Thursday, April 23, 2009

Mom, I think I killed John Mark.

I'm sure by now you have seen the story about the mother who literally dumped her 10 and 12 year old daughters out of the car. Upon reading the story, I immediately called my Mom to fill her in on it, and well... laugh.

My parents divorced when my brother and I were 7 and 9 (respectively). My mother threatened numerous times to leave us in various places after John Mark and I got on her nerves. Being the divorcee of a minister with a 9-year old (going on 30) and a 7-year old boy (let's just acknowledge that for what it is) would be enough to have any grown woman committed. How my mother managed through those difficult years, with ridicule from church people, frustration from family, dealing with her own turmoil of a crumbling marriage, and of course, raising JM and I, is a true miracle in and of itself.

But... it also made me think of a little incident that happened two days after I got my driver's license. My birthday is in December, and was 3 days before we got out for Christmas break. Getting my license was a huge deal! It mean independence! It meant freedom! It meant growing up! Unfortunately, it also meant that I was now the second official chauffeur. I had to take my brothers to school. ARG. I was supposed to get my grandmother's car (a baby blue 1989 Buick LeSabre), but it needed to be serviced, so I had to wait until the weekend. In the meantime, I drove my Mom's Navy Blue 1987 Chevrolet Caprice, AKA, the Big Blue Tank. (Seems I have a theme with big cars, no?) Well, being the official grown-up, I was super-duper excited to drive to school, but my fare... was a PUNK. He wanted to mess with the radio. I was a super-prude, so I listened to NOTHING but Christian music (J93.3!), but John Mark wanted to hear the Devil's music. Sufficed to say, there was biting on the way home from school that first day over the radio. Did I mention how mature we were?

I was determined to win the second round! The ride is was pretty easy, except that JM wanted to leave his breakfast trash in my car instead of throwing it away. School... well I have NO idea what transpired that day. I did, however, stay until most of the cars left the parking lot because the big car? It was hard to park and backout easily. If you know me now, you know that I still stink at parking. Some things never change. We headed home, and before we were even out of the parking lot, the Radio Wars started again. It felt like the longest ride home. I would set the station; he would change it. I would change it back; he would change it again. Over and over and OVER again. I told him that I wished he could walk home or ride the BUS! I would change it back; he would change it again.

When we got to our subdivision, I stopped the car and told him to GET OUT. He could walk the rest of the 1/2 mile home. I was furious, and I was going to prove my point.

As I started to pull away, I heard a loud thud come from under the car. My heart hit my knees, and my feet slammed on the brakes. I jumped out of the car to find my brother laying on the road.

In that moment, I thought I had killed him. All of the trouble of the radio faded away instantly at the thoughts that my pettiness had hurt JM. He came to, and started crying, and Billy and I loaded him in the car. We drove the 1/2 mile home in silence, then carried him from the car to his bed.

I was panic-stricken. I immediately started calling my mother, and in those days, getting a hold of her was no easy task. After 20 minutes of pacing the house, checking on JM, and dialing my mother, I finally got her.

Tearfully and hysterically, I told her that I hit JM with the car. I was crying and was loud and didn't ever want to drive again. I needed her to come home immediately and take him to the E.R. (becuase I wasn't driving him there), and punish me to the fullest extent.

And about that time, John Mark picked up on another phone and started laughing. Maniacally laughing about how it was all it was a prank.

I have never wanted to kill him as badly as I did then.

As it turns out, it was all a big joke that he and Billy schemed up, with me as the punch line and recipient.

But in lieu of the story of this lady, I can sympathize with her COMPLETELY.

PSA: Early Morning Manners

Um... so I tend to assume that people understand certain boundaries, but especially in the last few years, I have been educated that people just don't.

First: Don't just show up at my house at 7:00 in the morning. I will get whatever weapon necessary and use it on you until I determine you are not 1) crazy, or 2) an intruder.

Secondly: Don't call me at 6:30 in the morning. Unless we are leaving for a roadtrip at 6:00am and I'm late, do you know what I assume when you call me that early??? That someone is DEAD. I don't want to chat, or hear about your night, or think about you really. 6:30 is either me + sweet dreams or me + Jesus. You are not included.

Thank you,
Management

This PSA was brought to you by people who called me at 7:15a on Tuesday and 6:38a this morning.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Just wanted to wish a very Happy Birthday to my Roomie!!

...

I find myself snooping blogs more these days than commenting. It's so tacky and I'm sort of frustrated with myself. In my defense though, some blogs use a format that I can't comment on at work (not sure why), and by the time I get home I forget. That doesn't excuse the not commenting the rest of the time though. Must. Try. Harder. Boo.

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the next few weeks are crazy busy:
  1. 4/25 - CF walk in Chatty, birthday party for roomie
  2. 5/2 - JM in WP. YAY! Early Mother's Day celebration. Wedding.
  3. 5/9 - Wedding.
  4. 5/16 - OFF. PTL.
  5. 5/23 - NYC. WOO!
  6. 5/27 - NKOTB in the ATL

Man... that's a lot of capital letters. sheesh.

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On the flip side, all my bloggy snooping led me to a blog that has "reviewed" fabric stores in NYC. I think I blogged about this yesterday, but I'm still superduper excited about it. All the ideas I've been swirling around in my head are about to come to some fruition! I cut out the fabric to make an apron last night, and I'm really excited!

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I'm incredibly unmotivated at work.

FIN.

Happy Earth Day!

I'm a child of the "reduce, reuse, recycle" campaign era. I even designed (and won!) a bulletin board contest in middle school. I do wish I had all the really fun t-shirts I wore in high school here for your viewing pleasure, but alas, I do not.
I'm not going to advocate anything crazy seeing as how my carbon footprint is probably ginormous with all the driving that I do, but today's a good day to start doing something for the earth!

randomness

There are so many things I want to write about, mostly personal things, but I invariably wind up with four or five drafts saved and nothing posted.

I don't have the self confidence it takes to burst into a room believing that a party starts only when I arrive.

I do have the self esteem to know that you should never take boys back under the guise that either of you has changed. If you have to say it, you invalidate it. Change should be evident, it doesn't have to be spoken. And I'd go so far as to say that the girl was the weak one anyway.

I have the common sense to google things instead of calling my friends.

I'm trying not to write to 'hurt anyone's feelings' but I will. Therefore, I choose to keep on writing.

Sometimes, life sucks. But God is still God, even in the sucky times, and if we'd focus on him, we wouldn't be able to focus on the things that discourage us as much. (I.E., if we spent more time in HIS word, we'd have spent less time wallowing in our sorrow.)

You should ALWAYS clap for soldiers in an airport.

Righty-Tighty, Lefty-Loosy.

30 days have September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 except for February.

Fall Back, Spring Forward.

Strapless, sleeveless dresses are NOT appropriate for funerals. I don't care if you're burying Uncle Ernie in the middle of the Mohave Desert in the dead of summer. Have some courtesy for the ones who are living.

I judge people by their hands and their eyes.

Be original in context. You may not like me, but I love me, and that's okay.

I will never be a "Pink" girl. Seeing all that pink and princess stuff makes me queasy sometimes. And I have NO idea why. My Mom and I were discussing this, and neither of us gets why. I think it's cute for my friends who are, but I'm not and never will be.

The older (and somewhat more cynical I get), the more cleavage annoys me.

"The minute I heard my first love story, i started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along."





-Jalal-Uddin Rumi




The Beatitudes for Marriage






Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate, considerate, and loveing after the wedding bells have ceased ringing.






Blessed are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one another as they are to their friends.






