get nice & comfy...

When you don’t know where to begin, I’m always told it is best to start at the beginning…so, chronologically, here goes…

Back when we had the subzero cold snap, in late December I think, (yeah, there really is that HUGE of a backpile of mundane tidbits) I left work late and decided to pick-up some Wendy's chili at the drive-thru. As I rolled the window down on Magellan, I heard a snap-crackle-pop and unfortunately there was no puffed rice cereal in sight. I hastily rolled the window back-up, EXTREMELY grateful that it cooperated. I vowed to myself not to use the window for a while and get it looked at. Fast forward a week or so to January when we return to work after holiday break to the news that there will be more lay-offs. Oh joy. That’s ok, I can survive w/o rolling down my driver’s window in winter in MI--no problem. I already talked about the layoffs and I don’t want to go back there, so I’m skipping it. Anywho, the layoffs have passed and then there is the announcement of the week off w/o pay--another reason to not rush out and get the window fixed. No problem, it hasn’t been a problem thus far. I’ll survive. Along comes a mild day, odd, but not unheard of in late winter/early spring MI. In a moment of spring fever while driving down 31 I press the button. A weird noise is emitted and the window shimmies down a bit before I realize what I did. Darn Narbit! I cross my fingers and press the button for it to go back up--but unfortunately the car repair gods were no longer shining on me. It wouldn’t budge. I still wasn’t ready to take it in to get fixed (had vague recollections of Leo scouring junk yards for a replacement window motor for Judea’s full-sized burgundy & silver econoline van [Bessie IV, I believe] back in the early 80s--back then the fam wasn’t going to, nor could they afford the new $300 part). I could only imagine the financial rape I was going to suffer. I summoned my redneck genes and, with the help of some colleagues and some 3M packing tape (that stuff works great Dee), was able to get the window secured in the up position. I held out as long as I could until a couple of weeks ago--the day before the rainy season here. I needed an oil change and couldn’t wait any longer. I went in and asked for the pain. Iy-yi-yi. If you have automatic windows in your vehicle--treat them kindly. $782 later, my driver’s window is functioning again. Ouch. I did do some finish damage with the packing tape too. Eh, such is life, right?

Other things that went down in that timeframe…Leo has undergone more tests and various meds…they think they now finally have a combo that will work for him. I really wish he would retire and not work so hard anymore--but c’mon, seriously, those of you who know Leo know he won’t retire until he dies. He’ll be happy here soon enough as he heads out west for his annual obliterate/annihilate ground hogs trigger happy week. Hide ground hogs, hide!

Kyle wrote a book of stories for class that the teachers had bound/published into “real” books. I was lucky enuf to receive an advance copy. It is awesome. Man, I couldn’t have gotten luckier in the nephew pool if I tried.

Came up with another design feature for the basement (scheduled completion = 2036). I have quite the collection of magnetic poetry kits (College, Shakespeare, Erotic. Hebrew, just to name a few…). What can I say? I love words. Anywho--it has been a long time since I’ve run out of space here at work to display [appropriate facets of] my collection. A jolt of inspiration sent me on a web quest for magnetic paint. Low and behold, it exists! Yeah-rah! Large sections of wall space in the basement will now be able to be transformed into magnetic poetry canvases. Woo-Hoo, happy, happy. J

I already posted about my friend Jamie’s loss too. I don’t want to talk about that again now either (dumb girl hormonies are highly active right now) or I’ll start crying again. So I’ll skip that. Instead, I’ll fast forward to the Monday after the funeral. I’ve determined little kids, as sweet and cuddly and amusing as they are, are also little germ delivery systems. I’m convinced that b/c I don’t spend a whole lot of time around them, my immunities aren’t up to snuff when faced with their sickly powers. So, the point being, after I spent some time around little kiddies that weekend, by the time Monday rolled around I felt like a giant turd. I called the boss Monday a.m. to let him know I wouldn’t be in. He almost didn’t recognize who was calling. After hanging up with him, I proceeded to sleep for another 8 hours uninterrupted--which I can’t do when I’m feeling fine. Rallied the troops and pushed myself to go in the next day. The boss came to my office/cubicle and sat down as I was firing up the system that morning--never a good sign. He said he had something big he wanted to tell me before I heard from others. Apparently he was VERY happy I called in sick the day before. He had to address a matter on my team that he was happy I wasn’t around to witness. The way he put it was that the company had given my last remaining colleague the option to resign, and he took it. Other than it wasn’t reduction-in-force related, I can’t, and frankly, don’t want to know the details. It was a shock tho. No warning or clue that something like that was brewing. And Vic, said colleague, is a very sweet, kind, and funny guy. I miss having him around. Now my team is down to me. Me and my boss. I’m starting to feel toxic, like I should warn people not to get too close. It is bad for their job health.

