tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77192656491282478482024-03-14T00:47:47.153-05:00JK's Fruit Basket TurnoverA blog about the fruit basket turnover that is my life. I'm a hodgepodge of a lot of things and really just want to start writing something again.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-49038722136378477922011-06-28T12:26:00.000-05:002011-06-28T12:26:58.929-05:00Lessons Learned from the Boykin Road Fire<i>I originally wrote this to post on June 23rd on Band Back Together, but after thinking about it I wanted to share it here too. </i><br />
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<i> </i>Monday, June 20th, 2011 at 5:30 pm a fire sparked on the road behind my house. One downed power line caused over 6000 acres to burn, two homes to be lost and 24 of the most terrifying hours of my life. The area is very hilly and covered by dead grass, mesquite and cedar trees and around 300 homes sprinkled in and out and around. My house sits on a hill with a valley behind and another hill on the other side.<br />
This is what I learned from this experience:<br />
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1) Life can change in an instant. When my husband left the house to pick me up from work there was nothing wrong. 10 minutes later the fire had started and was well on it's way to out of control.<br />
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2) I have an idea of what hell looks like. In pitch black night with nothing to see for hundreds of acres but flames I got a pretty good idea. At the time my thought was somewhere along the lines of "please God make it stop". I think.<br />
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3) The #1 benefit of twitter is to be able to tell somebody how horrified you are at 3:00 in the morning when everyone around you is just as horrified as you are. My husband knew how terrified I was. Telling him wasn't going to help anything.<br />
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4) My wheelchair bound, disabled husband sat up all night and watched the fire so I could try to sleep a little. My wheelchair bound, disabled husband protected me. I've known perfectly healthy men on two legs who would not have made a stand like that.<br />
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5) Thank God my husband has never been a "darling, honey, sweetie, baby" kind of guy. When he woke me up to get me out of the house because the fire was right outside our house and all I could think about was getting shoes on "Baby, we have to go" got my attention more than anything else could have.<br />
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6) I will never look at a camp fire the same again.<br />
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7) When packing to leave, I gave no thought for my new tv or refrigerator. All I wanted was enough clothes to get us through a few days and my family. EVERYTHING else can be replaced.<br />
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8 ) When you think something is over, it isn't necessarily over. The fire had gone miles away from us and then the wind changed and turned back around and came right for us. I was sleeping soundly several hours later thinking it was over when we had to evacuate....again.<br />
9) Never underestimate the power of a hot shower and the ability to brush your teeth.<br />
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10) It's not very often that you get Utah Forest Service guys in your front yard in Texas. I wish they didn't have to be there. I love every one of them, though.<br />
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11) I appreciate the state trooper who told us if we left to go get ice (after the fire was 100% contained and they were working on hot spots) we may not be able to get back in. I love the sheriff's deputy who later told us he knew who we were and we'd have no problem getting back in as long as the hot spots were down. I especially loved him when we returned and he asked why we didn't bring him back a beer.<br />
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12) Apparently it takes a few days to recover physically and emotionally from that kind of thing. We've been out of danger for over 48 hours and I feel like crap still. Of course, I might have breathed in a little more smoke than I should have and I've only had 3 migraines since then. Maybe I should cut myself some slack.<br />
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13) I will never, ever, ever question my granddaughter when she doesn't see her mom and gets scared. Three times the other night I went outside and saw darkness and flames and couldn't see my husband. I was screaming for him and didn't really care that I sounded like a frightened child. At age 40....I was one.<br />
and last but not least<br />
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14) You never know who is watching. I am now on a news channel commercial....in my pajamas....and I never saw a camera.<br />
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So our fire is over. All the hot spots are probably out by now. We now have a beautiful new fire break as landscape. Life should be getting back to normal. But I have a feeling I will never be the same again.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-76754826746148372032011-05-21T11:55:00.000-05:002011-05-21T11:55:08.270-05:00Where Have I Been?Short answer...everywhere! <br />
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I haven't blogged in a month. It's been a crazy month full of exciting events: softball/blast ball, dancing, graduation and babies, baby!<br />
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A lot of those events involved my local granddaughters. The older one is in the beginning softball stages where they get 5 attempts to hit the ball and the coach does the pitching. Once we figured out she really isn't a lefty she started getting some hits. I predict a lot of time at softball fields in my future. The younger one played blast ball where you hit from a tee, run to first base and step on a base that has a blast from a horn....hence the name. It was her very first season so we'll see if theres a future in it...either way lots of softball hair in the future.<br />
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The dancing involved the same two girls. A recital for both and yesterday a talent show for the oldest. See prediction about softball....<br />
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Graduation....ahhh graduation. What can I say. I have a love/hate relationship with graduation. This was my second year to be "she who is in charge of graduation" at my school. Much easier than the first for two reasons, experience is the best teacher and I have the best boss in the world. He got out of my way and just let me do my thing. The only major hitch was nothing I could have foreseen/prevented. When it was finished I went home and slept the sleep of the just or the sleep of someone who had only gotten three hours of sleep of the previous 24. Either way...I slept. But I love it and hate it because while it's the celebration of hard work and the achievements of our graduates it means saying goodbye to some pretty awesome young people, but I have to remember next fall means the introduction of a new batch of awesome young people. <br />
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My other graduation was older granddaughter kindergarten graduation. I watched her sit on stage with her legs crossed like a young lady and my heart just broke at the thought that she's not a baby anymore. But she's an incredible little girl and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. Next year 1st grade and pre-k for her little sister. (Memo to me...find out principal's favorite cookies....)<br />
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Now the babies, a new niece and a new nephew. New niece is a first baby for her parents and first grandchild my parents have in the same town...I predict spoiled, but in a totally adorable way. And the new nephew is the last baby for his parents, I predict same. I would say they saved the best for last but he's got some pretty freaking awesome older brothers and sisters. His oldest sister posted junior prom pics last week-end. Go back and re-read part of granddaughters graduation and apply here... Also, new nephews mommy gave us quite a scare, but Jesus is the Great Healer and it's all good now. <br />
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And to update last blog post...job still up in the air but it's more which campus will I work on instead of will I have a job. So not as stressed there. And we still haven't had a bad fire nearby but we haven't had more than .05" of rain either. However, I don't obsess about it like I was.<br />