Blessed are they who love their mates more than any other person in the world, and who joyfully fulfill their marriage vow of a lifetime of fidelity and mutual helpfulness to one another.






Blessed are they who attain parenthood, for children are a heritage of the Lord.






Blessed are they who remember to thank God for their food before they partake of it, and who set apart some time each day for the reading of the Bible and for prayer.






Blessed are those mates who never speak loudly to one another, and who make their home a place "where seldom is heard a discouraging word."






Blessed are the husband and wife who work together for the advancement of Christ's kingdom.



Blessed are the husband and wife who can work out the problems of adjustment without interference from relatives.



Blessed is the couple which has complete understanding about financial matters, and have worked out a perfect partnership, with all money under the control of both.



Blessed are the husband and wife who humbly dedicate their lives and their homes to Christ, and who practice the teachings of Christ in the home by being unselfish, loyal and loving.




You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams"Dr. Seuss

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

One town gets wiped away, but mine made the NYT!!

I am a firm believer that people who do not know where I'm from are disillusioned at the prospect of their town being a "Small Town". I laugh (sometimes out loud) at people who say Cleveland is small, or those who think of Dalton as small.

Cleveland/Bradley Co. population (as of Census) - 37,192
Dalton/Whitfield Co. population (as of Census) - 33,045
West Point population (as of Census) - 3,382

HI, my name is Jennifer. I am LITERALLY from Small Town, America.

My town... is itty bitty. Fortunately, the area I'm from is a conglomeration of three towns... Valley, Alabama, Lanett, Alabama, and West Point, Georgia - -an area that locals refer to as "The Valley". (That's right folks, I cross the state line like 100 times when I'm home. It's just the way it is.) Valley is a merger of five mill communities into one, and Lanett was a merge of two families (Lanier & Bennett). And Yes, I've spent extensive time at the "Libry" to know these things. The three towns together have approximately 20,000 peeps but only a handful are from "The Point".

But... my town is working it's way up! The first American Kia plant is actually finished about 2.5 miles from where my Mom and Stepfather live, and life in The Point... it's changing. Everytime I go home, something is new, or land is completely cleared, or some new shopping something has popped up. The entire downtown was renovated, and before that sounds illustrious... it was just A STREET. LIKE 6 BLOCKS. But hey, progress is progress, right?

Well I was ridiculously excited to call my brother this morning and tell him that West Point? MADE THE NEW YORK TIMES.

HOLLA!

You can read the article here. I should mention, the Mayor, he's also a dentist. :) And his Dad and Granddad live in the same subdivision as my Mom. And the Chief of police's daughter tried to teach me to drive a stickshift. And we say "Why come?" and "How come?" and you run into people in Givorn's, or at THE WalMart, and people still get their hair done, and we have Merl's diner, and The Chicken Stop, and lots of other really good local stuff.

And before you tell me that you're from a small town, check the census and then we'll talk.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/us/22kia.html?_r=3&hp

In response to my title, this weekend, I found out the town my grandparents live in, which is maybe 6 miles from my Mom, was completely wiped off the map due to local corruption. We may only have a handful of folks, but you'd better believe we've got some SCANDAL!

fruits of my labor

Last night, I did something thrilling!

I broke out my sewing machine!

I can actually sense the disappointment coming from you.

But... I'm determined to get my own etsy store off the ground, so I worked on a few things! And now, I'm all intrigued about sewing. Wishing I'd learned to do this years ago, when you know, I could have really done a lot of things... like say,... IN COLLEGE. Ah... regrets.



Better late than never, huh?

Monday, April 20, 2009

The continuing adventures of "New Guy"

I should probably clarify for some of you who have (graciously) asked me about this -- I coined the term "New Guy" so that 1) I wouldn't accidentally blog my coworkers name, and 2) when he was brand new and under the assumption that he wouldn't make it past 90 days. Ergo, he is not "New".

But just to show that I HAVE A HEART DEEP IN MY CHEST, I thought I'd share this little snipit. Yesterday, I had to cross train new guy on a report, and we started talking about one of my bosses. With the saddest countenance, he mentioned that this boss in particular was rude and disrespectful to him, and y'all, it broke my heart. I mean, I know I've griped (both here and IRL) about not wanting him here, but it made me sad that he's just NOW getting it. He's not a bad guy, he's just 1) a guy and 2) a little goofy.

And I don't if enough can be done to salvage things. And it makes me sad for him.

At least this is how I feel today.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

forgot to mention

today is my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary.

If I were to get married by my birthday, I'd be 91 before I ever achieve that.

They are 77 and 79, and happy as larks.

:)

me again.

So, I got a few emails asking me if I'd 1) been committed, 2) lost my mind, 3) had some boy break my heart, or 4) had amnesia.

Okay, so #4 is made up, but that would be cool, right?

I wrote my thousandth post and realized that I could ACTUALLY say I'd written a thousand things, and honestly, it freaked me out.

Words that I've written that will never be removed from the Internet (truly), and they could all come back on me. I have no idea why that post nearly set me over the edge, but I decided I needed some kinda change. Some kinda fresh start. And, for those of you who have been kind enough to email me, No, I didn't delete everything forever really. I just removed them off of here.

After three years, I needed to stop rereading my history and start writing a better future.

A brighter future that was all mine and not me living through other people's drama.

Let's face it... THAT is crazy.

On top of that, I took a few days off to go to my mom's and just relax. I also learned how to use a sewing machine and actually made a skirt.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITED THAT MAKES ME.

Although, I hope the capitalization conveys what I'm trying to say. I felt, complete. Er, completely domesticated. Oops... that involves marriage. Whatever. I could reincarnate myself as Laura Ingalls, although I know NOTHING about Laura, so I'd have to read up. Or I could just make you a skirt too. WHATEVER GET OFF MY CASE GAH.

While at home, two different friends lost two different parents, one guy a Mom, one guy his Dad, and my heart is broken into pieces because you know what... WE'RE NOT PROMISED TOMORROW. And I know the media wants to say that Christian America is dead, but we still need Jesus. All of us. Everyday. Literally in Every way.

Also, on an unrelated note, I'm still working out the kinks of finding my newer blog voice, so bear with me.

All my love,
Jennifer

Friday, April 17, 2009

A fresh start.

Hi. You may have noticed something off here. All 999 blog posts? GONE. DELETED. Three years of my life, photos, friends, memories, etc. WIPED AWAY.

999

This is post #999.




It's almost 4:00 on Friday.




This week, I have been more unspired, confused, and downright discouraged about blogging. I've started like 10 blogs, and they sit in my drafts folder waiting for for a completion that will probably never come.




I'm going home this weekend to be with my Mom, to work on some things at the house, and to get away from some people in town. There, I said it, awful but true as it sounds. The last few weeks, I've exhibited a complete lack of patience that I've never known in my life. With my friends, with my coworkers, with my family, and even with myself.




But, I've reached that breaking point. I dread coming back on Sunday because I know I'll have to see a face that is sad about something, and I just don't want to do that.




I just need some sort of happy from somebody.




Six Word Memoirs

I recently purchased Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak after reading this post by Lulled by the Train (an awesome blog btw!).

I read the entire book (which is thin anyway) in one sitting. Reading the words was both beautiful and heartbreaking. I found myself over and over again sympathizing with the writers because in six words, you could actually get an entire story. I cried and I gasped and I laughed out loud. And then, for a few, I sat in silence because I felt the pain.

And it's made me think about my six word story. What would I write?

