Too cute!

Isn't he the cutest? I love to see updated pictures of Lane, my friend Donna Kay's son. As this child grows older each day, he looks more and more like his daddy! I'm convinced that Donna was only the incubator ;)

Donna ... make sure to keep me updated with Lane's newest events! And by the way, doesn't Lane need a little sister?

:)

House update

Newest photos of the house ...

It's getting there ... and it's killing my husband! He is working soooooo very hard on getting the house completed. He has amazed me with his drive and his energy ...

The camera's view of Destin

I know the first photo is kind of fuzzy ... I forgot to clean the lense before taking the shot (duh), but I kept the picture anyway. The pic at the bottom is from the beach, which lasted about 30 minutes. My children are definitely bred from their father's genes ... they started complaining about the sand 10 minutes after arriving! We spent most our "outdoor" time in the pool :)

Anyway, Hannah caught the stomach flu bug while in Destin, which made for a puny trip. Not her fault ... just poor timing, that's all. They're all glad to be home. I, on the other hand, long for a quiet moment on the beach ... ALONE.

Update & Miscellaneous News

Yep, this is where we're headed first thing in the morning - Destin, Florida. Ron has a PA conference to attend. So me, Hannah, Eli, my friend Angela, and Ginger's daughter Alexa, are headed for 3 days of beach condo living! Not bad, eh? We went last year to this conference, which is why we're going back this year. He hates the beach ... and I, on the other hand, love it. He's given me orders for next year's PA conference - find him one ANYWHERE but Florida, preferably in the mountains somewhere. Okay, I can do that.

An update on Kathleen ... things are looking positive. Her kidneys are functioning again and her body is responding to the antibiotics that are fighting the e-coli infection. She's still on a respirator (which is not good) and they've moved her up to 2nd on the list for a liver transplant (kinda good). I may try and drive to Jacksonville next weekend to see her. I'd only be allowed ten minutes, but that's all I need. I just want to tell her how much we need her.

Well, I'm officially through with my graduate classes! I was supposed to make some final postings today ... but nooooooooooooooooooooooo ... I chose to ignore them. I'm sooooooooo burned out so I don't really care if my participation grade takes a hit. That last statement completely goes against the grain for me ... so that should prove just how sick I am of school. I've got two years before I begin my doctoral program and I'm gonna enjoy each and every minute.

Well, off to bed so I can get some rest. Eli is SUPER hyped about the beach, so I'm going to need all the energy I can muster.

:) J.

Prayers

For those readers who are spiritual and believe in the power of prayer, I ask each of you to add one more good thought to your lists. A woman I work with, Kathleen Duncan, is in the hospital fighting for her life. She has been ill for some time, but no would ever believe it. She would come to work laughing and smiling, never letting on that her body was experiencing Armageddon.

We just received word that her blood pressure is falling quickly, her kidneys have shut down, and she is only able to breathe through a ventilator. She needs a liver transplant, but even if one were available she isn't capable of going through surgery due to an e-coli infection in her urinary tract. She is retaining all of her body fluids and is bloated almost to an unrecognizable state. Her body is so filled with fluid it has no where to go but to seep through her skin.

To know Kathleen is to love Kathleen. All of the students love her ... probably because she is a great listener. Lord knows she's listened to me so many times.

Her husband Joe is beside himself ... he suffers from heart disease and I cannot imagine how he will get through this. Kathleen is only 49 years old (I think) and is way too young to leave us just yet. There is so much more to do ... and we need her here.

We love you Kathleen.

Selling Ralph a Buick ...

Ugh. That's the state I'm in right now. Lucky for me, I somehow managed to catch a stomach virus bug. Wooo hooo! Can you say, "Jen has the trots?" Oh my goodness ... I am thankful, however, that my husband is a PA. He gave me a shot last night (and hopefully another one this evening) to take away the nausea (and get your head outta the gutter, Will ... not THAT kind of shot).

I'll be back to detail other parts of my life ad nauseam (pun intended) when I feel better. Oh, and do your best to stay away from someone who looks green in the face ... this stuff ain't for sissies.

J.

Quote of the Day

This one comes from Jimmy Carter ...

"You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can."

