WIP It Good!

It's WIP Wednesday, folks! I've just got but a second, so here we go...



Remember the shawl I made for Mom? Well, it had such a response from my friends and those who've seen it, and one particular individual asked me to make two more to give away as birthday gifts. I won't say who the giver is, lest the give-ees see his/her name online and make the connection. I'm not coming along very quickly on these, but here's how they're lookin' today:





Both shawls are made in Caron's Simply Soft using their free pattern entitled "Simply Shawl." I believe you can still snag a free copy of this pattern on skeins of Simply Soft in the stores. Unfortunately, Caron's not posted it to the Simply Soft Patterns page. It's so, so simple (hence the name - heh)...basically shells and double-crochets using an H hook. The rose-colored shawl is made in the Plum Wine shade, and the blue shawl is made using the Light Country Blue yarn.

I've not really had a chance to work on my scarf/hat set or Erin's sweater, so I'll repost the photos from their last WIP check:





And with that, I'm off, folks. Goodnight!

Whoah-Kay....Slow Down And Blog

OK, I'm back. Hello. :) My darling husband's cleaning up after a yummy (and VERY messsy!) dinner, so I am back to chat with you all and hang out for a second. Hope that everyone had a great day!

Work's frustrating (when isn't it?). Yet again, geographically distant colleagues with whom my boss and I are working on a project are unresponsive, lack discipline, and fail to take any initiative whatsoever. And it's frustrating as hell. You know, there are times when I swear I wish I could just shove those people out of my way and do everything myself. It's not right, truthfully...I mean, if we're a team, then we should ALL do our part. But good Christ, I'd rather shoulder all the burden and have a miserably busy week than to continue to have to rely on passionless people. A problem I continue to find in my life is that I have difficulty understanding/working with/being around people who don't view life with the same commitment and gusto that I do. I have a passionate commitment to my Senior Executive and his staff and business line. As such, I feel it's my job to work for their betterment and to challenge red-tape-laden, often bureaucratic policies that stifle innovation and good business growth. Lucky for me, I have a supervisor who feels the same way. Unlucky for both of us, our colleagues don't share that zeal. I'm not going to go on about this any longer, but I will simply say that it's exceptionally exhausting to have to depend on apathetic others to do your job. There. End of story. On to better news.

Tomorrow, D(2) and I are having lunch! I love her dearly. She's just an amazing person. This will be the third week in a row that we've had "girls' lunch out" together (well, it's technically not OUT, but it's together...you know what I mean). Last week, C(1) and D(1) joined us, but both are unavailable tomorrow. Having such wonderful girlfriends is such a joy and a blessing. I am so glad I've met them and have gotten to know them. It's wonderful to see the world through other, more experienced eyes (these ladies are all older and have experienced more of life than I have). They're always able to shine a light on things that I can't find on my own. And they make me laugh...and feel like it's OK to say and be and do whatever I want. I just love them. Everyone should be so blessed and have such great friends. And I know they're reading this right now...so KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST! AND LET'S PLAN ANOTHER GIRLS' NIGHT OUT SOON, DAMMIT! :)

On the topic of friends, the ladies over at the ROAK board continue to amaze me. How wonderful to give and be kind for the sake of making others feel loved and happy. And I've jumped right in, too. I love it. If you're a knitter or crocheter, please consider joining. I think they're still accepting new members.

Speaking of new friends, I want to give a special "shout out" (Waitasec...is it pathetic for a chubby, white, 30-something chick to be giving "shout outs"? Eh...who the fuck cares...?) (where was I?) (oh yeah)...my new pal Sean, who I met over at ISCABBS, is quite the photographer. See here and here and here for proof. Drop him an EMAIL and wish him well on his photo contest! He's a great photographer and I am sure he will do well.

I spent my lunch hour surfing the web today, and I found a wonderful little piece about Fort Benjamin Harrison, the Army base that I called my home for so many years. I've sent the author an EMAIL to thank him for the post. It's small, yes, but it's a piece of home. Gosh, I still can't believe that our little base is closed...and that I'm all grown up. It seems like the years have really flown by, which scares me. Why do I get the feeling that Erin will be married and a mother before I know it? (and yes, for the record, she's only THREE, but still...)

We had a very much needed rainstorm today, reducing our temperatures to (are you sitting down?) the UPPER SIXTIES! What a refreshing change after the God-awful heatwave we've been sweltering beneath these past several days! The only bad news is that the rain meant poor Erin's swim lessons were cancelled tonight, God love her. She's such a big girly...jumping off the diving board and everything (much to the chagrin and horror of her mother!)

