Portia

This is an older photo from a vacation to Holden Beach, North Carolina in the summer of 2007.  Portia and Celeste decided to try out their mad skillz at wave riding in the blow up canoe.  I got this shot right before they were both dumped into the ocean.  

I'm using this photo for my entry for the "I Heart Faces - Beach Fun" contest.  Check out the I Heart Faces site for other great entries!

Portia was home for the weekend for her birthday and we took her and three of her friends bowling at King Pin.  Once again, I won the first game and tied Jason for the second.  Muahahah!  Though Portia's boyfriend (playing on a different team) was the overall winner - he kicked bootie!  We played a couple of games, had some pizza and then headed back home to hang out for the evening.

Charlie and Christina brought Scrappy over and him and Lois Lane are like two peas in a pod!  They are so cute together!  Now we just have to work with Buddy and Molly for some doggie harmony.

Portia is playing guitar in her music class so she's learning some of the ropes from Jason.  Now she even has her own guitar!  She seems to be settling in well at her new school, even if she's only been there 2 days before they had 2 snow days.  Her 17th birthday is Wednesday so she's home for the weekend to celebrate with us.

There is no change in Blue today.  We'll be evaluating him again in the morning before calling the vet to give a status update and see what's next.  Stay tuned...

This time last year I was dabbling a little for the first time with portraits...and of course always photos of some of the pups!

Portia & Brittany:

Terah's Senior Portrait

Blue getting pummeled by Lois Lane:

Whoo boy what a week it's been!

Thursday afternoon Jason spotted a baby fawn in the neighbor's yard right at the tree line.  Upon doing some research I found that sometimes momma deer will leave the baby to go find food and come back within a few hours.  So we left him alone for that evening, even though he was crying and not walking very well.  We didn't want to impose on nature if we didn't have to.

By that evening the baby had moved to the woods behind our fence line and was still crying out for his momma.  Jason walked back to check on him and saw a doe not too far away.  Naturally, we assumed this was the mother deer and left them alone.  There was no sound from the baby the next morning so we thought all was good.  Then that afternoon Jason heard him crying again.  At that point he decided we needed to do something, so he went in search of the baby.  He found him curled up in an open area of the woods behind the house, still crying.  Jason walked right up to the baby, but the baby didn't move.  Jason then reached out to pet him so he knew he meant no harm and the poor little thing got scared and ran about 20 feet before he face planted in the dirt.  Jason went to him again and did the same thing, and the wee baby ran again, only making it a few steps before he collapsed.  So Jason picked him up and brought him on the porch and put him on one of the dog beds.

He and Portia got him to drink a few ounces of milk before he tired out to take anymore.  At that point he called the Kentucky Wildlife Association who referred us to a vet clinic we could take the baby to.  From there a wildlife sanctuary came to pick him up and take him to their facility where they will nurse him back to health and re-release him when he is strong and healthy enough.  You can read the full store on our PetResearch site in case you ever find a baby fawn that appears to be abandoned.  And of course I got a few pictures!

In other exciting news, Portia got her driving permit on the same day!  *gah!* She's been a little hesitant to get it (she was eligible to get it when she turned 16 in January), but once she really thought about it and realized she could go to Taco Bell whenever she wanted to once she got her license it was on!  (Had I known this I'd have dangled a taco in front of her 5 months ago!).  She is getting my 2003 Ford Escape since I only drive my F150 now.  She's been out driving a few times and is picking up the ropes pretty well.  Of course, I had to get some photos of her first driving experience.

Showing off her permit:

Getting some last minute instructions from Dad:

And she's off...and smiling all the way!

And then today she took a big step.  Jason offered to let her drive "Big Nasty", his F350 Diesel down some of the back roads on the way home from dinner.  I thought for sure she'd chicken out (I would have) but she said "Heck yeah!" and drove that puppy all the way home.  :)

Feb 13, 2007 vs. Feb 13, 2009

So it’s been exactly two years since I wrote my “100 Things About Me”.  I thought it might be kind of cool to go back and revisit these items to see what all has changed in two years.  The black text is the original – the blue is the update.  Good for you if you make it to the end – this is a long one!

