The Power of the Shirt

This has been a very exciting week and I am attributing it mostly to this:

You see, for Christmas, Mike got a Superman shirt from our nephew. He loves it and wears/flaunts it around the house whenever he can. I got jealous. Mike was the cool uncle. The one our nephew wanted to impress. So I ordered the shirt. Of course, when I sent Houston a picture of me wearing the shirt he sent me this back, with the message, "Aunt Jenny, where are your boots? You need them to fly!"

Thwarted again by a three year old. While I didn't order the boots, I have been wearing my shirt to cook dinner, apply for jobs and clean the house. It makes me feel more powerful. So when I received an invitation to interview for the position of Housing Services Coordinator at a Counseling Center, I thanked the shirt.

Two interviews and one presentation later, I was offered the job! We are so excited. Once I started thinking about it, this is the first time that I have been employed full time, with a salary and benefits in EIGHT years.(Thank you law school.) It has been a long road and I teared up a little when I called Mike to tell him about it. I was shocked back into reality when I realized how much I have to learn.

I will be working with patients who are HIV/AIDS positive and have recently been discharged from the hospital. They come to our living facility, The Cottage, where there are only seven beds. Because there are so many sick people who need a home, my job is to get these people out of The Cottage as quickly as possible and find them a transitional or permanent place to live. It's a lot. Mike asked me, "So, if you don't do your job, these people end up homeless?" Yes...but - challenge accepted! I am so excited about this position and feel like I am finally going to be making a difference in people's lives. I know that no day is ever going to be boring and I can't wait to dig in! Thankfully, my various bosses have been so accepting of this change in events and are allowing me to start tomorrow! (Really last Thursday.) Sooo, wish me luck! I think Mike and I both let out a sigh of relief when I got the call - this is going to be a huge weight off our shoulders.

In other news, there is cause to believe that my parents should have ordered the Superman shirts before they left on their journey. Two days into the trip, the engine sputtered out because of some mechanical issue I can't explain. They turned around and ended up in sailing home at night, in the rain with 50 mph winds. You can't make this stuff up. Thankfully, they were able to contact a towing company to help them safely back home. Don't worry - they are fixing the problem and will be leaving again as soon as possible. It appears that my parents are bound and determined to go on this trip. I wonder where my stubbornness comes from?

Well, that's it in a nutshell. I am headed for a run and then going to try and educate myself on the job I begin tomorrow. Yay!! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Enjoy the Oscars!

Valentine's Day Recap

Two posts in two days! It's a miracle! I have the day off today and got a lot of the cleaning/errands done yesterday, so I am taking it easy today. Poor Mike had to get up and teach a class, but I didn't really feel bad for him because I get up while he is still nestled in bed pretty much every day. So. The big V-Day. This year I realized I was not really an active participant in the Day of Love 2011. I kind of sat back and waited to see what Mike was going to do for ME. Looking back (and writing this) it is very embarrassing because it is so selfish. I wrote an entire blog last year about loving everyone everyday, and then I didn't apply that lesson to my husband.

I think that raising a family with three daughters can be a blessing and a curse for fathers. Dad becomes the hero, the king of the house, the man almost no one can compare to. However, he also becomes the minority and may be taken for granted. When we were growing up, my father brought candy home for all of us on Valentine's Day. My mom gave us little treats when we woke up. Of course, we took our Valentine cards to school for our friends, but I don't remember giving gifts to either of my parents. Yikes!

So, that is where I went went wrong last year. No matter what Mike gave me, he was not getting that same affection (even if it was material) back. It was all me. This year, (thankfully) Pinterest invaded my life, and I thought, "What cute thing can I make to show my husband how much I love him?" I ended up with this.

Let me tell you a little something about being crafty. First, it takes a LONG time. I don't care how much you love someone, 52 reasons is a lot to think of without repeating yourself. I believe #34 was "You order the large cheese dip." I kicked Mike out the night before so I could complete my project and my back was hurting the next day from being hunched over so long. It didn't matter - it was worth it because Mike loved it. It was so fun to watch him flip through the reasons and make comments about them. And it was cute to see his eyes light up when he realized that something he never thought about was something I love the most about him.

Now, I DID get some jewelry and flowers, so my craftiness was not the only thing going on. We had a nice, low key dinner and really enjoyed spending some time together. It's a learning curve people, and I apparently started at the bottom. I hope that everyone else had a wonderful day as well!

