tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41660952696100541832024-02-07T00:41:51.582-08:00The American Tripb.y.o.b.Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-56768671032629127672018-06-21T17:44:00.001-07:002018-07-07T08:34:48.138-07:00"Stop Talking, No One is Listening"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kate Spade hung herself because the game of life sucks and
she was done playing. Same goes for Anthony Bourdain. On the surface, they
seemed to have it all – respect, money, travel, friends, fun. But, it’s clear
they didn’t see what the masses saw, what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WE</i>
saw. That makes them no different than the 45,000 or so other Americans this
year who’ll punch their own Opt Out button, including military veterans,
teachers, and children. Fucking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CHILDREN</i>,
y’all. Doesn’t that bother you? What are we doing as a society to make even KIDS
see death as their best option? Seriously, what in the actual hell have we become?!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing’s for certain: Too many of us don’t care enough to
change. And by “don’t care,” I mean have no clue what’s really going on in the
first place, and have no intention to learn what it is. What you don’t know can’t
hurt you, right? Ignorance is bliss? If so, doesn’t that suggest enlightenment
is torture? After all, you can’t un-see what you’ve seen. In itself, that might
help my psyche wrap around the loss of Anthony Bourdain. And Kate Spade. And
Robin Williams. Chris Cornell. Kurt Cobain. Hunter S. Thompson... If the people
we look up to elect to delete themselves, what are we left to look up to? What
is the lesson we’re supposed to learn?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7CDDnzxny3jiMiorggWdeQtiDLbTodvxuK5qCSFK1ycRL2p4dUsFyvrokQjq4bv0R7CyLmI3OqNXedicAL5CEM_VPDo0fdOYTwZp5pKaVIXv9weyZhh43ENnUqlDXE5OJ5LfIlfUp0g/s1600/IMG_4082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7CDDnzxny3jiMiorggWdeQtiDLbTodvxuK5qCSFK1ycRL2p4dUsFyvrokQjq4bv0R7CyLmI3OqNXedicAL5CEM_VPDo0fdOYTwZp5pKaVIXv9weyZhh43ENnUqlDXE5OJ5LfIlfUp0g/s320/IMG_4082.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoquiam, Washington</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM9zGTj4Pfky2BUjNrK-myMLZpKCOUf849lEacbiomSpAv2mgz4sz9-x4Rwf7oJzkVsmfb_K8DHtNIFYla9ho6vEDuUGwO3G1ULCs9SH6Bf4j_FSXDWnf3jnFTlW14hdkIevg9xb8OIo/s1600/IMG_5674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLM9zGTj4Pfky2BUjNrK-myMLZpKCOUf849lEacbiomSpAv2mgz4sz9-x4Rwf7oJzkVsmfb_K8DHtNIFYla9ho6vEDuUGwO3G1ULCs9SH6Bf4j_FSXDWnf3jnFTlW14hdkIevg9xb8OIo/s320/IMG_5674.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Los Angeles, California</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By and large, Americans are self-centered and
self-righteous, and we treat each other like shit. And don’t fool yourself – none
of this “great divide” started with Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, although
social media for sure allows us front row seats. Ever heard, “You always hurt
the ones you love?” I’ve witnessed lousy behavior first-hand for decades on
playgrounds and in places I’ve lived and worked. There’s evidence scattered throughout
my own family, and even I’m not personally immune. We can argue into the next
century about the causes that brought us here, and how long our disrespect for
one another has been brewing, but what remains is the fact that – through our
failures to adequately and effectively address issues like racism, climate
change, immigration, poverty, mass killings, women’s health, and the escalating
rates of suicide – our divisions are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">literally</i>
killing us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwqd09wquPVfc1DllcavW5Kd8JuS9enBFOJkf2OiEbhhOBmSRGu_8op8PmG7tC_GtpFjtUa49XtrgUuW-v0g-mPPwogZDzvmzGvoLAmgWGb8ADCRSJviexxYdHDjJxEaZOcIjx2qq8PA/s1600/IMG_7073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwqd09wquPVfc1DllcavW5Kd8JuS9enBFOJkf2OiEbhhOBmSRGu_8op8PmG7tC_GtpFjtUa49XtrgUuW-v0g-mPPwogZDzvmzGvoLAmgWGb8ADCRSJviexxYdHDjJxEaZOcIjx2qq8PA/s320/IMG_7073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinjAWIkQmZHjCh57mB6uz-IGqGgRcdZ-wHeJxzy_vjmyjLFQOY3qTnNliZ8TjHZW8UrOH8OTApWr8l-eR4LMyA77AtHAwtQuwWg5QpyuXEQ995B1LLvngVXaYwDmqJ-lj83u4cn61zlI/s1600/IMG_7092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinjAWIkQmZHjCh57mB6uz-IGqGgRcdZ-wHeJxzy_vjmyjLFQOY3qTnNliZ8TjHZW8UrOH8OTApWr8l-eR4LMyA77AtHAwtQuwWg5QpyuXEQ995B1LLvngVXaYwDmqJ-lj83u4cn61zlI/s320/IMG_7092.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oklahoma City National Memorial, Oklahoma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For years, I imagined myself a beacon of reason. I
encouraged communication and believed I was using my social media platform as a
bridge. But, along with free speech often comes consequence. In a burst of
anger, frustration, and despair, I asked my husband for a solution to the
expanding chasm between friends, neighbors, family, and countrymen. If
communication wasn’t the answer, I wondered, what could it be? “Shut
up,” he answered. And then he added, as if trying to soften his message, “Stop
talking. No one is listening.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqtbore9yku5PXRAcR2N8asGCGIRWCLSaomMRI08gxK61j13gWYkF4_V7v0xcSSF5PFp4JINoaPucejiDf3TPJEgk37605HFJ4ubPslcrgSqzVhakVZfnELHA_SwZ4pfX5T2cXVb2zZA/s1600/IMG_6054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimqtbore9yku5PXRAcR2N8asGCGIRWCLSaomMRI08gxK61j13gWYkF4_V7v0xcSSF5PFp4JINoaPucejiDf3TPJEgk37605HFJ4ubPslcrgSqzVhakVZfnELHA_SwZ4pfX5T2cXVb2zZA/s320/IMG_6054.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While he insisted he was referring to people “in general” on
social media, and he hadn’t at all meant me, specifically, those aren’t exactly
words a writer wants to hear. But, his statement has since turned out to be
true. Aside from updating my profile and cover photos, I haven’t posted a thing
to my Facebook timeline since May 30. I did upload a new BlogSpot post, “And
Then There Was One,” on June 3. But, I haven’t promoted it anywhere. To the best
of my knowledge, nobody’s noticed the change in activity on either page. I’d
say something about anger, frustration, and despair, but I already have, and we can all see where that’s
brought me thus far.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="566" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZnL0WUkRqRw9lXYsSvkVCsc1Vjw4EW4T01EQSrYt6hkDA6zW3ozr61Vr91dRyL6vKqNDMgw-5LTz45UgT8OXkJiDd5UsGNDO5Qw1flIRYaMwqE5w3whwKPR1nNuRRd62eObotut6qrg/s320/TooOldForDisney.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://dawnscovill.blogspot.com/2018/06/and-then-there-was-one.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read the previous post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I’m taking my husband’s advice. No more chatter about dead
kids, gun violence, greedy corporations, and all the other evils of the world,
because it’s true: No one’s listening. As in, no one cares. Not about the important
stuff, anyway. Every time I get close to convincing myself otherwise – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SPLAT!</i> – back to earth I fall. Maybe
this time I’ll finally learn my lesson and just turn on the damn TV. Anybody
know when “The Twilight Zone” comes on?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment-->Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-62514299917173792932017-12-08T12:08:00.002-08:002017-12-09T11:08:58.775-08:00Fear Factor<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The number one
comment I received from people, once they learned I was driving alone around
America, came in three parts. In eight weeks, I must have heard it a dozen
times or more. And it was always the same:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>1 - Oh, my God!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>2 - I could never do
that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>3 - I’d be too afraid.<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">In hindsight, I
wish I’d asked myself a few questions before embarking on my journey, starting
with, “What reaction do you think you’ll get from people?” If I had, I probably
would have answered that particular question with something like, “I’ve always
wanted to do that, but haven’t had time.” In the end, THAT response was a
distant second.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Specific reasons
varied: never been out of state; can’t travel alone; don’t like to drive; aversion
to heights, bridges, strangers, trains, bears, pigeons…; don’t know enough
people (as in places to stay); don’t have enough money; wouldn’t know what to
do if something went wrong; and so on, and yatta yatta. Ultimately, the number
one thing holding people back was fear. Simple. Primal. Fear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">So much for “home
of the brave,” huh?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Somewhere on
<a href="https://www.pikes-peak.com/about-pikes-peak/" target="_blank">Pike’s Peak</a>, on one of the towering rock piles alongside the perilous, switchback-riddled highway to
the top, I secured a foot-hold in a crevice, pulled myself up to the
next tier, and thought with surprising curiosity and wonder, “Wow, this is the
perfect habitat for rattlesnakes!” Only the thought didn’t materialize all at
once, like it did just now when you read it. Instead, and instantly after
thinking the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for</i>, my body and mind
froze. Several seconds went by before I allowed the words <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rattle</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">snake</i> to
clearly form and combine in my head. I shivered and looked around. Then, I took
a deep breath, chuckled, and muttered to myself, “What a dumbass.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Had I attempted
that Pike’s Peak climb on the first leg of my drive around America, I believe
my reaction would have been different. As a matter of fact, I think I might
have reacted pretty much like so many others did after they learned what I was
doing. When I took off from Florida on July 1, I didn’t like snakes. Still
don’t, if you want to know the truth. Thing is, something happened to me in the
seven weeks that led up to Denver. Somehow, I wasn’t afraid of them, anymore. Granted,
I still considered myself a dumbass for climbing to the top of a cliff inhabited
by – at least – rattlesnakes and mountain goats. But, after my brain did some
quick figuring, the worst possible things that could (really, statistically)
happen simply didn’t outweigh the rewards for besting that pile of rocks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNaWvLVqmD1j6MKOILuQ9gft41HbVAJXAkuyZBHQxdeVOUcY8NVj2ZLbBYgePbOs-V_q9FZv-ScO9o5W1aV5irwPR8sSsyT1l4VeFci0Wy2bNoJA0S1B03ZKal706IZzAkVgsuaZAunY/s1600/21034397_10213625432565927_5179307420928954103_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNaWvLVqmD1j6MKOILuQ9gft41HbVAJXAkuyZBHQxdeVOUcY8NVj2ZLbBYgePbOs-V_q9FZv-ScO9o5W1aV5irwPR8sSsyT1l4VeFci0Wy2bNoJA0S1B03ZKal706IZzAkVgsuaZAunY/s320/21034397_10213625432565927_5179307420928954103_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(by L. Barringer)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R6CUuVG7bVgZMH0VIaGnIQ39Aoy5gBa9hy4OaazjdYOITCAvnOCIW7c1ahxGzLdMbaY2IOMyp2WNKpXrgEJ4fL-_-8HaTy64HMGeOeuh_OgPBYm9qgJsA3Ivve5RCLlYmNvPFRvKbyw/s1600/20881971_10213606623175704_4459429218177415426_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R6CUuVG7bVgZMH0VIaGnIQ39Aoy5gBa9hy4OaazjdYOITCAvnOCIW7c1ahxGzLdMbaY2IOMyp2WNKpXrgEJ4fL-_-8HaTy64HMGeOeuh_OgPBYm9qgJsA3Ivve5RCLlYmNvPFRvKbyw/s320/20881971_10213606623175704_4459429218177415426_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm that little green dot in the middle (by L. Barringer)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I have back
trouble, a bad knee, weak ankle, and sinus problems. The joints in both hands
are full of arthritis, I’ve got a nasty case of carpal tunnel (or some damn
thing I’m busily pretending isn’t there) creeping into my left arm, and
menopausal hot flashes regularly kick my ass. Most seriously, if I’m not careful
with my diet, I can set off a colitis attack, and those are neither pretty nor fun.
Believe me when I say: I have my share of reasons to NOT drive 15,000 miles alone.
But, I saw the Grand Canyon. And Yosemite. And Yellowstone and Gettysburg and Mt.
Rainier. I stood inside the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Drove across the
Golden Gate Bridge. Plucked an apple from a Johnny Appleseed tree! (With
permission, of course.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I also <u>literally</u>
climbed Pike’s Peak. Sure, it was a relatively small, nearly inconsequential
portion, and I can’t in good faith recommend you do it, too, given my later discovery.
But, I’m totally not sorry I did it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HMZrjw2xnWWVTxsNYnN8ntR1_7BED_dTHQCNPHdhO1J7LmMkr1TLOPokA05jzQW67_uWn-sOq79tzMosygWc-cc5RO7-KlgKaXZyIauEDcPc7S3RLCphG3znu7Av5XgvL0lh46mNlVc/s1600/IMG_9361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HMZrjw2xnWWVTxsNYnN8ntR1_7BED_dTHQCNPHdhO1J7LmMkr1TLOPokA05jzQW67_uWn-sOq79tzMosygWc-cc5RO7-KlgKaXZyIauEDcPc7S3RLCphG3znu7Av5XgvL0lh46mNlVc/s320/IMG_9361.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IlAvlrpvjjQEYUvgq0x8hEIv7dzlbbUITnOR-LsH1tLzAz6RL93z5eGbQ9OnvRL2xVz6_Fn0XHTsWBiTqj6oNp-5boRqQKDX3uG6IyRtPXFt30aeSCvb9Jl9KS4-BlL4Uow56ZXDDqY/s1600/IMG_6571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IlAvlrpvjjQEYUvgq0x8hEIv7dzlbbUITnOR-LsH1tLzAz6RL93z5eGbQ9OnvRL2xVz6_Fn0XHTsWBiTqj6oNp-5boRqQKDX3uG6IyRtPXFt30aeSCvb9Jl9KS4-BlL4Uow56ZXDDqY/s320/IMG_6571.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"the climb"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGu7VxMBUV9e6S-OZuEBlbDohIHCOvy8DTJupG1QaxC6dl-2KOh2pSVaB3aXVW08CmFkfbYKSepQeFMQlpIrMVPXfMFOWWe472cjjpl8D-O6SE25dU8x8EpLfqKEUje14soJPvwv_HckU/s1600/IMG_6572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGu7VxMBUV9e6S-OZuEBlbDohIHCOvy8DTJupG1QaxC6dl-2KOh2pSVaB3aXVW08CmFkfbYKSepQeFMQlpIrMVPXfMFOWWe472cjjpl8D-O6SE25dU8x8EpLfqKEUje14soJPvwv_HckU/s320/IMG_6572.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"the view"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">People without
guns are afraid of them. People </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">with</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
guns are afraid of losing them. Single people are afraid they’ll never get
married. Married people are afraid of being single again. Conservatives are
afraid of gays. Gays are afraid of Christians. Christians are afraid of black
people. Black people are afraid of the police. And so it goes. In a nutshell, Americans
play a never-ending game of avoidance and denial with pain, loss, and discomfort, all
while – ironically – being simultaneously awash in pain, loss, and discomfort. </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Why</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> we don’t break up with denial is a
matter of debate, but what I find most disconcerting about the whole business
is the possibility that we no longer have enough souls brave enough to step
forward and defend our interests as a Republic comprised of </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">UNITED</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> states. Now, THAT is some scary shit right there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">So, what are YOU
afraid of? And what are you doing about it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The things that
keep us away from the things we want are mostly within us, and our reasons (or
excuses) are largely rooted in fear. Some of that fear is, of course, logical
and worthy of attention. But, fear can also be a helpful motivator. For
example, I had all sorts of concerns and apprehensions about my trip. Stories
abound of hard to imagine consequences happening to women traveling alone. So, I
brought a road atlas, a cooler, and a phone charger, and I <a href="https://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Road-Trip" target="_blank">prepared</a> to the best
of my ability for whatever contingencies might arise. At the end of the day, I chose
to have faith in my instincts and skills, and I placed my fate in the hands of
the road gods. The end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Fear didn’t stop
me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Don’t let it
stop you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">#AmericanTrip
#MLCRoadTrip © 2017 Dawn Scovill<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-81893881567453847442017-11-10T08:38:00.001-08:002017-12-09T11:15:03.151-08:00The Indignity of Death<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">It all happened
in a matter of seconds: I turned onto the highway on-ramp, sped up as I rolled
into the curve, caught a glimpse of an animated critter on the shoulder, grinned
when I recognized it was a prairie dog, then realized there were actually two, and one wasn’t moving.<br />
<br />
By the time I merged into the center lane, I was in tears. Okay, full
disclosure: I was sobbing uncontrollably. Behind me, there was a living
creature trying desperately to revive another living creature. Had they been
siblings or mates, I wondered? Friends or foes? How long would the little guy shake
his/her companion before giving up and carrying on? Do prairie dogs mourn? Does
any animal, for that matter? It’s not like they can tug on an uncle’s shirttail
and get the ol’ “They’re with the angels, now” speech. How <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> animals handle death? And can we learn anything from them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BPakA1Glcfla1w4qca2_hebF8DfurBgFkQpolIULEVNci10o0rW6a9SRlB-BmG349z0eaQ5BhsKunuwxNFl6ONZCSKpciCyaxzFowfG3EmWd1r6SKGXq2YEWZubTB9FaKSTvwLq89-8/s1600/IMG_3473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1007" data-original-width="780" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BPakA1Glcfla1w4qca2_hebF8DfurBgFkQpolIULEVNci10o0rW6a9SRlB-BmG349z0eaQ5BhsKunuwxNFl6ONZCSKpciCyaxzFowfG3EmWd1r6SKGXq2YEWZubTB9FaKSTvwLq89-8/s320/IMG_3473.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Imagine if one
minute your companion <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i>, and the
next minute he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wasn’t</i>. No
explanation, just…dead. What would you do? After you stopped screaming, of
course. You’d likely have questions, many undoubtedly beginning with, “What the—.”
If you were in a public place – say, on the shoulder of a highway on-ramp – you’d
have to relocate the body. Contacting next of kin would be a priority. Calling
an attorney might be a good idea, too; there’s bound to be a lawsuit in there
somewhere, what with the sudden, unexplainable death and all. Remember, this is
America!<br />
<br />
Survivors would want a memorial. Some would need therapy. That prairie dog
wouldn’t be getting any of that stuff. Not that it would have mattered for long,
given the little guy’s proximity to the white line on a busy on-ramp in
Montana. Still, was he suffering? If so, how would he go about getting on?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Here in America,
a fair number of us suck at <a href="http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/coping-loss-bereavement-and-grief" target="_blank">dealing with death</a>. We take pills and opt for
surgery to maintain the illusion it won’t happen to us. We whisk dying loved
ones off to facilities and hire professionals, so we can pretend the messy bits
aren’t real. Living in Florida, I’ve learned people suffer when they’re not
prepared. So, how do we stop ignoring death and adopt better ways to prepare for
it? How do we handle it more practically? Beyond thoughts and prayers (don’t
get me started), how can we as a culture become more helpful to friends and
family when they’re recovering from the loss of someone they love? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0ObNyyPJJT6GhPtVgM-BGPUMPOiqpHodsd-Sdk43ZBMMjc97n8NSwk2-3t5ivQG0F7z3zmc8Pkb2JZ6S5laK9YRvfXm9evcbfun2GhCDHmjIo4p7RaJA_7g1AfFAwhqP-BhPUpfdI0g/s1600/IMG_5650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0ObNyyPJJT6GhPtVgM-BGPUMPOiqpHodsd-Sdk43ZBMMjc97n8NSwk2-3t5ivQG0F7z3zmc8Pkb2JZ6S5laK9YRvfXm9evcbfun2GhCDHmjIo4p7RaJA_7g1AfFAwhqP-BhPUpfdI0g/s320/IMG_5650.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
To me, that kind of information would be invaluable. My dad died on a Tuesday
in November. Just like my mom. After the family realized Dad’s condition was rapidly
deteriorating, we elected to bring him home to the farm and take care of him
ourselves. He was 83, deaf, stubborn, and helpless. We did the best we could.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">What we did with
Mom is another story for another time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">If I shared all
the romantic parts, I might be able to make it sound like a Hallmark <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Movie of the Week</i>. But, death isn’t
pretty and, like Dad would have said, “the sooner you come to terms with that,
the better off you’ll be.” He wouldn’t have approved of the way I handled his
passing. Or, rather, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">didn’t</i> handle
it. And I was already well into the bottle when, only a few months later, our
youngest dog was hit by a car. For a while, I distanced myself from everyone
around me. I also drank a lot of whiskey. A year later, I still wasn’t coping
well, so I took a drive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">As I rolled by that prairie dog, I immediately thought of our remaining chocolate
Labrador, Rocko. He and Roland had escaped through the gate together. It was
the phone number on his collar that led the kind people who found them to me.
