Personal Profile
Description:
Name: Dawn E.B. Meade
D.O.B.: January 8 - Elvis's Birthday, Thank ya verra much.
Height: 5' 3"
Weight: adequate [zaftig, rubenesque, voluptuous]
Hair: Brown, shade varying from near-blond to quite dark, depending on season. Weird thing: has some reddish highlights now...peculiar quirk of aging, n'est-ce pas?
Eyes: Blue

Personal Preferences:
Favorite Color: blue
Favorite Place: In Harry's arms.
Favorite Persons: Lots here: Harry, Derek, April, Carly, Jim, Larri, Tiff, Beth, Jeanie, Aimee & Jim, the B-Ward mafia, Matthew, and many others...You know who you are!!
Musical Tastes: EVERYTHING -- especially classic rock of any era. Saw Blues Traveler live the other night from the second row. Freakin' amazing...and I don't just mean their hot-ass bass player! The Eagles were awesome live, as was Metallica. REM is extremely listenable, as is Mozart, The Clarks, and Green Day to name just a few. [American Idiot! Yeah!] Celtic music rocks, both bawdy folk songs and traditional pipe stuff. I am also a MAJOR groupie of Seven Nations (the artists formerly known as Clan Na Gael)...the United States' HOTTEST celtic rock band!! As you can see, my musical tastes are extremely eclectic. Dirty little secret: Harry & I have been known to occasionally listen to "bubblegum pop" like Backstreet Boys, `N Sync, Christina Aguilera and *shudder* Britney Spears. Don't tell!
Literary Tastes: The Classics, especially anything medieval, Chaucerian, or Shakespearean (Huzzah!) I also enjoy cheezy category romance novels (pure escapism...although I did write a thesis on them in college...) and trashy fiction of the warped variety, such as Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, Dean Koontz, John Saul, and a little John Grisham or Iris Johanson thrown in for good measure. A recent obsession are the Dr. Scarpetta books by Patricia Cornwell and, of course, the Potter books. Go, JK! Great reads! SciFi is cool too. [Harry hooked me on Anne McCaffrey's Pern books!] Basically, though, if it has words, I like to read it. *grin*
Cinematic Tastes: The following movies rock my world...In no particular order, here they are:
Dazed & Confused, Speed, Empire Records (Damn the Man), Rebel without a Cause, Rocky Horror, The Craft, Grease & Grease II, Pretty in Pink (I love Duckie!), Sixteen Candles, Rush, T2, Office Space (Yyyeeaahh...), Sudden Death, ID4, The Fifth Element (5th elephant?), While You Were Sleeping, South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut (This movie has warped my fragile little mind.), American Pie I-III, the Matrix (though the sequels sucked), Dodgeball, Hitchhiker's Guide, The Princess Bride (As you Wish...), To Wong Foo, Armageddon, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-A-Rama (There's a story about that one...), Cruel Intentions, Team America World Police, anything Python, and my Number One All Time Favorite (for the time being anyway) -- Braveheart!!!!
Television Tastes: The following shows are must-see at our house:
Buffy/Angel, Law & Order:SVU, South Park, Mythbusters, Bones, Gilmore Girls [okay, that's me not Harry!], Rescue Me, House, M.D. (Hugh Laurie...*drool*), Monk and the best show in the world is -- CSI (but I hate both spinoffs). The whole CSI thing is because it is a smart show with pretty good science and it keeps me enthralled with the stories and casefiles. Of course, the fact that I'd leave my husband for William Petersen [aka Gil Grissom] plays a small factor in my enjoyment too. *smirk*

Interests:
Physical Activities: Dancing - 28 years training in the following forms: Ballet (Ceccetti & Vaganova), Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Modern (several techniques), Improv, and a bit of African, Hawaiian, and Sacred (at the 1995 & 1996 American College Dance Festivals). I majored in Dramatic Arts/Dance in college. I also compete regularly in Highland Dance at the Premier level.
Other Physical Activities: Pilates, Tae-Bo!, Softball, Volleyball, Bowling (ten pin and duckpin), working out with Harry in our basement mini-gym.
Mental Activities: Writing HTML code/Maintaining several websites, Trivia games of all ilks, Reading/Writing, Reading/Writing Fic, Trying to figure out what the hell I should do with my life...
Political Inclination: After moving away from Western PA, I've realized my true nature and registered as a Republican. I've truly let my family down. Then again, in Western PA, EVERYONE is registered Democrat...even the Republicans. (Don't tell my folks, but they're closet `publicans too even though they think the Republicans are eeee-vil!)
View on most controversial issues: "I may not believe in what you have to say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it." --Voltaire.
My Rant on America, circa 1997: I am a very old-fashioned girl, on many issues. This explains my conservatism...I have old-fashioned values and morals. I support the Constitution and the rights therein contained. I DO NOT, HOWEVER, SUPPORT THE "RIGHTS OF THE `90'S." These are the so-called "rights" established by Political Correctness. I HATE P.C.!! Though I am a feminist (i.e., equal pay for equal work and women can do ALMOST everything men can do, given half a chance), I refuse to bastardize standard English by writing "s/he" or changing the words to established hymns and literary classics. I also do not think that P.C. entitles people to ignore the basic rules of etiquette or courtesy. If a man gets to a door before me, he damn well better hold it for me. And if I get there first, I'll hold it for him. Politeness. Courtesy. Though dying in the `90's, they are vital for civilization. Give a little -- don't just "me-me-me" all day. And don't feel entitled to any special benefits for any external reasons. Gender, race, religion, or history do not ENTITLE anyone to the good life. That must be EARNED through hard work and a willingness to play the game of life. Today's problems in America prove that lowering standards only causes more problems. Raise the bar, expect more from each individual and most individuals will rise to the challenge. Demand nothing less than excellence, and excellence can be achieved. It's called a WORK ETHIC, America...Get one. Rant Ends Here. Thank you for listening.
Rant analysis, circa 1999: Um...yep. Still true.
Addenda to Rant, circa 1999:Also, don't get me started on the so-called "Parenting Skills" in today's America or the "brilliant education reforms" like Outcomes-Based Education. It's no wonder we have raised a generation of killers in this country. It takes spending mass quantities of time with a few of the good kids I know before I even think America has a future!!
Rant analysis, circa 2001: Yep, yep. Still true. And God Bless America, the GWB administration may just bring back some morality and honor to the office of President!
Rant analysis, circa 2006: Yep, yep. Still works for me!
Other Interests: Men who wear kilts, poetry (reading and writing), any good creative endeavor, and beauty in any form.