A quick update on my parents. They left this morning and were already making friends with other boats sailing the same way. I do want to stress that while their excursion may seem crazy to some, it had been carefully thought out. I was called to make sure I would be willing to the be the executor of their will (comforting) and have been sent a plan of how to contact the Coast Guard if something happens. (Again, a little disconcerting.) My parents are armed with a digital collection that would make the Apple Store jealous. Meals have been cooked and frozen, and the last time we talked, my father was telling me about his swim plan so that he wouldn't gain extra weight. I think they are going to be just fine.

Bon Voyage!

Hi! I know that I still need to fill you in on Valentine's Day, but I will tell you we had a great time. Mike and I both learned some things over the year, which Mike has made me promise to post. He wants it to be clear that he did not single handedly ruin the day of love last year.

Today I am going to let you in on another big adventure going on with the Blackburns. My parents are taking off. Sailing away. Literally. I have told you before that they enjoy going down to the coast to spend the weekends alone and away from everything. Tomorrow, they are taking it to the next level. My parents and another couple who were somehow roped into this adventure, are setting sail for the Bahamas. The four of them will be the captain, crew, maintenance and kitchen staff for six weeks. Does that sound intimidating? It does to me!

Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that someone will be living in our house in Birmingham. If you are a thief, do not rob it. Thank you.

My mom and the other couple (who are retired) have been down in South Alabama this week preparing for the journey. They have been cooking, cleaning and basically getting into some Caribbean mindset and island time. (This did not bode well when I called my mom to tell her our toilet overflowed and was dripping into the garage below. She basically told me to call a plumber - and quit bothering her...:-)) My dad finally got down there Friday and I know they cannot wait to leave.

Once they leave, there will be no contact with them until they reach the Keys. This should be about four - five days They will then island hop until they get to the Bahamas. Interestingly enough, the only ones that seem to be worried about this is my sisters and me. Partially, I am worried about this cold turkey halt in communication. Last night my mom said to me, "Jenny, I actually have a life now! I have things to do!" I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Apparently the last 31 years have been weighing on her. She and my dad had big dreams before her three chickadees got in the way!

Of course I am also worried about something happening. A storm? Pirates? Who can know? What if they get tired of each other and someone jumps overboard? What if they love it so much they just don't come back? Obviously, Mike is thrilled that my parents have decided to take this trip as he gets to field all of these questions and concerns.

I know I am being irrational. My parents have taken all sorts of sailing classes and we used to do this for a week every summer when I was growing up. The difference was, I was there to make sure nothing happened! Also, this is a pretty extended period of time. I am extremely excited for them, but am ready for them to be back, telling us what a wonderful time they had. I know it will be an adventure they will always remember. And who knows where this will lead...my dad is already talking about sailing to Europe, and I don't think I am invited.

Doesn't the sky look gloomy? They are waiting until the storm passes to leave. I guess that is mature behavior :-)

Lots to Celebrate!

I can't believe that Valentine's Day is almost here and I didn't recap Mike's birthday as well as his favorite holiday, the Superbowl.  I have been trying to take more pictures to document our lives and I think it makes the blog a little more fun. Mike's parents came in town for a long weekend to celebrate with us. He got to open a present early so that we could all enjoy tickets to the hockey game from his parents. We had a lot of fun Friday night and enjoyed getting out. I still have a little problem with the "Ice Girls" that clean up the shavings of ice during time outs. I get the cheerleaders/dancers/Hooters in training girls outside the rink. But the girls that come out with sports bras and shovels to "clean up" really has me a little confused. Mike calls them the JV squad.

Saturday night we had reservations to go to a steak house downtown. I was really excited about it because I know how much Mike loves a meat and potato dinner. We ordered a 48 oz steak. I'm not kidding. It did have a bone in it, but it was humongous. Yes, we had leftovers. Yes, it was delicious. While the food was amazing, I did have a little run in with the hostess. Being a hostess at several restaurants in the past, it takes a lot for me to get upset with them. Mistakes happen, and I know people can be rude. However, when you look me straight in the eye and tell me that there is no reservation listed for me and "what do you want me to do about it" I am going to have to speak to your manager.

Luckily, we got settled at a nice table with several good martinis. We had a great time with the Cherbs and look forward to seeing them soon.