Had he seen the accident happen? Had he hovered over his companion’s lifeless
body the same way? Did he have a million questions? Did he look to me for the
answers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Tears, as I
mentioned, flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks, all the way to Wyoming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Death is such a
heavy and unpleasant situation, yet it’s equally as guaranteed in life as
birth. So, what the—?! We celebrate one, why not the other? And no, I’m not talking
kazoos, balloons, and “jolly good fellow” tunes, I’m suggesting we redefine
what it means to die with dignity. There’s nothing dignified about taking your
last breath in a sterile hospital bed on D-Wing, even surrounded by weeping family
members. There’s no dignity in urinals and bedpans, and none in pureed sirloin
or rooms with trash cans marked SOILED.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Given that our
country’s employers barely allow mothers time off for birth, it might seem a
waste of time believing we might one day all be granted the privilege of
accompanying our loved ones to the other side without fear of losing our jobs
and means of survival. It might also seem silly to think a nation full of
self-absorbed consumers could even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i>
to get their hands that dirty, let alone survive the weight of the aftermath.
But, we Americans are a hearty bunch. I have faith.<br />
<br />
And if, by reading this, one of you is inspired to bring dignity to someone’s
last days, I’ll consider the effort worthwhile.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;">#AmericanTrip #MLCRoadTrip (c) 2017 Dawn Scovill</span></span></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-49094064891502020462017-10-31T09:16:00.001-07:002017-12-08T11:08:23.490-08:00The American Trip: Attempt at an Introduction<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">In
part, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The American Trip</i> refers to the
whimsical blend of societal issues unique to folks in the good ol' USA, i.e.,
aging and death, addiction, depression, homelessness, child hunger and
entitlements, abortion, same sex marriage and the rise of the LGBT community,
marijuana, political correctness, North vs. South, freedom of speech and
religion, guns and law enforcement, health care and pharmaceuticals, veterans
and the military, black vs. white, cowboys and indians, President Trump, rape
culture, fear, farming, immigration and The Wall, highway safety, domestic
terrorism, wealth and greed, environmental concerns and National Parks,
education, energy, water, the apocalypse, babies and puppies, life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Give
or take.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjEJqV7b-4qirsTeMMZQhAxx7jn441bbLlzZlRgzAdN9nLyE5ANO6ZnT0nHPp9t1ys4ACkj2a5tRBbkMVXfgxpIhXJNedGP-Pk4-phhFwSjQJ6dUH9hKerH97wHhAEiQxhsUOk9sCIzU/s1600/IMG_2524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjEJqV7b-4qirsTeMMZQhAxx7jn441bbLlzZlRgzAdN9nLyE5ANO6ZnT0nHPp9t1ys4ACkj2a5tRBbkMVXfgxpIhXJNedGP-Pk4-phhFwSjQJ6dUH9hKerH97wHhAEiQxhsUOk9sCIzU/s320/IMG_2524.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The American Trip</i> also has to do with
my solo journey around the country this past summer. Staying with friends,
family, and some might say strangers, I maneuvered my way from Philadelphia on
the Fourth of July, through Cleveland and Flint and Yellowstone, to a snow-covered,
Cascades mountain top in the heart of the state of Washington. Then I bopped
down to Yosemite, through Las Vegas and Denver, then stumbled through New
Orleans before returning home to south Florida. I saw tractors, fields of corn,
Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, and a HUGE ball of twine. If that’s not an
American trip, I don’t know what is!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxdp6IgtiY9x5X5Ya-_cJxb5x7fLO1iYZNwnW5W9ORY8VRk8wcZ9nq7naX3yI3OnNmJ7Q7z3IDUHZJoHcrtinZKlmpmmE8ocRyzrOokYAyN4-25fyt5B8RI9To0H-EqmKm09IhMdREsI/s1600/IMG_5589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxdp6IgtiY9x5X5Ya-_cJxb5x7fLO1iYZNwnW5W9ORY8VRk8wcZ9nq7naX3yI3OnNmJ7Q7z3IDUHZJoHcrtinZKlmpmmE8ocRyzrOokYAyN4-25fyt5B8RI9To0H-EqmKm09IhMdREsI/s320/IMG_5589.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Joaquin Valley, California</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing stories here about the people and places
I encountered along the way. You might have heard: there’s some funky shit goin’
down. And, trust me on this: it goes way beyond the city! People everywhere are
worried about job security and getting the bills paid, concerned about their
children’s education, and terrified some random event will wipe them out. But,
faith is out there, too. And optimism. And breath-taking, jaw-dropping beauty.
If I had to sum it up in a single word, I’d say this country is AMAZING.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Yd6YfoIx723greqp4CyuIB0OO6DXxy9zQakdysUvuZQDDPhzyHA5oE4MBsa-1yEvN8PI97CgtH1ehPhntmHIPQ7hEQVok9ECSQF0tXRaevG12Bz9qX-4hVSZcBR21dW8L0xIyycWwxw/s1600/IMG_5894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Yd6YfoIx723greqp4CyuIB0OO6DXxy9zQakdysUvuZQDDPhzyHA5oE4MBsa-1yEvN8PI97CgtH1ehPhntmHIPQ7hEQVok9ECSQF0tXRaevG12Bz9qX-4hVSZcBR21dW8L0xIyycWwxw/s320/IMG_5894.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from atop Hoover Dam, outside Las Vegas, Nevada</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1d2129; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">But,
one word does NOT a story make. So, I hope you’ll stay tuned for a few more.
Until then, I’ll leave you to browse the water towers. ;)</span></div>
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<br />
~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Jackson, Virginia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roy, Washington</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kit Carson, Colorado</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waldo, Kansas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cawker City, Kansas - home of the World's Largest Ball of Twine</td></tr>
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#AmericanTrip #MLCRoadTrip (c) 2017 Dawn Scovill</div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-26477736657091955232017-06-07T09:34:00.000-07:002017-11-01T07:53:31.043-07:00Mid-Life Crisis Road Trip 2017!<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_y0m" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; line-height: 1.38;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgnMKJOunH5JWt65olKPQAZkRWqWrHlDdiMOq7IAkWXdFeXXwlNIcGz5sADBPfyz84m-_9zVrcuGCtG-1YZjmf-FIDHTNxvveJ4C6MWCXG-KwWwHCVdhAuqR_ZEYvowxoCkNGRQcQ6iw/s1600/IMG_7911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgnMKJOunH5JWt65olKPQAZkRWqWrHlDdiMOq7IAkWXdFeXXwlNIcGz5sADBPfyz84m-_9zVrcuGCtG-1YZjmf-FIDHTNxvveJ4C6MWCXG-KwWwHCVdhAuqR_ZEYvowxoCkNGRQcQ6iw/s320/IMG_7911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Can you say, "Road Trip"? How about "EPIC Road Trip"? ...<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's say Point A is here in Florida and Point B is near Seattle. Because they are. And that's a LONG way. Especially when you add a leg through Philadelphia and another through L.A.!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Best parts are I LOVE to drive, and I LOVE to travel, so I'm really excited to get all up in this amazing country of ours. My best girl Lilith has new brakes and new-enough tires, my road atlas is up-to-date, and I'm equipped with a National Parks pass and a pillow. Okay, two pillows. I'm also looking into AAA (as opposed to AA, which I acknowledge would be far cheaper than a cross-country road trip, but they don't have the world's largest ball of twine</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">), and I'll be bringing a cooler stocked with beverages, snacks, and lunch meat, so I'm not tempted to spend too much money at establishments recommended by Guy Fieri and Tony Bourdain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why should YOU care? Well, duh! It's obvious I'm wildly entertaining and loads of fun, and you should totally meet up with me and/or let me use your shower when I'm in town. I'm hitting damn near every city in the U.S., so I'm sure to be close. I won't have a lot of time at every stop, which means I can burden you with my dull road trip stories only so much, but I'll gladly share what time I have wherever we can fit it in. Where there's a will, there's a way!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even if you're neither on the route nor interested in sharing space with the likes of me, you're welcome to follow along via Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or right here on the blog</span><a href="http://www.dawnscovill.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">.</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> O</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">n Facebook, I'll post all kinds of crap, er...interesting photos and insightful anecdotes, including Friends-only stuff, so you can feel extra special.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Official "START" date is July 1, launching from Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. As of today, the plan includes the following places:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">First Leg: Live Oak, FL --> Gaffney, SC --> Philadelphia --> Pittsburgh --> Cleveland --> Detroit --> Chicago --> Yankton, SD --> Badlands N.P. --> Yellowstone N.P. --> Moscow and/or Boise, ID --> Mt. Rainier N.P. --> END @ Rochester, Wash.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Second Leg: Rochester, Wash. --> Eugene, OR --> San Francisco --> Yosemite N.P. --> Los Angeles --> Las Vegas --> Denver --> Oklahoma City --> Hot Springs N.P. --> Baton Rouge, LA --> Live Oak, Florida... and back home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Give or take.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm calling it "Mid-Life Crisis Road Trip 2017" because, well...maybe we'll chat about that later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stay tuned... #MLCRoadTrip</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Dawn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
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Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-90975743114010603172017-01-11T07:34:00.000-08:002017-01-11T08:31:34.110-08:00Fiddling While Rome Burns<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“‘Take
your broken heart, turn it into art.’” ~ Meryl Streep, quoting her recently
departed friend <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Princess Leia</i> at the
Golden Globe Awards (January 2017)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">My
Conscience: Why are you sad?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Because there’s no hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
For…?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Us. People. Humans. And probably most everything else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
So, you’re saying we’re all doomed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Pretty much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
And when do you expect this will happen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
You know saying, “The end is near!” makes you sound crazy, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
I suppose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
Is this like the Y2K thing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
That was a possible computer glitch. This is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actual</i> melting of the polar ice sheets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
So, we’re being done in by global warming?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
It’s called climate change now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
You know talking about climate change makes you sound crazy, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Whatever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
So, you’re sad global warming is going to wipe out the human race?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Unless a nuclear explosion does it first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
And you’re worried Trump will push the button?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Unless he pisses someone off and they beat him to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
So, you’re scared of a terrorist attack?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Please. This is America. I’m more likely to be gunned down on a Ferris wheel at
a school carnival by a virgin with a suicidal case of acne.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
So, you’re sad because humans are about to be wiped out by climate change,
nuclear fallout…and virgins?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
And asteroids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
Seriously?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
Well, aster<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oid</i>; it only takes one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
Vaporize the entire planet? Now you’re talking crazy. We’re far more likely to
get hit with a continuous bombardment of mega storms that take out isolated regions,
one at a time. Like tsunamis in the Philippines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
And hurricanes in Florida.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C:
Yeah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
I feel so much better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">C: Wait. That’s not what I mean. You know? Come on: a monster hurricane isn’t going to chase
all life out of Florida.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Me:
No, our water supply will do that long before the Category 8’s come along…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br />
* * * * *<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">At
the end of my last semester at Pensacola Junior College, I recall sitting in
the Dean’s office, begging him to save my GPA after a substitute for the Econ
II professor who’d mysteriously vanished two weeks earlier on a “personal leave
of absence” gave me a B as a final grade. But, he wouldn’t fix it. Earlier that
year, a teacher was fired for changing a student’s grade. I think the school
was sued, too. While my circumstances were different, and my coursework clearly
demonstrated I deserved an A, a grade change wasn’t happening. The Dean told me
to let it go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I
was a young wife and mom, community volunteer, PTA officer, and a student who worked
hard for that 4.0 GPA. I felt I deserved it. The substitute teacher made an
error, and I wanted it corrected. The Dean said my anxiety and aggravation served
no real purpose; in the end, my Associate of Arts degree would look the same as
everyone else’s, even the guys who showed up without pencils and squeaked by with C’s and D’s. There were surely other
moments like it, but that one in the Dean’s office is especially vivid. I can
still taste the injustice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Lately,
for reasons too numerous to mention, I can not only smell injustice, I feel I’m
drowning in it. It’s like sitting in the Dean’s office all over again. Call it a
funk, menopause, depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, paranoia – whatever the diagnosis,
I am NOT okay. And, believe me, I know when my world’s not right: We had to fix
our townhouse after hurricanes broke it in 2004; Scott and I came close to
calling it quits more than once while I penned my first novels from ’04 to ’06;
in 2007, the first year I was in print (so exciting!), a young family friend
committed suicide, we gave our only son to the U.S. Army, my writers’ group
kicked me out, and my mom died; Colitis and Chronic Fatigue, et al., brought me
literally to my knees in 2008. I was on the mend and feeling hopeful when we
bought “The Campground” in the spring of 2009. Things have gone both up- and
downhill ever since. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">My
dad died somewhat unexpectedly in November 2015. In a bit of a morphine haze,
one of the last things he said was, “The doctors and lawyers get it all.” For
a while, I refused to believe him. Today, the hilltop farm he gave us is deteriorating,
a 10-acre pawn in the process of falling victim to pig-headedness, greed, and God.
My sister and I haven’t spoken since July. Throughout the never-ending dump
that was 2016, I searched the world for souls whose struggles were far worse than
mine; in learning about them, I thought I might find the inspiration to let go
of my heartache and get back to life, writing, and family. But, while I have
indeed found inspiration, hope remains in amazingly short supply.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I’ve
decided, then, to do my very best to ignore the end of the world and make this the
year I learn to fiddle while Rome burns. That’s not saying I think The Donald’s
thumbprint on the climate change denial button won’t inevitably kick us in the
asteroid, I’m simply saying I intend to be fiddling when it does. (It’s either
that or cry hysterically, and I’m SO tired of waking up with puffy eyes.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I’m
also not saying I have any idea where/how to start this quest. I just can’t be
sad anymore. Sure, my original goal with this shtick ten-plus years ago was to
write novels, but few these days have an attention span beyond the size of a
cat meme, so… I’m thinking there’s no better time for a reevaluation of purpose.
And why not?! The end might be near, but I still have stories to tell. They
just need to be short and have pictures. And I’m certainly not deleting my
Facebook and Twitter accounts. Removing myself from social media won’t make the
big, bad pipelines go away. Flint’s water will still suck. Ice will still melt.
Tiffany’s dad will still be sworn in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Nope,
reality won’t go away. But, there’s nothing that says I can’t greet it brandishing
a feather from atop a beat-up speaker blaring show tunes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">When
you’re finished crying, I hope you’ll pull on your tutu and join me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
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Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">~
Dawn<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span>
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Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-14387837900759450152016-07-17T17:22:00.003-07:002017-01-11T08:54:48.742-08:00New Day, New Look!While black and blue American lives struggle to be heard above political rhetoric, fanatic Islamic terrorists plot their next wave of blood and hate, and Pacific Islanders (and so many others) cry out against rapidly rising tides, I wanted to take a moment to tell you there really is such a place as Camp Happiness. And the people who live there really are happy. And fun. And REAL. And wonderful. It's hard to cry when you're busy singing, hard to doubt when there's always a smile and a hug at the ready, and <i>impossible</i> to hate when you're surrounded by so much love. I wish there was a way to package this *peace* I'm feeling and send it out to everyone; I suspect we could all use a little Camp Happiness vibe right about now.<br />
<br />
All I've got, though, is a new look. And a new name. I can't say I'm sold on the color scheme, yet, but it might grow on me. Regardless, I hope the changes inspire you to poke around more, read more, share more, and - ultimately - love more. No, I don't have a theme here, but I <i>DO</i> write about things most of us care about, like family, music, life, relationships, toddlers, prostitution, NASCAR, and Willie Nelson. I've even mentioned that Kid Rock guy a time or two.<br />
<br />
What I'm trying to say is: If you're looking for a little distraction, there are worse places to be. And I'm happy you're here. :)<br />
<br />
~ Dawn<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY3tU3qzbvKnp2q-P-x73hWKD5l0nLHQOhoEohnpV_ZMP9tDTKI9B06uuPC1br1-F3U3_dxYpWL7lVpyY07cN1HZtg6tJv3GSBr7LIxraGtn_4MUKOa5-ceSVbWBlxcO-3YEUtUtpf0g/s1600/IMG_1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY3tU3qzbvKnp2q-P-x73hWKD5l0nLHQOhoEohnpV_ZMP9tDTKI9B06uuPC1br1-F3U3_dxYpWL7lVpyY07cN1HZtg6tJv3GSBr7LIxraGtn_4MUKOa5-ceSVbWBlxcO-3YEUtUtpf0g/s320/IMG_1337.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-84746924818361871092016-04-27T08:34:00.000-07:002017-12-09T09:30:47.926-08:00What Can I Say...A lot's gone on in my world these past several months. I went from Washington D.C. to Washington state in July to celebrate our family's 8th Annual Hillbilly Luau, discovered my 83-year-old dad was sick, stayed on longer thinking I could make him better, flew home to Florida to catch MagFest at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, flew back to Washington state to help Dad die, lost my mind for a little while, returned to Suwannee for SpringFest, and only recently started to think about packing for my return to the Pacific Northwest next month for Dad's memorial BBQ. What I'm trying to say is, posting to the blog hasn't been the highest priority.<br />
<br />
But, life goes on. Bands of musicians tucked with their gear and support staff into minivans intended for families of four to periodically visit the aquarium or zoo have come and gone. Our peanut celebrated a second birthday. My siblings and I are emerging from the rubble. And, while I haven't been here talking (typing?) to you, I <i>have</i> been somewhat productive in other areas, like keeping the peanut alive while her mommy is at work and ensuring the bigger of the two big dogs made a full recovery after ACL surgery. I've even created memes. Yep, you read that right. The very things I've made fun of - with their stupid pictures and their stupid words - have become tools in my arsenal. Add it to the list of things I said I'd never do, yet suddenly find myself doing.<br />
<br />
All that said, I promise I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Until then, I'll leave you with my last Facebook post:<br />
<br />
Ten years ago, I blogged about boys & girls & sex & relationships. Five years later, I moved on to music & travel & family dynamics. Today, I think I'm gonna need all I learned from those last two eras to get through this next one…<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L_WCNYcUrZc_ne0rTL-pcCKFxgywyt26DSL35PtiLjeYg9CYjwjtAn3wAN7ncG4eiJZ8NO-LVakt7pTu4keIiWfgqACyLlL-g2HhcfZqKB14aTQYSqiGzwavYJRc3RWKu-1S5mqMvLA/s1600/ToddlerBed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L_WCNYcUrZc_ne0rTL-pcCKFxgywyt26DSL35PtiLjeYg9CYjwjtAn3wAN7ncG4eiJZ8NO-LVakt7pTu4keIiWfgqACyLlL-g2HhcfZqKB14aTQYSqiGzwavYJRc3RWKu-1S5mqMvLA/s320/ToddlerBed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-71777426045840178422015-07-11T17:42:00.001-07:002016-07-17T15:13:47.681-07:00Go See D.C.<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“And I wonder…if everything could ever feel this real
forever,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">if anything could ever be this good again” ~ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everlong</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
* * * * *</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Foo Fighters’ 20th Anniversary extravaganza will
go down in history – mine, at least – and not just because Dave Grohl showed up
on a throne; it was the first time attending a concert compelled me to finalize
my Will. Until now, I’d thought only Kid Rock could make me do questionable
things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And, how funny is that? To think, amid the
anticipation and excitement of attending our first Foo Fighters concert, we had
to prepare to die. Now, I’m writing this, so you’ve no doubt deduced I made it out
safely. But, I wouldn’t say I came through the experience wholly unscathed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Washington, D.C. gets in your head. You don’t even
have to visit to form an opinion about the place; it’s our nation’s capitol.
