Dawn's daze

Christmas isn't complete without outfits

2010-11-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

We tried to get "the girls," Sassy and Alley, in the Christmas Spirit while decorating this season. Sassy, the older and generally more grouchy dog, really came to life and began dancing around when we placed a Santa hat upon her head. Alley, the younger and typically happier dog, acted as if having a hat placed upon her head was more painful than experiencing a visit from The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

The real Santa's Little Helper: Sassy is just as jolly as any elf in Santa's workshop and far more cheerful than that dog from "The Simpsons."

The real Grinch: Alley is having a major tantrum about being forced to wear a Santa hat.

10 years of thankfulness

2010-11-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

Jeff and Dawn on their wedding day October 28, 2000.

Jeff and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary in October. We celebrated this milestone by traveling to Napa Valley. We toured wineries, tasted tons of delicious wine, and had a wonderful time. Here are a few photos:

Jeff and Dawn at Michael Chiarello's Bottega in Napa Valley in October 2010. This is the best restaurant EVER.

A special anniversary dessert.

We had a delicious and elegant anniversary dinner on The Wine Train.

I wish this was my basement.

The wine-tasting process.

The wine-making process.

The Robert Mondavi winery is picture-perfect.

Vines and vines of wine.

Before you can make wine, you must grow grapes.

Wine highway in Napa Valley.

Seattle vs. Portland: Take one

2010-09-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

After spending a week in the glorious Northwest, our friends Gabi and Michelle joked that they felt like Jeff and I were holding a Seattle vs. Portland contest. Busted!

No, just kidding. Jeff and I are just fortunate to have two sets of friends — Gabi and Michelle in Seattle and Karly and Jose in Portland — who live within driving distance from each other. With just one set of plane tickets and one rental car, Jeff and I get to visit two sets of friends in two beautiful cities. Awesome!

I kind of like the idea of this contest, though. Both Karly and Michelle made us feel welcome in their homes and their cities, and mere tourists would never have the experiences we've had. I'll explain more this week as I tally up the points for Seattle and Portland but for now, I'll let these two iconic images speak for themselves.

Cannon Beach in Oregon is a favorite destination for Oregon natives.

Yep, that's the Space Needle behind us in Seattle.

My summer vacation

2010-09-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

September brings change. Kids go back to school. The neighborhood pool closes. Shorts and tank tops are packed away to make space for jeans and sweaters. And for me, September marks a return to blogging. Can I go back-to-blogging shopping? Please?

It's been a crazy summer. Ben Holden, our executive editor at The Ledger-Enquirer, accepted a new job at the beginning of the summer and left Columbus for Reno. Our new editor started two weeks ago, so Jeff and I (and all our co-workers) spent the summer in that uncomfortable state of limbo. We're entering a new era now, so wish us luck!

During this "summer of change," I was named editor-in-chief of a popular women's magazine previously produced solely by a group of talented freelancers. Starting with the October issue, being designed now, we're producing the magazine in the newsroom. Learning how to work on a magazine has been a fun, stressful and challenging experience. I'm very luck that I love the work, but I must admit that sometimes I wish there was a bit less of it.

The summer hasn't been all work and no play, though. We spent some nice weekends in Atlanta hanging out with Anne and exploring the amazing dining scene. My parents came for a visit and ended up buying a house in Georgia. Jeff and I attended a music festival in Athens (home of the Georgia Bulldogs) with our friend David. We welcomed Lily and Morgan's beautiful daughter Ellie to the world. Anne and I traveled to Michigan for our great-aunt's 80th birthday. And I became a "model" for a day at a bridal fashion show.

I hope y'all had a great summer! Here are few snapshots from mine:

Jeff and Dawn at the Applause for Paws Benefit. The benefit raised money for shelter animals, obviously a subject close to our hearts. Some really cute doggies showed off their talents for the evening's entertainment. They were good. But they've got nothing on Sassy and Alley.

Jeff and Alan at the Paws benefit.

Dawn and Sonya at the Paws benefit.

Jeff and Dawn at the Livingston Lounge after seeing "Phantom of the Opera" at Fox Theatre.

The best thing about being a "model" for a day was getting my hair done. Isn't this a cute style?

I love this hot-pink, strapless, short bridesmaid dress.

I'm a bride again. It was really hard to walk on a narrow runway with a train.

Brew at the Zoo is a fundraiser for animals at the Atlanta Zoo. This new mom is holding her baby gorilla.

Sonya and Alan at Brew at the Zoo.

Dawn and Jeff at Brew at the Zoo.

Ben's farewell party. We miss you, Ben!

Jeff and Dawn at a Renaissance Festival.

Anne and Luke at a Renaissance Festival.

The cake for Lily's baby shower turned into a "welcome to the world" cake for Ellie who arrived on her baby-shower day.

Mom and Dad were in Georgia for Father's Day. Dad cleaned the attic and found that awesome shirt he's wearing and the letter jackets that Anne and I earned by running hundred of miles in high school.

The family celebrates with 80-year-old matriarch Lorraine in Michigan.

Anne and I pose with our second-cousin Val.

Poor Aunt Lorraine broke her wrist just a few weeks before her 80th birthday. Luckily, the injury didn't dampen her spirits and she was still able to indulge in her favorite cocktail, a pina colada.

Glee over TV

2010-04-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad that Fox has aired a new episode of "Glee." You could almost say I'm full of glee, but that would be corny. Anyway, I'm really excited for next week's Madonna episode. The preview of Sue Sylvester playing Madonna in a remake of her "Vogue" video had me laughing myself silly. You can see the video here at Hulu as soon as Fox deems an appropriate period of time has passed since the video aired on TV. Likely, the video will pop up online as soon as it airs on TV on the West Coast. Even if you've never seen the show, I can almost guarantee you'll love the video.

ESPN: I hate you

2010-04-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it's ESPN that I hate. I'm not sure who's in charge of setting the televised game schedule. What I am sure of is that I hate whomever decided to put the NCAA women's basketball game on Tuesday night.

I'm sure some geezer sports fan (Karly) will tell me that the women's game is always played the day after the men's game. To that I say "Pooey." And gosh darn it, I wish Butler had won. Anyway, as if women's sports didn't have a hard enough time developing a following of, um, anyone, this important game must compete against some of the most popular shows on TV.

Stanford and Connecticut female athletes faced off on ESPN while the competition got hot on FOX's "American Idol." TNT aired the season finale of "Southland." CBS finally decided to show a new "The Good Wife." And ABC's "Lost," which is nearing its series finale, was on to further confuse its loyal fans (Amanda).

Seriously, can't we find a slightly less competitive time slot in which to air the NCAA women's championship game? Perhaps next year it should be played on an opposing network during the Super Bowl.

Easter baskets and mallets

2010-04-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

After a morning of eating candy and watching yellow dust settle on every available surface, we ventured to the park for a picnic and croquet. This is the third year that Jeff, Anne, Luke and I have played. Our friends Andy and Stefanie joined us for the first time. We hope they return! Here are some photos:

Stefanie and Andy were dressed to win. And Andy did. Twice.

This might not look like good conditioning mere minutes before a rigorous croquet match, but the guys finished one-two-three in both games. I guess we can all learn something from this.

Anne, Stef and I put on our game faces. Note: next year, chug beer instead.

Now don't be mistaken. Anne isn't behind. Everyone is just afraid of her swing.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed game. Obviously.

Andy gets serious about his croquet stance. Jeff grabs another beer.

I have no idea what's happening in this photo.

Um, isn't this cheating? It appears Jeff is moving the ball with his foot instead of his mallet.

What? How did that wine get on the croquet court?

Anne reacts (poorly) after a particularly "interesting" shot.

Luke and Anne won't let their losses diminish their enthusiasm. Oh wait, yes they will.

Jeff and I relax after losing the grueling lawn game.

It's important to rest between rounds of croquet. It's also important to stay hydrated. Apparently Miller Lite is more effective than lemonade.

This picture will help me remember how all these pieces fit into the box.

Ew. Yellow dust was everywhere. Thank goodness I was wearing socks and taking Claritin.

Anne gave me this adorable little basket. It's like a stuffed animal and basket in one. Love it! There were also three mini vodkas inside. Chocolate + alcohol = happy Dawn.

Jeff got this Easter "basket" for me. It's a pitcher filled with candy. I'll use it for many summer gatherings. The pitcher, that is. The candy will be gone by the end of the week, of course.

Food isn't scary in bite-size portions

2010-03-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

I love food festivals because they help me conquer my food fears. I'm an adventurous eater when it comes to bite-size portions, but I'm afraid to order things like ceviche, pork belly and oxtail off a restaurant's menu. I mean what if I order something that I don't like? I'm stuck with an entire plate of it and a serious case of diner's remorse.

At last night's Toast of the Town, a food and wine festival, I tasted several small items that I wouldn't ordinarily have tried.

Here were my favorites:

Duck confit with pickled ginger and sweet plum sauce (Green Island Country Club)

Florida hoppers (shrimp) with jumbo asparagus, wild watercress and lemon vinaigrette (Hot and Hot Fish Club)

Lobster-scallop ceviche with lime, garlic and jicama (C'Sons)

Red pepper champagne bisque with basil chiffonade (C'Sons)

Oxtail ravioli with contemporary succotash (RiverMill Event Centre)

Deviled quail eggs with lobster, Georgia caviar and blood-orange vinaigrette. (The Basil Leaf)

Unfortunately, I was too busy racing around tasting food and sipping wine to take any photos, but the presentation of some of these dishes was photo-worthy. A curried crawfish was scooped in a tiny ice cream cone and duck confit was served in a small partially hallowed-out breadstick. The ceviche was set in a tiny martini glass. They were almost too cute to eat. Almost.

I'm back... with deli

2010-03-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since my last blog post. I'm sorry faithful readers. You've probably been wondering what sort of daze Dawn has been in. Well, I've been working, eating, sleeping, working, attempting to workout, overeating, feeling guilty about overeating, promising to workout more often, working, drinking wine, wondering if I'm drinking too much wine, working. Let's just say I've been in a work-sleep-eat-wine daze.

Anyway, I'm going to be better. About blogging, that is. Not about drinking less or working out more.

Anyway, today was Deli Day in Columbus. Every year before Easter/Passover the Jewish Ladies Aid Society holds a fundraiser. It's a delicious fundraiser because sack lunches with corned beef sandwiches, chips, cole slaw, pickles and sweet tea are sold. Everyone sits outside on folding chairs and eats his/her lunch on what is always a beautiful summer-is-coming type day. Then we eat some of the best desserts imaginable. Cheesecakes, brownies, lemon mousse, chocolate cake, red velvet cake and my favorite, coconut cake. Now I really need to workout!

Here are some photos:

Lily, me and Sonya

Me and Jeff

My co-worker friends Tim, Lily and Sonya.

Uniforms vs. outfits

2010-02-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

I have, on occasion, made comments about my like or dislike of certain football team's "outfits." Jeff has always quickly corrected me. Athletes wear uniforms. Models wear outfits.

Tonight while watching men's skating in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Jeff didn't correct me a single time when I referred to the skaters' attire as outfits. In fact, when he saw the Belgium skater's skeleton-like bodysuit, Jeff decided "costume" was the right descriptive term.

However, when snowboarders were shown on TV, Jeff referred to their jean-like pants and jackets as uniforms.

So what does Jeff think a piece of clothing needs to become a uniform? A number.

It takes a calf to cheer up a Colts' fan

2010-02-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

Is it silly to be depressed that your team lost the Super Bowl? Yes. But I still am. I can't believe the Colts lost yesterday. It's just too sad.

I'm not sure when I became the type of football fan who has a bad day when her team loses, but it's happened.

It didn't help that I had to take all kinds of crap from my co-workers and so-called friends today. Arg. "Just wait until next year," I'd say, but my heart wasn't in it.

The only thing that's made me feel better today is to watch my favorite Super Bowl commercial. It's the sappy Budweiser ad that starts with the calf and colt (ironic, huh?) running along a fence together. Here it is:

This year, I love Oscar

2010-02-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

The Oscar nominations were announced today. Find a list here. This year 10 films were nominated for Best Picture instead of the usual five. I'm happy to say (or write) that I've actually seen three of the 10 films: "Avatar," "Up in the Air" and "Inglourious Basterds." If The Academy hadn't expanded the list of nominees, I very well may not have seen any of the nominated films. This would have caused me to feel like a pop culture moron. While this may be accurate, I'm glad I can pretend it isn't.

Cosmetic question

2010-01-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

Why does lipstick rub off my lips in five minutes but stay on my water glasses through a cycle in the dishwasher?

My living room becomes a tennis court

2010-01-26T19:45:00.000-08:00

I bought Jeff a Wii for Christmas. I was worried it would do little more than collect dust. I worried for nothing. After playing Wii tennis in our casual TV room for a few weeks, Jeff moved the Wii to the more formal living room.

At first I thought maybe the living room offered a better Wimbledon vibe. There's no grass, of course, but the furniture is green. Then I thought maybe Jeff just wanted to irritate me by turning my living room into an arcade.

But no, it seems Jeff simply needed more space to play. In the small TV room, he tripped over furniture and hit walls. In the larger living room, he rearranged the furniture (moved it all to one side of the room) to maximize his playing space.

Now he swings his racket, er remote, with no fear of hitting walls. He chases imaginary tennis balls and trips only occasionally over a dog who runs on the court, er carpet. The change in venue must have worked because Jeff now plays at the professional level.

I guess as long as he doesn't draw white lines on the floor, I shouldn't worry. We can always move the furniture back. After all, why am I complaining? I'm married to a tennis pro.

Save my shoes

2010-01-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

After an awful day at work this week, I came home to find a package on the front porch. Inside were two beautiful shoe boxes. Inside those boxes were two perfect pairs of heels. The stress of my day melted away as I gazed at those pretty shoes.

