Showing posts with label The World of Dawn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The World of Dawn. Show all posts

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Some Things: February 4, 2016

ONE| "...stubborn souls refusing to confront their secret fears..." I read this in The Story, which we're doing for church (one chapter a week for thirty-one weeks, and then the sermon is based on the chapter read). It just resonated with me and stuck in my mind. I am so guilty of this.

TWO| Did I ever tell you about the time (ahem...last week) a rogue termite found his way into our house and started snacking on our entertainment center? Thank heaven they're sloppy eaters. T went to work on a search and destroy mission. We believe him to be deceased and see no evidence he called his buddies over for a party. Honest to God, I didn't know "there's a termite in the entertainment center" was on the list of things I never wanted to hear when I arrived home from work, but suffice to say, yep, on the list.

THREE| Is anyone else picturing cartoon termites devouring everything made of wood in a three mile radius in twenty seconds flat now?

FOUR| That "not a robot" feature on Blogger comments? Best. Thing. Ever. After weeding through a dozen (or more!) of them per day, I haven't had to moderate a single spammy comment since I activated it. Which means, now that I'm calling attention to it, that will probably change. But either way, it's nice as long as it lasts!

FIVE| I got called for jury duty at the end of the month. The Friday before I'm scheduled to report, I have to call in to see if they still need me there. Truth be told, I'm kind of hoping they tell me I'm not dismissed, because that means I get to sit there are read a large portion of my day. It's my fourth time receiving a summons and I've always had to report. I got selected for a jury one of those times. I truly don't mind doing my civic duty. It's just a really long day, with a lot of sitting around.

SIX| So. On Tuesday, I had my annual ::ahem:: exam. (All clear, pending lab results, thank God.) But anyway, I'm lying there, staring at the ceiling, because, well, ya know, and there's music playing quietly in the sound system, and it starts playing "I've Had the Time of My Life," you know, from Dirty Dancing, and it was all I could do not to burst out laughing, because, well...No. Definitely not. I mean, I have a really great doctor and all, but...nope.

SEVEN| Speaking of...that. We (my doctor and I) discussed relevant topics, and it made me realize that I am such a Libra, even when it comes to the issue of childbearing. It occurred to me, on any given day, I could be anywhere from "hmmm...maybe I'd like to have a baby" to "uhhh...maybe not." I mean, you've seen babies, right? They're cute and squishy. And on a less junior high-ish note, there's something to be said for a little tiny piece of you and your husband becoming a member of this world. But then there's that really freaky Zika virus (it may be international, right now, but do you know how many mosquitoes are in Florida YEAR ROUND?? I've killed three in the past week, in the house, IN FEBRUARY) and the fact that I'm eight months away from turning forty and that life is really easy as it is (selfish but honest -- I'm not stupid, I know babies disrupt everything, no matter how worth it they are) and holy crap, the cost of childcare and providing health insurance alone are staggering. But then someone posts a photo of their baby on social media and the ovaries weigh in (the ovaries like babies). But then someone else has horrific morning sickness or a child with a stomach virus or a broken arm. And the seesaw rocks back and forth. And I really just... Maybe this is why people have kids when they're young: they haven't lived enough life, yet, to overthink it to the point of saying "your ball, Mother Nature, I've got no clue what I want." (I know, I know. Everyone has an opinion on this topic. "You're too old!" "Just do it, you'll never regret it!" I'm not looking for advice. I'm just telling you what this thought process looks like inside my head. It's ridiculous. Also, whoever approved me for this "being an adult" thing really ought to have their license revoked.)

EIGHT| Moving on but also ridiculous. We had to run our a/c yesterday. Because it was 84 and humid. On February 3. That gets a big ol' Stink Eye from me. There are people who love the six months of Florida summer. I am not one of them. They got their six months (eight, more recently!). Now I want mine. And it includes NOT RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONING.

NINE| Next month starts Flower and Garden Fest at EPCOT. I am already salivating, thinking about what delectable treats are in store for me.

TEN| We went to see The Revenant on Sunday. The scenery shots were incredible. There were parts that were really difficult to watch. There's not much for levity. DiCaprio managed to convey countless emotions and thoughts with very few spoken words. But what's stuck with me the longest is wanting to know how they made that bear scene.

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Monday, January 11, 2016

Some Things: January 11, 2016

** I cannot watch the scene in Elf where he finds the gum on the railing and starts popping it into his mouth ::gag:: ...

** ... But the scene where they're all singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and Santa's sleigh swoops up over their heads gives me a thrill of Christmas Spirit every single time.