It’s where we house POTUS, where our country’s leaders gather to debate – and
theoretically solve – our country’s problems, and it’s where we keep our
history, from our founding documents to the sometimes towering memorials we’ve dedicated
to the men, women, soldiers, and thinkers who made our slice of civilization
what it is. To tell the truth, while it pisses you off as much as inspires, it’s
a bit overwhelming. I highly recommend it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDzlXqonr8zRcBm53-pwKdIAHmUhHv7YetDakXb1CkQmnKLnfhnObt4hCJHJbvVG0JXUJzgWOmz9ekPbLnkXonh43gU7hP9oJ8Re6IrMuAddVpenmYSFlVi_K3Taqj6XpN-Fy8vHDfOQ/s1600/IMG_0911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDzlXqonr8zRcBm53-pwKdIAHmUhHv7YetDakXb1CkQmnKLnfhnObt4hCJHJbvVG0JXUJzgWOmz9ekPbLnkXonh43gU7hP9oJ8Re6IrMuAddVpenmYSFlVi_K3Taqj6XpN-Fy8vHDfOQ/s320/IMG_0911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">We drove straight through on Wednesday, July 1, allowing
two full days to take in the sights before Saturday’s concert. The Metro carried
us long distances, but mostly we walked – about ten miles a day. Our first stop
was the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution,
and Bill of Rights. Our final stop the following evening was the Jefferson
Memorial. In between, we either walked into or walked by Ford’s Theatre, the
house where Lincoln died, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, a Masonic Temple, the
Smithsonian’s National Art & Portrait Galleries, Library of Congress,
Capitol, White House and Executive Offices Building, Washington Monument and
the National Mall, Memorials for Lincoln, World War II, Vietnam, and the Korean
War, Potomac River, Tidal Basin, and the extraordinarily poignant tribute to
Franklin Delano Roosevelt. To name a few.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkOyfU5pB-h2F8OIIJEssPqH46N6L7dBTI4vGF9hkDTXP0u8rr1lAGUFRPYaWuOa7-LMhCNiYgtbrWuwtOGxELpOyE0ZS0s1gPzamUVYmA7QZ_rFa6iuISlQ8jhsvjUzwNw284B19Fms/s1600/IMG_1141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkOyfU5pB-h2F8OIIJEssPqH46N6L7dBTI4vGF9hkDTXP0u8rr1lAGUFRPYaWuOa7-LMhCNiYgtbrWuwtOGxELpOyE0ZS0s1gPzamUVYmA7QZ_rFa6iuISlQ8jhsvjUzwNw284B19Fms/s320/IMG_1141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">I tipped the street musicians all the cash I had on
me. Scott bought a newspaper from a homeless man. In a median where two major
streets converged, a grove of trees sheltered a long-ago abandoned fountain
adorned with Zodiac signs. On an adjacent bench, next to an overloaded shopping
cart, I noticed someone sleeping beneath a blanket.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We stood in lines at the National Archives for over an
hour, despite bolting for the Rotunda the instant we were cleared to enter the
building. Some whispers claimed the delay was ordered by the FBI. Regardless,
we were glad to have made it our first stop, because the lines weren’t getting
any shorter. I was disappointed to be denied access to “the big room” at the
Library of Congress, but equally honored and humbled to have set foot inside at
all. Next time, I’m going all the way in!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJcZ91EYkIZGoXyIZvQRI9qTaNLlzkk9GtweYN1KK0W-UAET7aE2XGsc3dYr84X5hCrDB0EgXf-palOZXYDDvUCZTxnZH_JBQkcyr5tyOAVWum7mWdl-15WPb7Z8RINfafaNaBtH66A4/s1600/IMG_1845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJcZ91EYkIZGoXyIZvQRI9qTaNLlzkk9GtweYN1KK0W-UAET7aE2XGsc3dYr84X5hCrDB0EgXf-palOZXYDDvUCZTxnZH_JBQkcyr5tyOAVWum7mWdl-15WPb7Z8RINfafaNaBtH66A4/s320/IMG_1845.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">News about the gunman down the street from our hotel
Thursday morning didn’t reach us for a day or two, which made it easy to calmly
and reverently browse the Smithsonian’s collection of Presidential Portraits. At
the Lincoln Memorial, before I could snap the picture I’d been eager to take of
the Reflecting Pool, shouts from a security guard sent everyone scurrying
outside. Law enforcement arrived scary fast, and somebody was quickly hauled
out in handcuffs. Unlike dozens of other onlookers, we didn’t stick around to get
video.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n9D18HVlc078A_bw8Q7dB9W2PBS55uMyGO2U3NHM0O31ENf2rdQEpGTt3cxMtEPHjIpLmNwpQXN9M5soB4varlJ2bidJVv_v4nD37yN5wEf4XmY7AY3JzRmLKaX5mCvuOpYbh3aEhmI/s1600/IMG_1131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8n9D18HVlc078A_bw8Q7dB9W2PBS55uMyGO2U3NHM0O31ENf2rdQEpGTt3cxMtEPHjIpLmNwpQXN9M5soB4varlJ2bidJVv_v4nD37yN5wEf4XmY7AY3JzRmLKaX5mCvuOpYbh3aEhmI/s320/IMG_1131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">Near L’Enfant Square, we caught a glimpse of a nearby,
deteriorating statue, surrounded by grass and discarded food and beverage
containers. The stretch of concrete above I-395 felt like the land that time
forgot. I saw a photographer taking pictures of an overflowing garbage can near
China Town. There were panhandlers everywhere, and so much of the
infrastructure – roads, bridges, buildings – needs serious attention. But,
there are improvements and restorations going on all over, and I’m sure the city
will maintain its grandeur long after we’re all gone. Well, mostly sure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m embarrassed I know so little about FDR; no
Commander in Chief in my lifetime has offered more inspiring words. It’s a
shame we don’t make ‘em like that anymore. A park ranger at the Jefferson
Memorial entertained Scott and other visitors for over thirty minutes, telling
stories about America’s earliest days. Me, I leaned against the pillars,
admired the skyline, and watched the paddle-boaters pedal their way around the
Tidal Basin like slow-motion bumper cars. I was on a Founding Fathers high as
we left, until I spied a seemingly unused tampon, smashed from rain and footfalls
on one of the bottom portico steps. The level of disrespect left me temporarily
dumbfounded. After a couple beers and repeated, internal assurances that someone
was surely on top of the garbage and homeless things, so I didn’t need to get
angry and write my congressman, I calmed down and fell asleep.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTnX4sCNeNh1mOsrb_8b7VuVyna5vCRhced3QYjghucaz5ZacVAVhucxzM2-cNv4y0d_XZa_Ik9gxrXa4piRhXM_BfzgTNSnFIIM-wTUc0hmS-waAi2_COQWqm8tZpyYkNQSgjfCLiOQ/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTnX4sCNeNh1mOsrb_8b7VuVyna5vCRhced3QYjghucaz5ZacVAVhucxzM2-cNv4y0d_XZa_Ik9gxrXa4piRhXM_BfzgTNSnFIIM-wTUc0hmS-waAi2_COQWqm8tZpyYkNQSgjfCLiOQ/s320/IMG_1174.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">And then we went to a concert.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Independence Day. RFK Stadium looks like a lot of
other places in D.C.: like it needs a good pressure washing, a can or twelve of
paint, and a few extra screws. But, I felt safe knowing the National Armory was
next door. On the granite slab that welcomed us, honoring the founder of the
Redskins, someone had affixed a bright red RACIST sticker. Nobody made a move
to rip it off. I found that oddly comforting.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXis8U3QwxlvfgwgDtxS1vFlak3riYM1DS2JT98Z8GRVqoVhqpYdoqDuhAolz2fXp2KssBycUe35r-fC3RN-NjVPOdeVU2oam1WF9cLxGldaueiQHMmepAFf2eOm8AbGFKNCKGbYgQdGo/s1600/IMG_1902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXis8U3QwxlvfgwgDtxS1vFlak3riYM1DS2JT98Z8GRVqoVhqpYdoqDuhAolz2fXp2KssBycUe35r-fC3RN-NjVPOdeVU2oam1WF9cLxGldaueiQHMmepAFf2eOm8AbGFKNCKGbYgQdGo/s320/IMG_1902.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">The lineup was RDGLDGRN (a D.C. band added at the last
minute), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts,
Gary Clark, Jr., Heart, LL Cool J, Buddy Guy, D.C.’s own Trouble Funk, and – ultimately
– Foo Fighters. The sound, specifically the echo, was awful, and I had no room
to dance (but, don’t think I didn’t). Between Joan Jett and Gary Clark, Jr.,
the infield and all uncovered seats were evacuated for over an hour due to nearby
lightning. Smokers were herded to areas closest to the outside air, and garbage
piled up quickly. I mentioned to event staff there were no receptacles up the
ramp. Their reply was, “The whole stadium’s like that,” as if that made
everything okay.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKV3pcRfPHfN-JyyavV0KTHpUx2fayngkeJE7nxeH8es7gd3jwMeeDqQxUFIwS7FSgcfTU1OsDnlLTVe3Z4HHc3TsCmE0RPgb-u2t75mvFx1L8X_EZHmWNUHc9b-Aa3IGHoFKF1vT0L8/s1600/IMG_1943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKV3pcRfPHfN-JyyavV0KTHpUx2fayngkeJE7nxeH8es7gd3jwMeeDqQxUFIwS7FSgcfTU1OsDnlLTVe3Z4HHc3TsCmE0RPgb-u2t75mvFx1L8X_EZHmWNUHc9b-Aa3IGHoFKF1vT0L8/s320/IMG_1943.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="line-height: 150%;">But, the garbage was gone within an hour. And, in the
smoker’s “corner,” I met this really cool chick from Brazil. She’d been in
the country only a month. I shared my cigarettes. She bought me a beer. Our seats
were next to a couple from London, and thankfully one row removed from the downpour,
so we never had to leave our seats. Once allowed back on the field, people
running and sliding in the mud drew huge cheers from the crowd in the stadium. It
was hilarious. And, while the sound did suck, the echo became part of the experience
– which, in the end, was amazing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Picture a wiry, goofy kid playing drums in an
underground D.C. punk band. Imagine his exposure to poverty, homelessness,
racism, drugs, and injustice, all the while surrounded by monuments to
greatness. Imagine him wanting to change the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Let him grow up to play drums in a Seattle band, get
lucky, get paid, reach icon status, then strip it all away when the band’s
front man blows his head off because he can’t take it. Watch the boy fall
apart. Then, watch him rise to his feet, pick up a guitar, and start a new
band, one that – twenty years later – is arguably as big as the first. Let them
build <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sonic Highways</i> and host an
anniversary show unlike any other, where songwriters and musicians from across
the country gather together to celebrate the diverse backgrounds, sounds, and
cultures that define American music. And do it in his hometown, at RFK Stadium.
On the Fourth of Fuckin' July.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And a few weeks before the show, break his leg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Dave Grohl is like RFK Stadium, like D.C., like America:
bruised and broken, but still awesome and inspiring. If you’re an American, you
should consider finding out more about him. And, with or without Foo Fighters
tickets, if you haven’t visited Washington, D.C., you should go. According to
the map, it’s a tiny dot tucked in along the Virginia-Maryland border. But, it’s
a scenic and powerful little place – that happens to belong to YOU, the
citizens of America. If it’s yours, don’t you think you should know more about
it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With very few exceptions, access to the history D.C.
stores for us is free of charge, from the Smithsonian Museums to the National
Archives, so it doesn’t have to cost half as much as Disneyworld. Sure, you
might see things that piss you off. I did. And that’s okay, because, in D.C.,
there’s a good chance you’ll run across something else that alternately moves
you to greatness. I don’t see that as such an awful thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now, run off and go change the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-54875400948688538672015-03-03T15:40:00.001-08:002017-02-23T11:00:47.507-08:00I Am Your River: Part 2<div class="MsoBodyText">
(Continued from <a href="http://dawnscovill.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-am-your-river-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>…)</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From the west
coast, the jam band Displace started making their way through the storm from
Tampa. They were scheduled to go on at 4:00, but they didn’t make it. We’d decided
to move the stage upstairs to the back house, where the equipment would be safer,
and we’d still have enough room for a band and 60 or more spectators, depending
on the weather. We had unplugged everything before the lightning started, and
had secured the cover, thinking we were good. But, water got in, anyway. I
found the microphones in a bag, sitting atop a rain-soaked rug. The speakers
got a little spray, and every electrical cord and power strip we’d gathered and
saved over the past two years got wet. Guests pitched in and brought everything
inside. I blew on the microphones with the cool setting of a hair dryer for 30
minutes. We all prayed for sunshine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We were expecting
over 100 people Saturday night, and had anticipated collecting $2,000 or more.
Instead, the rain changed everything; we started an hour and a half late, lost
more than half our crowd, and spent almost zero time outside, enjoying the
yard, playground, and stage we’d worked so hard to make just right. Everyone
was discouraged, including Josh, whose band mates had deserted him. And then,
after we fed five starving boys from Tampa and scrounged two dry power strips,
the first band played.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtUpY3A97zDaFJiXIN1gy1XbKZ9WCm8586mw6gc_Sjp1ezkbTPvdy24mEXeI2myRmjXds59K42-NDLukYwj-ZKHX05ZJ9zUW2qDXxpMEO6Gq4ekdZfxYz7ltPVFZnMT7K2r4xCP7PbTw/s1600/IMG_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtUpY3A97zDaFJiXIN1gy1XbKZ9WCm8586mw6gc_Sjp1ezkbTPvdy24mEXeI2myRmjXds59K42-NDLukYwj-ZKHX05ZJ9zUW2qDXxpMEO6Gq4ekdZfxYz7ltPVFZnMT7K2r4xCP7PbTw/s1600/IMG_1107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Displace (and guest)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I met Displace and
their manager in my yard in the middle of the night when the neighbors brought
them home following a gig at Guanabanas. (Driving out here with strangers, to
the dark back end of our neighborhood, they were surely terrified.) It was a no
brainer to invite them. It was a thrill to watch them play for almost two hours
in what was essentially our living room. (Loved their “GAS MONEY” jar.) Josh
grabbed a stool and a guitar after the boys loaded up and headed west, and he entertained
the small, intimate crowd of 30-40 for another hour or so. Again, the
atmosphere was electric – magical – and we all sensed we were participating in
something very rare and special.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_gxvw1_P7E14HWA0ad_h9N-hYSjP6PDGBVAct8t6CmJxIVi4x4E-09Eny0kgWd-JY1PbOuKdIPNPXJZ73WVHIAaxbXj3RVqIb3sQTWsE9DWvFIsav75YmqDeDPPfuOgJFKPVHg9tjh8/s1600/IMG_1109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_gxvw1_P7E14HWA0ad_h9N-hYSjP6PDGBVAct8t6CmJxIVi4x4E-09Eny0kgWd-JY1PbOuKdIPNPXJZ73WVHIAaxbXj3RVqIb3sQTWsE9DWvFIsav75YmqDeDPPfuOgJFKPVHg9tjh8/s1600/IMG_1109.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh Hayden of Operative Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Also victims of
the weather, along with a grueling “Driving 95 South” tour, John Eddie and the guys
arrived exhausted and three hours late. Not spying Kenny in the group, I
inquired and learned about his family’s recent loss. My heart sunk, both for
him and for the band as they’d be boarding the Kid Rock cruise without him. (His
replacement, bassist Ethan Pilzer, played with Big & Rich and Jewel.) While
guests helped carry gear upstairs, I welcomed everyone and filled them in on
the changes from previous years. It wasn’t what they’d signed up for, but I
hoped it would suffice, like it had for the previous bands. When the equipment
was inspected, and it was determined the setup wasn’t adequate, we feared JE
wouldn’t play at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But, he did. And
it was the definition of rare and special. Among the twenty or more Kid Rock
cruisers in attendance to witness the acoustic set he and P.K. performed were a
half dozen or so dedicated souls who’d followed JE and the guys all the way
from Jersey. Everyone sang along, and Laura knew every word to every song. She
even brought a huge “who the hell is john eddie?” banner for us to hang before
the show and a huger tray of hamburger cookies, with a side of chocolate and
butterscotch guitars (can you say, mmmm?!). The next day, she sent me this
note:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Thank you so much for having us at your party and into
your home. I know the weather did not cooperate, but we had an awesome time. It
was such a blessing to hear John’s real singing voice without electronics. It
was truly a unique experience. Thank you again.</i></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yR84m-C2Qaz8B2P2nuZ2xArcZhJJGffvbj4E2Y3MxdYYFam4UENlKK9bZofkfZL-u1BA5HCZsDda6VTvABYf1rgFHJJ72nukbe6tJSh8o4tH_vkusUww-rYDrUIzAUiTvMN_zm2MA68/s1600/IMG_1124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yR84m-C2Qaz8B2P2nuZ2xArcZhJJGffvbj4E2Y3MxdYYFam4UENlKK9bZofkfZL-u1BA5HCZsDda6VTvABYf1rgFHJJ72nukbe6tJSh8o4tH_vkusUww-rYDrUIzAUiTvMN_zm2MA68/s1600/IMG_1124.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Eddie and P.K. Lavengood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOGbWF9j1O0_8vfRByIk1QDcNQ5Xlu2gNlSkcHd6J9fVwHMIk73t6MQNXxJoh97zdWa7uHYDDfpJYPVoB7fniJEWZuDZvVh4IzYdqqCkx_WjEKRW76QalbCtSdaAAQtIen-Pai8-pUSQ/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOGbWF9j1O0_8vfRByIk1QDcNQ5Xlu2gNlSkcHd6J9fVwHMIk73t6MQNXxJoh97zdWa7uHYDDfpJYPVoB7fniJEWZuDZvVh4IzYdqqCkx_WjEKRW76QalbCtSdaAAQtIen-Pai8-pUSQ/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"John Eddie Unplugged"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Josh and Displace,
like the prior bands, walked away happy with tips they never expected. Having
agreed to play for donations like everyone else, JE didn’t roll on to Boca to
“entertain the poor people” with much more than gas money, either. But, I was
impressed he stepped up, anyway, and gave us a glimpse of himself that few are
privileged to see. He also walked away with the satisfaction of knowing he’d made
it possible for us to promote interaction between local musicians, help build
their fan bases, expose diverse musical genres to a new audience, and support
Florida musicians who, more often than not, still sleep in the van. I can’t
thank him enough and am very proud to have been a part of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">All that said, the
highlight of my roller coaster weekend happened shortly after the music started
on Saturday afternoon. Peanut’s daddy brought her over for a couple hours, so
she could see music played <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for real</i>. Her
first musical love was Old MacDonald. By the time she reached the ripe age of
six months, she was into James Brown and Donna Summer. Three months ago, she
was mesmerized by Dorothy’s rendition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Somewhere
Over the Rainbow</i>. Lately, she loves <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">First
Kiss</i>, but her new favorite is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I Am a
River</i> by the Foo Fighters; she sings it all the time and often passes out
instruments, so everyone can be in the band.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The band from Tampa
had just started their set inside, in front of the bay window. Peanut was
perched on her daddy’s shoulders as he hustled through the drizzle, ascended
the stairs, crossed the deck, and entered the room. Her little blue eyes were
transfixed. For several seconds, she didn’t move, only stared at the boys
playing all those instruments in her house. Then her arms started to wiggle and
her toes started to tap. When she looked down at me, still with a bewildered
look on her face, I held out her blue and pink light sticks (gifts from a
friend who attended Wanee with us last year). She took one in each hand and
started waving them around. Her eyes twinkled, and she gave me a big grin and a
tickled laugh. Then she wriggled to get down. And that was the end of that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZoldxbJ-cBZwU4Iismap2DojOyygi0SOSYAYZ_vtV1b8U7EJmZpm3UhG6g8nbln5wN5Rn1fO7zsYUXPnmaDLt4umKgABg3KofaiI8W2W8ty-60W9sbPhYUQY8xQJSQK78s7fN4ZwoLA/s1600/IMG_1105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZoldxbJ-cBZwU4Iismap2DojOyygi0SOSYAYZ_vtV1b8U7EJmZpm3UhG6g8nbln5wN5Rn1fO7zsYUXPnmaDLt4umKgABg3KofaiI8W2W8ty-60W9sbPhYUQY8xQJSQK78s7fN4ZwoLA/s1600/IMG_1105.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She spent almost
the entire two-hour set dancing, singing, and playing with the band. And by
that, I mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">directly</i> in front of the
band (scroll up to the Displace photo). If we had allowed her past the extension cords, I’m sure she’d have crawled
on top of Tucker’s base drum. She gazed, she studied, and she hysterically mimicked
their “in the zone” faces (she seemed to really like Sam). I uncovered her ukulele,
lighted tambourine, maracas, and princess keyboard, so she and the other two,
only slightly older girls could join in. When she wasn’t front and center, she
was dancing outside on the deck, or handing instruments to random people. It
was priceless. We literally watched the river flow from the boys to the little
girls.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’ve always known
it, subconsciously, but Dave Grohl helped me find the words: We are all
connected by an invisible, underground river of music – every kind of music. My
grandfather played jazz saxophone; Dad sang silly country songs whenever the
mood struck, and Mom sang along with Dionne Warwick in the car; I played classical
piano, sax, and percussion, with a little vocals thrown in (and I still sing in
the car); my siblings played drums, trumpet, and trombone; my son plays guitar.
Everyone in my family and circle of friends loves music. We turn each other on
to new artists and sounds all the time, and I have met some of the finest
people through those connections. And one person continuously leads me to the
next. Whether we play, produce, promote, or just listen, sing, and share, music
binds us and carries along its current, on to the next connection. At one and a
half, our peanut has already firmly grasped hold of the raft. That makes me the
happiest grandma on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When the party was
over and the final guests had departed, Scott cleaned out the last of our
belongings from the motorhome, climbed into the cockpit, and set a course for
Lorida. I followed some thirty minutes later, tired, sore, hoarse, and almost wishing
I hadn’t had so much fun over the previous two weeks. On the hour and a half
drive, I had time to watch the sun set and reflect. To be honest, I haven’t
been this proud of myself in a while; I not only (FINALLY!) found a way to pay
Josh Hayden a performance fee – he won’t take our money – we supported live,
local music, made new friends, witnessed an amazing transition in our peanut,
and overcame some of the most unexpected and bizarre hurdles the Campground’s
ever encountered. And we did it with style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Everything happens
for a reason. I don’t know why it rained, but nothing would have been the same
if it hadn’t. I don’t know why the same equipment we used last year didn’t work
this year, but the evening wouldn’t have turned out like it did if it had. And,
I don’t know how that beer got from the top of the table to the top of Canada’s
luggage, tucked safely underneath, but…well, I guess there’s no silver lining
to that one. Point is, I believe everything happened as it was supposed to;
good, bad, or indifferent. And, I am a river. Just like Peanut. Just like you.