Expertise:
Degrees/Majors: I graduated cum laude from Dickinson College with a double B.A. My majors were English and Dramatic Arts with a Dance emphasis.
Minor: Would have been French. I was two classes shy, but not THAT masochistic!
Willing to answer questions about: I do not claim to be an expert on everything, or anything for that matter. The things I know, I know. Just ask me. The worst I could tell you is to look it up yourself. (Heh. I am NetGirl, She who commands Google and mistress of all knowledge...well, according to my family anyways! LOL) I am also a font of useless trivia and pointless knowlege, and wreak havoc upon the hapless inhabitants of Trivia chat rooms. So, come on and try me! *grin*

Goal in Life:
My goal in life is to become a moderate-to-great success in whatever I do, and to have a happy family. I am not, however, inflexible -- As long as I am happy, have someone to love, and someone to love me, I will be content with my lot.

Quotes:

"And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once."
Friedrich Nietzsche

"Can I ask you something? Have you ever been in love?"
--"If I was, I didn't know it. And you?"
"No. Isn't that terrible?"
--"Terrible? No, it just reminds you that we're all alone, that's all."
Paula Abdul and Keanu Reeves, the video for Rush, Rush

"Remember, my sentimental friend, the heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others."
Frank Morgan as the Wizard, The Wizard of Oz, 1939.

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Lao-Tzu

"Be careful if you make a woman cry because God counts all her tears. The woman came out of a man's rib, not from his feet to be walked on, not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal, under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved."-- from the Hebrew Talmud

I am a shadow
I go unnoticed by the masses
I am alone with myself
All around me walk shadows, desperately clinging to their groups,
Hoping tomorrow, the shadow of themselves will be gone.
Jack Depp, The Shadow

Strong wind is blowin' me down to the center of town/C'mon seize the wildness of the moment,/feel the movement of the moon--/swans fly with wings wide open to the sky/like a wild wave of birds goin' by--/I know our souls will fly!
Oh, I'm having a vision a burning vision/i can't wait forever--(i can't wait, can't wait)/I'm having a vision of a kiss from your sweet lips
Don't shatter the vision/Don't shatter the vision
The burning vision of a kiss from your sweet lips
But I can wait until the twelfth of never.
The B-52s, Vision of a Kiss, from a letter from Derek.

I was alone... I was all by myself... No one was looking...! I was thinking of you.
Green Day, Untitled (hidden track), from a letter from Derek.

So close, no matter how far/Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are/And nothing else matters.
Never opened myself this way/Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say/And nothing else matters.
Trust I seek and I find in you/Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view/And nothing else matters.
Never cared for what they say...Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do...Never cared for what they know
And I know...Nothing Else Matters.
Metallica, Nothing Else Matters, a great song

Sometimes I need some time...on my own
Sometimes I need some time...all alone
Everybody needs some time...on their own
Don't you know you need some time...all alone
And when your fears subside/and shadows still remain
I know that you can love me/when there's no one left to blame
So never mind the darkness/we still can find a way
Cause nothing lasts forever/even cold November rain.
Don't ya think that you need somebody - Don't ya think that you need someone
Everybody needs somebody - You're not the only one...You're not the only one.
Guns N'Roses, November Rain

I miss you, but you are here,
I think of you because you are close to me,
I trust you because I know you.
I want you because you are beautiful to me
I love you because you are part of me!!!!!
email love poem from an ex-boyfriend, 9/13/92, the first love poem ever written for me

"Every man is a spark in the darkness. By the time he is noticed, he is gone forever. A retinal after-image that fades and is obscured by newer, brighter lights."
L.J. Rothrauff, reading from a D&D book in Contemporary Affairs, NHS - 5/92

Carpe Diem -- Ite Ultra -- Semper Ubi Sub-ubi

Laissez les bon temps rouler! -- Faites-le avec Panache!

Non Illegitimati Carborundum

The successful woman remembers yesterday with pride,
Lives today with enthusiasm,
And looks to tomorrow with confidence!
A random coffee mug I once saw, very good advice

"Why does an inspiring sight like a sunrise always have to take place at such an inconvenient time?"
Bruce Kafaroff, The Wall Street Journal

"Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby." -- Ruth E. Renkel

"What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are."
C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great." -- Mark Twain

"Nothing is ever as bad as it seems." -- Royce M. Fitzgerald, III - Potsdam College, 1992
The best advice a friend ever gave me, similar to the proverbial "This too shall pass." Got me through many tough times.

More to come...This is just a start...

Read some truly bad poetry I wrote over the years.

Read some of the fanfic I've written. Yep, I've become "that guy!"