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Next up...summer hours. Four 10 hour days and three days off. Also, a wedding, a birthday and an anniversary.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-84617609583816198252011-04-14T12:55:00.000-05:002011-04-14T12:55:35.648-05:00Boiling FrogsOne thing I've learned over the years is that life is never all good and it's never all bad. Some times are better than others and some are worse than others, but neither lasts forever. Also, if you pay attention, no matter how bad things are you can always find something good somewhere. Conversely, if you're the type, no matter how good things are you can always find something bad somewhere. In my experience, the really good times are easy. (Thank you, Captain Obvious) I also have an easier time dealing with life when it's bad, bad, bad. Not to say it isn't hard, but thanks to the Bible, AA and Al-Anon, I've got tools. And when life is bad, I get out those tools. And I use them. I'm in church, I'm in meetings, I'm in the Bible, I'm in prayer, I'm in my Big Book, I'm working the steps, the 3rd, 7th and 11th step prayers are on my mind constantly. I'm praying for guidance, I'm looking for the lesson, I'm asking for help. I work my butt off to get to the other side.<br />
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Then there's the some good, some bad times. Where I've got some good things going on and I've got some bad things going on, but not one more than the other. Because what usually seems to happen is I find out that someone's been boiling frogs and I'm the frog.<br />
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Explanation - if you're going to boil a live frog and you throw him in boiling water, he's just going to jump out. But if you put him in a pot of cool water and slowly turn up the heat, he'll adjust with the water until he's boiled to death. (I seriously don't want to know how this was first discovered. Just work with me people.)<br />
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Well, I'm the frog again.<br />
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I have some super amazing things going on in my life. I have not one, but two new babies coming into the family in a matter of weeks. I just turned 40 which was a miracle and was seriously spoiled by friends and family. I just got to spend the week-end with family I haven't seen in decades. I just got to spend Spring Break with two of my granddaughters. And my husband and I are in a really good place in our marriage right now.<br />
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However, it has occurred to me that there's some bad stuff going on too. I've spent a lot of time lately waiting for the other shoe to drop in two major areas. Areas that I've had some experience in the past and so they're producing a lot of fear. <br />
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#1 - last year we got a lot of rain. One of the wettest years in a long time. It was wonderful. The grass grew tall and pretty. This year. No rain. In months. Driest March on record. That tall pretty grass is now called fuel. Grass fires are everywhere. No rain in the forecast. High temps, low humidity and high winds - the triad of grass fires - are in the forecast. So far there have been no grass fires in our area. That will change. If we don't get rain, that will change. Three years ago, we had one close to our house. One of the scariest experiences of my life. And another one in town affecting a lot of people I know. So I have been rather obsessively watching the weather reports, news of fires, watching the skies for smoke. If someone is barbecuing, I panic. I start freaking out and looking around for smoke plumes. The husband does the same thing. We talk about it A LOT. I didn't realize just how much it consumes my time until the other day.<br />
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#2 - There have been some major budget cuts at work. There will be more. How bad will depend on the state legislature. There will be layoffs. I don't know if I will be one of them. The husband and I work at the same place. I don't know if he will be one of them. People I know and care about may be getting laid off. Best case scenario is we keep our jobs, but the work has to be done so it gets doubled/tripled and still has to be done in 40 hours. I don't even want to think about worst case scenario. I've been there. It's not fun. We live in a small town. I have no idea what we'll do. The thing is, we won't know anything really and truly definite until around July. We keep getting updates. It's all we talk about around here. My boss is stressed out and I've been his sounding board (not complaining, just a fact). The husband and I talk about it ad nauseum. Who will it be? What can they cut? What are they going to do? What are we going to do?<br />
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Not much I can do about either one except realize that the water has been getting turned up without me really paying attention to it and all those tools I listed are still available to me as long as I pick them up and use them. I don't have the power to turn the water back down but I do have the power to keep from getting boiled alive. <br />
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Acts 17:27-28 (NIV) God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.<br />
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Philippians 4:6 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-10786850910267196842011-04-05T12:38:00.001-05:002011-04-05T12:40:42.642-05:00SpringI love spring. It's one of my two favorite seasons. Fall being the other. But it is a crazy time of year for me. So crazy that I have 150 bazillion ideas for blog posts, but no time to actually do them and they're all heavy ideas. And I just don't wanna go there right now.<br />
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So instead I'm borrowing from Twitter's 100 facts about me thing and I'm gonna share 20 facts about me. Cause let's face it. Are there really 100 facts about me? Really? Or if I do 100 maybe I'll split them up in 5 weekly posts or something. So...<br />
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1) my favorite color is purple, but I'm not one of those 'my whole world has to be purple' people. I own a LOT of pink and brown.<br />
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2) I look like little miss innocent, so I've shocked people all my life with different facts about me and I enjoy the heck out of that. I love the look on people's faces when I tell them something and they're all "Really? You?" <br />
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3) On my iPod is everything from Metallica to The Eagles to Nelly to Lady Gaga to Brooks and Dunn. <br />
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4) I watched professional wrestling from junior high up until a few years ago. Yes I KNOW it's fake. Not what I watch it for....<br />
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5) I was 39 years old before I realized I hate sloppy joes.<br />
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6) I once got an A- on a paper in high school when I should have gotten an F because the paper was so good she couldn't fail me just for a fragmented sentence. She chalked it up to artistic license.<br />
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7) This is the longest I've gone in years without completely chopping my hair off. I let it grow and grow and then get sick of it and want to chop it off. So far I'm good with it being long.<br />
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8) I don't like video games where I have to interact with people. Just leave me alone with my spider solitaire and it'll all be ok.<br />
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9) The proverb that means the most to me is 'Trust in God, but lock your car.' That may be it's own blog post at some point...<br />
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10) I have a tattoo. I have at least one more planned that has a lot of meaning to me. I figured I would be a "one and done" person, but no. I get the addiction.<br />
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11) I absolutely love NASCAR. I follow it just a little obsessively. There are more drivers I like than I don't like and Twitter has made me a complete Jimmie Johnson convert. <br />
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12) I can only buy one box of Peeps at a time because I could (and would) eat my weight in them.<br />
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13) I hate washing dishes, doing laundry and ironing, but I absolutely love the result.<br />
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14) I worked as a car hop in high school and no I did not wear rollerskates.<br />
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15) Professional football, basketball and baseball annoy/bore the heck out of me. I love college football, basketball and softball, but I haven't really been able to get into college baseball. Baseball only really interests me if I have a player in the game. (I love me some t-ball. That age is so stinkin' cute!)<br />
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16) I have rules about college sports. If it's not in the Big 12 I'm not going to pay a lot of attention unless they're playing a Big 12 team. #1 Team - Oklahoma State. Always cheer over an Oklahoma team above any other. No OK team, always cheer for the Texas team. Texas teams playing each other, it's Texas Tech, Texas, Baylor and A & M in that order. (Except for this year because the Aggie qb is from my town.)<br />
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17) Give me a cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper and I'll forgive anything.<br />