I find that statement to be very true. I am 24 days away from graduating with my Master's degree in Adult Education (the countdown is officially on). When I read my first syllabus, I got very nervous ... began to doubt I could do it ... even wondered if I had made some sort of mistake, telling myself, "what an ego you have! you thought you could do this?"

Thankfully, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm staring at this completion right in the face. Not only did I do it, I did it well. That may appear to be a conceited statement, and if that's the way it's being read I can only apologize. Granted, one or two classes weren't as challenging as they could have been ... but there were SEVERAL courses I completed that really put my neurons to the test, especially International Adult Education with Dr. Hill. Talk about a tough course ... gad, just ask Will ... I think our respective phone lines were burning up the entire semester. But we did it ... we made it through ... and we performed well.

So ... 24 days left ... and I'm hooded. Kewl.

And after August 5th the next countdown begins ... for my Ph.D..

Ron will be glad to read that the countdown is MUCH larger ...

Roughly 700 days ...

Let the countdown begin!!!

Four Things

Okay ... I know some people hate this sort of thing, but I sometimes think they're fun. My friend Donna sent this to me, so I'm gonna play along. For those who want to participate, post YOUR four things:

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Color Guard Instructor
2. Girl Friday
3. Hairdresser
4. Educator

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. West Side Story
2. Glory
3. The Usual Suspects
4. Groundhog Day

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Houston, Texas
2. Pullman, Washington
3. Anniston, Alabama
4. Thomasville, Georgia

D) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. ANY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME
2. Jon Stewart's Daily Show
3. Seinfeld
4. The Shield

E) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Vacation? What is that? I travel 3 or 4 times a year for my job, and ANYWHERE I go I make it into a vacation!
2. Denver, Colorado
3. Chicago, Illinois
4. New Orleans, Louisiana

F) Four Websites I visit daily:
1. UGA WebCT
2. SI.com (Sports Illustrated)
3. Google News
4. Atlanta Braves official website

G ) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
2. Venison Sausage
3. Garlic bread
4. If "Aunt Flow" is visiting, anything chocolate

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. The beach
2. Mom's house
3. Anywhere with my sister D.D.
4. Atlanta Braves game

I) Four books I've loved:
1. The People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
2. Citizenship, Democracy, and Lifelong Learning. Edited by Medel-Anonuevo, Carolyn & Mitchel, Gordon.
3. The Words We Live By. Linda Monk
4. Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat


I found it difficult in some categories to only list four ... see if you can do it.

Road Trip Details ...

... well, not too many details. Afterall, what happens in Atlanta stays in Atlanta :)

As you can see from the few pictures above, I focused more on the game than anything else. Oh, and by the way, we had some dude sitting behind us take our picture, but our backs were to the field lights so all you can see is a black outline of 3 women ... crap ... so, I didn't post it. Besides, after all the tequila and Bud Lite it wouldn't have been a great picture anyway :)

Ginger had never been to a major league sporting event, so I think she was the most excited out of the 3 other women. She really got into the game, too. I saw her do the "Tomahawk Chop" more than once, and I remember her hollerin' trash at the umps. That'a girl ...

Karli hadn't been to a Braves game since she was 5 years old (she's 19 now), so it was an all new experience for her, too. She did the "chop," too, but what I remember most was her checkin' out the backsides of the ball players and lookin' for hot men in the stands. We saw a few where "milk did their body good" ... but they were always with girls ... so Karli struck out.

Nita hadn't been to a Braves game since her UGA undergrad days. In fact, she had never seen Turner Field, she only knew Fulton County Stadium. So ... she loved the new digs. Poor Nita had a headache most of the game ... of course, it didn't help matters that I was screaming my lungs out right next to her ear. (I can barely talk today, but hey ... it was worth it).

In case my readers don't follow baseball, you should all know that we won! We beat the Reds on Saturday AND Sunday. I was thrilled for my friends - they were fortunate to see John Smoltz - a FUTURE HALL OF FAMER - pitch a 120 pitch game. He was AWESOME. Oh yeah, and Franceour hit a homer ... he's Karli's favorite (he's a 21 year-old rookie who is BEAUTIFUL). The 44,000 crowd count added to the excitement ... it was completely electric the whole night!