I happily tried on my new shoes and... discovered they didn't fit. This is not an uncommon problem considering my silly foot is super-skinny, and not in a good way. A size AAA is extremely hard to find in stores and usually needs to be ordered online through Zappos. Both pairs of my brand-spankin'-new shoes were too wide. Arg. The stress of my day immediately returned, and I became a self-pitying monster. My alarmed husband sent me outside for a run and reminded me that Zappos has a great (meaning free) return policy.

When I finished running, my husband showed me a product he found online. These back-of-the-heel cushions from Foot Petals promised to prevent feet from slipping in and out of shoes.

The next day, we went to Target and bought these heel cushions. I placed them in my new shoes and... they worked!

If you have a shoe or foot issue, try these cushions. They won't change your life but they just may save your shoes.

My latest obsession: The Tudors

2010-01-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

I've always loved history. It's memorizing datelines and taking pop quizzes that I've never learned to love. The reign of King Henry VIII is particularly fascinating. The dude beheaded two wives for goodness sakes.

Showtime's series "The Tudors" explores King Henry's life and his fast-changing relationships with his wives. The first three seasons are available on DVD and my sister let me borrow her copies (thanks, Anne).

I've been watching the show with my laptop. I love to check on the accuracy of the show's details. How does it rate? I wouldn't use it as study material for a history class, but the basic storyline is true. The most disturbing thing, to me, is the "composite character" that's supposed to represent Henry's two sisters. It doesn't. The show also takes some liberties with England's relationship with Scotland and France during that time period.

The acting is excellent and the character development is strong, if a bit fictional. I'd certainly suggest the show to friends and even history buffs. In fact, especially history buffs. Jeff (a history minor) and I have enjoyed talking (and arguing) about the show. Just keep your laptop close to settle any disputes.

Dear outdoors,

2010-01-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

I miss you.

I miss running along your streets.

I miss walking my dogs at your beautiful parks.

I miss hearing children laugh as they play in their front yards.

I miss waving to my neighbors as they go for their daily constitutionals.

I miss listening to birds chirp.

I miss sitting on my deck while drinking a glass of wine.

I miss watching my neighbor's cat chase squirrels.

I miss feeling your warm sun shining upon my head.

I miss going outside without wearing a coat.

Your faithful but cold friend,

Dawn

New Year's in the woods

2010-01-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

My sister organized a Minty-style outdoor adventure for our New Year's Eve celebration. (Thanks, Anne!) What's Minty-style? Luxurious, of course. Our "cabin" had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full-size kitchen, hot tub, TV and, most importantly, heat.

Now before you suggest that we weren't really "roughing it," you must acknowledge that there was no internet connection, no cell phone access, no DVD player and no video-game system.

What did we do on our three-day wilderness adventure? We went hiking, though technically it might be considered more of a walk. We ate a lot. We listened to music and danced. We caught up on our sleep. We stared at the gas fireplace. We watched some TV, but only classics like "Die Hard" and "True Lies."

Oh, and the peaceful woods provided the perfect setting in which to read. I read two books using my Kindle IPhone application. Ah, nature and technology. I love thee both.

Christmas 2009 was very merry

2009-12-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

Jeff, Sassy, Alley and I hosted Christmas at home with my sister Anne, her boyfriend Luke, aunt Anita, cousin Ian and his girlfriend Kim. Oh, and Anne and Luke's dogs Kapono and Maggie. On Christmas Eve, we had a few friends (Sonya, Alan and Kara) over.

The people had a great time eating turkey and ham, drinking wine and cocktails, wearing crowns and chatting. The dogs had a better time chasing each other, destroying stuffed toys, barking at nothing, fighting over crumbs and inhaling milk bones.

Here are a few photos from our Christmas gatherings. The crowns come from Christmas crackers which are an English tradition in our family. Christmas crackers are tube-shaped paper presents which make a popping sound (similar to a crackling fire) when opened. Each cracker contains a paper crown, a toy and a joke.

I hope you all had as lovely (and filling) a Christmas as we did. Happy holidays!

Dawn and Jeff are king and queen of Beaver Court on Christmas Eve.

Alan tried to get out of wearing his Christmas crown by saying his cracker didn't have one, but he couldn't fool Dawn who found a crown (in pink) for him to wear.

Don't be fooled by sweet-seeming Kara. The minute she received her Christmas Eve crown she made a run for the throne.

The centerpiece of our Christmas dinner was this... fried turkey. I was glad Jeff, Luke and Ian still had all their limbs when this bird was done. I have to admit that it was delicious.

Confession: A beautiful wood dining table doesn't exist under these linens. Hiding under tablecloths and chair covers are two card tables and seven folding chairs.

O.K. it's not the reason for the season, but eating is a huge part of the season. Here's our Christmas Day feast.

Alley waits patiently to see what presents Santa brought.

Merry first Christmas to Anne's puppy Maggie, who has quickly become best friends with Alley.

Sassy is tired after spending the day as a sizzlin' elf.

Alley wants to be one of the princesses (Anne, Anita, Kim and Dawn), but she doesn't want to wear the crown.

Oh, the kings (Luke, Jeff and Ian) do jest.

After attempting to play the role of king, Luke declares himself a reindeer.

Kapono refuses to share the chair with Anne. He says she sheds everywhere.

The dogs are sleeping after two days of Christmas celebrations and way too many milk bones.

A good time was had by all except this poor giraffe who lost his tail after one morning of "life."

All I want for Christmas is a better attitude

2009-12-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

I might be a bad person. I have discovered that I don't like helping others.

I know, I am officially on Santa's naughty list. But, let's not kid ourselves. It's unlikely that I was ever on his nice list.

My recent bah-humbug attitude is due to this program at work where we get letters from folks who need clothes, food, shoes and coats. Oh, yeah, and video-game systems. (Oops that was another Grinch moment.) Anyway, the program is a great idea in theory. Those who have give to those who have not. But make a few follow-up phone calls, and you'll quickly wonder just how needy these folks are. For example, a 22-year-old mother of three told me that she'd never worked because the "government money was pretty good." Nice. I would now like to point out that when I was 17 years old, I worked at Steak and Shake and cleaned vomit off bathroom floors.

Some of these letter writers really bring out my inner Grinch.

Two years ago Jeff and I delivered gifts to a young couple who had a nicer TV than we had. Last year, we took presents to a grandmother who was using empty Smirnoff vodka bottles as her mantle-piece decor. The intoxicated not-yet-40-year-old grandma asked if "that was it" after we placed several bags of wrapped presents in her living room.

So, what do you think? Is my bah-humbug attitude justified?

No. Standing behind these dysfunctional adults are children. Young boys and girls deserve Christmas presents even if (and maybe especially if) their parents suck. After all, don't these kids need gifts the most?

I feel less bah-humbuggy, and maybe even a little Christmasy, when I remember the little girl who ran out of her grandma's house last year to say thanks and give me a hug.

Welcome, Maggie!

2009-11-29T21:04:00.000-08:00

The highlight of my Thanksgiving was meeting my new puppy niece, Maggie. Anne (my sister), Luke (her boyfriend) and Kapono (their eldest dog-child) added little Maggie to the family two weeks ago.

Luckily, Maggie got along with Sassy and Alley, my dogs and Maggie's cousins. Sassy quickly established her place as top dog by barking and growling at Maggie until she bowed down to the great red dog. Alley gave Maggie a warmer welcome by chasing her around and giving her the good ole stiff-test.

Here are some photos:

Maggie adores the stuffed soccer ball. And by adore, what I mean is, she wants to tear out the stuffing and shake the ball until she's sure, really sure, it's dead.

Maggie's family. She's not trying to escape. Really she isn't. She saw a piece of raw steak lying on the floor. That's all. She's just curious.

Anne keeps Alley from eating her birthday cupcakes while Maggie takes advantage of the moment and lunges for the table. Yum! Puppies like frosting.

Maggie enjoys chewing on her cousin's pet frog and lying on her pink, leopard-print dog bed.

Maggie finds a quiet place to chew on her new Gingerbread toy.

Little Miss. Maggie became a conehead when an adult wasn't watching. She was spayed a week ago and she wasn't allowed to bother her stitches. Poor thing.

Maggie falls asleep while we're watching "Bolt," a movie about a dog. How rude! Sassy will need to teach her some puppy manners ASAP. Luckily, Jeff and Luke fell asleep first, so Maggie didn't get too much grief.

Midnight madness for 'New Moon'

2009-11-22T13:32:00.000-08:00

I went to the midnight screening of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" on Thursday. Yes, I am a teenage girl.

My friend Lily really wanted to go and because I am the sort of person who encourages the obsessions of others, I was happy to go along. We dragged our husbands with us because that's just the sort of girls we are.

The film completely sold out. The movie showed in all 15 theaters at the biggest cinema in town. The enthusiasm of the crowd was contagious and before I even found a seat, I declared myself a member of Team Jacob. Lily chose Team Edward and Jeff created his own Team Alice.

Lily smartly bought tickets for a 9 p.m. screening of "Twilight" so we could stay in our seats for the midnight screening of "New Moon." When we went to the restroom between movies, we were shocked at how many people were waiting to get into the theater. We giggled, like teenage girls, at all those poor folks standing in line before congratulating ourselves on our cleverness.

I give this movie a rating of 2 minis (click here to learn my system). The midnight experience earns a rating of no minis, the best score possible. Even the tiredness I felt Friday morning at work didn't dampen my spirits.

For those not in the know, "New Moon" is the second film in the "Twilight" series. The movies are based on the books of the same names by Stephenie Meyer. In "Twlight" a high schooler named Bella moves from her mom's Arizona house to Forks, Wash. to live with her dad. She promptly falls in love with the hot guy at school and later finds out he's a vampire. He and his family are vegetarians (they abstain from drinking human blood and only feed off of animals). Bella hangs out with Edward's family and everything is great until a group of bad, human-blood-sucking vampires come to Forks and decide they want to kill Bella. They fail.

In "New Moon" Edward flees Forks and Bella, for her own safety. Bella becomes friends with Jacob, who is, of course, a werewolf. Vampires and werewolves are mortal enemies but Jacob's family and Edward's family have a treaty that allows them to co-exist peacefully. Edward is in love with Bella. Jacob is in love with Bella. Bella is in love with Edward but loves Jacob.

The story is corny and utterly unrealistic but somehow the characters are believable. The special affects aren't actually very special, but it doesn't matter. This is a compelling tale of love conquering evil. Oh, and hotties Edward and Jacob spend much of the film shirtless.

Happy Birthday, Anne

2009-11-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Anne receives a look-a-alike award from the Chick-fil-A cow. Dawn is, as always, supportive.

Today is my sister Anne's birthday. I'm not saying how old she is, but let's just say this could be the tenth anniversary of her 21st birthday.

In honor of Anne's special day, I've compiled a list of Life Lessons By Anne. You see, it wasn't always easy for Anne growing up with a bossy, know-it-all big sister. Hopefully, you'll learn a little something by reading this.

1. The Easter bunny is actually an evil child-eating monster who lives under the bed of the youngest sister. The beast won't attack as long as all chocolate eggs and bunnies are given to the oldest sister.

2. If you see a few hairs in your hairbrush, you are losing your hair. The only way to ensure that you won't be bald by age 15 is to carefully place the loose hairs on top of your head. If you walk carefully all day at school, the hairs will reattach themselves to your scalp.

3. You're allowed to hang out with your sister's older, cooler friends as long as you don't speak.

4. There are times when it's cool for sisters to pretend they are twins, but most times it's best to act like strangers.

5. Mom doesn't need to know everything that happens at school, on the playground, at the neighbor's house or at the pool. It's for her own good. You don't want to get her upset.

6. Things that get broken at home are always the fault and responsibility of the younger sister. Even if it appears the older sister broke a vase, the younger sister "made her do it because she was in the way."

7. Letting your older sister cut your hair is a very good idea.

8. Knuckle sandwiches don't taste good. And seefood is not the same as seafood.

9. Sharing is good when the toys belong to the little sister, but unfortunately, it's against the law for the older sister to share her toys, otherwise she would totally do it.

10. Being adopted is nothing to be ashamed of even if your birth parents are in jail for stealing toys from disabled orphans on Christmas Eve.

Racing for the arts

2009-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Steeplechase, my favorite Georgia event, was Saturday. Horses race around a beautiful course at Callaway Gardens while guests set up picnics around the "track" to watch the races and socialize.

It's an all-day event that focuses more on fashion, cocktails and eating than horse racing. But that's O.K. because the event is a fundraiser for the arts with money going to the museum, symphony and theater in Columbus.

This is the third year that Jeff and I have gone with Anne, Lily, Alan and Sonya. This year we had our largest group yet with 15 people (Stefanie and Andy, Morgan, Chuck and Cathy, Meredith and Mike, Frank and Lauren).

We had two terrace boxes, plus a few extra seats, this year. The ground in the terrace-level boxes has been leveled so that nothing leans downward despite being hillside. We bring our own folding tables and tablecloths. Centerpieces and table decorations are a must. Paper plates and plastic cups are frowned upon (at least by me). Some guests even bring chair covers to give the provided folding chairs a bit of glam. For those wanting a more casual atmosphere, there's a less expensive infield (where Jeff keeps threatening he's going to buy tickets) where it appears the picnics are more like tailgates with chairs in a bag and red plastic cups being the accessories of choice. There are also kids' activities and food vendors. The fanciest area at steeplechase is the Guarantor Tent where I'm told the finer side of society sit at tables and watch the races while sipping mint juleps and snacking on chef-prepared appetizers. (I wouldn't know myself since I've yet to be invited into the high-society tent).

There are all sorts of fashion dos and don'ts at Steeplechase. Many women wear hats, heels and dresses while the men mostly sport khakis and blue shirts. (Why do all men's dress shirts seem to be blue?) However, there are plenty of jeans, boots, shorts and tanktops, too.