** How obvious is it that I started this post a while ago?

** I daydream about having a double oven. Like not just a passing thought, but a straight up daydream.

** Some days I wake up with epic bedhead, and yet the covers are still so neat, it looks like I never moved a muscle the entire night, and I really wonder how both are possible.

** Few things are as obvious how badly you needed to replace them, but didn't realize it until you your husband did so, as windshield wipers.

** If you think burnt popcorn smells terrible, you ought to smell tortillas, which I, somehow, managed to burn in the microwave on Saturday. We had to actually take them out of the kitchen trash and throw them away in the big outdoor trash can. Even then, they still lingered for several more hours. And don't open up the microwave, because yikes.

** Somewhere around the All Star Break, last summer, we get desperately bored, and signed up for Netflix. We promptly got hooked on Hell on Wheels. I am heartily bummed that they don't stream Downtown Abbey, though. Guess I'll just have to wait longer before I get to check that one out, despite so many people recommending it to me.

** It is currently 52 degrees, with a forecast high of 61, and I probably don't have to tell you how happy I am that not-summer has *finally* arrived in Florida. Oh, sure, most of our days will hover around 68-72, and some may even approach mid to upper 70s, perhaps even flirt with an occasional 80 a day or two. But the fact is that the a/c seems to be off for the foreseeable future and that makes me a happy camper. The Floridians who enjoy the heat and humidity (I don't get it, but I know they exist) are complaining bitterly now, but hey, they got a bonus two months. It's *my* turn for the six four months of weather *I* enjoy best! (Abbreviated though it will likely be. I don't expect mine will extend through May and June to compensate for that record-breaking heat of November and December.)

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Sunday, April 13, 2014

All the Green Things

Remember the wee lettuces?

Yeah. Well. Two months later...

...not so wee. More like whoa.

Also, my too small to properly photograph herbs have become:

Ummm... Anyone have suggestions on what to do with all. that. dill?? (There is some parsley and cilantro and a basil somewhere in there, too, deep in the dill forest.)

The parsley has recovered from its terrible woe...

...and after being picked for use and tended and thinned of old sprigs (and yes, well watered, but not *too* much, the poor parched picky souls)...


...is still going strong and sending up new shoots almost a year after being planted! (You ought to see the size of the roots on those things. Almost as big around as my pinky finger!)

The chives went from this...

...to this. They have lost their flipping minds.

In fact, all the little green things seem to love the front side of the house.

So, I'm ready to move on from the Great Basil Depression of 2013 (saddest herbs ever...*twice* last season).

Cross your fingers that 2014 isn't another basil massacre. I hope they thrive as much as their cousins in this new location. Sun-warmed basil...definitely in my Top Five Favorite Scents.

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Thursday, July 19, 2012

A few peeks at what we've been doing...

















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Sunday, July 25, 2010

Hungry.


Gimme some nuts.


C'mon, please...? I know you have them in there.


I can see you sitting right there. You're watching baseball. Make like a peanut vendor & just toss me some already.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

going...going...gone?

i was flipping through this article on the Top 25 Things Vanishing from America (thought it's parts one and two, so it ultimately comes out to the top fifty), and was thinking about the items listed. some i would miss if they really did become extinct, while others? meh. probably wouldn't even notice.

25. Pit Toilets - yeah, see, i am a BIG fan of indoor plumbing. (see also: girl who refuses to go camping. ever.)

24. Yellow Pages - i cannot even tell you the last time i used a phone book. i just look it up online.

23. Classified Ads - i don't know that i would miss them, per se. i didn't have much luck with them the last time i was job-hunting. seems everyone down here uses a temp agency these days.

22. Movie Rental Stores - now these i miss a little. i don't like to pay for a subscription fee for Netflix when i barely ever rent movies. usually i end up renting a movie on a whim--like when a baseball game gets rained out & there's nothing on tv.

21. Dial-up Internet Access - does *anyone* miss this?! it's been ten years since i went high-speed and i've never looked back.

20. Phone Landlines - i still have a landline. i actually don't like talking on my cell a whole lot. it's not terribly comfortable. plus, it's cheaper to have the cell plan i have and the landline that comes with my cable bundle with unlimited long distance than to make my cell plan unlimited.

19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs - while i cannot say that i will personally miss them, it makes me sad that we've overfished them to the point where they could be gone. especially when i think how many of them likely go to waste.

18. VCRs - i still have a couple of movies on VCR tapes, but mostly all DVDs. i have a VCR/DVD combo so at whatever point it stops working, i will just replace the few tapes i have left. what really bugs me is that everything is going Blu-Ray now. i can't afford to keep replacing everything i own every five years for something that costs even more! and i have a lot of tv show series in DVD--not cheap!

