Ohio.

What'd I do today? I moved back to Ohio.

Hmmph.

 

flying pig poster! | cincinnati, oh

Rewind to earlier, before we left.

 

Rob and I debated on renting a car for him for both the trip there and consequently the trip back, or just for the one-way trip back. We opted to rent for round-trip, and so landed ourselves at the Enterprise in Glen Carbon after breakfast this morning. Apparently weekend car rentals are suuuch a big deal here that they essentially run out of them all together.

 

Long story short: My boyfriend is on the upper side of 6'3". Today he drove a FIAT.... to Ohio. It looked like a lego was trailing me around on the highway for five hours. All my brain wanted to keep repeating was that stupid commercial, "You'll neeever forgeeet zee first time you seee one...."

 

- To which I thought, you're right, I won't.

the face of a thrilled person... haha..

To top it off, Catie sent me this while we were driving, with the caption, "Look what is outside my apartment! Is Rob here??!" Hahaha...

they're everywhere.... :/

Anywho - we MADE it, safe and sound, and headed straight into downtown for some drinks and then dinner at Mr. Sushi. We found a few cars along the way that were candidates to replace the Fiat.....


bentley? ferrari? porsche across the street, maybe?
... no.. we're good with the fiat.... -__- .. haha

Oh, and sushi.


delicious.....

We're not off to a bad start. We just landed at Becky's now, and tomorrow we'll get Sydni and hang out with her for a little while before Rob has to head back to Illinois. I'm excited for all of us to spend some time together.

*Yawn... yep. (:

xo | cmd

I Wanna Tonka.

So I'm havin' a birthday in just a few days.....

I spent this morning driving back to IL from Ohio, cleaning my house, and settling in with a friend to watch some vigilantes on AMC take on some zombies [TWD]... Needless to say I've had plenty of time today to mull over my birthday wish list.

Jamie takes the win on this one:


lol.... thx #jamieladd

If someone could make sure one of these is delivered to my house on November 29, that would be greatly appreciated. (:
Here's to another week!

xo | cmd

NO Transformers In The House! ;)

Ya see that?  That, my dear blogbots, is nothing more than a simple chai latte from Bread Co, but it was delivered by one of our clients. He toted in three little lattes and three little bagels for three gals who didn't realize how delicious they both would be this morning. How thoughtful, right? [Thanks, Warren!]

So I can't complain about how the morning started once we got going; M&D are out this week at Summit, so we're left again to our own devices. The day passed by without too much fuss and that was that. I made a pitstop at St. Clair Sq. at yet another attempt to nail down a dress option for Michelle's wedding next weekend. Update on that? SUCCESS. As Nancy would've said, "Cha cha CHAAAA...."

At home, I found Mo already there, with Jimmy following about 15 minutes later, and lastly, Joe. Since he's slated to do some travelling for work that does not warrant flight time, he rented a car for the journey.

Well.. let me re-phrase that.

He rented a Transformer. I'm pretty sure Bumblebee is in my garage. It's pretty wicked cool, the ONLY exception being that this is in fact real life, Cori, and the autobots don't really exist.

Well boo hiss. [It still looks like a Transformer. Hmph!]

Anyway, we thought it would be fun to take it for a spin out to dinner; as funny as it was, the short jaunt to Texas Roadhouse was quite the episode as it was the four of us plus Syd in her carseat.

*Note: This car is not really meant to have backseat passengers. Haha.

Oh well. We're back here now, at home; the boys are downstairs disassembling the tent - pardon me, the castle, and Mo and I are about to zonk out to some CSI. I love our dear friends. That's a good Thursday, yeah?

I think so :)

xo | cmd

Surprised Speechless. Blessed!

Sometimes, in the midst of all that is day-by-day fuss and frill, I need a reminder of how much my family is loved. No, not [just] by me, my husband, our immediate family, or even some of our local friends... but by some truly unexpected but dear friends of ours.

Joe forwarded me this email today:
[** SPOILER ALERT.. but I figure it's okay since Syd's not reading my blogs yet... or really anything for that matter. Hah..]

speechless. how truly amazing. 

