No Words

I was hit by a wave of sadness on the drive home today. I suppose that's better than being hit by a Cavalier like last week, but I digress on that. I realized that seven years ago today was the tragedy of my lifetime. I was truly given something to cry about. I miss you, young Oddman. Forever 18 and forever beloved.
I think he'd be thrilled with this memorial Facebook mention. If he were here today, I bet he'd be lol-ing all over this social network.
Anyway, sorry to get all melancholy on you. I just feel compelled to note on this day that I miss my little brother.
Be sure to stay tight with your siblings even when they irritate you, and keep telling those childhood stories over and over again with one another. Those are special times, and your brothers and sisters are the only ones who will think they are as great as you do.

Hair War

I am in a war with my hair right now. It is long beyond measure (not really- you could easily measure it), it is thick beyond comprehension (really- you cannot digest the thoughts of this thickness), and it is heavy beyond decency (totally indecent to my neck). I love the way it looks about 50% of the time. That would be a failing grade, right? 50%. That's a big fat F in my book. But I don't know what to do. Maybe I should have it thinned. Maybe I should cut a little length off to see if that lightens things up a bit. I am happy about one thing: now that it's cooler outside, I can wear it down again. During the summertime, the back of my neck would get unbearably hot. This always ended in a gigantic puff of a ponytail. Not my best look.

As you have probably already surmised, I haven't much to say. So, I'll post this fall survey with answers. I totally ripped this off of other blogs. So, hopefully no one will get angry. I like the survey, and my aim is true (just like my answers). Enjoy, and have a wonderful falltime day:

1. Do you plan to take a scenic drive to see fall foliage?
I have no plans to do this, but I think it sounds like a great idea. The beautiful colors are a large part of the reason why I love this time of year.

2. Have you added any new additions to your home lately? Rug? Pillows? Furniture? Anything?
I put my fall decorations out a couple weeks ago. This included a brand new welcome mat. We desperately need a new dining room table and chairs, and I hope we get them soon.

3. Do you shop on Etsy?
I have only “window shopped” on Etsy. Just looking, no buying. It’s all so neat, but you pay the price for handmade quality.

4. Do you roll your towels?
Nope, I fold my towels in a rather methodical fashion. Rolling simply would not work for the storage shelf where I keep the towels and wash cloths.

5. Do you change out your decorative pillows with the seasons?
No. Decorative pillows ain’t cheap. I am always sticker shocked when I see the prices of throw pillows, even at places like Tuesday Morning or Target. You cannot find a pillow for less than $9 or $10, and that is just too rich for my blood. I can’t justify spending ten bucks (or probably more) a pop on small pillows that are going to get squished on the couch or bed anyway.

6. Do you have personalized plates? If not, would you like to?
No, I do not have any. Yes, I would like some.

7. Does your house have window boxes?
Mercifully, no. That would just be one more place around my home that otherwise good plants would go to die.

8. Do you go on picnics?
I do not currently have any picnics pencilled in on my schedule, but please know that I am willing and ready to go on a picnic on any given fair-weather day.

9. Do you have a chalkboard in your house?
No. In fact, I am fairly certain we no longer have a dry eraser board in our house either.

10. Do you use pops of color in your decor? Are you a fan?
I stick to earth tones against white walls and champagne-colored carpet. So, no. No pops of color except for in the bedroom where red dominates big time.

11. What are your favorite reality shows?
COPS and all of the The Real Housewives (I never miss an episode of any of the locations)

12. Do you use energy saving light bulbs?
After moving into our new house two springs ago, I still have some light bulbs in sockets that were put there by the previous owners, if you can believe it. Each time one goes out, I replace it with an energy-efficient bulb. This is true in all cases except for the bulbs in our living room light fixtures. I’ve been using “pretty” bulbs in there, but I suppose it’s time to start doing the environmentally conscious thing and sacrifice aesthetic pleasure with earth-saving technology.

