You're never too old...

to blog.

NEVAH too old Darling. NEVAH.

I found this blog nearly a year ago, and while it has hodge-podge moments, I'm uber impressed that a 108-year old woman even gets blogging. And does so regularly!

Go show Olive some love... and pray for her as her 87-year old son recently passed away.

http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/

I have avoided blogging because I believe I have nothing to write about.

They say that, if you will sit down to begin to write it will come.

I'm waiting.

In the mean time, Thanksgiving was nice -- for the most part. Flying is actually enjoyable for me now, so both flights were very nice. My Mom and I had time to talk on both flights, as well as nap a little, and since we're both silly and get excited, it was very special.

We got to go to the Big Balloon Blow-up and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the NIT tournament. My family did some other stuff, but I did not go for reasons that I'm deliberately choosing not to blog about. 'Cause frankly, other than having to tell my friend Jenn why I didn't get to see her,... nobody should have to know.

My 29th birthday is coming up and along with that... hopefully some changes.

We'll see!

2007

#500 - Thankfulness

Of all the ways I could kick off my 500th post, I can't think of anything better than 50 things I'm thankful for this past year:

I'm tagging you all for this too...

1. God's unending mercy and unfathomable love
2. good friends
3. new hair color
4. a good mani/pedi
5. knowing that my husband is where God wants him to be... wherever that may be
6. David Caruso (y'all knew he would make the top 10, right?)
7. my MAH-velous family
8. my 4th Thanksgiving in NYC
9. All my FBC ladies...
10. Cherry-Vanilla Dr. Pepper
11. Home-cookin'
12. pierced ears
13. boldness
14. knowing that I deserve a man who loves me
15. a new bedspread
16. time with great friends in Columbus in August of this year
17. not having to plan another H.S. reunion (can I get an AMEN H?)
18. getting to see Sunburned twice this year already!
19. a wonderful promotion and raise
20. hugs
21. photos to capture every moment
22. having a chance to hang out with Mulier Sapien twice (I've got to call you!!!)
23. that Bitsy and H. are bloggin'!!!!!
24. setting up a facebook account and Anne Jackson finding me!
25. winning a key to win a car... even though it didn't work out
26. Retreats with my girls! (Aubs, Miran, & Aman)
27. personalized t-shirts
28. a balanced checking account
29. welcoming two of the cutest babies I know this year - Buddy Ro & Gracie! (and a day apart!!)
30. running across a scripture right when I need it!
31. spending New Year's at Creflo Dollar's church with my friend Michele
32. God healing my brother!
33. restored relationships
34. my FBC ladies opening their home to me ('cause I WAS a stranger to them not too long ago!)
35. admiring God's majesty in the colors of fall!
36. moments of divine revelation and comedy to remind us all of God's sovereignty
37. being able to reconnect with old friends from Lee through the online Alumni program
38. starting to figure out who I am and realizing I'm so much better than I thought!
39. going on a vacay with my best friend of 20 years and her family
40. being a woman of my word (I'm still working on that,... but I'm making progress)
41. being unafraid to blog
42. new pens
43. lunch with co-workers that I care deeply for and appreciate
44. standing up for myself... finally
45. Remembering that, although I am unable to control the storms of life, I know the Peace speaker who tells the winds and waves to "Be Still"
46. getting ready to turn 29
47. (wow... that's weird!)
48. God's grace and mercy -- which DEFINITELY deserve a second mention
49. comments from friends.
50. Thanks for reading and praying! I love ya'!!!

A post worth posting...

I have really been out of regular posting and I think it's starting to get to me!!

Friday night, a big group went and had yummy Japanese and then played Balderdash afterwards. If you have somehow managed to go the last decade without playing that game, you have missed out!

Saturday, I had the privilege to babysit "The Girls" (R. & G.) for my friend K. as she went to take the PRAXIS for health. We had such a good time. G. is only six months old so, really sleeping, pooping, and eating are a big day for her! Miss R. and I watched Little Eistein... and can I tell you that I really like that show?? We watched alot of stuff but that was, BY FAR, my favorite. I did watch Handy Manny and quickly realized that Wilmer Valderama was the voice of Manny. I still don't know how I feel about that...

When K. got back, we grabbed Jenkins (I believe this may be the real reason I don't move away from Cleveland), and then got K.'s birthday present. We spend the rest of the afternoon working on Heath BINGO cards, then had dinner with K.'s husband who went to the GA/KY game. His old basketball coach was there, so he was able to get on the field!! with the players as they were warming up. (NTBNPF would be beside herself... although I have a feeling she's been on that field before! :) )

Yesterday, we had church, a birthday lunch for a dear friend Becca at the Country Club, and then I got to see my friends Steph and Jami for coffee/hot chocolate. We had a blast.