17. Ash Trees - i would miss ash trees. we don't even have them here (i don't think) but my grandparents had one in their yard & i would be sad thinking they were all gone, forever. i can still clearly remember sifting through their bright yellow leaves at the bottom of the driveway while i waited for the school bus in the morning.

16. Ham Radio

15. The Swimming Hole

14. Answering Machines - while i do have a landline, i use the digital voicemail system that my service provider includes. one fewer thing to plug in is fine by me.

13. Cameras That Use Film - i am torn on this. i don't want one for myself, mostly because i like the immediate ability to see if the photo came out, and it's cheaper than developing a bunch of photos that didn't come out. (i'm also not one of those people who allows her photos to live on her camera indefinitely though. they're just too vulnerable there.) however, i love admiring the photos that others take with film cameras. they just have a different "feel" to them.

12. Incandescent Bulbs - i would miss them less if the new energy saver bulbs a) didn't take so long to actually come on and b) they didn't have such an obnoxious fluorescent glow. i like a softer, warmer light, and that just isn't as widely available in the newer bulbs--especially in the three-way bulbs which i like in my lamps. all in good time though, i'm sure!

11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys

10. The Milkman - i have to be honest. i didn't even know this was still a service being offered.

9. Hand-Written Letters - i really need to make a conscious effort to do my part in keeping this alive. there's just something about getting a real piece of mail that someone took the time to sit down & hand write, just for you.

8. Wild Horses - this makes me sad.

7. Personal Checks - not everything is available to be paid online. until it is, i would prefer to NOT have to pay for a money order, so i will be keeping my checks. (and balancing my checkbook by hand. you never know when having that information in black & white might prove useful!)

6. Drive-in Theaters - i have never been to a drive-in...

5. Mumps & Measles

4. Honey Bees - this is not good. not at all. i hope we can find a way to reverse this one.

3. News Magazines and TV News - the former, meh. the latter, despite the degree which they annoy me with their drama, i would miss being able to watch & listen to the news in the evening. sometimes a girl needs a break from reading all the live long day.

2. Analog TV - i've been a cable tv girl most of my life.

1. The Family Farm - i grew up on a family farm. no animals but plenty of fruits & vegetables in the garden & the orchard. i can't imagine small farms ceasing to exist. i wish i could find a good pick-your-own or truly *local* vegetable stand near me. around here, they all sell bananas which makes me distrustful of the source of all their produce.
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25. Professional Typists

24. Catholic Schools - since i am pretty sure they are including all parochial schools under the Catholic school umbrella here, i would absolutely miss them. i had a great education at a parochial school. i am sure people rethink paying a tuition when the public school option is free, but public schools get more scary by the minute. i liked having a small class in a safe environment. i would choose the same for my potential future children if at all possible.

23. Cash Registers That Make a Ka-Ching Sound - the last time i saw one of these was on It's A Wonderful Life (Get me! I'm givin' out wings!) but in a store? not even in my lifetime.

22. Wild Salmon - i refer you back to the one about the Blue Crabs.

21. Alleys - i don't frequent alleys. and i am ok with that.

20. Charcoal

19. Neighborhood Kids Who Will Do Odd Jobs - i think this is a combination of parents not feeling safe allowing their children to offer said service and the fact that kids seem to get lazier with each generation. both make me sad.

18. Trader Pits at the Stock Exchange

17. Cars With Manual Shifts - all cars should be automatic. i wish mine came with a chauffeur.

16. Homes Without Cable - i admire their resolve to be tv-free (which is pretty much your only option now that all tv signals have gone digital). i cannot make that commitment.

15. 401(k) Matches

14. Dental Coverage

13. Butcher Shops

12. Shade Tree Mechanics

11. No-Down-Payment Home Loans

10. 0% Balance Transfers

9. Customer Service - do not even get me started on this one. lack of customer service is one of my greatest pet peeves. to the point that i will choose a slightly more expensive service provider if they also offer good customer service. and yes, i do take the time to thank those providers for their good service whenever i have the opportunity. i also spread the word--in either case.

8. Known Toxins in Children's Products

7. Maple Syrup - NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

6. Sidewalks - i don't see them in the subdivisions but i do see them getting put in around town in various places! not having sidewalks would be a sad sad thing.

5. Fax Machines - i would not be sorry to see the one here at the office go. like, today.

4. Your Net Worth

3. 10 PM Drama on Network TV - speak for yourselves. i still have plenty of 10pm drama to keep my DVR working double-time! just because NBC made a regrettable mistake in that time slot doesn't mean all the networks jumped aboard!