One of the most enjoyable parts of planning for the event (besides hat shopping, of course) is organizing the menu. It's not unusual to see guests set up full bars and platters of chilled shrimp and crab cakes. However, it's also not rare to see bags of chips and coolers of bud light. Our group had a wonderfully delicious variety of food and drinks. Lauren made her famous guacamole dip; Lily made pecan pies; Stefanie brought homemade muffins and crackers and cheese; Cathy and Chuck prepared wild boar sandwiches, muffuletta, brownies, bacon wrapped dates and chicken wings; Jeff and I made our annual chicken salad and steak salad sandwiches; and Anne made apricot and cherry scones, chocolate croissants and trail mix. Everyone brought several bottles of wine, coolers of beer and, of course, the horse-race favorite: bourbon.

I think this was the best Steeplechase yet, and I can hardly wait to start planning next year's event.

Jeff and Alan chill between horse races.

Stefanie did her hat shopping at Steeplechase and found this cute wear-more-than-once hat.

Doesn't our table look festive and the food look yummy?

Anne takes a break from grazing the buffet tables to chat with Sonya and Alan.

One hat is not enough at Steeplechase. You must exchange hats to get many different looks for your photos.

Jeff is certainly one of the best dressed men at the event. I think this year's hat was a bit gangster (Al Capone) not to be confused with gangsta (50 cent).

This was Morgan's first Steeplechase since he was busy fighting for our country's freedom the past two years. He got into the spirit with this Burberry hat and bowtie.

Anne was too hot in her sweater so she changed into a T-shirt. It was from the 2007 Steeplechase — our first.

I wish I'd made these cupcakes. The toppers have chocolate jockeys, fences and dogs. These treats were part of the terrace box which won the newspaper's best box contest. So cute!

Everyone prepared delicious food to share with the group. Our tables look pretty good, if I do say so myself. And I do.

Jeff plays photographer without putting down his cigar. Clever.

See it's not just about the food and socializing. There are horse races. And we watch the races.

If we weren't paying attention to the races, how would we know who's horse won? Luckily my horse "Best Alibi" won the last race of the day. My time-tested and often-made-fun-of method of picking horses based on their names works again. Jeff chooses based on stats. Jeff didn't win any races. Luckily Jeff's lovely wife offered to share her $6 winnings.

Wine on Wednesday, beer on Saturday

2009-10-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Jeff's birthday we went to a wine tasting. On a Wednesday. The wines weren't great, but the pours were generous. When we woke up Thursday, we really wished it was Saturday.

Thankfully, when Saturday arrived everyone was feeling celebratory again. An Oktoberfest celebration was being held at Fort Benning and we all wanted to honor our German heritage with large quantities of beer, brats and sauerkraut.

Here are some pictures from our eventful week.

Strangers kept dumping their empties on our table. How rude!

Aren't Jeff and I cute in our coats at Oktoberfest? You know what's not cute? Forty-degree temperatures in the South in mid-October.

Burrr. Lily and Morgan cuddle to keep warm at Oktoberfest.

Stefanie, who's from Connecticut, wore a jacket and scarf to Oktoberfest. Andy, who's from Georgia, did not. Stefanie was nice and warm. Andy was not.

A couple of German guys put down their steins to take a picture with Lily, me and Stefanie.

Lily borrowed my totally awesome gloves (which she laughed at until her tiny fingers turned to ice) for this picture with Andy.

Jeff "sneaks" into Sonya and Alan's photo after his birthday wine tasting. He's really sly.

Jeff rules his birthday a success and gives his victory cheer.

Stefanie and Andy pose for a nice photo. Jeff decided not to sneak in and refused to take a "nice" photo with his wife. He did make many inappropriate faces in photos, but the wife has deleted them.

Lily (pictured with husband Morgan) says we didn't drink too much, we just didn't eat enough. So true!

Alan shares Jeff's passion for real martinis which are only made with gin — preferably Blue Sapphire Gin. Sonya and I prefer a tasty pinot grigio or faux martinis made with vodka and fruity liquors.

Happy birthday, Jeff

2009-10-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today is the 20th anniversary of Jeff's 21st birthday. I didn't know Jeff when he turned 21. He says this is a good thing. This makes me think 21-year-old Jeff was a bit immature.

Forty-one-year-old Jeff is the perfect combination of mature and immature.

He still jumps over the couch, but he doesn't spend all day napping on it.

He no longer considers HotPockets nutritionally balanced meals, but he isn't afraid to eat entire package of Oreos in one day.

He still likes his music loud, but he won't play the Beastie Boys nonstop.

He can still drink his friends under the table, but only does if he's not driving.

He prefers comedies, but he'll watch a romantic chick-flick.

Here's one of my favorite photos of Jeff with some friends and a Medieval Times' princess. Jeff no longer thinks he's king of the universe, but he still enjoys the royal treatment.

Crybaby seeks sensitive bachelorette

2009-10-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Mr. Nice Guy, Jake Pavelka, was chosen as the next ABC "Bachelor." (Warning: Here comes my shameless self promotion.) You can read more here.

Many women found Jake charming and sweet on the Jillian Harris season of "The Bachelorette," but I am not one of those women.

I found him to be a royal Mr. Whiny Pants. Call me old-fashioned, but I like my men dry-eyed. Jake was constantly sobbing over Jillian's lack of interest in his all-American, boy-next-door routine.

I don't know how the Dallas pilot is going to carry an entire season. Maybe instead of handing out roses, Jake can give tissues to his bachelorettes. That might be more useful.

Jake managed to hold back his tears for this promotional photo.

Does my husband like my hair?

2009-10-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

I got my hair cut and styled on Saturday. It's not a dramatic change. A few inches were clipped and some highlights were added to cover the increasingly alarming number of gray strands that seem to have made themselves at home on my head.

When I went to work today several men noticed my hair makeover. Yes, men. Maybe the change was more dramatic than I thought.

It was strange. Everyone kept asking, "what does Jeff think?" Um, why would he care? Sure, my hair is shorter and blonder, but it's not like I shaved my head or died my hair purple.

I'm genuinely confused. Anyway here's a photo so you can judge for yourself.

Note to the DMV: I'm not driving. I'm just a passenger in a car that was safely stopped at a traffic light when I took this photo.

To grandmother's house we go

2009-10-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Jeff, Anne, Luke and I traveled to Boston last weekend for the Second Wedding of our friends Lily and Morgan. Lily and Morgan got married almost two years ago in Las Vegas before he deployed to Afghanistan, but Second Wedding was their "real" wedding. I think Lily is brilliant. Two anniversaries means two anniversary presents, right?

Since we were buying plane tickets to Boston, we decided to make our trip a bit longer and visit my grandma and aunt who live Worcester, Mass. We also went to a Red Sox game (to Jeff, an Indians game) at the famous Fenway Park.

We arrived in Boston on Thursday, checked into our hotel in Cambridge and decided to walk approximately 100 miles around Boston until we were too tired to move and collapsed on a train. The city is very walkable. There are several colleges downtown and one cute neighborhood leads into another cute neighborhood. We visited Paul Revere's house and saw lots of historic buildings which we affectionately labeled "old stuff." We had dinner at an Irish pub where Jeff ordered Irish Stew, I had shepherd's pie and Anne and Luke got chicken sandwiches.

Unfortunately, Jeff's Indians lost to the Red Sox, but we all enjoyed the Fenway experience. It's a small ballpark with a lot of character. We sat in wooden bleacher seats and stared at the green monster. Jeff stayed loyal to his Indians, but the rest of us were too cold to be concerned about loyalty. We bought Red Sox hats, gloves and sweatshirts. The South has turned us into weather whimps. Boston dwellers were wearing shorts. We were happy that ballpark vendors were selling New England clam chowder, but, of course, we opted for the all-American hotdog.

On Friday we went to grandma's house where we ate and ate and then ate some more. We had lunch at our Aunt Janet's house where we caught up on the family gossip and were introduced to a pet tortoise, Harry. For dinner grandma made turkey, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, peas, carrots and green beans with almonds. Dessert was apple pie and peach flan. Best of all were her delicious little cakes. Yum! We were completely stuffed. The highlight was listening to grandma's stories about her youth in Germany before World War II when her family moved to England to escape the Nazis. We looked at some great old family photos and laughed at our dad who was a bit chubby when he was a tot. Things were less funny when photos of junior-high Dawn with a bad perm were shown.

On Saturday we drove to Waltham, Mass. for the wedding. The ceremony and reception were held at a beautiful historic estate. The heavy morning rain forced the wedding inside the house, but it was still perfect. The bride was beautiful. The groom was happy. The food was delicious. The band was fun. And the bar was open. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Fenway Park welcomes guests with a street fair outside the ballpark.

The wooden seats at Fenway are full of character but not comfort. Unlike more modern stadium seats, the Fenway seats are not angled toward the in-field. Fans have to sit at an angle to see the diamond. From the height of the tunnels and the shape of the seats, it would appear that Americans were shorter and thinner when the ballpark opened in 1912 than we are today.

The green monster was too much for Jeff's beloved Cleveland Indians.

Jeff and Dawn cuddle to stay warm at the baseball game.

Anne, Luke and Dawn shiver at the Red Sox/Indians night game.

The rain stopped temporarily so Dawn and Jeff could pose for a photo outside the estate where the wedding was held.

Anne and Luke take a brief break from what they called "dancing."

Did I mention the wedding had an open bar?

Jeff, grandma and Dawn.

Anne, grandma and Luke.

Dawn, grandma and Anne.

Sunday dinner

2009-09-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

I don't do it very often, unfortunately, but I love having Sunday dinner. A special Sunday meal must include a slow- roasted, braised or cooked meat. Of course these cooking processes fill the house with a delicious welcome-home smell. Yum!

Tonight, after having a wonderful slow-cooked chicken, Jeff and I have decided that Sundays are now going to become slow-cooker Sundays. The slow cooker is much more dependable than an oven. At least if your oven is anything like mine. Mine is a champion at uneven heating. No uneven heating for the slow cooker. It engulfs meat in a cozy, slow heat that makes the meat fall-off-the-bone tender. Yum again!

Here's the recipe we made, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse and Food Network. We made some mini bow-tie pasta to go with ours. The slurry (thickened pan juices) was delicious spooned over the pasta. Egg noodles would also be nice. We served dinner with a pinot grigio rose. It's a deliciously light wine that would be perfect with chicken salad and any other summer picnic dish. The wine would also be wonderful with those tiny crust-free sandwiches and salads served at bridal and baby showers.

Bon appetite. Or maybe, in this case, I should say "Bam!"

More shows to love

2009-09-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Two more shows that have earned the coveted "series recording" status on the DVR:

"Modern Family," airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. on ABC. Al Bundy is back, and he's wearing a bedazzled hat. He's got a hot, young, Spanish speaking wife who people mistake for his daughter. He's also got two grown kids. His daughter's husband describes himself as the "cool" dad who texts and understands that WTF means "why the face." The gay son has adopted a baby and enjoys nagging his partner about being "too" gay. If jokes about gay people, Spanish speakers, Asians, old people, nerds, jocks, dads, moms and mall walkers offend you, don't watch this show. Best quote: "Don't worry, dad, nothing gay going on here."

"The Good Wife" airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. on CBS. Julianna Margulies stars as a woman scorned by her husband (Spitzer style). When hubby is carted off to jail, the stay-at-home mom heads back to the law office. I was worried I would hate this show because Naughty Husband is played by Chris Noth. I think we can all (Erin and Karly) agree that Mr. Big is not a villain, and I don't want to start envisioning him as one. Fortunately, Naughty Husband didn't remind me of my beloved Mr. Big, maybe it was the prison clothes? Anyway, I loved the show. And the plot is not just focused on man-hating. One of evil characters is a female lawyer who is accused of mentoring women until they become competent (i.e. competition).

Flu season is on and so is the TV

2009-09-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

I've been sick, and not just of blogging. Just kidding, dear Internet, I would never get sick of you. This cold/flu/swine disease is just making me too lazy to blog.

Luckily, I got sick just in time for the new fall shows to come on TV. There's nothing more pathetic then watching reruns of "The Cosby Show" and "Three's Company" while lying on the sofa. Yes, I'm old.

Here are some of my favorite new and returning shows (from this decade):

"Parks and Recreation," 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, NBC: Amy Poehler's kind-hearted but clueless character has trouble with love, career, friendships and zoo animals. I don't have trouble laughing while watching these well-written scenes unfold.

"The Office," 9 p.m. Thursdays, NBC: Inappropriate bosses, work-place romances, office pranks. Does this sound like your office? Trust me, it's funny when it's on TV.

"Glee," 9 p.m. Wednesday, FOX: Middle-age teachers forming a boy band while high school cheerleaders sabotage their glee club classmates? The show's silliness is endearing, and the obscure pop-culture references make me feel smart.

"What would Brian Botonio Make," 1 p.m. Sundays, Food Network: What can I say? The former skater turned cook is so goofy, he's hilarious. The dishes are easy to make and tasty.

"House," 8 p.m. Mondays, FOX: I never know what to expect from the brilliantly cunning Dr. House and his entourage of doctors. The show is so smart and complex that I never know how an episode will end.

Curb Your Enthusiasm, 9 p.m. Sundays HBO: Larry is mean, and mean is funny.

Happy birthday, Karly!

2009-09-11T07:40:00.001-07:00

My bestest friend Karly is one year older today. Karly and I became fast friends when she came to Thanksgiving at my house in California and promptly fell in love with a little ball of fur named Alley.

Karly and I worked together at a California newspaper where we spent most of our days exchanging zingers, planning parties, trying to avoid working Saturdays on the news desk and complaining about Mr. Burns.

We shared addictions to outlet shopping, fruity mixed drinks, The Sims, veggie pizza and TV shows that lasted less than a season.

