Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Buckets 'O Chicken!

Ahhhhh.... Today is Wednesday. Bless'ed be Wednesday! This work week is half-way done. AMEN.

Yesterday was not all that bad (well, work did suck, but anyway) once a lil' visitor was brought to me in the afternoon by my sister: It was my honey-man's freakin' too cute angel boy-O!

Before I could get my 'Hi' with a hug and kiss, absolutely tickled as could be with pie-plate eyes, the angel boy-O breathlessly announced he'd just been given a new book, Eragon [presenting said book to me]...
"annnnd - and - and - [deep intake of breath] ANNND a new Gameboy game, Pokemon [the Emerald version? or something?]!!!" Lucky for me at the time, this new Gameboy game had been inadvertantly left in my sister's car. So, until we walked with her to go claim it before she had to run to work, I still had his attention, which is to say that later on, once he had the said Gameboy game? - - I totally lost him. We could have stayed several hours late in my office with tummies grumbling until it was dark out, he would not have cared one iotta.

So pre-Gameboy in my office still, he and my sister began to recount their sleepover experience at her place the night before and the day's earlier events also spent together. He had plopped down on one of my swivel office chairs and spun himself around to take in the room... His voice began to trail off and he began to smile an even bigger smile than that he'd had when he first showed up. "Hey, I remember then! OH and I remember that day!" I think he was quite surprised and very pleased to discover 7 photos of himself in frames about my office...

Moreover, he was further dumbfounded whenever people wandering by would pop in and tell him 'Hi' and call him by name. He'd look at me quickly and in as discrete a manner as one could ever muster, he'd quietly whisper, "Do I know him/her?"

One woman from Montreal really threw him off, waltzing right in, hugging him fiercely, and telling him, "You're half Canadian, yes?" and how much she thinks his father is such a handsome sweetheart (I concur!), and "My, you're such a gorgeous boy" (I concur!), and Canada this and Canada that. And then? She asked him if he knew his French and without pause, she began to rattle off a dozen different questions in French, no less. He was utterly baffled and adorably so.

In retelling his day spent with my sister, my favorite part was hearing about their lunch. My sister had told him she'd take him anywhere in Vegas... ANYWHERE! And there's a lot of different places a kid can go for lunch in Las Vegas! He'd been given a listing of choices from casual to grandiose. And where did he want to go?

My sister then shared the following dialog:

Him: Um, let's, um - I want to go toooo, um... [long pause] ...the place where they have those big, red buckets of chicken!?

Her: [Quickly rethinking her list and at the same time realizing what he meant] You mean KFC?!?

Him: YES! Yes, KFC, PLEASE! I've never been there!

What a neglected child, right?... Yeah, his parents actually care about what he eats... poor thing.


The angel boy-O turned to me and gave me this guilty little grin, immediately followed by an explosion of chatter, how they both had 'laptop' kids meals and he loved the potatoes and he ate them all - and - and - and...

And I could have smothered him with butter, BBQ sauce and honey and eaten him whole!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Yay, it's... [Pick & Insert Day of the Week here]

On AIM this morning:

[08:32] Annejelynn: gooood morning!


[08:32] Annejelynn: it's hump day!

[08:32] PoppiesPopstar: no it's not

[08:32] PoppiesPopstar: it's Tuesday

[08:32] PoppiesPopstar: sorry to break the news to you

[08:32] Annejelynn: noooo nooo no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[08:32] Annejelynn:
shit

[08:32] Annejelynn: I totally thought today was Wed

[08:33] Annejelynn: and was happy about that belief

Yes, apparently I've spent only one day working into this week thus far, yet already, I've dubbed it the "work week from hell" = not good, people - - not good.

BUHHT
, don't forget to visit my MS webpage, for my Popstar!

Monday, March 26, 2007

KATI Kicks Ma-maa-MAYJER MS Booty!

Can I tell ya that Kati Trottier kicks major Multiple Sclerosis bootay?
Can I tell ya, just how much Kati rocks?

KATI TOTALLY RAWKS!

THANK YOU, Kati ~ Thank you sooooo much!
And thank you for such an uber generous sponsorship donation at that!

And my VERY FIRST donation!
WOO-HOO!

Kati ROCKS it,
double-time, baby!

Go Kati, Go! You soooooo ROCK!

Hey everyone, let's follow
Kati's most excellent example,
and help fight MS!

Visit my MS webpage
right
HERE and kick some MS booty,
today!


Did I tell ya already, Kati rocks?

Thanks again, babe!
Mmmwah! ~ me!

P.S. YOU SO ROCK, KATI!

Friday, March 23, 2007

Let's Kick Some MS Booty! Help Me Fight MS!

