...since i felt the need to fall over backwards into a pile of boxes in front of the whole QA department just a few minutes ago. nothing like reducing 3 grown men to tears of hysteria.
*sigh*
some days it's just not easy to be me.
my mission:
The Blog Archives and Hidden Meanings meme.
The criteria:
Delve into your blog archive.Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas.
Tag five people to do the same
my 23rd post
5th sentence: i guess maybe if it fits your life, you may be better able to see the humor in it.
i hafta tell you. i was posting about a comic strip. there's not much hidden agenda or meaning to it. it is what it is. i guess maybe i'm just not that deep? or maybe i'm just a what you see is what you get kind of girl.
tagged, now THEY'RE it!
Chele (who incidentally missed the last time i tagged her--let's see if she's paying closer attention this time...)
Andi (no "e" this time!)
Jamie. James. Girlie. Chica.
Apostle John who has so many intriguing, thought-provoking, insightful or just plain witty things to say that going back into his archives may prove quite interesting!
Tina (Elephant Mama)
welcome back Bruschi! wishing you a safe game tonight. hoping this is what it takes to get New England back on track...
and in case there was any question way the Patriots have been their championship caliber selves the first 6 weeks of the season:
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS INJURY REPORT
Kevin Faulk (RB): Out - Foot
Matt Light (T): Out - Ankle
Tyrone Poole (CB): Out / Injured Reserve - Ankle
Troy Brown (WR): Questionable - Foot
Corey Dillon (RB): Questionable - Ankle
Randall Gay (CB): Questionable - Ankle
Jarvis Green (DE): Questionable - Shoulder
Marquise Hill (DE): Questionable - Ankle
Larry Izzo (LB): Questionable - Thigh
Willie McGinest (LB): Questionable - Finger
James Sanders (S): Questionable - Ankle
Richard Seymour (DE): Questionable - Knee
Duane Starks (CB): Questionable - Thigh
Ty Warren (DE): Questionable - Hip
Eugene Wilson (S): Questionable - Flu
Amos Zereoue (RB): Questionable - Thigh
Tom Brady (QB): Probable - Right Shoulder
Unconscious Mutterings
I say ... and you think ... ?
Unbreakable:: ...walls break. sometimes the things you think could never happen, happen just like that... (lyrics from The Impossible by Joe Nichols)
Have mercy:: Uncle Jesse from the old sitcom "Full House"
Do it better:: improve
Settle scores:: even matches
Comments:: what i love to get on my blog! lol... ;-)
Craziest thing:: "you wouldn't believe what happened..."
Apple:: cider
Halloween:: candy
Manageable:: controllable
Trick:: or Treat!
just a few little tidbits that made me giggle this week:
this blog entry
this quote by Chad Johnson of the Cincinatti Bengals about Al Harris of THeGreen Bay Packers: "The bad thing is, he has to cover me. The good is, he can save 15 percent by switching his insurance to Geico."
learning that Jill Hennessy (star of the television show Crossing Jordan) has a twin sister named Jacq. (go ahead...say their names...you'll get it in a second)
bregrudglingly dragged myself from a warm nest of pillows & blankets to walk a pupster who insisted he needed out.
shivered in the late night chill as he sniffed around.
looked up into an ebony sky dotted with stars shining frosty bright like diamonds on lush velvet, their light seeming more piercing with the crisp air around me.
gasped as i saw a real life shooting star streak across the heavens until it vanished as suddenly as it arrived.
hopelessly romantic even though i try so hard to be realstic now...
deep down in my heart...
i made a wish.
when you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are
anything your heart desires will come to you
like a bolt out of the blue Fate steps in and sees you through
when you wish upon a star your dreams come true
sorry but Stacy had way too many good ones in her blog that i just had to do too...we all know the rules of my blog though so just deal with it. =P LOL!!
Don’t Fall For It
from The Friday Five
1. What do you like or dislike about autumn? in FL? Autumn is the peak of hurricane season. i *don't* like that. it is also not REAL Autumn here. back in CT though, there was nothing not to like about Autumn. it was the perfect time of year.
2. Have you raked leaves into a pile just to jump in them? recently? no. we don't get to do that here in FL. i guess you could try with palm fronds but if you've never touched one...well, they aren't as forgiving as a pile of colorful crunchy fallen leaves. ;-)
3. Have you ever carved a pumpkin and how did it turn out? used to try when i was a kid. don't ever remember it coming out that great. the last time i carved one was with Heather & my old roommate back in October (duh lol) 2001. the results? i could have sworn i had a photo to scan in here but it's location is a mystery at the moment, i am sorry to tell you.
4. Have you ever eaten anything made from pumpkins other than pie? ew. no. i don't eat pumpkin pie either.
5. Where is a good spot to see the leaves change color where you live? they DON'T change where i live...it's one of the few things i miss as a Floridian.
Night & Day ~ I Say, You Answer
from Saturday Special
1. Misty Morn…you answer? chill damp, fresh & dewy, being gently kissed by the newborn sunrise
2. Foggy Day…you answer? eerie & mysterious, soft focus on your surroundings
3. Full Moon…you answer? lights the night
4. Quiet Night…you answer? still, peaceful
Monday Madness
How about one more week of ‘this or that?’ Have fun! And thank you for playing!
1. diamonds or pearls? diamonds
2. paperback or hardcover books? paperback
3. carpet or hardwood floors? carpet
4. dogs or cats? dogs
5. fluffy or firm pillow? fluffy
6. fine point or medium point pens? medium point
7. clocks a little fast or on time? a little fast
8. mahjong or spider solitaire (or other)? just plain solitaire
9. wall calendar or desk calendar? work: desk, home: wall
10. ‘Survivor’ or ‘The Amazing Race?’ hold the reality tv please
Ten on Tuesday
10 Great Things About Autumn:
1. crisp air
2. sweaters
3. hot apple cider & doughnuts
4. brightly colored foliage
5. warm days, cool nights
6. football
7. Thanksgiving
8. Autumn-scented candles burning
9. pumpkins
10. "Autumn sunrises"
Unconscious Mutterings brought these to you on time. *I* however did not. oops.