Now we live in different time zones and work different schedules. Getting together for pizza and a competitive game of Sims isn't an option, but I wish it was.

Have a great birthday, Karly! And I promise if we ever play Sims together again, I won't let Dawn Sim sell the pool ladder while Karly Sim is swimming. That Grim Reaper Sim was way too scary.

Peer pressure ain't always bad

2009-09-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

I really didn't feel like working out tonight. My stomach sort of hurt. My head sort of ached. My mood was sort of bad. You get the idea.

I decided to spend my evening lying on the couch chomping on potato chips and watching mindless TV. Ah, how relaxing. And then I remembered WalkGeorgia.

Three other woman and I formed a team where we log our daily physical activity into an online database. After some fancy math, the computer shows us how many miles across Georgia we've "walked." The goal is to have visited each Georgia county by the program's end. Teams compete against each other to cover the most ground.

Tonight I decided I couldn't let my team down. There will, of course, be days that I disappoint. Days I feel too sick, too tired or too busy to exercise. There will be days when the call of happy hour is too loud to ignore and a workout is skipped. There will be times I chose dinner with friends over sweating on the streets. But today wasn't one of those days.

Today I took one for the team and now that my 50-minute walk is over, I feel happier. I guess I needed a little pressure from my peers. Thanks Katie, Sonya and Allison.

Laboring on Labor Day

2009-09-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

I always thought working from home would be the ideal situation. No worries about wardrobe, no hungry co-workers asking to share my snacks, no over-used and under-cleaned bathrooms and no boss asking me to step into his office.

It seemed perfect, until yesterday. I got stuck working on Labor Day, but was lucky to be granted permission to work from home. No problem, I thought while picturing my efficient little self reading through copy with a margarita in one hand my computer mouse in the other.

The reality was a bit less ideal than I imagined. First of all, I forgot the margarita. I know, that was clearly the downfall. My dogs obviously didn't get the memo that I was working because they bothered me with all sorts of needing-to-go-outside nonsense. My husband decided Labor Day was the perfect day to play with, I mean work with, noisy power tools. Several margarita-drinking friends drunk dialed me to see how my "Lazy Day" was going. Yes, I'm sure it was funny after that third margarita.

The distractions I faced at home were more distracting than those I faced at work. It was easier to ignore co-workers — especially those begging for food — than my two cute puppies. It was easier to hide from my boss than my husband. And my bathrooms weren't that clean, and I couldn't blame the cleaning crew.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-09-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today I raise my glass to you, mom.

On this anniversary of your birth — don't panic, I won't say which anniversary — let me offer a little toast:

Thank you for making nutritious dinners when you were tired and we were begging for fast food.

Thank you for not letting me give up on my homework assignments when I was tired and the work was hard.

Thank you for playing boardgames with me and especially for letting me win.

Thank you for taking me shopping and especially for buying me those must-have pink Guess jeans.

Thank you for knowing when I needed a hug and when I needed a scolding.

Happy birthday, mom. I love you!

Luck of the dog

2009-08-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

We had a guest on our evening walk. A little black Schnauzer named Lucky followed Jeff, Sassy, Alley and I home.

Luckily, Lucky was wearing a tag with his owner's phone number and a line that read "please help me." So we did. We brought Lucky into our house. I called Lucky's owner, but there was no answer. This was about 10:45 p.m., so I was afraid Lucky's owner was asleep.

Lucky's address wasn't on his tag but, luckily, I'm resourceful. I typed Lucky's phone number into Internet land and an address in our neighborhood popped up.

Jeff and I walked Lucky back to his house hoping the home owner would call back while we were walking. It didn't happen.

When we arrived at Lucky's house, we rang the doorbell. There was no answer. It was about 11:15 p.m., so I decided to call again in case the home owner was now awake, but scared to answer the door so late at night.

Luckily, a woman answered the phone and once I explained who I was and why I was standing on her porch, she opened the door. The woman thanked us and carried Lucky inside.

Lucky seems to be a fitting name for the adventurous pooch.

Birthday weekend: Parts I and II

2009-08-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

I got to have two birthday weekends this year. Why? Did you miss that article about how 33 is the new 21?

Last weekend I had my Columbus celebration. A romantic dinner with Jeff and then drinks with friends. This weekend Anne, Luke and Jeff took me to Corks & Forks in Atlanta. It's my favorite food and wine festival. Guests can sample small plates of some of the best dishes from Atlanta restaurants while sipping wine and beer from various Atlanta wine shops and breweries. I tasted watermelon gazpacho, heirloom tomatoes on poppy-seed bread, slow-braised short ribs, pate on raisin toast, chilled cucumber soup, lobster roll and tuna tartar. Yummy!

Here are a few photos:

The adorable little cake that Jeff selected tasted just as good as it looks. It was the perfect size for two.

Tiny cakes don't have room for a lot of candles, thank goodess. I think this is more tasteful — not to mention safer — than cramming 33 candles on a cake

Knowing what an animal lover I am, but not wanting to add a third puppy to the family, Sassy and Alley decided to sponsor an elephant at the Atlanta Zoo in my name. The dogs were sold the moment they realized the elephant would still live at the zoo and not in their yard.

Jeff and I pause between bites of delicious food for a photo.

Feeling completely stuffed after eating 20 small plates of food, Anne and I have a refreshing beer. The full-fat Pacifico really got the metabolism going.

Anne and Luke, who prefer sandwiches and fries to pate and gazpacho, survived the food festival with minimal heartburn. We ordered pizza later that night while watching super-scary "Haunting in Connecticut" on television.

Supporting pets is fun

2009-08-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night Jeff and I attended a benefit dinner for Paws Humane, the local no-kill animal shelter.

I enjoyed this benefit more than any other I've attended. Here's why:

1. Casual dress. Like many fundraising events, this one was scheduled during the dinner hour on a weekday. Many benefits require formal attire. Changing into an evening gown in a tiny office bathroom stall is, um, awkward. For this event, I just wore my work clothes.

2. Koozies. Instead of pouring my Bud Light into a fancy (i.e. breakable) glass, the bartenders protected the glass bottles by gently placing them into adorable take-home koozies with paw prints. Yay, fun!

3. Food. There was no plate of slimy chicken smothered in unidentifiable sauce delivered to a table pre-set with green salads and ranch dressing. Instead, a local restaurant catered the event with delicious slow-cooked bone-in chicken, mashed potatoes with tasty brown gravy and green beans sauteed with bacon pieces. Yummy!

4. Short speeches. Paws officials recognized their volunteers and gave out a few awards, but the whole presentation lasted about half an hour while guests dined. The speeches ended so quickly that people didn't have time to break out their crackberries or run for the door.

5. No guilt. Large screens showed pictures of adoptable pets, but there were no overly aggressive pleas or disheartening stories. I usually leave these events feeling awful that I can't commit more time or money to the cause, but the Paws people didn't make me feel bad. There were a variety of silent-auction items of different values on which to bid and no uncomfortable live auction.

Thanks Paws, for having such a delightful event. If you're looking to add a new member to your family, check out your local animal shelter. Click here to find pets to adopt in your area.

The pursuit of perfect

2009-08-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

It seems a lot of people are wasting a lot of time unhappily searching for perfection. The perfect man. The perfect job. The perfect house. The perfect pet. The perfect life.

The bad news is perfect doesn't exist. Your man will always leave his dirty underwear on the floor. Your job will never be as fun as a day at the beach. Your house will always have something leaking, creaking or falling apart. Your pet will pee on your new carpet and chew on your shoes. Your life will sometimes be sad, depressing, scary, difficult and uncertain.

The good news is you don't need the perfect life to have a perfectly happy life.

Inglourious, time-traveling fun

2009-08-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

A weekend has passed which means it's time to review more films. Remember, these movies are rated by how many mini wines it takes to enjoy the film. A rating of none is best. A rating of four is worst. Read more about the rating system here.

"Inglourious Basterds" 1/2 mini. First I must confess two things. Brad Pitt is in the film. I love Brad Pitt. I love everything Brad Pitt does. O.K. that was the first thing. The second thing is that Jeff loves Quentin Tarantino, not in quite the same way that I love Brad Pitt but just as passionately. Well, maybe passionately is not the right word. Let's just say Jeff has a great deal of artistic respect for Quentin Tarantino. Alright, on with the review. The film was brilliant. It wasn't as graphically violent as "Kill Bill," thank goodness. And the violence is mostly against Nazis, so it seems tolerable. In fact, many theatergoers cheered when Nazis were scalped. If you're squeamish, you'll definitely want to cover your eyes during those scenes. Yes, scenes, as in more than one. Brad Pitt is awesome as a Nazi-ass-kicker and Christoph Waltz, who plays a Nazi colonel, is superb. Writer and director Quentin Tarantino delivers his story through five chapters which makes the film seem shorter than its 2 1/2 hours. Each chapter is filmed in a different style than the last and offers a new glimpse into the mind of Tarantino if not into the mind of actual World War II soldiers. If you're looking for a documentary, stick with the History channel. If you want to see a strangely humorous, vengeful movie with clearly defined good guys and bad guys, watch this gloriously bizarre film. My only complaints are excessive violence and too little history on certain characters.

"The Time Traveler's Wife" 2 minis. I really wanted to like this movie because I adored the book of the same name written by Audrey Niffenegger. I suspect I would have enjoyed the film more if I'd liked the book less. The movie invents some conflict between time traveling Henry (Eric Bana) and his wife Claire (Rachel McAdams) that didn't exist in the book and therefore wasn't believable to me. The movie deletes entire characters who were featured in the book. It was probably necessary to edit out some characters for the sake of time and to get a PG-13 rating. (The book would have been rated R.) Unfortunately, the omission of supporting characters hurts the development of the main characters. Still, it was a sweet film and though you'll need a tissue or two, you won't be crying throughout the whole movie. Most surprisingly, I preferred the movie's ending to the book's. I also enjoyed Rachel McAdams' performance. There are some very funny moments and fans of the book can have a lively chat (perhaps over some more mini wine) comparing the book and the movie.

The best compliment ever

2009-08-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Friday was my birthday. I'm now 33. Yikes.

I got some great presents and some very sweet cards. My friend Amanda even posted a blog entry all about me. It's pretty much the best thing I've ever read. You can read it here.

Amanda and I worked together in Columbus for a couple of years before she moved to get married. The picture below is from her bachelorette party. I'm posting it as a thank you to Amanda for her lovely words. You'll notice that Amanda looks perfect and everyone else looks, um, not perfect. (Amanda, you're welcome. I'll deal with Sonya, Lisa and Lily later.)

Be sure to check out Amanda's blog. You don't want to miss out on your piece of the pie.

Gimme candy, I wanna play

2009-08-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Candy Land's 60th birthday, San Francisco turned twisty, curvy Lombard Street into a life-size Candy Land game board.

I have so many fond childhood memories of Candy Land. I'm sure it was the first game I ever won. And I know my competitive spirit first emerged during a particularly fierce game. Young Dawn realized she was losing the game and, to avoid defeat, she flipped the board. The game pieces went flying and her crying sister went running to mom.

I don't remember getting in trouble. Maybe I convinced mom it was "an accident."

I think my sister would be happy to play the Lombard Street version with me, though. After all, I can't flip over an entire street. What do you think, Anne, a Candy Land rematch in San Franciso?

Brett: Please, give it up

2009-08-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

All the guys at my office have been consumed with discussions/disagreements over Brett Favre's return to the NFL.

For those not in the NFL know, Brett was the longtime quarterback of the Greenbay Packers. He was much loved despite a one-time addiction to painkillers and a continuous addiction to self. After jerking the Packers around for a couple of years with his threats of retirement, he finally decided to say goodbye to football two years ago. A few months later, he recanted his goodbye and decided to return to the NFL and his seven-figure salary. The Cheeseheads essentially said, "hmmm no thanks." But the struggling New York Jets were willing to take on the aging QB with his willy-nilly passes. After failing to make the playoffs, Brett retired again.

The second retirement didn't take either. Brett's decided to play this season for the Minnesota Vikings. This is causing all sorts of heartache in Wisconsin since the Packers and Vikings are in the same division and will play each other twice this season. (Note to Packers' security guards: Cheese graters could be used as weapons.)

Of course my longtime-Brett-hater husband has all sorts of commentary on the subject. Jeff even has stats to back up his opinion. I'm not one for numbers, but I can — and do — add this insightful observation, "Gosh darn it, Brett even looks old." He's only 39, but I'm guessing football isn't a dermatologist-approved activity.

I'll be glad when all this Brett stuff is over and the Vikings continue to suck. Then I can go back to focusing on the most important question in football. Who is cuter? Eli or Peyton. (If you say "what about Tom Brady or Carson Palmer," you're not even allowed to have an opinion on this subject.)

Pass me a plate but not a knife

2009-08-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Confession: Jeff cooks dinner more often than I do.

Jeff finds cooking — especially chopping — relaxing. He likes to come home from a tough day at the office and attack a pile of helpless vegetables with a razor-sharp knife.

I find cooking stressful. My chopping skills are poor. I'm afraid to use high heat. Wooden spoons creep me out and olive oil is always splashing out of the skillet and hitting me on the arm. Ouch.

When I need to unwind after a difficult workday, I don't head to the kitchen. I head to the gym, also known as my living room. I play a Pilates, yoga or kickboxing DVD and sweat out my frustrations.

It might be an untraditional arrangement, but it works for us. I get to eat delicious, homemade food while staying relatively fit. Jeff gets fewer does-this-make-me-look-fat questions from me. See, everyone wins.

Movies by the bottle

2009-08-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

After disagreeing with movie critics for the 124th time, I've decided to start reviewing films myself. I think the traditional rating systems - thumbs, grades and stars — have misled us for moviegoers for long enough. I have developed my own self-tested system.