2. The Daily Newspaper - i have only ever bought the Sunday paper. long as that one keeps going, there will be no complaints issued here. take it away, however...

1. Community Banks - my community bank appears just fine. in fact, i would think that with all the fallout associated with The Banks Too Big to Fail, the little banks have thrived. i know quite a few people who pulled out of The Big Banks & went small community bank. more secure, because they couldn't afford to make the mistake The Big Banks did, and *way* better customer service. in fact, if you don't use a small bank, i strongly urge you to check one out. i *love* my little bank.

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Thursday, September 10, 2009

excuse me?

this morning, as i turned into the driveway for work, i was behind a truck from our local electric company. it appears he was stopping to do a meter reading.

(let me interject here that we have six parking spaces in front of the main office building. three of them were occupied. the remaining three spaces were in one group between two of the parked vehicles.)

he pulls in to park and...

proceeds to park DIAGONALLY.

across. all. three. available. spaces.

i sat there, in the driveway, wearing an expression that i can only say felt like bewilderment crossed with disbelief. (you know, since i couldn't actually see my face to verify that's what it looked like as well.)

oh but it gets better.

as i sat there, slack-jawed, eyes bugging out of my head, he looked at me. i tilted my head, indicating his parking selection inquisitively. he started to walk away, toward the meters, i assume. i felt my eyes widen as my eyebrows smacked into my hairline, they shot up so violently.

and then. oh *then*.

he rolled his eyes at me, did this full-body shudder of disgust, AND HUFFED HIS WAY BACK OVER TO HIS TRUCK. because heaven forbid he actually have to park considerately at a place of business. how *dare* i be so demanding as to inconvenience him by needing to park my car?! i have some nerve, wanting to park where i work & thinking getting into my job could possibly be as important as what he was doing.

he kind of made me hope he'd step on a fire ant hill or walk through a stray spider web.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

who's counting?

not too long ago, i answered a question in another blog post about using turn signals and how it irritates the ever loving snot out of me that people find them optional. on a whim, as i drove home from work yesterday, i counted the number of instances a turn signal should have been used but wasn't. for the sake of perspective, my commute is just under ten miles.

i counted FORTY-ONE instances a signal was not used & should have been, whether changing lanes, making a turn or merging into traffic. and i am certain i didn't see all of them.

seriously.

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Monday, August 31, 2009

power of suggestion? or wishful thinking?

for some inexplicable reason, i have the sudden overwhelming urge to watch It's a Wonderful Life.

i'm not sure if this is a product of the Winter-like climate this office is kept at or if i am just wishing it would be cooler. (outside, not inside. any cooler inside and even the herd of penguins living in the coffee room will migrate to more temperate regions.)

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

i want.


see that pillow with the butterflies?

(you might need to click on the screenshot to get a better view. go ahead, i'll wait.)

i want one. i have this thing with my decorating. i don't get four seasons in Florida so i manufacture them for myself in various ways. i burn seasonally-appropriate candle scents. my little decorative touches all have a seasonal theme. i even change my blog design to follow along with the seasons as they change. that butterfly pillow would fit in *perfectly* with Spring in Dawnsworld!

problem is i am not at *all* talented in the way of sewing. so...who's going to make me one?? ;-)

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Monday, June 1, 2009

either that or a big mess.

flock of seagulls. pack of wolves. herd of cattle. pod of dolphins.

i asked the all knowing Google what you call a group of armadillos and reached the conclusion that they don't have a "special name" for armadillos. i think it ought to be an army. not that i have any authority over such things. just sayin'.

i had a point.

last week, i was privileged to witness a group of four baby armadillos (armadillo? armadilli?) out on the prowl for grubs or roots or whatever it is armadillos dig eighty gadzillion holes all over the yard looking for. (i didn't Google that to find out. i was afraid i would see a photo of a grub & that? i can do without.) since i don't own the yard in question, instead of freaking out over the hole-digging, i got out my camera.







there are a bunch more (mostly of their little rear ends & tails since their faces are in the dirt) but you get the idea. i wanted to be horrified by the damage they were causing but i was too fascinated. they were so engrossed in what they were doing--either that or too young to have any fear of humans--that they didn't even pay attention to me & my camera.

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Friday, May 29, 2009

productivity

8am: when i walked into work this morning & looked at my desk, i wanted to run away. there were so many piles on it and it was in such a state of disarray, i didn't even know where to start. i was determined that it would be clean by the time i left for the day. even i thought it was a long shot, but it's good to have goals, right?