OK, it's 10:20 in the p.m. and I am heading off to a good night's sleep. Have a great one, folks!

Photos On The Run!

Hi folks. Just have a quick sec (chicken is in the oven - YUM!). In the last few days, I've promised to post photos of my latest Stampin' Up cards. Without further ado...



Here is the card I made for Grandpa Smith's wedding a few weeks back. SU products used include Bliss Blue (now retired) cardstock, Pretty In Pink Buttons, The Tearing Edge, Gold Glory embossing powder, and the heating tool. The cream-colored cardstock, stamp, and colored pencils are not from SU.



Yesterday, I blogged about a dear friend and colleague who took a hard tumble and broke her leg in two places. Here's the front of the card I made for her. Our office all signed the card, and everyone said I'd done a good job. I hope she likes it! (SU products used include Mint Melody, Bliss Blue, and Pretty In Pink cardstock, Pink Passion ink, the "Friend To Friend" stamp set, Pretty In Pink and Bliss Blue buttons, The Tearing Edge, and Stampin' Dimensionals) The cream-colored cardstock isn't from SU.



And here's the inside of her card, sans office signatures. :)

OK - chicken's done. I am off to chow with my hungry clan. Will try to blog more later!

-Jen :)

"Always Buy Something Red If You're Blue"

Sounds like a pretty amazing lady. That's advice I'll remember to heed the next time I'm having a crummy day.

(Hat tip: Michelle Malkin.)

-Jen

That Jen's Sho' A Hot Momma!

Greetings from THE SUN...or, as Rand McNally and my neighbors refer to it, Gardner! Good GRIEF it's HOT here! The last few days have been excessively hot and muggy and sticky and uncomfortable. I hope that everyone's keeping cool and comfortable and that you're all doing well.

It's been a b-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-s-y last week! I'm sorry I've not been a good little girl and kept up with my blog! (Yeah, yeah Jen...you're ALLLLWAYS sorry!) Work's going well. Busy, but well. My boss' trip was cancelled at the last second (YAY!), returning me back to the world of the "standard workerbee" and not "the boss who has to handle everything when the real head honcho is gone." Not that I mind being the boss (it's actually kinda cool to say "I'm the acting supervisor" - heh!), but it never fails that something inevitably goes horribly wrong the second my boss leaves. This time, it wasn't so bad. Still, though, I am glad to have her back.

We got some sad news on the work front. As I've blogged before, I am a part of a small office (well, a small LOCAL office...our organization spans several geographic sit3es and is really rather large). The women I work with are all so special to me, and we've got one of those really rare and almost-unheard-of relationships in the workplace. We're family. And so when one of is hurting, it's hurtful to all of us. Last year, one of these ladies fell skiing (ironically, she is quite the expert skiier, so no one really knows what the hell happened). She was in Colorado with some friends on holiday, and had to be hospitalized away from her family and all of us. She broke and dislocated her shoulder and arm and leg...was just a mess. We took food over, cooked for her, fussed over her...felt like the right thing to do. Unfortunately, we're called to do that again. Another of my lovely co-workers has fallen and injured herself. She tripped on a dustpan that was left inadvertantly on her basement stairs and fell. Thankfully, she was able to protect her head (and she wasn't holding her small baby...GOD, I just SHUDDER at the thought *shiver*). She broke her leg in two places and dislocated her ankle. God love her. (*sigh*) We're due to hear from her tomorrow after her doctor's appointment to see when we might get the chance to go over and visit. We've planned to bring lunch over from Fiorella's Jack Stack, which is her favorite (and, incidentally, the single most A-M-A-Z-I-N-G barbecue on the PLANET!) I talked with her late last week and got an EMAIL from her today. Luckily, she's surrounded by family and friends and her spirits are high. If you would, though, please pray for my friend. She's the go-go-go sort and being off her leg and immobile is really hurting her spirit. I'll call her S(1). Please just keep her in your thoughts.

Speaking of "kind thoughts," I have met the most wonderful group of people and I'm dying to tell the world about them! Quite some time ago, I saw a link for a group of crocheters and knitters called the Fiber Random Acts Of Kindness club. For the longest time, they weren't accepting any new members, but just last week, the doors flung open and I sauntered happily inside. In just the last 48 hours, I've made two wonderful "RAOK" friends - Noreen and Lisa! Lisa gave me a yummy gift certificate to Adagio Teas (spearmint tea, look out!) and Noreen gave me two of her gorgeous homemade crochet patterns! I am in heaven! :) At Noreen's suggestion, I think I am gonna try and figure out how to enable comments on this blog. Anyone know how? HELP! Anyway, thanks again to Lisa and Noreen! You ladies are the greatest! :)

I'm off - it's taco night Chez Smith. You all have a fantastic night, ok?