I shall rate movies by how many mini wines an average viewer must consume for the movie to be enjoyable. Not familiar with mini wines? Log off and head to the liquor store immediately. They come in packs of four and each mini bottle is approximately one glass. Minis can also easily be concealed in purses and sipped from during films. Not that I'm recommending that, mind you. That would be breaking the rules.

Movies will be rated on a none-to-four scale. In this case none is the best. A movie with a rating of none is so good that even completely sober moviegoers will enjoy the film. A movie with a rating of four indicates moviegoers should skip the film or be prepared to take a cab home from the theater.

O.K. here we go...

"Julie & Julia" 1 mini. A woman in New York with a dead-end job decides to blog her way through Julia Child's cookbook. Scenes are split between Julia Child's cooking career and the bloggers' experiences making Julia's dishes. Meryl Streep is wonderful as Julia Child. She even manages to capture Julia's unusual American/French/German accent. (By the way, Julia was from Pasadena, as in California. Who knew?) Amy Adams plays the sometimes whiny, sometimes philosophical blogger with a continuous bad haircut. The movie was funny and compelling, but some scenes were just too long and full of self-loathing.

"(500) Days of Summer" 2 minis. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Girl doesn't quite fall in love with boy. I loved the concept of the film, and the ending was perfect. But this film really dragged at certain points. It's just over an hour and half but feels like it lasts two and half hours. The two minis will be absolutely necessary for the viewer to survive the agony of the on-screen relationship's rocky moments. The boy is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Zooey Deschanel plays the girl, Summer, hence the title.

Redneck Riviera, we love thee

2009-08-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I went to Panama City, Fla. for a few days for our summer vacation. It's a popular spot for Georgians to visit, and is affectionately referred to as The Redneck Riviera. Why? Imagine a college spring break that lasts 365 days a year. Panama City is the home of jello shots, buy-one-get-one-free T-shirts, fried-food baskets, jumbo cocktails, ladies' nights, roadside daiquiri stands, nonexistent dress codes and inexpensive everything.

It also has beautiful beaches with white sand and clear water, restaurants serving delicious fresh seafood, seemingly hundreds of mini golf (and real golf) courses and cute tourist shops.

Here are a few photos from our vacation.

The view from our condo was awesome as long we focused on the beach and not the beach goers many of whom chose to wear too-small-for-their-large-belly bathing suits and none of whom had cover-ups.

We went on a sunset boat ride and saw dolphins which refused to be photographed.

Dawn and Jeff can't stop smiling when they realize that the condo complex has no cell phone access. Bye, bye work.

Jeff devoured some tasty key lime pie. Dawn had one teeny, tiny bite which immediately went to her thighs.

Dawn poses for a photo shoot on the bay and dreams of the beach house she'll one day own.

A quiet little cove where the super rich park their yachts.

Dawn took 123 photos before finally capturing this streak of lightning. Thankfully, it only stormed for about an hour one morning during the trip.

Anne and Luke are the best doggie sitters ever. This is their dream home. It's not on the beach, but it sure is charming.

Sassy and Alley were happy to jump in the car for the ride home.

Our neighborhood geese arranged this parade for our arrival home. It's nice to be missed.

Some folks get no respect

2009-08-02T15:36:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you get no respect? My co-worker Sonya does.

Here's another fun work video. Enjoy.

Beach, booze and books

2009-07-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

Soon I'll be spending a couple of days at the beach. (Jealous?) A trip to the beach is always precipitated by a trip to the bookstore to stock up on beach reads.

I have very strict rules about what makes a book a good beach read. Here they are:

1. The book can't be sad. Tears, sunscreen and sand do not mix. Who wants to be crying into her frozen cocktail when a hot, shirtless guy struts by?

2. The book must be fiction. The beach is not a place to read biographies because people die and death is sad. (See rule number one).

3. The book could never be considered suitable for a school reading list. There are too many junior high memories that will haunt me if I pop open "The Great Gatsby."I'm no longer the girl with the frizzy permed hair and untrendy clothes. On the beach I'm the glamorous sunbather with the modern bikini and cute cover-up.

4. The book must be humorous. Laughter is fun. The beach is fun. Enough said.

5. The book must be engaging enough to hold my interest but not so fascinating that I can't put it down and head to the beach-side bar for another round of margaritas.

Go green, it's fashionable

2009-07-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to leave a smaller carbon footprint by taking my own canvas sacks to the grocery store. That way I don't use any of those disposable plastic bags that are ending up in landfills and ruining our beautiful planet.

My plan is to keep the canvas totes in my car and then take them into the store when I arrive. The reality is I get into the grocery story, fill my basket with goods and then realize I've left the totes in my car. After muttering to myself about my unfortunate forgetfulness, I run out and grab the bags. Only a couple of times have I been in too big a hurry (translation: too lazy) to dash back to the car.

Anyway, I know it's the right thing to do and I am happy to comply, most of the time. But I'm not ready for plastic sacks to be banned from grocery stores. I can't imagine how unpleasant this would be for the poor check-out folks. And, selfishly speaking, how much longer I might have to wait in line while grouchy customers argue with minimum-wage earning clerks about how liberal tree-huggers are infringing on freedom.

My friend Michelle gave a link on a recent tweet about a town in Washington banning plastic bags.

In case this is something that your community is considering, I offer you this awesome tote from Crate & Barrel. Maybe being more environmentally thoughtful will also help us become more fashionable. That's really a cause I can support!

Dating in the Dark

2009-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how much appearance factors into a relationship? Stop pondering. ABC's "Dating in the Dark" seeks to answer this question.

Three men and three women meet in a completely dark room to "make a connection." They talk and touch, but they can't see. After an initial meeting each women chooses which of the three guys she wants to date. Luckily, in the first two episodes each gal had been paired off with a different guy. Hello producers' influence.

After a couple of one-on-one dates, the lights come on. Next, each person must decide whether to continue the "relationship." Those who decide to go for love, stand on a balcony. If someone decides to run from love, he or she leaves while the dumped date stands on the balcony and watches. In episode one, a girl ran for the door after the light revealed her date was slightly overweight. In episode two, a guy bailed on a girl because she was "too into her religion." Um, he didn't notice that in the dark?

Anyway, people are shallow. That's no surprise. To me, what's shocking is that anyone would rather be known as an a-hole than a person who dates someone who's not perfect. Why not just suck it up and walk out on the balcony? It's not like there's a priest and marriage license waiting. Haven't these people ever been on a blind date before?

If you're in the dark about this show, I suggest you stay there.

Squabbling about Emmy nominations

2009-07-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

Emmy Award nominations were announced today. I'm happy that Tina Fey's sitcom, "30 Rock," got 22 nominations. Her show is hilarious. I think I can safely call it "her" show since she stars in it and writes most of it herself.

I can't believe I've never seen "Mad Men," which had 16 bids. I keep meaning to watch it, but then I get sucked into another bad rerun of "Jon & Kate Plus 8." By the way, the Gosselin's show was ignored in the reality category. That's probably a good thing since the show seems more unrealistic than most scripted comedies.

I'm sad that "Boston Legal" was left out. Why does no one but me seem to appreciate that show? I'm not surprise that "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" missed out on best drama nods, those shows peaked year's ago and I haven't seen them since. Some TV critics are also alarmed that "ER" didn't get a best drama bid. I can't say I care. I loved that show once, but last year (its final) I just wondered "why is this still on TV?" I guess a lot of folks were wondering the same thing.

I'm most excited that HBO's "Big Love" was nominated for best drama and Jeff is likely most excited that HBO's "Entourage" was nominated for best comedy. The shows' plots have nothing in common, but both shows are well written and have compelling characters.

For more information on the Emmy noms click here

Staying comfortable is work

2009-07-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

A bead of sweat rolls down your chin. Your shirt sticks to your back. Your mouth is dry. Your breathing is heavy and labored and you've only walked from your car to the door of your office. You step inside and you're immediately greeted by a welcome blast of cold air. You breathe a sigh of relief as you collapse into your office chair.

Thirty seconds later you're freezing. You reach behind your chair and grab your trusty summer accessory: The office sweater.

Why when it's 1000 degrees outside does the office thermostat seem stuck at 62 degrees? Why do men seem comfortable while women are bundling up in winter cardigans? Is it the fault of the fashion world? Men are encouraged to wear long-sleeved shirts, suit jackets, socks and hearty leather shoes while women's attire consists of sleeveless tops, skirts and open-toe shoes. Yes, let's blame fashion.

Women are forced to hide their cute summer shirts under bulky sweaters. Sweaters that rarely match the clothes they're covering. Sweaters that don't enjoy a cozy spot in the master closet. Sweaters that aren't lovingly folded in dresser drawers. No, these are sweaters that are haphazardly tossed over the arms of office chairs.

The humble office sweater. Usually an item purchased with enthusiasm. Perhaps as part of a sweater set. Maybe as the perfect thing to wear on a chilly fall evening. Then the sweater fails the owner somehow. Perhaps the other part of the set goes missing. Maybe the sweater's sleeves shrink in the dryer. Whatever the reason, the once-proud owner takes this cast-off to work.

The sweater is mistreated. It is quickly and harshly pulled on and off. It falls on the floor regularly. It's stepped on and sat on. Sleeves are used to wipe noses and dust desks.

The misunderstood office sweater. Misshapen. Faded. Sad. Warm. Comfortable. Purposeful.

Gender cakes

2009-06-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

I was watching the Dugger family reality show "18 Kids and Counting" on Tuesday night. The show is about Jim Bob and Michelle, an Arkansas couple, who have 18 children and - God-willing - plan to have more. Who's reality is this, again?

This particular episode was about Josh, the Dugger's oldest son, and his wife Anna. They're expecting their first child and they decided to find out the baby's gender, not in a doctor's office but in a cake.

It's true, and it can happen to you. Here's how: Instead of telling the future mom and dad, an ultrasound technician calls a baker. The baker makes a cake for the expectant parents and dyes the cake batter pink or blue. When the happy couple cuts into the cake, the baby's sex is revealed.

Being a reality couple (or the kids of one, anyway) Josh and Anna chose to cut into their cake on the "Today" show. So, the show's viewers got to find out along with the couple. Reality stardom isn't for everyone.

(Warning: spoiler coming) Josh and Anna's cake was pink. It's a girl!

(Warning: bad pun ahead) Of the various ways to find out a baby's sex, learning through a delicious baked good certainly takes the cake. Though I'd probably pick a more private moment than a national TV show offers.

I get paid for this. Sort of.

2009-06-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

I had a great time last week making a video with some co-workers. Actually, I guess it would be fair to say I bulldozed my way onto the video and bossed everyone around. I know you're all surprised to hear that.

Unfortunately Jeff isn't in the video. He does work with all of us, though. In fact he supervises Joe and Nick, the two guys in the video. So, as you will see, he really has a tough job.

Enjoy watching! pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer">

The outdoor games are hot

2009-06-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I went to the Aflac Outdoor Games today. The what? You know those lumberjack events you see on ESPN2, or maybe it's ESPN3? Burly men stand on logs while chopping them in half while other guys run up trees. Yep, those outdoor games.

Those ax-welding men were pretty impressive, but the real stars — at least in my mind — were the ones who had four legs. Dogs ran obstacle courses, jumped more than seven feet high and leaped farther than 20 feet. No, not all at the same time.

I was jealous of those cute and excitable little pups. No, not because of their jumping ability. It was about 1000 degrees outside and the competing dogs got to jump into a pool, which is exactly what I did when I got home.

Dress the part

2009-06-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

My sister and I always make sure that we're appropriately attired. Here we are at Brew at the Zoo, a fundraiser for the Atlanta Zoo. Guests walked around the zoo while drinking brew. Get it? The zoo with beer tents. Fun!

I am a cheetah. Obviously. Jeff is a white man who likes wild cats.

No, silly, that's not Anne. That's a real zebra.

There's Anne. It's hard to tell from this photo — don't drink and snap — but Anne is wearing a Zebra-print top. Oh, and she's kissing a giraffe. She thought it was a real giraffe — don't drink and kiss either.

Accidental fun

2009-06-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

When things don't go as planned, there's only one thing to do: celebrate.

Jeff and I went to Victoryland in Alabama on Saturday to bet on the Belmont horse race. After helping our friend Alan move, we were a bit short on time. We arrived at Victoryland with just enough time to bet or get a beer. Luckily, there were two of us. I headed for the bar and Jeff went to place our bets.

The woman taking bets misunderstood Jeff. I wound up getting a ticket for horse number 2 (Dunkirk) instead of my desired horse number 10. Thankfully I had that Bud Light so I wasn't too upset. I threw my support behind Dunkirk. When he started the race in the lead, I was afraid he'd fade fast. Fortunately, he didn't. Dunkirk placed. (That means he came in second in horse terms.) I won $9. If I'd actually placed the bet I wanted, I would have won... nothing. Happy accident!

After we collected our winnings (Jeff won $13 on Summer Bird. We're high rollers, I know.) we drove to Montgomery for a Biscuit game (minor league baseball). Imagine our surprise when we arrived at a closed stadium. Oops. Looks like we misread the schedule. Fortunately, we saw Dreamland barbecue restaurant near the stadium. It's well-known as one of the best BBQs in the South. We snagged an outside table, grabbed some extra paper towels and consumed some delicious barbecue. Another happy accident!

Dawn's ribs, slaw and fries.

Jeff's chicken, sausage, mac & cheese and potato salad.

The only thing left was this lonely piece of white bread.

Sweet Sunday sun

2009-05-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Breakfast at IHOP. A long walk along the river. An afternoon spent lounging by the pool. A dinner of turkey burgers and veggies from the grill. Watching lightning bugs fly around the deck in the evening.

Sunday was one of those relaxing and fun days that you just can't plan. The weather was perfect. The dogs behaved. The neighbors were quiet.

