azmom
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Post by azmom on May 18, 2011 11:44:16 GMT -5
Thank YOU...DH gave me a $50 visa card for Mother's Day, along with a PW cook book and two Caroline Kennedy book of poems, and took me to dinner and movie and cooked me dinner on the actual day...WOW did I feel the love. We normally don't have the funds to buy gifts and I am normally a grumpy recipient, we are working on both Anyway, Thanks to Dakota and Shanen for their comments on a recent blog post I will be purchasing a cast iron skillet and have material for a future blog post! Thanks so much for all the support I get on my blog from this thread. It makes my heart happy. For those of you who have been around as long as I have you have witnessed my fickle career desires throughout the years and I have been giving some serious thought to what the future holds for me. I have decided that I NEED to go back to school. I have not worked for over nine years and IF I decide to go back into the workforce I will need a degree but I want to get a degree that would be useful even if I chose not to rejoin the workforce. Anyhow, I have considered several options and have done some serious self exploration and prayer and have talked DH's ear off about this. I am leaning toward a degree in Journalism. I read the coursework and I find it very interesting and fascinating and would LOVE all of the classes. I have about 1/3 of the degree done already. I currently do volunteer work on a newsletter and on occasion write a featured article and I also write a blog post at least once a month for the website that corresponds with the newsletter and I enjoy the work, I just lack focus and direction (they are grass root and are still figuring that part out). I recently saw a job posting by the AZ D-Backs, this degree would qualify me for the position. It dealt with their newsletter/magazine. Although as much as I would LOVE a job like this in a sports organization I don't think I could balance it with my family life. which brings me to another pro for this degree I could freelance. I also really want to to one day bring to life the stories of everyday women. I was able to interview my DD 4th grade teacher and write an article chronicling her battle with breast cancer and I found great joy in interviewing her, writing the story and doing research and discovering what I failed to ask the first time. It was fun. I really believe this is the direction I want to go. I am going to talk to an advisor on Thursday. At first I thought an academic certificate in creative writing is the route I should go. It will help me develop my writing skills and all that but then I saw the Journalism degree and fell in love with it. Hopefully an advisor will be able to give me some clarity and if any of you want to through your opinions my way I would love to hear them as well.
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azmom
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Post by azmom on May 18, 2011 11:44:58 GMT -5
This message has been deleted. Double post
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dakota4600
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Post by dakota4600 on May 18, 2011 12:10:48 GMT -5
AZmom- They look the same to me. I concur with reenee. I just got new cast iron skillets from DH for my b-day and it a very different feel from the one I've had for about 15years. We actually did bacon in them and also re-seasoned them to get a better surface.
Muttley- Stay with the no-soda, when I stopped nursing, I put on about 10 pounds, I think it takes your body a while to adjust to the change.
Mini-D knocked my jaw out of place last night. We rocking and there was a loud noise outside and he brought his head up and hit my jaw and my ears both immediately clogged up and I feel like everything is pushed to left. Luckily I already had an appt with the chiro scheduled for tonight.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on May 18, 2011 12:34:17 GMT -5
azmom: Yay for cast iron. I agree that a used one would be great, but at the same time, unless the thrift store has someone going through new donations that knows cast iron, there's a good chance it was cleaned and disinfected with heavy duty cleaners. You might still want to do a first cook of a big batch of bacon. DH cleans his cast iron by boiling a small amount of water in it then wiping it out with a clean, dry cloth. He then usually makes a couple pieces of bacon right after to keep the cure (or at least that's the excuse we use to have a couple pieces of bacon).
And I also think the journalism degree is a great fit for you.