Jen :)

"Scroo Yew Gahz! A'hm Goin' Hohme!"

Eric Cartman
You are a total asshole and you love food! You find picking on people satisfying and nobody likes you as much as you might hope. Sorry but I wouldnt want to be your friend!


Take the quiz! "What South Park Character Are You?"

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Yo, This quiz was made by Alanna!

A Weekend To Myself

Hi Everyone!

Well, it's the weekend of Grandpa Smith's wedding, and Maggy and I are here in Kansas missing Erin and Curtis something fierce (and wishing that we were in Nebraska with the rest of the family unit). I wish there'd been better communication and timing about this wedding. We simply were misinformed about the date, and I'd made plans to meet with all my new incoming and old outgoing officers tomorrow...a critically important meeting that I couldn't change, and so, alas, I am here and they are there. First and foremost, my thoughts are of Grandpa and his lovely bride-to-be. I am so thrilled for you both. May God bless you with many years of love and joy and health and peace. Love is such an amazing gift. To have found it again at this time in your life - wow. Just enjoy every single second of it. God bless you both!

With half my clan out of town, I am lonely, lonely, lonely. Thank goodness for my precious Maggy. She's lonely, too. She's generally a very snuggly doggy, but she's been even moreso here in the last 24 hours. She's like Erin in that she's really only happy when all four of us are together. Me too, actually. When you workworkwork and have the busy schedule I have, you relish "alone times." I really had no idea, though, how much I'd miss those two. Or how alone the house would seem without them. It's weird - I've been away from them before (for temporary duty out of town, for sorority conferences in other cities, etc.), and while I did miss them then, I didn't feel like I feel now. Perhaps it's different because I am in our home versus a hotel in another city. It makes sense to be away from your family in a hotel...but not in your own home. To complicate matters, Curtis fell and hurt his foot earlier this week, and I know he's in a lot of pain. The drive was painful, I'm certain. I just miss them lots and lots. But I will make good use of my day...going to head off to the post office and run some errands and go shopping at Sunrise Soap and Yarn Shop And More, so that's good! I may even treat myself to a movie and dinner later! Woo hoo! :)

This wasn't entirely a pleasant week. I am drowning at the office during week number two of the boss' absence (making me the head honcho). One more week to go. The supervisory stuff's not bad at all (actually, I'm only supervising one person, and she's fantastic...we spend more time socializing and being one another's support than working), but it's the rest of the work that's killing me (and yes, if I'd spend less time socializing, I'd be more ahead - I know!) I hate classification. In my eyes, it's simply the worst part of Federal Human Resources. And I am surrounded by position descriptions and classification standards and I HATE IT. My boss is trying to convince me to look at this differently. "Look at it as creative writing, Jen. You love to write and you do it so well." Hmmmm. I'm trying, but it's not working! I'm calling a meeting Monday morning with some of my Indianapolis colleagues and management officials to iron out some classification questions we have, and that should make the process go somewhat smoother. But I doubt that it will make me hate doing this any less. (*sigh*)

