Fave Photo Friday

The last picture taken of my dad sporting his sweet, smirky smile.

Christmas ~ 2007... about two weeks before he passed.

Mom and Uncle Bill are also pictured (and equally loved).

Dad's the guy on the right.

I may make "Fave Photo Friday" a recurring theme here, if only because I won't have to say much. While I am - at best - a mediocre photographer, it's unlikely I will run out of fave photos any time soon.

Happy Weekend!

XO

Jodi

Shades of Love

As much as I love my mother, my brothers, my sisters, my husband and all of the other beauiful people in my life...

None of them can fill the hole in my heart when I'm missing my Daddy.

I sure wish someone could.

XO
Jodi

Skin Care vs. Glorious Sunshine

By now we're all aware that the sunbathing we did in the 1980's might have caused unforeseen damage to our precious shells... our skin. Although I absorbed countless hours of direct sunlight in my kid-hood, I have honestly not been too concerned about skin damage in recent decades because 1) I've grown too weak-kneed to spend much time in extreme sun/heat conditions and 2) As a result of sheltering myself from sun and heat lo these 20 years, my fair-skinned genes have required I SPF-5-zillion myself before spending any amount of time under those harmful UV rays. Suffice to say I've become a wimp when it comes to sun or heat exposure.

However, my husband has quiet the opposite hot-weather temperament and skin-type. Bob can spend hours in the sun without flinching, and though he might initially experience some redness of skin, the "burn" will pretty quickly dissolve into a healthy-looking, tanned complexion. Unlike me, Bob has rarely burned badly enough to find his skin flaking off in sheets.

NOTE TO ALL YOU SUN WORSHIPERS: Despite Bob's tendency to withstand exposure to the sun, he had a mole biopsy done a few weeks ago which has now been confirmed as Basal Cell Carcinoma. Skin cancer! It's highly likely that the biopsied spot is an isolated incident, and the doctor doesn't think Bob is in imminent danger, but STILL... He will henceforth be forced (if only because I will insist upon it) to slather himself with every manner of sunblock available.

Please hear me... don't leave your skin's health to chance. If you know you're going outside to enjoy the glorious benefits of a beautiful, sunny day... take the time to apply a strong sunblock.

Protect yourselves!
XO
Jodi

45

Happy Birthday, my love!

Weekend Update

Our Saturday morning was (as usual) filled with various household chores. Done. Check. Thank goodness that's over.

Bob and I spent Saturday evening at our annual Dad and Bob's birthday celebration, hosted by my MIL who is an excellent cook and flawless hostess. Bob and his father's birthdays are separated by just one day (plus 30 years). This year we celebrated years 75 and 45 with delicious ham, green beens, mac & cheese, jello salad, Cold Duck and the guys' favorite dessert, German Chocolate Cake. Bob and I were pleasantly stuffed on the drive home!

On Sunday I hung out with these beautiful people:

Jay, Art, Theo & Tami

My sister Tami had some things she needed to do, so I took her three delightful boys for the day. We started our day together with a list of chores their mama wanted them to do... clean the bedroom, take out the trash, and wash the dishes.

Please don't tell their mom that I took over the dishes and trash detail. I did make them clean their bedroom... I'm not a total push-over!

After our chores and lunch were done, we went bowling... and they kicked my butt! Seriously. The experience made it clear that it's been too long since Aunt Jodi practiced her bowling skills. I'll have to brush up for our next competition. I'll get 'em then!

After bowling the boys wanted to go to McDonald's for dinner and some running around in the play area. So, we spent an hour at Mickey-D's before we headed home. Once we were home we played some card games and eventually it was time for the boys to clad themselves in pajamas and kiss Aunt Jodi goodnight.

Aunt Jodi didn't get a single kiss goodnight, but she did get them to admit that they'd had fun while we were together. And that's really all I hope for when I'm looking after any of my kids.

It's a successful adventure if they're willing to admit they've had fun!