You? Idiot. Me? Strong. Us? NEVER.
I'm glad it didn't work out.
I'm the diamond You can't have.
I won't compromise for you. Ever.
I thank God everyday for you.
Thank You for saving my life.
It was God that changed me.
I hate your Drama. Go away.
Too bad You're Only a Dream.
I wish you'd lived for me.
Clarity comes at your expense. Oops.

or maybe just...

My Life is Bigger Than This.
or this...

Thought I'd be married by 30.

What would you say? What is your Six Word Story???

Thursday, April 16, 2009

thoughts on 30.

Turning 30 was, in and of itself, a really great milestone. But, I've been amazed at how much my mindset has changed in the last few months. I guess I'm intrigued with how my perception of things (the okayness of them if you will) has changed.




Case in point: I've been faithfully coloring my hair for 14 years. At 19, I found my first white hair (not gray, I mean solid snow white). All of the sudden, I kinda want to see what my hair really looks like without the hair color. Don't get me wrong, there will be lots of light brown and a ton of white, but I'm ridiculously curious to see what it looks like au natural.




Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I'm headed to send in my GA state tax return.

The downside to working in one state and living in another is that, unless you're willing to pay for the RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED SOFTWARE that does support partial & non-residents, you have to file Old School.

I did file my federal in January, but I kept forgetting about this one, even though it's been calculated since then.

Anybody else headed to the post office?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Over the last ten months or so, my Mom and Stepdad have been remodeling their house. Well, I should actually say over the last five years (I started the proverbial ball rolling when I gifted carpet for the entire house), but it's taken a while to get them on board with me to make the necessary changes.




I wish I had taken an initial set of pictures of what each room looked like from the start. My mom, is a lover of White Walls. I'm not really sure where she gets that from considering we moved around alot. Or maybe it's the oldschool nurse in her... I'm not sure which. And except for my bedroom in Gadsden, I've only ever had white walls. (The walls at the parsonage in Gadsden were a soft green. Coincidentally, "Geen" was my favorite color for many years.) I asked my Mom if I could paint my room black in high school -- I wasn't gothic, I just wanted a black wall, but my grandmother's threw a tantrum and told me she's refer to me as one of those "goth" kids, or have the church lay hands on me. I'm still not sure if I was more scared of being a goth kid or a cult kid, although neither matters.




I'm pretty sure I'll be giving up caffeine after 5 now. No, VERY sure.

I had the MOST INSANE DREAM LAST NIGHT, and it was bad enough that it woke me up and terrified me a bit.

I dream all the time, and have good dreams where I have understood concepts and feelings. And I dream in vivid color too (some people don't!).

Last night, I married one of my (present) guy friends, and we were happy. We had two daughters, and after we had the second one, he and his mother decided that I was unfit and tried to take the two girls away from me. I remember having to go to his mother's house to get the girls a few times. He would just take them and not tell me where he was going.

I had to file for divorce in the dream and figure out how to keep my kids. And then I woke up.

WOW. It really freaked me out! Not to mention that, in spite of the fact that the friend I married is cute in real life, this definitely puts a damper on ever dating him. Scary stuff.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Things I Do Not Care for:

(this will hopefully be a post that I update, not out of negativity, but out of clarity)

I CANNOT STAND the word: CUZ. My cousins refer to me as Cuz (both over the internet/email and in person) and it literally makes my skin crawl. I know I'm from Alabama, but the whole world does not need to know you're a redneck. I'm just sayin'.

Braves Game

Saturday night, some friends and I went to the Braves Game against the Washington Nationals. Except for being, well CHILLY, we had such a good time!!

And they won!!

Ceremony to Honor Chipper and some other guy...

A View from our seats More Chipper, Bobby Cox, and the other guy.

The ATL, Baby!
Friends!
M, you knew this was going on the blog when you took it, right?
Opening Week 2009

D, J, & Me.
I have NO clue.
The Home Depot Tool RaceFireworks!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

HE. GOT. UP.

I can't help but think that this Sunday, this resurrection Sunday, is one of those days where you really missed out out if you didn't grow up Pentecostal. Being able to worship freely, unabashed, without glaring eyes in service to celebrate Jesus' resurrection is more awesome than I can put into words.

And you can take that ever how you like.

As I get ready for this Resurrection Sunday, I still think about the sacrifice that Jesus made in dying for our sins. But what blows my mind the most... is that HE. GOT. UP.

I own Gene Edwards The Day I was Crucified, and he gives a chilling and beautiful perspective of Jesus final three days in his human body. I literally cried the entire time I read the book, from Jesus' thoughts in the garden, having to drink the cup of iniquity for me, and rising up out of that grave.

And the real story is incredible. I can't help but write, with tears, how overwhelming and indescribable and unfathomable it is that Jesus knew me before I was born, and how much I needed his grace, his love, his forgiveness, and his sacrifice.

For me... HE GOT UP.

For my sin... HE GOT UP.

For all my junk... HE GOT UP.

For my flawed humanity... HE GOT UP.

For my sick, depraved world... HE GOT UP.

For you... HE GOT UP.

For all of us... HE GOT UP.

It's more than just dying on the cross, it was the taking the keys to Death, Hell, and the Grave (and depression and anxiety and fear and hurt and anger and sadness and loss and a LOT of other thingS), and THE GETTING UP.

And it was proving that nothing, no power can defeat him or keep him down. And HE has given us that power... that authority that if we ask, in HIS name, it can be done.

All because HE. GOT. UP.

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words." Luke 24:1-8

Friday, April 10, 2009

...

When it comes to the excuses you make in life, for anything, you are the only person they will ever sound rational and logical to. Other people just agree to keep from starting a fight.

- Anonymous -

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Thursday iPod

(You can catch the last installment here)
(You can catch them in sequence here.)

I've been slacking on this because I forgot to upload the most recently purchased songs to my iPod.
  • 1, 2, 3, 4 - Plain White T's -- I heard this on the radio a few weeks ago, and can't help but love this sweet love song.
  • That's not my name - The Ting Tings -- I can't believe I'm putting this on here, because I hated it when I saw them on Jimmy Fallon, but this song gets stuck in your head like those CheckIntoCash commercials.
  • Here Comes Goodbye - Rascal Flatts -- I love RF... I've mentioned that a thousand times before. Gary has a way of hitting notes that hit your heart... you know? This song should probably drive me to drink, but I find myself just singing louder in the car.
  • Poker Face - Lady GaGa -- I. Can't. Help. It. I like it, even as ridiculous as it is.
  • Dancing Shoes - Gavin DeGraw -- I really like this song, but it was the title that caught my eye.
  • I only have eyes for you - The Flamingos -- I have no idea how old this song is, but it's definitely a classic, and made a visit in my repetoire this week! (It's from one of my favorite movies... "Don't tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead".)
  • Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen -- REALLY? DO I NEED TO SAY MORE?
  • Sweet and Low - Augustana -- Found this by accident. I get caught up in the melody.
  • Give me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath -- Love the lyrics.... give me your eyes, give me your arms, give me your heart...
  • Free to be me - Francesca Battistelli -- this is for my friend Crystal (who couldn't remember the artist)... I'm thankful that in Christ we ARE free to be us!
  • All we are - Matt Nathanson -- this was on DWTS this week, and I love it, even if it's older.

What are you listening to? Leave a link or comment!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Just keepin' it real here...

It's hard, truly deeply difficult, to look at people who hurt you beyond your wildest imagination and know that they've changed.

Anybody else experiencing this?

I may have to give up blogging to accommodate my social calendar.