And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let a few rapids get in the way of flowing on
to the next connection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Listen. Play.
Sing. Dance. Pass it on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFRYeTkgzO5Qe9Q9lRxe91DABB-GNgUxMVa8zJD2qLiBXu_VJgRvmf0-5AHlFejH8hI7-D5OrSUSmhfdkmMS2PzFLWk1-4a6C7nns9qLBQevan9EOJFytEdUBl54pdnAVn-9m82WK_dc/s1600/IMG_1142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFRYeTkgzO5Qe9Q9lRxe91DABB-GNgUxMVa8zJD2qLiBXu_VJgRvmf0-5AHlFejH8hI7-D5OrSUSmhfdkmMS2PzFLWk1-4a6C7nns9qLBQevan9EOJFytEdUBl54pdnAVn-9m82WK_dc/s1600/IMG_1142.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-28026526348208840602015-03-03T14:42:00.001-08:002016-07-18T07:21:01.138-07:00I Am Your River: Part 1<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“There is a river
I’ve found<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Into the wild<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Under the ground<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So here I go.” ~
Dave Grohl<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“Don’t try to
decipher the meaning of things...replace hatred with music.” ~ Lukas Nelson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“If you can’t see
my heart you must be blind.” ~ Kid Rock<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“I’ve got a real
big deck.” ~ John Eddie<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Our 1½-year-old
granddaughter experienced a live music performance for the first time this past
Saturday. And it wouldn’t have happened without Nashville singer/songwriter John
Eddie. While I don’t make a habit of approaching performers on the Kid Rock
cruise – or anywhere else, for that matter – I was impressed with JE and His
Dirty Old Band when we saw him on the boat in 2012, and I just happened to run
into him in a hallway while making a Jack Daniel’s run, so I thought, why not?
To my surprise, he actually took a few minutes of his time to chat, which made
me even more impressed. We bought a CD, I painted a sign for the signpost at
home to direct guests to Scott’s “Real Big Deck” (named after the song), and we
chalked up the experience as another amazing CTM ride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The following
year, after an interesting and unexpected chain of events, JE and his band
kicked off <a href="http://dawnscovill.blogspot.com/2013/03/happy-happy-washie-washie-or-thanks-for.html" target="_blank">CTM4</a> by performing in our back yard. With help from friends, the
neighbors and I built a stage, cleaned up the property, coordinated food,
snagged a local band (Operative Me) who offered to start the show and play free
of charge, and – with only two weeks’ notice – put a Monday night party
together that could only be described as “epic.” In 2014, for CTM5, we roasted
a whole pig, had our neighbors’ oldest sing the National Anthem (she has the
voice of an angel – everybody got chills), brought back Operative Me to open
for JE and the band, and rocked the house again. It seemed only natural to do
it a third time in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8FRCYlzBzJUX4STsQY2BhCJMS_lrQkSWBFD0AR16kT_BTF7oLHA0xfosFr4MN251I63NSR6Xxf1WnYbTgtEfdlh_AedfYTlqIwf5EW6CcArczFECNCKhcywEUUhaQsNX7K2yVDst5Ws/s1600/IMG_7790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8FRCYlzBzJUX4STsQY2BhCJMS_lrQkSWBFD0AR16kT_BTF7oLHA0xfosFr4MN251I63NSR6Xxf1WnYbTgtEfdlh_AedfYTlqIwf5EW6CcArczFECNCKhcywEUUhaQsNX7K2yVDst5Ws/s1600/IMG_7790.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Eddie at the "Scott D. & Dawn E. Scovill Amphitheatre at the Campground," 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now, it’s worth
mentioning that Scott and I haven’t been on a Chillin’ the Most Cruise since
2013. Some might get the impression our interest is waning. It’s quite the
contrary, actually; through Kid Rock, we’ve discovered so many musicians, we
decided to take the money we spend on the cruise and, instead, catch as many
festivals and/or concerts as our schedules allow. Last year, we hit Wanee along
the Suwannee River in Live Oak, SunFest in downtown West Palm, and <a href="http://dawnscovill.blogspot.com/2015/07/go-see-dc.html" target="_blank">Farm Aid</a> in
Raleigh, NC. This year, we’re heading back to SunFest and Wanee (and possibly
Spirit of the Suwannee’s MagFest in the fall), plus we threw in a bucket list
trip on July 4 to Washington, <a href="http://dawnscovill.blogspot.com/2015/07/go-see-dc.html" target="_blank">D.C.</a>, to catch the Foo Fighters’ 20th Anniversary
show, which is a story, in and of itself...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My husband has a
man crush on Dave Grohl. Until last summer, we didn’t know much about him
beyond the fact that he’d played drums for Nirvana (being from the Pacific
Northwest, specifically a town fewer than 100 miles from where Kurt Cobain grew
up, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that). When HBO started promoting the new
series Sonic Highways, our interest was piqued. Before the end of the first
episode, we were converts. By the end of the second, we were worshippers. When
the credits started rolling on the eighth and final episode, I made a silent,
personal pledge to defend Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, and the rest of the band
to the death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">To quote a recent,
brief acquaintance, “I might be bullshittin’ you, but I ain’t lyin’.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Dave Grohl is a badass,
and Sonic Highways – and all the offshoots it bred and will continue to breed –
is a masterpiece. The concept that all music and all musicians from every city are
connected through an underground river of history, sweat, vision, tears,
persistence, and resistance is nothing short of inspiring. It’s also
brilliantly true. For example: The first time we saw New Orleans artist
Trombone Shorty was on a Kid Rock cruise. (To say I love New Orleans is an
understatement.) When Shorty came to West Palm last year, we stood in the rain
to watch him play Green Day’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brain Stew</i>,
and it was the highlight of SunFest for us (yeah, that Kid Rock guy was
alright, too). Learning more about his background on Sonic Highways was a
treat, and we can’t wait to see him again at the July 4 show in D.C. this year
as one of the seven other acts performing with the Foos.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Here’s another
example: John Eddie’s bassist, Kenny Aaronson, has performed and/or recorded
with a gazillion artists, including Joan Jett (also a scheduled performer July
4), Bob Dylan, Billy Squire, Lita Ford, Hall & Oates, and Brian Setzer, and
he even teamed up for a year with Scott’s favorite Red Rocker Sammy Hagar –
along with Journey’s Neil Schon and Santana’s drummer Michael Shrieve – and
toured throughout 1983-84 under the band name HSAS. (Incidentally, for those
who recognize the significance of numbers, I graduated high school in 1983,
Scott graduated in 1984; once you start looking, you discover signs
everywhere.) ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When I learned a
few months ago that John Eddie might come back to the Campground, I took
inspiration from Dave Grohl, Kid Rock, and JJ Grey, a back porch blues performer
from Jacksonville we discovered at South Florida’s Langerado Music Festival in
2007, and grasped the opportunity to invite more local bands to join us.
Thinking at least a couple would decline, I asked four bands: one from Tampa,
three from here in the Palm Beaches. I told them they’d have to play for free,
but I was confident we’d have a crowd, allowed them to bring/sell merchandise, and
I promised to do my best to at least pay their travel expenses. To my
astonishment, all four said yes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Knowing there was
no way we could guarantee a significant crowd for an entire day (and how many
musicians do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> think would be ready
to play at 10am?), we were forced to turn our “OMG Not Another Pre-Pre-CTM
Cruise Party” into a two-day festival. Room and tent reservations started
pouring in. Back in November, when we made plans to borrow Scott’s parents’
motorhome for the Daytona 500, we didn’t realize the weekends were back-to-back,
but – as it turned out – we were very grateful for the extra (dry) beds. For
three months, and with help from the neighbors, local friends, family, and
small contingencies from Michigan and Canada who generously arrived a week
early to help, we clipped, scrubbed, pressure-washed, weeded, painted, groomed,
nailed, glued, and screwed two acres, two houses, a playground, and a pool, all
while managing to keep the baby and the chocolate boys (and their friends) fed and
within the perimeters of the fence. We succeeded most of the time.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWvEC5DYpfWHbbtRrbkjBYwvEAfYT6li9yha8DFQBAiDHXmL2CJIh_d5_Ng7PFUdq17RfvLdXSGNgqZGylrD6YUvubJdaNxqGY_FWKhI6wP9RrpWwoO91by5VHG2JynHXMnQxpdRIw3E/s1600/IMG_0414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWvEC5DYpfWHbbtRrbkjBYwvEAfYT6li9yha8DFQBAiDHXmL2CJIh_d5_Ng7PFUdq17RfvLdXSGNgqZGylrD6YUvubJdaNxqGY_FWKhI6wP9RrpWwoO91by5VHG2JynHXMnQxpdRIw3E/s1600/IMG_0414.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squirrel Hollow & Enchanted Playground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The days between
February 18 and 25 are a blur. My brother Jack and nephew Zachary flew in from
Portland, Oregon, a day late, but we still managed to celebrate too much, stay
up too late, watch a NASCAR race or two, catch a Kid Rock show, and build a
stage in the yard. The Wednesday before our big party, I woke up at 4:30am
(okay 5:22) and wearily drove the boys to the airport and said goodbye. Because
we were expecting three new houseguests that afternoon, I knew I’d have to
clean and/or replace linens in the Blue Room upstairs before they arrived, so I
crawled back into bed after the airport run. Gotta say, though, it’s tough to
sleep when the baby’s screaming outside the door, and you hear distant, far-off
calls for “Rocko!” and “Roland!” indicating the chocolate boys had found
another way out. I put a pillow over my head for a little while. It didn’t
work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By the time I
drudgingly pulled my aching self away from the comfy bed, Canada had already
turned over the Blue Room, and Michigan had done my laundry. I don’t think I
hugged them hard enough. We cleaned (again), re-themed the back house (i.e.,
removed the Daytona memorabilia and switched to CTM stuff), re-stocked the
fridge and coolers, finished weeding the yard, continued with the
pressure-washing, took out the garbage and recycling, washed the windows, mowed
the grass, fed the dog, watched the baby, and marveled that we had only two
days left to prepare for what we hoped would be a bigger, badder, even more
epic party than the previous two. (For the sake of full disclosure, we’ve
actually hosted four pre-pre-cruise parties, but the first was held in Miami,
so it wasn’t exactly the same.) Boy, were we in for a treat!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Our new houseguests
arrived about 4:00, just after I tried to lie down again, and food prep
commenced shortly before Scott got home around 6:30. For two days – armed with
the knowledge and skill of a top rate chef – Scott and his kitchen crew brined,
smoked, baked, pulled, chopped, stirred, sauced, and grilled enough food for a
small army; neighbors and guests helped put the cover on the stage and set up
electrical cords and lighting; our new friend with the beautiful white shepherd
grabbed a shovel and went on poo patrol; I printed up flyers for guests and
signs for the yard, hung banners, scrambled to finish last-minute stuff, guided
the port-o-john truck to the proper location, fed (and repeatedly retrieved)
two retrievers, responded to traveling guests’ questions via Facebook and
phone, and tried my best to keep my blood pressure under control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It rained a little
on Friday, so we held off setting up tents until we needed them, and put the
first guests in the motorhome. Luckily, it wasn’t warm that night, because –
somehow, from the driveway to the yard – the power system shut down, rendering
whoever slept there without lights, water, and A/C. When the first band arrived
and started setting up, a section of the stage collapsed. Luckily, it wasn’t an
area anyone needed, so they made due. (I understand we were also short two
cables, but they made it work.) After they hit the kitchen to get <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">poofed</i> by the “staff,” they hit the
stage. There was still a misty rain, but the crowd had continued to grow,
nonetheless. By 7:00, attendance was at about 30.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoB8hKjtSHyu1xGAeNC_8xWQO0z-Jw2P-Q9NU_T0TLaG_qsU0LwC1W2umdH_HXOybOTvOfzRvUsZKfQi-ezbPNUZdK5T03NAzKwCmWZfuaWG4gFwFsUweFQFyzA_qe6HSESCNU0TuHzI/s1600/DSCN1937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoB8hKjtSHyu1xGAeNC_8xWQO0z-Jw2P-Q9NU_T0TLaG_qsU0LwC1W2umdH_HXOybOTvOfzRvUsZKfQi-ezbPNUZdK5T03NAzKwCmWZfuaWG4gFwFsUweFQFyzA_qe6HSESCNU0TuHzI/s1600/DSCN1937.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First, Last & Always</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Andrew Rodriguez
of First, Last & Always blew us the fuck away. We’ve known Drew since he
was in high school, the older brother of our son’s best friend. We hadn’t seen
him in years, but we keep in touch on Facebook, I knew he had a rock band, and
I thought I’d give him a shot. I’m SO glad I did! After their hour-ish-long
set, Jangle Leg played for another hour or so. Scott and I first heard their
folksy, bluesy sound the night before Thanksgiving last year, when we were
invited by Josh of Operative Me to join them and a few other bands at a small
nearby studio. The skies cleared, the music rocked, and the atmosphere was
electric – with the assistance of the awesome “fairy lights” loaned to us by
our dear friends in North Palm – and, while the bands had agreed to play for
free, enough people threw money their way to give them all ear-to-ear grins. I
was happy.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdnQT69FMHPf2UslGHqAG19Vnmy4SkeSjzLjI-AlbilPcssuzciiEoqePjtUnafDOKD0FTPA47jLXasEg8nxQpMD2AHXpEWYvz7ElUpVBslenTJVj_WubfMJecr9hbZ_M5fvKjFk2MZE/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdnQT69FMHPf2UslGHqAG19Vnmy4SkeSjzLjI-AlbilPcssuzciiEoqePjtUnafDOKD0FTPA47jLXasEg8nxQpMD2AHXpEWYvz7ElUpVBslenTJVj_WubfMJecr9hbZ_M5fvKjFk2MZE/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crowd enjoying Jangle Leg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The weather was
beautiful when we woke up Saturday. There were two tents and four dogs in the
yard, and every room in the house – plus one bed in the motorhome – was full. The
peanut was at her dad’s, and the holes in the fence had been fixed, so the
morning was quiet and leisurely. Guests visited over coffee on the real big
deck, petted the dogs, and made new friends. A really nice biker fixed our
stage. A kind-hearted woman with a beautiful white shepherd picked up a shovel
and embarked on poo patrol. Scott got the motorhome up and running for the rest
of the arriving guests. If you asked anyone around me, I bet they would tell
you I was glowing. And then it started to rain. And it didn’t stop.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEoJRsobapC2pgIK65kX-1jAUFTTccOPRjRYrHkr-grDlZno3W01spNioo2WrEZbzFLVOmrGGZkT0pqI8II9WfzMvLHJ566VSK49wspEqzg91PHaslSrMcsBY-O4W9IZgG-rLxLpEMqA/s1600/IMG_1095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEoJRsobapC2pgIK65kX-1jAUFTTccOPRjRYrHkr-grDlZno3W01spNioo2WrEZbzFLVOmrGGZkT0pqI8II9WfzMvLHJ566VSK49wspEqzg91PHaslSrMcsBY-O4W9IZgG-rLxLpEMqA/s1600/IMG_1095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
(Go to <a href="http://dawnscovill.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-am-your-river-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>)</div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-58756588012316139002014-12-24T07:29:00.001-08:002016-07-18T07:21:12.459-07:005 Minutes of Zen, or How the Dog Ate Christmas<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you’re holding
your breath right now, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Scovill family
Christmas card – along with its clever and humorously presented recap of the
year’s most notable highlights – don’t. It’s not that I’ve forsaken the
practice; I have half a dozen boxes of cards in the closet (that didn’t get
mailed for reasons similar to those I’m about to share), and I sincerely enjoy
the opportunity to reach out and check in with friends and family during the
holidays. But, here in the land of babies and puppies, finding the time to
write, then print, stuff, fold, and lick sixty or more letters is like trying
to wipe cheese off a cutting board. (Give it a shot – good luck!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Long before the
baby dog swallowed a sock and lost a foot of intestine, I started editing a
manuscript for a writer friend. I figured it’d take me a few weeks, maybe a
month. That was mid-July. Later that month, a few days before flying to Seattle
for my family’s annual BBQ, I lost my bottom front tooth. While it certainly
would have been both appropriate and hilarious, I chose not to attend the
Hillbilly Luau without it, so the dentist re-glued it to the wire he’d
installed the previous year (to stabilize the two front teeth that have been
loose since childhood), handed me a scrip for antibiotics and the number for a
good oral surgeon, and sent me on my way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Roland was
scheduled for neutering in early August, a month before his first birthday. We
were looking forward to it, because we hoped it would curb his interest in
jumping the fence and trying to play with every dog that walked by. For me, the
interruptions – stop what I’m doing, grab the leash, chase down the dog, etc. –
were merely annoying and counterproductive. The people walking their dogs,
however, were seriously not impressed; if two “giant,” “viciously” barking
chocolate Labradors sped toward you from across the yard, and the smaller,
sixty-pound “baby” hurled himself over the fence and started running toward
you, how many layers of clothing would YOU have to change? But, after determining
our vet was too expensive, I cancelled the appointment and hopped online to
make him a new one at a cheaper facility. Lucky for me, their earliest availability
was in October, so I had plenty of time to edit and start the pre-extraction
process with the oral surgeon…when I wasn’t chasing down the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Okay, maybe
“plenty of time” isn’t exactly right; sometime in the blur of
July-August-September, our daughter got a second, part-time job working
evenings and weekends. She had a sitter for her day job, Monday through Friday,
so I didn’t mind the occasional peanut-sitting duty. (Actually, I like it more
than I’m willing to admit.) About a week into her new schedule, she lost her
full-time, day job, so she added more nights and weekends. (We haven’t had a
Sunday to ourselves in months.) Then, sometime in August, the neighbors brought
home a band – as in, they were out and about, ran into a band that needed a
place to stay, and invited them to the Campground – and, while I was cleaning
the upstairs guest room bath (at around 11pm), I discovered a little, black
“caterpillar” growing on the floor next to the shower. I snapped a picture,
cleaned it up, and the band had an enjoyable stay, but I urged Scott to take a
look at the floor at his earliest convenience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So, anyway…the
black mold issue was the first thing that kicked me out of my office. That was
sometime in September. I think. Also in September, Scott and I made a
last-minute decision to drive to Raleigh, NC, to attend Farm Aid for the first
time and visit our friend, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anita</i>. At
home, Roland spent most of his time in the kennel, because no one was here to
chase him down. Family visited for a long weekend at the end of the month when
we celebrated the peanut’s first birthday. Roland went under for his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">snip-snip </i>on October 2; he jumped the
fence the following day – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with</i> the
cone of shame. Then he developed an eye infection. Then an ear infection. Then
he gave both to Rocko.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I started
peanut-sitting 4-6 days every week – minus alternating weekends, except when
there’s a Dolphin’s game – but, somehow (miraculously) knocked out that first
editing job. Of course, I immediately started another, just before the oral
surgeon pulled FOUR front teeth and inserted two implants…seven days before
Thanksgiving. I was most grateful for the extension Scott added to the fence,
so the baby dog couldn’t clear it, anymore. Once the bathroom floor was
“excavated,” and I was convinced the mold was gone, I moved myself back
upstairs into my office. It was a blissful two days. Then, the Friday after
Thanksgiving, we discovered the dogs had gotten into an opened bag of organic
bone meal for the garden. Rocko was a little lethargic, but Roland couldn’t
move. I was peanut-sitting and nursing a still sore mouth, so Scott rushed the
little boy to the vet; then he transported him to the ER on a stretcher. Our
vet and the ER clinic were awesome, but we worried he might not make it through
the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Amazingly, the
baby dog came home the following day, none the worse for wear. He and Rocko
were normal, playful, perpetually starving dogs all day Saturday. Then, Sunday
morning, Roland ate a sock. It wasn’t his first; we’ve been finding “sock poos”
(“glove poos,” “bikini top poos”) in the yard for months. And we didn’t know
right away – we learned after surgery on Monday afternoon. He spent four days
in the ER. When we brought him home, he had 27 staples, his meds/feeding
schedule was crazy, he was required to be on a leash at all times for two weeks,
and by NO means was he allowed to do stairs. (That was the second time I got
kicked out of my office.) I set up a temporary desk beneath my actual one,
downstairs in the East Ball Room, so I could keep working. Two days before his
staples were removed, Roland developed a stomach acid problem. We still have to
feed him special food, one spoonful at a time, or he’ll throw it up. We’re
hoping our vet bills will soon be finished raining down. Which reminds me…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Last Thursday was