XO

Aunt Jodi

Cycles of Life

Not so very long ago I had an organized and peaceful home office. I made it a point to bring in the mail and sort through it daily. Each and every day I would shred the junk, place bills in the "to-be-paid" slot, peruse my various magazines and crap catalogs, and toss out whatever wasn't worthy of being kept or didn't require shredding. I was even organized enough to sort through all of our bills, such that the current year's receipts were filed away (by vendor) in a desk drawer; while each previous year's receipts were more generally categorized (utilities, insurance, credit cards, etc.) and filed in a cabinet in the closet of our tiny office.

Somewhere along the way the organization train jumped its tracks. I have all the bills/receipts filed away... I'm pretty uptight about keeping the bills straight... but I'm sure the "current year" file drawer continues to house receipts from 2006 or '07. I still occasionally shred the junk mail. Mostly I've just piled it on a corner of the desk along with the hordes of catalogs and magazines on which I've yet to crack the spines. That corner is overflowing now and the thought of tackling it gives me the shivers.

I don't know why I let things get so ugly. I guess I just go through spurts... sometimes uber-organized and sometimes not at all. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground, though that shouldn't surprise me. I'm the sort who won't do anything half-way. I'm either going to organize the hell out of the office, or I'm going to let it all go to pot.

So here I am again in the "gone-to-pot" stage of this vicious organizational cycle. And I'm going to have to force myself to weed through the mountain of crap before it tumbles over and buries me alive.

On the bright side there might be some terrific magazine articles or crap catalogs hiding in the pile of rubble. So, I'll at least have that to look forward to while I'm fighting a headache brought on by the non-stop chopping of the shredder.

I'll have to tackle the file drawers another day. A girl can only handle so much organizing.

XO
Jodi

What's in a name?

Courtesy of my friend Susie-Q over at Hick Chick.

1. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names)
Kay Fredrick

2. MAN NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Arthur Paul

3. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 2 letters of your last name, first 4 letters of your first name)
KeJodi

4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Yellow Horse

5. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you live)
Brownsburg (I have no middle name!)

6. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite alcoholic drink, optionally add "THE" to the beginning)
Green Beer (Somewhat appropriate given the day I met Bob.)

7. FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Joer

8. GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Rainbow Sherbet Iced Oatmeal

9. ROCK STAR NAME: (current pet's name, current street name)
Malcolm Dianna

10. PORN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on)
Snowball Leland (This might sound better reversed.)

Just a bit of fun for a Tuesday evening.
XO
Jodi

Valentine's Weekend Update

My Valentine's weekend started off delightfully Friday evening when Bob arrived home with a dozen multi-colored, very fragrant roses. I love that he still sends/brings me roses after nearly 17 years together!

I had arranged for us to see a Broadway Across America show on Saturday afternoon. Though "Movin' Out" was a bit different than either of us expected, we both thoroughly enjoyed the show! We also enjoyed an early dinner after the show, courtesy of my mom's Christmas gift to Bob... gift certificates to Applebee's. YES, I know Applebee's isn't what most folks would call a romantic Valentine's dinner, but we had certificates to use! The food was quite good and we enjoyed ourselves, and that's what matters. So. There!

Funny side note: I excused myself to the ladies room as we were being seated at our table. As I returned to our table one of the Applebee's staff stopped me and said "I wanted you to know that you are the most beautiful woman here". Of course I was shocked by his comment, but I thanked him as graciously as I could. I figured the guy must be our server, angling for a bigger tip. Bob and I joked about it when I got back to the table. Thing was, he wasn't our server! When I realized that, I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or worried. I chose to be flattered.

Our Sunday was quiet and calm, just the way I like any day. I had buttermilk leftover from last weekend's cake baking, so I made buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, did a load of dishes, prepped things for our chicken fingers dinner, and then we generally relaxed together and enjoyed the day.

