent check fraud!" nifty...



i may well be the least accessorized woman in the USA (well of those who live at least semi-comfortably anyway). i should probably have my "woman card" revoked at this point. i own exactly 8 pairs of shoes. and one purse. minimal jewlery. but i have to tell you that this little gem is so cute even *I* could be easily convinced to buy her! they claim it can be purchased at TJ Maxx which may or may not be true--i couldn't find this exact one online. it's a Donna Dixon Bermuda Bag with a turtle print. i found a variety of other prints but none as adorable as this one--only this exact little bag (no substitutions please!) called my name from the pages of a magazine as i sat in Bradley International Airport waiting for my plane to arrive & take me back to FL a little less than 2 weeks ago.


and finally there is what the magazine editors call "create a graphic wallscape". we all know that wallpaper is out--waaaaaay out--and paint is in. but i love the peaceful look, the movement, the little touch of personality that these wall decals by Blik bring to this room! not at all overbearing, just enough quirk & supposedly "very easy to remove". i am intrigued...

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good driving music part 2

few more songs cropped up that make me feel good about the commute down the open road (which now has 3 lanes open going east bound!! hallelujah for sections of completed road construction! one word for you: liberation! except when you have 3 cars in front of you, one in each lane, side by side, going 57mph):

red dirt road (brooks & dunn)
courtesy of the red, white & blue (toby keith)
where the stars & stripes & the eagle fly (aaron tippin)
carnival (natalie merchant)
wonder (natalie merchant)
chicks dig it (chris cagle)

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let me ask you a question

does this look like the face of a killer to you??


because show him a lizard & he is some kind of cold-blooded murderer. maybe i should rent him out to you Andie? ;-)

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just shy of 22 years

yep that would be the age difference between me & my littlest brother. big enough where people thought he was mine. well he was mine...just *my* BROTHER! i can't believe it's been 7 years. that just plain blows my mind. he was the cutest darn little guy too! omg that chin, i could have just eaten it up, it was so flippin' adorable!! i digress...

zachary (6 months: Christmas 1998)


zachary (4 years old: 2002) this cheesy grin kills me!! LOL


and sadly i do not have a more recent photo than that because my family does not seem to think i need to be kept current with such things even though i live 1200 miles away. =( maybe it's *because* i live 1200 miles away, i dunno...i digress. again. as usual.

May the good Lord be with you down every road you roam,
And may sunshine and happiness surround you when you're far from home.
May you grow to be proud, dignified, and true,
And do unto others as you'd have done to you.
Be courageous and be brave,
And in my heart you'll always stay
Forever young
Forever young

May good fortune be with you and may your guiding light be strong,
Build a stairway to heaven with a prince or a vagabond
And may you never love in vain,
And in my heart you will remain
Forever young
Forever young

When you finally fly away I'll be hoping that I served you well,
For all the wisdom of a lifetime no one can ever tell,
But whatever road you choose,
I'm right behind you win or lose.
Forever young
Forever young
(Forever Young: Rod Stewart)

Happy Birthday Zach-Attack!

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blindsided

I laid in bed that night and thought about the day
And how my life is like a roller coaster ride
The ups and downs and crazy turns along the way
It'll throw you off if you don't hold on tight
You can't really smile until you've shed some tears
I could die today or I might live on for years

I love this crazy, tragic,
Sometimes almost magic,
Awful, beautful life...
("Awful Beautiful Life": Daryl Worley)

all i have to say is =O
never saw *that* coming...
more later i am sure.

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old baggage

june 23rd is Let it Go Day. (have to love Simple Scrapbooks Magazine for their little calendar page of special inspirations, eoncouraging you to "recognize, record and celebrate your daily life")

we all have things we hang onto that we shouldn't. i'm not so much talking about the clutter around us, so much as the clutter *within* us. we harbor these old feelings & insecurities & ways of thinking till they drag us down. the blurb in the magazine states: Today, as a gift to yourself, choose to let it go.

give yourself the opportunity to grow, to refresh, to gain new perspective. you'll thank yourself. i know it...

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just couldn't resist

found another little get-to-know-me on this blog which i know so excites you all =P

Three screen names that you have had: daybreak1012. morningangel852. dawnatmaclan.

Three things you like about yourself: my loyalty. my eyes. i know that i am a great friend.