[Hah, Well I guess that answers the powerwheels question I had the other day..]
I don't even have words for that, other than the deepest and sincerest thank you.
Today, especially, to Gerald, Leslie, and the girls - you are truly amazing, and your generosity means the world and then some to us. So insanely sweet and thoughtful of you. Speechless.
We are loved, and we love our friends and family.
We are blessed.

xo | cmd

Nice to Meet You, Miata

seminars. woot :|

Hello and goodbye to the midweek!  Three down, two to go, but not without some light resistance. Poor Christine drew the short straw on fortune today was was whisked off to a webinar-gone-awry over in STL. She captured a brief moment of her morning and passed it along to us, making me grateful for a day spent here rather than there. Way to take one for the team, Christine! :)

I've got the necessary commute times down to a science as it pertains to the home>work>Dawne's>home>whereverelsewe'resupposedtobe routine of things. Being Wednesday, that meant I would have to pick up the pace and exercise some urgency to get Sydni, stop at home, and be inside the church by 6:30 for Wednesday night. *knock on wood,* I've not had a problem yet, even if we are flying by the seat of our pants right at 6:30. Whatev'.



little thing, isn't it?



I caught sight of Joe in the foyer right at the end of the service; between late work hours and bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway, he was limited in his ability to make the actual lesson. No big deal :). We headed out to the parking lot, where I commented on some poor sap's bright red Mazda Miata that saparked next to us speckled with hail pockmarks. It wasn't until I had strapped Sydni into her carseat that I realized Joe was standing with the miata's door open, keys in hand. 

 A flash of red crossed my mind as I attempted to dismiss the onset of believing he'd bought the thing; I think he must've noticed, because he was quick to explain that it was just one of the many damaged vehicles his shop was repairing, and the dealership guy had told him to just bring it home for a couple days to try it out. Interesting. It's a cute little thing, but for some reason I can't ward off thinking that it should ideally belong to some retiree cruising his or her way through golf-course neighborhoods in Florida. My imagination's a wild thing, I'll tell ya.......

yes, playing pretend can be adorable!

Anyway, so we have this loaner thing, so-to-speak, out in the garage, and it wouldn't be fair to let it sit without being explored by the true head of the household: Sydni. She thought it quite peculiar up front and asked, "Mommy, where car roof go?" < Love. As weird as it was to see a convertible up close, it didn't stop her from pretending it was her new ride. Hope she enjoyed that little moment, because .... Fat chance, kid. Haha.
Oh, and in case you were wondering how Relay for Life fundraising is coming along, enjoy this little moment of action at the home of the Towerview Tire's latest pitstop, John & Ellen Best. They've been officially made TIRED OF CANCER!! :) 

nothing gets people goin' like a 400lb purple tire :)
ellen & john best host the traveling towerview tire,
our latest fundraising tool for the 2012 acs relay for life!

The night ended with some chicken and veggies, and some relaxtion, which winds down to this, right now, and me waving an e-goodbye to all my lovely blogbots. See you tomorrow :).


eat your veggies :)

xo | cmd

Murano Be Gone!

real talk.

[This one's for all the other folks who've gone out to see this & would agree with this sentiment.]

More IMPORTANTLY!, today marked the selling day of the Murano that's been lying dormant in our garage for a few weeks now. Amen!! I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at first, but primarily because Joe called me to inform me that an interested buyer was driving in from over an hour away to test drive and likely purchase the car. Since Joe's in Atlanta, it's just me, so I did a quick exploration of my options. At first, I called Cathie, wondering if they may be available to swing by for a few minutes. It seemed fitting, since Adam is our go-to auto mechanic of sorts. They were already en route with their dog to the vet, so I called Mo, who had planned on coming by already. She agreed to come an hour or so early. I informed my neighbor of the transaction about to take place, jokingly but with a slight edge of honesty telling her to call someone if she hears random screaming emerge from inside my house.