FOOEY! In the midst of working with an understaffed office and trying to buy a home and preparing for the angel boy-O's 1st ever trip to Vegas that's longer than 2-3 days - - He's arriving tomorrow and he'll be here an entire week! WOO-HOO! - - I'm also trying to help plan the 2007 Las Vegas MS Walk and I haven't yet raised a freakin' dime cuz I haven't prepared my announcements... *%?!?#?#

March 8th, I'd created my MS webpage first... and then I had only five minutes here and here and five minutes there, working to create an uber-fancy-cutesy, full-of-details blog post to announce my new 2007 MS Walk fundraising efforts... and then today? Blogger froze and I lost it allll.... dammit!

So for now, desperately needing to get the damn ball rolling, here's the short of it: One of my bestest gals, the most awesome Poppy Johnston, was diagnosed with MS in November 2004 at the age of 26... My Popstar [a nickname for her that I came up with, thank you!] is an adorable mommie, a loving wife, a devoted daughter and rockin' cool sister - - and a fabulous friend, who I love and adore, but she's sick and she needs help, and I desperately want to help her.

And so, wanting to help, I'm registered for the 2007 Las Vegas MS Walk to be held on April 21st, and like last year, I'm working on the MS Walk committee, but this year (minus the crutches), like last year, I've once again raised my MS Walk Fundraising Goal to a higher height...

[insert growing in intensity drumroll please]

I hope to raise $2,000 smackeroos!
My biggest fundraising goal yet!
And one month to reach it!

Please, pretty puhleeeze, visit my MS Walk webpage
and help me meet my goal! Sponsor me!
~ Help me help my Popstar! ~


And if you don't want to use your personal email contact info., please, please, please use mine and I'll happily email your donation receipt to you, if you'll be sure to email me and let me know yours:

annejelynn at yahoo dot com
OR
annejelynn at gmail dot com

ANNNND
If you don't want to submit your donation online (although it's very secure), but ya do wanna give, you can either send me an email or look via the NMSS Nevada Chapter's Home Page for instructions as to how you can mail in a donation! Just let me know ~

REMEMBER: All donations are tax deductable - -
AND NEVER FORGET: If you can only give a little - even 5 dollars or the cost of your next Starbucks drink - it all helps!

Five bucks or $50 ~ Every single dollar counts!

And lastly, but not at all the least:
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
I certainly could not do this without your help!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Deer Caught in Headlights

Um, without offering much background detail (sorry, but I'm swamped at work today and generally feeling uber overwhelmed with the gravity of what little I'm about to reveal right now), I have an announcement:

Just yesterday, I made my first offer on a 'house' - - or rather, a "triplex townhome" - - for $256K. It's brand new, has 1.4K sq. ft with 3 bdrms, 2.5 bath, a north-facing backyard and 2 car garage, placed in a gated development with a pool and volleyball court, located in a popular vegas valley area with '9' and '10' rated public schools, plus a multimillion dollar recreational center less than 2 miles away.

For about 2-3 hours last night, I thought I was going to throw up. My sister told me I just needed some food and bought me dinner from the Whole Foods market... but an hour later, I still hadn't lost my 'deer caught in headlights' look... And today? I've improved some, but about every 2 hours, a brutal wave of nausea hits me.

So much for "trivial," and "pure fluff," eh? Much more to come...

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

AHHHHRRRGGG!

*long exasperated sigh*

That felt guhoood.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

20 Years Gone

I think I'm finally at a point where this date will no longer land me in a fit of sobbing... maybe.

Some years, the day goes by just fine until bedtime.


Some years, it wells up over a weeks' time and spills over the day before.

Some years, I'm "fine" until someone calls on the phone.

One year, I'd forgotten and didn't remember until the day after.

For years, by choice, I'd spend the day alone.

One year, I spent nearly 3 hours on the phone with my Grandma Rae.

The year that marked my having spent half of my life without my mum, age 24, that was the worst.

This year? The day isn't over yet, but I've seen this day coming for several years now.

As of today, my mum has been dead for 20 years.

We'll see how the day goes.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Listen to 'em Purrrr...

This photo doesn't do this moment much justice...
Otis had that lil' foreleg completely stretched outward from my lap.
He was purring like a lil' motor and would kick into 'high gear' purring mode each time I'd put my head down, trying to take a shot.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

All Dewed Up

It's not a sharp image, but I like it.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Not Much to be Sharing

Just an FYI: My blogging will be pretty sparse in the coming weeks. If I manage to post, it will most likely be nothing more than trivial matters and/or pure fluff. Got far too much personal 'personal life' stuff in the works right now to be sharing all that much.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

To Blog or Not to Blog

I've been a Bloglines user for a couple years now, and I think that I just somehow wiped out all my RSS feeds, but I don't know how or why or how to fix it... all I know is that THEY ARE ALL GONE!?! [panic sets in] - - Oh, wait! After having just crapped my pants, nearly throwing a fit, I see there's a message from Bloglines: "There is a problem with the database. Please try again later." WOW. Guess I'm just a bit toooo attached to my Bloglines account, eh?

