Commencement

It's hard to believe, but my youngest brother, Jake, will be graduating from high school tomorrow evening. I still can't believe it.

I remember exactly where I was when I was told that Jake was born. I was sitting on the glider in the garage at momo and papa's house. Momo came out of the house and said, "Mom just had the baby. It's a little boy." I cried. I screamed. I was ten years old and dying to have a little sister. I remember I yelled "put him back where he came from and get me a sister." I was so devestated. But as soon as I saw him, it changed. He was the most adorable baby. Big brown doe eyes (we were used to blue eyed babies in my family) and the longest lashes I've ever seen...Im still jealous of them. He was tiny to me. I loved holding him in the rocker with Joe. We have lots of pictures of that. We used to put bonnets on him because he had such a pretty face. He hated it and would cry...he knew we were doing something we shouldn't.
As he got older, he got more defiant, of course. He and Joe used to fight worse than Tanner and I, which I didn't think possible. They caused each other to have more stitches, black eyes, and goose-eggs than any other two children I have yet to come across. Those two got themselves into more trouble than anyone else as well. I still remember the time Tanner and I came downstairs and found our huge kitchen floor covered in baby oil. They were playing slip and slide. We fell for months after; hitting slick spots that we thought we had cleaned. Or the time we couldn't find the boys and saw smoke coming out of the barn. They had taken gasoline and created a circle on the concrete floor and lit it on fire and were standing in the giant circle they had created. It's a wonder they survived childhood.
Jake was only 8 when Kevin and I started dating. I would take him with me on my dates with Kevin at the beach. We would play in the sand, take turns burying each other, and then go run into the water. It was fun times. He was impressed and in awe of kevin's four wheeler. He thought he was the coolest thing ever.
Jake was the chubby kid in elementary and junior high. He was awesome at basketball...the three point shooter of the team. When he hit high school, he got his growth spurt. He got super tall (for our family) and very handsome. All of a sudden all my cheerleaders were in love with my brother. It was funny. They all listened in awe when I told them about the time I took him and his buddies to the movies in Tiffin for Jakes birthday (to see Anchorman) and they had a mooning contest between my car and my mom's car on the ride home. They were jealous that I had gotten to see all the 13 year old butts pressed against glass. I still laugh about it.
Jake struggled with school a lot. He has a horrible learning disability and I know it got frustrating for my mom working with him every night. I recently helped him to complete his senior project for one of his classes. He still amazes me at how hard he tries. He is a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for. A lot of other people would have just given up and dropped out. He had to be pushed from time to time, but he put in the work, the do-overs, and the studying he had to to make it by.
He is by far one of the hardest workers I have ever met. How many 18 year olds do you know that can take over a business and still maintain a busy schedule while still being in school? Not too many. He does great work, he excels at landscaping...he learned from the best and has a natural eye for it. He will do great after high school. I think he will really come into his own and show everyone that ever doubted him just how talented he is. Book smarts don't count for everything.
I'm pretty proud of my family. I think we have all turned out great. We are all our own individuals with different talents. We don't compete with each other, we support each other.
Good luck Jake, Kick some ass!

Eff you Barbi, Part Tres

In my effort to change the crazy poor self images that women have...my weekly "props" to myself and to a friend...

I am a tomboy. Or as I like to put it...I'm like a man. I think like a man (but not with my penis, however, if I had a penis, I am sure it would be huge! Ha!) I don't let petty shit get to me. I don't over analyze things and become all frantic because my husband said I looked "fine" and not "beautiful." (Oh my God, does this mean he doesn't find me attractive anymore? Do I need to lose weight? Is he cheating on me? He's going to divorce me because he isn't attracted to me anymore! ect...) I take things in stride. I look at the big picture instead of obsessing over the details. I can run a chainsaw, well, I might add. I can stack, and throw firewood, and start fires if my husband isn't home. I can drive a stick. I can drive a motorcycle. I can drive a four-wheeler. I can shoot a gun. I lift like a man. I work like a man. I impress my husband's friends with my strength of character, my quick-wit, and the ability to keep up with them physically. Plus, I can hold my own in a fight. I think that that is a huge compliment!