my only peanut-free day last week, so – since I finished the second editing job
the previous day – I planned to (finally!) decorate, shop for gifts, and put
together the “Hillbilly Highlights” calendar I started sending the family up
north every year. Unfortunately, my plans changed when the peanut’s mommy got
called in to work on her only day off. I was near tears with frustration. Then,
Friday morning, she got another call, telling her not to go in that day. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can I get a hallelujah?! </i>It was 11:30am,
I grabbed my car key, put the baby dog in the kennel, and headed out to shop
for an hour, so I could FINALLY be somewhat ready for the peanut’s first “real”
Christmas. Picking up Roland’s food at the vet, first (so I didn’t forget,
later), I rolled down the windows, cranked up Foo Fighters’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sonic Highways</i>, and basked in the
freedom and the cool but sunny Florida day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Twenty minutes
into my first stop, the vet called. They asked how Roland was doing. I said, as
long as we fed him small amounts, he didn’t throw up. The tech on the phone
asked me to hold while she consulted with the doctor, then she came back on the
line and said, “She’s concerned he’s still vomiting, wants to run tests on his
esophagus, and needs you to bring him in immediately…” Maybe, if I could get
more sleep around here – get more work done, find time to relax, stop feeling
like my life is remote-controlled by someone/something else – I might have
handled the disappointment better. Instead, I paid the cashier for the few
things I’d found, walked to my car, and cried all the way home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I stay up later
than I should at night, because it’s the only time I spend with my husband; I
wake up earlier than I should, because babies and puppies can’t be ignored. I
had big dreams and good intentions for Christmas this year: wanted to send
cards and letters, because it’s been too many years since the last time; wanted
to spruce up the yard, because I’d hoped to surround the family with beauty; wanted
to get all those boxes of baby things to the post office, because the kids back
home can really use them (and soon); wanted to spend time with my son, picking
out local and organic gifts, because we like to do that and can’t get our paths
to cross much these days; wanted to get that calendar done and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> wanted to put something under the
tree, because it’s Christmas! But, we don’t always get what we want.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Roland stayed at
the vet for testing while I detoured for lunch (and a shot and a beer) and finished
shopping at the first place I’d stopped. He wasn’t ready when I returned to
pick him up, so I sat in the exam room and waited. And waited. And, eventually,
nearly fell asleep. Besides the dentist chair, it was the closest to “peaceful”
I’d felt in months. Three hours later, the baby dog and I returned to the
Campground. It was 7 o’clock. I told Scott the tests didn’t show any damage to
his esophagus, but we still needed to be careful feeding him, and he has to go
back if the problem continues. I told him about the “5 minutes of Zen” I’d had,
too, before Roland was brought in to wait with me. He didn’t ask why when I
started to cry again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I have another
editing job waiting for me after Christmas, and I’m disgustingly far behind on
too many things. Until I’m able to dive in, though, I plan to step away from my
office, spend time – on purpose – with my family and our favorite chocolate
boys, and remind myself how fortunate I am to be wanted and how lucky I am to
be able to be there when I am. Yes, the peanut will wake up soon, and I’ll have
to stop typing and put on my grandma hat; yes, the baby dog needs another
spoonful of food; yes, Scott’s probably whipped up something incredible in the
kitchen and stopped waiting (impatiently) for me to walk downstairs and eat;
and, yes, I still have to manage one last trip to the store for gifts. But, in
the last two weeks, alone, we learned our dear friends from Seattle split after
26 years, a delightful and charming friend left behind a devastated family
after an unexpected heart attack, and another friend was diagnosed with breast
cancer. No matter how overwhelming my world becomes, I’m reminded regularly
that there will always be someone out there with taller hurdles than mine; they
need my strength, not my sense of defeat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In reality, the
land of babies and puppies is as wonderful as it is chaotic this year. When our
peanut smiles, she lights up the room. Watching the chocolate boys nap
side-by-side and run in the yard, again, after so many weeks of confinement and/or
separation, warms my heart. And the same family that drives me to drink is the
one I can’t live without. This Christmas, I hope you take time to appreciate
the many things for which you can be grateful, hope you’re wanted and able to
be there when you are, and hope you find your own five minutes of Zen amid the
chaos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Believe there is
good in the world – then be the good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And have a very Merry
Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With Much Love ~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-25383096727417582502014-10-08T07:31:00.000-07:002016-07-17T14:52:28.929-07:00Go Hate Darrin Willhite<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I voted for Barack
Obama because he was black. I thought, by electing a black leader, we could end
racism. (How ironic – hypocritical, naïve – is that?) I thought other countries
might see the gesture as progressive and forgive us for being dicks throughout
the previous administration. I might have voted for McCain had the soccer mom
he was saddled with for a running mate not been an illiterate nut job. I could
have punched the hole (again) for Nader, or could have written in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavy_Gravy" target="_blank">Wavy Gravy</a> or
<a href="http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.4725373/k.A227/A_letter_to_Presidentelect_Barack_Obama_from_Willie_Nelson.htm" target="_blank">Willie Nelson</a> - not that my vote counts; I live in Palm Beach County. But, Obama was eloquent and charismatic and, unlike candidates
of color in previous years, he seemed to actually have a chance at claiming The
Job. I thought he had courage. He promised change, and I believed him. I also
believed, if he followed through with his promises, he’d be shot before the end
of his first term. That could have made him a saint – at least a martyr. We all
saw how that turned out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I didn’t vote for
him (or anyone) again, because he didn’t change a damn thing. As our country’s
first POTUS of color, he certainly had the attention and the opportunity. Turns
out, the political “Divide and Conquer!” mentality of R’s and D’s is much
deeper, wider, and more convoluted than I thought. Our politicians are puppets at best. All are liars. Some are criminals. Maybe Obama knew, if he made the
important, unpopular decisions, he really WOULD be shot. Maybe it was fear that
kept him from changing the world. Or maybe the perks of playing along really
ARE worth the sacrifice of a nation. Not that it matters; until “None of the
Above” makes it on the ballot, I’m considering staying home on election day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Some say I’ve
grown cynical. Personally, I think a more accurate description would be
disgusted. Our country is being run (into the ground) by <a href="http://www.voltairenet.org/article174176.html" target="_blank">greedy corporate dirtbags</a>, and we just keep slurping our Frappuccinos and gnawing on our <a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/disgusting-ingredients-in-mcdonalds-burgers.html" target="_blank">Big Macs</a> and Cheesie Poofs and letting it happen. WE, the people, with a little
research, ingenuity, and sacrifice, have the power to regain some balance and
stability here, we just don’t seem to have the interest. Why is that? Are we
truly so self-absorbed with fantasy football and/or busy prepping for “the big
one” we’ve forgotten to take precautions to ensure “the big one” doesn’t hit? Don’t
get me wrong; I see all the Facebook and Twitter posts about rights and freedoms and Wall
Street and Benghazi, so the bulk of you are neither ignorant nor dispassionate.
I worry, though, that we’ve taken ourselves – specifically our political and
religious beliefs – too seriously, and to everyone’s detriment. For example: While
we debate about climate change (global warming, cycles of the earth, whatever
it’s called today), <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/01/new-satellite-maps-show-polar-ice-caps-melting-at-unprecedented-rate" target="_blank">ice caps</a> are melting, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDjWXcFaFDw" target="_blank">islands</a> are sinking, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/13/cairo-snow_n_4441049.html" target="_blank">snow</a> is falling
in the desert, and drinking water <a href="http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/30/four-guys-and-boat-tackle-texas-sized-water-proble/" target="_blank">reservoirs</a> all over the globe are drying up.
Instead of debating its existence, whether because it goes against God or
Republicanism, we SHOULD be scrambling for ways to <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140508-drought-california-water-shortage-conservation/" target="_blank">deal</a> with it. Not everything
is a debate; sometimes the truth is just the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Here’s another
example: We say we love our country, but we keep electing Republicans and
Democrats – two parties PROVEN time and again to be narrow-minded and corrupt. As
evidenced by that first sentence up top, I’m just as guilty as the next guy,
partially due to lack of research (i.e., laziness), partially due to the fact
that there’s not often an alternative. As I get older, however, and as I watch
our country sink further into the cluster fuck of no return, I’m thinking
there’s gotta be a better way. Instead of blindly supporting a color – be it
red, blue, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or black</i> – maybe it’s time
we support our country and its people by electing leaders who won’t cater to
whichever special interest group offers the biggest perks and will actually
lead us out of the mess we’re in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
“How do we do
that?” you might ask. And I’d be glad you did. For starters, you can go hate
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/darrin.willhite?fref=ts" target="_blank">Darrin Willhite</a>. He’s tons smarter and more informed than I am. He’s also a
dear friend and former next-door neighbor who recently started a <a href="http://realpoliticalconversations.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">political blog</a>
that’s straightforward, intelligent, and bound to piss someone off. You can
also make a pledge to yourself to start using this Internet thingy for more
than Facebook and Words With Friends and, maybe once each week, Google a new
question like, “Who are my <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2014/08/my-choice-for-president-in-2016/" target="_blank">choices</a> for Governor/President/District Court
Judge?” or “How can I <a href="http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_100_Ways_Make/" target="_blank">make a difference</a> in my community?” Most importantly, use
your head; look around you, talk to your friends and family, ask yourself
what’s wrong, and get involved in the efforts to make this a better place. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Change starts at
the bottom - that means it starts with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">C’mon: Be the
change…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-90335404302061962122014-09-16T18:00:00.000-07:002016-07-17T15:15:04.806-07:00Get Off My Tractor!<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neil Young is
pissed, and you should be, too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why?” you ask.
“He’s an angry, old hippie. What is it THIS time? The government? Evil
corporations? Is Big Brother coming to get me? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pffft</i>. Whatever it is, it’s all blah, blah, blah.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Except…it’s not.
America really is dying. Look around you. When I was a kid, we used to joke
about the worthlessness of Canadian money. Ask a Canadian about OUR money
today. We used to pack a lunch and sit down for a home-cooked dinner. Kids played
outside and got fresh air and exercise. One paycheck supported a household. The
rest of the world applauded us. Water was FREE!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Were “the good ol’
days” perfect? Hell no! There was plenty for Neil Young to be pissed about
then, too; racism, sexual inequality, war, poverty, homelessness, and political
corruptness were rampant. And I think that’s the heart of it: we’ve taken steps
in the right direction, to be sure (women and people of color can vote, whiskey
and abortions are legal, the peaks of Washington and Colorado are both
literally <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> figuratively high), but
– in our country’s history – we haven’t really resolved a damn thing. Add a
crumbling infrastructure, failing public assistance and educational systems,
epic dependence on foreign oil, rapidly diminishing domestic resources, and the
slow demise of small business at the hands of gargantuan super conglomerates,
and you (we) have a BIG problem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somebody needs to
do something about something.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1985, in response to a comment Bob Dylan made during Live Aid, two angry
hippies and the poster child for the American Heartland decided to do what they
could about an issue that effects all of us, so they gathered a bunch of blues,
rock, and country friends and – with only six weeks’ preparation – performed a
benefit concert in Champaign, Illinois, to support America’s farmers. They
called it Farm Aid. Over 50 bands/entertainers stepped up to help, including
Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys, Bon Jovi, John Denver, Foreigner, and B.B. King.
Van Halen even debuted their new singer, Sammy Hagar. Attendance was around 80,000.
They raised $9 million. Neil, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp thought they
were done. Turns out, family farms in America needed way more help than anyone
thought…(excerpts from <a href="http://farmaid.org/">FarmAid.org</a>):<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1985: To compete with exponential growth of large scale, industrial
“factory farms,” and after decades of advancing technology had already forced
them to “trade horses for tractors,” record numbers of family farms reported
record amounts of debt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1991: Following a devastating drop in market prices, dairy
farmers organized around the country in an effort to survive<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1992: Farmer’s Home Administration sent out 40,000
foreclosure notices to troubled farms; every five farms that closed took one
small business with them<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1993: Heavy rains in the Midwest caused the Mississippi and
Missouri rivers to overflow, swallowing entire towns; thousands of families
were homeless; eight million acres of crops were destroyed, 20 million acres
were damaged [Note: this was also the year the FDA approved the use of rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) to speed the production of milk]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1994 & 1995: For two years in a row, our country lost
over 500 farms a week; Ernest Krikava, a 60-year-old Nebraska farmer, was
sentenced to prison for illegally selling his hogs during his farm's bankruptcy
proceedings – the family had no food for themselves, their hogs were starving,
and the bank refused to release funds to operate the farm; Krikava was later
pardoned by President Clinton, due in part to the advocacy work of Willie
Nelson and Farm Aid<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1996 & 1997: A string of natural disasters, including a
drought in the Great Plains, Hurricane Bertha in the Carolinas, blizzards,
floods, and late frosts dealt substantial blows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1998: Ice storms in the Northeast and drought in Oklahoma
and Texas contributed to the most devastating year for farmers since Farm Aid
began in 1985; factory farm production continued to foster an enormous inequity
in market pricing; Willie Nelson stated, "In rural America, the farm
economy is the economy. If we don't pay attention right now to what's happening
to farmers, we're not just going to lose them, we'll lose the thousands of
schools, businesses, and churches that depend on family farming for their
survival."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1999: Farm Aid is held near Washington, D.C., where hundreds
of farmers rallied to protest the "Freedom to Farm" bill, in place
since 1996; the bill had resulted in record profits for multinational grain
traders and big food manufacturing companies, while leaving family farmers
bankrupt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll stop
there... Okay, one more quote: In 2007, Farm Aid became “the first major music
event to serve local, organic and family-farm foods at concessions and
backstage. The concessions ingredients were local, organic and/or sourced from
family farms. Concert-goers also enjoyed Farm Aid's first HOMEGROWN Village,
which offered hands-on interactive experiences with family farmers and
sustainable family-farm practices.” In Raleigh this past weekend, I had the
most amazing, baked-that-morning “apple hand pie”! Our friend said it
was the best food she’d ever seen at a concert. <i>Amen!</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I grew up
on a small farm, and Farm Aid has been on my “bucket list” since its inception.
At the time, I was 20 years’ old, broke, and freshly-moved to the San Francisco
area after leaving rural Washington state to “find myself.” A few years later,
I moved with Scott to Florida. Because the concert is held in a different city
every year, and those cities tend to be near the center of the country, where
farming is more prevalent, it hasn’t been a convenient trip. Until this year. You
can find reviews online, and a lot of the concert is available on YouTube, so
I’m not giving you a play-by-play. But, I’ll say this: for many, it was merely
a concert; for me, it was a pilgrimage, a kind of rediscovery or reclaiming of
my roots. It felt surreal being there. Some things, I’ll admit, were
disappointing (after 28 years, you’d think organizers would have figured out
how to open the gates on time). Some things were a surprise (I never expected
to enjoy – and want more of – a band called “Insects vs Robots”). Many things,
however – especially people – were inspiring; Willie kicked off the event with
a welcome song that included Native American dancers; in the grass, we sat next
to an elderly man with a walker who’d just lost his wife this year (he shared
his all natural gummy bears, we shared our contraband); and Lukas and Micah
Nelson sent me over the edge, making it impossible for me not to (finally) fall
in love with Neil Young.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My dear
friend, folk musician Robin Stuckert, would have been so proud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It didn’t
happen instantaneously. I already respected and admired him, not only because
of his history and iconic status, but because Robin loved him and I loved
Robin. (Incidentally, Robin despised Kid Rock, but I had him coming around
toward the end.) Neil came on late, after everyone had been partying since
noon. When he rolled into his rant about family farms and how it was OUR job,
our DUTY to support them, I felt the crowd pull away. Seated up on the lawn, a
few people were respectfully paying attention, but we were largely surrounded
by drunks and young people who’d come for Delta Rae and Jack White and,
therefore, didn’t give a shit. There was so much chatter, it was hard to hear
him toward the end. That pissed me off. I wanted to tell everybody to SHUT THE
HELL UP AND LISTEN! His message was why we were all there, for crying out loud.
But, they wouldn’t have listened; they would have called me a bitch, told ME to
shut the hell up, their conversations would have continued – only louder – and I
would have walked away the bad guy, having tainted somebody’s good time.
Instead, I enjoyed the rest of the concert, drove home to Florida, and spent a
day on my computer, researching Farm Aid and the plight of America’s family
farms. My conclusion: Shit is fucked up and bullshit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To recap:
Every five farms that close take one small business with them; in ‘94 and ‘95,
the U.S. lost over 500 farms every week. (I didn’t want to do the math, but I
also didn’t think I’d need to.) I skimmed through current statistics to offer
you an update, but they were so depressing, I stopped. In a nutshell,
large-scale factory farms have all but annihilated the family farm. That
matters – to me, to you, to ALL of us – because family farms grew small fields
of healthy, ACTUAL food, where factory farms grow mammoth fields of genetically
and chemically modified VERSIONS of food. Why and How did this happen? I’ll
break it down for you:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BIG CHAIN STORES --> BIG SUPPLY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or (for
those who need more specifics):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">McDONALD'S --> BIG LAND + CHEMICALS - QUALITY =
GARBAGE</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or (for shits and giggles):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GARBAGE IN --> GARBAGE OUT</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’re
welcome to substitute any (make that ALL) fast food and/or unreasonably large
chain stores for McDonald's (like Walmart, for example). With few exceptions, their offerings
are toxic. Why? Because they purchase fruit, vegetables, and meat on a scale we
can’t fathom, forcing suppliers to produce on an otherwise impossible level.