(P.S. - This was my first double decker cake. It came out quite well if I do say so myself!)

Moving on to February 5, my brother in law's birthday, as well as Mike's favorite holiday. The Superbowl. I don't think he even cared who was playing this year - in fact I know he didn't. What he cared about was the excuse to pull the d**m fryer back out of the garage, go to Sam's and buy an economy carton of oil, chicken wings and fries. I cannot lie. I had an excuse to eat bricks of cream cheese by telling myself I had mixed them with something else. It was disgusting, and yet, so delicious.

Yes, both of these delicious bowls/plates of goodness are from Pinterest. Sorry, I can't figure out how to turn the picture around. You get the idea.

So, that about wraps it up. I do have to share one funny thing that happened last night. My husband has been obsessed with some computer game he found awhile back. I am not going to tell you the name, but I will tell you that it involves a lot of strategy and math, and more work than I would like to do if I am trying to relax. Regardless, at 2 am this morning, I was shaken awake. I jerked up thinking something was wrong - did I oversleep? What was going on? Mike literally said to me, "Oh good. You're up." He looked at me and said proudly, "We (his computer team of geeks/ friends) won the game." He then took my camera and took a picture of the computer screen to commemorate this accomplishment.

Stay away ladies. He's mine. :-)

On the Road Again

This post is dedicated to my high school friend, Ellen Blalock. It is not really about her, but she prompted me to start writing again. In a lovely text she wrote, "You need to start blogging again. I miss hearing about your funny life." I am not going to question whether people read this blog to laugh at the abnormally bizarre things that happen to me - but the people have spoken, and I will write.

I have been in a funk lately, which always happens around January and February. It started earlier this winter so I tried to fill the void with food. This backfired when I tried to squeeze into a dress for Mike's birthday dinner and popped out of it. So I started running again and am feeling much better. One of the reasons I am trying to get back into shape is because my college roommate JENNY DRAFFIN is ENGAGED! We are so excited for her and looking forward to celebrating with her and her fiance Kevin in July. I recognize that I am not the one who will be walking down the aisle, but I feel as though I should look good for her special day. :-)

I have been frustrated because I feel like I have been searching for a career for years. I have made a lot of choices that were not conducive to a long term job, but I am ready for a consistent, reliable job where I am able to interact with people and feel like I am making a difference in people's lives. I want a job where I am excited to get up and go to work, rather than counting down the hours until I get to leave. Is this too much to ask? 

Mike really loves it when I start talking about this. He says I brood about things and should be happy and thankful to have a place to go that wants to provide us with money for food and bills each month. My favorite quote from him with respect to this issue: "Jenny, do you think coal miners come home every night complaining about their jobs?" Well yes Michael, I do. I think that they probably come home happy that the mine did not collapse in on them and worried that they may develop lung cancer as a result of their work. (Horrible argument.) Anyway, last night Mike made the comment that he is not sure I will ever find a job where I am happy. I give you this picture as evidence against him:

While I didn't ever plan to show anyone this, all things seem to be fair game on the blog. How many people come home from the pizza parlor and say, "I can't wait to put on my high topped black shoes and go back to work tomorrow!" And while Mike's parents, and secretly, my mother, may want me to pull an Octomom and start popping out babies, we just are not ready. My father continues to tell me he is too young to be a grandfather. (Keep telling yourself that buddy....) 

The point of this blog is....I am running again.I started Sunday with my legs shaking, my hip aching and my collar bones? hurting. Even though I was moving at the pace of a woman with a broken hip, I was outside and I felt great when I finished. Today I headed into the 70 degree weather and felt even better. I will continue looking for jobs and hope to get things a little more stable around here. We are happy and healthy and I AM thankful for the job(s) that I have. I just want more....

Mostly Pictures

I feel like I can't move on to 2012 without wrapping up the holidays here. After the fire, the rest of our travels were pretty uneventful. We had a whirlwind trip filled with lots of family, friends, food and fun. We were tired when we got home, but I am so thankful that both of our families love so close together so that we are able to see them every year.

Below is the table all set for Christmas Eve Dinner - isn't it beautiful?

Mrs. C's tree, before Santa came.

Houston got a variety of costumes for Christmas: SWAT man, fireman, spiderman, superman....Since we had a fire, the fireman got a lot of use!