As it turned out, the adorable couple of country bumpkins that came bopping into the cul-de-sac in a beat up pick up couldn't have been more fun. Mo and I settled into the backseat of my Murano [weird] after explaining in great length to the wife how the keyless entry on this particular car actually works. The four of us took a test drive in a big circle around some populated areas, idly chatting about things related to farm equipment and country phrases that I haven't heard since I left my own podunk hometown. Good stuff :) We made it back in four separate but whole pieces [think about it], and when it was all said and done, we ended up with a garage emptied of one car, a check for partial payment, and a wad of real live cash to cover the rest. Holy I've-never-held-this-much-money-in-my-hand-at-one-time-EVER. [[Don't try to find me, it's already at the bank.]] before depositing, Mo and I had ourselves a little fun with the green paper, pretending for 15 minutes that we were actually two crazy celebrities so delusionally wealthy that this would've been pocket change. We took a few pictures before stacking that stuff back together, handling it like fine china for some reason, and locking it away.

yenno. no big deal ;)

Bottom line, Murano = Sold! Amen! :)

That's about it, folks. We made back just in time for The Voice!

xo | cmd

Now THAT Is A Saturday

WHAT A DAY! {phew!}

So today was one of those days that seems like it should be a culmination of all the good stuff the regular week didn't tangibly produce. To put it simply, today rocked. I won't waste any time explaining why [[in an order dictated by chronology, not necessarily by scaled awesomess ;) ]]

my mama ♥

1. [This one's actually #1 in chronological and awesome order, fyi.] First off, my mom celebrated another year young today. Happy, HAPPY birthday to a woman whose life has been dedicated to the success of her family [pets, included], and to taking aggressive advantage of every moment and opportunity this life will offer. I look up to her in so many ways, from the first time she acted on her heart's intuition to adopt, to faithfully tolerating me at my worst. Her love has never shaken, and the quality of life I try my best to display is paled in comparison to the energy and sheer joy she exudes to those around her. I love you, Mom. Thank you, times the world over and then some, for all that you are, all that you do, and all that you will continue to do for your family.

daddy's girl @ the dino exhibit :)

2. St. Louis Science Center! Joe was gone when I woke up this morning, out with Alex galavanting all over St. Louis; he called me mid-morning to inform me that Lara and Landon would be by within the hour to pick up Sydni and I, and the four of us were scheduled to meet him and Alex at the Science Center in St. Louis, to which we hadn't been. We obliged, and within two hours were touring through the displays and indoor attractions that comprise the Science Center. Landon was so excited to show Sydni the 'real, live dinosaur' that inhabited the ground floor, complete with animatronics, realistic textures, and sound. Despite our hesitations, Sydni surprised us all by not fleeing from it, but rather demanding she touch the 'dinahorse' on its eye. Don't ask; I'm really not sure myself. Anyway, she loved it, and enjoyed everything else about the place, too. Good call, guys. I'm checking the Science Center off my list of newbie to-do things of St. Louis!



pretty little altima

 3. Since Lara and I drove separately from our husbands, we parked in separate lots and therefore had to drive down to meet them. We turned a corner and spotted them walking down the hill towards Alex's truck. It wouldn't have been a big deal, except for the fact that I spotted a shiny white Nissan settled right behind Alex's pickup; I knew at that instant that my husband had bought us a new car. See, a few days back, Ole' Trusty [our Honda] finally gave up the ghost and is likely finished beyond reasonably-priced repair. That left us with one car, and therefore in need of another set of wheels. We pulled up alongside and I hopped out, confirmed by the dealer tag still on the back plate, that this was our newest addition. It is beautiful. :) Thank you, to my wonderfully secretive husband, and to Alex & Lara, for not spilling the beans on this one. Haha.



nikon!

4. Back in July, I had taken that big fancy roadtrip out to Phoenix with Kalyn and Sam and had consequently wound up with a busted D90. I dropped that off with the folks at CreveCoeur at the beginning of September, and that long-awaited day of retrieving it in repaired form was finally here! Well, they actually called me on Christmas Eve, but I was just now getting around to it. Woops. Thanks to the U.S. Postal service's negligent handling, and then to the glorious reprieve of advice from Miss Diana Owens, my camera experienced its first [and hopefully only] major accident and patch-up. Anywho- it's home, it's functioning, and I am now back on the photographic prowl. Beware :p.

still a fan.