Three things you don't like about yourself: i do not trust people--very much a case of guilty until proven innocent. i am unbelivably indecisive. i will often sacrifice myself for the sake of making others happy (not that this isn't something good in some situations but there are times when it's something i really shouldn't do...).

Three parts of your heritage: German. French Canadian...and we aren't sure if my maternal grandmother was German, Polish or Russian because of the disputes going on in the world over who was in control of what areas back when her ancestors were still overseas--depends on if her maiden name was *really* spelled: Malsheske (German--which is the spelling they always used), Malsheski (Polish) or Malshesky (Russian).

Three things that scare you: hurting someone i love. suffering any sort of real illness or pain. needles.

Three of your everyday essentials: ice cold water.email. a shower.

Three things you are wearing right now: white tank top. gray pj pants. bath & body works lotion in moonlight path.

Three of your favorite songs: Kind & Generous (Natalie Merchant). Bless the Broken Road (Rascal Flatts). Look At What I've Done (Chris Cagle).

Three things I want in a relationship: someone i can trust without question. a best friend. someone who can navigate the fine balance between passion & intimacy.

Two truths and a lie: i was 22 when i got my ears pierced. i have 3 god children. i have never travelled west of the mississippi.

Three things you can't do without: internet. kisses. my camera.

Three places you want to go on vacation: Washington DC. Lake Erie area of PA. Vegas.

Three things you just can't do: a cartwheel. math. dance.

Three kids' names: Emma. Meghan. Max.

Three things you want to do before you die: take a cruise. be a mom. own a good digital camera.

Three Celeb crushes: Brett Favre. Bruce Willis (but only when he shaves his head or keeps his hair super short). Chris Cagle (country singer).

Three people you want to know these things about: Andie. Heather. Chele.

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this or that

borrowed from [butterfly wings] by Tenika

1. Window shades or blinds? blinds but thet have to be vertical...oooo or the Pella windows with the blinds between the panes of glass!
2. Wall or desk calendar? at home i have several wall calendars but at work my desk calendar is my bible
3. Paint or wallpaper? paint, no question about it
4. Electric or gas stove? they say that good cooks prefer gas but i don't know, i had it for years & much prefer electric--i really would like a flat-top range
5. Carpeting or bare floors? i love the look of a hardwood floor or the laminate that looks like wood (especially in the kitchen!) or even really nice tile but carpet is so much more cozy...
6. One TV, or more than one? definitely more than one--one in the living room & one in the bedroom & i am lobbying for one here in the computer/scraproom too! i don't watch so much as listen. i like the background noise.
7. Leather or fabric sofa? we have these awesome leather recliners that are so unbelievably comfortable but my couch needs to be cozy for napping & for that you need fabric
8. Eat meals in kitchen or dining room? don't have an eat-in kitchen so we always eat in the dining room...or in the living room in front of the tv during football season ;-)
9. Fabric or vinyl shower curtain? i truly hate shower curtains. they get sooo gross. i really prefer my shower doors. but if i couldn't have them, it would be a pretty fabric curtain on the outside with a vinyl liner that could get tossed & replaced when it got the least bit icky
10. Your kitchen: well-equipped or bare bones? i would *love* well-equipped to a certain extent. top of the line appliances & a few good cool gadgets but nothing that was too obscure. just top-notch quality for the stuff that really gets used.

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good driving music

not talking about that laid back slow driving when you want something mellow & easy. i'm talking about driving down the highway at a good (but of course legal lol) clip, something with a good strong beat & a little bit of adrenaline...

these are some of my favorites that come to mind:

lot of leaving left to do (dierks bentley)
front porch looking in (lonestar)
suds in the bucket (sarah evans)
how am i doin (dierks bentley)
with me (lonestar)
beer for my horses (toby keith)
collide (howie day)
the impression that i get (mighty mighty bosstones)
one (creed)
if my heart had wings (faith hill)
somebody like you (keith urban)
days go by (keith urban)
cotton pickin time (blake shelton)
old red (blake shelton)
kryptonite (3 doors down)
duck and run (3 doors down)
3am (matchbox 20)
this is how you remind me (nickelback)
awful beautiful life (daryl worley)

any others you like?

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happy summer!!

A Taste of Summer
(brought to you by MSN Encarta)
Summer means a whole new season of foods. Like mom always said, an educated eater is a happy eater, so enjoy these interesting facts about some favorite American summer foods.

1. Corn on the cob: Did you know that corn is the largest crop in the United States? The origin of cultivated corn is unknown, however.