I say ... and you think ... ?
Infiltration:: slip in without being detected
Nice person:: my friends! =)
Debt:: to owe
Settle down:: relax, calm
Thomas:: the Tank
Unforgivable:: completely inexcuasble
Medicine:: YUCK!
A year from now:: looking ahead
Neighbors:: people next door
Dripping:: soaking wet
they (whoever the mysterious omniscient proverbial "they" are) say that you shouldn't focus on what's behind you (i'm paraphrasing here...) but this morning i'm glad i did. i don't have a photo because taking one of a reflection in your rearview mirror while driving down the highway in morning traffic is not the best idea in the world, but as i checked my mirrors (like a good little driver) before changing lanes, i saw the most breathtakingly beautiful sunrise. i've been whining (only a little though) about how chilly it's been here in FL (record lows this morning by the way) the past few days but what i've forgotten after almost 4 years here in the Sunshine State is how startling it is to see such raw natural beauty as the sun waking up the world on a crisp Autumn morning. i missed that & i knew i did...but i had forgotten.
i may not have a photo to share with you but the image is engraved in my mind. the way the sky brightens from the cool pre-dawn hues of blue & purple to those glorious shades of yellow & orange as the sun begins to emerge from the eastern horizon. that fiery red-orange sphere bathes the wakening world with golden warmth. when you see the sun shining its first rays onto a tree before you, it is like the physical representation of Autumn: the warmth of the sunlight & the cool contrast of the shadows mirroring the warmth of the day & the cool of the mornings & evenings.
once i get past the shivering, the refreshing change of weather is exhilirating. it wakes me up after the sleepy heat of summer (all 8 months of it down here LOL). the only thing that's missing is the sunlight glowing on the fiery leaves in a million shades of color & the sparkle of frost glistening on each little detail of nature...but like the sunrise in my rearview mirror, the memory is fresh in my mind's eye...
i'd type more this morning but it is currently only a whopping TWO DEGREES warmer here at my house in FL than it is at Heather's house in CT & i am shivering too hard to type very well...i think her husband may have put a voodoo curse on me for not air conditioning the state of FL for him while he was down here on vacation.
Read more...nothing like the harsh cruelty of a reality check to bring you right back down to earth. *sigh*
and that's all i have to say about that.
see that little bit of green looking down through the center of Wilma's eye there?
THAT is the island of Cozumel...port of destination when i sail out one month from Wednesday.
or to whatever is left of it...
Read more...
the photo is a link to the new house & a bunch of photos of the model which is structurally identical to the house being built. there have been some cosmetic alterations made to the house that aren't in the model but you can get the basic idea from the photos...
unless you know me really really well, you'd probably be shocked to know that i am unbelievably shy. i cover it up well with a smile & a pleasant demeanor but in actuality, being in a situation where i'm surrounded by a lot of people i don't know makes me very very quiet. i'm not exactly sure why. i guess i just don't feel particularly interesting or charismatic enough to engage a bunch of strangers in lively conversation. so i disguise myself as more of a listener with a cheerful smile.
until i get to know you. then (as 4 people i am rather fond of & one total stranger can attest to from this past weeked) i become silly unfiltered Dawn. =P LOL...a "had to be there story" i assure you. anyway...
it's not that my lack of conversational skills indicates that i'm aloof or unfriendly. i just don't open myself up that quickly. i'll answer questions and throw in a comment or two but i'm not one to initiate or take the lead in a conversation. i'm more reserved than that. (i know some of you are dying a slow, laughter-induced death here because you've forgotten or maybe even never seen that side of me but yes it's true.) on the contrary, while remaining quiet & unobtrusive, i know that i am still warm & friendly--i just can't help it if i don't have much to say.
are you wondering where am i going with this & what on earth this has to do with friendship? well...as a result of being shy & quiet, i don't jump right out there & become the life of the party...subsequently never being crowned little miss popular when it comes to having a large circle of friends. add to this the fact that i have very little patience for the petty & vindictive nature so many females i've encountered possess & you can start to see why i am not one of those girls who has 8 million girlfriends...and how i don't go out & make new friends on a daily basis. in fact, of the people i consider to be my friends, most of them are either people i have known for more than a decade or someone that i met as a result of the "mutual friend" phenomenon.
in my adult life, i have gotten a little bit better at putting myself out there & have been lucky enough to make some really awesome new friends all on my own. i'm proud of me for that. but even more i am proud that these amazing people have found me worthy of being *their* friend. typically slow to reveal my true "Dawn-ness", it shouldn't be shocking that i don't "click" immediately with very many people--something that is a result of my shyness as opposed to being a reflection on anyone else. but it's a big deal to me when i find a new friend that really gets me, someone i feel instantly comfortable with. i've suddenly found that the people i truly call "friend" has grown & that makes me feel so lucky.
so to my friends, new & old...you know who you are & you know that i love you dearly. and i am so glad i let my guard down enough to allow you to become such an important part of my life.
i hate really awful dreams that seem like they are real & leave you feeling sick to your stomach when you wake up.
