Princess DIana

I went to see the Princess Diana exhibit at the Museum of Art in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale today. I went with my mother and a friend of hers from work. It was the prefect woman bonding event. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me take pictures in the exhibit. Nevertheless, it was truly a moving and breathtaking exhibit that I would encourage anyone to visit given the chance. On exhibit were items from her childhood, home movies taken by her father, her wedding gown, and countless dresses that made her the fashion icon that she was and still is today.

Throughout the exhibit visitors (consisting mainly of woman) could be heard expressing the same sentiments. Mainly sad and mournful sentiments such as: "Such a waste"; "She was so beautiful"; "She was soooo thin"; "Those poor children"; That asshole". And most bitterly and profoundly, uttered by my own mother "She was a lamb, waiting to be led to the slaughter".

These expressions of sadness and grief that strangers, my mother and her friend expressed got me thinking. Here was a woman who was London royalty and yet she touched so many lives throughout the world. Lives of people who were not at Leper colonies or victims of land mines. These were not her children nor the people of London. Just simple Americans who loved Diana because of the beautiful person that she was, both inside and out.

There was such hushed tones and a quiteness over the exhibit. A quiteness that was over and above the norm for a museum exhibit that it made me realize that my own reason for visitng was different than most. I wasn't there to mourn Diana or feel anger toward Prince Charles and Royal Family. Sure, my eyes welled up a few times, especially upon reading Charles Spencer's speech from her funeral and hearing Elton John's profoundly haunting "Candle In the Wind - England's Rose"; but throughout most of the tour, I was enchanted, not sadened.

I was there to see the wedding dress that I had seen 24 years ago as a 10 year old child. The wedding dress of a real, live princess. The wedding dress and wedding that I would fantasize about throughout my childhood and into adulthood...up to and including my current fantasies. This was the wedding dress and the wedding that I envisioned my own wedding one day to my very own prince. Of course, my prince would not have such large funny looking ears.

I was also there to see Diana's own childhood memoriabillia and fantasies. To see her family and how they lived before she became a princess. And of course how she flourished after the divorce from Prince Charles

And the dresses...ooohhh the dresses! By such designers as Chanel and Versace...made exclusivley for her! Did you know that there is a Princess Diana and Prince Charles paper doll book where you can change their clothes? And the Franklin Mint makes a Princess Diana doll with dresses and accessories that are purchased seperately! I shouldn't be so suprise...they also make Princess Grace and Jackie O!

I suppose everyone had their own reasons to visit the exhibit. Regardless of reason, it was definitely an experience...one that I shall hold close to my heart for many years to come.

TTFN!

Tonka Training

So, Tonka Training finally commenced on Thursday nite. Thanks to Mapquest we were 15 minutes late. Mapquest told me to turn right and I should have turned left...couldn't believe it was wrong! So we get there and there are about 15 other dogs all calmly sitting with their owners (for the most part) and Tonka goes nuts! He starts barking his head off....he just wants to say hello to everyone and play. So the instructor comes over and teachs me how to stop him from barking. She tells me that everytime he barks to get his attention. Either pull on his leash or tap on him. Then I am suppose to hold a piece of a treat (not the entire treat) up in front of him until he sits and then as long as his tush is on the floor, I give him the treat. Of course they don't tell you to bring treats to the first class, but luckily I did. However, I brought his favorite Charlie Bear treats...they are oyster-cracker shaped liver tasting treats that he loves and that I happen to have a huge bag of. The only problem is that they are hard and not so easy to break into pieces. Nevertheless, I use them and it works....amazing! My only concern, which I express to the instructor, is that knowing Tonka, he will catch on and start barking just to get the treats. She said that won't happen and this is just a trick for class to keep him quite. That's good considering, he barks a lot and I don't keep treats on me all of the time...and I don't want him to get fat. After all, they don't do Gastric Bypass Surgery on animals! Needless to say, after about an hour and a half of Tonka barking and my giving him treats to shut him up, he caught on and started barking for treats! Gives new meaning to the phrase singing for your supper!

