The Great Migration to Crofton is Complete

I have to say that I have the coolest friends! People started showing up to our EC apartment around 9:15 and by 10 we were loading the truck with our belongings. With the boys doing some brute force lifting, some girls doing some last minute packing, other girls carrying boxes and the incomparable Pat working the puzzle that was our moving truck and our belongings... we were on our way within an hour and a half.

We got to Crofton around noon and by 1 the truck was unloaded and Adam and Rob were driving it back to be dropped off!

Here is a shoutout to everyone that helped... Craig, Ali, Zach, Tiny, Pat, Kristen, Sandy, Becky, Carrie, Scott, Seth, Victoria, Rob and Danielle ! I think that is everyone... 14 people... no wonder it went so smoothly! Thank you guys so much... Adam and I have a wonderful group of friends!

Once the hubbub died down, Seth ran home to get DDR (Dance Dance Revolution for those of you not in the know!) and Seth, Victoria, Rob, Danielle, Adam and I danced our hearts out for awhile.

Then we took Scout and Riley to the dog park. After Adam and I walked the perimeter to make sure there were no prison break openings, some tears from mom (I kid you not) and some adamant 'I am not taking Riley off this leash' discussions... Adam freed Riley. He took off running (alongside Adam) and seemed to be enjoying himself. Although after his initial run, he gave us a look like... "hmmmm, what now... I am off my leash but still surrounded by fence...not sure what I am supposed to do". Regardless he got to explore and see a whole new world sans his leash. I have to admit, I am a believer in the dog park now. I only wish my mom could have seen that! She always wanted to see Riley without a leash on (you know without it being a matter of his life and death ;~)

After we tired out the dogs (and some of the humans...) we all gathered at S and V's for dinner and games. Delicious wheat pasta (who knew it would taste good ;~)... perfectly seasoned chicken... some great red wine... and yummy ice cream for dessert, it made for a great meal. And Apples to Apples finished off the evening with S coming back for an amazing win!

Good times! I love where we live!

Oh by the way... for all those that helped us move... has anyone see the tray pictured on the bottom of the smaller table?

It is removable and we seemed to have lost it along the way and I thought maybe it was in the back of someone's car or maybe someone remembers seeing it...

Thanks!

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!!!

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 ;~)

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!!!

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!

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!

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...

It gets me every time...

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

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!!!

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

Scrubs!

I am thrilled to announce that iTunes is now offering Season 5 of Scrubs! Downloaded it last night, thank you very much ~ I so wish I could have stayed home to watch all the episodes today... and I would have!

Work was not the first place on my list of places I wanted to go today... not that I have a bad job... it's actually a pretty good job but right now it is the trifecta from hell (shout out to all Lewis Black fans)... it is a Friday, it is the end of the month and it is the end of the quarter... in my world, this is the perfect storm! Oh well, I survived thusfar, I am sure I can get through today! I am conning Karen to go to lunch with me so that we might enjoy some of the BEAUTIFUL day outside!

In other news, my church is meeting for the first time in our new building this Sunday... I can't think of anything more exciting! I toured through it Wednesday night and it absolutely stunning... not ornate or gaudy... by stunning I mean it has designated classrooms for children, bathrooms that aren't vandalized, a stage that doesn't have to be taken down every week, equipment that can be left where it is until the next week! To us that is unheard of... we have been meeting in Annapolis High School ever since I started going to this church (~10 years). All I have to say is thank you Lord for staying true to us! Oh and by the way... the building, the land and all other monetary things... debt free. Our church owes not a red cent for anything! Trust in the Lord and He will be right there with you!

There are some other things going on that aren't all roses and peaches but I am trusting the Lord that whatever happens is in his best interest... and to the woman that demonstrates trust in God's will, no matter the circumstances... I love you! By just staying true to what you know and believe, you are an inspiration for those who watch you!

Ok, I gotta start working! These contracts won't process themselves!

The Cancer Card

I finished a book not too long ago, of which I won't mention the title as some of my devoted readers may want to borrow it and I would hate to ruin anything for them. However, I feel that I must comment on the book regardless.