13. Would you buy a raffle ticket to win your dream home?
I guess it depends on whether or not I had the dough on me at the time the raffle tickets were being sold. It would also depend on my mood at that time. Could go either way. Right here right now, I have to say no because I have no cash in my pocket (this is almost always the case)... unless they would take a check or bank card.

14. Do you drink coffee throughout the day? Or are you good with one cup?
I am good with about three cups on workdays. I never drink it past midday with the rare exception of an evening time cup with dessert.

15. Do you dig ceiling fans?
I have one in every room of my home. The bad news is that I had no part of selecting the fans and lighting fixtures that came along with them. The good news is that the home’s previous owners chose very tasteful fan fixtures with which I can live. The fans do keep the air flowing well through our home, and I love sleeping beneath one.

The Crisp and the Loss

So much has happened since I last blogged or journal-penned or wrote to no one in particular about things that occur in my life.

I will just go ahead and say this right off the bat: We lost our dear Granny. She battled so long, not with cancer or anything (although she did battle and defeat colon cancer in a previous decade). Granny had a weak heart and other ailments that come naturally from living a long time. She died last Sunday September 27th, very early in the morning. Our little family was there to see her that evening. Her children, her children’s children. We did not want to see her go, and she is severely missed. She was a good Granny, and everyone of us knew it. She is a very strong thread in the fabric of my life. My childhood was influenced heavily by Granny (and Grandpa), and I treasure each memory I have of and with her. I like to think she is relaxing right now, just thrilled to be healthy and at peace.

Granny was my last living grandparent. This fact just occurred to me yesterday, and I felt very somber thereafter. I do feel lucky to have known all four of my grandparents well, but it was a sobering moment when I realized they are all gone now.

I cannot think of a good transition out of this sad news, and perhaps there is no need for one. But I would like to note that my heavy heart is lifted by this beautiful fall weather. Autumn is my absolute favorite season. My high school best friend and I called it “frolicking weather.” Simply stated, it makes me want to prance.

Other things of note: My family and I went to the state fair last weekend. The people-gazing was a little disappointing this year. The food was not.

AJ and I took a fun vacation in Cozumel in September. We didn’t dance with any dolphins (that’s what you do, right? Dance with them?) But we did find much-needed relaxation and fun shopping. We also enjoyed the true-blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. I was not a huge fan of the Mexican cervezas, but I did happen on to some delicious tequilas there. We went with good friends who helped pull us out of the ocean after one too many drinks. Thanks to Dawn’s proactive fervor we did many of the activities our resort offered such as poolside bingo, kayaking, snorkeling and - funnest of all - karaoke. I used my very limited Spanish language skills (I had “tourist” written on my forehead), and kept mixing it in my head with my limited German language skills. My internal dialogue: “Hallo, buenos dias. Dos cervezas, por favor. Danke. Adios, senor. Wiedersehen.” Very confusing.

Just because it is a big deal to me, I will state here that I have not smoked a cigarette in over six months. Did I say “big” deal? I meant “enormously big” deal. Yes, this is the second time I have quit, and yes, it is harder to quit the second time. So, here is my unrequested advice. Do not start smoking in the first place. And if you already smoke and you quit, do not start smoking again. You will regret it.

I want to start making blogs with photos again so that everyone can see how much my step-children and the Wild Thing have grown (I refuse to have a “grandchild” at the fair age of 30. So, Rayn shall forever be referred to by me as the Wild Thing). Also, my mini-dog Julius is two years old now, and it would break your heart to know just how infinitesimally tiny he is. My pocket-size pooch. (If you can’t tell, I am running out of synonyms for “small” to describe my dog. Those who have met Julius know that he is, in fact, a Labrador Retriever who may be a little short in the legs, but otherwise normal-sized).

Also, I am on Facebook now. So, look me up! Jennifer Logan in Chouteau, OK.

Until next time, I bid you adieu.

Extra Special Petite

I have a pet dog named Julius who is tiny to the point of being minuscule. We’re talking microscopic. He’s a beautiful one-and-a-half-year-old Labrador Retriever. I say his color is “gingerbread,” but my husband insists the color is known as “rare red fox.” I don’t see nearly enough red in his coat to justify such a striking description.