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Honeylioness
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Post by Honeylioness on May 18, 2011 12:50:11 GMT -5
azmom - In adding to what reenee said I don't see any difference with those two skillets aside from price. However ............. I am in agreement with reenee also that I prefer older cast iron and not new. And for what it is worth there were two comments in both ads that just made me cringe. They being: "...pre-seasoned.......wire brush" The only time my best friend ever bought a new "pre-seasoned" pan it did nothing but stick every time she tried to use it. Finally I took it home and stripped it down to the metal - the ONLY time I would ever advocate using a wire brush or any sort of abrasive scrubbing pad on a cast iron pan. Once I had that coating off and could season it properly it cooked wonderfully. There are several methods of seasoning a pan which you can find online. What I will advocate is that you NEVER scrub out cast iron after using it. If for some reason you have to do so then the pan will need to be re-seasoned before you cook with it again. Proper care, seasoning and cleaning of cast iron means it will last forever - or nearly. My favorite cast iron skillet was found at a flea market for $8 - and I use it almost every day. It's a wonderful oily black color and is my go-to pan for most things. I also have several other sized skillets as well as two dutch ovens. One of which now that I think of it, needs to be re-seasoned as well. Since one of the girls went to town on it last week with an SOS pad.
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dakota4600
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Post by dakota4600 on May 18, 2011 13:26:16 GMT -5
Shanandoah That is how DH cleans our cast iron too!
Honey- What is your preferred re-seasoning method? I've seen several just curious what our resident expert prefers.
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Honeylioness
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Post by Honeylioness on May 18, 2011 13:49:53 GMT -5
Cast Iron
After making sure the pan is completely clean I rub it with a relatively thin coat of neutral food-grade oil (vegetable, olive, lard or Crisco). Rub the oil off with paper towels or a cotton cloth. The pan will look like there is no oil left on the surface, but there is as the oil is just very thin (the pan will look dry, not glistening with oil).
Place the pan, upside down, in the oven, with a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom to catch drips. Heat the pan for 30 minutes in a 450 to 500 degree F oven. Once done, turn off the oven, and let the pan cool to room temperature inside the oven. Repeat at least twice to create a stronger seasoning surface.
From a reliable website: "The oil fills the cavities and becomes entrenched in them, as well as rounding off the peaks. By seasoning a new pan, the cooking surface develops a nonstick quality because the formerly jagged and pitted surface becomes smooth. Also, because the pores are permeated with oil, water cannot seep in and create rust that would give food an off-flavor. Your ironware will be slightly discolored at this stage, but a couple of frying jobs will help complete the cure, and turn the iron into the rich, black color that is the sign of a well-seasoned, well-used skillet or pot."
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reeneejune
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Post by reeneejune on May 18, 2011 14:04:24 GMT -5
Honey - I recall my DOM picking up large pieces of pumice when we went camping in a dormant volcano zone to use in scrubbing pots and pans... what I can't remember was if this was ok to use on the cast iron. The pumice stones worked remarkably well, even better than most metal scrubbies (and bonus, the pumice stones never tore up my hands where metal scrubbies seem to flay me alive).
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reeneejune
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Post by reeneejune on May 18, 2011 14:13:58 GMT -5
I have a massive to-do list for this "weekend" (my two days off are today and tomorrow this week) and I'm having a hard time getting moving. So I'm going to post it here and you all can keep me accountable and off the computer....
update online calendar and communicate with freelance job DONE
Plant flowers and veggies for patio DONE
Assemble bookcase for sewing room DONE Move all sewing and craft supplies into H.W.D. (Headquarters for World Domination) Sort and Clean H.W.D. vacuume upstairs and downstairs clean bathrooms make thank you cards for people who have helped furnish my apartment Write to my brother
Send friend directions to my apartment DONE
Empty personal email DONE Return netflix DVD
Update address with DMV, Bank, and rewards points accounts DONE Clean out loaner microwave and set up gifted microwave Check mail/PO Box
Enter rewards points DONE
Order rewards gift card DONE Take costumes to dry cleaner's Bake cookies
So I have accomplished a few things, but I've still got a ways to go... especially considering a friend is coming over tonight to see my place for the first time.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on May 18, 2011 14:18:49 GMT -5
dakota - Hmmm... I wonder if I gained the weight in March because DS was going from nursing 3 times a day to once a day (and even then I don't think he was getting a whole lot). This week has been tough since DS has a cough and is not sleeping well. He woke up yesterday morning at 4am and cried/slept until 5am until DH went and got him up. This morning he was up screaming at 5am. UGH! Anyway, I had 1 soda last week and one on Monday. I'm itching for one today.