2. Watermelons originally came from the Kalahari Desert region in Africa, which is interesting because the average watermelon is 92 percent water.

3. Peaches: During the mid-1980s, world peach production totaled about 5.5 million metric tons per year. The highest peach-producing countries were the United States and Italy.

4. The strawberry is actually a member of the rose family. Each strawberry contains approximately 200 seeds.

5. Fresh fish: The first person to write in English about using a fishing rod was Dame Juliana Berners, whose Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle (1496) remained the basis of fishing knowledge in England for 150 years.

6. Lemonade: President Rutherford B. Hayes's wifeLucy was called Lemonade Lucy because she was a staunch advocate of the temperance movement and would not serve strong drinks at the White House.

7. Barbecue: The word barbecue comes from the Arawak word barbakoa, meaning "frame of sticks."

8. One of the world's most popular desserts, ice cream was most likely first created in China, around 2000 BC.

9. Tomatoes: Up until the mid-19th century, many cultures thought the tomato was poisonous. Today tomatoes are one of the most widely cultivated crops.

10. What's a cookout without potato salad? Americans sure must eat a lot of it: The U.S. potato harvest in 1999 yielded 21.7 million metric tons of potatoes!

Here's wishing you a fun, happy, safe summer!

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my cover has been blown =P

as we all know, i have been fighting a cold for the 5 days or so. i've about recovered other than a cough which is ruining my throat so i have pretty much had to resort to whispering on the phone at work now & trying to save my voice for when i have no choice but to page someone. (i feel fine, i just sound terrible lol) so one of our customers just informed me that i sounded like one of those 900-number girls with the low, husky whispery voice. =O if i hadn't been so caught off guard by that i would have asked him how HE knew!!

=P ha!!!

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regression

Barnum's Animals Crackers


i swear it's good to get back in touch with your inner child every so often. in the middle of doing the very adult task of grocery shopping yesterday, i wandered down the cookie & cracker aisle of my local Publix Supermarket to happen upon some Barnum's Animals Crackers. i couldn't resist. my dad used to buy Josh & i a box pretty much any time we went grocery shopping with him. there is just something about that colorful little box with the bright pictures of the animals with their babies. but most of all, i think it's that little string handle. i had to have them. and now i am oh-so-happily muching on them here at my desk as i work. they are still just as yummy. it's good that some things don't change & you can revisit them from time to time, a little mini vacation from the here & now, back to the days of being a kid & a box of animal crackers made your week. =)

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what a father really is

i suppose that i could do the standard "happy father's day" entry but there's so much more that i can say about my dad. this man has always been my hero. i've been daddy's little girl right from the very start, when a very colicky infant would only fall asleep resting on her daddy's stomach. how many dads were that involved back then ya know? it wasn't as common for fathering to be nearly as hands-on back then like it is now. but there he was. doing anything it took to make his baby girl's world ok...my dad.

my first Christmas (1976, 10 weeks old)


and it didn't stop there. he was a single *dad* of 2 very small children. and he did a damn fine job of it if i do say so myself. we attended church every Sunday as a family. he put us in a parochial school for a great education. he went without things he needed for himself as long as it meant we were provided for. sure my grandparents (his parents) gave him all the help they could & then some. but that just meant more love. i have so many great memories of being a young child & spending time with my dad. vacations & day trips, weekly routines & holiday traditions. every so often a specific memory surfaces though & makes my heart overflow. this one photo was taken at a relative's wedding that i was in. i don't recall much about it to be honest with you but it stirred up another memory i had tucked away. i was probably about 6 or 7 & my dad was going to his work Christmas party. i was his "date". we sat together & talked. he brought me Shirley Temples. and we danced. =) at first he showed me how to dance "like a lady" but as the night wore on & it got late & little girls get tired, he picked me up & we danced much like in the photo below. always daddy's little girl. always some strong arms to lift me up when i was tired.