=(
in case this needs to be said:
i *know* the Colts & Patriots schedules are not REALLY a conspiracy theory. it doesn't work that way. the Colts have just had an unbelievably easy schedule so far. (as have the stupid Bucs btw but they earned their easy schedule by being so bad last year!!) the way scheduling is supposed to work in theory though is if you have a good season this year, you're supposed to be matched up against other teams who ALSO had a good season this year when the next year's schedule is formed. now granted the fact that the Colts division competition in & of itself is one of the saddest in the NFL plays a BIG part in their piece of cake scheduling--it can't be helped that all their division games are a walk in the park & i am fully aware of this. and i know that between free agency, injury & just plain not having a good season, a GREAT team this year may be a mess next year & throw the whole scheduling plan right out the proverbial window. i really am aware of all this.
it just seems like the undefeated Colts haven't really had to play that hard to get to that spotless shiny record. i mean c'mon. their toughest game going into last Monday night was against the Jags in Week 2. the rest of those teams are a disaster...or inconsistent at best. while i am NOT making excuses for the Patriots & i don't REALLY believe it's a conspiracy, i also think that the Colts haven't proven anything to anyone yet. not really. sure they're good, i'm not disputing that as much as i dislike them, but they haven't put been put to the test against any good teams through Week 6 to drive that point home. i didn't think their defense looked nearly so impressive against the Rams (who actually have an offense) on Monday night anyway. sure the Colts managed to put up the big numbers & win in the end, but they got some key turnovers thanks to some errors made by the Rams offense to help them with that. the Patriots may be hurting right now but Indy's defense will need to step it back up if they are going to win, as will Peyton need to return to being a TD machine--because no matter what goes wrong in New England, Tom Brady does not turn over the ball in big games. he can look like crap in this week's game but historically against Peyton, he shines.
and let the record show that i wouldn't be any less critical of the Patriots winning easy games of the schedules were reversed. easy games don't prove anything to me. i'd be ecstatic for sure if the Patriots were undefeated, but i would also be worried about their performance against REAL teams when those games came up as they inevitably do if all they had to show for wins were games against teams in turmoil or just plain lacking for whatever reason. i am disappointed in New England's record & performance so far this year--because quite frankly playing injured isn't unfamiliar territory for the Patriots so i expect them to compensate & come up with wins anyway--but i am also aware that they aren't playing pansy-ass teams like the Titans, 49ers & Ravens. other than the Raiders, all the teams they've played have a .500 record or better. as opposed to playing only ONE team with a winning record as the Colts have.
so no of course not a conspiracy theory at all in the real world. but while maybe not necessarily overrated, i still think at this point the Colts are UNPROVEN.
i was reading this on Vinnie Iyer's blog this morning & i have to admit it made me think for a minute. i've been really frustrated with the way the Patriots have performed on the field so far this season & i know a lot of it can't be helped due to injury. i guess i just got used to them acting invinceable in the past & have forgotten that these guys will eventually wear down by needing to be super-human season after body-battering season. still though...this does hold some credence (well not so much the first section but definitely the 2nd and to some degree the last):
I think the NFL scheduling powers who be have really done everything they can to help the Colts get over the hump and to make the Patriots hit a bump.
In the past five weeks, the Pats have played Carolina (4-2), Pittsburgh (4-2), San Diego (3-3) Atlanta (4-2) and Denver (5-1). In the first five weeks, the Colts have played Baltimore (2-3), Jacksonville (4-2), Cleveland (2-3) Tennessee (2-4) and San Francisco (1-4).
The Pats get a bye before hosting Buffalo (3-3) in Week 8's Sunday night game, while the Colts enjoy a bye on that same week before their Week 9 Monday night showdown with -- New England. Before then, the Colts get St. Louis (2-3) and Houston (0-5).
i mean seriously folks. the standard is that the better your record the previous season, the harder your schedule outside of your division will be NEXT season. were the Colts in the play offs last year too or was that my imagination?? now i'm not making excuses. the Patriots of recent history would have bucked up & found ways to win those games & i am hoping against hope that with the inspiration of Bruschi stepping back out onto the defensive side of the ball that the momentum will start to roll. if New England can somehow manage to squeak back into the play offs this year, i have to just hope that if they come up against Indy again on the road to the Super Bowl, that they are still deep inside Peyton Manning's head & that they have his number...i'm not feeling so good about Week 9 Monday Night Football at the moment though...
trying to shake the lingering sadness caused by the incident in the earlier post...and i've been meaning to do this for a while now anyway. before the line was borrowed from Krystyn and after the line was borrowed from Stacy:
Ten Years Ago: October 1995
i was in my 2nd year of college. i was working from 3am-8am at Caldor. going home to shower. doing my field work for school from 9am-noon. going out to the University of Hartford for class from 1-5pm. going *back* to Caldor & working from 6-11pm. doing homework until midnight or later. getting an hour or so of sleep. repeat. mayb be the only thing that kept me sane while struggling with my boyfriend being gone away to college out of state.
Five Years Ago: October 2000
my dad had just had his stroke & was in a rehab center. we were awaiting his open heart surgery. i had just started dating Ken. and Heather was the first of my close friends to get married.
One Year Ago: October 2004
Ken flew Alison in as a surprise for my birthday gift. i had been at [the company where i work] for 5 months & was just starting to truly understand how lucky i am to have this job...
Yesterday: Thursday
just another day: went to work. was busy. came home. didn't feel like cooking. went to Pizza Hut for dinner. watched tv. played online. went to bed.
Five Songs I Know All The Words To:
1. "Me & You" by Kenny Chesney
2. "Kind & Generous" by Natalie Merchant
3. "Keeper of the Stars" by Tracy Byrd
4. "This One's For the Girls" by Martina McBride
5. "I'll Back You Up" by Dave Matthews Band
Five Snacks:
1. ice cream
2. Pringles
3. Oreos
4. popcorn
5. granola bar
Five things I'd do with 100 million dollars:
1. pay off my debt
2. wipe out the debt if those i love
3. build & furnish a house *exactly* the way i want it
4. set up a trust fund for my god daughter
5. continue working for as long as i like my job, keeping the rest of my $$ tucked away for "later"
Five places I'd run away to:
1. upstate New York
2. Washington DC
3. Vegas
4. someplace secluded (but still with creature comforts lol)
5. Boston
Five things I would never wear:
1. a thong bikini
2. a facial piercing of any sort (other than the single hole i have in each ear)
3. a strapless dress (not enough to hold it up lol)
4. a mini skirt
5. a fur coat
Five Favorite TV Shows:
1. Friends
2. Sex & the City
3. CSI
4. any NFL game!!