1. My first name is Christy but most of my family calls me Dawn.
   #0000ff;">Yup, this is still the case.
   
2. I have the best husband in the whole, wide world!!
   #0000ff;">Definitely – hands down!
3. I've had pet rats for over 10 years...they're cute!
   #0000ff;">I don’t have pet rats anymore, though I miss them lots.  However I have acquired three pet mice, so I’m not exactly rodent free. See mouse pictures here.
   
4. I moved a lot growing up resulting in living in 4 different states and going to 8 different schools.
   #0000ff;">We may be adding a state to this list in the next few years, but that’s still just an idea we’re kicking around.
5. I hate most types of cheese.
   #0000ff;">No change here – cheese, blech.
6. My college degree is a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration focusing on Computer Information Systems.
   #0000ff;">No change here – and the degree is still in full use.
7. I can easily sleep 12 hours every night (though rarely get a chance to).
   #0000ff;">Still  a sleep fiend – still don’t get enough of it .
8. I love organizing things...it's just fun...you should see my craft room.
   #0000ff;">Said craft room has barely been used in the last year – but it is still organized.
9. I love Arts and Crafts, I'll try out just about anything that looks interesting.
   #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">And one day I’ll have time to do this again.
10. Photography is a recent new hobby...my Nikon D50 is my friend.
    #0000ff;">Still a growing hobby, actually my hobby of choice in my free time.  And I’ve upgrade the D50 to a D80 and have added a few more lenses, a light kit, a speedlight and a lot of miscellaneous gadgets to the mix.  See my photos here.
11. My fingernails and toenails are off limits - nothing touches them and certainly nothing goes under them.
    #0000ff;">Off limits!  Though I did manage my first pedicure in the last two years thanks to my neighbor and good friend, Wendy.   It wasn’t too bad, but not something I yearn to do.
12. I have a blue belt in Kenpo karate.
    #0000ff;">Jason has informed me that we were up to our green belt when we stopped lessons.  See how much I pay attention?
13. I own my own business which has recently become my second full time job.
    #0000ff;">And still is my second full time job!  My goal it to only have one job here in the next few years.
14. I take my coffee with splenda and heavy cream.
    #0000ff;">Last year I discovered Mocha flavored splenda.  So now chocolate coffee is my favorite!  And I’ve ditched the heavy cream for regular creamer – not on low-carb anymore.
15. My average body temperature is 96.8 - I'm always cold.
    #0000ff;">Unfortunately I don’t think this will ever change.
16. One of my biggest pet peeves is the sound of people chewing their food.
    #0000ff;">I will never get over this. *urk*
17. I legally adopted my daughter, Portia, in December of 2004. She is 14 years old.
    #0000ff;">Portia is now 16 – I haven’t disowned her yet.  ;)
18. I plan to retire by the time I am 40.
    #0000ff;">Yup – in the works.
19. I will only be 35 when Portia graduates high school.
    #0000ff;">As long as she doesn’t flunk a grade this will hold true – I think we’re safe!
20. I have a tattoo of a black panther on my right ankle.
    #0000ff;">Still there.  Would like another, but not sure what yet.  Or where.
21. Due to the fact that I hate to shave, I had laser hair removal done on my legs, pits and bikini line.
    #0000ff;">Still shaving – this procedure diminished the amount of shaving required, but didn’t eliminate the need entirely.
22. I'm always up for bartering for web work...that's how I got the laser hair removal.
    #0000ff;">I still do this within reason – but money is best.  Afterall, it pays the bills.
23. I get allergy shots once a week.
    #0000ff;">I’m down to once every three weeks now.
24. I never had allergies until I moved back to Kentucky.
    #0000ff;">If we make that move they might go away again.  Having the mice hasn’t helped.
25. Allergies suck.
    #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">Indeed.
26. I'm a computer nerd.
    #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">Hopelessly so.
27. There are 10 working computers in my house.
    #0000ff;">I believe this is still true – give or take.
28. My cursive writing sucks, I always print.
    #0000ff;">Still true – I don’t even bother to write cursive unless signing my name.
29. I have never been out of the country.
    #0000ff;">Still true – though I’d love to go to Australia.
30. There is a 125 gallon reef tank in my living room.
    #0000ff;">Not anymore.  We’ve downgraded to two 1-gallon beta bowls each with a single fish.  You can see my fish, Poe, here.
    