One of the main characters had cancer... bone, breast, lung... I can't remember and it doesn't it really matter. As soon as I read the words I rolled my eyes and throught "here we go, some author is going to try to portray what it is like to watch someone battle cancer"... mind you, I watched that very scenario play out in my life and I am no closer to being able to tell you what it is like then any jane 'cancer free life' doe roaming the streets. It was my life... not mom has cancer and this is how my life goes... it's just my life... how can I describe what it is like if I don't have anything to compare it to... now if my twin grew up with a mom that didn't have cancer... maybe combined we could fill you in... However, we would have a whole other set of issues to discuss with you (separated at birth, abandonment issues, mistrust of everyone who lied to us, ect...) so the whole cancer/no cancer thing probably wouldn't rank very high on the problem chart.

I digress...

I figured the storyline would go something like this: character falls ill, sees the doctor, cancer, treatments, remains upbeat and attractive, does all the things that wanted to do but didn't: sky dive, scuba dive, high dive (thought I was onto something with the diving...). You get the idea... live because you are dying mentality...

I kept reading (because once I start... it has to be downright horrendously awful, 'put me to sleep while I am jumping on a pogo stick' boring for me to stop)... and to my surprise it wasn't half bad. The author wasn't far off base... the treatments... the feelings of family and friends.... the physical changes and my all time fave... the lack of the "live because you are dying" experience... Don't get me wrong the character did certain things... letters, tapes, speechs but all from the comfort of the bed. What was absent was the "oh, I am dying anytime from now until 3 months from now... I am going to travel, sky dive, bungee jump, ect... All things that someone who is quite literally dying with cancer couldn't possibly do...

This leads me to believe the author has been through this oh so enlightening experience.

Then I read another book (yes, I am on a kick lately) and surprise surprise... one of the characters has cancer. I think well heck, the last book I read surprised me by pr Only this time... the character ran and jumped from docks into the cold water, rode bicycles through the mountains of the landscape and lets be civil about it... had "fun" with the girl next door. To this I say "yeah, right". This is exactly what I was expecting from the other book. However, even better than just the idiotic 'I can do anything I want even though I have cancer' attitude... the main character was told of a high risk, seldom suceessful treatment which originally he opted out of but then after meeting the aforementioned girl next door, surprise surprise, he decides to go for it. And well, what do you know, it works. How hunky dory for them.

Maybe I am missing something... is there a form of cancer that can kill you in 3 months but despite that, you can run around like you are the healthiest you have ever been? I submit that there isn't... I haven't seen it and unfortunately, I have seen a lot of people battle and/or die from cancer.

I wish I knew where I was going with this... I really don't. I just don't see that this stuff happens in real life. If that were so, my mom and I would have gone to a spa weekend getaway together, traveled to Texas to see the blue bonnets again, shopped on 5th Avenue. Heck, mom and I weren't even able to finish redoing her photo albums like we wanted. Maybe I just never accepted that she was going to die so I didn't think of doing these things.

Behind the picture

I guess an explanation might be nice.

This is a photograph of a video image of my biological father pushing me on a swing. We were in Spain, on our patio and he was playing with his new toy, the video camera. Please believe me when I tell you the video camera was more interesting to him than I was.

At first glance, I saw the photograph of a father as he should be... attentive, caring, fun. However, when I include reality, I see the father he really is... colorless, self serving, and not distinguishable in my life.

As if the picture wasn't enough irony...

What confounds me most of all is how, after 19 years of him ignoring my very existence, all I ever wish for is him to say he is sorry and that he wants to know me.

Well that concludes story time with Jessica, next time I will just pass out Valium to everyone.

For a peak into my day to day life... our Wonderbeagle... you know the one I bragged about a few posts back... yeah, he threw up on the bedspread which happens to be a down comforter, an expensive and very loved down comforter. So great, he's sick.... who can be angry at a sick dog. Certainly not me... until I walk away for 2 minutes to put away laundry and come back to the living room to find Mr. Wonderbeagle himself perched on the coffee table eating a generous portion of what used to be my dinner. Oh God, have mercy on the dog's soul.