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18) I'm all about the acronym shows. NCIS, NCIS - LA, CSI whatever, and then Criminal Minds because they're too cool for an acronym. Especially NCIS and CM. Seriously. Syndication just feeds my addiction. And then throw in Sons of Anarchy and Justified for good measure. (I've gotta have some bad boys in the mix.)<br />
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19) I blame Fonzie and Vinnie Barbarino for my "bad boys in motorcycle jackets" thing.<br />
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20) I....love....lists.<br />
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I may have to do 100. Just not now. Maybe an every couple of weeks thing.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-67872118441013741592011-03-22T13:50:00.000-05:002011-03-22T13:50:38.802-05:00Karma and my Lucky DayI'm a firm believer in karma. What you give out you get back. How you treat others is how you're going to be treated. However you want to word it, I am a firm believer in it. Most of the time I think about it in negative connotations. As in, the person that got me will eventually get got. The most obvious example I have of this is a woman I know who at one time sued someone for something that she knowingly participated in. But the other person did break some ethical and moral rules so she had grounds....but she really didn't. She was mad and wanted the other person to pay. She won a good sum of money. Several months later another person stole the money from her. I'm not sure what happened to him, but in my book it was a clear case of karma.<br />
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What I don't think about often is the good that comes back to people. If you put out negative and you get negative then it reasonably follows that if you put out positive, you get it right back. It may not be today and it may not be tomorrow, but eventually, you'll get it. <br />
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A few weeks ago we had a basketball tournament at my school. I willingly volunteered my time that week-end to help out and I had to buy a $45 ticket to pay for the privilege to do that. I did it with little complaining (and by a little complaining I mean less than everybody else - I did gripe about it a little bit.) But I was there. Two of the booths set up there had raffles. One group was raffling off chocolate. (Never underestimate the power of free chocolate. Seriously) The other group was raffling off an iPad. The chocolate was a free raffle, so it was no big deal. I wrote my name and number down and went off to support the team I was hosting. A little while later my husband calls me. I won the chocolate. Sweet! The funny thing is..he put his name in 4 or 5 times. And I won it with my one little ticket. Yay me!! But then hubby tries to steal it from me. <br />
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High off my win of the chocolate (and the sugar, obviously) I decided that with that kind of luck I was going to buy $5 worth of raffle tickets for the iPad. What the heck, right? I was so sure I wasn't going to win it that I left my tickets at the house when we stopped by there before the awards banquet. We live close by so I ran back to get them, but I almost didn't. The time comes to draw the raffle. My numbers were 429-434. So if I didn't see 43 then I was probably out. They call out 4-2 and then start back at 4 because this was a deaf basketball tournament and someone was writing it on a white board. So they start again. 4-2-9. Wait, what? No way! I won the iPad. I became an insta-celebrity. I give my hubby the chocolates. One woman bought $140 worth of raffle tickets. Seriously? <br />
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Several people told me I should have gone straight from there to buy a lottery ticket, but I wasn't feeling it anymore.<br />
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Here's where the karma comes in. I work my rear-end off at extra-curricular things. Often paying for the privilege to do so. Now, if it's something like the Christmas party or end of year softball game or something - minor stuff. The odds of me showing up are slim. Usually I've got a dr's appointment or a migraine or something. But the major stuff. I'm there. Other people, not so much. They're there as long as they're required to be and that's it. I don't get a lot of atta-girls from the bosses. But last year I won 80 something dollars at our big 5 year celebration. This year I win an iPad. And chocolate. Good karma. <br />
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But now that I recognize it, I will never win anything at a school function again. Oh well. That's alright. txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-73044963008229505032011-03-01T12:39:00.000-06:002011-03-01T12:39:31.684-06:00TimeI looked at the calendar this morning and had two thoughts.<br />
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1) Where the heck did the first two months of the year go?<br />
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and<br />
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2) Spring break in two weeks. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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But the passing of time has actually been on my mind a lot lately. I'll be 40 in 36 days. Wow. Just...wow. 4 decades. I was born during the Vietnam War. I was a child during the bell bottom era. (I had a pink pantsuit that I loved because it was just like Marie Osmond. I know, right?) I was a teenager in the 80's. I seriously wanted Cyndi Lauper's hair. Sorry Dad. I was a young adult during the 90's. Bill Clinton taught us how to use semantics in sticky situations. Then in my 30's we got Bin Laden, 9/11 and Iraq and Afghanistan. It'll be interesting to see what my 40's and the Teens will bring. <br />
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Then I look at my own personal numbers. 20 years since my last open-heart surgery. 22 years since my first Al-Anon meeting. 15 1/2 years sober. My oldest nephew is 17. My oldest niece will be 17 on Monday. My husband and I have been together for 10 years this coming May. Married for 6 years this coming June. Mom has been gone for 8 years this coming April. My oldest granddaughter will be 6 in July. <br />
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So what's the story with all this? I have had the greatest joys and the deepest of sorrows. I've climbed mountains and I've dug myself out of valleys. I've had times of comforting faith and other times of serious doubts. <br />
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And the rest of the story is...I will have more greatest joys and deepest sorrows. I'll climb more mountains and there will be more valleys. I will have more times of comforting faith and more times of serious doubts. And it will all be okay.<br />
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Ecclesiastes 3:1 - There is an appointed time for everything . And there is a time for every event under heaven--txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-34790021908904820372011-02-21T18:20:00.000-06:002011-02-21T18:20:01.349-06:00CricketsThat's what I'm hearing in my brain. Crickets chirping. <br />
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No, not really. Actually I think there's soooo much going through my teeny tiny brain that I've been having a hard time focusing on one thing to blog on. <br />
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Here's the highlights:<br />
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Expectations are premeditated resentments and Valentine's Day is one big resentment plot for me. I've been with my husband for almost 10 years now. I know the man pretty darn well and one fact about the love of my life is that you could fit his romantic side in a teaspoon. Except every once in awhile he pulls something out of the hat that is so from so far out in left field he is automatically forgiven for every missed birthday/anniversary/Valentine's day. This was one of those years. I got a computer generated card. In and of itself not that exciting. Except for the words. A lot of the time my husband is full of the blarney. For example...his most recent wheelchair. He told me in all seriousness that he had ordered a canary yellow pearl wheelchair. I was horrified. I mean, yeah, dude's gotta ride around in it, but I have to look at it and I was more than a little nervous at the idea of having to look at a canary yellow pearl wheelchair for the next three years because OBVIOUSLY!! But when we go to pick it up....it's like a midnight blue pearl. It's actually very cool looking. It's manly but with sparkles. Win/win. But when it comes to matters of the heart, if he doesn't mean it, he doesn't say it. So when I read his computer generated card...I cried. <br />
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Spring has sprung. West Texas does two weeks of winter a year and two weeks ago we had it. Sub freezing temps for two weeks straight almost. Frozen pipes, burst pipes, couldn't get warm, winter. It's over. It's been in the 60's, 70's and 80's for the last two weeks and it's predicted 70's for the next week. I...love...it. I've already started watching the mesquites for signs of them putting out leaves. It's probably too early. We probably have one more freeze left. But mesquites...I'm watching you.<br />