I only wish tomorrow could be another Sunday.

Here's a couple of photos of the pool and lake. They weren't taken today, but they'll give you an idea of why I had such a perfect Sunday. Y'all need to come down for a visit. You'll have fun. I promise.

Welcome back sunshine!

2009-05-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's been rainy and gloomy for weeks here in Georgia. But today it's sunny and warm. Birds are chirping, kids are playing, adults are smiling. Everyone is a little more friendly and a lot happier today than they were yesterday (or three week's ago).

The rain always seems to bring out the worst in people. Maybe that's because our feet get wet or because our hair goes flat. Maybe we hate umbrellas. (Even those cute polka-dot ones from Target).

Whatever the reason, I shouldn't ponder it on this pretty day. I need to run over to the office window and join my co-workers as we rejoice the sun's return to our city's sky.

Grilling with the bikini in mind

2009-05-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Of course I love, love, love, a thick and juicy steak fresh off the grill. But sometimes I need a little something lighter. Especially if I'm going to be wearing a bikini.

That rule about waiting 30-minutes after eating to jump in the pool may help to calm down the kids, but it doesn't eliminate the stomach bloat of the adult female. If you're going to eat a giant ribeye at a poolside barbecue (or cookout, as we say here in the South) then you'd better be willing to wear your swimsuit cover-up for the rest of the party. The only thing that's going to get rid of that steak tummy is a good night's sleep, several big glasses of water and about 1000 crunches.

Don't want to cover up that $120 miracle bikini with your $10 wrap? No problem. Just rethink that ribeye. Below you'll find a delicious flank steak dish with a chimichurri sauce served on tiny crostini. Yummy for the tummy!

Jeff and I made this yesterday, and it's sure to become a summer staple. The recipe includes a vidalia relish that we skipped because, um, we're lazy. Oh, and we didn't have any cassis, so we skipped that, too. The marinade didn't suffer. We used a $10 Sangiovese (red wine) for the marinade. Yes, dad, a Yellowtail merlot will work just fine. After drinking the rest of the Sangiovese before the meat hit the grill, we opened a bottle of 2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. It was crisp with a slight sweetness that tasted especially good with the chimichurri sauce. I guess we can also rethink that rule about steak and red wine.

To get the recipe, click here

Needed: Fun show, Found: The Little Couple

2009-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Like a million others, I tuned in last night to watch the season five premiere of "Jon and Kate Plus 8."

I've watched the show since the cute sextuplets were babies. The only thing that even resembles that first season is that the kids are still adorable. Now husband Jon and Kate and their 8-year-old twin girls and 5-year-old sextuplets live in a million dollar home in Pennsylvania. The family travels (for free) to Hawaii, New York, Chicago, Florida, California and Utah (for skiing.) Kate has written two books and has a lucrative speaking career.

Oh, did I mention the rumors of infidelity? Both Kate and Jon have been accused of having affairs. Both have denied the rumors. There's gossip (from Aunt Jodi, married to Kate's brother) that Kate terminated the marriage months ago, but had Jon sign a contract stating that he could date other people as long as he showed up at "home" on filming days.

Monday's show featured Jon and Kate giving separate interviews. They had one brief and extremely awkward interview together where they wouldn't look at each other or talk to each other. In their individual interviews, both mentioned the possibility of divorce. The interviews were shown between clips from the sextuplets fifth birthday event. The show was depressing and painful to watch.

I'm going to need a new funny and light-hearted show. TLC seems to have anticipated this because tonight "The Little Couple" debuted. Bill and Jen are newlyweds (oh, and little people). In the first episode, the couple travels from New York (Bill's home) to Houston where Jen, a doctor, works at a hospital. Bill and Jen have cute newlywed fights on their roadtrip as viewers watch the everyday difficulties that little people face driving, getting clothing tailored and generally not being able to reach things.

"The Little Couple" had charm and those "aw" moments that a certain 10-person show used to have. Click here for a link if you're looking for a fun summer show.

No potty humor for dad

2009-05-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

I just got a funny "news release" sent to my work e-mail. It's funny mostly because it's not supposed to be.

"Please consider the Breeza Deodarizing Toilet Seat for your upcoming Father's Day gift giving features," the request states.

Seriously? I really don't think my dad would like to receive a toilet seat (sweet smelling though it may be) for Father's Day.

In fact, anything having to do with the toilet should be considered ungiftable.

I know folks struggle with Dad's day presents, but the traditional tie, book or card has got to be better than a toilet seat, right?

Chick lit is real enough for me

2009-05-14T19:13:00.001-07:00

I just finished the book "Bound South" by Susan Rebecca White. The novel tells the first-person stories of three Southern women who live in Atlanta. The main character is a middle-aged Southern belle and mother of two, the second character is her daughter and the third is the daughter of the main character's cleaning woman. It's classic chick lit, my favorite genre.

People (like Jeff) are always teasing me for reading these books. It's not real, my critics say.

Well, sure, technically the characters aren't real, though I bet they're loosely based on real people. And I'll admit that the circumstances in the books are just a bit too tidy to have happened in real life. But these chick-lit novels often focus on real issues.

"Bound South" explores issues of racism, classism and sexism in a humorous and intellectually honest way. The feelings and thoughts are real, though fictional characters are doing the feeling and thinking.

Maybe the best way to express a true – but unpopular – feeling is through fictional characters. No one wants to admit to the world that she feels something that could fit into one of those "ism" categories, but we all know those feelings exist.

Sometimes nothing is more real than fiction.

The whole dress, for Karly

2009-05-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

I wore this dress to a wedding. The sneakers stayed home. My cute little black heels looked a lot cuter than the shoes you see in this photo. What's up with the athletic shoes? Well, I enjoy running in formal attire, you see.

Not really. Sassy and Alley were staying at my sister Anne's apartment while Jeff and I were at the wedding. When we returned to the apartment the dogs had to go potty IMMEDIATELY!! I only had time to change my shoes quickly and run the girls outside.

It made for quite the cute photo. My friend Karly asked for a full shot of the dress and this is the only one I've got.

I'm a contradiction

2009-05-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

I love to watch the Food Network on Saturday afternoons. There are so many delicious recipes featured and tons of kitchen tips. A few of my favorites: Store plastic wrap in the freezer to keep if from sticking to itself and freeze an onion for half an hour before chopping to avoid runny eyes.

Today I was watching Paula Deen make a flank steak dish using cocoa powder. Steak and chocolate? Yes, please! I got a little hungry while watching so I fixed myself some lunch. I microwaved a box of Healthy Choice Chicken Marsala with broccoli.

"Are you seriously eating a frozen dinner while watching cooking shows?" Jeff asked.

Um, yes.

But that was my baby name

2009-05-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

The top baby names for 2008 were released today. Guess what? Emma is now the most popular name for girls. Who cares? Me. I care because that's my baby name. You know the name I've been planning to give to my future daughter. Arg. I had that name picked out BEFORE Jennifer Aniston's character on "Friends" named her baby Emma. And that was in 2002. And it was only because in 2000 my first favorite baby name, Emily, became the top baby name in the country. Maybe I need to be a little more creative in choosing a name, huh?

Oh well, with any luck by the time I get around to having a baby the names Miley and Hannah (as in Cyrus and Montana) will climb into the top positions.

Click here to read other top baby names.

Congratulations, Debbie and Ronnie

2009-05-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

Our friends Debbie and Ronnie got married Saturday. The wedding was a multicultural affair since Ronnie's family is Indian and Debbie's is American. It was inspiring to see people of different backgrounds and religions celebrating the marriage.

It was fun to dance to Indian music, wear jeweled "henna" stickers, see women wearing colorful saris and men wearing turbans. But it was also nice to eat American food, drink Chardonnay and shake it to Michael Jackson's finest.

The best thing, of course, was to see everyone smiling and cheering for the bride and groom. Best wishes, guys!

It's time for warm-weather outfits

2009-05-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

I got to wear an adorable sundress to a garden party last night. I've been waiting to wear this dress for almost a year. I bought the dress last summer at a boutique in Atlanta. (Thanks for the shopping party, Anne) For some reason, I never had the right occasion to wear it until last night.

There's something about wearing a cute little dress and sandals that just makes an evening relaxed and fun. And check out the yellow bag I paired with the outfit. (Thanks, mom)

Bachelorette party memories alive in our minds

2009-04-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

I went to a really fun bachelorette party Saturday. Cocktails were flowing, delicious snacks were being devoured and the bride was opening package after package of gifts she will not be showing her nana.

The bride arrived at the party in a cute little yellow sundress and wedge heels. After being at the party for about two minutes, she was wearing a necklace with a shot-glass pendant, a fake tiara and a fuzzy light-up headband with, um, you-know-whats as antennas. (Yes, you really do know. Think bachelorette party.)

Anyway, she had many more you-know-whats hanging off necklaces and a light-up one inside a plastic pink martini glass.

We had such a good time! I couldn't wait to see my photos the next day. I mean we ended up at Krystal at 3 a.m. It doesn't get better than that. Anyway, after laughing with my sister for half an hour about how awesomely silly the bachelorette looked, I was left wondering just what I was going to do with my 52 photos from the evening.

Creating a Facebook album seemed a bit, well, inappropriate. I'm pretty sure the bride and other party goers do not want their bosses, husbands, boyfriends and church friends to see those photos. Oh well, I guess the memories will have to live on in our minds and not on the Internet. Well, except for the carefully cropped pictures below.

Warm nights are welcome

2009-04-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than sitting outside on the deck on a warm night with a glass a perfectly chilled Pinot Grigio and a couple of dogs romping in the yard.

Southern nights are soothing. The sounds of cicadas, crickets and frogs will lull the most frenzied work-alcoholic into a relaxed weekender.

Here's what our deck looks like on a spring evening.

Margarita Wednesday comes home

2009-04-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

Every Mexican restaurant in Columbus has Margarita Wednesday. Slushy, frozen, fruity margaritas are served at discounted prices. Yum.

I only wish I could get the margarita to go. The problem is the food is still pretty pricey and not exactly low in fat. I also seem unable to stop myself from eating the entire basket of chips while waiting for the food to arrive. I'm usually pretty full when my large-portion fajitas arrive, but that doesn't stop me from cleaning my plate.

Hoping to avoid coming home so stuffed we can hardly move, Jeff and I decided to recreate our favorite Mexican meal at home. For the dinner Jeff grilled some sirloin, and I sauteed some veggies. We made guacamole and assembled our own fajitas. For the chips, we used baked tortillas instead of the restaurant-style fried ones. Maybe even eating a whole basket of these isn't that bad for the waistline. The meal was fairly healthy and the portions controlled since I only heated up four flour tortillas.

Our Mexican fiesta wasn't complete until we made frozen mango margaritas. They were delicious. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try them.

2 1/4 cups (1 1/4 pounds) fresh or frozen mango
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups ice
4 ounces of tequila
2 ounces triple sec

Blend mango, water and sugar until smooth. Add ice, tequila and triple sec and blend.

Enjoy!

VIPs in the Sticks

2009-04-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered what it would be like to be a VIP. Last weekend, I found out.

Jeff and I got VIP passes to the Sticks Country Music Festival in Auburn, Alabama on Friday and Saturday. What's the difference between very important people and regularly important people? For one, the way they dress. The VIPs were in trendy clothes. The VIP ladies wore sundresses, sandals, capris and cute tops. The regular women were sporting tank tops, short shorts, torn jeans and even bikinis.

The VIP seating was more spacious and offered good views of stage, of course. But the best part was the free food. A special food tent was set up with a rotation of delicious snacks and appetizers. Corn fritters, shrimp, meatballs, chicken fingers, chicken salad sandwiches, crackers and cheese, salads, fruit trays, veggie trays, cookies, brownies, petite fours, shortcakes, sodas and water. We'd walk into the tent every hour or so and be welcomed by a new batch of yummy food.

Being a VIP made me feel very important indeed. Here are some photos:

Redneck fun

2009-04-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

I'm tweeting live from the Sticks Country Music Festival in Auburn, Alabama. Check it out at www.ledger-enquirer.com or www.twitter.com/LESticks. Tonight I heard Gretchen Wilson. A true Redneck Woman. Tomorrow, it's Sara Evans and Trace Adkins. Should be fun. Click here and here to get to those Web sites.

The bridal shower connection

2009-04-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Debbie is getting married. I've known Debbie since we were kids. We grew up in the sweet Indiana suburbs in a neighborhood called Lincolnshire. She and my sister were best friends, at least most of the time. I was the self-described cool older sister. I would play with Anne and Debbie when all my older, cooler friends were busy. And I invited them to my self-organized club meetings when all my cooler, older friends failed to come. I would create new games and set new rules for old games so I would win.

At some point, Debbie left the neighborhood and moved to New Jersey. I'm not sure when because I was busy hanging out with older, cooler friends. For awhile, Debbie and Anne lost track of one another. Not long after Anne moved to Atlanta, she and Debbie reconnected. I believe Myspace is to thank. Guess where Debbie was living? Atlanta.

After multiple glasses of wines, meetings of friends and boyfriends, New Year's Eve parties and birthday parties, Anne and Debbie became friends again. Luckily, they let me hang out with them sometimes. You know when they're younger, cooler friends are busy. Anne will be a bridesmaid in Debbie's wedding, and I'll be the proud older sister and friend crossing my fingers that no one trips in the aisle.

This photo was taken at Debbie's bridal shower which Anne helped organize. She bought beautiful decorations, made wonderful invitations and coordinated activities. She gave me a job, too. I created a bridal-word-jumble game. It reminded me of when we were kids except that I didn't win this game. In fact, I didn't even play because knowing all the answers in advance is actually cheating, not winning.

See, I'm trying to be cooler.

The dreaded office potluck

2009-04-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

My sister's company had a brunch today. Everyone was supposed to bring a dish to share. A sign-up sheet was posted on an office door. Anne approached the sign-up sheet with trepidation. Napkins, paper plates and sodas were already taken. She'd have to make something.