TTFN!

Dog Blog Friday

AirTonka
Originally uploaded by Deblyn71.

I figure if newwavegurly (also know as rockinteach's sister) can have Cat Blog Friday, I can do Dog Blog Friday. So here goes, this is a picture of me trying to take a new "After" picture. Well, Tonka (who has now been dubbed Air Tonka) decided I looked strange posing for 10 seconds waiting for my digital camera to take it's timed picture and charged at me. As you can see by the look on my face, it was pretty funny to witness.

38 Questions

38 Questions: Taken from ResearchGuy, who took it from Ali, who took it from someone else, and so on and so on...

1) Name the last four things you have bought:

1. A pair of shoes
2. Chili from Char Hut
3. New Altoids Mini Sugar-Free Mints
4. Obedience classes for Tonka

2) Name four drinks you regularly drink:

1. Water
2. Crystal Light - Lemonade, Peach Tea, and Rasberry Ice
3. Sugar-Free Kool-Aid - Cherry
4. Water

3) Last time you cried? When they yanked the g-tube out of my abdomen 1 week after surgery (12/8/04)

4) What’s in your cd player? Car: Audio CD of Can You Keep A Secret? By Sophie Kinsella. Work: A Mix CD consiting of Maroon 5, Ashlee Simpson, Clay Aiken, Mathcbox 20, Avril Levigne and 3 Doors Down

5) What’s under your bed? Two storage boxes full of "winter" clothes

6) What time did you wake up today? 7:45 am

7) Current hair? Shoulder length, highlighted, blondish/light brown, curly

8) Current clothes? Blue jean and favorite INC shirt that I haven’t worn in 2 years

9) Current desktop picture? Tonka T. Friedland

10) Current worry? $$$$$$$

11) Current hate? The smell of cuban coffee

12) Favorite places to be? In bed with The Tonkster

13) Least favorite place? The Dentist’s office

14) If you could play an instrument? Piano

15) Favorite color(s)? Purple, Lavendar, Eggplant, Lilac (basically any shade of purple!)

16) How tall are you? 5'5"

17) Favorite expression? Kewl Beans

18) One person from your past you wish you could talk to: Shaw Condiotte (my very 1st boyfriend at age 11)

19) Favorite day(s)? Saturday – you can sleep in late and stay up late

20) Where would you like to go? Right now? Las Vegas

21) Where do you want to live when you get married? Anywhere but here

22) Favorite food? Pizza

23) Color of most clothes you own:

24) Number of pillows you sleep with? Four

25) What do you wear when you go to sleep? Niteshirt, t-shirt/boxers, or a nitey – depends on the weather, my mood, and who I am sleeping with! ;-)

26) What were you doing 12am last night? Talking to my brother and laughing my ass off!

27) How old will you be in 10 years? 43

28) What do you think you’ll be doing in 10 years? Hopefully my husband!

29) Do you have braces? No

30) Are you paranoid? Why? Did somebody say that I was??

31) Do you burn or tan? Can you say “Rock Lobster”?

32) What is the brand of your wallet? Coach – at least that is what the fake label says on it

33) First piercing/tattoo? 1st piercing: Ear in 1978 at the doctor's office w/ mom. Was ready to leave with only one ear done. 2nd ear piercing @ the Coral Square Mall in 1986 w/ Stacey LeBlanc (now Buckalew)

34) First enemy?

35) Last person you yelled at? Ricky

36) Last crush?