I got two bits of bad news this week. Well, "bad news" is probably a misnomer, at least somewhat. I didn't get the GS-12 position that I'd interviewed for. And that's OK. All along, we've ("we've" meaning me, my family, my boss, my friends, etc. etc.) all said the same thing...if it's meant to be, it will be. And if not, it's God's way of saying that there's something else...something better...waiting for me. I guess it's a good thing in many respects. I've blogged at length about my loyalty to my agency and my unwillingness to leave it. I am really not ready to go. So this is buying me additional time. I think I am going to keep looking, but not "just apply" because it's a Federal HR position. I want something that will "reach out and grab me." I deserve that. I've worked so, so hard to get to where I am. I deserve to have a position that challenges and pleasures me. And I will find that job. I just have to remain positive. I'm fortunate to be blessed by love all around me, and those folks are helping me to remain strong, too. Speaking of those folks, they were great this week. My second "bad thing" could have been much, much worse...and I think it was as bad as it was because I let it be. As you know, our daycare provider was on vacation this week, so Curtis and I tag-teamed days off so that we could be with Erin. Well, he took her to lunch at McDonalds so that she could play in their large playpark, and apparently a little bully made some snide comments about wanting to "beat her up" (meaning Erin). Curtis handled the situation, and the little bastard never laid a hand on my precious child. But the whole thing just struck such a sad, sad note inside me. And I cried most of Wednesday night and in to Thursday. (That's why, incidentally, I didn't do a "WIP Wednesday" blog post. Sorry everyone!) So on the drive in to the office Thursday morning, I kept thinking over and over "I can't believe that someone would want to hurt my baby," which was silly (I mean, she was FINE...and the little kid probably is abused and harmed routinely. Kids don't just act violently or use threatening language...they have to be TAUGHT that.), but the sadness took on a second overtone of hurting when I saw on the Olathe KC Scout that an active Amber Alert was in effect in our area. I just cried and cried and cried. (And yes, I am sure you're all thinking, "God, she needs medication!" I just had a rough week and I love children...and the thought of anyone harming them just weakens me like I can't even explain to you.) Anyways...I was a mess at the office Thursday morning. I'd had lunch plans with my girls C(1) and D(2), who are both mothers of adult children, and they were so, so fantastic. They really shed some light on what it means to balance the normal, usual "mom worries" against a strong, solid approach to motherhood. I love these girls for lots of reasons, but they were really fantastic and made me feel worlds better. So thanks, girls. You're the greatest. Erin is fine and she's being taught (actually, for as long as I can remember) not to let anyone harm her or touch her or convince her to give up any part of herself that she doesn't want to. She's only 3, but she knows the proper terminology for her body parts and is encouraged to talk to us about them and her body and, well, everything in general. I want to properly equip her for the world she faces. I wish it were a different place. Really and truly, I do. And who knows? Maybe by the time she is my age, it will be. But I can't take that chance, so we'll continue to educate her about drugs and sex and life and health and taking care of herself and believing in herself. So much happened to me in my life because I didn't believe in myself. I do NOT want my daughter to experience that. I want her to walk with the highest of self-confidence and to never, ever settle for any less than wonderful. She deserves no less.

(*sigh*) So anyway...

I didn't get a chance to snap any photos of my current crochet WIPs or the Stampin' Up card I made for Grandpa Smith's wedding before Curt left (he has the camera with him). I wish I'd gotten a shot of the card...it was pretty darned good, if I do say so myself! :) I am really, really getting "in" to card making! It's fun and it's special and the cards hold a deeper meaning because they were made by hand. I'd made a dinner casserole earlier this week for a friend who'd had an operation, and she made me a gorgeous "Thank You" card (with the Stampin' Up products that we love), and that was really priceless to me. She was sore and hurting, but yet took the time to make me a personal token of appreciation. I've got two orders out now and am looking forward to getting all of my new stuff, to include the ADORABLE summer-2005-only set called "Monkey Business"! The new 2005-2006 catalog has some cute, cute stuff!

OK - I'm off to begin my day. Have a great one, folks!

I Always KNEW I Was A Genius!!!!!

Your IQ Is 110

Your Logical Intelligence is Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Exceptional Your General Knowledge is Above Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

(OK, now I am REALLY off to have a fun day with my daughter!)

YUMMY!

You Are Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

You are kind, popular, and generous. You tend to be successful at anything you try. A social butterfly, you are great at entertaining a crowd. You are most compatible with strawberry ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

The Sounds Of Laughter

Good Morning Everyone!

Greetings from the Smith House in Gardner, Kansas! This morning finds our little family happy and well! Curt's at the office, and Jen and Erin and Maggy are enjoying one another's company tremendously! As Jen types up this blog to share the recent goings-on of her life with you, her daughter and puppy are playing and happy just a few feet away! What a beautiful way to start the day/week!

Our daycare provider is on her annual vacation this week, so Erin and I are going to have a big time today and tomorrow (Curt's off with her the rest of the week)! I wanted to pop online first, though, and catch everyone up on what's been going on in our world. Hope you've had a good past several days!

I continue to be saddened for the folks in London. Please remember to keep our friends in Britain in your prayers. They were there for us after 9/11. Our love and prayers are, well, just the very least that we owe them.

Erin spent some time with her grandparents this weekend, so Curtis and I had a "date weekend," which was nice. It's wonderful to be married to someone who makes you laugh like he makes me laugh. We had a good time. He's always been so fabulous about coming with me to every new chick flick, so this weekend, I wanted to return the favor and we went to see his new movie of choice, "War Of The Worlds." Curtis loved it. Me, eh, I could've lived without it. We had a long, intellectual conversation about it afterward...about how the overwhelming sense we were left with was hopelessness for those people, and about how little Dakota Fanning is a FANTASTIC actress. She's just amazing. And she's definitely the best part of this film. I really tried to like it, but yikes, it just seemed unreal to me. Not very believable. NOTE!!! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE AND PLAN TO, NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR YOU TO SKIP THE REMAINDER OF THIS PARAGRAPH!!! If these creatures had truly lived underground as the story so purported, then how is it that modern science hadn't discovered them? Geology is a huge science, and I'm certain that millions are spent in research and study of our planet each year. How, then, were they undiscovered until this fateful day? Given their inability to ward off organisms and disease, how could they have survived beneath the Earth's surface for so long? It just doesn't make sense. I will say that the post-9/11 stuff was pretty evident (i.e., the "are-they-terrorists" questions and the picture wall with photos of unaccounted-for loved ones), and that was cool. Made it somewhat more believable, if only for an instant. All in all, I didn't care for the movie, but it held my attention.