Planned the trip to hang with Aunt Connie up in Traverse City for July. Judea will meet me up there and we’ll be beaching, exploring, wine tasting and hitting Interlochen for both Chris Thile (love, love, love him) w/ the World Youth Symphony and the Steve Miller Band BIG, BIG smile.

I got to pick up Jamers from GRR when she flew into town for her little sister Katie’s graduation from GVSU. It was so nice to be able to see her. We went to Marie’s in East GR for lunch and got to chat with Marie for a while. Both Jamie and I worked for Marie when she ran her restaurant up in Houghton. Jamie did an awesome job as truck driver with the U-Haul--but I don’t think she ever decided on a handle--I think she just stuck with Moonshine. J We hung with Jamie’s mom, g-ma, Katie, her bf Ryan, and Katie’s friends at her apartment for quite a while then us older chicas went back to the hotel and hung out for a bit more. A very special time indeed.

Stepped foot on Hope College campus for the first time since I’ve lived in the area. It was for the Hope Fringe Festival -- a free concert that night featuring Ganges (not bad) with headliner Joe Pug. Holy smokes. Blown away by the talent in this young dude. I sat there mezmorized. Reminded me of the poetic poignant lyrics of Bob Dylan w/o the annoying weird twanginess. I felt I got to witness something really special. This kid is awesome. Can’t wait for his new CD to be released this summer.

Found the rest of my blue glass beads (for the beaded curtain in my kitchen window) on clearance at the Jo-Ann’s . I have 2.93 strands beaded and I think I’m going to need about 18-20 total. Another work in progress.

Had an impulse retail purchase experience. A big one. At least big by my standards. My dvd player started acting up--the machine jams. You can’t shut it off. You have to pull the whole entertainment center out. Unplug the machine. Shake it and jab it with a screwdriver a few random times. And, if you are lucky, when you plug it back in, it’ll work. I got mad and said screw it, I’ll just listen to a cd instead. So I grab a DMB cd and pop it into my old college 3-disc shelf stereo. Apparently, the stereo thinks I’m a liar, b/c it kept saying “no disc” after rotating around 16 times. Thoroughly po’d. I took off to Best Buy with the intention of buying a new cheap (~$40) dvd player and calling it good. I picked up the last one. Had it in my hands. Then, I made the mistake of continuing to walk around the store. I went down the home theatre system aisle. BIG mistake. I pressed the demo button on the Bose system. BIGGER mistake. I fell in like, love, and lust in an instant. I was taken back to the day when Angie M. (then L.) and I were out at 12 Oaks visiting her mom at the salon for something. We were riding the escalator up to the second floor (when it was still Hudson’s, still way cool, and still had an electronics dept). I remember asking Angie if she heard that music--there was live music coming from the electronics dept. It was Tears in Heaven. No wait. It was Clapton performing Tears in Heaven. OMG! The 12 Oaks Hudson’s at the time (this was before the Somerset Collection existed) was THE snooty Hudson’s--and it wouldn’t be impossible (improbable, yeah, impossible, no) for Eric to actually be there. We raced up the escalator and tore into the electronics dept to find two tiny speakers making it sound like Mr. C was standing right in front of you (it didn’t hurt that he was on a big screen telly too). I was blown away. I thought that someday, if I ever have the means, I want that system. Well, I don’t really have the means, but now I have the system (sans telly--I can only not afford one piece at a time). Now, I actually have to hook up to cable--can’t have static coming thru those babies. That’d be a crime.

Spent some times with my pal Chris and her family. Organized an Easter Egg hunt/ “keep-the-kids-out-from-under-our-feet-while-we-finish-the-house-for-the-inspector” day for the munchkins (they passed the inspection w/ flying colors). I think I was assigned kid duty for two main reasons: 1) I am on the same mental level as most kids, so it is a natural fit and 2) they didn’t want me wielding either hand or power tools anywhere near their home (can you blame ‘em?) J Went to a jewelry party there where I indulged too much (but if a girl can’t even buy herself fun fake jewelry, what’s the point?) but had fun. Came to pick up the jewelry and Chris and I ended up laughing like loons while splitting a couple of bottles of wine and listening to Brook tell princess stories around the campfire. Celebrated Brook’s 6th b-day and talked to their neighbor/colleague/techie/DZ alum Amy bout her new kayak--gonna have to check that out. So many wants--so little $ to fund them. Oh well. It prolly doesn’t come across very well, but I am ETERNALLY grateful for what I do have. In the process of making plans to go see the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian movie with Brook, Noah, Chris, and Kevin (if mom says it is ok for dad to go-hahaha). Mr. Kevin hooked me up w/ some commercial/industrial desk drawer modules that are going to make the base of my sewing station in the work/craft room in the basement. I just need to find a top--making a trip w/ Chris to the Haworth store for that.