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If you haven't heard this yet...my 40th birthday is in April. Read that part about expectations and resentments again. Guess where my brain is headed for my 40th birthday. Some kind of big deal had better be made somewhere you know what I'm saying??? And I've been trying to get ready for this 5K and all that. Well, guess what. The baby shower for my last nephew ever (maybe) is the Sunday after my birthday. My cousin who I haven't seen in 10-12 years and who also has the same birthday as me (day not year she's way far away from 40) is coming to the shower. So I get to spend my 40th birthday with my "twin" cousin and her family, possibly her parents, possibly my parents, my brother and his family and if the husband isn't being too much of a pain...my hubby. I don't know about anybody else, but I'm making a HUGE deal out of this. <br />
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I finally have my spare bedroom rearranged to suit me. That is all.<br />
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The Daytona 500 was yesterday. I watched most of the truck race, most of the Nationwide race and all of the Daytona 500 and all I've gotta say is Trevor Bayne is too cute and very deserving, Tony Stewart made it to Victory Lane which always makes me happy, and Michael Waltrip made me cry on Friday. Dale Earnhardt is still missed, but he's the reason why my favorite drivers can drive the way they do and wreck the way they do and walk away. Bring on the 2011 season!!!<br />
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And, last but not least, my newest sister-in-law is now on Facebook. I'm so excited. <br />
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So there's a lot going on in there, but it's all good. txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-40591504866862734392011-02-07T19:29:00.000-06:002011-02-07T19:29:52.996-06:00Un-freaking-believableSometimes life is just weird. <br />
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Before my mom passed away she spent the week-end with me and one of the things we did was discussed music. Primarily James Taylor. She made a tape for me and one of the songs she included was "Fire and Rain". She included it because I like it and even though she wasn't a big fan of it, she knew I liked it so it was her "present" to me on the tape. So since she's passed, there have been times when that song plays that I just knew she was "playing" it for me.....like the time I was passing through the town she was born in and it started playing on the radio. It was a total "Hi mom!" moment.<br />
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Tonight, I absolutely should not be listening to the radio. I was home and intended to stay there until I got a call from the electric company saying my bill hasn't been paid yet. Which, it so totally has. So after I call the electric company and inform them that not only did I pay $400 and something in cash...I even have a receipt for it. So they're like "oh sure, no problem, just fax us the receipt". So I leave the house in search of a fax machine.<br />
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I'm listening to the radio on the way to the fax and they're doing this weird story about how streaming funerals on the internet is the new greatest thing. I don't get it, but I could see the benefit for a soldier in Afghanistan who can't get home to attend a funeral or something like that. But they said that one benefit is that you're in such a fog at a loved one's funeral that you can go back and watch the funeral again later.<br />
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Um...no.<br />
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The fact that my mom's funeral is one big blur is one of God's greatest blessings to me. I don't want to go back and watch it and relive the stupid thing. I'm great with it being a fog of grief and despair. I'm good with it being in the past. Thankyouverymuch!!! The second I have that thought.<br />
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Cue "Fire and Rain"...<br />
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Hi Mom and ha ha....txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-49657352036311494102011-02-03T12:33:00.000-06:002011-02-03T12:33:37.668-06:00Water, Snow, Death....and AwesomenessIt has been one heck of a week. <br />
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Starting last Thursday, we've had issues with water. I go home and get ready to wash my dirty dishes....and it seemed like it was every dish in my house that was dirty. I turn on the water and...nothing. No water. We live in the country and we have a well. Earlier that day I was bragging about how much I love having a well. The water is so much better than city water. It's just a wonderful thing to have. I'm bragging no more. The darling husband got a part to try to fix it on Friday, got it installed and still...no water. We spent the entire week-end going to my step-sons house to take baths and do laundry. I should have some pretty awesome muscles from hauling 5 and 6 gallon water jugs around. I even got to look really tough and wash dishes by boiling water. But by Monday, I was over it. Luckily, our well was fixed by Monday morning. <br />
<br />
Because Monday ushered in the great snow storm of 2011 bringing with it multiple days of sub-freezing temperatures. I live in West Texas. Winter is several months of 50-60 degree weather with a couple of hours of snow thrown in every once in awhile. The old saying is if you don't like the weather in West Texas wait five minutes and it'll change. So, um, it's been 5 minutes. You can change now. Monday night I went to the grocery store and got what we needed to be hunkered down and not leave the house for several days, because surely the school would close. I brought the dog and her 2 day old puppies in the house, we wrapped faucets, etc. We were READY. Until I got up the next morning because we were only on a 2 hour delay because of the snow, took a shower, got conditioner in my hair and then the pipes froze. I had already had 5 days of no water, I had conditioner in my hair and I thought I had to be at work in an hour. Cue the hysterics. Poor hubby, he thought I had lost my mind. Then it was several hours of running around in a knit cap trying to get water back on. Thank goodness school was canceled. Unfortunately, it wasn't canceled yesterday or today. The water has been back on for the most part and my hair is now super soft. But I am so stinkin' ready for the temps to go above freezing. The high has been 17 the last couple of days. 17 isn't a temperature, it's the age you get to see R rated movies. And oh, by the way, people who live in colder climates are absolutely insane. Just saying.<br />
<br />
I got introduced to a new migraine trigger...extreme cold. <br />
<br />
Now the hard part. When I moved here, I started seeing the chiropractor that my husband has known for years. Wonderful man, crazy sense of humor, devoted to Christ, mission worker, loved by everyone he ever met and loved everyone he ever met. He's been battling cancer for awhile now. It was announced last week that he was finished battling and was just going to let it take it's course. The battle officially ended yesterday. My tears are pure selfishness. He's home. And it was a joyous occasion in heaven when he arrived and started giving the angels a hard time. I guarantee they haven't stopped laughing since he got there. Then I got a call from my step-dad. Actually, since he and my mom divorced, she married someone else, then passed away and he married someone else, he's probably no longer technically my step-dad, but he's still my family. His brother passed away last week-end. Holy freaking crap people. Two in one day??? That's a little much, don't you think? He lived with my mom and step-dad for several years and he and my mom were partners in crime. She was there to welcome him and I'm sure they're having a great time now. Again, my tears are pure selfishness. He's home, too. And he missed my mom terribly. With two funerals to attend this week-end, I'm predicting a difficult one. But it'll be okay.<br />
<br />
Now the awesomeness. I've been out of touch with my baby brother for quite some time. There's been some peripheral contact through his wife on Facebook, but when I tried to get a number, my timing was way off. It was in the middle of her sister getting married and I think my message got lost in the shuffle. Anyway, he and my step-dad keep in contact and while talking to my step-dad I got his phone numbers. So now my two brothers and I are all back in touch again. My heart hurts without them. I've been doing a happy dance since yesterday. <br />
<br />
Life is never all good, and it's never all bad, but it's always all there. <br />