And they’ll keep doing it as long as we keep buying it. Other countries have
banned GMO and other chemically treated foods. So, why are WE still sucking it
up? Have you checked health statistics lately? Don’t you think, maybe, if we
stopped buying and eating foul shit, we’d stop getting sick? Huh? How do YOU
feel today?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’re
still with me, let me share a few other things, too: In 1935, with a population of 127 million in the U.S., family farmers operated 6.8 million farms and supplied nearly 100% of the market; by 2007, with a population of 300+ million, there were only 2.2 million farms; most recent statistics show 1% of the population claims “farming” as an occupation (2% report living on farms); of
that 1%, only 45% claim farming as their “principal” occupation; 2% of farms
are considered factory farms, and they control 89% of the market; Monsanto controls
90% of the seeds…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could get
all anti-political here and bring up laws our crooked leaders have passed in
favor of factory farming, but that’s a lot of research, I won’t like what I find,
and I’m already mad. I could dig more into Monsanto, too, and lobbyists and
fracking. I could easily tie in the big pharmaceutical companies
who keep factory farms in business by helping us “manage our symptoms.” But, if
I went too far, I’d disappoint Neil Young and get off message. And the message
is this: <a href="http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723709/k.82C7/Find_Good_Food.htm" target="_blank">BUY LOCAL</a>. Make a pledge TODAY to substitute every other trip to the
big chain store with a trip to the farmer’s market, the neighborhood butcher,
or the corner bakery. If you can’t swing every other trip, try every third or
fourth. When you go to the county fair, take a detour off the midway and visit
the agricultural tent. Throw money in the donations buckets for the kids in FFA
and 4H. Choose restaurants that source their meat and produce from local and/or
organic growers. And go to Farm Aid (just be sure to bring your appetite!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somebody
needs to do something about something. And that somebody is you. Do what you
can. Choose fresh. Choose organic. Buy local.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlarBMV_Kp3bsPild1JV_0DcU_ZvilW1Ac5qHHlLKQRbuHQvODKrxYWMj5uOWrdY6iLI4cQE5YHb26HbN2YtbON-hhSHGDOzI68i3lWusTSWer18xqEw3lLEwgTRR60lshDd2uoRj_44/s1600/IMG_9708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlarBMV_Kp3bsPild1JV_0DcU_ZvilW1Ac5qHHlLKQRbuHQvODKrxYWMj5uOWrdY6iLI4cQE5YHb26HbN2YtbON-hhSHGDOzI68i3lWusTSWer18xqEw3lLEwgTRR60lshDd2uoRj_44/s1600/IMG_9708.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources: Wikipedia
(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farm_Aid" target="_blank">Farm Aid</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_farm" target="_blank">Family Farm</a>), <a href="http://farmaid.org/">FarmAid.org</a>, <a href="http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/demographics.html" target="_blank">EPA.gov/Agriculture</a>, Huffington Post
(“<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/hormones-in-food-should-y_n_815385.html" target="_blank">Hormones in Food: Should You Worry?</a>”)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. To
honor the struggle of America’s family farms, I'm challenging all my friends on Facebook and Twitter to
share this post. It’s my hope that all readers will consider pitching in any
way they can. To all who do, you have my most sincere thanks. ~ D</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-24301672753221578102014-08-12T16:22:00.000-07:002016-07-17T14:54:16.048-07:00Today, I Cry<div class="MsoNormal">
We don’t cry for the dead. We cry for the living. Specifically,
we cry for ourselves. John Belushi, Jim Henson, Madeleine Kahn, George Carlin,
Gilda Radner, Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams… They made me happy, made me
think, opened my mind to other perspectives, and taught me things I didn’t know
I was learning, all while making it all look easy. I never met any of them, in
person, but felt a bond or kinship with each of them, nonetheless. They were more
than entertainers on a TV screen, they were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">exceptionally
funny and clever</i> entertainers whose influence directly contributed to the
adult I am today. Their deaths were painful. Yes, we can watch hours of
recorded moments on YouTube, but – once they’re gone – there can never be another
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">next</i> moment. So, we cry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At least, with entertainers, we have their bodies of work to
honor their memory. With ordinary folks, like family and friends, we aren’t often
so lucky. Maybe they wrote or recorded a few things. Maybe somebody took an old
home movie, somebody else shot a short video. Mostly we’re left with a photo album
or two and whatever images and stories we carry within us. Over time, even
those disappear. It makes me wonder, then, what it is that we leave behind in
this world. We work so hard to build things, raise children, touch lives, and
leave a legacy. In the end, it’s not even up to us; the preservation of our
memory ultimately lies with those we leave behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every time I visit a House of Blues, I seek out the “altar
to Jake” and down a shot with a friend. I never miss the opportunity to let a
Muppet make me smile. Whether entertainers or ordinary folks, my heroes live on
through me: I have my grandfather’s dedication to family; my mother’s words
echo in my head and out my mouth almost every day. Every joke I share – every
story I tell – keeps their legacies alive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s up to you and me to preserve the memories of our
heroes. Do them proud. Share the “7 Words You Can’t Say On Television” with
your friends and your children. Show them how they can entertain themselves for
hours with nothing more than a box full of hats. Teach your girls it’s okay to
be pretty AND smart AND funny AND talented AND still laugh at themselves. And teach
your boys it’s okay to cry; some heroes are worth a few tears.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RIP, Robin Williams. I hope Jonathan was waiting for you on
the other side … with a box of hats.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
~ Dawn<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-21636408524941740222014-07-15T15:47:00.003-07:002016-07-17T15:13:03.594-07:00Life: One Kick in the Nuts After Another<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">[<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Final edit at 6:08pm, accompanied by a tall
glass of Jack and water over ice…]</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m tired of being
optimistic. Tired of smiling and pretending I have any influence, at all, on
what happens next in my world and that everything’s going to be okay. Because I
don’t, and it’s not. Our lobbyist-run government is corrupt, our politically
divided country is full of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sheeple</i>,
and our flat, over-sized televisions spew a thousand channels of shamelessly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">over-commercialed</i> garbage. Cities,
towns, and entire islands all over the globe are disappearing under rising
tides. Economies (including ours) are crumbling. Human trafficking, slavery,
organized crime, poverty, child abuse, torture, terrorism, and war exist – will continue to exist – everywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With advances in
technology, and one-click access to more information than probably every other
generation before us, combined, you’d think we’d get better at solving the
world’s problems. Instead, phones, tablets, pads, and the mindless games and
activities over which we obsess have taught us to look down instead of out and
inward. We see it as multi-tasking. We think we know ourselves – and each other
– but we don’t. We pop in headphones, link to WiFi, and think we’re connected,
but we’re not. Social networking is, in fact, making us anti-social. We tweet
our “Check in” at Applebee’s or click “Like” on a friend’s photo of a kitten pushing a smaller kitten in a tiny, red shopping cart and call it “communicating,” while eating lunch surrounded
by people doing the same thing. Our “Friends” lists are growing, but our
vocabularies are shrinking, and our attention spans are getting shorter. I’d
say that’s far from advancement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">As a novelist, I
find it all discouraging. What, exactly, does one write about when the world
clearly doesn’t give a damn about anything worth writing about? And, given the
dwindling number of people willing/able to sit down and read for more than
three minutes at a time, where do I find the motivation to produce material for
an audience that doesn’t exist? I have enough trouble drumming up readers for a
blog post that took a day and a half to write (this one, for example), what’s
the point in spending two to five years crafting a story only three hundred
people will read, half will pay for, and fewer will review and/or recommend to
friends? (Not that I’m ungrateful for those of you who DO buy, read, comment,
share, and keep coming back; if YOU didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be here bitching
there aren’t more of you.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The only reason
I’ve been able to publish two novels, two short stories, and six magazine
articles – and (poorly) maintain a blog – is because my husband makes it
possible. I’d hoped to ultimately repay his support and sacrifice by justifying
my existence (sporting a substantial ROI, if you will). After ten years, I’m
not only NOT making a living, I can’t even cover my vices. Though I’ve
certainly reveled in the hundreds of copies sold and the tens of dollars I’ve pocketed
in royalties, I’ve arrived at a crossroads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ten years, people
– TEN! That’s a fucking DECADE of fighting for time to sit on my ass, stare at
blank pages, and make up stories, while Scott schleps off to work every day, so the bills
can get paid. I’ve persisted through the death of my mother, accidental and
suicidal deaths of dear friends, at least half a dozen hurricanes, countless
arguments and/or serious misunderstandings with my children and siblings, two
near divorces, and a lightning strike to the house that wiped out cable,
Internet, and half the sprinkler system. I nearly died in ’08 from poor
nutrition and exhaustion! And yet, I have little more to show for all that
persistence than a small shelf of books and magazines that collect more dust
than royalties, a blog maybe twelve (wonderful) people read, and a husband who’s overwhelmed and out of patience. I don’t
want to think about what the next ten years might bring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Why am I doing
this?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My next project is
supposed to be an historical novel that incorporates the origins of
firefighting with the history of the Knights of Malta, the eternal clash
between Christians and Muslims, and the importance of family and community. The
themes are dear to me, and the topics seem relevant and interesting. But, every
time I sit down to write, I think, “Aside from the luxury of being at home and
available for family, friends, and the occasional crisis (aka, kick in the
nuts), what GOOD am I doing?” I’m not making money, creating jobs, or changing
the world. I’m not even changing attitudes about anything important, like
foreign relations, genetically modified food, the destructive natures of religion
and monogamy, benefits of recreational marijuana, pitfalls of vanity and greed,
and the very basic need for real, human contact. How do I justify – every day –
the hours (days, years) it takes to write a book about people who don’t exist,
doing things that didn’t happen, when my husband resents me and the world is
going to hell? Surely, you can grasp my dilemma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If you don’t hear
from me for a while, blame Willie and Lukas Nelson. Might as well throw Kid
Rock in there, too, since we’re throwing blame around (on everyone but ME, of
course, because I’m brilliant, faultless, and totally free of personal
responsibility – try saying THAT to yourself in a mirror without laughing…or
crying). Through their actions, as well as their music, they’ve inspired me to do
well AND do good. I want to make a difference. I want to change the world. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MY</i> world, anyway. A successful novelist
might be able to pull that off, but the simple fact is: I’m a housewife in
Jupiter. Yes, I still believe in my work and my ability, and I couldn’t stop
writing if I tried. But, until I reach more people and sell more books than
Paris Hilton and her dog, I’ll go on being nobody in the world of readers and writers. And no one
will listen. Rather than waste more energy being optimistic and plod forward as
merely an aspiring novelist, I think it’s time for a change of focus and
scenery. I’ve heard I throw a good party. Maybe I’ll start there…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Until next time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Peace. Love.
Balance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-67660281533260741492014-05-13T11:42:00.000-07:002016-07-17T14:52:28.932-07:00Shove America - With All You've Got<div class="MsoNormal">
Ann Coulter made me smile today. Never thought I’d say that.
On the few occasions I’ve attempted to give her my attention – to see what all
the fuss was about – she’s spewed nothing but bullshit, and her voice made my
head hurt. Then, along came her #hashtag photo on Twitter, one where she’s
clearly shown shoving her foot in her mouth. The Huffington Post’s headline
said her now-viral tweet went “beautifully wrong,” so I’m not the only one smiling. I
sincerely hope all 276 girls kidnapped from their Nigerian school are found and
safely returned to their families. I also hope they team up with the
#BringBackOurGirls campaign organizers and send Ms. Coulter a nice fruit basket
(because, not only would it be rude and in poor taste, it’s rumored to be
impossible to send her a kick in the dick).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What happened to our humanity? In American (media-driven) politics,
it seems non-existent. People choose one side or the other – I’m right, you’re
wrong – the end. No discussion, no compromise, no real solution, just a bunch
of politicians and pundits spewing identical, propaganda-laced sound bytes into
their press conference microphones. They could achieve the same results sticking
their tongues out at each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As human beings, and as Americans, we lost our sense of
community when we started pushing the “R” and “D” buttons and stopped thinking
for ourselves. As in, allowing data (or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thoughts</i>)
time to percolate inside our own heads (i.e., without a smart phone) while we
weigh facts and consider opinions (preferably from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reliable</i> sources who make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">logical</i>
sense and base their opinions on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actual</i>
fact) in order to deduce a reasonable (hopefully humanitarian) hypothesis. Which
is all an opinion is, really: a hypothesis. In the world of science, it’s
neither earth shattering nor unusual when new information replaces one
hypothesis with another (though I’m sure it’s pissed someone off a time or two).
In the thought-processing world inside your head, it’s called, “Changing your
mind.” To quote Flo from that insurance commercial, “It happens to me all the
time.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is 'Merica: Our votes don’t count, but our dollars sure
as hell do! It's time we combined forces and allowed our choices to be driven by our right minds instead of by the right or left wing. Once we let go of the “R” and “D” mentality, we’ll realize it’s
okay to change our opinions (our hypotheses) about Ann Coulter. Rush Limbaugh, too. Even I changed
my mind about Barack Obama. Not every Republican is conservative, not every
Democrat is liberal. Few on either side are equipped for the positions they
hold, most are full of shit puppets run by greedy corporations, and some should
be executed. I won’t profess to have the answers, but I strongly believe thought
is the most powerful tool we Americans have in our arsenal. When we open our
minds to truth (climate change is real, Columbus did NOT "discover" America), rather than simply buying into what our political leaders tell
us (pot's bad, pharmaceuticals and fracking are good), we’re able to see rhetoric for what it really is, we’ll make better choices
(with our money, our time, our resources), and we can finally shove this
country in a positive direction. You can’t argue it needs a good shoving.<br />
<br />
We are the UNITED States of America. UNITE. For truth. For humanity. For real.</div>
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~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-81046201761589670882014-03-28T16:35:00.000-07:002016-07-18T07:12:56.183-07:00BYOB & Ten Bucks, or Liquor In the Back<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Musicians live a
hard, misunderstood existence, travelling the country – the world – checking
in, setting up, tearing down, practicing, performing, meeting and greeting,
collecting (counting) the money, paying “the man,” rushing to the next place to
do it all again. They write and record and promote and eat and sleep when they
can fit it in, as in when they can afford to lose the time or the money. Every
day is another struggle in an endless, grueling cycle. Unless they have a day
job; then it’s worse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">With the strum of
a six-string, the gentle tap of a key, a musician has the ability to turn
silence into something unique and spectacular. It’s a gift many possess, few
share, and even fewer truly excel at. Ask any of them how easy it is to make a
living out of playing music, and – if they don’t tell you to bugger off –
they’ll say there’s nothing “easy” about it. Centuries ago, musicians were
mocked, tortured, and cruelly executed. Today, they’re merely overlooked, underpaid,
and taken for granted. As a broke novelist, I understand their pain. Why, then,
do they keep doing what they do? Whatever their reasons, I will be eternally
grateful for their sacrifice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Music isn’t
everything to everyone, but it means something to most of us. My husband,
Scott, loved (still loves) Sammy Hagar and Van Halen, and bands from the 80’s,
like INXS and Boston, are his go-to when he needs a lift. My tastes evolve and
expand – from Phil Collins to AC/DC – but I will forever refer to country music
as my “comfort food.” In our 25 years together, Scott and I have been to
countless concerts, music festivals, bars, backyard parties, hotel lobbies, and
holes-in-the-wall of all shapes and sizes. Consequently, we’ve developed a
fondness for live music and the musicians from all genres who share themselves
with us. Sure, you can buy a CD or download recordings to your MP3 and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">possess</i> music, but where’s the magic in
that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">From intimate,
acoustic shows in coffee rooms to massive auditoriums, I’m continually in awe
at how music simply “appears” from nothing. One minute, there’s a stage, a few
microphones, a couple guitars, a piano, and a drum set, and then people walk
on, strike up their instruments, and suddenly … music. Sometimes all it takes
is a chair, a guitar, and a voice. Or just a harmonica. But it’s not only the
music, itself, that makes the experience memorable: the setting, the people,
the atmosphere, and the weather all contribute to the ultimate “feeling” of a
live performance. And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that’s</i> what
really gets you. Imagine Willie Nelson crooning “Georgia On My Mind” under a
full moon amid the trees along the banks of the Suwannee River; Kid Rock
singing, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m goin’ down to New Orleans</i>,”
on the deck of a boat as the sun sets beyond the banks of the Mississippi; some
random guy at a party who brought his guitar to the fire pit and started to
play. I might be broke, but those images, and the peace that comes with them,
will ALWAYS be with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">When Scott and I
purchased our first “real” home five years ago, turning the place into a
concert venue was nowhere on our list of priorities. Not even at the bottom.
And, don’t misunderstand me: it’s still not our intention. Friends and family
who were here at the Campground for Scott’s Birthday in 2013 were witness to a
turning point, however, when the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-FOGwpb/230812043608398" target="_blank">F.O.G. Band</a> rocked the East Ball Room on a
chilly, rainy night in January. I think there were about 40 of us. We’re no
strangers around here to late night dance parties, but the change in energy was
undeniable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">There’s nothing
like watching a live performance…until the performance takes place in your back
yard. Imagine being surrounded by your friends, watching young men you used to call "kids" kill an acoustic set as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Operative-Me/146998908700370" target="_blank">Operative Me</a> and listening to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Eddie-Singer-Songwriter/130727130307961" target="_blank">John Eddie</a> belt
out, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’ve got a real big deck</i>,” only
steps away from your actual, real, deck. It’s possible, and it feels amazing. If
you have the means and the inclination, I heartily encourage you to consider live
entertainment for your next gathering. It doesn’t have to set you back a lot. Ask the chick who plays the bar you go to every Saturday night. You could be
the opportunity she’s been waiting for. If you can’t host an event, at least
attend a few. And invite friends, throw a few bucks in the tip jar, and tell
them how much you appreciate them. It ain't easy, selling yourself and praying
you’ll survive to do it again another day. Support live music. Any way you can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-25799461053177605142013-10-09T09:22:00.000-07:002016-07-17T15:03:06.677-07:00Disagree With Me - I Double-Dog Dare You!<i>(Originally posted to the blog on November 16, 2006. But not a thing's changed...)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Today, your mission--along with
the obligatory, "should you choose to accept it"--is to disagree with
me. I can't believe we're <u>all</u> on the same page on <u>everything</u>.
There surely must be <em>something</em> I
like that you don't or I don't like that you do or, if we both like or dislike
something, you've got to have more noble reasons than I do for liking or
disliking it, because I have the morals of a trained chimp. Or maybe a panda.
You get the point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Let's see if we can't stir shit
up, okay? I'll start slow and obvious...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Marijuana should be legal and
available at Walgreen's in convenient quarter-, half-, and full-ounce bags. Among other benefits, it's a safe, natural way to combat nausea, lack of focus, poor appetite, sleeplessness, and anxiety, and few substances open better paths to creativity. Also, pre-rolled joints should be packaged like cigarettes to make it easier to smoke
while driving, because every stoner knows it's not the high that makes you
dangerous, it's the distraction of preparing to get high or trying to hide the
fact that you're getting high that sends you swerving into the ditch or
slowing to 8 miles-per-hour. (Before you launch your attack on THAT one, please prepare to defend the millions of drivers legally operating under the influence of mind-altering prescription drugs, like Oxycontin, Percocet, </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">Ritalin..</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Prostitution should also be
legal. And free of disgrace. People in the profession should have excellent
health and dental plans and their clients shouldn't have to put up with
bitching and moaning and whining on the homefront. It's just a blowjob or a hand
job or an ass pounding or something equally mundane that YOU won't give him. It's
not like he's buying her a house in the suburbs. <em>Damn!</em> What does it take?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Marriage should be a more
difficult institution to join and nearly impossible to quit. Our divorce rate
is disgusting. We should be ashamed of ourselves. To make a relationship work,
you have to talk and fight and sacrifice and struggle through the bullshit. <em>Together</em>. Gay couples already get
that--in spades. They're better at commitment than heterosexuals. Don't believe
me? Keep an eye on the state divorce rates where gay marriage is
allowed. I'll bet you a dollar rates improve in 5-10 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Masturbation techniques should be
taught in junior high. I'm not talking live demonstration, just assign the kids
a book or a pie chart or something with pictures or detailed
descriptions. At least tell them it's NOT WRONG and an excellent way to stave
off cravings when you're trying to hang on to your virginity. And
show them where they can learn more about it. Talk to them one-on-one
or in small groups if you have to. Make it okay for them to talk to each other
about it, too, because my cultural boundaries won't let me talk to my children.
Would prefer, in fact, I not speak to <u>anyone</u> about it. I didn't learn
how to "properly" use a vibrator until I was <em>30</em>! Can you imagine how
much better I could have kept my libido in check if I'd been taught sooner? Of
course, I might not have such good stories to tell...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Driving tests should require that
applicants actually learn to drive before being issued a license. Seniors
(whatever that number is these days, 65? 82?) should be evaluated every year on
their ability to operate an automobile, which includes proper use of the turn
signal and brakes, adherence to speed limits (especially minimum requirements),
and general navigation. They should at least be able to see over the dash.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px;">Early term abortion should be a SAFE, legal option for ALL women, and the doctors who perform the procedure should be able to go to work, lounge at home, open the mail, and sit on the toilet without fear of dismemberment and/or gruesome death. PERIOD.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">For people who CHOOSE to be parents: Children should be spanked when
they need or deserve it. They should also know, before committing the crime, that said whacking will likely come along as a consequence of their
actions/behavior, making their "choice" a conscious one; the point is
to teach them, not generate fear. And the punishment should NEVER exceed the
crime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Women who kill their children
should be publicly stoned. And I don't mean the <em>Cheech and Chong</em> kind. I mean the one with chunks of granite
that fit nicely in the palm of your hand. Don't sing me that depression
song or try to pawn "my boyfriend made me do it" on me. I don't
give a flyin' shit. Mothers protect their children to the death, they don't kill them.
Any one that does, in my opinion, doesn't deserve another day above ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Guns don't kill people, </span><em style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">people</em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> do. Go after the </span><u style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">people</u><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">,
not the damn guns.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Kid Rock <em>rocks</em>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And so do you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">~ Dawn</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-59255167352684010162013-09-19T10:00:00.001-07:002016-07-17T15:12:08.189-07:00El Adventures of Juan de BurroThis past February, my dear friend, Jennifer, gave me a plastic ass. We named him Juan. If you pull down on his ears, he lifts his tail and shoots a cigarette out his backside. Jen thought the novelty item would be a perfect addition to the Campground. She had no idea.<br />
<br />
We're careful not to share Juan's "secret" talent in pictures or videos - you have to meet him in person to see that - but we began chronicling his adventures immediately, from Daytona to Seattle and back. The link below will take you to the photo album I recently created on Facebook (you shouldn't need an account to view the pics and narrative). Since it's an ongoing saga, the album will be periodically updated and, therefore, offer something new and exciting with each visit. Consider this my first "photo blog," or first illustrated story. Whatever you call it ... <i>ENYOY!</i><br />
<br />
~ Dawn<br />
<br />
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<img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MPqGYgsleoLqClLFjQvgw1x7u93jHEXORTKSsZdeEu0Q-vVny6lWmHv82pTUhTDed8hCXPXStEAT8UKM02DzuUx-4agcnA7i4VWQj0JLoYihTkxF4Rv2L7qOSm5mF7HyJ9zvj4_W2pM/s320/IMG_4414.JPG" width="320" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dawn.scovill/media_set?set=a.10201996963786988.1073741835.1272454823&type=3" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read Juan's story</div>
<br />Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-45321632858402713602013-09-04T13:47:00.000-07:002017-12-09T11:30:42.306-08:00Putting the "FUN" in Dysfunction<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText">
A couple weeks
ago, I read my grandmother’s Last Will & Testament to the small group of
attendees at the Bramer-Ray Family Reunion in Centralia, Washington. It was sure to be a train wreck. My dad’s
sister, Marcella, has been the driving force behind the Fort Borst Park event
since its inception. I’ve never attended before, because my
kids were always in school by the time the big day rolled around, but Marcella
asked me, personally, at our Michigan Hill BBQ in July if I’d do the honor of
reading her mother’s Will at this year’s gathering. Since my kids are grown,
now, and the festivities were serendipitously scheduled for the day after my
30-year high school reunion, which meant I’d be in town, and because the
twinkle in her eye suggested she had mischief up her sleeve, I couldn’t resist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
My dad hates his
sister. He hated his mom, too. There’s a long, head-scratcher of a story to
support his unshakable stance on the matter, and it was no secret the feeling
was mutual all the way around. Still, I never saw Dad be anything but civil to
them. When we were kids, we had dinner at Grandma’s every Christmas Eve. At
Mom’s memorial in 2007, when Marcella and her (creepy, nauseating) husband,
Dan, showed up to shovel in free food, Dad held his composure. (My brother, Jack,
was on the edge, but he calmed down.) After a few of us insisted he’d carried
his grudge too long, Dad even agreed to allow us to invite Marcella and her
family to our annual BBQs on the hill. She seemed grateful. I thought we did a
nice thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Within minutes
after arriving at Kitchen #2, I met my older brother, Leroy, for the first time.