I hope your jaw feels better. THat sounds painful.
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dakota4600
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Post by dakota4600 on May 18, 2011 14:22:34 GMT -5
Honey- That is the method we use. When I first tried to use the new "pre-seasoned" one, it surprised me how rough it felt and how metallic it sounded when I used the spatula, but after the bacon and a couple bouts in the oven it is much smoother already.
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ses
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Post by ses on May 18, 2011 15:17:32 GMT -5
Major gripe session ahead---- I hate the weather we are having! We have had more rain in the past 10 days or so than the average for two months. The temps have been hovering between 45* to 55* which is cold with that much dampness. I know this will amuse those of you in real flood territory but we have had so much rain (3.36") that even as flat as it is around here we are under a flood watch. My arthritis is acting up something terrible. I hate getting out of bed in the morning as that is the only time I don't really hurt. I suppose from being stretched out flat all night and snuggled up with two heating pads in the guise of two furry kitties. I find this type of overcast more depressing than short gloomy winter days.
Reading all of your comments I'm considering getting another cast iron skillet. For some reason I haven't had one for the past few years, i don't know why because I loved the one i had. It was almost the only pan I used.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on May 18, 2011 15:28:27 GMT -5
I am usually not allowed to use DH's cast iron. They are his, and he is the cook. However, under certain circumstances, I do get to use them, and I think those circumstances will be coming up over the holiday weekend. We'll be having friends over for jambalaya to welcome my cousin and say goodbye to the roomie. A good jambalaya (the 3 day version with homemade stock) requires a good cornbread, and there is just something about cornbread made in a cast iron skillet... I'll have to talk to DH about it tonight so that he can mentally prepare himself for my using his cast iron
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reeneejune
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Post by reeneejune on May 18, 2011 17:06:30 GMT -5
update online calendar and communicate with freelance job DONE
Plant flowers and veggies for patio DONE
Assemble bookcase for sewing room DONE
Move all sewing and craft supplies into H.W.D. (Headquarters for World Domination) DONE Sort and Clean H.W.D. vacuume upstairs and downstairs
clean bathrooms DONE make thank you cards for people who have helped furnish my apartment
Write to my brother DONE
Send friend directions to my apartment DONE
Empty personal email DONE Return netflix DVD
Update address with DMV, Bank, and rewards points accounts DONE Clean out loaner microwave and set up gifted microwave Check mail/PO Box
Enter rewards points DONE
Order rewards gift card DONE Take costumes to dry cleaner's Bake cookies
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moneysquirrel
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Post by moneysquirrel on May 18, 2011 21:41:10 GMT -5
Update: 12 NS and 8 CS days
Nothing much going on here. Exam and clean up classroom time.
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mizbear
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Post by mizbear on May 18, 2011 21:43:44 GMT -5
reneejune- There will probably be war over my DGMs cast iron- btwn me and my uncle and the uncle who wants everything and my aunt (unless she has one) and at least 1 cousin and DB. Yard sales are another good place to find cast iron. And don't buy the stuff with wood handles. Please pray, send good karma or juju to my BFFs family. Her 5yo son had an unexplained seizure tonight. She has been my BFF for 20 years and saw me through the worst time of my life. We have only recently been able to reconnect thanks to FB and losing her only child would be devastating. Funny rant- DGMs sewing area! Aye yi yi! DGMs sewing area, officially, is about 10X10. However, her sewing stuff, we are finding, is all over the freaking house!!! 2 4-drawer file cabinets of patterns that have not been used in almost 20 years; sewing projects unfinished for at least 8, sewing and crafting books on both floors of the house and in 5 rooms. Notions and fabric everywhere! And I have counted 2 mini machines, 2 sergers, at least 1 antique, and at least 2 or 3 regular machines! Stop the madness!!!! At least I gave away some of my cookbook collection.... End rant- did I mention she doesn't really sew anymore???