Speaking of blogging, as of this past Valentine's Day, I've had this blog for 2 years! And a couple weeks ago, while my step-mum was in town, she asked me why on earth I maintain a blog, posting such personal info. online for open public access. I think I fumbled in the explanation I'd offered her, but here it is:

In no order of importance, Reasons Why I Blog:

#1, Simply put, I'm a very silly person;
#2, I'm very open about most aspects of my life;
#3, I like to write out my thoughts and experience;
#4, It's a very therapeutic outlet;
#5, I enjoy making lists;
#6, A guilty confession: I really like memes;
#7, It helps me recall and remember;
#8, Electronic journaling is more convenient than longhand;
#9, Posting to the Internet allows me to do the following: Keep those friends and family who are aware of my blog up to date in a sometimes silly, yet very personal kind of way... even if it is only online.
#10, Open 'publishing' to the Internet has allowed me to find/meet people through my blog who, otherwise, I never would have never found!

Yes, blogging can be a very personal, self-exposed, self-contrived, and self-possessed outlet, but really, I enjoy it and for whatever reasons up to now, blogging makes me, well, it makes me happy! 'Nuff said.

An Important Somebody Likes Me!

As of February 20th, I was able to hire a replacement for my last assistant. And as for my newbie, this is the end of her 3rd week... and guess what?

She still likes me!

Only our 2nd week together, she stunned the holy crap outta me by giving me this fabulous floral arrangement, complete with a very flattering, yet personal note of gratitude, plus a massive box of Ethel M Chocolates (Mmmmm... and those nummy babies are allll gone, already!)

And one thing I must admit is that the pressure's on now = I want to be a better boss, more than ever!

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

It's Kitty Time!

My sweet lil' Owenster - -the lil' poser- - sitting atop the couch,
resting his front on the top of the 'big' scratching post!
And here's my Oattie, who always insists that any moment I'm not in full motion must equate 'cuddle time.' This moment in particular was taken over the weekend I began (and finished) Eragon, sometime in January.
It's an aerial shot of my lap, complete with purring kitty cat.
And Owen, again ~ my pretty kitty in the sun
He's gotten reeeeally good at ignoring his mama's camera clicks.

Let's Go to Mussels!

While driving to work this morning with my friend Ryan, who's flying out of state for a trip later today, I had asked how his night was... He told me that he'd gone to the mall to buy some See's Chocolates for some friends he'll get to see while away, and that while buying a lovely box of dark chocolate, he enjoyed a couple very nummy truffles... and then he said that after that, he'd gone to 'Mussels' to look at dress shirts...

Me: [interrupting him] Mussels?

Him: [looking at me, completely stumped] - Um, ohhh no - - um, I meant Macy's. I went to Macy's.

Me: Macy's? vs. Mussels? how the..? [followed by blow out laughter]

Him: I guess Truffles + Macy's = Mussels? [followed by mutual blow out laughter]

Monday, March 05, 2007

'God Only Knows'... what the Beach Boys Mean to Me

Very last minute this past Saturday, I was graced with 3 tickets to the Beach Boys concert at the Luxor. Knowing they would thoroughly appreciate the experience (and not mock me for my love of the Beach Boys!), I asked my aunt Radeane and uncle Jim to come along - - and we had soooo much fun! Ya know, silly 'dancing and singing and giggling' kind of fun!

Great BB Concert Moments of Personal Note:

1) During 'Surfer Girl,' hundreds of audience members produced lit cell phone LCDs, waving them high, back and forth above their heads, instead of lit cigarette lighters. I was laughing my head off at this cop-out, yet creative baby boomer approach - - and yet produced my own cell phone in kind!

2) I happily cried big fat tears during 'God Only Knows;' one of my very favorite BB songs written by Brian Wilson.

3) The second time I called my father was for 'Good Vibrations' (there was also a later third and a fourth call), and he stayed on the phone to listen to the entire song, plus one = over 6 minutes. [SEMI-RELATED TANGENT: Other concerts during which I've called my father on my cell phone in order 'to share' my glee: Bjorn Again, Paul McCartney, Journey and I'm sure there's others I just can't recall right now
. END OF TANGENT]

WHY I LOVE THE BEACH BOYS: #1) The Beach Boys = a gazillion childhood memories involving both of my parents, several summers on Bear Lake in Idaho, several aunts and uncles, and several Jacobson cousins (one of which I also called on my cell during the concert); #2) When I was in 5th grade, I sang in a BB-themed choral concert, and I knew all the lyrics before our rehearsals began; #3) For 'California Girls,' sung by the 6th grade boys, I walked across the stage as the 'Northern Girl'; #4) I sooo love Beach Boy harmonies; #5) I appreciate their generally 'happy-go-lucky' music; and lastly, but not least, #6) I'm a BIG, FAT SAP!

Thursday, March 01, 2007

"..It's a Thinking Problem"

I'm not a watcher of Craig Ferguson all that much, but I saw this one and he's made some very valid and valuable points.... This clip is over 12 minutes long, but I think it's an important, poignant message re: alcoholism and the inappropriate, yet rampant and popular public ridicule of public figures in the U.S..