The shawl I crocheted for Mom has really taken on a life of its own. The women in her office have really praised me for it, which makes me feel good and validated as a crocheter (those of you who've read my blog from the early days know that I've had a HELLACIOUS time learning how to do this, so this level of praise makes me feel VERY good!). Someone else who has seen the shawl has now asked me to make two others to give away as birthday gifts to friends in the near future. (I'm purposely not saying anything that will identify the requestor or the intented shawl recipients, as all of them read this blog!) Sure did make me feel good. I am on row #8 now of the first of the two requested shawls. I'll post photos on WIP Wednesday later this week.

Keeping the crafty theme, I went to a Stampin' Up party for a friend yesterday, and gave out my homemade card for our swap. This is the second swap I've been in, and I think I am coming along in this craft. I'm still nowhere near as good as some of my friends and neighbors are, but I am getting there! :) Here's the cover of the card I made for the swap:



And here's the inside:



(SU products used include Pretty In Pink and Almost Amethyst cardstock, Eggplant Envy and Pink Passion inks, the Friend To Friend and Mini Messages stamp sets, and Stampin' Dimensionals. The cream cardstock is not SU.)

I'm in a third swap this upcoming August, and they've got pretty strict rules regarding what cards must have (i.e., a certain number of techniques and embellishments). I've got the products (i.e., buttons, eyelets, ribbon, The Tearing Edge(tm), and the crimper), but I need ideas! SEND ME IDEAS PLEASE! :)

I am NOT going to miss being at the office today and tomorrow. I do wonder, though, about the job I interviewed for last week. It's hard to explain, but I have a strong feeling that I'm going to get this job. So does everyone around me, to include a colleague who also interviewed for it. It's strange. I want the job, of course, for numerous reasons (to avoid the BRAC and the inevitable reduction-in-force that will follow it, the chance to learn something new and expand my career horizons, etc. etc.), but I am REALLY not ready to leave my current agency yet. I am just not ready. I've already been through all of this with you here in earlier posts, so I won't repeat it all again. But I am just not ready to say "goodbye" yet. What will I do if I get the job? God, I don't know. Wow. More to come on this, I'm sure. The folks who interviewed me promised me that they'd let me know at the first of this week what their decision had been, so I will let you know as soon as I know.

Speaking of the office, on my desk sit six lonely, unopened books all designed to prepare me for the Professional In Human Resources (PHR) examination. My agency is strongly encouraging all HR Specialists with undergraduate and graduate degrees to seek this certification. Many already have the PHR, and are being encouraged to seek the Senior Professional In Human Resources (SPHR) certification. Wow - me, a certified professional. I never gave a definitive "yes" that I would participate, but the materials were ordered for me just the same. So we'll see. I'd love to do this, but, as I understand it, there's a significant amount of self-study involved. Thankfully, two of my colleagues are also taking this course, too, so maybe we can tag-team and work together. I believe the examination is this December. Before the test, we'll all go to our Indianapolis office for a week-long intense review course. Wow. Me - a student again. I don't know how (if?) I'll fit this in with everything else that's going on. Cross your fingers for me, ok?

I'm off to give Erin a bath and kick in to our big adventure! :) Have a great day, everyone!

Jen :)

Back In The Day...

In 1972 (the year you were born)

Richard Nixon is president of the US President Nixon approves NASA's space shuttle, a reusable spacecraft, at a cost of $5.5 billion Nixon arrives in China for an 8 day visit, which he calls a "journey for peace" While campaigning for the presidency Alabama Governor George C. Wallace is shot and seriously wounded Five men are arrested in the Watergate office complex in DC for breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee Hurricane Agnes strikes the East Coast causing 117 deaths First scientific hand-held calculator (HP-35) os introduced for $395 Shaquille O'Neal, Jennifer Garner, The Rock, The Notorious B.I.G., Cameron Diaz, Eminem, and Alyssa Milano are born Oakland Athletics win the World Series Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl VI Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup The Godfather is the top grossing film Pink Floyd debuts "The Dark Side of the Moon" during a performance at London's Rainbow Theater "You've Got a Friend"by Carole King wins a Grammy for song of the year The Price is Right premieres on CBS

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

A Prayer For London

I am just absolutely heartsick. Just so, so sad.