31. All three of my dogs have birthdays that fall on holidays.
    #0000ff;">And all three are alive and well.  And we’re pondering adding another to the mix.  You can see my pups here!  :)
    
32. I started chewing on my fingernails in kindergarten and still do.
    #0000ff;">Still do, though try not to.
33. I drive a Ford Escape.
    #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">The Escape now belongs to Portia.  I now drive a Ford F-150 pickup and LOVE it.
34. I love snow but hate the cold.
    #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">Still true – and another reason for pondering a move further south.
35. Beer is my alcohol of choice...rum and diet coke is a close second.
    #0000ff;">Mmmm beer.  Like white zinfandel wine as well.
36. I wear a bite guard at night because I grind my teeth.
    #0000ff;">I do still grind my teeth, but since having my porcelain crown replaced with a gold one, I no longer need the bite guard.  (I broke the porcelain one in 3 pieces – my dentist said I needed a more durable crown).
37. I hate to talk on the phone.
    #0000ff;">Still true – I’d rather chat on IM.  I can multi-task a little better that way.
38. I have been pulled over 4 times but have never gotten a ticket.
    #0000ff;">I’ve managed to be a good driver the last two years – no more pull overs.
39. Three of the four times I was pulled over for turning left on red.
    #0000ff;">Haven’t done that anymore either.
40. I love to read.
    #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">Love it, just not much time for it.  I joined a book club but have missed the last two meetings.  My book list is here.
41. I collect rat figurines.
    #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">Not so much anymore.
42. One of my cousin's played football for the University of Louisville.
    #0000ff;">And he’s getting married this year!  Congrats Matt!
43. I have 5 email addresses that I use on a daily basis.
    #0000ff;">I’m down to four now.
44. When I eat apples I also eat the core...seeds and all.
    #0000ff;">Still like those apple cores.
45. I hate doing laundry.#0000ff;">
    I don’t think you can learn to like doing laundry.  But I did get a new dryer that kicks booty.
46. I don't cook - Jason is the cook in the family.
    #0000ff;">Thank goodness for Jason or I’d have starved to death by now. :P
    
