Thursday, April 27, 2006

Too cool to pass up!

This is by far one of the best videos that I have come across in a long time... thanks honey!!!

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Wild and Crazy Weekend

Adam and I were on the move all weekend... not that I am complaining... just tired now! I thought I would recap what went on...

Friday night - Party at Phil's house. One of the 'fellows' at John Hopkins, Joanna, passed the CA bar so Phil (lawyer at JH) hosted a party for her. This was my first look at being a lawyers wife... not as bad as I thought. I was convinced that in this world (lawyers wife world) everyone would speak with words that I don't know, about current events that I don't keep up with and with an air of superiority that would make me want to hit them. Turns out they are pretty normal. Good conversation, GREAT Iranian food and I even found a friend.... I am the even present animal lover!


Saturday - I went and had 'kitchen coffee' with a very good friend. A friend... I still giggle at that! She used to watch me years ago until somehow we flipped and I began babysitting her kids. Some of my best summers were being a 'mother's helper' to her! Growing up and becoming her friend was actually quite seamless... like it was meant to be ;~) I thank God she was placed in my life all those years ago... God has quite a plan... more detailed and intricate then we can imagine ;~) Here is a painting (a portrait of myself) done by her 4 year old daughter... hanging proudly on my refrigerator.


Saturday night - Went out to eat at Corks in Baltimore with my dad, his girlfriend Stacie and Adam. We had a great time and the food was delicious! You have to love men in pink! Dad likes to treat Adam and I to good food every once in awhile! We have to maintain a taste for the high life... dad would be so disappointed to know that I can put down a can of Spaghetti-O's like no one's business! At some point dad, Adam and I will be treating you to dinner, I promise ;~)


Sunday - went to church in the morning and a Shippeque in the afternoon! The weather was looking very threatening for a while but right as we started the festivities the sun broke through and it was gorgeous the rest of the day! Praise Jesus! What a great time... most of our bible study was there and my friends Diana and Stephen came! This is an active bunch so I think this is only the start of many outdoor activities to come this summer!

And I had to post the Team picture! From the right, Scott, Seth, Rob, Danielle, Adam and me! Ummmm, I do believe Team Adam/Rob/Jessi won both games of volleyball... good thing Team Scott/Seth/Danielle is not competitive (cough cough).


Anyway, all in all... fantabulous weekend! That's all I have for now ;~)

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Khaki's are attacking your closet

I love my husband more than anyone on this earth. That being said, husbands are funny creatures. Adam went to a meeting last night so I was home alone (with Riley the Wonderbeagle of course). I took the opportunity to do some laundry... pickins were slim and it needed to be done. My usual MO with laundry is do a few loads, fold everything then put it away (instead of putting it away after every load). So around 8:30 - 9 I go to put everything away. Inevitably I have to straighten out the husbands closet because there are collared shirts thrown up where the pants are folded, pants randomly folded and sitting where the undershirts go, ect... not an issue, I don't mind this at all because I am the 'neat' one of the 2 of us.

I finish, go chill on the couch for awhile until the husband returns. He runs into the bedroom, changes and plops on the couch to watch Scrubs with me.

We are now ending the night and I am walking into the bedroom where my husband is waiting and I pass by the closet... this is what I see...



I calmly walk in and tell him that his khaki's are attacking his other clothes.

Little things like this make me love being married. Heck, if this is the worst, I am in good shape.

I love you sweetie!!!

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

List of Most Favorite Things

a Color: Pink (Sorry Kathi ;~)
a Time of Day: 5:00pm, I can taste freedom
a Day of Week: Thursday
a Month: August
a Holiday: Mother's Day
a Food: Eggplant pancakes (don't knock it until you try it!)
a Movie Genre: Romantic Comedy/Teen Flicks
a Actor: Zach Braff
a Actress: Natalie Portman
a Film: Garden State and Anne of Green Gables
a T.V. Program: Scrubs
a Sport: not a big fan of any of it but probably baseball if I had to choose
a Animal: Riley the Wonderbeagle of course
a Character Trait: (in others) loyalty
a Body Part: My Feet
a Piece of Clothing: right now, long flowy pink and white skirt
a Music: right now, Citizen Cope, subject to change on a daily basis
a Game: Texas Hold'em
a State To Drive Through: I think all of them have something to offer
a Sound: a heartbeat

The Great Migration to Crofton

It's official... we are moving!!!

Saturday May 6th is moving day for Adam and I!

We are leaving Ellicott City behind for a grander life in Crofton!

We signed a lease on a great apartment (more like a condo) right off Rt. 3. It is 15 minutes from our church, mere seconds from friends, closer to Annapolis which is our eventual goal and it is 50 times better than the apartment we are in now.

Wish us luck and if you want to come out and help move, by all means, show up!!! We are getting started aroun 9:00-10:00 am on Saturday May 6th! We will provide lunch (probably pizza) and drinks!!!