5. PTI
Five greatest joys:
1. the man
2. my friends
3. Catherine
4. my puppy
5. another Patriots Super Bowl victory (lol)
5a. ok seriously: seeing a beautiful sunrise or sunset
Five favorite toys:
1. my computer
2. the digital camera that Andie lent to me
3. my blog
4. Disney World!!
5. do i have a fifth favorite toy??
Current Reads:
just some magazines. i really need to find a new book...
Five People I am tagging to do this:
1. Andie
2. Heather
3. Michelle
4. Chele
5. Lisa
and anyone else who wants to play too (make sure you leave a comment so i can check your list out though!!)
-----------------------------------------------
5 Things I plan to do before I die:
1. go to DisneyLand
2. see more of the United States
3. learn to let go of the past
4. take really good photos
5. become completely debt-free
5 Things I can do:
1. be a good friend
2. figure out html on my own
3. proofread--for anyone but myself that is lol
4. get through any of the Disney World theme parks with my eyes closed
5. think of song lyrics to put into words something i am otherwise struggling to say
5 Things I cannot do:
1. speak in front of a large group
2. dance lol
3. math
4. ride a roller coaster
5. ski
5 Things that attract me to members of the opposite sex:
1. eyes
2. voice
3. upper arms
4. ability to make me laugh
5. "protective"
5 Things I say most often:
1. it'll be all right
2. Casey get OFF of me (to my pup lol)
3. he's working in the shop right now but i can offer you his voice mail
4. i'm sorry
5. are you kidding me?!
5 Celebrity Crushes:
1. Chris Cagle
2. Gary Alan
3. Brett Favre
4. John Cusack
5. Andy Griggs
aside from being worried about my friends Michelle (where Wilma is slated to come into FL) and Andie (where she is supposed to come out again) --can we all say Katrina in reverse?? and yes folks as of last night when i was watching the news, Wilma officially scares the bejesus out of me--this is what the National Hurricane Center has to say about this: THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON CATASTROPHICHURRICANE WILMA...LOCATED ABOUT 170 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRANDCAYMAN AND ABOUT 365 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL MEXICO. so on a purely superficial level, know that cruise i'm supposed to take next month? well i wonder if there will be anywhere left to go because our 2 ports of call are...you guessed it...Cozumel & the Cayman Islands. truthfully though, i'm far more worried about what Wilma will decide to do to FL. where the eye passes through the Yucatan Channel will deteremine where Wilma makes her turn to the east: in the center as she is now will follow the track you see above. the more she moves to the left of the channel, the further north she will come ashore. all the way to the right would miss FL entirely & her worst anger will stay out to sea between the tip of FL & Cuba. all togethr now: EVERYONE PULL TO THE RIGHT!!! and can i point out to you that she is already showing sustained winds of 175mph?! with 4 days left for her to trvael over 90* waters before she picks her target! i'm watching...watching & waiting & worrying (there's the addendum to your W List ladies & gentlemen!)...and i don't care who tells me i'm borrowing trouble. Wilma is NOT a happy camper & i'm not really wanting to make her acquaintance.
thanks to the oh-so-wonderful and unbelievably generous Miss Andie i get to play digital!!!! she was so sweet & has lent her "old" digital camera to me until i can save up enough to buy my new one! *muuuuu-AH!* girly, you ROCK!
and now until i can get the remainder of my film processed i can at least show you all how deliciously cute Baby Girl is!
in Morocco (Epcot)
check out those EYES!!
Baby Girl at Animal Kingdom
akin to sweet nothings...but less sweet & more random =P
took this quiz. why? i don't know...but i have to tell you...if this is accurate then i am right on track for how i hope i am. there is definitely something to be said for a good kiss...
You have an entrancing kiss~ the kind that leaves
your partner bedazzled and maybe even feeling
he/she is dreaming. Quite effective; the kiss
that never lessens and always blows your
partner away like the first time.
What kind of kiss are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
-------------------------------------------------------
brought to you by Unconscious Mutterings
I say ... and you think ... ?
On the verge:: very close to (as in making a decision)
Tempestuous:: stormy
Coherent:: able to focus & pay attention
Near death:: experience
Illiterate:: unable to read
Why not?:: *shrug* (as in the motion i would make as i asked "why not?"
Period:: ummmmm...lol...well, Aunt Flo--sorry this is the first thing that came to mind though!
Long lost:: relative
Torrid:: steamy
Nail:: hammer
----------------------------------------------------
this one brought to you by Monday Madness
I thought we'd do a little 'this or that' this week! Enjoy!
Which one?
1. Lemonade or Iced Tea? lemonade
2. DVD or VHS? dvd
3. Gold or Silver? silver
4. Baseball or Tennis? baseball!!
5. Spring or Autumn? autumn
6. Diet or Regular? regular
7. Hearts or Stars? stars
8. Snail Mail or Email? email
9. Shop: Online or In-Store? online
10. Credit Card or Check? can we go somewhere in the middle on this one & say DEBIT card??
wow. feels like *forever* since i was last here for any length of time! i guess that's your warning that i could be long winded lol...
well since i last posted anything baseball-related, the Angels were eliminated from the playoffs & the White Sox will be going to the World Series. i'm still holding out hope that the Astros will be going as well, even after last night's 9th inning, 2 outs-2 strikes homer given up...i'm hoping. but me rooting for a baseball team this playoff season seems to be the kiss of death so...
in other news (which i KNOW you are waiting on the edge of your seat for lol...), i finally had a good week in the football pool: 10-4. of course so did everyone else. and we won't talk about how in fantasy football, after starting out the season undefeated at 3-0, i have since lost the subsequent 3 games to leave me with a whopping 3-3 record. much like my Patriots who are also now 3-3.