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MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on May 18, 2011 21:56:00 GMT -5
Oh wow just made homemade salsa with jalopenos, must have had an abrasion on my fingers/hand because it is BURNING!
Ready for the garage sale top start tomorrow. Hopefully we will have decent weather tomorrow and Friday. Don't really care if we open on Sat or not. Wish me luck ladies. I have a lot in store for the funds... South Dakota, and/or a battery for one of the kids power wheels and summer activities. Plus I am just hoping to get rid of a bunch of junk!
Dakota I hope you are doing better. Ouch!
Muttlyn: I feel you on the weight issue. Your body as you are nursing seems to fight the last bit as you retrain it that you are no longer going to nurse. I had problems with DS#1 and DD. DS#2 has a high metabelizm thus my body could not keep up with him and I lost more then what I gained with him! Was great but then I got preggers with DD. Now I need to lose more weight then before I got preggers withher. ARG! Give it time and make time to work out. (So much easier said then done!)
Cast Iron: I have never really cooked with it. My ex had a pan he loved! I rememeber when his roommate's girlfriend nicely cleaned it and it was all nice and silver again. I don't know if he ever recovered from that one LOL.
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mizbear
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Post by mizbear on May 19, 2011 7:27:26 GMT -5
Every woman should be presented with a heavy duty, quality cast iron pan at her wedding- it doubles as a "husband maintainer". Even keeps the big drunk ones in line.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on May 19, 2011 8:23:08 GMT -5
mizbear - LOL
UGH! Another night without enough sleep. I could not fall asleep last night. Then DS was up screaming at 5/5:30. DH has been getting up with him, but really I need to because DH is such a grump in the morning. I was so pooped last night. I didn't do anything last night except watch TV and I should not have done that. I should have just done my normal evening stuff and not sat in bed for 2.5 hrs before trying to fall asleep. My parents are bring my Grandmas down this weekend and I feel so bad. It is suppose to be pouring rain Friday in particular, but rain all weekend. DS, DH and I all have coughs. DH and DS have runny noses and DH and I have a funeral to go to on Saturday. At least DS will have people to entertain indoors because it sounds like we are going to have some thunderstorms which would mean he can't go play in the rain.
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redwagon
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Post by redwagon on May 19, 2011 8:37:12 GMT -5
Hello there, ladies! I have missed you guys! Work has been crazy busy lately so I haven't had time to pop online (because let's face it, it's usually a few hours to catch up, and I only had moments here and there). We have 10 books on our schedule right now, and I've never had more than 4 at once before, so it's been interesting but also much more fun and exciting. Not hating my job as much, which is good since a job opportunity I was SUPER excited about seems to have fizzled (why can't they just email me back and say oh we found someone else after I jumped through all their hoops?). Plus I've been freelancing in my spare time. Hoping to get a few more clients and eventually quit the full-time job and work freelance from home. The thought makes me giddy on gorgeous days where I can just see myself working outside on our patio, jumping in the pool during lunch... ahhhh that would be the life. That said, blue_wagon and I would probably kill each other, both working from home... but that is in the future still.
I hope you all are well! I will try to catch up a bit. I saw someone post about cast-iron. We have a cast-iron dutch oven that i love. A former coworker bought his fiance a giant cast iron pot for her birthday once, and had to lug it around the city to our softball game, and he was dying by the end (field was about a mile walk from work). Those things are heavy!!
Oh, blue and I have a new nephew. Little Milo was born on the 12th to blue's sister. Baby #1 is very curious about this strange, alien, baby #2 (#1 is only 15 months old). Can't wait to go visit them on Saturday to see how they are all doing now they are back at home. I love those kids. Making me want my own. I always turn to blue and say "I want one." And then they need a diaper change and I'm good with waiting a bit longer haha.
Well, that's all that's really new with me. Plugging along, paying down debt, excited for a busy summer, excited for my parents to visit this weekend, excited to have tomorrow off to clean the house and work on another freelance project (finally finishing up the freelance typesetting project for my old company that I first started in 2009. will be sad to see that large paycheck-per-project go... but my mac is almost dead so I really couldn't do more if I wanted to). Happy Thursday!