37) Last thing you ate? One crambled egg w/milk and cheese

38) The last time you had sex it was...? too long ago

Nobody puts baby in a corner

I read on my my friend rockinteach’s blog that Johnny Castle's (from Dirty Dancing), "Nobody puts baby in a corner" was voted second worst movie line in some sort of countdown. So here are some of my favorite lines from movies:

So it's social. Demented and sad, but social.
Judd Nelson asJohn Bender in Breakfast Club

I want my two dollars!
The paperboy from Better off Dead

Great pate mom, but I gotta motor if I’m gonna make that funeral on time
Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer in Heathers

Tell me about it…STUD!
Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson in Grease

There’s no crying in baseball
Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own

You had me at hello and You complete me
Renee Zellweger as Dorothy Boyd in Jerry Maguire

I can't believe I just gave my panties to a geek.
Molly Ringwald as Samantha Baker in Sixteen Candles

A Boogada boogada boogada ahhh ahhh ahhhh
The entire cast of St. Elmo’s Fire

Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to come walking into mine
Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca

OK, Here it goes...Laurie made me, Jen made her, Ali made her and Allan made her

Random 10:
1. Bright Lights – Matchbox 20
2. Dancing Queen – ABBA
3. You’re Still The One –Shania Twain
4. Scene’s From An Italian Restaurant – Billy Joel
5. Pooh Corner – Kenny Loggins and Amy Grant
6. She Will be Loved- Maroon 5
7. The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
8. Underneath It All – No Doubt
9. Goodbye To You – Michelle Branch
10.My Happy Ending – Avril Lavigne

What is the total amount of music files on my computer?
Couple a hundred

The last CD I bought was:
Can’t remember! Got Britnney Spears Grtst Hits for Xmas

What is the last song I listened to before this message?
Pieces of Me by Ashlee Simpson

Write down five songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you:
Cats In the Cradle – Harry Chapin
That’s What Friends Are For Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight
Build Me Up Buttercup - Foundations
Butterfly Kisses – Bob Carlisle
Goodbye Girl - David Gates of Bread

Who are you going to pass this on to:
Stacey, Jules, Amanda, and Jen

My first blog....

My first blog...sounds like a new baby toy by Matel. "For ages 0-100"! HA! Ok, a little humor to start of my blog; albeit corny humor. Not sure what I'm going to blog about in general. I don't have a theme or template, so maybe I'll just start with the basics.

I stepped on the scale this morning (even though my weigh in day is Sunday) and had lost another 3 lbs! WOOHHOO!! That is a total of 45.5 lbs in 8.3 weeks. Only 4.5 lbs more until mom and hit Sawgrass. I called her today and told her "get out your checkbook!". She is just excited about going shopping for new clothes for me as I am. I have no idea what style of clothing I am going to like now that I have this new ever-changing body. I suppose I shouldn't worry about that...mom has tons of ideas of what to get me. Either way, it should be loads of fun! Hopefully next weekend I will be at -50 lbs and we can get to it.

Tonite Tonka and I are going for our first Obedience class at Tequesta Trace Community School in Weston. I don't know about Tonka, but I CAN'T WAIT! I spoke to the vet yesterday about how Tonka drinks his water really fast and then throws it up still. She told me not to give him water in a bowl anymore and to use the water bottle feed in his crate for his water all the time. So I tried that last nite...and Tah Dah...it worked! He already learned to go there for his water even when he is not in it. AND, most importantly, he is not throwing up anymore!!!! What a SMART puppy I have! Can't wait to see what he learns tonite.

OK, here are some current stats:

Last movie I saw in the theatres: Sideways - GREAT flick! (sat, 1/22/05 w/ brother Mike)

Last movie I saw at home: Garden State - Slow, strange, but interesting (dvd courtesy of brother mike; watched w/ neighbor Jamie)

Newest show I just started watching: Medium -Starring Patricia Arquette

Books I am reading: Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella (on CD in the car to/from work) and SHOP 'TIL YULE DROP by Alesia Holida, Naomi Neale and Stephanie Rowe.

Before I forget...thanks to rockinteach for turning me on to Bloggging!!

Guess that's enough for my first blog. Until tomorrow (or later if I think of more to say!)

TTFN!