maybe after the bye week...and hopefully some time to heal, rest & refocus...and *drumroll please* the return of Tedi Bruschi (i'm crossing all my fingers for his health & well-being with this decision), maybe the Patriots will finally shake off their plummet down to "the ordinary" with some healthier players & a revived defense. the way they've been playing up till now has made me cringe. the defense has so many holes it could be a slice of Swiss cheese & don't even get me started on the offensive line. they block so poorly for Tom Brady that it's borderline disgraceful. and if you've seen that commercial for the Visa card with it's "safety features" designed to protect the cardholder...well let's just say that the offensive line acting as the analogy for protection doesn't make me want to rush right out & have a Visa logo as assurance for my financial safety.
and finally...my company has moved onto the condo on the beach. i am now without sweet baby kisses...toothy baby grins...an enthusiastic "hi!!" to greet me in the morning...and the laughter inspired by an ever-emerging little personality. photos are to follow though & you will all just die when you see how stinking ADORABLE Baby Girl has gotten! (btw...i miss her mom & dad too of course! i hope they had a good first half of their vacation!)
and so it goes...
...What the hell?!
gah! a girl takes a "weather vacation" for a few days & THIS is what happens???
i guess Tropical Storm Vince made me Very complacent (which would be V is is for Very...lol...) but still! we're 6 weeks out from the end of the stupid hurricane season & we're still getting this crap? *sigh*
Week freaking 6 & these games are still coming up as "could go either way". what the heck!!! i made my picks except for 2 but there are a bunch that make me so uncomfortable...
Jaguars at Steelers??
Dolphins at Bucs??
Ravens at Browns??
Vikings at Bears??
Giants at Cowboys??
Chargers at Raiders??
Jets at Bills??
WHY ARE THESE GAMES ONLY GETTING HARDER TO PICK?!
THIS little face!!! and i get to love all over her all the way through MONDAY!!
this is one *happy* Auntie Dawn! (oh--i'm glad to see her mom & dad too lol)
Read more...Your Birthdate: October 12 |
Being born on the 12th day of the month (3 energy) is likely to add a good bit of vitality to your life. The energy of 3 allows you bounce back rapidly from setbacks, physical or mental. There is a restlessness in your nature, but you seem to be able to portray an easygoing, sometimes "couldn't care less" attitude. You have a natural ability to express yourself in public, and you always make a very good impression. Good with words, you excel in writing, speaking, and possibly singing. You are energetic and always a good conversationalist. You have a keen imagination, but you tend to scatter your energies and become involved with too may superficial matters. Your mind is practical and rational despite this tendency to jump about. You are affectionate and loving - but very sensitive. You are subject to rapid ups and downs. |
i never felt the need to make a particularly big deal over my birthday. it comes predictably every year. i never obsess over gifts or the steadily climbing number that i acquire to reflect the number of years i have been aimlessly wandering around this planet Earth. i joke about my "birthday month" but the day itself is virtually inconsequential to me. i read this once & felt it captured exactly the essence of how i see my birthday:
I am very glad I was born and definitely appreciate the ongoing alive status that each birthday brings, but I do not typically get into the animated birthday hoopla spirit. I do recognize, however, that for me it is a fine line between not wanting to make a big deal about my birthday but also wanting family and certain friends to dote enough to satisfy some nebulous quality/quantity acknowledged-my-birthday barometer.
(excerpt from "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, entry titled "Birthday" pg.40-41)
for no other reason than because i came across it flipping through a magazine & i liked it. looks like there's a new book on my wish list...
"Despite the fact that you 'knew better,'you could still be reduced to a giggly teenager when faced with a sexy man at a vulnerable moment."
(excerpt from Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell)
*a muffled scream comes from beneath a mountain of paperwork & demands and somewhere from the depths a phone will not stop ringing*
Read more...why would someone who feels the need to drive 35mph in a 55mph zone have any use for a radar detector??
Read more...When I was a little kid we had a sand box. It was a quicksand box.I was an only child....eventually. (Steven Wright)
Read more...well last week, sports, in a word, BOMBED. i have never not enjoyed a week's worth of sports like i did that one...
*this* week has started off much better though. sort of. i am in the process of getting my butt beaten down BADLY in fantasy football by my bloggin' buddy Stacy & i am an impressive 6-6 in the football pool...BUT!!!
to start, the Astros (my favorite National League team) finally won in the 18th inning to eliminate the Braves who were up 5-0 in the 5th. and as i type, the Yankees face elimination themselves by the Angels. GO ANAHEIM!! or Los Angeles or wherever the heck you're from...i don't care if you want to have 37 cities in your name as long as you knock off the million dollar boys in navy blue pinstripes.
some way...some how...by some miracle & the beauty known as Adam Vinatieri's foot, the Patriots have managed to go 3-2 & avoid embarrassing back-to-back losses. i don't care if they won by a field goal in the final seconds of the game. i'm not interested in the fact that Michael Vick didn't play because it's not like they faced Atlanta without an injury or 12 of their own. what i care about is they WON! *long slow exhale of relief* now can they go into Denver next week & play them too? the defense is still staggering along but Jake Plummer has habit of forgetting which team he plays for so maybe...
imagine my fists pumped in victory with Brett's cause every time i saw that number change as the scores flicked by, i rejoiced. i knew it. i *knew* he was going to win & win big. 52-3!! GO PACK!! maybe now a little confidence has been restored, a little frustration put to rest...now i just hope that the bye week doesn't cause them to lose their new-found momentum going into Minnesota for Week 7. i know that the Vikings are anything but intimidating this year but being a huge rival game, ALL bets are off on both sides of the ball...