My teensy pooch was struck by a motorized dirt bike that came flying up the alleyway next to our house last week. Julius is okay, but he’s limping on his left side. He likes to follow along behind me as I drive the riding lawn mower and explore the yard as I mow. He was doing exactly this when a teen, or perhaps a pre-teen, boy came illegally flying up the grassy alley on his dirt bike. Because of the mower noise, I never noticed the kid until I heard Julius begin yelping in pain. I immediately shut down the mower and ran to him. The boy was picking up his bike and driving off. I never found out if the kid was hurt in any way. Julius must have seen the kid near his “turf,” and chased after him. My poor little pooch was hurt. It’s been about five days since his injury was caused. He’s doing better now, but he still has an obvious limp.

Julius shouldn’t have chased the kid, but ATV’s and motor bikes are not allowed in the alley, and my teensy tinsy dog is not used to seeing them there. I know that kids will be kids, and I’m not that angry at the boy driving the dirt bike. I’m sure he didn’t mean to hit my diminutive little dog, and I hope the kid’s okay. Julius, however, has not been so forgiving. My normally fun-loving dog who never met a stranger he didn’t absolutely love, has turned bitter toward passers-by. Since the injury, he barks and bristles up at every baby in a stroller or elderly couple out for an evening walk that he sees. He does not want anyone encroaching his territory. After having gotten hurt, he seems to be issuing a strong warning to all those who walk his neighborhood streets. “Stay off-a my property.”

I guess it’s a good thing that he’s more aware of his surroundings now, but part of me is hoping that he will revert back to his people-friendly self again someday. In spite of this new ultra-protective attitude, Julius is still a beautiful and immeasurably small pooch. I love him very much, and I’m grateful he’s going to be okay.

Teeming With Sunshine

I thought I would be in the mood tonight to got hog wild with posting pictures. But I'm not really feeling it. But I'm a little on the bored and drunk side, and the lonely-because-my-husband's-working-overtime-and-isn't-here-with-me side. So, here are a few fairly recent photos I "bothered" myself to shoot.

Julius turned one in early October, and I gave him treats. Some were edible. Some were squeaky. Some were made tough so dogs wouldn't destroy them immediately. In any case, he was just as happy as he was the day before with no treats. It's a little anticlimactic to throw a dog a birthday party. But I did it, and I'll likely do it again.


He is a very fine pooch.


For the first time since I've known them, I participated in trick-or-treating with Hannah and Sevin, or Dead Pirate and Friendly Witch, as it were.



I did Hannah's make-up, and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't entirely botch it.


Funny fact: Sevin absolutely hates wearing sweats.
Funny story: When I forced him to wear sweat pants underneath his Dead Pirate costume, he walked around in them for a few minutes and said, "Hey, these pants are really comfortable." By the end of the night I feared it would turn into a Homer Simpson flowery muumuu situation.


One more of Julius.


That's all I will muster for now. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Townies

New House. You should come visit us!



This is the parlor. Or maybe it's just a plain old entry way.


Here's where Santy will arrive to deliver presents.


Will Ferrell on our new TeeVee.


Part of the living room. I've narrowed down my CD collection to fit in the case, can you believe it? I did some serious weeding.


Our walk-in closet. Sorry, no pics of our bedroom. You're not missing anything. We have mis-matched bedspread and curtains and bare walls still.


Kitchen wall art. (I just realized I got no good pics of the kitchen).


Hannah's room. We desperately need to paint her walls. One of them is dookie brown.


Elvis's room. As you can tell, we have a long way to go on the decorating front.


Back deck. Seriously, you should come over. We have fun times on this deck.


New grill.


New trampoline. (This got sort of bent out of shape during the high winds the other night, but I think it's okay).


Those are all the house pics I have for now, but here's sweet baby Rayn. So big already!
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Hannah during our vacation to Six Flags.


Elvis showing off his cool skull ring.


With Tweety Bird.


Elvis and Creepy-to-the-Max Joker.