Um... so I've never been civic minded. Not that I didn't have aspirations you know, considering aforementioned ambition, but I've just kept myself too busy with other stuff to focus on the civic things.

That is until the last few months. I have discovered in my age that, people volunteer you for civic stuff. And it's actually a lot of fun!

Last year was the year of United Way for me, including a lovely trip to our local boys & girls club, as well as the incident where one of the Meals on Wheels recipients thought I was driving my car into their house. In November, I was asked to be a part of my sorority's Alumni Association as a board member, and I can't even begin to tell what fun and what a privilege that's been, as well as the work involved. And of course, I'm finally getting more active with CFF, including some events that NONE of my friends know about because I like keeping some things on the DL.

In the last few weeks, I've been invited to sit on an alumni committee/panel (of another sort), I've received formal invitations to 3 luncheons, and was voluntold to write a column in a newsletter.

All the while I am saving to buy a house (THERE I SAID IT), talking to bankers, regaining my life from my bout with the plague, attempting to start a business, navigate through month end close, act like a lady, encourage two women in my life who REALLY need it right now, try not to destroy one or both of my cells phones, successfully use a straightening iron so I don't look like a hag, embrace my red lipstick, not mame New Guy, show people that I AM domesticated, contact friends whose calls I've not returned in months, plan a reunion, and sleep on occassion.

I'd like to take this opportunity to inform the powers that be that I actually do have a life, but am grateful for every chance to serve my community.

And I'd also like World Peace.

Sequins and Sunshine,
Miss Jennifer Calhoun

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Snow, How 'Bout Them Tarheels, and Cakepops

First and foremost...
HOW ABOUT THOSE TARHEELS!!!!??!!!!


Secondly... we had SNOW this morning. In CleveVegas and Dtown. It is APRIL 7TH. Holy Cow.
Lastly... Here are the pictures from my venture into cakepops. They are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! But I obviously had more fun putting the faces on them than anything!!!

(Lovely Lumpy Lady)
Mad, Sad, and Dead?
All Smiles!!
The Gang.
If you have kids, I would totally recommend this project... just have them ready to decorate! Here's the link for directions on how to make them!

UNC, Cake, Snow.

Currently it's snowing in Dalton. And I don't mean smidget flakes. I mean, I can see tangible flakes from my office! It was snowing this morning i

Monday, April 6, 2009

Somehow it's not as glamorous now,...

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a Pediatrician, a School Teacher, and Business Woman Extraordinaire. I was fascinated with helping people, teaching people, and bossing people around.

High ambitions, no?

I dreamed of my own office, letterhead and business cards with my business/married/professional name, an assistant who would get me coffee in an exquisite mug, an endless office supply closeet, my own classroom with massive chalkboard and unlimited supply of chalk, or getting to wear really cool scrubs all the time.

And somehow, I fell into a drastically different third options.

I really thought those women who sat at front desks and punched in stuff on keyboards with their long beautiful nails were cool.

I don't even like coffee. Chalk makes my hands gross and dry. Clearly, I was also dellusional at a young age. Where the heck were my parents?

What I didn't dream of were uncomfortable power suits, bosses that were nasty and coworkers that were even nastier. I sure as heck didn't dream of my current commute. I somehow fantasized that the corporate life would be hard but awesome and that I would have this really great man to come home to every night who'd let me throw my heels off, order me chinese, and we'd watch tv together until we fell asleep.

I miss being so naive. And I really wish that man would be at my house when I get home tonight. Although... my roommate may be a little weirded out.

And then, in life's cruel joke, I find myself very much in reality with a printer printing almost invisible ink, in need of anew toner.

Just now, I was walking from the copy/production room with an old toner in one hand and a new toner (in the box) in the other.

And while I was daydreaming, somehow managed to drop the old toner on the floor.

Oops.

And strangely enough... it's just now as glamorous as I imagined. And what's ever weirder, as I sit and type in my office with my long painted fingernails, is that's it's different but better. And I kinda like my life... toner and all.

In another twist of fate, I prayed for bosoms and fingernails as a kid too... and I got those. Too bad I didn't have the common sense to pray for flat abs.

#983

Hello Friends!

I almost started this post with 'Hello Darling', but then realized how ridiculous that sounds. How are you? Long time no blog, right?

Well peeps, I blame the Pneumonia brain. (It's like Chemo Brain without the cancer)... you know where you get into a medicine induced fog where your reflexes and responses don't work right, you constantly forget things, and your temperment is all over the place.

THIS IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH HORMONES, Thank you.

Anywhoo... Friday was the first time in over two weeks where I haven't felt Fuzzy. It's been weird, and strange, and I have been SisterMeanandCrabby and not nice all rolled into one. Bad Stuff! Let me introduce you to the starting lineup of characters who are helping me get better everyday...



I sound like a walking pharmacy with all these bottles and pills clanging and clacking in my purse these days, but whatever keeps the pnuemonia away is worth a try!

This weekend (finally feeling better) I ventured out to Lee Day (briefly for some DZTAA stuff), took a trip to the junk store (total waste of time), and then Target to buy a table. I'm venturing into some a *hopefully* successful new business, and needed a table to accommodate my needs. Plus, those grey tubs sitting in my room are unsightly! My roomie helped me put the table together, and I got a good bit of stuff organized yesterday... but there is so much more to go!!! Hopefully, I'll have some "stuff" to post/sell by the weekend, but keep your fingers crossed! Yesterday, I woke up in a lot of pain (it happens), but I was able to make a batch of cakepops. Let me tell you... those little things are tough! I forgot to take a picture of them, and will get one soon. (I did buy edible markers, and drew faces on five of them last night... SO cute!)

It's my busy time at work... so I'm gonna run, but hopefully I'll be back to my regular posting self soon. OoH! I forgot to mention this is post #983... I've got something special planned for post #1000!!!!!!

In the mean time,... go check out this video posted by my friend Josh. It's AWESOME!!!!

http://www.joshuaklane.com/2009/04/clip-of-week.html

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Various & Unsundry: Part TwoTwo

Provided I can get blogger to cooperate with me, Delightfullycliche will be taking a much needed hiatus starting next week. I need a clean slate as I have found myself pretty, well MEAN lately, and I don't like it one bit.

I'm pretty sure the Lord is about to dish up a long overdue slice of humble pie, and I'd rather that be done in private, you know.

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I am still having CRAZY dreams lately, and have noticed some discoloration on my teeth that I can only assume is a result of the meds I took. Since I've taken none of them before. I've got an appointment to meet with the dentist to see if any of this is reversible or correctible quickly.

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I tweeted last night something to the effect of: Men and Women CANNOT be "just friends", and decided after a series of ridiculous commenters who did not ask WHERE my tweet originated, took it down. I'm sticking to my story, but only in context of the situations at hand. I'm not looking to exile men and women to separate parts of the country. Not to mention one of the commenters was THE REASON I tweeted at all.

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My top desk drawer at work is filled with:
a bag of Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly Beans (favs)
a random pair of earrings (red, gaudy)
Strawberry Shortcake Lip balm (in the sliding tin)
7 1964 Pennies that I'm saving for a project
a 3 and a 0 from my 30th birthday cake
SuperGlue
6 Church of God Christian Education service pins
Dental Floss
2 different hole punches
and a First Aid Kit.

WHO DO I THINK I AM? McGYVER???

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

DWTS Recap #4

(You'll notice there's no recap for week 3... sorry folks!)

I was a week behind in watching last week's results show:
  • LOVED LOVED LOVED the routine during Hall & Oates
  • Adele - need I say more?
  • Getting to see Alex & Edyta dance
But onto this week. I sat on the couch this morning and clapped!