Anne debated what to bring for several days. She scoured magazines and cookbooks. She asked friends for their best recipes. She pondered the usual questions: What would everyone in the office like? How many folks were vegetarians? How would the dish stay warm or cold? How far in advance could the dish be prepared?

What is it about the office potluck that causes so much stress? My biggest worry is that no one will eat what I bring. I also have this fear that I'll be walking by someone's desk and see a serving of my dish in the trashcan.

I usually suggest friends take store-bought goodies to their office parties. It may be cheating, but it's an emotional lifesaver. No one seems to get disappointed when the grocery-store sugar cookies are untouched on the buffet. But if no one wants any of grandma's famous snickerdoodles, there's sure to be sadness.

Dreaming of a different time

2009-04-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

It was a cold and rainy Sunday. I considered being productive. I could have cleaned the house or organized my closet. I really did think about it, for at least a full minute. Then I decided to watch movies.

In honour of the dreary weather, I chose "The Duchess" and "The Other Boleyn Girl." The rain tapping against the window, the lush landscapes being shown on the TV screen and the English accents blaring from the speakers made me feel like I was living in a different time in England.

Beautiful gowns, parties, dancing, extravagant weddings, titles. It all seemed so romantic and wonderful. Then the wars, arranged marriages, scandals, marital affairs and beheadings begun and things seemed a bit less romantic. In fact, things seemed downright scary.

I was even more scared later when I did some Internet fact-checking after the movies. Maybe living in a time period when you didn't get to choose your spouse and forgetting to hold your tongue could be considered treason wouldn't have been that great.

I'm glad that I wasn't married to some politically desirable suitor when I was 15 and encouraged to produce a male heir quickly thereafter. I'm especially glad that today women can express opinions on "matters of state," pick their partners, celebrate the births of their daughters and make their own decisions.

I still wish I had some of those gowns, though. A girl can always dream. Just hold the reality, please.

Feel sick? Try tequila

2009-04-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Forget about eating chicken soup, drinking tea with honey and gargling salt water.

If you sense the sniffles coming on, pour yourself a shot of tequila.

Have a lime wedge ready. Swig the tequila. Suck the lime.

That's it, you're cured. Go to bed. In the morning you'll feel fabulous.

Tequila: it's medicinal. Promise.

The problem with pizza

2009-03-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I agree on lots of things, but pizza is not one of them. I like tomato sauce; Jeff likes anything but. I like all veggies. Jeff likes onions. (Does that count as a veggie?)

We like eating at places where we can each order our own small pizza. Monday, Mellow Mushroom was the spot. I ordered my usual: red sauce, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions. Jeff got really creative: pesto, avocado and bacon.

Guess which one I liked better? Who knew the salty and crisp bacon would match so well with the creamy and rich avocado? Oh, yeah, Jeff knew.

Switch!

I'm famous! (Sort of)

2009-03-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ledger-Enquirer nightlife reporter Sonya Sorich invited me to be on her weekly Internet show "Ledger Lounge." I gave some very useful and important stretching tips while wearing heals. If you want a good laugh check it out here.

A wedding in Palm Springs

2009-03-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I went back to our old stomping grounds in Palm Springs last week. The weather was perfect — sunny and warm during the day and cool with a slight breeze in the evening. We went back for the wedding of our friend and former co-worker, Mike. We got to hang out with a bunch of newspaper buddies, eat at our favorite restaurants and go the annual tennis tournament at Indiana Wells. Oh, and we drank a few cocktails, shared a few memories and visited our old house.

That house visit was the only sad part of the weekend. We drove by after having a fun lunch with our friends (and former editors) Vikki and Diane. We realized that strangers were living in our house. I mean sure, we're not paying the mortgage anymore, but come on, that's my house. I ate, slept, laughed, cried, watched TV, celebrated holidays, hosted parties, adopted a puppy, cooked family dinners and toasted friends at that house. Who is this family called Biggers? Why do they live in my home? They can't possible look fondly down on the chip in kitchen counter tile and remember the goodbye party responsible. They don't know how Sassy used to wait at the window in the front room for us to arrive home. They don't know how Alley used to slip on the tile floor when she'd run too fast. They don't know how to cram 15 people in the dining room for Thanksgiving dinner.

I miss my home. I know, I know. A house is just a house. It's the family in the house that turns it into a home. But, still, that was one mighty fine house packed full of memories.

Jeff and I at Mike and Erica's wedding in Palm Springs.

The house Jeff and I rented. It didn't have a wall around it then, but we said if we ever bought it we would wall in the front yard and add a pool.

The house Jeff and I owned in La Quinta. It was Alley's first home. A new family lives there now, but only the address on the mailbox looks different.

Another view of the house. We choose the door and the paint color. We bought the house when it was just a plan on paper.

Our favorite spot in the desert to hike, walk, run and play in the sand.

Jeff and I with Vikki and Diane.

Jeff and I stand near our regular hiking trail.

A very special visit with baby Sam

2009-03-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I spent a few days in Oregon last week to meet baby Sam, the newest addition to the Corona family. He is my bestest friend Karly and her husband Jose's first baby. We had a wonderful visit. Karly has always been an excellent multi-tasker, but it's most apparent now. She never had one of those Miranda moments (think "Sex and the City"). She was able to care for Sam and keep up with the conversation or activity happening with us, too. She even Wii bowled with Sam in the front pack. We went to restaurants with Sam. We went shopping with Sam. We took walks with Sam. Sam was even with Karly at the airport when she picked us up. Karly's confidence and joy at being a mom makes parenting seem easy. Like anyone could do it. Like me. Well, almost. (Sorry, mom.)

Though Sam is just 2 months old, he is already full of personality. So much so that I have some predictions about his future:
Sam doesn't like a dirty diaper. Karly, I hope this means he'll value cleanliness and always keep his room clean, rinse his dishes and pick up his toys.
Sam loves to be outside. He didn't even mind the Portland rain falling on his little head as we made a dash for the car after a shopping trip at Target. Jose, I hope this means Sam will volunteer to mow the lawn, rake the leaves and fix the deck.
He loves the pugs. He didn't mind when they would lick his toes and sleeping Sam never stirred when the dogs barked. Max and Penny, I hope this means he'll never pull your tails, attempt to ride you or step on your paws.

My favorite Samism was that he would mimic the faces I'd make. I would open my eyes wide and so would Sam. I would smile big and so would Sam. I would close my eyes and so would Sam. It was so cute!

I'm guessing he'll be a famous actor. He'll be so rich (not to mention handsome and smart) that he'll invite his mommy and his mommy's bestest friend to live in the guest house of his fabulous Malibu mansion. See, he's also going to be generous and kind. I've got it all figured it out.

Anyway we had a great visit. Here are a few pictures.

Happy Birthday to you, Dad

2009-03-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Dad, I wish you were here to celebrate your birthday (your 45th, right). I'd toast you with a glass of wine. What would I say? Perhaps I'd say thanks for driving for hours on Saturdays to watch me not win cross country meets. Or I guess I could go with a thanks for introducing me to your special pizza (white bread, ketchup and American cheese) yum! Maybe I should thank you for taking me to Europe where I discovered English cider (who knew it was alcoholic?) I suppose I could thank you for sacrificing sleep to help me solve algebra equations.

Anyway, whatever I else I might say, it would certainly end with a "thank you." So, I guess that's what I'll write.

Thanks for being my dad.

Worst packers ever

2009-03-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I are notoriously bad at packing for trips. I grab the largest suitcase possible and stuff it 'til it's almost too heavy for me to pull. Jeff forgets things.

Yesterday, in Ontario, Calif. my bag exceeded the weight limit. (This is not the first time this has happened to me.) Luckily, there was not a long line because I had to open the suitcase and transfer things from my large suitcase to my carry-on bag. Embarrassing!

On Friday, we were in Palm Springs when Jeff realized that he forgot to pack swim trunks. (This is not the first time this has happened to him.) He had to buy bright orange and blue trunks at a nearby gift shop. Jeff has a particular problem remembering his trunks. Here are a few other times destination shopping trips:

1. Vacation to Disney World. We took the hotel shuttle to downtown Disney and bought the first pair of trunks we saw. When we got back to the hotel, we discovered we selected a boys size. We had to take the shuttle back to downtown Disney and got another pair.

2. Day trip to beach St. Joseph Michigan. The only pair we could find was white with a pineapple print. Relentless teasing (mostly from me) ensued every time he wore them after the trip.

3. Vacation to San Diego. The resort gift shop actually had a great selection and Jeff wore these trunks that whole summer.

Maybe Jeff secretly just likes to go shopping.

A snowman is born

2009-03-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Snow is not just for kids. Luke, Anne, Jeff and I had a great time building a snowman on Sunday. We named him the Leaning Snowman of Georgia, you'll see why in a second. It's a good thing we took photos as we were building Leaning Snowman, because he got a little tipsy and lost his head about 20 minutes after his birth.

It's snowing... in Georgia

2009-03-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

The south is being covered in a blanket of white fluff. It's beautiful and not terribly cold. It was Sunday morning that the snow started falling. We had at least two inches at 3 p.m. Sunday. On Saturday, there were bad thunderstorms (a tornado touched down in Alabama). It's been a crazy-weather weekend.
Here are some photos:

Flashback to 1990something

2009-02-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

I've been catching up with some high school friends on Facebook. It's amazing how clearly I remember some events that happened more than 10 years ago (O.K. more like 15). I still feel happy, embarrassed and sad when I think about the events that made me feel happy, embarrassed and sad in high school. Isn't that weird? Why should I still care? Why would I cringe today when I remember an embarrassing moment that happened 14 years ago? Maybe I'm not cringing about the event. Maybe 32-year-old Dawn is feeling empathy for high-school Dawn.

Luckily I mostly remember happy days (my own, not the show's). When I look at this picture of my high-school cross country team wining a regional championship, I still feel the pride that I felt that day. I feel a bit silly about still taking pride in that day. I don't want to be that old lady who tells grocery store check-out clerks about how she was prom queen. (Not that I was, of course, or I would certainly have told you before now.) Besides, haven't I done something more, um, recently that I could take pride in? Let me think... Graduated high school. Graduated college. Got job. Moved across country. Got better job. Got married. Bought house. Got new job. Moved back across country. Sold house. Bought second house. Yeah, doesn't seem as exciting as that regional cross country championship, huh.

Maybe I won't become that chatty old lady as long as I don't talk about my past accomplishments with strangers. Maybe that's how I can embrace my past without living in it.

Barack Obama addresses the nation

2009-02-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

Were you too busy partying on Mardi Gras, putting your baby to bed, working late or visiting with your CW friends to watch the president's speech Tuesday night? Fear not, my friends. I gave up an hour (plus 15ish minutes) of my time to take notes for you. Here's my own little unofficial, unauthorized re-cap of President Barack Obama's speech. You can find a transcript here

Seventeen minutes into President Obama's address to congress (and us) and the speech finally begins. My gosh. If we're going to have to watch 16 minutes (we clapped for Michelle for one minute) of political leaders walking, can we at least add a red carpet and some gowns?

Eighteen minutes and we're clapping again. Twenty-one minutes and more clapping. Twenty-two minutes and (you guessed it) more clapping. Can we please get going?
Tax cuts? O.K. now I'm clapping.

Some more cheering (and standing) for the plan to offer more small-business loans. The housing plan to help "responsible" families make payments and save money on their mortgages gets a few claps. Almost everyone stands for help for American tax payers and against evil corporate bosses fleeing their responsibilities on cushy jets.

Obama's budget plan has three main components: energy, health care and education.
Energy: It's time for America to lead again. The nation that invented cars won't step away.
Health care: Seeking a cure for cancer in our time. Reform. Health care has weighed down our economy and our conscience long enough. "It will not wait."
Education: Those countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. Invest in innovative programs, expand commitment to charter schools. Every American needs to commit to at least one year of higher education. Dropping out of high school is no longer an option. By 2020 America will have the highest number of college graduates. Responsibility for our children's education must begin at home. It's not a democratic or republican issue, it's an American issue.

We're done with the three components of the budget, but not the speech. Time for more clapping...

Our future: Don't pass onto our children a debt they cannot pay. The recovery will not be easy, but the recovery plan will not raise taxes for those families who make less than $250,000 a year. These families will not pay one more dime. Repeat. Not one more dime.

The war: We will responsibly end the war. We will not allow terrorists in safe havens across the world to threaten Americans. We will support our troops 100 percent. We will raise their pay and give them the expanded benefits that they have earned. There's clapping and standing at this point as the cameras' pan to several servicemen standing near the First Lady.

More clapping as cameras show a bank president who split his $60 million bonus among his current and former workers, the leader of a town in Kansas that was destroyed by a tornado that's now being powered by clean energy and a little girl who wrote a letter to her government asking for help to save her school because the students are not quitters.

Just as American's are not quitters. The recovery will not be easy, but American's don't take the easy route, they take the necessary one. (In case you have still have too much Mardi Gras beer sloshing around your brain, that means this plan is the necessary route.)

Overall, there was a lot of clapping, standing and cheering. However, there was some booing and face-making at certain points. When Obama said there were no earmarks in the recovery plan that passed, there was quite a loud bit of booing. (It has been reported that there are in fact several earmarks). There were many unhappy faces shown when Obama called the national debt the "inherited" national debt. (Was that fair to George W. Bush? Debatable. Was it true? Yes.)

Whatever you may have thought of the message, you have to admit the man gives a good speech. Now let's hope he's good for the economy.

Push ups are for girls

2009-02-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

I just watched Jennifer Love Hewitt do 10 girl push ups on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She couldn't do real push ups? Really? She's a celebrity. It's practically her job to work out. Pathetic.