After the game we had to stand in the parking lot for almost an hour waiting for the cars to dispurse. We got lost on our way to the hotel (of course) and finally got back to the room around 11:30 (the game ended at 9:30 so that should give you some idea how long we were lost), and Karli and Ginger were ready to hit the town. Nita and I, on the other hand, were ready to kick back and veg out. I couldn't keep up with the young folk ... age has a way of reminding you how young you aren't!

Anyway, Karli and Ginger joined Jenet at a tavern frequented by Ethiopians (Janet is Ethiopian), and they rolled in around 4:00 am. They tried so hard not to wake us up, but I think they were standing in the hall trying to get the plastic key in ... oh, I don't know ... FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. Tequila strikes again! Finally they get in the door and are laughing hysterically. I just laid there in the bed wondering how long it would take for them to finally get into bed. Too funny.

I can't sleep when I'm not home, so I woke pretty early. It took a while for all four women to get showers and get ready ... but we made it by noon (check out time) and headed for lunch. After driving around downtown Atlanta looking for a place called Micks (and not finding it), we settled on Ted Turner's Montana Grill. It was great! We actually ate bison (which is very lean and very good).

After lunch I drove Nita back to her car, hugged her goodbye, and hit the road for home. I was sooooooooooo glad for my XM radio - I picked up the Braves Sunday afternoon game and listened to it all the way home. It's a long drive, so after the Braves game ended (we won that won, too) we listened to the White Sox/Red Sox game. Gotta love XM ...

I arrived home to my family (who missed me) around 6:15 pm and passed out the gifts I bought for them while in Atlanta. Took a shower ... and died on the couch.

Today I'm still tired, but it's a "good" tired. I know that this was the only game of the year I'll make, so I'm thankful it was a good one. Just the fact that I was able to watch my Smoltz pitch made every tired bone in my body worth it.

On our way ...

Last post before we leave for Hotlanta ...

We are leaving early so we can stop at every hole in the wall mom-and-pop store on the way to Atlanta - you know, we're chicks ... gotta look at stuff on the way to the game. I've double-checked the hotel reservation, I've got the tickets in my bag, the Pilot is on full, and we're ready to start yellin' for Smoltzy.

And to Will - these had BETTER be decent seats ;) ... if not, be prepared for some bitchin' from me.

I'm low on funds but hopefully I'll have enough to bring Eli and Hannah something back from the game. Eli is easy ... I can bring him a program and he'll be in heaven. Hannah ... well, she's a bit more difficult. I'll have to find some type of art supply stuff to carry back to her.

Okay, I'm outta here. See ya on the flip side ...

Disclaimer

Okay, I think I need to inform all of my readers (excluding Will) about ... well ... about Will. All of you will notice from time to time a really crass comment directed to and illuminating my mistakes, faults, and blunders. Those are from my friend, Will. I've discussed him before on my blog ... very early on ... but I think it is important to remind my readers that while his words may offend you ... or make you scratch your head in wonderment and ask, "this is her friend?" ... don't let his attitude bother you. I, for some silly reason, enjoy his pissy attitude. Why? Because Will is consistent. I never EVER have to wonder how he feels about an issue ... probably because he's given me his opinion on it ... but really, Will is the same guy day in and day out. I appreciate his consistency, his brutal honesty, and his quick wit. Not too bad fer a young fella ...

Anyway, just wanted to provide a disclaimer for him. Knowing him, he'll probably post something about what I've just written. I hope he does ... whatever it is, I know it'll make me laugh.

:)

SMOLTZY!!!

Mmmmmmmmmmm, only two more days and I get to watch my Smoltzy pitch. Ain't he the cat's meow? Puuuuuuurrrrrrrrr. He's almost as cute as my husband ... almost.

Another Birthday Moment

Geeez, I'm sorry folks ... but I cannot NOT mention a gift I received today from one of my students. Just look at that photo and you'll see immediately why I had to share this news. The earrings are from Karli; she is a student and an English tutor. The earrings are actually paper! They're handmade Washi jewelry, which means:

"Washi is the Japanese word for the traditional papers made from the long inner fibres of three plants; wa meaning Japanese and shi meaning paper" (This information was on the box)

Aren't they lovely? I can hardly wait to wear them this weekend! GIIIIIIIIRLS WEEKEND only 2 days away!!!