Shout out to Paco for the official title of our move... forever henceforth May 6th shall be referred to as The Great Migration to Crofton...

And from this weekend...

Thursday night... One very happy couple!

Friday night poker ;~) Carrie stacking all her chips!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Prozac for the part of my brain that deals with finances

Seriously folks... I don't like to talk money with everyone I know but I have got to get this off my chest!

Between getting taxes back, owing the evil Orchard Park ridiculous money, Adam starting a new job, signing a lease and paying for a new, wonderful apartment, starting to pay back federal student loans for my husbands fabulous education, then starting to pay back private loans for the other part of my husbands fabulous education, then realizing that we may have another loan in FL (grandpa G signed for that but died more than 2 years ago) and going back and forth from we have to pay that, we should pay that and the bank can't collect on that... I am about ready to have a financial breakdown...

I am not sure what a financial breakdown looks like but I will take pictures...

All I do know is that I will continue to tithe... I never felt better than when I wrote that check!

Also, for those who don't know... Danielle and Rob have spent 6 months (this time around) apart while Rob was serving our country in Africa. He is now back, driving on American soil, drinking Starbucks and coming home to friends that have missed him! Rob had to report to Camp Lejune in NC after his deployment ended and Danielle drove down to be with him. They should be on their way back to MD as I type!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Art

Thought my devoted readers might get a kick out of this art. Ron Mueck

Sick to my stomach

So Adam and I signed a lease for an apartment in Crofton that we are absolutely IN LOVE with! It is gorgeous, spacious, perfect location and right next to our friends Rob and Danielle (hey guys, can we borrow some sugar!).

That is not the part that I am sick to my stomach about... the sick to my stomach is in regards to the apartment (read 'dungeon') that we are currently living in.

Aparently the notification for termination is 60 days and not the 30 days that we thought... which means that because we terminated (standard, not an early termination) today Orchard Park is charging us for all of May and prorated for June at the month to month rate... this basically translates to us owing them $1800 dollars for an apartment that won't be occupied from May 6 on... freaking fantastic. I feel like such a putz for not paying more attention... because we weren't watching, Orchard Park has us pinned to the wall.

Now, all things being right... Orchard Park is correct... we should have terminated when it said (although I will say that we didn't know what we were doing yet and that's a bit unfair to push us into making a decision that far out...) but come on people... 1800 bucks... i am going to cry... seriously, tears down the face right now.

I can tell you this... there will be some choice words written in the memo section of that check...

Thursday, April 06, 2006

It gets me every time...

It doesn't matter how many times I see this or how often... I laugh everytime! Thanks Karen!

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

And the business starts!!!

Adam is officially in business for himself and will be starting his first job as an independent contractor on Tuesday April 11, 2006!

Many of you (my 3 devoted readers) are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about ... here's the scoop...


The Johns Hopkins (temp) gig is ending this Thursday/Friday so Adam and I have been discussing what his next steps should be. We (and when I say "we", I mean I) would like him to have a FT, permanent, with benefits, 9-5 job... however, that dream just hasn't worked out.

So this Sunday Adam and I were discussing really starting his own legal business. Start out by doing legal consulting; helping overloaded small firms, writing briefs and memos, research, ect... Then over time start the process of taking on clients and transition into a full time law firm. We talked about what that would take from us... sacrifice and faith... and what it would do for Adam.... gets to work in the actual legal arena, learns all types of law, meets great people....

Monday morning Derek (one of the lawyers at JH) called Adam into his office. Derek told Adam that, on a whim, his wife and he got together with friends that they haven't seen for almost a year for dinner Friday night. Derek told Adam that this friend was taking on a 3 month case that would require him to hire someone to help out. Enter Adam's name! Derek apparently sung Adam's praises to Jim and Jim was interested.

Adam found all of this out Monday morning and met with Jim for lunch on Monday afternoon. Jim loved Adam and said as long as the client is fine with hiring you, you are hired!

Adam just got an email this morning that said "The client authorized hiring you as an independent contractor on the terms we discussed. See you Tuesday."

The job is approximately 3 months long so this will carry us into June. That gives Adam and I time to focus on starting his own business; the name, business cards, letterhead, ect... It also gives Adam time to start making contacts with other firms/laywers for the future. This particular job is also supposed to see approximately 3 weeks of courtroom time which Adam is very much looking forward to!

Sorry we were so "mums the word" about this but we have gotten our hopes up in the past and we just wanted to be sure that this would work out.

So there you go ladies and gentlemen! We are being looked after, Praise Jesus!!!

Monday, April 03, 2006

You know those people...

that start their own business. They just decide to step out in faith and give it a go. A couple of our friends did just that and check it out!! Notice the pink bubble on the right... the "Best Beauty Awards: The best of 2006"



Now notice #5... "Trinity Blessed Balm"!!! How cool is that!



Check them out if you are in the market for some awesome cosmetics!
Trinity Cosmetics