David Alan Grier & Kym -- as a longtime fan of In Living Color, I can appreciate D.A.G. I'm glad Carrie Ann is finally on board with that! I really thought David did a good job, and that Kym is an incredible choreographer! Good job!

Lil' Kim & Derek -- in spite of my previous comments, I thought this performance was spectacular! Lil' Kim was so composed and the footwork... the girls in the Pen need to give LK a shout out! Derek is growing on me... we'll see!

Chuck Wicks & Julianne -- Julianne can pull off campy (see the last three seasons), but I felt like Chuck wasn't selling it, you know? I honestly think the routine would have appealed more without those costumes, but that's just my opinion.

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta -- Unless you live under a rock, Edyta is 1) absolutely gorgeous, and 2) incredibly talented. I can't tell if Lawrence doesn't like her, but I feel like he's getting really upset with her (at least from the 10 second clips we get to see), but also in his dancing. One of the judges last night referenced that it looked like Lawrence was scared of Edyta. L, you're a big ole football player. You CAN do this.

Ty Murray and Chelsie -- INCREDIBLE. Ty Murray is awesome, and while I'm sure he would never in a million years refer to himself as a ballroom dancer, he's definitely got the moves! I'm so glad that Chelsie is a pro this year; she's done a spectacular job!

Steve Wozniak & Karina -- I feel like Karina was more relaxed this week because Denise Richards wasn't all over her man. I like Steve. He's cheesy, and campy, and nerdy, but God knows he's sincere in his faults. He can laugh at himself better than anyone in quite a few seasons, and is tough skinned enough to not let the judges comments' get to him. And Karina looked fabulous.

Melissa Rycroft & Tony -- I think this is the first time (that I've seen) Tony have a partner that 1) doesn't look like she's going to break, 2) CAN DANCE, and 3) is willing to push the proverbial envelope. I love Tony and want to see him in the final 3, or as the winner!! Vote for Tony!!

Holly Madison & Dmitri -- I'm not a fan of Holly's, but I am of Dmitri's. Holly took an actual beating this week in rehearsal and seeing her legs after their performance... OUCH! I think Holly is holding back, and that she can do better! Let's hope she gets the chance.

Steve-O & Lacey -- um.... Johnny Knoxville, I love you?! I'm glad you were in the audience wtih April Margera (Bam's Mom). I can't help but want to root for Steve-O. He can do this!!!!

Gilles Marini & Cheryl -- This dance wasn't my favorite but was performed exceptionally well. Congrats to G&C for 30! Keep it up!

Shawn Johnson & Mark -- I love that Mark gets his cheesiness sincerely (from this father), and that he's not afraid to look a little ridiculous for his craft. I thought the routine was great! but the judges were not so giving. Boo to you! Good job Shawn & Mark!

Have a DWTS recap? Leave a link in the comments!

Goals for Summer Oh-Mine!

  • Lose some weight. Duh.
  • Go to a Braves game again. I've been pricing tickets online and want to go on April 10th SO bad!
  • Invest in Real Estate. !!!
  • Learn to cook something really spectacular.
  • Take another cake decorating class (and finish it this time)
  • Finally join my church!
  • ROADTRIP!!!
  • Ride in a hot air balloon
  • Learn to sew.

Thoughts?

Monday, March 30, 2009

Back to life... Back to reality.

Well, I've returned to the land of the gainfully employed.

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There is a very weird substance on my keyboard and frankly, it's weirding me out.

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I've given my coworkers a massive lecture on germs this morning, and I'm pretty sure I yelled at New Guy. (He's still got "The Cough". Not that you should be remotely surprised, right?)

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I've failed to mention that my medicine made hallucinate slightly and gave me CRAZY DREAMS. I mean wacka-doo dreams!

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Not that I should dish out medical advice ('cause I have no proverbial shingle for that), but this seems to be the year of pneumonia. If you get a bad cough... go get it checked out. Nearly every person I talked to said they knew of at least one other person who had pneumonia. It's crazy, and honestly, it's rough on your body. Different/worse rough than the flu, if that makes sense. Again... Just go to the Doctor. It's worth the trip!

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Okay... that's all I've got for now.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

2009 Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walk - Team Nathan

I wanted to blog about the walk since it's been all consuming in my life these last three months.

For starters, we had OVER 150 walkers registered today.

Our initial goal was $55,000... we raised....

$18,535!!!!!!

You also should know that the entire walk raised just over $60K... meaning we raised nearly 1/3!!!!! AMAZING!!!

The stress of the pneumonia has been hard. Because of the high number of people who went to the Smith's last night, and the potential for more exposure, I wasn't able to go. It broke my heart. I literally wound up lying on the couch crying, frustrated that my sickness was preventing me from being a part of something to important.

But, I meant that I wasn't going to miss the walk... at any cost! There were more than a few bumps in the road, and I wish I could tell you that I haven't been frustrated with people the last few months. I still have good friends who haven't paid, I got chewed out more than a few times this morning, and that in combination with my exhaustion was almost overwhelming. But I know that's a price you pay when you do stuff like this... somebody's always gonna be the fall guy, and this is my chosen plight! I made it to the school before the run (only to find out that Student Life didn't cut the check properly and the representative was not pleasant), and got to see a few of my friends who were running! God love them for running in the rain! I had a quick trip to Walgreen's for some poster board (for a sign you'll see in future pictures!), and wound up crying (the UGLY CRY) with the cashier. You just never know when grief will hit you.

And being at the walk... was no small feet. We had a HUGE group of walkers! Here is a pretty good picture of us all taken before and after the walk!



I am beyond exhausted from today. I overdid it and am paying dearly for it tonight. Honestly, I'm not excited about going back to work on Monday simply because I don't trust the people I work with. I don't think they get it... GO TO THE STINKIN' DOCTOR! Tomorrow (well today) is going to be a day of rest and recuperation. If you're still praying for me, please know that I covet your prayers!!!

Thank you again for all your giving! You are so much a part of us finding a cure!!!!!!!!



Love,
Jenn

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Various and Unsundry: I'm still medicated edition. :)

I wanted to post something right now because I don't feel AS bad as I did yesterday... :)
  • I had a dream that I got called into H.R. at work because I'd been blogging the company name. For the record, I have NEVER blogged where I work, and will never. Blogging Company Name = No More Job That I Love.
  • I actually slept for 8 hours (from 3-11) this morning. Praise the Lord!
  • My SD made chicken & rice soup that he calls the "Miracle Bowl".
  • My mom reminded me that my medical records said something else... "Patient appears slightly agitated".
  • You think???
  • I'm getting really emotional about this weekend. I'm terrified about people have germs that could hurt me (even a cold could put me back in jeopardy), but I keep reminding myself that it push comes to shove, I'll wear a mask.
  • I'll look like a dork, but who cares.
  • We're at almost $9000... and there are still people who haven't donated. I can't even begin to articulate how stinkin' excited that makes me!!!!!
  • I forgot to do a DTWS recap. Maybe later today... who knows.
  • My parents got the house painted (inside). Our living room has been clinically white for 15 years... but now it looks homey!

That's really all I've got. I mean, I sleep, I cough, I take enough cough medicine to put down elephants, don't walk more than 40 feet at a time -- my life is not uber-exciting, but it's mine, and I'll take it.

Don't forget to get signed up for the giveaway!!!!

Love Y'all!!

Jenn

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Me again, folks.

I just want to say that reading the comments that some of you left have made me cry. Thank you a thousand times over.

