CAUTION: Woman In Progress

My baby turned two yesterday. Seems as though she's been with me forever, though. I can only just barely remember those painful first couple of months. Potty training her. Teaching her NOT to rip Mommy's flesh with those little razor teeth. Reading countless articles on how to train your new puppy. The only thing she ever learned though, was how to be adorable so I couldn't stay mad at her. Wishing she'd hurry up and grow out of all that meanness. (she still loves to steal house shoes , though.) Being unable to do much more than laugh when she outsmarted me. Delighting as she learned and discovered new tricks. Finding my best most loyal friend. If only people loved so openly, unabashedly and without condition. The best companion a girl could ever have. Happy Birthday, my sweet little devil of a baby. Mama loves you.

but I was finally called a punk. To my face. All because I went against a break buddy and voted for "spring paradise" instead of "sugared shortbread" as the new lounge color. What this chick's gotta understand is, I'm not a lemming. Even if I WERE a lemming, I'd be the head lemming. I'd only go over that cliff if I decided it was a good idea. Not because I followed blindly. hehehehehehehe

The same thing I do every Wednesday night, Pinky. Moon over Grant. hehehehehe Oh yeah, and I played nerd, taking pictures of the TV. Actually, that was LAST Wednesday night, though. LOL But ain't he a cutie? His wife's so lucky. *dreamy sigh*

the camera was having a bad hair day. Soon as I got home and tried fiddling with it, it worked fine. *sigh* Technology's going to slowly drive us all insane someday, yanno? But, alas the camera worked well this morning and I was able to get the pictures loaded. Not that ya'll probably really care about my new furniture but it's my blog, I'm excited about it and I can do what I want. hehehehe The couch. Libby's trying to figure out how to get her toy without actually jumping down. lol I've still got a painting to hang over the couch but otherwise it's done. Sis1 says I need throw pillows. I don't know. The couch is cushiony enough on it's own. The love seat. I've since changed the angle of the afghan. Not sure yet if I'm going to keep the coffee table there but I think it looks okay. The curtains behind there still need the tiebacks in place. I've yet to buy the hooks for those. I think the chocolate brown goes well though, right? But man...

Well, I did get my furniture home yesterday. Took pictures to post for ya'll. But...*sigh* My camera has decided to act up today. It may be the batteries but I don't know. I tried two sets of batteries and it just kept blinking at me. Worked fine last night. Today, not so much. :-/ But the good news is...I have my furniture! Yay! Daddy and I picked up the love seat with his Ranger and Goofus was supposed to come help me pick up the sofa. Well, he didn't get off work in time so he told Daddy and I to take his truck. (he was in the car) Daddy didn't want to drive the big Ram (he doesn't like borrowing other people's vehicles for insurance purposes) but he did it anyway. We were very blessed in not getting caught in the five o'clock traffic. It very well could have been a nightmare. But I guess it was all meant to be, huh? ;) I've got it all set up the way I want it, I think. Had to seriously shuffle some other furniture around but I think it looks pretty ...

Rain is a curious thing. It rains more than necessary in some regions and not nearly enough in others. And then there's the rain that toys with us mere mortals. Forcast called for rain Friday night. I was giddy because that meant that I'd have plenty of time to go with my dad and Goofus to pick up my new furniture (Oh, I didn't mention that before?) before the rain set in. Meteorologist said 7pm at the earliest. So I've made arrangements with Daddy and Goofus to have their trucks at the furniture store before 5. I got off work at 4 and it started raining while we went to pick up Sis2 from work. Daddy calls said he's on his way to town but it's raining on him as well and the skies are super dark. Reports of nickle sized hail a town or two over. Things are NOT looking good. So, we scrap the plans to pick up furniture. By the time I got home, it had stopped raining and Daddy was at my apartment. It's not quite 5 yet so we debate the pros and cons of going ahead...

Because I've been reading vampires lately...

My sister used the word 'morning' three times in three sentences in an email she wrote to me this morning. Seriously, her email was a five line paragraph and the first three ended with the word 'morning.' "How is everybody this morning ? We’re all tired this morning . [Emmy] had to go back to day camp this morning ." The reader (and writer) in me wants to correct her but she takes offence at being corrected so I'll just do it here. "How is everybody this morning? We're all tired. Emmy had to go back to day camp today." See how much cleaner, refreshing and less cumbersome it sound when you take out the second two 'mornings'? My sister, though, has never been much of a grammar queen. It's why being married to a man whose mother is a retired English teacher frustrates her so. Her MIL is always and forever correcting her grammar when she visits. So I try to shake my head silently when reading her emails and remember that perfect, I a...

Good news first... I actually got most of my deposit back from my former landlord. Yee Haw! He did deduct $75 though, 'cause he said the yard had been neglected. I can't argue with him over that, though, 'cause Jana no likie yard work. At. All. That's why I shake my head in confusion at those who actually spend money to work in their yards. But anyway, yeah. That was a nice little surprise I got in my mailbox. That almost recovers my savings from all that I spent in the move. Better news... I finally got my stimulous check from the government. Which means, kids, Jana gets to buy a new couch...FINALLY! I donated my crappy one when I moved so that I didn't have to bring it with me to the new place. I've been stuck with two recliners and while they're comfortable enough, there's little that beats being able to stretch out on a couch to watch the boob tube. lol Now for the wet... It rained cats and dogs off and on all day Saturday and guess what that tra...