47. I have been involved in a hit and run accident - luckily the guy was a moron
and I got his plate number.
    #0000ff;">And got a nice settlement for it too – hello screened in porch!
48. I can't sleep with socks on.
    #ff0000;"> #0000ff;">Nope, not possible unless it’s 42 degrees in the house, such as last month during our ice storm provoked two day power outage.
49. I love writing with colored ink pens - purple is my favorite.
    #0000ff;">I’ve recently found that colored thin point sharpies are the best, even if they are stinky.
50. My co-workers bring me empty kleenex boxes to give to my rats to play in.
    #0000ff;">Not anymore – no ratties and the mice don’t shred them as quick as the rats did.
51. I love to eat raw biscuit dough.
    #0000ff;">|Jason always saves me one uncooked biscuit.  Did I mention that he’s the best?
52. I can barely stand to watch tv without my TiVo...commercials suck.|
    #0000ff;">The TiVo is still hanging in there.
53. My favorite outfits consist of comfortable jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt.
    #0000ff;">Still my fav – and now we get 2 jeans Friday’s a month at work.  Woot!
54. I hate to shop...unless it's for craft supplies.
    #0000ff;">Replace craft supplies with photography equipment.
55. I practically live on my screened in porch in the summer.
    #0000ff;"> I can’t wait until summer.  Thanks to hurricane Ike and the latest ice storm we now have to replace two panels of screen.
56. I love to water ski but refuse to snow ski.
    #0000ff;">But would love to go tube sledding!
57. When I was 6 years old I made my brother eat a dandelion. I told him it tasted like peanut butter.
    #0000ff;">Now he has a kid to do these goofy things.
58. I stopped picking on my brother when he was big enough to pick me up and turn me upside down.
    #0000ff;"> I still don’t pick on him- of course, I rarely see him.
59. I have a beautiful niece named Taylor.
    #0000ff;">And she’s almost 4!
60. I used to own and maintain one of the largest rat web sites on the Net.
    #0000ff;">Still own it but no longer maintain it.  It’s in archival mode.  Visit RatPalace.com!
61. I am a recent Mac convert. I have an iMac and a MacBook that I love dearly.
    #0000ff;">They are still my babies – I’ve upgraded to the 20” iMac and added two 20” wide screen monitors on either side.
62. When I was a kid my parents called me Daffy Dawn because I often asked stupid questions.
    #0000ff;">I still ask stupid questions and make stupid comments.
63. My junior year of high school I was grounded during spring break so I painted an Aladdin mural on my closet door.
    #0000ff;">Thankfully I’m too old to be grounded now.  Now I have to do the grounding!
64. When we moved my parents brought the closet door with them....it is now framed and hanging in their basement.
    #0000ff;">I believe that door is still hanging in their basement.
65. My living room is painted red and black and has Salvador Dali prints all over the walls.
    #0000ff;">It is now sage green with black trim.  The walls are still blank because I haven’t gotten around to printing photos of backyard critters to frame and hang in the room.  These are some of the photos we'll be choosing from.
66. I can wiggle my eyeballs and freak people out.
    #0000ff;">Yup
67. Until last year I never wore flip-flops because I couldn't stand anything between my toes.
    #0000ff;">I now own 4 pairs of flops – Croc and Reef flops are the best!  Unfortunately Lois Lane ate my Reef flops, again.
68. Jason and I had a massive cake fight at our wedding...I started it.
    #0000ff;">This still makes me laugh.
69. Stray and lost animals have a knack for finding me....I must have "SUCKER" stamped across my forehead.
    #0000ff;">We’ve managed to only acquire one mouse in need.
70. I never had a cavity until I was 23 years old.
    #0000ff;">I’ve now had 5 cavities.
71. Aside from having my wisdom teeth removed, I've never had any type of surgery.
    #0000ff;">Had one surgery in November of ’07 – I won’t go into detail.
72. I've broken the same toe 3 times.
    #0000ff;">Add a fractured elbow to the broken bone list.  That freaking hurt!
73. I lost all my baby teeth by the time I got to third grade.
    #0000ff;">Haven’t lost anymore teeth.
74. I was the teacher's pet in the fourth grade.
    #0000ff;">Ahh so long ago.
75. I have no musical talent whatsoever.
    #0000ff;">Like that’s ever going to change.
76. I can't even snap my fingers.
    #0000ff;">Nope, no snapping for me.
77. am directionally challenged and could probably get lost in my own backyard.
    #0000ff;">I think I’ll buy myself  a GPS this year.  I’d be much better off and save a lot of time.
78. I plan to one day live in the middle of 20 acres of wooded land. Hopefully I won't get lost.
    #0000ff;">I’d like to up this to about 50 acres.
79. My husband wants 2 pet goats...and I'm ok with that.
    #0000ff;">When we get that farm we still plan to get goats.
80. I'm afraid of clowns and still can't bring myself to read "It" by Stephen King.
    #0000ff;">”It” is still collecting dust on my bookshelf.
81. I sleep walk on a regular basis and often wake up in different rooms around the house.
    #0000ff;">On a weekly basis, probably.  I actually unlocked and opened the back door last year.  Luckily it was winter and the cold woke me up.  I also managed to pull the bedroom bookcase over on top of me.  I was dreaming I was being chased and climbing a fence.
82. In the 13 years Jason and I have been together we have only had 3 major fights.
    #0000ff;">15 years and still only 3 major fights.  We’re happy people.
83. I don't like milk unless I'm eating something chocolate with it or if it's in cereal.
    #0000ff;">This ranks with cheese, though I try to drink more than I used to.
84. Math and Chemistry were my worst subjects in school.
    #0000ff;">Thank goodness my job requires little to none of these subjects.  I can handle basic math.
85. My only D in high school was in Chemistry my Junior year.
    #0000ff;"> No way to change this.
86. After one more exam I will have my certification in General Insurance.
    #0000ff;">I still haven’t taken this last exam.
87. I have been at my current job for almost 7 years.
    #0000ff;">Almost 9 years. Though I’ve had a title change to “eBusiness Developer”.
88. "Beautiful" by Este Lauder is my favorite perfume.
    #0000ff;">And I’m out of it!
89. I don't mind paying the price for Este Lauder products because they do not test on animals.
    #0000ff;"> I hope this is still true.  I don’t do a very good job of checking up on these things.
90. All of my dogs are rescues...only one is a pure breed, the rest are mutts.
    #0000ff;">We’re thinking about adopting another – possibly another blue  heeler named Tess.
91. I have a cat (also a rescue) named Big Worm who hates me...I'm just his food source.
    #0000ff;"> #0000ff;">He’s still loitering around.  He likes his warm cat house on the front por#0000ff;">ch.  See Big Worm here.
92. My friends that live on the west coast think I have a "hick" accent...but I don't agree.
    #0000ff;">This probably gets worse the longer I live here.
93. I wore braces from 4th grade until 8th grade. My teeth are still straight.
    #0000ff;">Yup, still straight.
94. I have glasses for reading, though only need them when I'm on the computer for 10+ hours at a time (which is very often).
    #0000ff;">I stopped wearing glasses for a while and then had to get a new prescription for a different reason last year.
95. I love to play the game Taboo, especially when Jason is my partner - we win almost every game.
    #0000ff;">We haven’t played this in forever.
96. My yard is very dull looking - I do not have a green thumb.
    #0000ff;">Jason, it seems, has a knack for gardening.  Our yard is much prettier now and actually is landscaped!
97. I'm hopelessly addicted to Survivor.
    #0000ff;">New season started last night!
98. I do not want any more children even if I never "have one of my own".
    #0000ff;">This is no longer possible anyway.
99. My most favorite food in the world is pizza.
    #0000ff;">Mmmm pizza!
100. It took me over a month to write this.
     #0000ff;"> Only took an hour to update.  But it was fun!