The best part (and my latest and most favorite compliment), Jami has asked me to take her Christmas pictures. She just flattered me to pieces talking about what good pictures I take. So, I will have my first Christmas Photoshoot next week. I am super-duper-psyched!

I had a quasi-awkward conversation with a friend yesterday, and while I can't tell you everything, I feel like I may soon be recreating a scene from Fever Pitch. If I had access to YouTube at work, I would find the clip, so bear with me as I set it up...

Jimmy Fallon's character (Ben) realizes he's an idiot and goes to Drew Barrymore's character's (Lindsey) apartment to apologize for being a jerk...

*brief interlude while I look for more info online only to come up short*

okay... so long story short, Ben goes to Lindsey's apartment to apologize and be sympathetic and says this:

"This is winter guy. I already know that I like winter guy. It's summer guy that hurt me."

***

I guess I'm feeling like I can't deal with the summer/winter personalities of some people. You can love people, but you have to walk away sometimes. Kinda of like the Brownies/Girl Scout motto:

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."

It's just a season thing I guess.


Ohh... and P.S. my next post will be #500!!!!!!!!!

Because this is what the bloggy world does...

Please remember my dear sweet friend Bitsy this week.

Her very special, very precious Godmother went on to be with the Lord this morning.

I'm praying for you Bits... love ya'!!!

the building of the excitment

I am T-2 days until I board a plane headed to NYC for Thanksgiving.

I am so ridiculously excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This year will be a little bit different. We have tickets to the NIT tournament and we are (cross your fingers) supposed to go see the Rockettes!!!

I'm pumped.

And I'm hoping to squeeze in some time with Sunburned while I'm there too!

$$$

I'm going to look at new computers this weekend.

Pray, saints, Pray.

I hope you don't get carsick easily...

This morning, I wasn't feeling so hot, so I was late for work. But, as I've mentioned before, I have a GORGEOUS drive to work everyday. Today, unlike many others, I decided to take LOTS of pictures, and (Sunburned, you will be proud) a video!

The video doesn't really do it justice, but my intention was to only be a little late to work, not super-duper late.

If you listen closely to the video, you can hear me singing along with Kelly Clarkson. I realize she doesn't need my help, but harmony is not usually an unpleasant thing. Please remember that I'm sick and that's why it's off-key.

:)

uh duh...

Along with the exhaustion from being a little undertheweather this week, I have apparently lost my capacity to pluralize and properly punctuate ownership as well as speak in coherent sentences.

I swear I only took two sinus tablets just ONE time this week.

Gah!

Need... to... be...

• I had a moment where I realized I was giving New Guy a hard time, instead of it being just a one-sided issue.
• (See, I am tender.)
• Two of my favorite bands are the Goo Goo Dolls and the Foo Fighters.
• I realized this morning that that means I like Goo and Foo.
• (mwah ha ha ha ha!)
• I wear ENTIRELY too much black.
• I'm ready to meet my husband.
• Today works for me.
• I'm thinking that I'm not going to have a wedding, but instead have a killer reception!
• The other day, the word with looked very strange to me.
• Do words ever look weird to you?
• My hair... is doing something funky the last few days.

that's all.

Guarded

My weekend at home with my family revealed something more than I've taken the time to realize lately, and that is how guarded I have become.

I never, not even for a second, intended to put up walls with this force and this intensity, but I have managed to construct, apparently with great tenacity, deep walls around my heart and mind.

And just when I thought I was getting a breakthrough from blogging.

Sheesh.

The revelation is that I am...

really really silly. And I don't mean like kinda silly, I mean REALLY silly. I'm a total dork. I love to laugh and am very affectionate and tickly and touchy-feely (not the inappropriate touchy-feely I've been barking about all summer), but touch = affirmation/love for me, and I love to touch people. But I'm ridiculously silly. I probably shouldn't share this, but my brother and I are seemingly well-accomplished adults. We have great jobs, and good educations. But when we talk to each other on the phone, we have these voices that sound like four-year olds and we totally crack ourselves up. It's just great.

Y'all... that's my kind of silly.

But my point is that, it really wasn't until I was home this weekend after my ridiculously stressful week with New Guy that I realized how guarded I am. I have some serious walls. At dinner last night with friends, I was telling them of my realization because, while I think it should be obvious, the real obvious is that of them have noticed.

And I wonder what has perpetuated the walls... do I think that having a silly side distorts or discredits my serious side? Do I think people are judging me? Why do I care? Do I think in my warped head that having this deep silly prohibits me from doing my job? Why have I had this up for so long?