and the icing on my (almost) birthday cake...the laughably 4-0 Bucs that i have had to swallow like a tablespoon of the vilest medicine imaginable from several co-workers since opening kick-off...LOST...to the JETS. the Jets with their #1 & #2 quarterbacks out. the Jets who replaced their 3rd string, greener than the shirt he was wearing, quarterback from Week 4 with the 42 year old retired QB Vinny Testaverde. all week i kept saying "if Testaverde could just come back & have a solid game, how much would i love him??" well Vinny YOU ROCK! the almighty *snort* Bucs couldn't even score a single touchdown. excuse me while i step away from the computer to wipe the tears of hysterical laughter from my face because the unstoppable *cough* Bucs got their butts handed to them by someone who was watching Week 3 from his La-Z-Boy!! oh the sweet justice of it. i can't wait to hear the excuses the Tampa Bay fans come up with *this* week. at least if Ronde Barber had gotten ejected from the game like he should have for illegal contact after hitting a referee, they might have been able to cry about having their defense taking a hit but really now...what's that they said last week?? a win is a win? just like that, a loss is also a loss. =P
and for those of you who are wondering...IF i had had the *ahem* to go with my GUT for the picks that i struggled to make--Lions, Bills, Browns, Seahawks--i would have been 10-2 going into the final 2 games of the week, not 6-6. when will i learn...? something told me that the Ravens defense was a fluke last week up against that inexperienced Jets QB & that the Lions were better than that crap call earned them last week against the Bucs. and i said something here about the Bills leaving me uneasy after so many of the experts picked them over the Dolphins who i suspected were not really as good as their record tried to claim. i wavered with the Browns & foolishly went with the visiting team when i had no clue which way to lean--when in doubt *always* choose the home team. and i stated just this morning that i was too chicken to go with the Seahawks since everyone else in the pool went with the Rams...i was a lemming & like the rest of them, tumbled over the cliff into the sea.
but most importantly the Patriots & Packers won & when it all comes down to it, that's what it takes for me to have a great week in football. Dawn is happy. =)
brough to you by Unconscious Mutterings
I say ... and you think ... ?
Quirk:: idiosyncrasy
Crystal:: clear
Pet Peeve:: aggravating
Cuban:: pressed Cuban sandwich
Breasts:: what women have that men are obsessed with
Whispers:: speaks quietly
Complicated:: difficult to explain
Promise me:: give me your word
Murder:: mystery novels by Mary Higgins Clark
Filament:: inside a lightbulb
ok if you are any sort of fan of the show FRIENDS (and if you're not, i don't wanna hear about cause it makes ME laugh even when i've seen an episode about 45 times--and since this is MY blog, i get to make the rules) then you know the episode where they decide to make their lists of 5 celebrity "freebies"** (lol). well...being that i am incredibly bored, i thought i'd play with mine this morning. now we all know that i am lucky enough to have in my world the best, sweetest, sexiest man ever but if something were to happen to him & i were left empty & alone, i could at least be able to be seen out on the arm of these 2nd class stand-ins (you know for all my grand public appearances LOL). i should also mention that i was influenced by Jamie's blog...
so without further delay, i bring to you my completely ridiculous & mostly superificial "5 Celebrities":
sure you all know that Brett Favre is one of my favorite football players of all time. (if you're surprised by this, then you either just got here or you really don't pay attention to what you read.) he's also not so hard on the eyes--although i like him first as a football player & when he's wearing his helmet it doesn't matter WHAT he looks like, just how he plays. little known secret though--if you look at my man in profile, he resembles Favre a lot in facial features & jawline which is why Favre gets to be #1: he has to be since he reminds me of The Man. =)
Gary Allan gets to play on this list because he's got that rough around the edges look, the facial hair, the expressive eyes & a great voice. Steph got some REALLY awesome photos of him that she posted in her blog a while back as well.
Chris Cagle too: nice eyes, great smile, facial hair, strong profile...
Andy Griggs isn't my "usual taste". actually he's a little too "pretty boy" for me but i've seen him in a few different interviews now & i just like his down-to-earth attitude & his warm personality. he's not bad to look at but still not quite my "type" looks-wise--other than once again that nice strong jaw. but even on a superficial list a girl needs her less superficial choices...
...which leads me to #5 which might appear out of place on this list. i think John Cusack just inevitably makes me think of all the good romantic comedy characters he's ever played & how every...ok *most* girls like someone with a sharp wit, an intelligent mind, soulful eyes & a romantic spirit.
so i guess what you've got are 5 guys who posess qualities that all remind me of The Man in My World in one way or another...and keep in mind that it would take FIVE of them to still not quite replace him...not that i'm shopping for a replacement by any means.
and just for fairness sake how about some famous women i think are beautiful:
Sara Evans: i think she has the prettiest smile
Martina McBride: her eyes are so startlingly blue...
Jessica Alba
Jennifer Aniston
Gwyneth Paltrow
Diane Lane
Ashley Judd
**for anyone who feels the need to know such things, the title of the episode was "The One With Frank Jr"
It was real...It was magic
It was calm...It was savage
It was cool as a breeze
It was warm to the touch
It was never enough
It was always too much
It did all the things love does
That's how I knew
It was
(from "It Was" by Chely Wright)
first quarter of the season is gone already. i almost can't believe it. normally by now i have at least half the week's picks marked off immediately under the "easy" category. there just don't seem to be many truly dominant teams yet this year though. or maybe it's just my typical ambivalence spilling over into my weekly picks. like this football season appears to show so far though, anything is possible. needless to say: i struggled yet again.
we'll just go right down the list with some things that have surprised me about Week 5:
...Big Papi has struck out.
=(
time to cheer on the Angels...
i thought this entry in Vinnie Iyer's blog said it so well that i had to share...
I've heard endless discussion on whether Brett Favre should retire, and if the now 0-4 Packers should think about the future and turn to first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers. Without Favre, the team wouldn't even have a chance in games with the way the rest of his teammates have played. Unfortunately, by not giving him help and making his talent, effort and heart go to waste, they're accelerating his chances of hanging it up.