To our friends in London, I send my prayers and love and support. I can't even imagine what you are going through right now. May God bless and give peace to the victims of this horrendous act, to their families, and to all British citizens. Your American friends will stand with you.

A Good, Good Wednesday!

Hello everyone! Today has been a good day. I've got lots to share with you, so have a seat and hang on for the ride! :)

We had a wonderful 4th, and I hope that you did as well. We took Erin and Maggy to the Gardner/Edgerton fireworks display, which, albeit too short, was very nice. Earlier that day, I had an exceptionally unpleasant run-in with an obnoxious little bastard who lives in our neighborhood. Before I tell you this story, let me preface it by saying that the people here in Gardner are fabulous. We live in an affulent area and everyone is basically married, a parent, and a Christian. We know and look out for one another's kids. We're at the near-end of a street, and near the other end (the main entry) lives a family who apparently doesn't believe in the basic fundamental responsibility of parents to supervise their children. As I turned to drive down the street, the 17-year old (at least, that's what I guess-timate him to be age-wise) threw firecrackers into the street in front of my car. Of course, I froze and panicked, slamming on the brakes and waiting for them to pop-pop-pop and for the danger to flee. Of course, the little prick thought it was HILARIOUS, so he laughed and laughed and laughed. As I drove off, I thought to myself that his conduct was really wrong. Dangerous and wrong. And that I was damned lucky that I wasn't harmed (or, fancy THIS idea, KILLED!) He and his little friends have done this kind of thing before. They'll jump out in front of moving vehicles and laugh and laugh like there's no tomorrow. They've thrown snowballs into the street. You name it. Just little bastards who apparently not only remain unsupervised but apparently were as youngsters as well. (See, when I was that age, the thought of doing that kind of thing never entered in to my mind. Why, you ask? Because I had parents who taught me the difference between right and wrong, and who were cognizant of my behavior and the goings-on of my life. Wow - what a novel concept!) Anyway, I was pissed off, so I doubled back, dialed 9-1-1 on my cell phone, and sat right in front of the little prick's house. I wanted to get the address, of course, but I also wanted him to see me on the phone...thinking that perhaps it might fream him out ("Oh shit - she's calling the cops") So I did exactly that. Of course, the little bastard was in the street with a broom sweeping up all the evidence, and he had absolutely no idea what to do when he saw me sitting there talking on my cell phone and pointing at him (funny, he wasn't laughing THEN...guess the joke's not so hilarious after all). So the police came, first to his house (hmmm...no one answered the door...shocker of the century) and then to mine. The basic sentiment I was left with was (1) the parents weren't available and (2) the Gardner PD was exceptionally busy, what with it being the 4th and all, but (3) a report would be filed to initiate a paper trail so that, God forbid, if something were to happen because of these little punks (i.e., an innocent person got hurt), then (4) it would be documented that there were problems at that residence before. Yesterday, I learned from a neighbor that the police have been called on that little bastard before...and that their entire family is filled with trouble (i.e., a 9-year old girl permitted to roam the city on her bike, a 5-year old boy allowed to call and curse and scream at adults when he doesn't get his way, etc.). Christ - whatever happened to parental involvement? We wonder why it is that we have such an exceptionally fucked up society...one competely and totally devoid of any human, decent thought. Well, there's your answer. It starts at home. Because my parents loved me, were involved with me, put me first, and taught me the difference between right and wrong (and to respect others), I didn't turn out to be the kind of young woman who misuses her body, gets pregnant early, takes drugs, drops out of school, mistreats others, pulls selfish and cruel pranks...and the list goes on and on. Parental involvement. A novel concept. Please, someone call my far-down-the-street neighbors and clue them in.

I had a job interview today! Remember I'd posted before about another GS-12 HR Specialist position? Well, they called me for an interview, and I had it this afternoon! I think it went well. It felt good. Lots of good energy. Everyone's thrilled for me, which feels good, but they all add to the joy that they'll "hate to see [me] go." One of my client managers today said, "Nooo Jen - don't go!" :) Feels good to be needed and respected and loved. And that's probably the hardest part of letting go with this BRAC...the thought of having to start completely over again and re-establish new ties, new friendships, and new working relationships. I love working where I work...having people know me (it's a very rare occasion for me to walk down the hallway without SOMEONE stopping me to say hello) and respect me and ask for me by name to work on projects, etc. etc. My boss put it perfectly. I made friends in high school and in college and in my first professional position in Indianapolis before I moved here...and then here. And I will again, too, wherever I may go. It's not the end of the road that scares me. It's the journey to get there. Whatever is meant to be and willed by God will be. And if it's this position, it's this position. So we'll see. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

In more exciting and thrilling news, two men that I dearly love will be on television tonight! My boyfriend Bo Bice will be on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, performing with Richie Sambora (who is fantastically talented, by the way). And my favorite comedian of all time, Carlos Mencia, has a brand new show debuting tonight on Comedy Central. I am excited! Excited and very thankful for my DVR!