Kiddos on the Yosemite Sam ride.


On the trolley.


AJ and me on vacation.


And my teensy pooch Julius. He's actually gigantic, not teensy.


He didn't get to go on vacation.

I don't know what rpm you rev

Has anyone heard the new Malkmus album? Is anyone going to see him in April?

Hey, guess what this is for:

Teensy Person Alert

Heather had a teeny-tiny baby girl a couple of days ago. Her name is Rayn, and she is so beautiful.



She was 5 pounds 14 ounces. I never got a clear answer on how long she was. But she was probably 1.25 feet long... (doesn't it sound funny to measure a baby in feet instead of just inches?)

Her face was red here because she had just been crying.



Here's the proud new mother. Rayn's dad Steven kept us updated all day long with text messages, but I realized we got no pics of him with the baby after we got home.



The AUNT and UNCLE... Hannah and Elvis:



Luckily, we had the shower about a week-and-a-half before Rayn arrived.







Heather decorated the baby's room with a "Raynforest" theme.






Some of Steven's buddies (not pictured here) came to the shower to spend man-time with Steven while the ladies got their shower on.




So, we're all pretty excited around here.

This is kind of a blunt way to end this post, but look at how huge Julius has grown...



Adios.

Dee-Lay

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since July. Believe it or not, I have actually been pretty busy - not just too lazy to post.

Here's a quick rundown on what's been happening since Rocklahoma.

I quit smoking on August 9th. It's been nearly four months now since I've had a cigarette, and I feel pretty nice about it. I've gained a bit of weight, but I've lost half of what I gained. So, hopefully it's starting to even out. For the past couple years I was getting bronchitis every couple of months. I haven't had it since I quit. So, I'm concluding that cigarettes were bad for my health or something. Who knew?

Back in September (I think?) we went out in the limo with Rob and Leann again to see a band that shall not be mentioned here because (GAW!) I had no idea about their ideologies. But it was a very fun night nevertheless. At the time Leann still had her awesome pink hair. A few limo photos here:





In October, of course, we went to Tulsa State Fair. Not as many odd people to gaze upon this year. But it was a fun night, and then later a day with the kids. I don't think I took any pics of the nighttime trip we took with Leann and Shawn.




Sometime there in October, we built the first fire, and I got to wear a sweatshirt for the first time in the season.


Here's the nasty swimming pool that was NO FUN to clean out and put away.

Pretty.

On fire.

Since these pics are getting fairly random anyway, here's one I took of AJ's armpit that day. Awesome.


Also, in October I started a fancy new job in Tulsa. I'm now working for the engineering division of my former company. I don't have any pictures to share, but it's a really awesome situation for me. Unfortunately the lady I had trained for my old job in Locust Grove decided to quit after five weeks of training. So, I was back and forth from old job to new job during the month of November. The good news is, they found someone much better fitted for the job, and she is just about fully trained already.

And then late October we met our teensy new puppy Julius Green for the first time. He's a blond(ish) lab who came from two chocolate labs. So, he's golden instead of white. He's two weeks here, and we couldn't take him home yet:


Here he's mixed in with his siblings. See how only two of them are light colored? That dark brown one that has one eye opened like he's perturbed by the flash reminds me of Stanley from "The Office." Attitude-wise, I mean.


Then at six weeks (sometime in November) he came home to us.

This is Puppet, his favorite toy.





Here he is at eight weeks. He got big fast. Also, he does not love his little Snowman Outfit.



He always falls right to sleep after taking a bath.


Last weekend, we celebrated the birthday of one Miss Hannah Logan. She is entirely consumed and obsessed with Hannah Montana. So, the decor for the party was a no brainer.





If you've read my blog much through the past few years, these are some familiar faces from my step-children's birthday parties. They are their cousins on their dad's and my side. Such is the nature of parties being thrown by the non-custodial parents who live out of town. Ah well, we had fun.



At this point, I'm out of pictures in my photobucket to remind me of events that have taken place in my life since last summer. So, I guess I'm finished here.

Enjoy your Thursday, Internet!