Blame the offensive line free-agent departures and injuries. Blame the inconsistency of a wide receiver corps without Javon Walker. Blame a front seven that gets worn down by the second half. Blame a secondary that can't seem to cover or tackle anybody. Blame Ahman Green not doing much, blame questionable play calls, blame penalties, blame bad drafting. Just don't blame No. 4.
We tend to make wins and losses in the NFL all about the quarterback. But no quarterback in this league -- not Tom Brady, not Peyton Manning, not Donovan McNabb -- can win games all by themselves.
What Favre did on Monday night in the second half was all him, vintage him. It's not fair to him, and it's unrealistic -- after all, the Packers still didn't win the game. He hasn't lost it, but his team has.
The Challenge: 10 "Favorite Lines from Movies"
1. from Jerry Maguire
[Dorothy enters kitchen, catching Laurel eavesdropping]
Laurel: I heard.
Dorothy: No kidding. I looked over and saw the shadow of two curious shoes under the kitchen door.
Laurel: Dorothy, this guy would go home with a gardening tool if it showed interest.
2. from Serendipity
Sara: It was just a few seconds, a fragment really, but it was like for that one moment, the whole universe existed just to bring us together...
3. from The Notebook
Noah: I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me, and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.
4. from Hitch
Alex Hitch Hitchens: Basic Principles - no woman wakes up saying "God, I hope I don't get swept off my feet today!" Now, she might say "This is a really bad time for me," or something like "I just need some space," or my personal favorite "I'm really into my career right now." You believe that? Neither does she. You know why? 'Cause she's lying to you, that's why. You understand me? Lying! It's not a bad time for her. She doesn't need any space. And she may be into her career, but what she's really saying is "Uh, get away from me now," or possibly "Try harder, stupid," but which one is it? 60% of all human communication is nonverbal, body language; 30% is your tone, so that means 90% of what you're saying ain't coming out of your mouth. Of course she's going to lie to you! She's a nice person! She doesn't want to hurt your feelings! What else is she going to say? She doesn't even know you... yet. Luckily, the fact is that just like the rest of us, even a beautiful woman doesn't know what she wants until she sees it, and that's where I come in. My job is to open her eyes. Basic Principles - no matter what, no matter when, no matter who... any man has a chance to sweep any woman off her feet; he just needs the right broom.
5. from Hitch
Alex Hitch Hitchens: So how does it happen, great love? Nobody knows... but what I can tell you is that it happens in the blink of an eye. One moment you're enjoying your life, and the next you're wondering how you ever lived without them.
6. from Hitch
Alex Hitch Hitchens: Because that's what people do. They leap, and hope to God they can fly, because otherwise. you just drop like a rock, wondering the whole way down, why in the *hell* did I jump? But here I am, Sarah, falling, and the only one that makes me feel like I can fly... is you.
7. from Meet the Parents
Greg Focker: Oh, oh check my pulse on this one, Jack. Do I think you're a psycho? Yes.
8. from As Good As It Gets
Melvin Udall: You make me want to be a better man.
Carol Connelly: ...That's maybe the best compliment of my life.
Melvin Udall: Well, maybe I overshot a little, because I was aiming at just enough to keep you from walking out.
9. from Meet the Fockers
Roz Focker: You're avoiding confusion by strapping a boob on a man?
10. from Return to Me
Bob Rueland: Would you go out with me?
Grace Briggs: Yes?
Bob Rueland: Is that a question?
Grace Briggs: No, it's a yes. Yes.
Bob Rueland: Tomorrow night?
Grace Briggs: Yes.
Bob Rueland: Eight o'clock?
Grace Briggs: Yes.
Bob Rueland: Pick you up here?
Grace Briggs: Yes.
Bob Rueland: My, you're a very difficult woman.
WHAT is the deal with the "rebirth" commercial for the new Honda Civic with all the bugs?! why? WHY would you do that?!
Read more......Tropics in overdrive STILL
...Traumatized by the fact that these storms are still forming
...Tired: how i thought i felt last year, even more so this year & none even really hit my area more than some outer bands of rain & strong breezes
...Tense: how i've felt since June 1st
...Tornadoes are an additional threat when a hurricane hits especially in the upper right quadrant on the storm. the circulation of the weather system seems to spawn the spin-off of tornadoes inside the bands of the hurricane
...Technical term for this particular tropical system: mush spewer--what i learned this morning on the radio as i drove into work
...Two-hundred-thirty-seven days till we start this crap all over again (aka Hurricane Season 2006)
...and Then there was one...name left on the 2005 hurricane list that is
...Tammy--just upgraded from "an area of weather disturbance" to a tropical storm this morning
...Someone procrastinating on doing this list.
...Storm surge: It simply water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the mean water level 15 feet or more. In addition, wind driven waves are superimposed on the storm tide. This rise in water level can cause severe flooding in coastal areas, particularly when the storm tide coincides with the normal high tides. Because much of the United States' densely populated Atlantic and Gulf Coast coastlines lie less than 10 feet above mean sea level, the danger from storm tides is tremendous. Storm surge also affects rivers and inland lakes, potentially increasing the area that must be evacuated.
...Stupid: how so many people act unfortunately when it comes to hurricane preparedness & having a plan of action.
...Snazzy--these special polos that get distributed to FL officials when they need to switch into "hurricane mode". man i wish i could find you a photo of this from last year...
...Something telling me we're still not done with hurricanes this year...
...*SIGH*
...Stuck: where i am in this list right now which is what took me so long to get it together. (and no Andie i do NOT know what i am doing when we get to the Greek alphabet! =P i think maybe i will turn it over to YOU at that point.)
...Stan, who was at previous points a tropical storm & a full blown hurricane but is now just a tropical depression
had a very deep & meaningful conversation with a friend last night about a topic we feel the need to frequently revisit. i am now enlisting your help, oh great Internet. doesn't matter whether you eat them or not--just want to know what you call them...