I don't know. I wish I had the answers to my own questions. I did realize that I let very few people see this side of me, and what makes me appreciate my BF Laura (0f 20 years) is that... she loves me most for the silly side, not this painful facade that I want everybody else to see. It is painful... you know? Being intense stresses me out.

All I know is that I don't wanna play this game anymore.

Home.

Quiet.

No drama.

No heart problems for JM.

No roomies threatening David Caruso.

Getting to watch Numb3rs on TV with my Mom.

Sleeping in until 11:00 am and having good dreams.

Getting to hang out in my pj's with my family.

Getting to laugh with my mom & brother.

Hugs.

Lots and lots of hugs.

Having someone else take my car to get an oil change... and them paying for it too!

Quiet.

********************************************

I am totally enjoying being home. Too bad I can only stay until Sunday.

Thank God It's Friday

'cause I seriously don't think I could stand four more days!!

My week has been... oh so eventful. Combined with new guy not showing up, still learning my job, and having to deal with some really dense people... I'm super thankful that this week is OVER!

I literally told New Guy not to miss close next month. I know he was sick. I get that, but my job, unlike alot of others, doesn't have that grace period, you know? I mean, in March 2006, we had a controller have a MASSIVE HEARTATTACK in the parking lot. We didn't miss a beat y'all. That's just the nature of what I do.

On Monday night, my roomie and I were watching TV and we saw the previews for October Road. We love that show. It's coming back on the Monday after Thanksgiving at 10:00. The roomie jokingly looks at me and says, "you know what that means, right? We're going to have to stop recording CSI: Miami!!!" (And then she laughed hysterically.)

NOT IF SHE WANTS ME TO KEEP PAYING HALF THE CABLE BILL, WE WON'T.

She quickly realized that I neither thought her joke was funny NOR appropriate.

First New Guy, then the threat of losing David, ... you can imagine why my week progressed so poorly!!

On the upside... bible study was really good last night. I'm still on the fence about Jennifer Rothschild, but last night's message was on the money. We stand around in the dark looking for light while Jesus is our light!!! (That's a ridiculously short paraphrase, but I think you get the gest!)

And... for those of you who missed it... I have a NASTY virus on my computer and it is down for the count. I will probably purchase a new PC (not a laptop) after Thanksgiving! So, if I don't blog or respond, please give me some time. Also, I have nowhere to check my myspace or hotmail account. If you need me, email my gmail account.

Much love to y'all and hope that I can return to normal blogging next week...
Love,
Jenn

Burned up!

I'm going to not talk about Homecoming weekend because ... I wouldn't know where to start.

But I will talk about the fact that Month-End Close started yesterday and New Guy is OUT TODAY.

I am BEYOND AGGRAVATED.

Riddle me this...

(I borrowed this from ASBO because it's SO true)

I am one body made up of many,
I am saved yet I enslave,
I have wealth beyond measure,
Yes I still store up treasure,
I am thoughtful and kind,
I am hopelessly blind,
I am right and wrong,
light and dark,
sinner and saint,
I am good and bad news,
I am fearless and bold,
I am new, I am old,
I am stuck in my ways,
Love all men (but not gays)
I am built on a rock,
both a rabble and flock,
I'm in love with my Savior,
despite my behavior.

Who I am?

The Church

I have...

been doing alot of observing the last few weeks. Noticing the way things change, and others stay the same. Trying to figure out commonalities. Trying to notice stuff.

Okay... you know, that's a bunch of crap. I notice stuff all the time. I am observant. I think that, following a conversation I had this week with a friend that I don't always do the best job of explaining to people what I observe. There's more to that story, but it's somebody else's personal story, so the buck is stoppin' here.

I feel like I'm turning into this cynical 40-year-old Old Maid who chain smokes. I've been SOOOOO blunt with people lately, it's ridiculous. For example, I have a guy friend that I adore. He's handsome, but (strangely enough) I don't have a crush on him. He calls all the time, and we usually have a scheduled dinner once a week. So, during our weekly, I asked him more questions about the women he's interested in. So, he courteously divulged. And then I asked:

"How come, you spend significant time with female friends who are nothing like the woman you are looking for?"

Because to me that's using someone as a time filler until something better comes along. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking that, but I've been burned too many times by guys who do that. Reading Sunburned's post today, (to me), only reiterates my point. If you spend time with me, You invest in me. There's no getting around that. So, instead of spending alot of time with me, split your time up.

Does that make sense?



This weekend is homecoming for my Alma Mater. I'm nervous, excited, anxious, and altogether one big internal bundle of nerves. A friend that was supposed to come down won't be because of illness. I will miss you!