me & my dad (1981, 5 years old)


sure we had our rough patches. who doesn't? they were few & far between though, even during the trying teenage years. i still have a letter he wrote me one night after a particularly nasty exchange that had occurred earlier in the day. i was a pretty hateful little bitch that afternoon but we worked through it. i saved that letter he wrote me. even now when i read it, i tear up. my dad & i, we're friends too. i like that about our relationship. i never had curfews, i was never grounded. not that my dad let me run free. it was just that all he ever had to do was tell me i had disappointed him & it tore me to shreds. sure i didn't always do the right thing but more often than not, i did, and it wasn't out of fear of punishment but to avoid at all costs seeing his disappointment in me. that was far worse than any privilege that could be revoked...he was always the parent when he had to be but there was a trust & a friendship there too. we were pretty open with one another, even when i needed a shoulder to cry on about some boy. or when i told him i had decided that moving to FL was the right thing for me to do, i know it broke his heart but he gave me his blessing...

us at my dad's wedding (1997) & sadly the most recent photo of us together...must change that when i can


i am sure there were times my dad wishes he could have handled things differently or done a little more but i look back & see a man that gave every ounce that he could, that sacrificed for my happiness. he did the best he could with what he had & i will always be grateful for that. we live 1200 miles apart but he is always in my heart. i will never forget the devastation of almost losing him 4 & a half years ago. it came the time for me to be his rock like he had always been mine & i guess i finally had some understanding of how hard it must have been for him all those, knowing he couldn't *really* protect me from life. i was lucky & he is still with us today...but i don't forget that he might not have been, not for one minute.

i may be a grown woman with a life of my own, far from where he is but i will always be my daddy's girl. as they say, a girl's daddy is her first love. and i have the best by far. he truly is what a father should be & i am indescribably lucky to be so blessed. today i celebrate that & reflect on my dad with love & pride.

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just when you think you know it all...

...you're reminded of this:

...and if you wanna hear God laugh, tell Him your plans...
(lyrics from "Help Somebody" by Van Zant)

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back in the swing of things

ok so i know i've been somewhat quiet (for me anyway) the last week or so. between preparing for the trip, taking the trip & recovering from a cold i caught on the trip back to FL, i just haven't had the time, energy or my usual spunk to regale you all with tidbits from my corner of the universe. but i'm home, i'm unpacked & i'm almost done sniffling & blowing my nose so get ready, cause i'm back on a roll!

one of the things i like best about flying is that i give myself permission to spend a few extra dollars on some "fluff entertainment"--which for me, means a few magazines with which to amuse myself while airborne. just wait till you see what fun little morsels i have pulled aside to share with you. found them in Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, Simple Scrapbooks and Creating Keepsakes. i know you're all just waiting with bated breath...

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this is your enabler speaking...

...did you know that today is National Splurge Day? (swear to God. google it if you think i'm making it up!) so go ahead, indulge yourself a little. i hereby grant you permission to do something nice for YOU today! =)

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we'll just call today "photo Friday"

nothing makes a girl happier than waking up to an email from one of her best friends (who just happens to be her photography IDOL!!), telling you she thinks your photos rock!! made my whole flipping day i tell you...

took these last monday, on that last trip into Epcot before the summer blackout on my pass. loved all but one, sharing my most favorites with you here. its funny. i can go into a Disney park 25 times & still see something on the 26th visit that i missed or looked at differently each time before. i think that is true magic of Disney for me...

Epcot World Showcase, Morocco Pavillion


Epcot World Showcase, Canada Pavillion


Epcot World Showcase, China Pavillion


and last but not least, the exact shot i hoped to capture that came out exactly the way i saw it in my viewfinder. perfection... =)

Epcot World Showcase, Japan Pavillion

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the recap

ok so we all know that i was in CT last weekend, kissing babies & hugging my girls. i could give you all the play-by-play, but i think instead i will just say that the time was too short, the hugs were too few, the miles are too many & i miss them all already. here are some (yes i know i have quite a few posted but i took almost 150 photos in TWO DAYS so this counts as "some" lol) of my favorite photos from CT Trip 2005, all 2 days of it:

one sweet Catherine girl =)


there's just something about baby teeth =)


i *heart* this baby girl


look at those baby blues...


more baby girl =)


one happy little Seamus-man


the ever animated little miss Liv =)


awwwww...Tyler & Olivia


me & my CT girls =)


how can you not smile at Miss Liv? =)

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one whole year ago...