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Oh and if anybody wants a blue heeler/neighborhood black dog mix puppy, I have six. One of them is named Emo, because he's always doing exactly the opposite of his brothers and sisters and is crying all the time.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-36333036253632720062011-01-27T12:33:00.000-06:002011-01-27T12:33:32.848-06:00WowI work at a community college. I love it. For one, my students are deaf so I get the added advantage of being able to use two languages and I get inspired on a daily basis because I see these kids do things that I can't accomplish with regular hearing. I also love the cycles we go through. Fall semester, spring semester, summer. Beginning of the semester, middle of the semester, end of semester. New Student Orientation and Graduation. Fall semester and spring semester are completely different with different events and different objectives. And I love what I do here. I love being a secretary. I work with faculty and although I joke about the "children" and the "students" it's really a pretty good gig. It weirds me out sometimes that I'm a "school secretary", but most of the time I'm okay with it. <br />
<br />
The first two weeks of any semester are crazy. And for me it starts two weeks before the semester starts because we have meetings and registration and paperwork and faculty coming back from being off for a month and paperwork and more meetings and schedule changes and oh, by the way, did I mention PAPERWORK!! <br />
<br />
But this semester has been absolutely, positively, certifiably insane. We had a water main burst in a building. We've had a flu/upper respiratory/bronchitis/pneumonia epidemic that hasn't even hit the student population yet. We're looking at severe budget cuts thanks to the state being billions of dollars in debt. And there's been all this random stuff happening that's making me a little nuts. <br />
<br />
So my little blog has been severely neglected. My other blog has been super-severely neglected. And oh by the way...exercising...not happened at all this week so I'm super frustrated there.<br />
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All in all...wow. Just...wow.<br />
<br />
Is it too early to start counting the days till Spring Break???txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-56439968258597326622011-01-20T13:01:00.000-06:002011-01-20T13:01:29.596-06:00Fruit Basket Turnover WeekAll is quiet on the blog front because my <strike>week</strike> month has been craziness. It's that time of the semester and work and this semester seems to be superextraseriously crazy. Craziness+insanity+hysteria+weirdness=my life right now. It's not necessarily anything bad, just nuts.<br />
<br />
It should be over soon.<br />
<br />
Sort-of.<br />
<br />
My job is a lot of fun. It's a lot of work. It's time for things to settle down. But so far this is one of THOSE semesters. Kind-of like that neighbor that you kind-of like but when you're around them they're unspeakably rude, very hard to understand and WON'T GO AWAY!!! I think we're going to be craziness personified until May 13, 2011. A significant day worthy of it's own blog post.<br />
<br />
Lessons of the week:<br />
<br />
#1 - Stupid people don't get less stupid - if anything they find whole new ways to be stupid.<br />
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#2 - I am in a really, really, really good place in my life no matter what the scale, my migraines, or my feelings tell me. The little Mr. and I are sitting pretty and I need to get good and grateful NOW.<br />
<br />
#3 - I'm a big ol' baby who gets her feelings hurt over nothing. I obsessed for 24 hours over....coffee. Wow. That was 24 hours well spent.<br />
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#4 - When I get out of my own way, God takes really good care of me. When I get in my own way I am train wreck city.<br />
<br />
So yeah, I'm all over the map on this one because I am all over the map in my life, feelings, thinking, etc. I did start a journal to really get a grip on myself. If I'm doing the things I'm not supposed to be doing and I'm not doing the things I'm supposed to be doing....I'm in the wrong spot. txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-21784863838712557442011-01-11T17:37:00.001-06:002011-01-11T17:43:16.995-06:00Happy TimeWe all saw the commercials this past holiday season. "Peggy" the credit card service guy. Tells this woman she has like no money from points and then he says "Happy Time".<br />
<br />
I love Peggy.<br />
<br />
And all my ick, angst, meh from last week seems to have disappeared into "Happy Time".<br />
<br />
The reasons, I think, are this....<br />
<br />
My dryer broke last week. Okay, not life-threatening or anything. I mean, I already hang dry my husbands jeans and I could easily do that to his work shirts. I could go to the laundromat and do the other two loads a week of laundry I have (It's just me and the little mister at home, we don't go through that many clothes). It's a do-able situation. Except money has been tight and I'm stressed about money anyway. I was envisioning hundreds of dollars to fix or that we'd need a new one. No telling when that would happen. But I wasn't figuring on my husband being like a dog with a bone. Every night after work he tried something on it, he cleaned it out, he took the heating unit to the repair place, he borrowed an electrical sensor thingy and tested everything. It was 5 days before it was all put back together and fixed...but...it...is...fixed!!!!!<br />
<br />
Much more importantly than the whole dryer thing...we found out that my baby niece has congenital hip dysplasia and there was the potential for her to have surgery which would have ended up with her being in a body cast. Her doctors appointment was this week and she doesn't have to have surgery. She just has to go back in a year. Sweet.<br />
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I found out last week that I'm getting a niece in Oklahoma and a nephew in Texas. I collect nieces and nephews like most people collect sea shells and this will be niece # 4 and nephew number 6...oh and baby nephew already has a nickname. Thanks to his father's weirdness he is henceforth and forever..."SpidaMan". How could that not be a "Happy Time".<br />
<br />
And finally, I spent Saturday watching my grandkids while my step-son and his girlfriend went to look for Hailey Dunn. I'm so sad about this missing little girl and it reminded me how lucky I am, once again, that all my family are fairly healthy and happy. We don't have any problems nearly that big today. We may tomorrow, but today....everything is alright.<br />
<br />
So yeah, last week I was full of the sad, stressed, freaked out. This week...full of the happy.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-91042769697422559312011-01-07T12:54:00.001-06:002011-01-07T12:55:30.819-06:00End of 2010/Beginning of 2011I haven't blogged since the middle of December and here it is the end of the first week in January. It seems like forever ago, but really...not.<br />
<br />
My two weeks off from work were nice. Spent some time with family, chilled out, watched a lot of tv, got some exercise, watched some football, cooked, cleaned, the usual. Stressed out a lot. Which was stupid. It's all my fault, too. It's a long story, but it involved reading my electric bill wrong and thinking the electricity was going to be turned off any minute because I didn't have the money to pay it until the first. If I had gone back and re-read my electric bill, it would have saved me roughly 379 panic attacks. So my "chilling out" was seriously hampered the first week of my vacation.<br />
<br />
I did not make NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS like I always do, but I set goals for where I wanted to be this time next year and by the end of January. Which means in my mind that I don't have to do them all RIGHT NOW, but I've recognized that they're all part of a process. And my goals for January aren't even things that all have to be done right this minute like every day in the month of January I'm going to eat my vegetables and work out for 2 hours a day. For example, one goal for January is that I'm going to take a room in my house each week-end and clean/re-organize/re-arrange. Which I like a whole lot better than "I AM GOING TO REORGANIZE MY WHOLE HOUSE!!!" Which is destined to fail because my whole house is a little overwhelming, but my bathroom during the week-end of January 7-9 doesn't leave me feeling all that freaked.<br />
<br />
But still, when I was going through my calendars for 2011 I just had this feeling of "Ick" like I don't want to deal with 2011. No offense 2011, but for some reason I just don't like you. It's like when you meet a person and they seem alright but for some reason you just don't like them. I'm sure you're a perfectly nice year, but I'm not feeling it. Maybe it's because you're the year that's going to force me to turn 40. Maybe I just don't like the number 11. I don't know. But for some reason I was putting dates on my calendar and just kept thinking I just don't want to deal.<br />
<br />
Part of my problem is that there have been several years where nothing really bad has happened. Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind is the thought that the other shoe has to drop eventually. I'm not really sure. I've just been kind of "meh" all week. But...I'm a Member of the Band over at Band Back Together and this is the year of "Bringing Back the Happy" over there. It's the Bringing Happy Back World Tour and I am going on it. I just didn't realize I was going to drag myself kicking and screaming and I'm really not sure why.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-24038148226355708622010-12-17T13:56:00.001-06:002010-12-17T13:59:17.015-06:00Quiet WeekOkay, no, not really. It's been crazy hectic. But my brain has been quiet which is...not normal.<br />