Lora, over at the newly renamed Fever, is amazing. She is also quick-witted, moreso than myself. She has the most randomly beautiful train of thoughts and I love that she shares them with us. She is a great mother who teaches her child tolerance and that all people should be accepted, but still tells him the dangers of people touching him inappropriately. She is an educator and an advocate for getting others educated. She is a kind soul, who cares for people she doesn't even know, but is sharp-tongued when she needs to be. She is brilliant in my opinion. She comes up with great ideas and puts them out there instead of leaving them trapped in her head. She has beautiful thoughts, can put those thoughts into beautiful words, and creates beautiful blogs, even though she sees them at crazy, jumpy thoughts....that is what makes them beautiful. She is not afraid to say she is attractive, she is not afraid to say she wants attention. I absolutly love the person that she is. Her little Jake is so lucky to have such an incredible mother.

Till next time.

Ribfest!!

One of the many fun events that I partook in Memorial day weekend was the Cleveland Ribfest....aka, a reason to celebrate meat. Fun

Here I am enjoying my meat...it was by far the largest rib I had ever seen in my life...so large that people were asking to take pics of it...it was delicious! Love my double chin in the photo...makes the ribs look even better! Ha!

After we gorged ourselves on ribs, we went and watched Third Eye Blind. Great show...too bad most the crowd had no clue what they sang outside of "Semi-charmed Life." They really are a great band and I am way excited about their new album. I got to spend some time with my friend, Jen, who is a HUGE 3EB fan, and by huge I mean Steven Jenkins always finds her and sings to her...they know her face from being at so many shows! It was awesome hanging out with her though...have to make it a point to do it more often.

Heartbroken...

So, I was notified yesterday by a dear friend, that the love of my life (joke) got engaged. Yes, Trent Reznor got engaged. I am devestated. A. He was supposed to marry me (joke, again) and B. he once stated that once he gets married he is no longer going to make music so he can be a family man.

My world is shattered.

sorry

Sorry Ive been away so long...waiting for my film to get developed so I can catch you all up on my crazy life...yes, I still use a camera that uses film...call me old fashioned...I call my too cheap to go buy a new camera!

Just sad

While on my way to work, I realized I left my phone on the kitchen counter...I had a mini panic attack. It is sad that I am that reliant on my phone...what the hell did we ever do before they were invented?

Eff you Barbi! Part Deux

In my effort to change how women look at themselves...one tinee tiny step at a time...

I am a smart cookie! I am not only book smart, but I have common sense too! That is sometimes hard to come by. I am able to pick things up quickly and retain them. I graduated with two majors, not even closely related, from college and did it cum laude, all while working 2 jobs and putting in at least 40 hours on top of that in the training room. I am the go to person at my job when it comes to questions about different medical procedures, diagnosis, or just the "what the hell does this say or how do you pronounce this word" questions. I don't settle if I don't know something, I find the answer and then educated everyone else...we call it "Doctor Kline's educational segment" at work...where i try to educate everyone! I love doing it too! I am a smart cookie.

Brandi at Live, Laugh, Love is also smart, and creative, and amazingly funny. She doesnt think she is creative, but read her blog...she is. Her blog is one of the blogs that made me want to join this community and put my ideas our there. She is down to earth, truthful, and insightful. She sees things the way they really are and does not sugar coat them, and I love her for that. She isn't afraid to say what is on her mind and does not apologize for feeling the way she does. Honest people are the best. Though she appears slightly OCD when it comes to her house, she still manages to read more books than most people in college do and that is amazing. She loves getting others excited about reading as well; that is a feet in itself. She is a beautiful soul, an animal lover, fellow cat-talker to'er, reading junky, window-washing, book club inspiring, thought provoking woman. In short, she is awesome.

Have a wonderful day all you beautiful women...love yourself everyday!

My Green Thumb

This is one of my flower boxes on my front porch...love my snapdragons!

Several years ago, I was completely incapable of growing anything...it seemed if you gave me a plant, it was basically giving it a death sentance. Since moving into the new place though, I have had quite a green thumb...proof is my poinsetta from thanksgiving, that is still in bloom. I don't know what changed, but I am glad it did!

My flags have begun to bloom! Great birthday present last year from my friend Carrie!

These will soon be blueberries!

Where I wish I was going...

Cape Cod...sigh

To do this...

with a bottle of wine and my hubby...

if only, if only, if only....

at least it's the weekend!

Ooooo, Dreamweaver!