Precious Calista:

Houston and I took a break to watch Charlotte's web:

Pops celebrated a big birthday this year! We celebrated with pizza,a movie (Mission Impossible) and a drink with the family. Just perfect.

Houston really liked our present - a one eyed monster shirt, courtesy of Designs By Mumu! Check her out on Facebook!

 I couldn't get enough of this munchkin!

We headed to Birmingham on the 28th, where my parents prepared a special dinner for us.
Below, the grill master:

Mom and 2/3 of her girls. My mother looks like she is one of the sisters!

Mom and Dad

Mike and me - I really loved that fleece sweat suit I got!

Dad and 2/3 of his girls. Do you like how the wine glass is the focus of the picture?

We are back in ATL now...sorry the pictures are out of order...I was able to spend some time with one of my great friends from college (an old roomate) Kate, and her sweet baby Ellie. Ellie was so good and let me hold her without fussing much at all! Kate is such an easy going mom and I am so proud of her!

Cute momma and her baby girl! Kate doesn't even look like she had a baby ELEVEN weeks ago!

And of course, the babies in Birmingham! Who can forget Indihi? He and Em came over for a little visit with the Blackburns. Indihi was very excited because this 20 year old cat sat still long enough for him to touch her. It is probable she was in a coma.

Sweet, big boy celebrated his first birthday December 22!

And finally, Kate and Harper. While the moms and I got together for lunch, these girls definitely stole the show! Kate is upset with me because she was watching Beauty and the Beast before I grabbed her out of the car. She is also wearing jeggings and Uggs. :-)

I was so sad that I wasn't able to see Anna Barton or Vivi this trip, but I think we did a pretty good job! Hope 2012 is off to a great start for you!

Christmas Eve Extravaganza

It's New Year's Eve and I just climbed into my pajamas, curled up on the couch with a new book and am waiting on a pizza and Mike to arrive. I could not be happier.Traveling is exhausting and both Mike and I picked up some sort of virus during our visits. However, we did have a wonderful time seeing family and friends and I managed to make it through my first Christmas away from the Blackburns. Luckily for me, the Cherbonneaus always welcome me with open arms and made this year just as special.

We were able to swing through Birmingham on our way to Atlanta to see my sister, Julia, for one night. Her work schedule was not meshing with our travel so we stopped for dinner and a mini-Christmas. The next morning we got up and made it to Atlanta in time for lunch. My sweet nephew Houston is three years old and hilarious. Our beautiful niece Calista makes me smile everytime I see her. I'm pretty sure I had her in my arms 75% of the trip.

On Christmas Eve, the Cherbonneaus have a seafood extravaganza. Calamari, shrimp, lobster..you name it - we are eating it. Earlier this year, my in laws downsized their house and moved into a cute new one. While Mike was playing with Houston we turned on the bridge of the stove to cook a large pot of water. We heard something pop and the next thing we saw were sparks. Please keep in mind we all had a glass of wine in hand. The result :

Me: "Michael, Michael - there is a fire!
Mike: "Jenny, I am in jail - I can't get up."

Mrs. Cherbonneau immediately threw flour at the fire (which is what you are supposed to do,) began calling for her dog and was headed out the door.

Kristen, my SIL was on the phone attempting to get her husband to pick up their fire extinguisher and bring it to the house. She then ran upstairs for the baby and was herding everyone out.

Houston: This may be the most exciting thing that ever happened to him. He was running around the house yelling, "Fire! Fire!"

(Please note that no one ever yelled for Lullabelle. That poor cat never had a chance!)

When Mike finally realized that what was going on was serious, he threw the pillows off of him (his jail cell) and grabbed the sprayer from the sink. He put the rest of the flames out but we still called 911. Luckily we warned my father in law that a fire truck would be in the front yard when he pulled up. While Houston went outside to examine the truck, the firemen examined the mess. Flour melded to the floor with water and a melted electrical socket. Diagnosis: No power. Prognosis for dinner: Bleak.

Poor Kristen ended up hosting Christmas Eve at her house. We moved everyone down the street, along with the food. It ended up being delicious and perfect. Everyone is safe and healthy, which is all we could ask for.  I have much more to write and many pictures to share, but thought I would start you off with that. Happy New Year! Enjoy these last few hours of 2011!