King George

Can you imagine how our world would be without the event for which we celebrate today? I can't even begin to wrap my head around that and I consider myself a fairly imaginative person. I think it's appropriate that today, of all days, that citizens not only remember the bravery, the vision, and the arrogance which our forefathers embraced to form an independent nation, we must also remember the philosophical foundation they built our country upon. For those who haven't studied American History much, you may remember your history teacher/professor discussing Thomas Paine. Without giving an entire lesson on this man's life, the important element I think American citizens should know about Paine is that he believed that it only made Common Sense (also the name of his famous pamphlet) that if a nation's government was not taking care of the majority of the people the majority of the time, it was the RESPONSIBILITY of the people to overthrow the tyrannical government and replace it with a government that takes care of its people. Now, of course, Paine writes this in a much more eloquent fashion that I, but the message is the same. I mention this because of the manner in which our government is taking care of its people today ... ALL OF THE PEOPLE ... not just the ones who contribute money to politicians, but all of us.

I am not proposing a revolution or am I completely suggesting that George Bush and his administration are tyrannical ... but I am asking those of you who read my blog to consider one thing today: if our nation was founded upon the idea that a government should take care of its people, shouldn't our government "take care" of us by being truthful? I celebrate today, the day our country gained its independence, but I am also upset that our independence is the weapon Bush wields to explain away why he has our military fighting a war that cannot be won. Over 2500 men and women have been killed in the Iraq war (this number includes American contractors, too), and over 18,500 men and women have been injured. Please don't misunderstand ... I am in no way implying that we, as Americans, should not support our military. On the contrary, I thank each and every one for putting their life on the line to save mine ... they are doing their jobs, and by doing their jobs they protect my rights, such as having the right to blog my opinion. I get that ... I have no problem understanding that concept ... but what I do passionately oppose is sending those brave men and women to Iraq and attempt to finish a war our president's father couldn't finish. We only need to look at Vietnam to see how this war will end ...

Okay, I'll hop off my soap box and finish the laundry.

A boy and his gun

 


Yep, I already know that some mothers will look at this photo and complain that I allow my ten-year old to play with guns ... it's unsafe, it teaches violence ... blah, blah, blah. Well, those who fall into that category - let the crucifixion begin! Just to set the record straight, the BB gun in Eli's hands never has nor ever will have BBs in it. We have rules: (1) the gun is NEVER to be pointed at a person; (2) the gun is for hunting wild animals ... you know, like squirrels; and (3) the gun is not to be used to hit anyone.

He loves his gun. Look at the photo and see that for yourself. He's focused, he's happy, and he's got a good bead on Lillie our beagle ... yep, if there were BBs in the shaft she'd be a gonner ;) 

Paquita Lives!

 


This is the most expensive kitten in Georgia ... but she's also cute as a ... a ... kitten. She's not gaining weight like she should, so who knows what will happen next. I've already informed Ron that Paquita has a DNR in place. (Yeah, sounds harsh but there is a reason why momma cats abandon the kittens they know will not survive - and I've learned that the hard way). 

Birthday Part II

Okay, I failed to mention one of the coolest elements of my birthday ... that is, my friends and employees (tutors) gave me a surprise birthday party on Thursday. My friend Ginger arranged the whole thing through her cell phone by text messaging everyone to meet at my office on Thursday at 5:30. I never in a million years suspected anything! I was cruising on Cloud 9 after having my exit interview with Dr. Truluck, Dr. Sandmann, and Dr. Cervero (Professors from the program I'm about to finish have to interview everyone in the cohort to ask questions about our final projects and portfolio - mine went better than I could have imagined, but it'll have to be another posting to describe it), and I was in my office telling Ginger and her husband Sean about the interview. They were REALLY acting as if they were interested and kept asking me to tell them all about it ... yada yada yada ... and then I notice some other tutors gather around my door ... when finally Ginger stands up and says, "come on out here and finish telling me." I walk out my door and streamers are hung everywhere, there's a big Atlanta Braves birthday cake on the table, and friends, colleagues, and tutors are gathered all in the main room of the building! We have a back door to the building and they quietly crept in without my knowing. I never heard a peep come from that room as they're hanging the streamers everywhere. It was such a surprise!!! I knew Ginger had to have her hand in this ... 'specially when I saw the Braves cake. Ginger, myself, and my friends Angela and Nita are going on a "girl's weekend" to see the Braves play this coming weekend, and, of course, ALL my friends know how Braves crazy I am ... so the cake was PERFECT. Thank goodness the Braves decorations are plastic because I washed them and put them on display with all the other things my students have given me over the years. In fact, I can see it now as I'm typing this ... the home plate is sitting next to my Ken Griffey, Jr. bobblehead doll! (See above photo)