My first words? “Hi, it’s SO nice to finally meet you! I hear you have a
cooler.” I didn’t know I had an older brother, ten years my senior, until Mom
died and I learned Dad had a first wife. (My guess is that Mom had forbidden
Dad’s family from telling us, so they waited ‘til she died. Whatever…) As a
guest of Marcella’s, Mary Lou (Dad’s first wife) attended our BBQ this past
July, which is how it happened that Dad was able to introduce us. I liked her
immediately. Dad swears Leroy’s not blood, and he only married Mary Lou to give
her baby a name, but I’m looking forward to getting to know my “new” sibling
and quasi-step-mother, regardless. Family is what you make it.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Once my four-pack
of PBR was safely stashed in Leroy’s cooler, and after everyone had gone
through the buffet line a couple times, Marcella produced the “Family Bible”
and Grandma’s unsealed Will. There were maybe 40 people seated at the scattered
tables, some still picked at their plates. Across the room, Dad sat near the
back with Mary Lou and ALL the rest of his children: “The Twins” (aka Jack and
“George”), our youngest brother, Jamie, and our “new” older brother, Leroy. I
refilled my beer, grabbed the microphone, made sure the small PA system was on,
and told everyone who I was and why I was there. (“Hi,” I began, “I’m Orville’s
oldest daughter.” <i>You know</i>, I thought
to myself, <i>the one who’s not mentioned in
the “Family Bible.”</i>) With Marcella standing nearby, eagerly looking on, I
unsealed the official envelope, and started to read.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Now, if you’ve
been around me for any length of time, you might have noticed I’m not exactly
uncomfortable in the spotlight. Armed with the suspicion that Marcella was
setting us up for something, I’d arrived at the mid-August family reunion
emotionally prepared and totally dressed for the part in cowboy boots, blue
jeans, purple Brooklyn Tavern spaghetti tank, western “Dawnie B” belt with the
John Deere buckle, cobalt blue, ankle-length, flared-collar sweater, and – of
course – <i>The Hat</i>. I’m not sure what
any of those people were thinking about me at the time, but I’ve heard some of
the colorful stories that side of the family has passed around about me (“<i>Is it true she got pregnant in high school,
and Leo’s wife, Sharon, offered to adopt the baby, no matter what color it was?!</i>”),
so I’m confident many of them were poised for a show.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
The first couple of
pages were dull and uneventful. Then I got to the part where it said, “I hereby
give my estate to my three children…” (she had four) “…and to my son, Orville,
I leave nothing…” And blah, blah, yatta, yatta. I could almost hear jaws hit
the floor. I finished the paragraph, muttered a low “hmm” to myself, glanced up
at my dad and my siblings, and read on. All the way to the end. I pronounced
everything correctly, didn’t stutter, didn’t laugh, cry, or display any emotion
at all. I just read.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
When I handed the
Will back to Marcella, she giddily passed me another sealed envelope. <i>Here comes the kicker</i>, I thought, and
announced to the crowd something like, “Look, there’s more!” Inside the
envelope were two $1 bills with names paper-clipped to them and a hand-written
note, supposedly signed by my grandmother. The note detailed Grandma’s wishes
that Marcella get everything, from house to bed slippers, and that my dad and
his brother, Leo, were each to receive $1. I scanned it quickly, briefly
entertained reading it aloud, then gave it back to her, along with the dollar
bills and the now-unsealed, postmarked envelope. I said, “You can read this
one,” into the microphone, then gave that to her, as well. With a nod to Dad
and the family at the back of the room, I picked up my beer, walked out the
door, crossed the parking lot to my brother’s truck, and took a generous pull
off his bottle of Canadian whiskey. Once that trickled down, I took another.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Mom dropped out of
college to marry a logger. (That’s the <i>Reader’s
Digest</i> version.) Consequently, my siblings and I were doomed out of the
gate to walk a hybrid tightrope of an existence, between educated people who
grew up to be executives and run companies and uneducated, blue collar people
who met their spouses at family reunions. Both, in my opinion, have their
pluses and minuses. Had the exposure been distributed equally, I might have
been a CEO by now, and my husband would be fishing instead of working to
support my lazy ass. But, although childhood was sprinkled with visits to the
“big city” and summer vacations in Tahoe, most days and nights were spent on a
small, family farm with Mom, Dad, Jack, “George,” and Jamie, and what seemed
like an endless parade of characters – family, friends, neighbors, the
occasional Jehovah’s Witness – all of whom contributed to the slightly off-balance
individual I am today.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Let’s just say I’m
often underestimated. ;)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Mary Lou was one
of the first people to join me outside on the tailgate of my youngest brother’s
truck. After lighting a cigarette, she said exactly what I was thinking: “That
was so cruel.” I puffed on my own cigarette, smiled, and said, “That’s
Marcella.” Dad and the rest of the crew made their way outside. I gave Leroy a
big hug and said, “Welcome to the family!” We asked Dad if he’d heard anything,
to which he responded with a non-surprising, “Nope.” (Even WITH his hearing
aids, Dad can’t hear a thing.) I hollered, “You’re out!” He lit a cigarette and
replied, “I was never in.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Once my heart rate
returned to normal, after I’d finished my beer and smoke, I walked back into Kitchen
#2, refilled my glass, sauntered to the back of the room and tapped Marcella on
the shoulder. My sister and youngest brother were seated with Leroy at the
adjacent table at the time. Only a few other people were within earshot when I
opened with, “I have to tell you that was the cruelest thing I’ve ever seen,
and I’d like you to go fuck yourself.” The short, white-haired,
80-some-odd-year-old woman in front of me looked perplexed. Having never said
that to anyone before in my life, I was a bit stunned, myself. “Don’t ever
contact us or set foot on Michigan Hill again,” I continued, slowly and calmly.
“You and your family are no longer welcome.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Touching her
fingertips to her chest like a southern belle with a touch of the vapors, she
timidly asked, “Whatever did I do?” As if she hadn’t sabotaged her brother’s
return from the Air Force sixty years ago. As if she hadn’t spent decades
taking everything her mother ever built, until it was all gone. As if she
hadn’t attempted to cover her tracks with a worthless, hand-written piece of
paper and two dollar bills AND divert attention and blame by humiliating her
brother – my dad – in front of his family.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
I put my hand on
her shoulder, gestured to the small, rapidly-aging crowd of Bramers and Rays,
said, “Why don’t you ask one of these nice people to explain it to you,” and
walked away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Back outside, Dad
“held court” for another 30 minutes or so, supported by his kids and his
ex-wife. At one point, the little old lady who’d been manning the guest book
table popped outside and invited us to come back in. “We’re raffling off all
the craft table items,” she exclaimed. I thanked her, and told her – nicely and
with a smile – that I didn’t give a shit. She ruffled and said, “Well, maybe
you don’t, but what about these other people?” I thanked her again and assured
her, “They don’t give a shit, either.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
We laughed, told
stories, met some distant cousins, took pictures, and exchanged phone numbers.
Because my trip was a short one, it was the only day I got to see Jack and
“George.” And it was a good one, not at all like what Marcella had planned.
There’d been over 100 in attendance the previous year, so she’d surely been
hoping for a bigger crowd. Had anyone but me read the Will, there would
probably have been a scene. And, as for her feigned innocence with regard to
the contents of the “original, sealed Will,” all that backfired the instant I
read the words, “I hereby appoint my daughter, Marcella, as my power of
attorney and executor of this Will.” She’d already admitted she’d read a copy
several years previously, and it wasn’t a coincidence that her (creepy, <i>repulsive</i>) husband, Dan, left the
reunion before I started reading; everyone with half a brain knows what she
did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-268B03utCsxnqcVCAw0siMuLLswrd70YKycYFYC_GM33qluPTn14a9ITu5aOi955SwawJ5pckd-zN30MfQ2xI1v9TrSIgLwituUczRdE6UyMqbF_t0Ya9Ahg82yhyphenhyphenfzkz9kOoclexM/s1600/IMG_5954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-268B03utCsxnqcVCAw0siMuLLswrd70YKycYFYC_GM33qluPTn14a9ITu5aOi955SwawJ5pckd-zN30MfQ2xI1v9TrSIgLwituUczRdE6UyMqbF_t0Ya9Ahg82yhyphenhyphenfzkz9kOoclexM/s320/IMG_5954.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Dad got his
dollar. I kept the paper clip and hung it on the wall above my writing desk.
Before we packed up Dad’s chicken and noodles and left, I stopped at the guest
book table and scribbled out my name and address with a wide, blue Sharpie (I
later learned that several people ran up to the table, eager to discover what
horrible thing I’d “written”). On the way up the hill, shortly after Dad and I
chuckled over my statement, “the good news is, you’ll never have to see those
people again,” the wall I’d erected to hide my emotions slowly crumbled, and the
tears started to fall. I couldn’t believe what Marcella had done – had <i>tried</i> to do – to her own brother, and in
front of all those innocent people! <i>Better
women than you have tried and failed</i>, I thought, remembering the mountain
of unexpected debt Mom left for Dad when she died. Back up at the house, Jack appeared
with a bottle, Jamie hung around for a while, the neighbors stopped by, and my
last evening in Washington turned out pretty well. But I still cried most of
the night. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Like a dark
comedy, life is both cruel and joyous, unfair and just. We’re told everything
happens for a reason, for some grander purpose, yet so many things don’t make
sense. Two weeks ago, in the days prior to the reading of the Will, I spent a
fantastic time with former classmates, getting re-acquainted at our 30-year
reunion. Two weeks later – just a few days ago – one of those classmates
committed suicide. Earlier this year, Scott and I had a blast at back-to-back
New Year’s Eve concerts, then did it all again on Kid Rock’s Chillin’ the Most
Cruise. One of the friends we shared both experiences with was moved to Hospice
yesterday, only a year or so after she’d endured the death of her only child.
I’m grateful to have spent time with such amazing people, but why the hell were
they given so much weight to carry? And why do good people have to go out like
this?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Why is there so
much pain in the world? Why are we preparing to go to war in Syria? Why can’t
we solve the hunger problem in the United States? Why aren’t more high school
seniors able to spell? Why don’t more people think for themselves? Why must
cold-hearted, miserable, back-stabbing, blood-sucking weasels exist? If I
thought about it all long enough, if I let the sadness and frustration really
sink in and feed that sense of helplessness that seems to constantly hover
about, I imagine I’d implode. I suppose many of us do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
So, I smile. And encourage
people to laugh. As often as opportunity allows. I also drink. (Some people
turn to religion, philanthropy, or football for solace, I put my faith in Jack
Daniel’s.) There’s no guarantee the friends and family who join us on the real
big deck today will be here tomorrow. Living in hurricane territory, we’re not
even guaranteed a deck. This existence we call life isn’t easy. Good, strong
friends and family help. It’s also handy to have learned how to navigate along
a tightrope:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->keep your eyes forward, don’t look down;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->when the wind blows, hold steady;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->don’t rush to the finish line; and, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->once you’re safe on the other side, thank the
people who got you there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
We could all do
worse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
We can all do
better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-72790326276951914512013-08-07T17:53:00.000-07:002017-12-09T11:56:21.676-08:00Note to Self: Grow Up, Move On<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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In May 1980, Mt.
St. Helens erupted and brought a premature end to my freshman year of high
school. Volcanic ash rained down all day like fine, grey snow. For days, our
family farm looked like a faded black and white photo. Down south, along the
Toutle River, Uncle Charlie’s cabin was hit by a giant wall of mud and debris
when the side of the mountain blew out. The cabin on the Toutle had been a
gathering place for generations of the Peterson, Hawley, and Forsyth families. It was hard
to believe we’d never see it again.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
The air was toxic,
so our parents insisted we stay inside most of the day. Out of boredom, and
forced to roller skate in the basement, because the second floor was carpeted
and Mom would have killed us had we whipped through the kitchen, I started
calling my younger sister “George,” after a character in a Looney Toons
cartoon. For weeks, we couldn’t venture outdoors without a protective mask, and
only to do necessary chores, like gathering eggs, milking cows, feeding pigs,
or bringing in firewood. When it rained, the thicker layers of ash turned hard
like concrete. Cutting, bailing, and hauling hay that summer stirred up dust
clouds that lingered for hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
It wasn’t our
first natural disaster on Michigan Hill. Growing up, it seemed we were isolated
and/or without power at least once a year. The Chehalis River encircles the
hill like a moat. When it floods, you’re stuck. Bad ice and snow make the steep,
narrow, country roads slick and dangerous. Windstorms can topple trees, knock
out power lines, and make passage impossible. And then, there’s always the
chance of an earthquake. Bet you thought life on a hill at the end of a
dead-end, dirt road was quiet and dull.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
True, we had only
one television, and it had no cable, only ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and whatever that
static-filled UHF channel was, and ONLY if the antennae was turned just the
right direction…and Mom wasn’t watching soaps. We had no video games, no iPods,
no cell phones, no ATVs, and no computer. We DID, however, have books, board
games, and each other, plus a back yard stocked with cows, pigs, chickens,
turkeys, apple, plum, and cherry trees, a barn typically full of hay, hundreds
of acres of creeks, canyons, and forests, bicycles, backpacks, canteens, and a
handful of kids who were in the same boat. Our lives would have been
intolerably lonesome without Melinda, Gretchen, Cindy, Wendy, Curt, L.J., Lee,
Nick, and “Little Hugh,” the kid who lived across the hay field. We were particularly
grateful for the Hamiltons, Diane, “Little Ray,” and Kim, who were conveniently
the same ages as the four of us and lived only three, short, winding bicycle
miles away.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Maybe because our
mothers were friends, Kim and I were especially close, had been since 3rd
grade. She was my BFF, my confidant, conscience, and other half. My childhood
memories are full of things we did together. Storms and other powerful acts of
nature have been hitting Michigan Hill for years. St. Helens was likely the most
widespread and inconvenient. As a child, however, few things are more
devastating than losing your best friend. We were in 7th grade, struggling
through that awkward transitional period – no pun intended – between child and
adult. She didn’t die or move out of town, and we didn’t have a fight or a
falling out, she was essentially whisked away by hormones and the natural
disaster that occurs when peer pressure meets puberty. Of all the acts of
nature that peppered my formative years, that was probably the worst.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was twelve and
enjoying recess on the grounds of Grand Mound Middle School when a group of
“older” girls (i.e., 8th graders) approached me. Among their ranks were a few
“popular” girls from our class and – surprisingly – my friend Kim. Their
“spokesperson,” a blonde whose name and face thankfully escape me, brandished a
can opener (yeah, you read that right) and instructed me to leave Kim alone or
they’d beat me up. They told me I wasn’t pretty enough to be her friend,
anymore. I remember waiting for Kim to stand up for me. When she didn’t, I
walked away and vowed to never speak to her again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
We don’t tend to
do a lot of self-reflection in our 20s and 30s, so I was well into my 40s
before I started attributing my arms-length approach to girls (maybe even my
hands-continuously-on approach to boys) to that day on the playground. At the
time, I was merely angry and hurt. As the years rolled on, I grew bitter. Until
recently, I viewed most women as self-righteous, two-faced, back-stabbing
bitches who’d rather gossip and wallow in Jerry Springer-like drama than take
responsibility for their own shit. My mother was a perfect example. When Mom
died in 2007, leaving Dad with a mountain of debt and a bench warrant, my
distrust of women hit an all-time high. The bitterness got heavy. For five years,
I felt weighed down by hatred – an ugly, senseless emotion I’ve long despised.
Then, earlier this year, on a full moon night, I pulled out my camera, and saw
a little, blue dot. I haven’t looked at life the same since.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
I learned as a
child, in the aftermath of natural disaster and human tragedy, survivors band
together, lift one another up, re-build, and move on. As an adult rapidly
approaching 50, I’m ashamed to admit it took me this long to realize all that’s
a lot easier said than done. On the outside, we might look like we’re coping.
On the inside, something always sticks with us; I still call my sister “George,”
driving over the Toutle River still makes me cry, seeing the empty spot on the
bathroom wall where the mirror used to be will always remind me of the
unpredictability of nature, and I might never completely allow myself the
security and comfort of another, true BFF. Thankfully, we humans have the
ability to choose what we carry with us – via free will. The sooner we learn to
use it <u>well</u>, the better off we’ll be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
My mom did the
best she could, given the resources she had. I couldn’t see that clearly until
I forgave her, and I couldn’t forgive her until I accepted the action as a
choice. No one was holding a gun (or can opener) to my head, making me hold on
to all that negativity. The instant I saw that blue dot through my camera lens,
and let myself calmly feel Mom’s presence, I recognized my burden for what it
really was: my own stubbornness and refusal to let go. Rather than cry, I felt
relieved. I can’t change the past, but I know now to make better choices when
packing emotional baggage into the future. What’s that saying? <i>Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how
we react</i>. Or something like that. Turns out, it’s not only true, embracing
it can change your life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
A few months ago,
I posted something on Facebook and noticed Kim “Liked” it. Though we hadn’t
spoken more than a handful of words to each other since 1977, social networking
brought us together as online “friends” several years ago. On a whim, I clicked
on her name, browsed through some of her posts and pictures, and forced myself
to think beyond the bad stuff and remember the good: piano recitals, horseback
riding, camping, hiking, sleepovers at Grandma’s, swimming in the Chehalis, biking
all over Michigan Hill. I left a short note on her timeline saying I missed
her, and I apologized for not “stopping by” more often. That led to longer
notes and, eventually, phone calls and confessions. She was shocked to hear how
much of the incident stuck with me. I was shocked to learn she had, in fact,
been duped into friendship by a pack of mean-spirited girls who, when they were
finished prettying-her-up and making her popular, dumped her at the end of the
school year … and went on to another victim the following year. Had I not been a self-centered,
hormonally-charged, pre-teen bitch who was too absorbed in her own, little
world to think of someone else’s pain, we might have resolved this decades ago.