5. Football!!! [Poor, poor Tebow, I know...] While the games themselves may have ended a bit sour [depending on which side you're on], the good news was, we had some great friends over to share the evening with us, and even do a little manual labor [i.e. Jimmy, Adam, and Joe attempting to drive the Honda up the street and eventually having to tow it back to the driveway, haha]. Oh, and for the record, I'm still a fan of Tebow. True story.

And that is why.... today was awesome. :)
This is a good platform for Sunday, yeah?

xo | cmd

Front Page Fame?

And the Dills name goes live worldwide in 3...2...1 :
The first challenge Joe gave me when he came home from work this morning was,

Guess who was on the front page of Yahoo! last night.

-- No idea?

A short blurb of background info for you:

<< This is Joe's cousin. She's a model, semi-famous at that. This is who was on the front page of Yahoo! last night. As the every-day folk that we are, it's a little surreal to see someone we know, let alone a relative posted up on the front page of article highlights. 

I realize that little article there is pretty dinky, but if you follow the Yahoo! newsfeeds, you've already seen it. I personally, was amused if nothing else. We'll leave it at that; interpret how you will... :)

Oh, and on an unrelated sidenote, here's another gem of comparable interest we saw today:



chevy lincolns - rare breed.



Yeahhhh.



It's clearly been a uniquely *classy* day.

"Nite." 

xo | cmd

Cars Run Better With Fuel

Here’s a moment of self-exposure for you.

Every once in a while, I have a tendency to do and say things that are completely out of my character, and make a complete fool out of myself. This morning, for instance….

Our regular FCC daycare provider on base had to close unexpectedly for the day, so I made my way over to one of the back-up providers this morning with Sydni. It took me way less time than I thought; our back-up is in the first neighborhood inside main gate, past the gas station, as opposed to traversing across the entire base to Patriots Landing [base residential speed limit = 15]. Yeah, I’ll get to work a little early!

… Past the gas station.

You’d think that I would have the common sense to check my gas gauge in my car after passing the same gas station twice in twenty minutes. Nah. Not me, because that would be sensible, and my Fridays are quite frequently the exact opposite. So there I was, cruising [&singing] along up 255, two exits away from 270, when Old Trusty gave a shudder that knocked me silent. Instantly, I figured she was finally about to give up the ghost; our Honda has just under 335 thousand miles under her belt, and she’s still running. As I veered off the road onto the shoulder, my eyes fell on the gas gauge and out came a big sigh of relief and irritation. Irritation, for obvious reasons. Cars don’t run without fuel, Cori. Relief, because that’s a quick-fix that doesn’t require any extensive mechanic skills.

MEGA thanks to Meagan & Marc! Meagan was en route behind me, so she was kind enough to give me a lift the rest of the way to work. For what it was worth, I did make it to work by 8am the first time around. Marc toted me + gasoline can back down to my car so I could at least get it back to work.

Niiiiiiice job, Cori.



little side projects :)

 At least there was nothing wrong with the actual car [just user issues], and she’s still running just like she should. I just have to remember to feed her.

Our owners are out all of next week, so today was a final wrap-up of duties we’ll handle on our own in their absence. After work, I stopped off to get Sydni, and the two of us headed home to work on some craft projects before calling it an early night.

Box frame: $1, Goodwill.
Printed 8x10: $0.89.
Labor: Free.
Result: See right.
That'll go on my desk at work. ♥

Tomorrow we’re going to try out the Magic House in Kirkwood. I’ve heard good things.

G’Nite!

xo | cmd  

Happy Birthday, Landon!

Happy 3rd birthday, Landon!

Today, we headed over to the Vetta building down the street from us to celebrate Landon's 3rd birthday. He loves Cars [the movie], so the entire event was designed around that theme. Lara did an excellent job planning all of it, the kids had an excellent time in the 10 bounce houses, and the adults had an excellent time drilling soccer balls into the back of the net. All around, everybody won. :)



Lara's probably one of the most talented cake bakers I've actually met. She did this little number to share with everyone, and I think we were all clearly impressed.

The kids in attendance even received a CD with some cute musical numbers from various movies. [Sydni showcased her dancing skills all around the living room to this soundtrack once we got home.]

Kudos again, to Lara & Alex for putting together such a great birthday party! Landon certainly wasn't the only one to have a blast today!

xo | cmd