Didn’t want to watch the prez the other night, so I tuned into PBS and was VERY grateful b/c the documentary, Asparagus: Stalking the American Life was just starting. I had made a mental note earlier on that I wanted to watch it, but I should know by now my mental notes aren’t as sticky as they should be. Anywho - it was awesome. I can see why it earned so many awards. I loved it. If someone had told me that a documentary featuring folksy west MI asparagus farmers, a real-honest-to-goodness 70s era disco song and dance depicting the life of asparagus, interviews with Mrs. Asparagus candidates, etc. would make me cry, I would have thought they were koo-koo for cocoa puffs. Not so, not so. Granted I was pms-y, but I think I would have cried, even if I wasn’t. Two thumbs up.

May pal Elaine and I went to the Crown Motor’s ladies night out where we were treated to valet parking, desserts from Alpen Rose, wine sampling (and a bottle to take home, nice.) from Corkscrews, chair massages, paraffin dips, airbag deployment demos, and roses--all w/o a sales pitch. Works for me. J

I’m prepping for my upcoming babysitting gig. I get to watch Sam all next weekend. Nanner is coming to Jenison to spend time with her chica Chris and her new offspring, and as adorable as Sam is, Nanner won’t be of much help if Sam is nosing around, so I get him. YEAH! We have the local recommended vet’s number programmed into the cell and playdates arranged for every day. I can’t wait! Is dog-napping a crime?

We have a Validation reunion coming up next week at New Holland Brewery. Some of my favs who have moved on to Gentex will be there. (yeah, PVL!). It should be a blast.

My cos, Kathryn (Zeta Jones), is organizing another fam get together at the Palace for the Dane Cook appearance on 12-Jun. We went (last year, I think, or maybe it was 2 years ago) and had 3 separate suites -- with the older folks (the aunts & uncles) getting the prime suite and us youngins up in the higher elevations. We ended up all cramming in the prime suite together anyways and had a blast.

Braved all of the pig ebola hype (even tho we had the majority of confirmed MI cases centered right here at Hope College, it never seemed to be too big of a deal) and went out last night to see Pop Evil perform here at Tulip Time--that in and of itself is comical to me. Bobby Vinton was the other (and more typical style) headliner at the other venue on the same night. The Tulipalooza, as the more “modern” venue, was outdoors, but within a couple hundred yards of Freedom Village, the elite retirement community here. Fled 5 opened--3 piece local group that sounded good live. A little heavier than my normal tastes, but good all the same. Was especially impressed with the drummer and the guest bongo player from Brazil. Pop Evil appeared more glam-pop-rock than I envisioned, complete with a bassist with hair similar to mine and sideburns (hopefully not similar to mine) shirtless w/ black leather vest, black pants and chains & scarves around the waist a-la Steven Tyler that shook his locks like a crazy rock man. They sounded REALLY good and polished. I liked the music--def not my fav style, but I guess that varies with mood, cuz I don't think I have a style. They got the crowd pumped and the rocked out. All in all, tre cool/fun.

Earlier this week they announced another week off w/o pay. Def not a jump for joy moment, but still WAY better than being unemployed. Nanner and Sam are planning to come out here for a couple of days then. And Judea is trying to arrange to get the boys at that time too. Hoping to use the big 6 person tent she won and camp with the boys on the beach (or as near as we can get to the beach) for a couple of nights.

Along with discontinuing free coffee service (no biggie - can’t drink that gut rot anyways), they also outlawed personal coffee makers. RIP my beloved 4 cup Kitchen Aid. (*tear*). I won’t be java deprived that easily tho. I am currently learning the subtleties and nuances of the French press. First 2 times it was a wee bit weak. Not sure if I need more beans or more brew time. Practice makes perfect, right?

OK - there is still more, but the writing bug has just about worn off for now. I’ll catch ya’ll up on more at a later time. Until then, peace out.

J