<br />
Okay, that's not really true either. I get these spells where I've got nothin'. No profound wisdom, no fun things on my mind, just getting through life one step at a time. Compared to the times of my life when I'm thinking in 150 gajillion directions...it's kinda nice. Not so great for a blog, though.<br />
<br />
What's been happening this week?<br />
<br />
I met a scorpion named Jennifer. And saw the biggest freakin' Burmese python I've ever seen in my 39 and a half years and please Lord let it be the last. It was in a tank. At a nature center. But still. Holy mackerel that thing was huge. I would've been just a tasty snack. I was able to keep a detached interest at the other 50 some-odd snakes they had including the rattlesnakes, but the Burmese python scared the bejeebers out of me.<br />
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My one and only grandson turned 5 on the same day. Needless to say that was the highlight of the day (although the 2 bobcats were pretty cool).<br />
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My oldest granddaughter had her 3rd Christmas dance recital and finally came out of her dancing shell. She danced! And smiled! At the same time!!! She's my more cerebral girl so it was good to see her let some of her personality show to the rest of the world instead of standing there thinking about everyone looking at her.<br />
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The next night the middle granddaughter had her very first ever dance recital. No worries about her thinking too much about it. She smiled and danced and flipped her hair and had a great time. Until about 3/4 of the way into each dance and then she was over it. But she'd finish...just you could tell she was done. There's a lot of speculation about her having ADHD and sometimes you can really see when she's just onto something else in her mind.<br />
<br />
Wednesday was the migraine from Hades...not a good day, but I worked most of the day, went home and went to bed... and then went on with my week. <br />
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Yesterday was day one of Couch to 5K which is a whole other post entirely.<br />
<br />
Now I'm just kinda ready to be done with work. I have some things I need to do the next couple of weeks, but for the most part I'm ready to just chill. We'll have the two local grandgirls most of the time so I'm not sure how much actual "chill" will happen, but I'm going to try my hardest. <br />
<br />
Oh, and as for the Dr.'s appointment last week? They called on Friday afternoon with the results of the echo. Still no word on the holter, but I only had to push the stupid button three times, right before bed, when my heart palpitates anyway if I'm extremely tired. So I'm not too worried about it...but this is why I hate having tests run this time of year.<br />
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<i>* As soon as I originally posted this...I got the call from the heart doc. It's all good. I had some extra beats...which I knew....but nothing they haven't seen before.</i>txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-86050167556533290632010-12-09T18:30:00.000-06:002010-12-09T18:30:00.234-06:00Nothing to complain aboutI have nothing to complain about really. I'm going to the heart doc tomorrow and really it's not that big of a deal. I love my current cardiologist and I haven't always been able to say that. I'm having an echocardiogram and a holter monitor like I do every December and really that's not that big of a deal. I'll have the exact same conversation with the echo tech that I do every year because she doesn't remember me from year to year. I'll have the same conversation I do with the doc every six months (Are you exercising? Why not? When are you going to start? What's the plan?) I get a day off of work. I'll be able to do all my Christmas shopping when I'm done. <br />
<br />
So what's the deal? Every adult CHD'er (CHD = Congenital Heart Defect for those that don't know) will tell you the same thing I'm sure. Going to the heart doc is annoying. I work with around 50 people. I can think of only two others that work here who have standing appointments with a cardiologist and they're men in their 50's/60's. Although now that I'm less than 6 months away from 40 I'm starting to fit into the right age group. It's fun trying to explain to people why you're going to a heart doc when you're 25 - "Are you waiting on your grandfather?" "No, I'm here to see the doc." "But you're way to young for that." "No, trust me, I'm getting way to old for this. It was much easier when I was 5". Because lets face it. When you're 5 the heart doc has toys to play with while you wait. I mean come on! <br />
<br />
It's annoying because if I tell my family I have a heart doc appointment I get "Gasp! I hope everything's OKAY!" It is. It's been okay for years now. Please don't worry. But they do. Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins...they were there. They remember the days when we were all fighting for my life. They remember the tears, the prayers, the hopes, the wishes. And then there's the brothers who all they've ever known is a sister with heart problems. So it instills fear in them to hear I'm headed to the heart doc. But then there's the new family. My husband and his family. All they've ever known is that I have heart problems, but other than 3 days in the hospital 5 years ago they haven't really seen it manifested so...."Do we worry? What's going on? Is something wrong?" No, it's just what I need to do. And the flip side of all of this is if I keep it to myself that I'm going for a check-up then I get. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US???" So I kinda can't win here. And I get both sides of that coin. I really do. And I try to be understanding. But when I post the status, send the text, tweet, whatever...I brace myself. <br />
<br />
It's annoying because I'm allergic to some of the adhesives they use for the leads for the holter monitor. Which means 24 hours of itchy. Yay. <br />
<br />
But if I've learned anything by meeting CHD'ers on the internet it's that I have it really good. It's been almost 20 years since my last open-heart surgery with only minor complications since then. I've gotten off relatively easy. I understand that I'm one of the few that's kept consistent contact with good medical care. It's paid off. I do have a hole in my heart, but it's not a big deal and doesn't seem to be anything to worry about anytime soon. I'm truly blessed and truly have nothing to complain about.<br />
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But when has that ever stopped me???txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-17308263892954748102010-12-08T12:00:00.000-06:002010-12-08T12:00:03.946-06:00Land of the LivingI'm back!! If anybody missed me, I was at home with a stomach virus. I don't recommend it. Two days home, alone has it's benefits....but not if you feel like death warmed over. But I'm back to "normal" today and craving chicken strips...so lunch had better hurry up and get here. <br />
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A couple of thoughts from the last couple of days....Ramen noodles are the best food in the world. Saltine crackers are the second best food in the world. I can be excused for getting sick. It happens. What is inexcusable is when I forget to take my medication and do it to myself. The stomach virus was complicated by a lack of my diuretic for too long. Memo to me...don't mention that to the cardiologist on Friday. <br />
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And that's about it. Not a lot of thinking when you're laying on the couch trying to keep down said noodles and crackers. txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-64060312753432292772010-11-29T14:39:00.001-06:002010-11-29T14:40:09.808-06:00Holiday "Rules" for HusbandsAfter stifling several screams last week, I came up with the following rules for husbands during the Holidays. This may not apply to any husband other than mine....and actually, it may apply to some wives depending on how your family rolls.<br />
<br />
Rule #1 - If your wife is cleaning and cooking and going to the grocery store and running around like a chicken with her head cut off....go away. Go to the office, go to the shop, go hunting, go to the grocery store for her...it really doesn't matter. Just get out of the way!! Oh, and if you do go hunting, do NOT, for the love of everything holy, actually bring back anything until after the holiday is over. Your wife will not appreciate having to cook Thanksgiving dinner AND dress out a deer.<br />
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Rule #2 - If your wife has made several lists...grocery lists, lists of things to do, lists of what she's cooking, etc. Don't sit there and point out everything she may have forgotten. Either add it to the list or go get it for her.<br />
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Rule #3 - The night before Thanksgiving, eat a sandwich, or go get a pizza, or something. Anything but ask "What's for dinner?"<br />
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Rule #4 - If your wife is in the process of cleaning out the refrigerator....wait a few minutes to make a sandwich. You're not starving. It can wait 10 minutes. Same goes for getting yourself something to drink. Unless you just came in from a week in the desert, you're probably not going to die if you don't get something to drink before she's finished.<br />