...my life changed in a way i would never have imagined. and in a *good* way. i've never been one to make new friends where ever i go. my circle of friends is small (& virtually impenetrable) but filled to the brim with the best friends a girl could ever want. i *heart* "my girls" & firmly believe in quality over quantity anyday of the week. i had lived in FL for over 2 years & really hadn't acquired any local friends & i was perfectly ok with that. i am nothing if not in full possession of the ability to be a content loner.

and then entered what became affectionately known as "the Andi(e) show".

to make a long story short, they moved here the same weekend, Andie & Andi (as seen in the photo), from different places & to different places, yet somehow both fell out of the sky & right into my lap. the newest additions to the "prestigious" (ha ha) title of people i call "my girls". i still believe in quality over quantity, though they have upped that number by 2. i am so happy to have some FL girls, most especially these FL girls. i was fine before they got here but i don't know what i'd do without them now.

so today i celebrate you guys! =) thanks for being great friends & here's to many more years of the same!

the Andi(e) Show

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for my "anonymous commentator" ;-)

The Phantom of the Blog
(revised lyrics courtesy of Andie)

DAWN
In blog
he typed to me,
in comments
he came . . .
that voice
which calls to me
and speaks
my name . . .
And do
I type again?
For now
I find
the Phantom of the Blog
is there -
inside my site. . .
PHANTOM
Type once
again with me
our strange
duet . . .
My power
over you
grows stronger
yet . . .
And though
you type to me,
to glance
behind,
the Phantom of the Blog
is there -
inside your site . . .
DAWN
Those who
know your name
draw back
in fear . . .
I am
the mask you wear . . .
PHANTOM
It's me
they hear . . .
BOTH
Your/my spirit
and your/my voice,
in one
combined:
the Phantom of the Blog
is there
inside your/my site . . .

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kids these days

i got this in an email forward. who knows if Bill Gates really gave this presentation but Lord knows there are a pile of kids out there who need to get this message. in fact, i know several adults who ought to as well...sad but true.


To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice. Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talked about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair -- get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work at jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

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this gets my seal of approval

the miracle "cure" for the common cold


i am far from a crunchy-granola, hug-a-tree, homeopathic-remedy sorta girl but i have to tell you all, if you feel a cold coming on, you *must* get yourself some of this stuff ASAP. 3 times now, i have felt a cold coming on. 3 times i have started taking Cold-Eeze immediately. 3 times now i have never felt that draggged-down feeling from having a cold.

you have to follow the directions to the letter. start taking it as soon as you suspect a cold (works best if started within the first 48 hours & the sooner you start the less bad you will feel) until the last symptom is gone. don't chew them. take one every 4 hours. one other piece of advice: do NOT think they are kidding about not taking them on an empty stomach. oh was that pain of the double-you-over, drop-you-to-your-knees variety. i am telling you though. i had a sore throat & some sniffles. that's IT. and i get really terrible colds too i might add--the kind that turn into pneumonia.

basically they are zinc lozenges, which if taken exactly as directed, can shorten the duration of your cold & lessen the symptoms significantly--they explain it a bit more on their website. i am on day 3 which would normally be my worst day between not being able to breathe, feeling like my head might explode from sinus pressure & that nasty cough starting to kick in. instead i have had to blow my nose a couple times. piece of cake.

the only downfall is that after a couple days taking them, they leave a really bizarre metallic taste in your mouth & whatever you eat has a strange aftertaste. i can live with this in exchange for feeling good though.

anyway, they get my recommendation. i figure the first time or 2 might have been a fluke but i am thoroughly convinced now!

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utter (udder?) confusion

ok so i was randomly emailing back & forth with my friend Andi like i do from work most days. Andi introduced me to gmail some time back (i have some invitations left by the way if anyone has been looking for one--go into my profile & use the "email me" link over to the right!) & the more i use it, the more i like it. i don't think i will ever give up my original hotmail account even with all its issues but unlike hotmail, gmail doesn't prevent me from emailing friends with AOL accounts. i digress. as usual lol.

anyway gmail is free & there aren't any ads exactly but they do place what they consider to be relevant links & websites of interest in a sidebar along one side of your email screen. supposedly these links are triggered by keywords that surface in your email. i am really confused by this particular link that accompanied my conversation with Andi today though:

Free Psychic Cow
Play With My Udders I Play With Your Mind
www.psychiccow.com

WHAT?!