I have acute lower left-lobe pneumonia. I went to find a better example, and of course there are a bajillion types of pneumonia, and no definition is really fitting.

It was quick -- as in less than 7 days. It was full lower lobe, meaning the bottom half of my lung was completely white on the chest xray.

I'm not going to go through all my CBC numbers, but acting like a fruitcake and driving myself to the E.R. with a 103 fever might have been the smartest thing I've done in a while. I was able to get the first round of antibiotics before a few of my levels hit the 1,000 mark. (Which is critical when it comes to your white blood cell count.)

I am not allowed to go back to work until at least Monday, because of risk of infection to and from coworkers. Believe it or not, I would rather be at work. Somebody write that down, I don't say that, well, ever.

I honestly would not wish this on my worst enemy or Mr. and Mrs. IhopeYouFellOffTheFaceOfTheEarth.

I should tell you that I had to go pick up my records for my follow-up visit yesterday. I decided to read through them with my Mom (who came to visit me/take care of me), and I couldn't help but crack up at the notes from the E. R. Triage nurse on Saturday night:

"Patient appears to be mildly obese. Patient appears to be overly anxious. Patient appears to have some issues."

Really? I guess I should be thankful she didn't type, "She's an anxious fatty". That would have been worse.

Monday, March 23, 2009

This is not the medicine talking.

I have not been this exhausted in ... well, ever.

I've never had anything impact my lungs the way that pneumonia has.

Before you think that sentence is from ignorance, it's not. It's from inexperience.

And in my mind, now just days before the CF Walk, I can't help but gain some insight into Nathan's life. Mind you, no where near the magnitude, but I understand in a more powerful way than I ever thought I could.

  • Not being able to catch your breath.
  • Coughing until you lose your breath.
  • Gasping for air.
  • Constantly hearing yourself wheeze.
  • The constant ache that coughing causes your rib cage.
  • Trying to put on a happy face as though your okay, only to have those moments, when everyone is gone, that you remember, that I remember I'm not.
It is humbling in the deepest sense.

Because of the pneumonia, I won't be able to walk this weekend. Last year, Nathan feared even on Friday night that he would not be able to walk. And on Saturday morning, while my team is making their way around Cleveland, I will be sitting down somewhere feeling a pain that hurts the deepest depth of my heart. To think that Nathan ever felt this is heart wrenching.

And more than ever, in my heart and mind, I am convinced that no one should have to go through this disease. If you haven't given, please do. If you think about it, tell someone. Every single dollar counts.

http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/TeamNathan2009

http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/JenniferCalhoun

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Survey Says...

Pneumonia.

My hibernation -- not for no reason. I had a fever that wouldn't break tonight, so reluctantly, I headed to the E.R. alone. I thought I was going out of foolishness, but 2 1/2 hours after I'd taken my meds, my temperature registered at 102.4.

Kinda high, donchaknow?

My friend D. came and sat with me. I had to have an I.V. and I.V. antibiotics, and I was dehydrated. And there was no "maybe she has it, may be not", it was VERY apparent on my first chest x-ray that Leftie Lung had a case of Dirty-P.

:(

Pro: I got a Dr's note for 3 days

Con: My mom (tender woman that she is says), "Jenn, Pneumonia's nothing to joke about it. People STILL die from it"

Pro: I got a Dr's note for 3 days

Con: My brother jokingly (and innocently) sent a text that said "Don't die".

I have such a loving, caring family, no?

So, if you have come in contact with me, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS CLEAN go get checked out.

Thank you.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Various & Unsundry - Part 21

Much to the surprise of many of my friends, I don't blog everything. I actually don't blog A LOT! As I've been digging through my archives, I've discovered something really pivotal in my life that I didn't blog about at all and I'm sad because I can't remember all the details! In these last three years, I've almost totally forsaken REAL journaling (GASP!) for blogging. Plus, I know that one day, much sooner than later, I'll be turning this beloved blog into a book. My future spouse will need some reading material and I'm sure he'll find my blog book either insightful, or the ammunition to run away.

Hopefully the former.

Anyway! This week, much to the chagrin of a few friends, I have led a somewhat less than stellar life. I come to work each day, then promptly go home, take lots of medicines and go to sleep. I've had nearly 38 hours of sleep in the last four days. I'm sure somebody is appalled, but I have been sick and am thankful for nothing but sleep. Because New Guy has destroyed any credibility in actually taking a sick day (Yes, he's still here, and I'm pretty sure he's NEVER leaving), I can't take one.

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This Sunday, I'll be at Bristol. Sporting and Supporting Jr. With my friend Miranda who's new official nickname is NASCARpedia. (Seriously, have I blogged about going to my first race with her? It didn't matter what I asked... she knew it.) If they ever play a Nascar version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, I promise that Miran would be the first AND fastest winner Ever. She took me to the Charlotte race four years ago (HOLY COW I DIDN'T REALIZE IT HAD BEEN THAT LONG!), and we had a BLAST. I finally got to see DEI. (Funny story 'bout that too... When M. first went to North Carolina to interview, she called me after her interview. She was worried about getting lost and all of the sudden started screaming in the phone "DEI, DEI, DEI, DEI!!!!!". I couldn't tell if she was screaming DOA, or if I needed to call 911 and have her cell phone traced. I had NO clue what she was talking about. When she finally calmed down, she explained it to me, and getting to see it reminded me of that phone conversation.)

So... GENTLEMAN, START YOUR ENGINES!!!! VROOM!!

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And this article makes me Angry. He is the Freakin' President. The Leader of the Free World. He knew months ago. The Feds have had offices at AIG since November.

Don't believe the hype you read about AIG. Please feel free to call me and I'll explain my connection to AIG for you. For legal reasons, I actually CAN'T blog about that.

And can I also express my frustration at the celebrity that our new Pres and First Lady have become? I get it... they get publicity, but does anybody else think they're a little more focused on posing for the press than actually working on our country?

Sorry for the political diatribe, but I'm very mad about that article.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

UPDATE on the giveaway

It would probably help some of you if the address to Crystal's ETSY was spelled correctly, no?


www.finallyfruition.etsy.com

Sorry!

Let's Have A Giveaway!!!

Hey Y'all!

I haven't done a giveaway for ... well... a while. My friend Crystal has finally set up an Etsy shop, and as promised, I wanted to share her designs and creations with you!

As background, I've known Crystal since we were in the 3rd grade. We didn't get close until high school, when we wound up working both of our first jobs together. Crystal is such a neat person. And really neat is an understatement! She has this eclectic classy style, kind of a revamped Audrey Hepburn style if you will. She's a huge fan of Hello Kitty, all things art, and absolutely anything that involved Harry Connick, Jr. She introduced me to Sephora and Anthropologie, and frankly deserves a medal for that alone! I also want to mention that this is not her first foray into jewelry... she's been into jewelry creation for about 9 years. I actually still own a necklace and bracelet set from her!

In honor of her Etsy adventure, I'm giving away something of YOUR choice from her shop! Everything is feminine but tough... and definitely Crystal!

To enter in, stop by her Etsy shop http://www.finallyfruition.etsy.com/, find something you like, and just leave a comment with your choice and your email. Contest ends March 31! If you send someone here, make sure they include that, and you'll get entered twice!

She'll be shipping directly to you too!

And go!

Sharing is the new black.

I invariably run across links that I feel I should share, so I thought a post to capture all those would be great!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Can this guy be my next flight attendant? I'd tip him!

DWTS Recap - #2

Here we go... Week 2. Somebody's getting the boot tonight. Wonder who?