Of course now I've got the song in my head. LOL

that I haven't given any recent updates on my grandpas. So here they be with other Jana ramblings. Paw-Paw J (brain tumor) is doing okay. He's currently in the midst of another round of chemo. He's had more trouble with nausea this time around than previous rounds, though. Don't know if he's become resistant to the anti-nausea meds or if it's just a natural progression. I know it's been a rough week or two for him and Granny, though. Granny seems tired. I worry for her as much as I do him. They're both at the age where this sort of thing is twice as tough a battle as it would be for ones much younger. Please continue to keep them in your prayers, though. He's supposed to be doing chemo for at least a year. My mother seems to think that his mind is deteriorating. I haven't seen him enough recently to be able to really tell. I know he seems more frail, which is frightening to me. I do see that his personality has changed some. He's still the Pa...

Ugh! I hate paying bills. It isn't bad enough that they eat away at my meager income (yeah, I'm talkin' to you, Mr. Mastercard!) but trying to keep up with what is due when is stressful. Of course it might help if I could actually get my days straight. I just had a panic attack because I was looking at the wrong week of the calendar while thinking about the next round of credit card payments due and thought that I'd missed the date on a couple of them. Duh! This is the 11th, stupidhead, not the 18th! Doh!

Yeah, I'm not a ghost hunter. I just watch them on TV. hehehehe Tonight being Wednesday night and all, I'm a touch excited. But back to reality (not reality TV) I never knew my living situation was so interesting to so many people. If one more person asks me how I like apartment living I'm liable to go bananas. Every single person I run across in the hall asks me this. Daily. Sometimes some people ask me multiple times in one day. Or at the very least, several times during the week. Kinda like those annoying Verizon Wireless commercials with the dude asking, "Can you hear me now?" And do they really want to know? Honestly, do they care how I'm adjusting or do they just lack for anything better to talk to me about? 'Cause if they really want to know, I'll tell them every single detail. lol Generally, though, I just say, "It's hard, but I'm adjusting okay." And that's the truth, just without the detail. Because I AM adjusting. Sort ...

I have a serious dislike for neighbors with kids. Neighbors in general, but neighbors with kids especially. Yanno, that area of grass at the right end of the duplex? Yeah, that sweet spot at the end of the street next to my end of our building? Yeah, that's mine. MY SIDE, dangit! I pay rent for it just like you pay rent for yours. Kindly keep your rugrats OFF OF IT. Last night I had to answer the door twice to my neighbor's kids with them asking, "Could you get our tennis balls out of your fenced area?" It's annoying enough that I can't expect a reasonable sense of privacy on my side of the lot but to have to retrieve their toys from my fenced area because they were playing on my end of the lot is annoying enough to make my teeth grind. I don't ask a lot out of life. I don't ask a lot out of my neighbors, either. I live my life peacefully, fully respecting others and their right to live peacefully. Is it too much to ask that they return that respect? I...

My niece Emmy has been away at a church camp this week--her first. Upon her return this morning she shared some wonderful news. She's accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. To say that we are elated to welcome her into the family of Christ is putting it mildly. Mama cried. I can't stop smiling. This is something that I've prayed for since her birth because lets face it--we are not living in the most Christ-like world these days and each young soul born onto this earth is at risk of never knowing the gift of Christ's love. Even children born to Christian parents and into Christian families sometimes never find their way to Him. How precious is it, then, that this beautiful sprite of a girl--my sweet little Emmy, the daughter of my heart has given her soul to the lover of all souls. Rejoice! My new prayer is that she stays firm in her faith. Young Christians are often time the most vulnerable and I pray that I and the rest of her family are the lighthouses she need...

Gosh, I so wanna go raid Shipley's this morning. Darned MSN! Evil, vile, wicked and lickable MSN featured donuts today on their homepage as this is apparently, National Donut Day. I could use a donut now. My belly's growling and everything. Breakfast pickin's were slim at Casa Jana's this morning. All the yummy strawberry bread my mother had made is gone and my stove isn't cookably clean yet. Not that I really wanted to cook this morning anyhow, but, you know. But no donuts to be had 'round here. Campus bakery's closed for the summer and Shipley's is too far away. Curse the stupid food services for closing the bakery. Guess I'll hafta "settle" for a bagel. *sigh* Ooo, speaking of all things yummy, though, (and this is sooooo not good for my dietary plans) Sonic has .99 shakes! OMgoshness! I totally heart Sonic milkshakes. Thankfully for my dietary plans, Sonic is just far enough away from my apartment that I have to make a point to go there...

Oy vey with a cherry on top but I'm exhausted. This has been the longest two weeks of my life. I need a good looooooong nap. And something fruity with an umbrella in it to drink. Preferably with a shirtless hottie serving it to me. hehehehe Survived another busy weekend but things haven't slowed down yet. Well, not much yet, anyway. Still have tons to do. Tons of things to worry about. None of which ya'll would find the least bit interesting. I'm even bored with myself so I won't list the litany. Got to see some family this weekend, though. Spent Friday afternoon with Sis2 and Lyssa. I finished cleaning my former residence and decided to spend some time helping Sis2 out. She broke her ankle last week and needed help with some chores around the house. Goofus isn't good for much when it comes to chores, yanno. I didn't mind it, though. We at lunch, I did laundry, played with Lyssa, we watched a movie. Then when Goofus got home from work he grilled burgers and ...