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Happy Birthday to my Beasty today!

my little beastus pestamus (that would be latin for the furball i belong to lol) is 2 years old today. pest though he may be, you just can't help but love those liquid brown eyes, those silly floppy ears & that velvet-soft freckled nose. =)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASEY!

my beast


the pupster


his freckles

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these are the ABCs of me baby

oh so stolen from Miss Andie & yes i know i did a similar version of this not too long ago but this one's different & i feel like doing it too so deal =P

A - Act your age - 28
B - Breast size - 34C
C - Chore you hate - used to be dishes before i had a dishwasher, now it's cleaning the shower
D - Dad’s name - Steven
E - Essential make up item - Foundation
F - Favorite singer - could never pick just one but one of them is Blake Shelton
G - Gold or silver - Silver
H - Hometown - Bristol, CT
I - Ice Cream - Edy's Grand Special Edition Girl Scouts TagAlong Cookie
J - Job title - Administrative Assistant/Receptionist/Queen
K - Kisses, what kind do you prefer - long soft slow & lingering
L - Living arrangements - in a house with a man & a dog
M - Meats, fave - chicken
N - Number of children - none
O - Overnight hospital stays - none since birth (knock on wood)
P - Packing habits - planned out, one extra outfit "just in case", neatly folded
Q - Quote you like - "We can't control the wave but we can learn to surf" (unknown)
R - Religious affiliation - Lutheran (Missouri Synod)
S - Siblings - 1 younger brother Josh (26) & 1 little half-brother Zachary (almost 7)
T - Time you wake up - 5:30 a.m.
U - Underwear of choice - *must* be Victoria's Secret--the secret being which style i wear LOL
V - Vegetable you refuse to eat - sweet potatoes
W - Worst habit - tapping my fingers when i'm agitated
X - X-Rays you’ve had - just teeth
Y - Yummy food you make -i make a great chicken parmesan
Z - Zodiac sign - Libra

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coming to you live from CT

if one more person asks me how i can be from CT & stand the FL heat, i am going to scream. it's actually been hotter & more humid here than it was in FL!! hope you are all having wonderful weekends. i'll be back tomorrow night & hopefully a few photos from the 4 and a half rolls of film i've used will come out well & you will all get to see my friends' adorable babies. =)

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just in case you wanted to know...

my turn to steal one from Andi's blog! LOL

LAYER ONE: On The Outside
- Name: Dawn
- Nicknames: D, Dawny, Sunshine, Trouble, Tinkerbell
- Birthdate: October 12
- Birthplace: Connecticut
- Current Location: Florida
- Eye Color: blue
- Hair Color: brown...blah...miss my highlights...
- Height: 5'7''-ish
- Righty or Lefty: righty
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Religion: Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
- Sex: Female (i so wanted to answer this "yes please!"...ha...i guess i still did huh? lol)

LAYER TWO: In The Inside
- Your heritage: German & French Canadian
- The shoes you wore today: black sandals
- Who you look like: it depends on which of my parents i'm standing next to--i'm a pretty equal combination of the 2 so i look most like which ever one i stand near
- Your weakness: cheesecake lol
- Your fears: pain, spiders
- Your perfect pizza: just plain cheese!
- Goal you'd like to achieve: just plain old happiness =)

LAYER THREE: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
- Your most overused phrase on AIM/MSN: "uh huh" with "lol" right on its heels
- Your thoughts first waking up: "what day is this...? "
- Your best physical feature: ummmmm...my eyes i guess?
- Your bedtime: somewhere between 11:30 & midnight most nights
- Your most missed memory: the huge family Christmas Eve parties at my grandmother's sister's house and my birthday trips to Cooperstown with my dad

LAYER FOUR: Your Pick
- Pepsi or Coke: pepsi…but only when i need a caffeine kick in the pants, most of the time i just drink nice cold water
- McDonalds or Burger King: McDonalds--better fries
- Single or group dates: depends on the people involved i think. there are some people i couln't group date with but used to have a blast going out on double dates with Heather & Jason
- Adidas or Nike: Nike…i always try to find a pair of adidas that i like but they never have my size in the style i want
- Chocolate or vanilla: yes. both. either.
- Cappuccino or coffee: not much of a coffee drinker. the caffeine makes me too jittery.