Going back to work today was a little painful, but here we are again... Work, work work, till the weekend. If you know where I can sign up for retirement, please let me know!

XO
Jodi

Klutz

Leave it to me to injure myself on a stationary bicycle. The injury occurred as I attempted to dismount. In my defense, the trainer contraption does elevate the bike a bit off the floor. So, as I attempted my dismount last night I wasn't thinking about the distance between pedal and floor, and I caught my inner thigh on the front of the seat.

Thankfully I avoided taking a nose-dive onto the concrete basement floor, but I did manage to bruise my thigh pretty badly. The injury is pretty high on my thigh (and quite painful), so I think it will keep me off the bike for a few days.

It's a darned good thing I bought a helmet for street rides. God only knows the damage I could do on a bicycle in motion!

XO
Jodi

Oh-My-Freaking-Hell!

Not so long ago I thought that my sweet Malcolm's newly adopted identity as "Barkey-The-Barker" was cute. Today I'm about to pull every hair from my head because he Will. Not. Stop. Barking.

It's very windy here in North B-Burg tonight and evidently Malc. has decided that the wind needs to be told off with each new gust. He's driving me bat-shit with the barking! He isn't the least bit interested in my various attempts to calm him... he's not willing to cuddle or play or eat... he just wants to BARK. I will surely lose my mind if something doesn't give soon! I hope the wind lets up before bedtime.

GAH! Critters!

XO
Jodi

Riding

I finally ordered and received the bike trainer I was wishing for several weeks ago. It's very cool! It allows me to ride my bike in the basement during these cruelly cold winter months – and I can take in some HGTV at the same time. Score! I hope making use of this contraption will also mean that I won't look like such an out-of-shape whimp when sister Fran and I start riding the state park trails and the streets of North B-Burg, come springtime.

After more than a year away from the bike, I had forgotten how much trauma riding a bicycle causes one's bum. OUCH! It makes me wonder how I spent hours and days and weekends riding in my youth. I dang-near lived on a bicycle when I was a kid!

Evidently 20 years of driving in a cushy car has taken it's toll on my backside. I really expected it would be my legs giving me hell. Not so much. My bum is aching!

(Special thanks to Kelly and Dwight for the bike trainer recommendation... I was able to get both the trainer and the front-wheel stabilizer do-dad for less than I was considering spending at the local sporting goods store.)

Happy bike-riding trails!
XO
Jodi

Uh-Oh

I arrived home from work this afternoon to find a well-drilling crew in my neighbor's front yard. We're in a subdivision with homes built from the late 1960's to the early 1970's. We're also north of our town-proper and therefore all the homes are on well/septic rather than the town's water/sewer.

The septic issue has been a big deal for the entire neighborhood almost since the day Bob and I moved here. Thus far our efforts to bring the town's utilities into our subdivision (and two others nearby) have failed.

I've longed for the town sewer system because of our high water table... we've had too many septic headaches. And we'll no-doubt be having to pump the damned thing again when the 16" of snow in the backyard melts.

I haven't been all that concerned about the well, though, because ours hasn't caused us any problems. But now, with the next-door-neighbor drilling a new well today; and the across-the-street neighbor who drilled a new well a couple of years ago, I'm started to get worried!

Notes to self:
1) Talk to the neighbors about the reasons for and cost of their new well.
2) Make a greater effort to conserve the water in our well.

Eek!
XO
Jodi

Vacation?

Would it be okay if I just ran away from life for a few days... or months?

I have "vacation" on the brain and it won't let go! I could really benefit from just a few days away from work, winter, husband and dog. It also wouldn't break my heart if I were granted a short reprieve from laundry, housework, cooking, dishes and life.

I'm not sure how I ended up in a profession that makes taking time off during the horrors of winter weather impossible. Poor planning, Jodi!

I think I have now officially entered into my (never officially diagnosed) seasonal-affective-disorder days. I am sick to death of the cold and snow. If given the opportunity, I would be most pleased to cocoon myself in the bed-clothes and not poke my head from the covers again until the first Spring rainstorm.