To make a long story slightly shorter... Wonderbeagle was confined to a mommy-made prison until daddy got home to release him. I kid you not when I say the prison was for his safety as much as it was for my sanity.

Yeah, I'm ready to have kids.

Irony

My memories of him are directly proportional with the clarity of this photograph. I didn't even think of that when I took it... I love irony.

Trusting God today...

At bible study last night we read and discussed Judges 6 and 7 and then Pat challenged us to look where we were trusting in God on a daily basis. With regards to that... here's my story.

So genius me had a doctor's appointment that I forgot about until this morning. So when I checked my day planner I saw 10am and ran with it... I quickly made my rounds at work to tell everyone I would be out for a couple hours and hurried out the door. I breathlessly signed in and talked with the front desk person who informed me that my appointment wasn't until 11:45am... I had looked at the time for an appointment tomorrow... can it get any better than that??? I had left behind MAJOR work... many contracts and lots of dollars were riding on me getting these contracts filled with the right language and back the client for signature and here I am nearly 2 hours early for a doctor's appointment.

After some self deprecating humor, I sat back, picked up Jesus Freaks and assumed God had other plans for me today. I made a conscience decision not to be angry or upset and to enjoy the time I had and worry about work when I got back. 10 minutes later they called me in the office, I was seen and out and back to my office and at my desk a half hour before my original appointment! AND IN A GOOD MOOD!!!! Praise Jesus.... I got back, prioritized my work (something I RARELY do) and dug in. 16 minutes before I am set to leave work, I am writing this with only 1 thing left in my inbox and that contract doesn't start until April 3, I have time!!!

I trusted in God that His plan was better than the screw up I made and sure enough... He came through ~ I love it ~

Afraid? Of what?

I am reading the book Jesus Freaks by dc talk and I am finding it rather interesting. I thought it was a book about the band but as it turns out it is a book about men and women who laid down their life and/or security in the name of Christ. Heavy stuff, let me tell you! It can be depressing until you think that all these men and women are rejoicing with the Lord now.

Anyway, last night I came across the following poem which really struck a cord and I wanted to share it...

Afraid? Of What?
To feel the spirit’s glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
        Afraid – of that?
        Afraid? Of What?
Afraid to see the Savior’s face
To hear His welcome, and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
        Afraid – of that?
        Afraid? Of What?
A flash, a crash, a pierced heart;
Darkness, light, O Heaven’s art!
A wound of His a counterpart!
        Afraid – of that?
        Afraid? Of What?
To do by death what life could not –
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
        Afraid – of that?
~ E.H. Hamilton ~

E.H. Hamilton was inspired to write this because of his friend Jack Vinson. When told he would be killed, and asked if he was afraid, Jack responded "Kill me, if you with. I will go straight to God."

This really speaks to me because I see my mom as a martyr for Christ. Her murderer wasn't human, it was Cancer but she died much in the same respect... facing her opponent head on and praising God the whole way. It would be so easy to shun God, blame Him, curse Him (all of which I have done myself after my mom passed) but she stuck it out. That isn't to say that she didn’t have her moments but she persevered and walked straight to God. I hope and pray I am half as strong.

I thought this was an awesome video...

Riley the WonderBeagle!

My husband and I are sitting on our couch, each playing on our mactops, just enjoying a calm relaxing Friday night... Where might you ask is Riley the WonderBeagle? He is curled up, sleeping between the two of us. Not only is he curled up sleeping soundly but he is doing so on a large throw pillow. Talk about royalty. I love this dog... does it show?


Riley enjoying some Starbuck's whipped cream.













My boys veggin'. This was our apartment in Indiana... it was an awesome place!












Teaching him Texas Hold'em might not be the best parenting skill but man can he clean up!










Cuddling on the couch ;~)














Constant guardian of any and all neighborhoods.












This makes me wish I was Riley... seriously, does life get better than this?












This is commonly known as Freaky Upside Down Dog... even freaky he's cute!!









Road tripping to Indiana... couldn't leave the buddy bear behind! We stuff his bed in the space between the seats so he can sit close to us.


















I am not too ashamed to admit... our dog is spoiled rotten and I wouldn't have it any other way!