I am crocheting like mad, which makes me happy, happy, happy! I mentioned to you earlier that my new friend Melissa and I had met over at Crochetville and had agreed to swap yarns. Her box came in yesterday's mail:



Wowza! Check out that Aunt Lydia's crochet thread! I am in heaven! I've wanted to try crochet thread and thread projects for the longest time, but never did. Now I will! I told Melissa that I spent my lunch hour surfing the web at the office looking for thread patterns! :) The shade of pink is gorgeous. Thank you so much, Melissa!

And on the crochet "thread" (Ha! Me so funny!), Mom got her shawl in the mail and absolutely loved it. That did my heart so, so good. She plans to wear it whenever she gets cold or misses me and needs a JenHug(tm). :) She said her new colleagues were jealous. I said, "Tell them to send me $30 and I'll make them one, too!" :)

More about crochet! Many people over at Crochetville do "Work In Progress Wednesdays" and post photos and status checks of their ongoing projects online. Well, here we go. My first-ever WIP Wednesday!





Here is the "Wiggles Sweater" that I am making for Erin. It's a size 4, so it'll fit her this upcoming winter. As you can tell, I am in the veddddddy early stages on this one. I'm just 5 rows in. A big hat-tip to my new Crochetville friend Cheryl, who has made this very sweater and who has very kindly answered my stupid, novice, "please-help-me" questions! :) This yarn (TLC Wiggles) is so, so soft and I really like it. I'm using the Grape and Blue shades. See here for information about the yarn. I am looking for a link to a downloadable pattern. I got mine on a tear-off at Hobby Lobby.)



This is a selfish, Jen-gift. I've seen this photo on many a tear-off sheet in the yarn aisles and have ogled it on numerous occasions when looking at the Lion Brand website, so I finally just decided to give it a whirl. This is their "Crocheted Hat and Scarf" set, using Jiffy Thick & Quick (and a Q hook!) in the Cascde Mountains shade (PRETTY!!!) See here for informaton about the yarn and here for the pattern. Note, the scarf is done (and was ogled and admired by my colleagues!), but the hat, um...heh. :) Not going so well! I've started it three times now, and have had to rip it out and start again each time because I've missed a stitch. Grr. It's frustrating, but I've got my "eye on the prize." It's a pretty set and I am sure it will be WAAAARM this winter! :)

OK, I am off to relax with my family. Have a great night everyone!!!

Jen :)

Top (Gun) American Whack-Job

Many years ago, someone coined the phrase that "silence is golden." Yet another smart soul indicated that one should keep quiet regarding matters of personal ignorance.

Hello? Tom Cruise? Your shrink Common decency called. He thinks you need to take your Paxil and keep your piehole closed. Tightly.

It's The Weekend!

Hi all! How's your weekend going? Is it me, or is it VERY hard to believe that it's already July 4th?! (!!!) This has been such a fast year!

It's been a good weekend so far. Thanks to the amazing powers of the Mosquito Deleto and my husband's fantastic grilling skills, our family enjoyed a fantastic dinner at sunset on our beautiful patio Friday night. Curtis has done such an amazing job outside. The yard is just gorgeous. Erin's playpark and sandbox are adorable. The pool is great (althiugh you'll never catch me in a bathing suit!), and I love my swing! We tuned in to my very favorite channel on XM Radio (which is, of course, Watercolors!) and had a totally relaxing evening together. Maggy was back to her usual self by about that time, and it was great having all four of us home together. We always say that "we need to do this more often," and it's really true.

Maggy's doing remarkably well. Other than the little red scar on her belly, you'd never know she just had major surgery. She's back to her loving, nutty, happy, smooch-happy self. Thank you, God, for keeping our little princess safe!