I need to interrupt this segment to tell you that I just got an email that Britney Spears is following me on Twitter. Wow.

I must start that it was immediately obvious that Steve-O was missing. I really do like Lacey, and I was worried that Steve-O was out.

Let's start with Holly & Dmitri --As I said last week, I feel bad for Dmitri. She didn't suck as bad as I thought she would (I was surprised and kinda impressed), but still feel like she's not connecting. Whatevertheheck that means.

David Alan Grier & Kym -- I am rooting for him, and thought he did a good job! But Miss Inaba was not nice. Actually, I thought she was 'not nice' to quite a few contestants that that's neither here nor there. The judges thought there wasn't enough routine (too much standing for DAG), but I can't help but think the the pros have the hardest job. They have to choreograph and teach ameteurs a skilled routine in a matter of days. And "ameteur" is being nice.

Denise Richards & Maksim-- I still think she's going to fall for Maksim (I mean, who wouldn't?), but I can't fault her dancing for that. Denise, you did a good job.

Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan -- we were having a discussion while watching that Maksim and Jonathan do the exact same moves, but look totally different doing them, we decided that we'd like to see Jonathan grow some facial hair. Scruffy is the new sexy! The routine was a little kitchy, but good for Belinda. She needs to work on her hips, but I loved the outfit she was wearing. 'Cause you know the most important thing is costume anyway.

Ty Murray & Chelsea -- I am a Chelsea fan because of SYTYCD, and honestly knew well, nothing about Ty. But this week - WOW! Ty was abso-stinkin-lutely PHENOMENAL! To all the cowboys/rodeo-ers who gave him a hard time, I hope you ate your hat on that routine. America just fell in love with Ty because he's so honest. And you can't Lasso that kinda love either!

Shawn Johnson & Mark -- (Mark, you are probably my favorite male pro.) Shawn was clearly embarassed about having to do a "sexy" routine, but she did a good job. I thought she deserved a better score, but 24 ain't bad.

Steve Wozniak & Karina -- Did anybody get the impression that Karina gets easily annoyed with Steve. I think he probably tries too hard (he does that for the camera), so I would imagine him being the same way in training. If I were "crushing my foot", I would not have danced. God only gave you two feet, and I'm not small potatoes, so Kudos to the Woz for taking one for the Geek Squad. And seriously, I'm waiting on the iPhone application. And an iPhone. Thanks!

Chuck Wicks and Julianne -- they're so cute it's gross, you know? I get it, you're blonde, perfect, you can dance, and sing. Thankfully I won't be following the republican Senator from Iowa's regards to off myself though. Only because the routine wasn't my favorite. The guy next to me says, "Is she losing her pants?", I said "No", and lo and behold, you nearly did lose your britches. Fortunately, having your boyfriend as your dancing partner makes it okay for him to hold your pants on. But my hope is that you stick with dresses. Those pants reminded me of the things that clean your car at an automatic carwash. :D

Lawrence Taylor & Edyta -- Edyta, you looked beautiful tonight. Lawrence, you CAN do this. We believe in you. All the men watching need you to win for redemption anyway. We're rooting for you,... just keep pushing!

It was during Lawrence and Li'l Kim that we found out what happened to Steve-O. OUCH. I'm with Lacey, to see Steve-O wince means it must REALLY hurt. And judges, you were MEAN to Lacey. Mad props to Lacey for taking it with grace.

Li'l Kim & Derek -- I still think Derek is being Punk'd and that we'll find out during Dance Center that Ashton Kutcher has been working with the producers all along. With that said, she did a good job. I think the judges got all their aggression out on Lacey and just gave away point for Kim.

Melissa Rycroft & Tony. Tony -- What Were You Wearing? I commented to the guy beside me that if HE wore that shirt, I would probably take a picture. And blow it up Poster Size. The Dance... FANTASTIC. The costumes -- FABULOUS. The entire routine -- BEST OF THE NIGHT. And Jason Meznick -- you're STILL an idiot.

Gilles Marini & Cheryl -- I like Gilles. I think Cheryl is awesome. The routine was good, but not the best. I'm not sure what litmus test Carrie Ann is using, but I thought Melissa was better. But then, I'm not a judge so who cares?

Thoughts? Comments? Commentary?? Join me!

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2009

I hope that you remembered to wear green today!

If not, I hope you get pinched. Unless you're Irish, and then I hope you get a kiss!

Green was my favorite color as a child. But as a child with a speech impedement, I pronounced it "Geen".

Being one-quarter Irish and the child of a redhead, this ranks as my third favorite holiday, after Easter and Christmas 'cause you know Jesus comes first.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Y'all!!!!

Monday, March 16, 2009

King Xerxes makes me swoon.

As part of the culmination of the Esther study tomorrow night, my FBC ladies and I will be watching One Night With The King.

Is it bad for me to tell you that King Xerxes is SMOKIN' HOT in that movie? Like, did Matt Crouch mean for the King to be walking around in the sheer shirt most of the time?

'Cause it makes This Single Girl lust. And I'm pretty sure that TBN was trying to avoid that affect at all costs.

And I'm pretty sure Beth would be appalled to know that I feel this way too. Thank God Haman looks short in the movie.

Sheesh.

iPod Monday

(You can catch the last installment here)
(You can catch them in sequence here.)

I hope you've been waiting... because I'm so ready for this!!


  • Chasing Pavements - Adele - I'm loving this song. Actually I'm loving this album! I love it in terms of relationship... do I stay, or do I leave you?
  • How do you Sleep - Jesse McCartney - The tune is catchy. I can't help it. And he stars in a movie with my favorite man, so I feel some sense of obligation to listen to his music, you know?
  • Marry for Money - Trace Adkins - I heard this song last week, and actually snorted from laughing so hard. "Don't forget your walker" at the end... hilarious!!!!!
  • More Than Anyone - Gavin DeGraw - Dear Lord, please send me a man to say this? Thanks!
  • Breakable - Ingrid Michaelson - "We're all just breakable, breakable, breakable, Girls and Boys." Can I get an AMEN?
  • 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton - There is ABSOLUTELY no explanation needed because 1) I work, 2) it's DOLLY for Pete's sake, and 3) I can quote about 90% of the movie, 4) It's DOLLY for Pete's sake, 5) Dabney Coleman still kinda creeps me out and did I mention 6) IT'S DOLLY?
  • More Time - Needtobreathe - From the movie P.S. I Love You. P.S.... I DO love you!
  • The Kiss - Karmina - This was on a preview for CSI:NY where Danny & Lindsey get married -- PRAISE THE LORD FINALLY HALLELUJAH -- and I loved it. Karmina's already made one list, and I'm pretty sure I'll be buying the whole album soon!
  • Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man - Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn - I found this by accident and I'm so glad!
  • THE ENTIRE KARI JOBE ALBUM - Kari Jobe. That girl... Whoo... that girl can sing like nobody's business. Buy the whole thing!!!

Now to some business... going forward... every playlist is on a CD! If you'd like a copy, leave a comment and I'll send you one. Thanks!!!!!

I just want to Praise the Lord in advance for protecting me.

Everybody at work is sick.

And I mean SICK.

I am not.

Thank you Jesus for protecting me. Amen.

**UPDATED AT 9:26**

Went to talk to my big boss and go so dizzy, I nearly fell in the hallway. I am very angry at my coworkers now for sharing their stupid germs.

BOO.

Friday, March 13, 2009

randomness

Have I shared this? Everytime I look at it, I laugh like a crazy lady.

And Your Welcome.