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singlemomky
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Post by singlemomky on May 19, 2011 9:01:12 GMT -5
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Honeylioness
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Post by Honeylioness on May 19, 2011 9:25:41 GMT -5
Dakota - have a great day!
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on May 19, 2011 9:33:08 GMT -5
[shadow=blue,left,300][glow=purple,2,300]Happy Birthday Dakota![/glow][/shadow] Yesterday was an NS. I did not even have productive procrastination last night. I did nothing, except fall asleep during Nova. I've promised myself that if I make significant progress on the room tonight (ie all clothes put away, even if I haven't figured out where to move them to yet) then I can treat myself to a mani/pedi tomorrow.
DH and I have been talking about new floors, and I desperately want them. BUT, I redid the math yesterday for the next year with school expenses and the truth is, if we want to maintain any kind of emergency fund, we can't afford them. That, and we really, really want to knock down a couple walls and open up our kitchen. The biggest issue with that is making sure its not a load bearing wall (don't think it is, but we could leave a column or two up) and having to move electrical outlets. The thing is, my dad wants to come visit in September, and he can do electrical. He's not an electrician, but he did electrical work in the military, so he knows what he's doing. And if I'm not hiring someone to do it, the city doesn't care about licenses. So, since DH will have all of September off from school, maybe we knock some walls down and buy some pre-fab cabinets from HD or Lowes (cheaper than carpets) and boom, new kitchen. Then, we can think about the other things we want done - new interior paint (the paint on our walls is crappy) and new floors.
Of course, this all means that I don't get out steam cleaning the carpets before we have people over next weekend.
Muttley: Sorry about the no sleep. Do you drink tea? A nice chamomille might be able to help you relax before bed.
red_wagon: Glad things are going well
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azmom
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Post by azmom on May 19, 2011 9:53:51 GMT -5
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAKOTA!!!!!!!!!
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on May 19, 2011 11:06:54 GMT -5
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAKOTA!!!!!!!
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ses
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Post by ses on May 19, 2011 12:47:18 GMT -5
Dakota, have a wonderful day!
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dakota4600
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Post by dakota4600 on May 19, 2011 15:02:02 GMT -5
Thank you all for the B-day wishes! Another hour and I'm out of here. I had to be in early at work and then do a demo on our website at lunch so I have had a pretty busy day. Tonight my parents are taking all of us out to dinner. Hopefully I can eat something after going to the chiro this afternoon. Other than that today will be pretty low key. Sunday DH & I are celebrating our birthdays with family and friends.
DH is in the dog house. Last night for some reason he let Dakota out without hooking him up to to the tether. (Dakota has become a fence jumper in his old age, so for the last 8 months or so we've been putting him on the tether when we let the dogs out.) For whatever reason DH just didn't do it and there was a cat in the back yard. Dakota HATES cats and since he wasn't on the tether was able to go after it. The cat escaped and left several claw marks on Dakota and peed on him (I think), so he reeks now. DH gets to give him a bath. Mini-D was already in bed when it happened and asked what happened to Koda's face this morning. I just told him he had an accident. Then mini-D wanted to know if we should put bandaids on his snout. The thought of doing that and watching the dog try to get them off made me laugh.
AZmom- Sounds like you have found something you are passionate about and allows you the freedom to be home with your kids.
Red- Welcome back! Congrats on the new nephew.
Muttley- Hope you get some sleep soon! With my jaw pain I've been taking Tylenol PM and it does help with the falling asleep.
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redwagon
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Post by redwagon on May 19, 2011 15:16:36 GMT -5
happy birthday dakota!!
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on May 19, 2011 15:39:18 GMT -5
Happy Birthday Dakota.
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MittenKitten
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Post by MittenKitten on May 19, 2011 17:24:17 GMT -5
Happy Birthday Dakota! I hope you feel well and have a wonderful day!
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