I have decided that I need a dream figure-outer...someone that can figure out what my crazy dreams are all about! For the past 2 weeks I have had a reoccuring dream where I am at a gym and my college fling is there...(asshole from other blog post) and we are all friendly and I keep insisting on wiping the sweat off his brow with a towel?! WTF?! We are all friendly, flirty, lover-like. It's just bizarre. Oh, and I am constantly doing tricep dips? I'm just confused. Does this mean I am OCD with a fear of flabby arms? All I can say is I hope to God I am not talking in my sleep!

Happy Tag

Accidentally, kle tagged everyone that was happy today to list 6 things that make you happy...

1. The look on my dog, Bully's, face when I get home

from work!

2. A good book...a comfy couch...and a blanket

3. A good night out, or in, with my girlfriends!

4. Chocolate covered marshmallows...real ones...mmm

5. A mastectomy fitting gone well

6. When my friend, Eddie, calls and leaves messages of music on my phone...Nine Inch Nails, "I'm On Fire" by Springsteen...anything he knows will cheer me up!

It totally makes my day! This picture is so old, but still one of my favorites!

I tag anyone that is happy as well!!!!

Marriage advice

So why do all the old married women tell you not to go to bed fighting? Because the guy will be snoozing 2 minutes after hitting the pillow and you will be up all night still furious, hurt, sad, all those crazy emotions and you will get no sleep. You will still be upset in the morning...moreso now because you got absolutly no sleep. He will call you on your way to work, all chipper because he got his 8 hours, and the conflict is miraculously gone...why are men able to do this, but not women...I hate it. Im running on two hours of sleep and a pot of coffee...

Eff you Barbi!

Mara over at In so many words... has a great idea. There are too many women walking around out there that have absolutly no self esteem for no apparent reason. She is going to start posting a positve comment about herself and about a friend once a week to try to reverse the trend...I am going to follow suit.

I am sexy...not in the catch your eye as Im walking by sexy, but the slow, sneaky, sexy that creeps up and catches hold of you and doesn't let go sexy. My sexiness comes from more than my looks, it comes from my personality, the way I carry myself, yes, my looks, and my intelligence. I have hooked my some pretty attractive men, men that other women didn't think I should be with because they were out of my league, I snicker at these women...they didn't see my sexiness creeping up their shoulders to tap them...they got it later though. I am sexy...

My friend, and sister-in-law, Jen over at It's a beautiful life is pretty amazing. She is one of the funniest people I know. Super attractive, hilarious, a GREAT mother, caring, charismatic, and memorable. She doesn't give herself enough credit for how great she is. She still has a killer body, even after pushing a kid out, works hard, and connects with people in such a way that she makes you feel truly special just for knowing her. I am lucky to call her a friend and truly blessed to call her a sister.

I challenge all you wonderful women out there to do this as well!

The Visit...insert sob

My trip to Georgia was wonderful...sad, but wonderful. We arrived wednesday night, went straight to bed, and got up at 6am to start getting ready to go to Joe's turning blue ceremony...we get all dressed up...Im in heels (but the tomboy in me told me to grab the flip-flops just in case.) We get to the base and get parked and it begins to downpour...we have about a 1/2 mile to walk to the actual ceremony site...awesome. Flip-flops on, we go trapsing across the base to the ceremony location...the turning blue ceremony was nice...short and sweet and we got to see joe. He came back to our shitel (hotel that was shitty) for the day. There was lots of hugging and crying on my moms part. He spent the entire day with us before we had to take him back to base at 8pm.
Friday was graduation day. I wanted to be to the field early because Joe told me to get a seat up close and just left of the middle...found them! Joe had told me that he had gotten chosen to do a demo during graduation and wouldn't be marching with his platoon...it was a suprise to the rest of the family. Im thinking the demo will de of him showing how to use a weapon or something...not so much. The announcer is telling how the field is sown with grass from all the major conflicts, Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, locations in Korea and Vietnam, Civil War sites...that they will be walking in the footsteps of thier predecessors...pretty cool. Well the field was kinda like a hill and you couldn't see over it. All of a sudden large plumes of smoke start rising from behind the hill, then machine guns start firing and bombs start going off...shockng. Over the hill come a group of 8 soldiers, in full gear, stalking like they would across a battlefield. I instantly pick Joe out and begin bawling....I mean sobs and all. I don't want to picuture my brother that way...it broke my heart, even though it was swelled with pride. I want to see him in his dress uniform or ACU's, not full kit like he is going into battle. He was right in front of us...litterally 3 ft away...I picked the perfect seats. I finally composed myself enough to take some pictures and by that time he was running off the field. After the ceremony, I run up to him, hit him, and say, "why the hell didn't you give me an idea so I didn't cry like that?!" He just laughed. That is Joe.
He got to spend the rest of the weekend with us. It was wonderful. He ate well, slept well, and got to spend some good quality time with the family and two of his friends that drove down.
Saying goodbye on Sunday night was hard. I started crying again when I went to give him a goodbye hug (Im tearing ip now thinking about it...) but I have solice knowing that he is loving it, that he has found a group of guys like him, that he carries himself with pride now, that he is my same fun loving, crazy little brother, and that he will be a great soldier (his special forces drill sergeant told me so!) he will be home in August for 15 days...he asked me to throw him another party...done. Im excited to see him again.
Will post pictures as soon as I get them back!