Various & Unsundry... Part 2.0

I am very hurt/angry/frustrated over a situation right now. I don't ask for prayer much for me, but if you happen to be praying anyway, I'd appreciate it.

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New Guy is sick. I TOLD YOU HE WOULD GET SICK DIDN'T I? He's been hacking and snotting and barking and making this AWFUL noise with this throat for 2 days. Ew.

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My roomie and I are looking for quilt patterns. Do you know of anywhere that has a few free ones? Also, her business will be "OPEN" in just a few days. I'm going to showcase and give away some stuff to show you how creative she is! I can't wait!!

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I bought the entire CD of ADELE a few days ago. Although I can't hear everyword (sorry!), I still love it. You can bet a few songs will be the iPod Friday later today!

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I've updated my hair post with a comparison of my brown hair to today's goth look. I've also updated my spelling (Thanks Michelle!). My hair was Papaya colored. Not payapa. I have no idea what that would look like!

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If you haven't caught any of the drama between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer... you need to go check it out. Here's a link from gothamist.

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I am torn as to whether or not I should write about this, but in an effort to "keep it real", I think writing is cathartic.




Can I just mention that planning an event is easy, but getting people to not act like JERKS is not?




I'm so ridiculously excited about the CF walk this year. I have been, well, honestly, I've been excited about the walk since last year's walk. There is a big giant hole in my life without Nathan now. Last year, the night before the walk, I went over to his house, and just hung out with him for hours. We talked and laughed and cut up and had a good time. He told me to chill out after the t-shirt fiasco, gave me a big ole hug, told me he loved me, and thanked me for everything.




I cannot express my grief at not being able to do that this year.




The day after Nathan passed, his Dad asked me to set up the team for the walk. Information was available at the viewing and the service.




And it's now been 2 months, and all I'm getting is riddled with calls from people who "don't like the t-shirt", or are calling me with really stupid stuff. And I can get past that.




But it's the people who call under the pretense of being concerned about me that made me want to scream. The phone call that nearly set me over the

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Reason #422 to leave hair care to the Professionals

If you knew me three years ago, the running joke was, wonder what color Jennifer's hair is going to be? I was notorious for changing my hair (and I mean drastically) every couple of weeks. I've been blonde, and redheaded (every gamut), brunette, and black. I've been stripped red and blonde, blonde and brown, red and brown, red and black.

My hair has been purple and platinum and papaya and copper and dayglo orange, a disturbing shade of TRUE red, blue black, and I once looked like a red-headed Cruelle Deville.

But, after the worst hair experience ever, I nearly gave up the proverbial goat. I went to solids.

I should also point out that I was spending $80 - $120 every six week to two months on hair COLOR. That's an average of almost $700 ANNUALLY on my hair.

YIKES.

So, I've taken to coloring my hair to reduce costs, save time, and preserve some of my sanity.

When my hair was long, it would cost me $12.00 to color my hair.

Now that it's short, it's about $7.00. Nice, huh?

Except that I accidentally grabbed the wrong bottle last night. I meant to grab two bottles of #41 Medium Brown, and grabbed two bottles of #47 RICH BROWN.

So, basically my hair is black now.

I'm guessing this is going to be my first "Gothic" Spring though. :D

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

another recap -- Biggest Loser

I have seen every episode of The Biggest Loser; I have been a fan since the First Season (when it ACTUALLY aired). With that said, I have seen few IF ANY episodes as dramatic as last nights... HOLY COW!!

Last night started with a continuation from the previous week... we have all been waiting to see if Mikey lost the weight! PTL... He did!

That's followed up with the news of a Pop Challenge, where the contestant who wins the challenge gets to match up player-for-player for the next weigh-in. I'm not a huge fan of Tara (sorry if you are), so to see her win was eh. It was immediate to see (as a viewer) how detrimental of a challenge this would be. Her match-ups were kinda predictable too!

Fast forward to the training, where Filipe gets "forgotten" by Jillian. I can't help but think how hard of a job Jillian and Bob have... building relationships, designing workouts, keeping contestants on track with food, etc, etc, etc. I kept wondering why he didn't say something to her... but instead fumed in the gym? Thoughts? Anyone?

Then, comes the next challenge, an endurance race at 24Hour Fitness. Please know this is my opinion... but why is Ron still here? I get it... he needs to lose the weight. But as an overall contestant, he doesn't pull his weight. (no pun intended). And of course... if the first leg of a four part challenge is the slowest, it's so difficult to make up time. The Blue Team couldn't make it up either. The black team's prize was 24 hours of luxury.

And the black team went BerZerck! Over 15,000 calories. I say this having struggled with weight my whole life, if presented the opportunity to eat fried chicken, I would have had a hard time too. I just felt like the contestants were wreckless knowing that a weigh-in was emminent. Not to mention, do you know what happens when you've weaned yourself off of bad food and then suddenly splurge? And then to think they were drinking too?

Ew. That's all I can say!

And then comes the meltdown. Wow. I felt bad for Jilian honestly. "You do the crime, you do the time", but the black team decided to lie to her, then bully her? Yikes!

I love Bob. I would marry Bob in a New York minute too... but I couldn't tell if it was creative editing (we now know TBL producers DO that), or if Bob really didn't ask the whole story from Filipe and Sione. I guess we'll never know?

Fast forward to the weigh-in. Blue Team Loses. Ron automatically decides that Mandi deserves to go home. I'm disgusted with Ron. I really wish the ladies would have gotten together and voted him off. I really wanted Mandi to win it all! Now, I just hope she'll be the At-Home Biggest Loser winner.

If you recap... lemme know!!!

I seriously have got to quit crying at work.

I have these days. These days where I stop and think about everything going on in my life. All that has transpired and all that may potentially transpire.

And then his face pops into my head, and I realize how much I miss that kid.

I've spent some time this morning working on things for the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walk to honor Nathan.

And I can't stop crying.

I miss him so stinkin' much. I had a picture framed the other day, and I cried in Hobby Lobby. I mean, THE UGLY CRY. I'm pretty sure I scared the lady in Fabrics too.

I know he is in Heaven and doesn't wish he was here with us... but man I do.

If you haven't... would you sponsor me? Every dollar counts, and $0.91 goes directly towards research.

http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/TeamNathan2009
http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/Jennifercalhoun

are you a boat potato?

I've been on a 'quest' of sorts to do things differently this year. To revisit some things I really love, as well as give up things that I don't need and take on things that I do.

I just realized how ambiguous that last statement is, whoops.

Anywhoo... I'm reading again. It's March 11 (which I'm pretty sure is somebody's birthday but I've quit my calendar), and I've read 5 books today.

They were stupid, vapid books that sucked me in and I feel gross knowing that I got so engaged in them. They were:

Confessions of a Shopaholic
Shopahlic takes Manhattan
Shopaholic Ties the Knot
Shopaholic & Sister
Shopaholic & Baby

For those of you who think I'm an idiot, I do need to let you know that this is about 1500 pages of book. Which is not bad, unless you're concerned with content, in which case, yes. It's bad. I suck. Whatev.

But I've also been asked recently about books I've read/enjoyed/loved, and before I give those books away, I feel some obligation to re-read them.

I'm starting with John Ortberg's "If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat". I looked back through my archives to find stuff I'd written about it, but I was kinda lacklustery then, so I've got nothing.

This book is so good!!! I remember why I loved reading it. Now I can see areas of my life that I used it to change. Areas that the Lord used it to change. Accepting fear as a part of life and choosing to go on regardless. Pushing through the fear. Not being afraid of the fear (in a disabling sort of way) anymore.

I'm excited to see what rereading it does for me!