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Rule #5 - Much like rule number 3 - the night of Thanksgiving, after your bride has been cooking for two days and after eating a huge dinner....do not then, that evening ask "What's for supper?" The answer is either a) leftovers or b)@#$#@&^ or if your lucky c) she rolls her eyes and ignores you for the rest of the night.<br />
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Actually, they all could boil down to one basic rule...unless you want to do it all yourself, help a girl out!!! Especially when the majority of the people coming are your family. If it's hers, then still see all these rules, but she has less to complain about.<br />
<br />
Anybody else have any good rules for the holidays? I'm sure I missed a lot.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-77878728236778760652010-11-22T17:38:00.001-06:002010-11-22T17:39:54.765-06:00The Most Organized Thanksgiving Ever...Secondary title - When did I become my grandmothers???<br />
<br />
I can't say that I've always been the most organized person when it comes to the holidays. Anything worth doing is worth doing at the last minute is generally my motto. And this is probably really only my 3rd or 4th holiday with all the family coming to my house for dinner. So I feel like I'm way ahead of the learning curve.<br />
<br />
Before Thanksgiving, I had to make sure the following things were accomplished:<br />
<br />
1) Decide what the heck we're going to eat.<br />
2) Let everyone know what we're going to eat and what all the girls need to bring.<br />
3) Clean out my dining room which is currently the granddaughters' play room so we can put an actual table in it.<br />
4) Do the shopping for the food that I'm cooking.<br />
5) Clean house.<br />
6) Cook.<br />
<br />
On that list, I have managed to...<br />
<br />
Are you ready for it???<br />
<br />
Wait for it...<br />
<br />
Do all but #'s 5 and 6.<br />
<br />
And actually I'm ahead of the game on #5 because I did quite a bit of cleaning this week-end, but I still have to live in my house between now and Thursday so I'm sure I'll have a couple of things to do on Wednesday. And I do have to go to the store either tonight or tomorrow and get a couple of things that I forgot. But no trying to push a cart around on Wednesday night after frantically cleaning all day and hoping beyond hope that there is still one ham that will feed 8 adults and 4 children while trying to figure out if I want to bake all my desserts or just buy them frozen and hope they thaw out in time for us to be able to eat them with forks and not chainsaws after dinner.<br />
<br />
So instead of looking at my day off on Wednesday with little panic attacks wondering what in the heck I was doing agreeing to have Thanksgiving at my house this year. I'm actually pretty chilled out.<br />
<br />
This can mean only one thing. Some crazy flu, virus, cold, something is going to hit and I'll be trying to cook with 102 degree fever.<br />
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Wish me luck!!txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-28530703289516492302010-11-12T09:54:00.000-06:002010-11-12T09:54:10.302-06:00I'm so excited!!!And it's really weird. Not a lot of people will understand this.<br />
<br />
I'm so excited because...my knee hurts.<br />
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Seriously.<br />
<br />
I'm a watcher. I'm not a participator. I watch people play sports. I watch people run. I watch people do things. <br />
<br />
I am now a doer.<br />
<br />
I have jogged enough now to hurt my knee. This is so cool.<br />
<br />
Ouch.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-47735424670304389372010-11-09T16:43:00.000-06:002010-11-09T16:43:21.008-06:00A whole lot of nothingWhich is exactly what's been going through my mind lately. A whole lot of nothing. Not a lot to build a blog post around I know but that's where I'm at. <br />
<br />
My focus has been in about a million different places lately.<br />
<br />
My grandson finished his first soccer season. We made two games. But he's going to be playing basketball this winter and soccer again in the spring. So there's more opportunities to go watch. And spend more time with him and his sister. Since they live an hour and a half away and their lives are super busy, we don't get to see them a lot.<br />
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My middle granddaughter is now 4. It goes by too fast. It seems like just yesterday I was talking to her minutes after birth telling her how much I already love her.<br />
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I have two nieces or nephews coming in the Spring. I'm leaning toward niece on both of them. I have mad baby predicting skills. I have been right about every niece and nephew that I knew about ahead of time. (There were a couple of instances of "we're having a girl/boy in a couple of months"). And I was right about all 4 grandkids. Even when everybody just knew the middle granddaughter was a boy, I was like, "Whatever, I'm buying pink." But I could be wrong. I recently tested this on my daughter-in-laws cousin to see if the baby had to technically be "mine", but I called boy and boy it is. I think it may be God's way of letting me have some fun since I don't get to have kids of my own.... So, P and L, I hope you didn't throw all of Miss A's stuff away. I think you can re-use it...<br />
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If I'm going to run the week-end of my 40th birthday, I need to exercise more than twice a week. <br />
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I hate migraines.<br />
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Work right now is scary....and our governor is an idiot.<br />
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Is fire season going to be as bad as they say, because the last time it was bad, it was pretty scary watching the hills around my house burn. <br />
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My roots have grown out quite a bit and I saw my hair in the sun for the first time in awhile without it being pulled up and holy mackerel my hair has gotten gray. I need a date with Miss Clairol ASAP.<br />
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are number 1 in the Big 12 South and how flippin' cool is that???<br />
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And oh, crap, there's only two NASCAR races left this season. :(<br />
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So that's it. The contents of my brain lately. <br />
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Good luck with trying to figure it out. If you have any clues about where it's going to go next feel free to let me know....txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-24524464030903798662010-11-02T17:43:00.000-05:002010-11-02T17:43:25.699-05:00I need your help...All both of you...<br />
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I've been thinking about this whole running thing and I've gotten started and seem to be doing okay. If you can call walking for 20 minutes and running for 75 seconds okay. But compared to last week when I could only run for 70 seconds...it's progress. <br />
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But something is bothering me. And I need your help. <br />
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What should my t-shirt say. I've been thinking about the idea I posted last week and I'm just not feeling it. I'll be 40. I've survived three open heart surgeries. And I'm running for the first time in my life that wasn't because of grade school little olympics or some evil teacher who made us run because we didn't get our homework done on time. <br />
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So everyone let me know what you think and I'll pick the one I like best and make it into a shirt for the run. Who knows? Maybe I'll even get some made for my family and put Team Jennifer on it or something. txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-63107938799595923242010-10-27T17:19:00.001-05:002010-10-27T17:20:40.715-05:00RunningThis is not a weight loss/exercise blog. Not knocking weight loss/exercise blogs. They have their purpose and I'm all for them. But the name Fruit Basket Turnover means I don't want to be pigeonholed into "weight loss" blog, "health" blog, "crazy Grandma" blog or whatever.<br />
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However.... I'm thinking about starting a running program. I've been hearing a lot about Couch to 5K which is the whole start out a couch potato and in 8 weeks (or however long it takes you) compete in a 5K.<br />
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I...am...not...a...runner. To quote the Genie in Aladdin "It's not a pretty picture. I don't like doing it!!" When everyone else is learning to run as a child, I was having to sit still and try not to pass out. Running isn't a natural thing for me. Now, I would run if like my house was on fire or I had a niece/nephew/grandchild running into the street. But for exercise? Not happening. I'll walk, thanks.<br />