Naturally, I did not keep my feelings to myself. I shouted at the screen. This is not uncommon. TV is one of my best friends. I like to keep a pretty steady dialogue going with my HD friends. Unfortunately, Jeff was eavesdropping on my conversation with Jennifer. Note: Jeff has had a crush on Jennifer since those "Party of Five" days. It's a pretty bad crush. I once caught him watching an episode of "Ghost Whisperer."

Anyway, Jeff challenged me to beat Jennifer. Ha! Fantasy Girlfriend was about to be crushed by Real Life Wife. I wasn't worried. This was not my first push-up contest. I gulped down the last few sips of my wine, took off my socks (slippery hard-wood floors) and told Jeff to count me down.

He got to seven before my shoulders started hurting. I slowed down at four. On the last two I was honestly afraid my arms were going to give out. But, I did it. Ten real push ups.

Real Life Wife wins.

Valentine's Day is all about the heart

2009-02-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I spent Valentine's Day at The American Heart Association's Heart Ball. It was black-tie so Jeff got to wear a tuxedo. Notice I wrote "got to." He was, naturally, very excited. He loves to wear itchy, uncomfortable clothes. He did look cute, though. Here are a few pictures.

Denny's gets personal

2009-02-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

We're driving home from work when Jeff announces that he wants a grilled cheese sandwich. Um, O.K. let's find the nearest kids' menu.

We go to Denny's. Because Jeff ate there as a kid, he's sure he'll find a grilled cheese on the menu. I think it will be funny. Denny's is the home of the 3 a.m. stuff-your-drunk-face-silly Moons Over My Hammy. Going to Denny's at 7:30 p.m. on a Tuesday? Sure to be funny.

Jeff is frowning after a quick perusal of the menu. No grilled cheese. I'm wondering how old you need to be to order a "senior special." The entire back page of the menu is devoted to the blue-haired set.

Jeff brushes off his disappointment and settles on the Moons Over My Hammy. I decide the meatloaf is the funniest thing on the menu. It will be accompanied by mashed potatoes with brown gravy and veggie of the day. I think veggie of the day is a funny concept. Is it just the special day for one vegetable? Do the veggies ever have to share their days with other veggies? I hope it's broccoli's day.

The waitress writes down our order and closes her notepad. She doesn't walk away. She's still standing there staring at me. I give her an unsure smile. She leans toward me. "Uh, do you have a personal item?" she asks. "Um, are you serious?" I want to reply. Instead, I rustle through my purse. No luck.

She walks away. Wait. Do I have one in the car? Jeff thinks so, he walks out of the diner. He returns empty handed. Really? I'm sure there are some in the glove compartment. Nope, no Advil.

Advil? That's not the "personal item" the waitress needs.

I explain. Jeff confirms that there are in fact several personal items in the car.

I leave the restaurant. I return with two items. I find the waitress keying an order into a computer. I give her my finds. She's grateful. Very grateful. Yes! I'm certain my meatloaf will be free of spit.

The food arrives. A different Denny's employee brings the plates. My hopes of a spit-free meal have dwindled. The meatloaf tastes awful, but it is broccoli's special day. Yay!

We leave Denny's. We laugh. See, Denny's is funny.

An interruption one warm afternoon

2009-02-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

It's 70 degrees in Columbus today. Jeff, Sassy, Alley and I spent the morning sitting outside basking in the sun. Drinking fresh coffee and flipping through magazines with the sun shining down on us was the perfect cure for my winter blues.

Oh those poor cold-climate dwellers trapped inside staring out their frost-covered windows at blankets of snow. How much better it is to be sitting outside watching the dogs run in the warm grass, I thought.

What a perfect day.

And then the booming began. It started softly. Almost like the sound of distant thunder. Jeff and I looked questioningly at each other. We looked over at Sassy curled up on her towel, sunning herself. Sassy's ears perked up. The noise began to get louder. It became more frequent. Sassy started to whine. Alley started to growl. We all looked into the sky. Clear, bright, cloudless. The ground began to quiver ever so slightly beneath our feet. Sassy ducked behind Jeff's chair. We heard gunfire. Rapid, loud, unsettling. More ground shaking, more loud booming.

The soldiers were out. The tanks were rolling across fields. The grounds of Fort Benning were turning into a practice battleground. The sounds of war were infiltrating our quiet backyard.

Sassy continued to whine. She looked pleadingly into Jeff's eyes for help. Couldn't he stop the sounds?

"Sassy, I've done every thing I can," Jeff said. "I voted for Obama."

Oscar films: Take one

2009-01-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

Most of the year, I'd be more likely to see "Bride Wars" than "Rachel Getting Married." But when Oscar nominations are announced, I change.

During January and February, I suddenly become a critic of cinematography, script writing and costumes. The more depressing, thought provoking and tear-inducing the film, the more likely I am to see it.

So far, I've seen "Benjamin Button," "Rachel Getting Married" and "The Reader." All were wonderfully written and acted. All made me think about their messages long after the credits rolled. And all were rather unsettling.

Why do good films have to be so darned depressing? Is The Academy made up of a bunch of sad sacks? Does a film have to make you cry to make you think?

I can't answer those questions. All I can do is tell you to take tissues to the theater.

The games people play

2009-01-20T20:36:00.000-08:00

I am a poor sport. I am a sore loser. I admit it. (That makes it O.K., right?)

Winning is everything. Second place is last place. I don't care how you play the game or how hard you try. In fact, last Thanksgiving I gave a delightful little speech about how participation awards were ruining America. The basic message was that America was for winners and not runny nosed, scrawny little kids clutching purple ribbons. I'm in favor of "cuts" in junior high school and teachers telling kids to try something else. My Thanksgiving guests were a bit frightened. If any of them had received the dreaded participation ribbon, they certainly weren't going to admit it.

Tonight Jeff and I decided to play a game instead of watching TV. Good idea in theory, but ask anyone who's ever played a game with one of us, and they'll tell you it's a bad idea. We're both competitive and, well, mean.

I chose Monopoly because it's a game built on chance. Surely Jeff and I wouldn't get into a fight playing a kids' board game that's not based on intellect, right? Wrong. At first Jeff was getting really low dice rolls. I was traveling around the board at high speed, buying up all sorts of property while he wasn't landing on anything. He was so mad he couldn't speak. Luckily, he could still yell and slam his fists on the board, so I knew he was fine.

Then that darned game took a twist. I was sent to jail seven times. Four of them consecutive. That's four times of missing "go" and not collecting 200 dollars. I had Boardwalk and Park Place and Jeff only landed on them when I was in debt and had sold all but one house on each property. Meanwhile, I landed on Jeff's spiffy motel on Marvin Gardens about 1000 times. O.K. three times. But still.

Anyway, I lost the game. Instead of congratulating Jeff on his win, I threw the bank's play money at him, accused him of cheating and sulked while he put the board game away.

Maybe next time we'll just watch TV.

Bottles for Dawn

2009-01-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

My embarrassing moment of the weekend came today while shopping with Jeff for a wine chiller.

We went to Tuesday Morning and couldn't find one, so we started shopping for other items. When I was ready to go, I found Jeff rummaging through some Neoprene carrying bags. He was showing me a laptop cover, but a smaller pink carrying case caught my eye.

"Is that for mini wines?" I asked. I was already plotting how this little carrier would keep miniature bottles of Chardonnay perfectly cool at picnics this summer.

"No Dawn, it's for bottles," responded Jeff. "You know, for babies."

Welcome to the world, Samuel!

2009-01-15T18:53:00.000-08:00

My bestest friend Karly had a baby Thursday. Samuel Paul Corona arrived on his due date, can you believe that? He was 21 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces.

Congratulations Karly and Jose! Welcome to your life Samuel! I know it will be a great one.

I'm sad that I can't visit this new family in the hospital. Sad that I can't see little Sammy when he's just one-day old. Sad that I can't see how Karly's feeling.

It's hard to be away from your friends when such important things happen, but it's just part of life. People move. If they didn't, Karly and I wouldn't have meet. We were both living in Palm Springs when we became friends.

Anyway, Samuel, know that you are starting this beautiful adventure we call life with many people to cheer you on. Some who live in this far, far away land called the South.

Congratulations, Corona family!

Love 'Love Actually'

2009-01-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, it was another bad day at work. I know, I've had a lot of them lately. And according to my friends' blogs, I'm not alone.

This has made me re-examine my favorite feel-good movies. You know, those movies that you watch with a giant tub of popcorn and Ben & Jerry. Right now I'm watching "Love Actually." It's definitely doing the trick. It gives me a renewed hope in mankind.

My top feel-better movies:

"Baby Boom" starring Diane Keaton. She gives up her fast-paced New York City life to raise her niece in the suburbs after her boss hands her a dreadfully sexist ultimatum. In the end, she gets even with the "good old boys club" and finds happiness in work and love.

"Family Man" stars Nicolas Cage as Jack, who wakes up one morning married to his college sweetheart with two kids in New Jersey. The previous night he was a big-time financial executive working on a money-making merger in New York City. (Huh, do we see a theme? Think I have a secret desire to live in New York?) Anyway, guess what? Jack finds success in love and work in New Jersey just in time to wake up back in New York.

"Steel Magnolias." It doesn't even need an explanation. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll hug your spouse. You'll move to the South. (Wait, that's just me.)

What are your favorite feel-better movies? If work continues on its current track, I may need to add a few more to my list.

I had a bad day

2009-01-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

I wish I'd stayed in bed today. Pretty much each second from the time I got up until I got off work was a slow and painful trip that I could only hope would ultimately end where it started, under the covers.

What went so wrong? I lost my balance in my morning yoga workout and fell over while doing "reverse prayer" position. I wore uncomfortable shoes to work because they "went with" my only pair of clean pants. My hair became instantly oily the moment it dried from the shower. My work computer was slow all day and crashed three times. I was so far behind I had to eat lunch at my desk while fielding phone calls. My boss was more evil than usual. I picked a fight with the husband on the ride home from work.

My dad would say "You didn't get fired, right? You're still getting a paycheck, right? Sounds like a good day to me." Maybe things really were simpler in those days. You know those days where the school was strategically located so that kids had to walk 5 miles uphill both to and from the building in two feet of snow year-round.

When I got home I mentally went through my mood-altering options. Go for a run, drink a giant glass of wine, call and friend and complain, watch a Lifetime movie about people more pathetic than me. I settled on the run.

When I got home, the husband had prepared a delicious dinner (even though it was my night to cook) and poured me a glass of Oregon pinot noir, my favorite. I felt immediately better.

He even downloaded my favorite bad-day song, Shania Twain's "Honey I'm Home," and listened to it with me. He didn't even roll his eyes when I repeatedly shouted "this job ain't worth the pain."

The husband put an end to my bad day before I could even get under the covers.

Bad TV is so good

2009-01-05T20:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight I wasted more than two hours watching crap TV. What's crap TV, you ask? Well with approximately 1000 reality shows on daily, there are far too many to name in this blog, but my two favorite for the night were "The Bachelor" and "True Beauty."

There was absolutely nothing truly beautiful about any of the contestants in "True Beauty." The show has a bunch of pretty faces living together in fabulous house and trying to be the most beautiful person in the world or something. The twist is (insert dramatic pause and commercial break here) while these folks are flexing their biceps and wearing the skimpiest bikini tops (and those are just the men) the judges are using "spy cams" to decide which contestant has the most/least inner beauty. The contestants need to pass several "be nice" tests that any human would ace, but, of course, prove too difficult for the doll-like creatures on the show. So far, the show is a bit light on the inner beauty and a bit heavy on the plastic.

"The Bachelor" sent 10 single girls home brokenhearted and loveless tonight. How brokenhearted can they be after meeting some guy for a couple of hours? I mean, sure, the bachelor is cute and all, but these girls have probably not fallen in love with him in the first episode. Wait. I forgot, it is possible because all these girls are completely crazy. They have been online stalking this guy and are telling him all about himself. Hello. He knows himself. A better strategy might be to tell him something about themselves. Preferably not something about their "vision charts," ideal weddings and horrible exes. Mentioning any of these things will surely not result in a coveted rose. Trust me, I know. I've been watching this show for years.

Why are these people so desperate, and how did they get so mean? I like to think the show producers edit the material to make these girls and guys seem more psycho, but the contestants must have actually said these things, right? And they do know they're being filmed, right? It's all very confusing. Maybe you have to be a bit psycho to understand it. Maybe not getting it means I'm not nuts? Then again, I did waste two hours watching this dribble. That's a bit crazy.

Winter break in a nutshell

2009-01-03T18:40:00.001-08:00

Went on fun, relaxing vacation between Christmas and New Year's. Drove to North Georgia. Got truck stuck in mud. Met nice neighbors who helped get truck out of mud. Visited wineries. Ate delicious pork chops at two restaurants. Devoured best-ever sweet potato souffle. Consumed yummy scallops with perfectly cooked risotto. Learned to love collards. Spent too much at outlet mall. Convinced sister to spend too much at outlet mall. Walked down hundreds of steps (seriously) to see waterfall. Hiked several trails. Got cold. Warmed up with Georgia produced wines. Chowed down on more-than-I-should-eat fried chicken at family-style Southern diner. Played match game countless times on I-Touch. Listened to nature sounds while sitting on rented cabin decks. Listened to traffic sounds while sitting on Atlanta patio. Played with sparklers on New Year's Eve. Traded high heals for hiking shoes. Had too many Cuban style wings at Atlanta restaurant. Splurged on dessert and dessert wine at Italian restaurant. Passed on granola at breakfast. Dunked buttered toast in egg yolks instead. Chatted with friends over coffee. Chatted with strangers over coffee. Stopped wearing skinny jeans. Started wearing pajama pants until noon. Made new friends. Had fun with old friends. Watched too many bowl games. Didn't obsess over work. Did obsess over food. Had great time.