There ... I think that takes care of all of the birthday news (I know that makes you happy, Will ;))

Dooney Bites the Dust

Ugh. That's really all I can muster when I look at this photo. Ugh.

What you're looking at is my very new Dooney & Bourke canvas laptop case, which is now the very covered-in-spaghetti-stains Dooney & Bourke canvas laptop case. See what I mean? Ugh.

No, I didn't pour a jar of Prego on my bag to see if OxyClean really works ... and no, I didn't dip the bag in tomato sauce to change the trim color from green to red. Okay, here's the deal ... my 14 year old daughter ACCIDENTLY tripped on something while carrying her plate of spaghetti to the table ... and ... and ... the spaghetti went all over my bag, which was on the floor in the kitchen by my PC. We're living in what feels like a closet while our home is being built, so things are very cramped here. The house we're temporarily living in is so small that I had to put my desktop and bookcase in the kitchen ... which is why my laptop bag was in the kitchen on the floor. Ugh. Again.

It is moments such as these that I could easily open a vein over ... but how could I? You should have seen Hannah come and tell me what happened. She was sobbing uncontrollably ... so much so that I couldn't make out what she was saying. I thought she had hurt herself at first ... that is, until she began pointing towards the kitchen. Through her sobbing I could barely make out the word "bag" ... then I heard the word "spaghetti" ... and lots and lots of "it was an accident" and "I didn't mean to." I was prepared for the worst as I entered the kitchen ... but there was no way I could prepare for this ... ask any woman who collects shoes and handbags how SHE would feel viewing her $300 bag covered in never-gonna-come-out spaghetti sauce. I wanted to cry ... but Hannah was crying enough for both of us! I just hugged her real tight and told her that it was alright ... it's only a bag ... and we'd clean it up together.

And we did ...

And after she finished eating lunch and went back into her room to do some more drawing ... I quietly slipped outside ... and cried like a baby. Ugh.

Oh well, life will go on ... with or without Dooney ...

I'm just thankful my favorite Coach bag was still in my car :)

Introducing ...

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Barwick!! Isn't this a cute photo? I was pleasantly surprised on Friday night by these two kids as I was working late into the night on a project for my class. The beautiful bride is Jenet Lemma, who was not only a very valuable tutor of mine at work, she was also my babysitter for two semesters. She would pick Hannah and Eli up from school twice a week and take them home and watch them until either Ron or I returned home. MY KIDS ADORE HER ... as do I. The good-looking blonde kid next to Jenet is now her husband. His name is Justin and he is a proud member of the United States Air Force who will leaving for Iraq in 3 weeks. They surprised everyone on Friday by making a stop at the courthouse and tying the knot!!! I knew they were a serious couple, but I had no idea exactly HOW serious they were.

Jenet is from Ethiopia and her parents are still living there, so she brought Justin by to meet me because I'm the closest thing to a mom she has in the states! I had always heard her talk about Justin, but I had never had the opportunity and pleasure to meet him. He's a great kid and I think they will be VERY happy. Jenet graduated with her associates degree in May, and now she'll be attending a university in Atlanta while Justin is in Iraq.

Let's raise a glass and toast the new bride and groom!!