12noon: i worked my tail off & by lunchtime, there was some progress. the remaining piles were organized. and i could at least see the top of my desk. and look! there was a file cabinet under that pile closest to the window! maybe there is hope after all...


4:30pm: success!! i have earned my weekend!

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Thursday, November 6, 2008

sound investment

November 14 is my Annual Disney Pass renewal date. i actually purchased my renewed ticket this past Saturday so i would have it when the old one expires. i understand that this could seem like a "frivolous purchase" to make, given the state of the economy. however...

by the numbers:
...number of times i will have used my current Annual Pass when it expires: 19 (they will tell you when you renew your pass at one of the ticket windows--and i actually went fewer times this year than i have in the past)
...cost of a One-Day Pass (keeping in mind that a Park Hopper, which i often do, would be even more expensive): $75 (Park Hopper would have been $125)
...cost of parking per day: $12
...amount i would have spent on admission & parking: $1653
...cost to renew my Annual Pass (i can go 365 days a year, park hop as much as i wish and my parking is included): $340
...savings: $1313 (which is probably even greater when you consider that at least 8 trips to the parks, if not more, would have been at the Park Hopper price!)

so, even after you factor in gas & whatever food or drinks i may purchase while there, i *still* saved money by having my Annual Pass! now *that* is what i call getting my money's worth out of my entertainment budget! hooray for wise investments!

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Saturday, November 1, 2008

actions speak louder than words.


i don't talk politics. it's a hard & fast personal rule, because people get ugly with each other & i tend to avoid situations where i will be on the receiving end of such abrasiveness. yesterday, after work, i took advantage of early voting, hoping that the lines would be shorter than they had been, considering it was Halloween. i waited about an hour... and then i did all the speaking i needed to:

i made my voice heard by voting.

after all, it is my firm opinion that you have no right to be critical of your government if you don't first use your voice by voting.

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Sunday, August 24, 2008

two years

happy independence to me day.

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Sunday, July 6, 2008

is this proof that gas prices really are too high?


taken in the parking lot of my local (not in the country) Publix grocery store this afternoon. (sorry about the size and the crappy photo. all i had was my phone.)

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Saturday, July 5, 2008

it's electric!

so i was just on my way back from the laundry room (because i am almost guaranteed not to make a futile trip across the parking lot only to find all the washers in use on a Saturday night) and it's kind of nice out, especially for July in Florida. twilight-ish with the remains of a sunset reflecting a last warmth on the few wispy clouds stretched across the sky. slightly less humid. a bit of a breeze.

out of -- quite literally -- a clear blue sky, there was a horizontal flash that felt like it was inches over my head. the hair stood up on the back of my neck as i actually *heard* the lightning blot slice through the air, with a deafening crack of thunder right on its heels.

i glanced up at the sky again. not a dark cloud in sight. just the same wispy clouds, like cotton balls stretched thin.

the sky is still grumbling. it hasn't stopped since that bolt flashed. just one long low rumble for the last five minutes.

Mother Nature is making her presence known... much like a dog that growls deep in his throat & shows his teeth, but does not rise from where he lies. a warning that may turn into nothing more. but a warning nonetheless.

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Friday, April 11, 2008

apology

apparently i have come across as very negative & snippy this week, according to a rather shocking & upsetting email i received.

if anyone has been offended by my negative attitude, i apologize. one of my best friends, a 27-year-old mother of three, had an MRI done earlier in the week because she was feeling numbness in her arms from her fingers to her elbows & they were afraid it was MS. it turns out there is some sort of mass under her skull where her brain & spinal cord meet, and they do not know what it is.

needless to say, my mood has been distracted at best & downright cranky at worst. so, if i have offended anyone, i apologize. if you feel so inclined, please keep her in your thoughts and/or prayers. and in the mean time, perhaps i should just be quiet until i have something more positive to say.

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SPF: April 11, 2008



Kristine says:
Friday April 11th: BAD.
Everything is bad right now. BAD BAD BAD. Show me your bad.

perfect topic for me. because bad? this week was bad. the whole thing was pure evil. birthed straight from the depths of hell. for me. for people i care about it. just... bad. thank *God* it's Friday.

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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

stupid is as stupid does, sir

ok, i know when there's a problem with some piece of technology that They say "it's not the machine, it's the operator" but... in this case, i blame the machine. or in this case the printer that says "error: paper jam" when what it really means is "error: paper tray empty". in my experience, you actually *need* paper in order for it to get jammed.

just sayin'.

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