(and no i do not know why the poll insists on putting such a huge space between the body of my entry & itself. but it's too early to use that many braincells trying to figure it out. i have a limited number of those available for use each day & i can't be exhausting that many before 6am...)
Carrie: It's hard to find people who will love you no matter what. I was lucky enough to have three of them.
yeah, what she said...
32-29, Panthers over Packers. that just breaks my heart. i would take a 7-7 week in the football pool (hell i would have gone 0-14 after the way Favre played his heart out), surrender my undefeated status to drop to 3rd place in my fantasy league (which i did anyway)--just to have seen a check mark in the Packers' win column. not to be. they start the 2005 season 0-4. but what's amazing is that when i went to sleep late in the 3rd quarter (and WAY past my bedtime), the Packers had been trailing 26-13. when Favre scored his first TD of the night early in the game to answer Carolina & tie the game at 7-all, he did his trademark "arms raised in TD form" that i have missed seeing. i thought to myself: "i wish we could see more of that..." turns out he threw for FOUR touchdowns last night...you just won't hear the accolades that the Manning brothers received for doing the same thing because the fact is that Green Bay is falling apart around Favre & they aren't getting the victories to match the tireless effort. more injuries assaulted that team last night, leaving both my favorite teams little more than a pile of broken bodies at this point, limping along, patched together. but once again Brett Favre proved that if one man had the heart & talent & passion to work a miracle comeback & carry the whole team on his broad shoulders, he would certainly be the one--and he definitely tries to every game. he almost did it one more time. almost...and for that my heart breaks--sports-speaking anyway. after a performance like that, he just deserved to win. no one plays with that much heart anymore & to see him have nothing to ultimately show for it feels....cruel somehow.
No one, however, should count on that happening. Green Bay, it seems, is not likely to rebound. Brett Favre? Well, maybe, as Monday demonstrated, he hasn't yet run out of comebacks. Certainly he hasn't run out of passion for the game. Even with everything he has endured in his personal life, and his team collapsing around him, Favre didn't look yet like a guy prepared to walk away from it all.so much for Week 4...i guess we all have to put it behind us & play a new game next week. Read more...
"I don't know how I'm supposed to act," he said. "I've never been 0-4. For that matter, I'd never been 0-3. But I know that I'm not going to quit trying. You keep trying to tell yourself in games like this that it's not been for nothing. But it feels like that. It feels like it was all for nothing when you lose. You ask yourself: 'What more could I have done?' That eats at you."
"As long as I'm still playing," Favre said, "I'm going to play as hard as I can. That's all I know. It's what they pay me to do. And I'm going to give people their money's worth. I think people respect that but, really, that's how everyone is supposed to play. Right now, I don't know what's going to happen. I'm not going to make any predictions."(quotes excerpted from Len Pasquarelli on ESPN.com)
sometimes i wish that stupidity were painful...for someone other than the one upon whom it is being inflicted.
Read more...remember when i mentioned hating Tampa area sports teams? well this just drives it home for me. there was an extremely controversial call made that reversed a TD scored by Detroit that would have won them the game. there was no evidence shown from any angle that could rightfully say whether the receiver was inbounds when he gained possession & control of the ball so by all rights the original call should have stood. Tampa got very lucky. period. yet all i hear are announcers & local fans spouting off about what a great game the Bucs played & how the call was the right one & the Bucs are 4-0.
SUCK IT UP. admit that that was a mess of a game. acknowledge that you're undefeated against one of the easiest schedules EVER. and basically you didn't look that impressive against the Lions yesterday. you just plain old got lucky. at least when the Patriots go out & play like poop, i am fan enough to admit that they didn't deserve to win even though i'm thrilled that they did.
hmph.
what a piece of garbage sports week i just suffered through. *grumble grumble*
i went 7-6 in the football pool. which means again i will have at best a slightly better than .500 week. that is just aggravating. and remember those 5 games i struggled to pick? 1-4!! so if i had gone with my gut & picked the Giants, Redskins & Eagles i would have been 4-1 cause my gut was to go with the Chiefs so i'm not as ticked about that loss. at least the funny feeling about the Bills paid off i guess...
went in search of the Patriots game but the place i went couldn't figure out how to work their satellite tv so they didn't have it on, not that i wanted to see them get crushed 41-17. my poor depleted injury-stricken Patriots...
had to watch the Bucs play instead & win on a cheap reversal when the Lions should have won. that was a trash call. reverse a TD like that when there was nothing conclusive to overturn the original!! ARGHHHH!!!!
if i have to hear about "the Manning brothers" & their 8 TDs/no interceptions ONE MORE TIME, the steam coming from Central FL isn't going to be some weird volcanic activity so no one panic--it is just ME having a meltdown!! i dislike them more every time i hear their names...*gag* (i found a photo to go with this but i just can't bring myself to add their faces to my blog...)
in fantasy football, i dropped from 1st place undefeated to 3rd place. well i haven't yet but i will. as soon as Stephen Davis doesn't get me like 25 points. i'm only behind by 7 but my opponent has 2 players in tonight's game to my one...so unless the Panthers move the ball down the field a LOT using no one but Davis, i'm done.
20 laps into a race that he should have been a contender in, Dale Jr was tangled up in a crash that Jimmie Johnson caused but tried to blame on Jr. someone needs to find that cheating punk & kick his @ss. twice. *glaring*
only bright spot was the Red Sox who have clinched the AL Wildcard. but that still makes me feel kind of sick if their pitching doesn't VASTLY improve overnight.
and now i have to watch the Packers on Monday Night Football. the Packers who i HATE to see lose but i didn't pick them & i need the win in the pool, not to mention i have a bigtime Carolina running back as my only hope in fantasy football, playing against someone with Greenbay's Donald Driver (not to mention the Carolina kicker--who i hope misses everything his foot touches!)...
*sigh* believe me Tom, i feel the very same way. it HAS to go up from here...right?
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