LAYER FIVE: Do You?
- Smoke: nope
- Curse: rarely
- Sing: only to babies & by myself in the car
- Have had a crush(es): who hasn't?
- Think you've been in love: i know i have
- Want to get married: to the right person, absolutely
- Believe in yourself: probably not as much as i should
-Motion sickness: only on really rough water or on larger drops on roller-coaster-type rides
- Think you're attractive: well i don't think i'm UGLY lol but average for sure
- Think you're a health freak: not at all
- Get along with your parents: yep
- Like thunderstorms: as long as my electricity stays on, i do
- Play an instrument: flute & piccolo

LAYER SIX: Have you ever...
- Smoked: never
- Done a drug: nope
- Gone to the mall?: yes but that's kind of an odd question...
- Eaten an entire box of Oreos:all at once?? NO! but probably over the course of a couple weeks...
- Eaten sushi: no thanks
- Been on stage: for concert band but other than that preferred to be behind the scenes
- Gone skating: no & you would be giggling as much as me if you could get an accurate mental image of me attempting to be that coordinated LOL
- Gone skinny dipping: nope
- Dyed your hair: just highlights
- Stolen anything: maybe like a pen by accident but nothing major
- Played a game that required removal of clothing: not in a group setting! ;-)
- Been caught "doing something": as in walked in on?? LOL no
- Been called a tease: many times...you ought to try it, it's fun 0=)
- Gotten beaten up: no, i like to think i'm too likeable for that
- Shoplifted: absolutely not

LAYER SEVEN: Getting Older
- Age you hope to be married: i used to think by 25 (ha! missed that boat huh?) but now i would just rather make a good choice than go by a time line
- Numbers and Names of Children: none right now but no more than 3 (yikes daycare flashback...) but it's not something i have set in stone. if it happens, it happens. potential boy names i like: Jack, Ethan, Carson; potential girl names: Emma, Lauren, Meghan
- Describe your dream wedding: intimate, peaceful, classically simple
- How do you want to die: in my sleep, with no pain or illness, just the natural circle of life
- What do you want to be when you grow up: myself =)
- What country would you most like to visit: Italy

i have no idea where layer eight is. it must be a secret...

LAYER NINE: In a partner
- Best eye color?: blue
- Best hair color?: lighter shades
- Short or long hair: SHORT!!!
- Height: doesn't matter as long as he's not much shorter than me
- Best articles of clothing: don't really care but a man in uniform looks pretty damn good to me! (although the devil in me says "the ones on the floor" LOL)

LAYER TEN: In The Numbers...
- Number of drugs taken illegally: zero
- Number of CDs that you own: i can't even guess, at least 75 if you count all my mix cds
- Number of piercings: 1 in each ear
- Number of tattoos: none, EVER
- Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper?: a few times anyway: birth, winning the city-wide spelling bee the year of the bi-centenniel celebration when i was in 2nd grade, honor roll many times, once in the caption of a photo taken with my grandfather when i was helping him sell veggies at the farmers market & once when i wrote a letter to the editor...

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A is *also* for...

...ARK which we may need of it doesn't stop raining soon! we're all getting a bit moldy since we haven't been able to dry out much in the last 2 weeks. =P

all i know is my plane better be taking off tomorrow morning & i better be able to land monday afternoon...YA HEAR THAT ARLENE!!

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just a bit too reminiscient of last year for this to make me feel comfortable...

satellite imagery of Arlene

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sweet girly girl turns one

i can not believe that one year ago today i was trying to convince my best friend that this was not so-much-a-stomach-bug but that she was going into labor. mind you all of this was done from 1200 miles away via email. but it was all worth it to get this adorable little princess girl. so happy anniversary of the day you made this world just a little bit sweeter. =) birthday kisses to you Miss Catherine!!

the big birthday girl

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A is for...

...Are you freaking kidding me?! we're only NINE DAYS into hurricane season!
...Andie's entry on this very same topic
...Above-Average number of tropical storms again this year & this drives the point home *sigh*
...Aaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhh!! i am *not* ready for this yet!
...Apparently they were quite serious about this season being similar to last year's
...Attentively watching to see if there are any changes in that "cone"
...Active hurricane seasons officially stress me out
...Accu-Weather Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips on ABC Action News--Tampa/St Petersburg, my local weather expert of choice when there's a storm brewing--this guy is so accurate it's amazing, even when he's the only one making a prediction that is different from all the other weather reports. he is tireless, working round the clock when a hurricane is being monitored & where my tv stays tuned for the most accurate information available. THIS GUY ROCKS.
...Already tired of hurricane season
...Accustomed, as in you better get accustomed to seeing tropical storm commentary on here until the tropics settle down again sometime late this fall
...Tropical Storm Arlene, the first named storm of the Atlantic Tropical Storm Season (in case you didn't catch on to the point of this entry quite yet) & the lovely inspiration for this blog entry

Arlene's storm track

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