Smiling sibs

Im hoping to get a better picture with my brother than this while I am in Georgia...we shall see...he likes to foil my attempts at good pics...unless alcohol is involved.

Plus the army may make him have normal hair for once...I don't think they allow fuzzy chops or poorly done mohawks!

Productivity!

This weekend was very productive, indeed! Friday was our chill-out day at home, after Kevin got off work. We went to my friend's restaurant, ate some yummy chicken parm and talked until Kevin looked like he was ready to pass out.
Saturday I woke up, went to the gym, went and bought flowers for my flowerboxes, went to a friends house for a pampered chef party, went to lunch after with my very good friend that just moved back up here from South Carolina, found a fantastic purple sequined 80's dress for my party, and made it home in the knick of time to clean my toilet before some friends came over for a cookout. My friend's 2 year old daughter managed to pick all the flowers off the newly planted plants in my flowerbox, which I wasn't too thrilled about, and had started attacking my beloved tulips before I finally caughter her and handed her off to her dad and threatened HIM that if any more flower's lost their lives, I would be taking his. (he is newly divorced and seems to think that I should watch his child, while cooking, so he can hang out with my husband....dude, I don't have kids for a reason!)
Kevin and I ended up passing out early (thanks to my lovely rum and cokes) and got up early sunday.
We finished another section of our landscaping sunday...one more section to go. I am so excited to see it coming to compeltion. It truly makes our house look a million times better. My step dad came over and sprayed our yard for us...so in 2 days, we should only have about 10% of our grass left since 90% of it is dandelions and crabgrass...time to reseed! I will be happy when we have a beautiful yard instead of a dandelion field! Although I thought them beautiful as a child, I find them horrific as an adult. How does that work?
Kevin went fishing after our yard work and I got time to relax on the couch and watch my favorite movie (Pride and Prejudice.) It was fantastic as always! Joe text me as well...I am so excited to see him! 3 more days!
Hoping my two days at work go by quickly!!!

20 Questions

This is from Fidgeting Gidget


1. Peanut butter and jelly or a grilled cheese sandwich? Grilled Cheese for sure!
2. Do you like pickles? Only dill pickles-and lots of them!
3. Why do you think red symbolizes passion? What do you think of when you see the color red? Do you own very many red articles of clothing? I think red symbolizes power, not passion. I think either power or anger when I see it, and yes, I own several pieces of red clothing (tops mainly) I think I look pretty darn good in red
4. What color are your underwear? Today they are pink
5. What's on your mind right now? At lunch and someone else needs to answer the damn phone!
6. Do you bite your nails? I used to...stopped in 7th grade
7. You're stranded on a desert island with one fictional character. Who is it? Duh, Edward from Twilight, or Jareth from Labrinth
8. Do you daydream? All the time
9. How do you like your eggs? Sunny side up with white toast
10. Where did you go for kindergarten? South Main Street school in Clyde
11. Do you like snow? Not so much
12. Do you like blue cheese? I prefer ranch
13. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? not anymore!
14. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee...lots and lots of coffee
15. Can you do push ups? yes, like a man!
16. Do you own slippers? I prefer to be barefoot!
17. Favorite color? Blue
18. Would you be a pirate?ARRRRRRR matey!
19. What's in your pocket right now? chapstick, my vitamins, and two pens
20. What were you doing 12 AM last night? sleeping...drooling...snoring

Ahh, Friday

I brought in a cd player and my Madonna's Greatest Hits and Duran Duran Greatest Hits CD's. My co workers and I are dancing around the office to Lucky Star, Hungry Like the Wolf, and Get Into the Groove....It makes me happy....