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But I'm approaching my 40th birthday and I've been doing a lot of "why not?" kind of thinking. Why am I not trying to run? Seriously? Because I can't? Why not? "Never having really tried" does not equal "can't". I'm lazy? Well, yeah. That's why the scale is creeping up higher and higher.<br />
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What will happen if I try it? I may find out I like running!! (Okay...I didn't buy that either.) I may find out that once I get the mechanics figured out and work my way into it, it's not so bad. I may find out I have more power than I ever gave myself credit for. I mean, if other TOF patients can become Olympic snowboarders and triathlon participants, why can't I do a 5K???? <br />
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So I'm going for it. I'll see if there are any 5K's around my birthday in April and if so and if I'm ready I'm making a t-shirt that says "I'm 40 and a heart survivor...Bring It!!" (And any available parents, kids, grandkids, brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, friends...and yes dear, husbands...had better be there to cheer me on!!!)txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-78345445794656825802010-10-22T12:43:00.000-05:002010-10-22T12:43:41.592-05:00GratitudeOne of the principles of recovery in 12 step programs is gratitude. Primarily that gratitude isn't a feeling...it's an action. At least, that's what has been true for me. And we're coming up to November which is always considered "Gratitude Month" because of "Thanksgiving" and that's when you should be grateful. Which has always ticked me off. "Gratitude Month" should be turned into "Gratitude Friday at 4:30 am because I woke up from a dream and realized that I'm nice and cozy in my bed instead of out on the streets." or "Gratitude Wednesday at noon because the husband grilled cheeseburgers for lunch." or "Gratitude Saturday morning because even though I have a migraine...I still have medicine and it will go away." My focus should always be on gratitude and my question should always be...how can I pay it back?<br />
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Today was a great example. I'm grateful for the freedoms afforded me by our military. Our men and women who give up homes, families, friends and comfort to go to the most horrible places on earth and fight for our freedom. Because of my medical history it was never possible for me to become one of those people. The most I have had to sacrifice was quite a few sleepless nights when my baby brother was in the Army and serving in Kosovo. I haven't had to watch a child or spouse or parent go. But I can express my gratitude. I have the freedom to whine, complain and gripe about my country...and I have the freedom to say that in spite of our flaws, in spite of what we do to each other, in spite of the economy, we are the best country in the world. Now how do I pay it back? I voted. I took 15 minutes out of my day and I let my voice be heard. Will it matter? I don't know. But I did it. I encourage everyone who reads my blog (all both of you) to take the time out of your lives to go vote and let your voice be heard.<br />
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Another thing that has struck me this week is that I'm so very grateful for my job. I don't always love it. It's not always easy. But I have one. And for the most part it rocks. This week I've gotten a couple of opportunities to be of service outside of the 40 hour work week. It's Spirit Week...where the three classes of students compete against each other in different things. I got to be a judge this year. It's an honor to be asked. All I am is a little ol' school secretary. But I got the opportunity to interact with the kids and I had a blast. Now...no, I did not love the pumpkin and coconut milkshake (seriously? yuck) and I sure didn't love sticking my hand in a pile of stink bait to get the dead fish with the key tied to it. But for the most part it was a great night and I can't wait to do it again.<br />
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And finally, there's my family. I'm grateful for every single one of them. My life is richer for having all of them. The parents, the grandparents, the brothers, the kids, the grandkids, the aunts and uncles, the cousins, the steps, the in-laws and the out-laws. I don't do nearly enough to show my gratitude for them. I still spend way too much time worrying about who is doing what for me instead of what I can do for them. But I'm trying...<br />
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And I would have none of it without my Higher Power - God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Thank you.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-18969921204581369902010-10-19T18:03:00.001-05:002010-10-19T18:03:54.197-05:00Odds and EndsThe explanation of the poll - I do a really, really good imitation of the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. I have the voice down perfect. My almost 4 year old granddaughter loves it but it scares her to pieces. The husband...this poor child's grandfather mind you...wants me to dress up like the Wicked Witch of the West for Halloween...and talk like her. So my question...should I or shouldn't I? Will it completely scar her for life? Or am I being an old fuddy duddy?? - Oh, and I just really like polls. I'm a poll addict. And I'm trying to make my blog site more "interesting". <br />
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"We're not disorganized, we're flexible." - This was a saying of an old boss of mine and actually...we were way disorganized. And when I say it, I'm really saying I'm disorganized. I'm not generally flexible. But that seems to be the lesson my life is trying to teach me right now. Because the husband and I are sharing a vehicle now, I'm having to get creative about things. Normally, if I can't go to the gym after work, then I think. "Oh, well, that's it, I can't work out." But yesterday I was really freaking bored at lunch so I decided that since I can't go work out tonight, I can walk the campus at lunch. If I have to wait for the husband for a little while...I can stick a book in my purse. If nothing else comes from this experience...I want to be able to say I'm more flexible and more creative about spending my time.<br />
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My step-son and daughter-in-law lost a dear friend of their's last week. He was too young and leaves behind a young daughter and a devastated family and friends. Motorcycle riders...don't drink and ride...and for the love of everything holy wear your helmets!!!<br />
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And finally...the other lesson of this past week...hot flashes are annoying, but they don't last and I can live with them. And then I found out we're not changing my hormones, we're decreasing them....so I don't have to try to live with them for another year. Maybe that's the metaphor for my life right now. Nothing lasts and I can live with it.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719265649128247848.post-36383884226328732932010-10-13T17:26:00.001-05:002010-10-13T17:26:49.881-05:00One of Those DaysOkay, actually, one of those weeks. Nothing bad has happened to me. My family are all healthy and compared to others our problems are small. I've tried really hard to be grateful for that and remember that compared to others we have it made. My finances aren't great right now. My car is about to be repossessed and the husband and I are going to have to carpool. But all in all, we have no reason to complain.<br />
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Which leads me to today. I find out this morning that one of my step-sons best friends was killed in a motorcycle accident. I only met him a few times and don't feel the loss like everyone else does, but the fact that it's hurting my family kills me. I'm all about the support though. And I'll move heaven and earth to make sure that I do whatever my family needs. But I feel like we've dodged a bullet. And I know that there will be an end to that. I guess I'm just reminded again of the ebb and flow of life. I've had periods in my life where I was going to a funeral every time I turned around. I've had periods like now where I'm celebrating a baby's birth every time I turn around. (No complaints there.) It's all part of life. And I know the days of being in hospitals and funeral homes is coming again. And today I'm grateful.<br />
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Then Oklahoma up and has an earthquake. Really? An earthquake. In Okla-freaking-homa. Wow. So I'm wondering...what's next. Frogs, locusts, boils?<br />
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And then I see the miners in Chile getting rescued and I realize that good things still happen in spite of what is in front of us so often.<br />
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God is in His heaven and the world is in His hands. And I'm reminded of the analogy of life being like a jigsaw puzzle. Each day we get a new piece and some days they fit together somewhere and other days you look at it going WTH??? and other days you just think...okay, it's just like all the others. And God is the only one who can see the top of the box to see what it's going to look like in the end.txjennkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13071070006056407480noreply@blogger.com2