I need to start planning a vacation. It won't cure my ills, but maybe making the plans will help me visualize an end to this crappy, awful, horrible, no-good winter.

XO
Jodi

My Sister of the Perpetually Broken Leg

My dear, sweet, adorable sister Connie needs all the good thoughts and prayers the universe can send her way.

More than three years ago a single drawer of a moving filing cabinet (occupied only by table linens) shot through time and space and struck my sister quite directly in the thigh region of her leg. Her femur was broken completely in half. Since that fateful day, Connie has endured three separate surgeries in which first steel, and later titanium rods of increasing diameter, have been bored into her broken femur pieces in an attempt to reunite them.

But still the $&*#(@! stupid leg is refusing to heal! Connie's most recent surgery took place last fall. After three months of limited mobility and babying the leg, Connie was finally given the go-ahead to walk sans crutches.

And, of course, she's having trouble now... a large bruise has formed on her thigh in the past few days and on the recommendation of her physical therapist, she called the doc. And he put her back on the crutches. CURSES!

I know there isn't anything I can do to help my Sister of the Perpetually Broken Leg, other than pray for her. I honestly would take her pain as my own if I were able. I can't imagine the hell she's been through... physically and emotionally. But I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only person on the planet who would rather BE hurting than be watching her hurt for another second.

Dear God, It would be most wonderful if you could provide a reprieve for my sister and her broken leg. Please send help!

XO
Jodi

Be Ye Ever-Aware...

You have to fight for your customer service rights!

I spent at least 40 minutes tonight fighting with the customer service department of a well-known national bank. I applied for a credit card with this bank specifically in order to receive the "free" gift they were offering. It is noteworthy to remember that all who apply receive the free "gift", so it's not limited to those who qualify.

My application was approved. I received the card and tucked it away in a filing cabinet, without ever "activating" the account... that's the thing the information that comes with every credit card SCREAMS at you to do, because if you don't activate the card, you can't use it! ACTIVATE YOUR CARD TODAY!. We've all seen this, right?

Well, I didn't activate the card because I didn't need or want it. Having heard that's it's a good for my credit score to have un-tapped credit at my disposal, I figured I'd leave the account open, but inactive.

I sat down to pay my bills this evening and found that I'd been charged $30.00 for a magazine subscription to this INACTIVE account, so I called the bank. Customer service rep "Tom" answered my call and told me that there was an "opt out" box in the credit card application that my NOT checking meant I had authorized the magazine subscription.

I'd READ the application as I filled it out, but had not seen any such agreement (or opt out) therein. I asked to speak to Tom's manager and his response was "I'll see if a manager is available". BAH! Between Tom's response and my earlier attempts to navigate the God-foresaken answering system, I clearly understood that I wasn't the first person to fight this battle.

I informed Tom that a manager would be available and that I would not be put off for the 24-hour response time he said I might need to wait. He tried to put me off again, but I happen to already be a customer of this Big Bank, holding two accounts other than the one I was disputing. I told Tom that if a manager couldn't be found I would simply cancel all three of my accounts with Big Bank.... The next thing I know, I was speaking with a manager. Sha-Zam!

Long story not-so-short... the disputed charge was dismissed, and once I was patched back into the customer service cue I wasn't even questioned about my cancellation of the two credit card accounts (the new one OR the one that is at least 10 years old). Of course my threat to cancel the third account (my mortgage!) isn't so easily achieved, but I have already begun looking into refinancing.

I HATE being treated poorly by any company with which I do business. And I won't stand to be made a "mark" when I have (in good faith) entered into a business relationship with a company. I will simply move my business elsewhere.

I know it often makes good sense to play nice... but sometimes – when you're being treated poorly – being mean and nasty has its benefits.

This is my reminder to you to apply your most fervent "mean and nasty" whenever it's necessary!

Look out for yourself!
XO
Jodi