Welcome 2009!  It's going to be an interesting year.  Portia turns 16 in a couple of weeks, Jason is working for himself full time and I'm vowing to get in shape - and am actually going to do it this year.  Business is booming, friends are plentiful and life is good!

Speaking of friends, we had a great turnout for the New Year's party last night.  I think we had about 30 people in the house.  It's been a while since we've thrown a New Year's party and we had a blast!  The night went so fast, as it always does when having fun.  We slept in until 9:30 this morning, cleaned up from the party aftermath and are focusing the rest of the day on vegging out and relaxing - a rare occurance for us.  I'm relaxing so much that I changed out of one pair of pajamas in trade for another pair of pajamas!  Can't beat comfort.

Some other miscellaneous updates.  Jason has started his new finance blog called Understanding Finances.  This is something he's been wanting to do for quite some time and I'm glad he finally got it started.  Also, Emily, my mother-in-law, started her own blog for her wonderfully delicious recipes.  You don't want to miss out on the Marvelous Recipes blog!  Both blogs are highly recommended...no bias at all, nope.  ;)

All the Mesker critters are doing well.  Pip the mouse is growing, but still isn't big enough to go in a cage.  We have discovered that Pip is a girl, so at least we can stop calling her s/he.  She prefers to keep to herself for the most part and mainly comes out at night to play and eat.  She's a bit intimidated by Hazel, one of the pet store mice who is the biggest girl in the cage, but I think in time they will get along just fine in the long run.  I can put my hand in the cage now without freaking them all out too badly, so progress is being made.  I hope to have more photos soon.

That's my update for now.  Happy New Year to all!  I hope 2009 brings you much peace and happiness.

'Tis All Hallows' Eve...do you know where your children are?