Well, yesterday's "Learn To Knit" class at the Yarn Shop And More didn't go quite as expected. Actually, it didn't go at all. Apparently there was some sort of miscommunication between the staff and the teacher for the class wasn't made aware that she'd been scheduled for a class. (*sigh*) I stuck around for a while and groped all of the beautiful yarns (damned near bought some of that Jelli Beenz yarn!) and enjoyed the atmosphere. Two of their staff actually sat with me and tried to help me figure out how to knit (and I was actually using a kids' knit book to try to teach myself!), but it was to no avail. I'm rescheduled for their July 19th class. So we'll see how that goes. In the meantime, I splurged on some gorgeous yarns to supplement my stash. I bought four skeins of TLC Wiggles (two in Blue and two in Grape), three skeins of the VERY YUMMY Sugar 'n Cream yarn in Hot Green, and three balls of Paton's Canadiana in Stained Glass Variegated. Now, if I could only find a Size 7/4.50 mm crochet hook! Why am I having such a hard time finding one of these? I can very easily find G (4.25 mm) and H (5.00 mm) hooks, but two pretty patterns I've found call for this elusive size 7/4.50 mm hook! Hmmm. Please EMAIL me with any insight you may have as to where I might locate one of these mysterious hooks! :)

My next card swap cards are due next weekend. I really need to get busy on them! I've been using my Mint Melody cardstock from Stampin' Up quite a bit lately. Since that's now a retired color, I think I'll be using it a bit more sparingly now. I love the way cards look with buttons, so I might use those again, too. We'll see! I'll post a photo of whatever I make.

Oh, and speaking of yarn, I took the cute little "What Kind Of Yarn Are You?" quiz over at Quizilla and here's what I found out!

You are Shetland Wool.
You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a
little on the harsh side. Though you look
delicate you are tough as nails and prone to
intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are
widely respected and even revered.

Wow - hard as nails and "a little on the harsh side"? Me?

And on that gritty note, I'm off. Bye!

The Voice Fell Silent

Goodbye and God bless you, dear Luther.

Good, Good, And Good!

Hi everyone! Good news abounds on this lovely summer Friday. After a hellaciously hot last several days, our beautiful little city is experiencing mid-eighties temperatures and sunny, gorgeous skies. It's perfect outside, and we're getting ready right now to grill out and have a fun summer family dinner together.

It's been a good day all around. Miss Maggy did fabulously today. Thanks to all of you who sent your love and prayers for our little princess. She was spayed, of course, and also had her microchip inserted. She's at home with us and is resting. I imagine it will be a day or so before the anesthesia wears off, and she's groggy and sleepy right now, God love her. We'll try to give her a bit of food and water here in about 15 or so minutes, which is good. I imagine she's starving (she's been food-less since about 10:00 last night). To all of you again, thanks for the well wishes. She is going to be just fine! And a special thanks, as always, to the staff at the Gardner Animal Hospital. Kayla, Maggy just adores you. And Dr. Vodraska, thanks for taking the time to talk in-depth with me this afternoon. And thanks to both of you for taking such good care of our little Goo-Dog! (that is her nickname - don't ask!) :)

As you know, I had the day off, and so I enjoyed this fine weather and the time to myself quite immensely. After a stop at a sorority sister's home, I was off! I found this fantastic yarn store in the older part of Overland Park, and if you're in our local area, you really should stop in and check it out. It's called Yarn Shop and More, and it's really fantastic. I love being in yarn stores and surrounded by other crafty, creative people. This afternoon, there were a ton of people, including children, knitting and crocheting, and a class was going on in their back room. Lots of gorgeous knitted and crocheted items hang from the walls, and their yarn selection is fantastic. I drooled over the gorgeous Cascade Jazz and Plymouth Jelly Beenz yarns. YUM! So, so pretty. Anyways, I am going tomorrow to their Beginning Knit class (since teaching myself to do it was OH so effective and going SO, so well *snort*), and I am looking forward to coming to their DEAK nights! What is a DEAK night, you ask? It's a "Drop Everything And Knit" night! They have those once a month...they supply the space, the snacks, and the music, and all you have to do is come and enjoy and knit or crochet! I am really glad I found this place today. Wowsa!

And in another batch of exciting news, my boyfriend Bo Bice married his lovely girlfriend of two years, Caroline Fisher! (see here and here and here and here for more info). I am so thrilled for him! People who find love are so fortunate in life. So many people spend their entire lives looking and hoping and praying to find "that special someone." I thank God that my journey is long over, and that I am surrounded by the loves of my life (my husband, our daughter, our family, and our friends). May Bo and his lovely Caroline Merrin Fisher Bice have many, many years of joy and happiness together.

And with that, I am off to try to give my baby Boston Terrier a sip of wa (-ter, but we call it "wa" in our house...it's a kid thing, don't ask!) and some chow. Ciao to all of you, my friends!