American History

This is cool ... I bought a USA Today yesterday so I could get more about MLB than my hometown newspaper, and I ran across an article in the Travel section. The article, "10 great places to steep in American History," is not only important, but I felt pretty good about the fact that I've been to 6 of the 10 places listed. The 10 are:

1. The Old North Bridge (Concord, Massachusetts) - Nope, haven't been here.
2. The Old North Church (Boston, Massachusetts) - Here either.
3. Fraunces Tavern (New York) - Nope.
4. Old South Meeting House (Boston) - Um, nope. Not here either.
5. Independence Hall (Philadelphia) - YES! Was there a few months ago. Very cool place.
6. The National Archives (Washington) - Oh yeah, was there, too. Can't find the words to describe how cool this was.
7. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (Baltimore) - Here, too. Was there ... um, four years ago.
8. American History Museum (Washington) - Bingo! Loved this museum the most. I felt at "home" there.
9. Betsy Ross House (Philadelphia) - I walked by, walked in, and felt like I was in TOURIST HELL ... so I walked out and went down the road to see the Quaker church and Franklin's grave.
10. Yorktown Battlefield (Yorktown, VA) - Was there in 2002 when we took a few history majors to Williamsburg. Saw Jamestown that week, too. The photo of me above was taken in Williamsburg on that trip. The guy in the photo is that of a student, Jason Schoudel. He is a local sheriff's deputy so it was funny to have him on the "other side" for once!

There ya have it. I'm missing numbers 1-4, but I got the rest! I am going to New York in September, so I'll have to see if I can make it to Fraunces Tavern. As far as going to the other three in Boston ... well, I'll have to keep my eye out for any higher ed conferences slated to be presented in Boston. I'll get the top 10 soon ... but hey, 6 outta 10 ain't bad!

Birthday!

Above is a photo of the dragonfly pendant given to me by two of my tutors, Steve and Valeria. Before I say more about the birthday gift, I want to describe Steve and Miss V (as I call her) for y'all. Steve has been a tutor for SSS (the TRiO program I work for) for about 2.5 years. He is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. He is so very bright ... and if that wasn't enough he is also the sweetest kid you'd ever hope to meet. He is a biology major who is academically gifted and has a heart as big as Georgia. Valeria is Steve's girlfriend. I think she weighs about 85 pounds soaking wet. I am constantly saying, "eat something, Valeria!" She, like Steve, is super smart but is a business major. I think Steve and Valeria have been together for several years (not sure of the number) and I know they will one day be married. They are from different countries - Steve is from Honduras, and Valeria is from Nicaragua. They will both graduate in May 2007 and will also both attend the University of Alabama in Birmingham seeking graduate degrees. I failed to mention that Steve is my lead tutor - he's my right AND left hand man. I would be lost without him and I dread his impending graduation (but in a good way!).

Anyway, the dragonfly pin you see above is my birthday gift from Steve and Valeria. It isn't difficult to figure out I have a "hankerin' fer" dragonflies. With this gift, that brings my total number of dragonfly jewelry to 12. I have rings, pendants, pins, and earrings all with dragonflies on them. Three of those 12 come from students ... so I cherish each one.

I promised Will I would update my blog ... so there ya are, snapperhead. I have more to write but I have to put dinner on the table - "my man" is on his way home (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

Oh, I almost forgot. We didn't go to dinner afterall ... I asked if we could stay home instead because I have homework to do (I know, I know ... always a student first). And as far as what Ron got me for my birthday ...

HE BOUGHT ME APPLIANCES!!! Woo hoo! (He's gonna KILL me for telling on him) I already had two colleagues talk on the phone yesterday to Ron telling him that all gifts for women should NOT include anything with a cord ...

but this time ... I'm not complaining. He bought me a stainless steel 6 burner gas stove with a matching professional hood with a stainless steel backsplash. Oh, and last thing ... the oven/microwave combination is gonna be so much fun! (I know I'm old now just based on my last comment) ... anyway ... the double oven includes a trivection oven. I've wanted one of those ever since I saw them in the showroom. I can cook a frozen pizza (like a Tombstone that would normally take 18 minutes) in 5 minutes ... not that we eat A LOT of frozen pizza, but I like that I will have the option!

Okay, that's all for now. Gotta get going on my PowerPoint. Anyone wanna help? Just grab Friedman's The World Is Flat and follow me.