Then again, maybe everything happened the way it was supposed to. Maybe we had
to grow up a little first, before we started over.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
You can’t change
the past. You can’t control the weather or make sense of the actions of the
typical, American, teenage girl. You CAN, however, prepare yourself for reality
and learn to accept things as they are, as flawed and unfair as those things
might be. When you’re thrown a curve, you CAN choose to stand up, re-build, and
move on – on the inside as well as the outside. The alternative is a life
unnecessarily burdened by your own, failed expectations. Learn to recognize
them. Then, let them go. You’ll feel lighter. Better. And, who knows, you might
even get your best friend back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
~ Dawn<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9VKh9PhCXnyAKRxsFAlbPuEXCEJWfp0UJMUIvaeukRYK5xNol7ajzEtYqLupbQDxYqYIZxc4xQRJV7dz7qkNV9CownKv_-r9zT8cUU1RiEVgiAO1-wouboKyLjs9mWqK5Ilg9WDQezI/s1600/IMG_5919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="554" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9VKh9PhCXnyAKRxsFAlbPuEXCEJWfp0UJMUIvaeukRYK5xNol7ajzEtYqLupbQDxYqYIZxc4xQRJV7dz7qkNV9CownKv_-r9zT8cUU1RiEVgiAO1-wouboKyLjs9mWqK5Ilg9WDQezI/s320/IMG_5919.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-77787759864092211472013-05-19T09:23:00.000-07:002017-12-09T09:59:47.240-08:00Kid Rock Fans Prepare for Disaster<span style="color: #444444;">OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">May 18, 2013 – With hurricane
season fast approaching, folks along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts are dusting
off their storm kits, replenishing water and batteries, and getting insurance
papers in order, just in case the big one hits.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #444444;">Across the country, whether
they’re in hurricane territory or not, hundreds of Kid Rock fans are going one
step further, stocking up on extra items, like toiletries, blankets,
non-perishable snacks, and greeting cards—yes, greeting cards—just in case the
big one hits another Kid Rock fan.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #444444;">Established as a Facebook group
on August 29, 2011, the Kid Rock Life Line is a non-profit organization
dedicated to providing aid and comfort to the artist’s fans in times of disaster
and personal tragedy. Since the first parcels went out, the KRLL has responded
to more than 50 cries for help. In the
wake of terrifying floods, fires, windstorms, power outages, and the tragic deaths
of family members, sometimes-unwitting recipients have often found themselves
overwhelmed by the efforts of the KRLL’s now nearly 400 members.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“My girls were so excited to receive their special
package,” Tonawanda, N.Y., resident Tara Penfold recently posted on the group’s
Facebook page, “my family can not THANK YOU all enough.” After a house fire sent
Penfold, her husband, Ed, and their three young girls to a nearby hotel to
await damage assessment and cleanup, KRLL members sent toys and fake, rock ‘n’
roll-themed tattoos, among other things. Until the fire, the Penfolds hadn’t
even heard about the KRLL. In a note to one of the group’s members, the young
mother said she, “never had a family like this and honestly feel more love from
you all than I do my own blood.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Orchestrated by a group of ten board members, referred to
as “Admins” on Facebook, the KRLL depends on the participation of its
membership to get essential items where they need to go. “We have a small
budget,” explains founder, principal Admin, and Mineral, Va., resident Sonia
Woolf. “It’s rare to see more than $1,500 in the account.” Relying largely on periodic
fundraisers and random merchandise sales, the fund is most often used to send
floral arrangements, gift baskets, and the occasional gift card. “From day one,
responses have been a group effort,” Woolf continued. “No one can afford to do everything, but, when everyone does <i>something</i>, the impact can be huge."</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">To join the Kid Rock Life Line, send a donation, or to learn more about their disaster relief efforts, please find them on Facebook or visit KidRockLifeLine.com.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i><span style="color: #444444;">Dawn Scovill has proudly served as a KRLL
Admin since its inception and has, herself, experienced the aftermath of
natural disaster. She resides in Jupiter, Fla., and is the author of two
commercial fiction novels.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The Kid Rock Life Line<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sonia Woolf, Founder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">206 N Timber Tribe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mineral, VA 23117<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="color: #444444; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">540-894-9562,
540-408-8963</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-31616436565907456482013-03-27T12:35:00.001-07:002016-07-17T15:10:55.727-07:00Happy Happy, Washie Washie, or Thanks for the Party, Bobby!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>I live my life at
full volume...<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>…and it was loud,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>Loud like a
hurricane,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>Loud like a roarin’
train.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>Yeah, it was loud.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>Loud,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>Like a trashcan
cherry bomb,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>Like a storm before
the calm.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>It was loud.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Two weeks before the sail date for Kid Rock’s fourth
annual “Chillin’ the Most” cruise, we learned John Eddie would be playing a
pre-pre-cruise show in our back yard. Had I not been on CTM3, I probably
wouldn’t have known he was the songwriter behind Kid Rock’s “Happy New Year,”
“Fuckin’ Forty,” and “Lowlife.” I certainly couldn’t have guessed he’d written
Sammy Hagar’s “Loud.” But, at the time of the call, I <i>DID</i> know. I also knew we’d been referring to the upstairs balcony
as Scott’s “Real Big Deck” since the first time we saw Eddie perform the song
on last year’s cruise. To think he could actually play at the house made my
heart stop. Momentarily. Then I thought, since delegations from Detroit, Ohio,
Texas, and Canada were staying with us before the cruise, the house would be
full, anyway. Odds were good we’d also have at least a dozen friends over to
see them, all primed to drink and dance the night away. Why not add a live band?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The neighbors jumped on board immediately. We built a
12’x24’ stage, found a canopy to cover it, borrowed and/or rented sound
equipment, arranged for friends to bring food, set up tents in the front yard,
and invited everyone we knew to invite everyone they knew. On a Monday night –
yes, I said Monday – we collected over $1,300 in donations for the band and had
almost 100 people in attendance. Some were Kid Rock fans on their way to the
cruise, some were local friends from nearby, and some were firefighters who’d
come to celebrate our neighbor Rhett Carlo’s last day on the job. Though it
wasn’t an “official” retirement party, he decided during the planning process
to seize the opportunity to end his 30-year career on a high note. To say it
was an honor sharing those moments with him is the understatement of all
understatements. Like John Eddie says, “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That No More.”
Cheers, Rhett! It’s a privilege to call you friend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Guests who didn’t leave after the show departed the following
morning, most bound for the pre-cruise “pajama party” on board the Norwegian
Pearl. Scott and I stayed home that Tuesday, cleaned up, recuperated, and
packed for the following day. Having commenced our celebrations on Friday, when
the first houseguests arrived, it was hard to believe the cruise hadn’t even
started, yet. I questioned my stamina. And my sanity. At forty-eight, part of
me says I’m getting too old for this shit. There’s another part, though, that
believes wholeheartedly in the magic of Kid Rock and the dysfunctional family that follows in his wake. This cruise is like Christmas; every year, I feel like a
little girl who can’t wait to see what Santa brought.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This time, like every time, Santa didn’t disappoint.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kid Rock wore pink and kicked off his sail away show by
passing out shots of Jim Beam Devil’s Cut to everyone on board. It was a little
chilly, but the whiskey warmed us up, and the sun shined bright over Miami
Beach as we pulled out of port. Next stop: John Eddie. His first show was in
the theater, immediately following the sail away. He talked about the party at
the house, thanked me for the hospitality, called my husband “a good sport,”
and dedicated “Real Big Deck” to Scott. Shannon Curfman, one of Kid Rock’s
back-up singers and a true talent on her own, tapped me on the shoulder after
the John Eddie show, thanked me for the invite to the house party, said she was
sorry for missing it, and assured me she’d be there next year. She was very
gracious, chatted for a few minutes, and gave us a CD (which I LOVE). Growing
anxious about being late for a scheduled dinner with the Kid Rock Life Line
Admins, I thanked her for finding me, apologized for rushing off, and hurried
out of the theater. (I know, I still can’t believe I basically said, “I’m sorry,
Shannon Curfman, I’d love to chat, but I’ve got a thing.” I’m such an idiot.
Hopefully, she won’t hold it against me.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dinner at the Japanese restaurant was both entertaining
and delicious, and I was pleased that I was neither late nor shitfaced (I was
both last year). Sonia Woolf, our fearless leader and founder of the KRLL, did
a great job reining us in. It was a pleasure sharing several moments throughout
the cruise with her and our fellow Admins. I was especially grateful for the
sit-down dinner that night; the buffet line was the only place we ate for the
next three days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once I hooked back up with Scott, the rest of that first night
was something of a blur: New Orleans’ own Trombone Shorty in the theater,
Robert James (aka “Junior,” Kid Rock’s son) in the Atrium, DJ Mark EP in Bar
City, then back to the Atrium for the Big Rock Show. We tumbled into bed around
two, slept ‘til about eight, drank coffee and mimosas with the neighbors on the
balcony for an hour or so, perused the schedule for the day, grabbed a quick
bite from the chow line, then boarded a tender bound for Great Stirrup Cay, a small,
private island owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines that – for this, particular
cruise – Kid Rock calls “Redneck Paradise.” It was still a little chilly, but
the water was beautiful, and the overcast skies made for great dancing weather.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to the women’s Lucky Bitch and men’s Speedo
contests (which provide all the nudity anyone can handle), John Eddie played again
on the beach stage at one, The Trews played at three, and Scott Munns played at
four. I can’t begin to tell you how hard it is to dance in sand – but I highly
recommend it! Back on the boat, we caught Trombone Shorty again at 6:30 on the
pool deck, got wowed by Lukas Nelson in the theater at eight, then sampled a
little Shooter Jennings and Band of Heathens before hitting the buffet for a
late snack. We might have gone to bed immediately after, but we ran into John
Eddie’s bass player, Kenny Aaronson, and (later) his sound guy, John DiCapua,
and ended up bullshitting and drinking Jack Daniel’s ‘til almost two. Despite
being worn out, it was one of the highlights of the trip.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Day two on Redneck Paradise was amazing. The sun was
bright, the water sparkled, and the beach was overrun with 2,000 hardcore Kid
Rock fans. Everyone brave enough to float on rafts in the chilly, sharp
rock-infested water got free beer. I got two (matching, temporary) tattoos!
Will Byington, the official photographer, flew a helicopter camera over the
crowd for aerial shots. Among the many beach balls bouncing back and forth, to
and fro, was a white, inflatable sheep that later showed up tied to the balcony
in the theater. There was a guy in a lawn chair wearing nothing but a speedo
with a rooster head jutting out the front (thanks for the picture, darlin’!).
It was in that atmosphere that Kid Rock played his afternoon beach show. If
you’d like to know what he wore, you’ll have to check with someone else; I was
having so much fun enjoying the music and the people, I never once looked up at
the stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Back on the boat, we joined a group of friends on the
balcony overlooking the pool deck to catch Shooter Jennings at 6:30. Of all the
musical moments on the cruise, the most memorable for me happened when Shooter
took over the drums and invited his buddy, Lukas Nelson, to bring his guitar
and step up to the mic. Seeing them together on stage was like watching “Willie
and Waylon Part II.” My dad was a truck driver and a lover of outlaw country.
Their performance gave me goose bumps from head to toe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because the lead singer (guitarist?) from The Trews told
me in the elevator to see their show at eight, we followed up the windy deck
with the theater to see them before rushing back to the pool to catch Lukas
Nelson’s 9:00 show. We missed London Souls, Band of Heathens, and Howling
Diablos, but had the great pleasure of watching Whodini rock the stage with
some badass, old school hip-hop. We ended the night with one last dose of
Trombone Shorty, made a quick stop at the buffet, and stumbled back to the
room. It was after midnight, maybe close to one, by the time we settled in on
the balcony. Within minutes, we heard what sounded like singing. Bad singing. I
guessed karaoke. But I think I knew better. We both did. Knowing we still had
another whole day to go, I elected to stay in the room and hit the sack. Curious,
Scott followed the noise to the pool deck where, seated on a bench under the
gazebo, Kid Rock and his son were (somewhat accidentally) entertaining a small
crowd with a kind of iPod trivia meets “Name That Tune.” Rock was hammered.
Junior was grinning ear to ear. Scott said it was obvious they love each other.
I’m sorry I missed it, but tickled Scott was able to be there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We slept through the belly flop contest and, unfortunately,
the Eye Candy Friday Club photo, but caught Lukas Nelson’s first three songs on
the pool deck before grudgingly tearing ourselves away and running (vigorously,
frantically) to the Flip Cup tournament. Team KRLL won their first match after
the opposing team forfeited, won the second match due to obvious prowess and
skill, and lost the third match because no one honestly expected to get beyond
round one and we weren’t kidding anybody. As a second-year cheerleader (who
missed our only match last year while standing in line for a drink), I was
simply elated to be present for all three games. GO TEAM!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shooter and Lukas played the same stage one last time
around 4:00 on the pool deck. Kid Rock held court for his Q&A at five, with
Junior standing close behind (sporting a video camera and the same broad grin
he’d had all weekend). It was exciting to see our good friends participate
after being selected as two of the dozen or more cruisers who got to step up to
the mic and ask Rock a question. Go, B.J. and Josee! Quotes of the day include,
“No, I won’t sleep with you,” “That was funny, right?” “What was the question,
again?” and “This is A-<i>murr</i>-ica, we
speak A-<i>murr</i>-ican.” Drinking with Tom
and Cathy last year was worth every minute, but I was happy we made it to this
year’s Q&A.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We saw John Eddie and the band one last time in the
Spinnaker Lounge, then watched a bit more of The Trews and the Big Rock Show
before – to Scott’s chagrin – I called it a night early. Not that I was
thrilled. My knee was throbbing and I was on the verge of seeing double. If I
had any hope of getting off the boat in the morning AND having the wherewithal
to drive on I-95 for an hour to get home, I knew I should stay off the dance
floor and away from the bar. So, Scott rejoined the party and I tidied up the
cabin, packed my suitcase and shoulder bag, made a pot of decaf, and enjoyed a
quiet cigarette (or two) on the balcony. Listening to the waves crash below, I
was grateful for the calm. I thought about the cruise and the pre-pre-cruise
and the amazing people we’ve met along this unexpected road. We’re blessed:
there’s no truer way to say that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the greatest gifts we’ve given ourselves as a
species is music. When we all tune in, the music binds us, lifts us up, and
transports us beyond the moment. Few things can take you back to a particular
place and time like a song can. Think of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.”
INXS’s “New Sensation.” Journey’s “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.” Stevie Nicks’
“One Winged Dove.” Boston’s “Don’t Look Back.” Sometimes I swear I can smell
the wrestling mats tucked behind the gymnasium bleachers, or the vinyl interior
of the Duster, with its banana scratch and sniff stickers on the dash and the
Visine and mints in the glove compartment. Music makes us smile, laugh, cry,
and dance. Together. As the song goes, <i>what
a wonderful world it could be</i> if we did that more often.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I hear a Kid Rock song, I’m reminded of more than a
single memory. I think of the people. I think of the friendships. I think of
New Year’s Eve and Mardis Gras. Redneck Paradise and Orlando Calling. I think
of Detroit and the legends of Motown (and dancing in the Walmart parking lot).
I think of the heart and soul of Bob Ritchie and the music he’s introduced me
to for the past 15 years, through his songs, his cruise, and through the people
he endorses and surrounds himself with – Kracker, Hank, Shannon, Jessie,
Cheryl, John Eddie, Ponderosa, Heather Luttrell, The Rhythm Yard, Trombone
Shorty, Big Sam and the Funky Nation, The Young Brothers, R.L. Burnside, Robert
Bradley… By introducing me to Lukas and the Promise of the Real, he’s even
helped me find my way back to my musical roots. Who knew Willie Nelson was THAT
cool?! (Thanks, Dad, for making me listen to that crap.) <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Without Kid Rock I might have missed it all. So, thanks
for the party, Bobby. Thanks for ALL the parties. As long as you’re at the
helm, I’ll be there – with my friends, my dancing shoes, and my hat – ready for
you to turn it up loud.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4166095269610054183.post-33055226393033825482013-01-14T11:00:00.000-08:002016-07-17T15:05:29.545-07:00Top 10 Best Moments
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Inspired by our dear friend, Cathy, and her entertaining
“Top Ten” (especially love the Big Wheel), I’ve been considering my own best
moments in life. It’s been a good exercise, to help remind me where I’ve been
and how far I’ve come. I didn’t include obvious things like the day Scott
proposed (which was pretty cool), our wedding, the birth of my kids, or the day we brought home our first dog. Buying
our house isn’t here, either, though this place has continually boosted my
spirit. Specifically, I tried to pinpoint moments of pure joy, when my heart
felt as full as it could be. Beginning with one of my earliest memories, and
progressing mostly chronologically from there, I humbly give you my Top 10…<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Singing, “<i>Jeremiah
was a bullfrog</i>,” in my grandparents’ rec room. I was very young, maybe six
or nine, and all the family had finished dinner and gathered to watch the show.
I clutched the microphone that attached to my mom’s cassette recorder, the
shades were drawn, and Grandpa spotlighted me with a flashlight. Beyond the
obvious, I couldn’t have had any idea what the words in “Joy to the World”
meant. I’ve found they fit me pretty well today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Winning a bike in the egg drop contest in fifth grade rocked,
but there was a better moment a few years later: The day in 1978 when the
winner of Grand Mound Middle School’s Presidential race was announced on the school’s
PA system. We were sitting in homeroom (I think). In my opinion, the other
candidates were smarter and/or more popular, and a girl had never before been
elected as school president. I couldn’t believe I won.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. Driving my first car – alone – to my first job. What a
rush! Got a speeding ticket on the maiden voyage. When the officer first
approached the driver’s side window, I apologized and told him it was a habit.
My mom got a lot of miles out of that story. Knowing it always amused her long
ago made up for the embarrassment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4. Standing in the ruins of the Temple of Apollo in
Pompeii, Italy, beneath the watchful eye of Mount Vesuvius. Beyond saying it
was surreal, I shouldn’t have to further explain this one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5. Sitting on a wrought-iron park bench in Jackson Square,
at the heart of the French Quarter, with a Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane in my hand, on
my birthday. I’d left my daughter and her friend in the pizza place and took a
short stroll around the square. Since the first breath I drew there in 1993, on
a day trip with my parents and grandfather, New Orleans has been a special
place for me. Might sound cheesy, but the energy there restores my soul. It was
a couple years after Katrina. The streets around the square, normally full of
sidewalk vendors and starving musicians, were painfully empty. A few days
later, I mistakenly drove through a particularly devastating stretch of I-10
and sobbed for almost an hour. But, on my birthday, and despite the quiet
streets, I felt hope for New Orleans. The Crescent City will never be the same,
but her light shines on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6. Watching my son graduate from boot camp. Fort Sill,
Lawton, Oklahoma. Scott and I drove there from West Palm Beach. We’d had so
much trouble with him for so many years. The event was a milestone for all of
us. I wanted Chris to see proud smiles, not tears, so I kept the emotions in
check. After the ceremony, on our drive back to the hotel, I had to pull over
and cry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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7. Christmas morning, when Casey was about three or four.
She got an Easy Bake Oven. After dinner, she baked a cake and insisted everyone
– all 10 of us – share in her bounty. On large paper plates, she commenced to
distribute the tiniest slivers of frosted chocolate cake to each one of us. We
laughed for days. Actually, I suppose we’re still laughing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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8. Typing “The End.” Can’t say the feeling was better with
either the first book or the second. Following a crude, mostly biographical
(and totally lame) attempt at writing a book, IMMORTAL BONDS became my first,
real, fully fictional, 90,000-word novel. My family and I sacrificed a great
deal on that year-and-a-half learning curve. Somewhere in the middle, I
actually had to set the manuscript aside for six months to help rebuild the
townhouse after Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne tore off the roof. Wish I could
say CKR was easier. Though it was written in a flurried three months, editing
took a grueling, life-changing four years. Holding it in paperback for the
first time seemed like a miracle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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9. Sharing a <i>shisha</i>
with a Palestinian gentleman in a courtyard café flanked by the Pantheon in
Rome. It was summer 2010. The courtyard, known as the Piazza della Rotunda, was
filled with tourists from all over the world. The Fontana del Pantheon, a
massive marble fountain topped by a steep, Egyptian obelisk, adorns the center
of the piazza. Steps to the fountain create a large seating area for visitors.
Street performers entertained us with music and hilarious pantomime. I wish I’d
taken more pictures. Also wish I’d taken more than one draw of that sweet peach
tobacco, but the two hours spent in conversation with him – parenting, drugs,
religion, government, terrorism, the meaning of life – were priceless, truly
beyond measure. Seated only steps away from a two-thousand-year-old temple
dedicated to ALL Gods, the scene could not have been more inspiring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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10. EVERY moment with the Kid Rock family. Seriously. Our
first Chillin’ the Most Cruise in 2011, CTM2, departed from New Orleans. As we
motored along the Mississippi River on our way to the Gulf of Mexico, the sail
away concert featured an amazing sunset over the Louisiana landscape. I
literally hit happiness overload. Shortly after that, a few Facebook friends
and I started a little group called the Kid Rock Life Line. We’ve raised
thousands of dollars and orchestrated the distribution of countless care
packages, cards, and prayers for Kid Rock fans dealing with tragic life events
and the aftermath of natural disaster. Meeting the Life Line Admins, in person,
for the first time was an emotional high. Meeting the single mom who lost her
house and belongings to Hurricane Irene, the loss that sparked the group’s
creation, was more exciting than the Kid Rock concert that had drawn us all to the
Orlando Calling festival. Then, there was our second cruise, CTM3, in 2012. We
traveled with six good friends from here in the West Palm area. Though we’d
been relatively anonymous the first time around, Scott and I felt like we
shared Redneck Paradise with hundreds of our closest friends. And New Year’s
Eve! Just two weeks ago, we opened our home to a van full of strangers from
Detroit. Well, five strangers and two Life Line Admins. Plus another Admin from
St. Louis, who flew in the following day. All were bound for Kid Rock’s New
Year’s Eve concerts at the Seminole Hard Rock on the 30th and 31st. Two crazy
nights at the “campground” and two, back-to-back concerts in Hollywood later –
which we spent with an additional 50 or so more members of our Kid Rock family
– we all discovered we’d not only made dear new friends, we’d added another
moment to our Top 10. I can’t wait for March and CTM4!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Should you ever get the opportunity to really, truthfully,
look back on the moments in your life that brought you joy, I highly recommend
it. We move so fast today and spend too much time struggling to get from one thing
to the next. It’s easy to forget how blessed we’ve been – how blessed we ARE.
Every day can’t be filled with magic, but some rare moments are bursting with
it. I hope you find more than ten. I also hope, during your voyage of
discovery, you realize the best moments are yet to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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~ Dawn<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Dawn Scovillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00554969414278758734noreply@blogger.com0