Happy Halloween

I know you are all shocked at my two updates so close together. Try not to get used to it; it may not last. I have found a little extra time to update while I cover the front desk at work. That's an issue I can't even begin to express my frustration towards. However, I am not updating to complain, I'm updating to let you all know that I do indeed have a life and I went to the most fabulous Halloween party on Saturday. Being a little strapped for costume cash, I chose to go as an Urban Cowgirl. I looked cute as did my friend Jessica who was a beer wench and Clarise,who was "Nurse Goodbody." You can go to www.jimbouse.com. Click on pictures and then Halloween 2005. If you scroll through you'll find me posing with Dr. Mindy and her patient, Sam, and Jessica. Yes, I am making a dorky kissy face. At the time, I thought it would come out cuter. Eventually I hope to remember to send my pics to Jim so those can get posted too. There is a few of me doing my first shot block with a carebear - so funny! It was just all kinds of good times and Jess ended up knowing more people there than I did. I definitely vote Rainbow Bright, the Dominatrix and Heidi from Tool Time as the best costumes! Tonight is more Halloween celebration, but of the kiddie kind. I made Emi a poodle skirt and hopefully we can solicit a sufficient amount of compliments and candy. I am excited. Keep your fingers crossed that the rain will hold off until after 8:00 pm. Happy Spooking! J-

Have you missed me?

Hello hello! Actually, I don't know if I even have people who read my live journal anymore. It's so lively and all with my frequent updates and pictures etc. Life is pretty good right now. I still work with immature people but things seem to have gotten a little better the last few weeks. My favorite student, Clarise, quit and I miss her terribly. Really though, that was like a month ago. You know how it is when you get so behind in something that you stop doing it because it is impossible to ever get caught up? Oh well. We'll pretend that I update regularly and you all know exactly what is going on in my life. I spent almost all of this past weekend outside, which is so rare for me. Don't get too excited though, I didn't get any tanner. Jesse and I helped sod my parents new house. I can now tell people that I know how to sod a yard. I also know how badly a person hurts after leveling a yard and laying 8 palettes of sod. After we finished that Sarah and Emily and I went to our first Aggie football game of the season. Yay! I picked to go to the game we won! Poor Sarah drove four hours to help finish with the sodding in the hot afternoon sun. I felt so bad but we were so tired that we giggled the whole time we were together. Good times. Emi was so good too. She was an angel through the game so afterward we let her run around Kyle Field chasing her tennis ball. It was so cute! Her little steps are each so deliberate and she's such a trooper. Every time she falls (or runs into something and falls) she just gets up again without any crying. Sunday we went to our new little friend's house down the street. Lamar and Chad are really nice folks and their daughter, Emory, is such a trip. It is fun to watch the babies learn from each other. We tried to make homemade bubble from Dawn and water, but that didn't work out too well. Oh well, the girls hardly noticed. Emily has spent the last two days saying Bubos, which is adorable. I think I'll get a bottle to take with us to my grandparent's house tomorrow. I also heard from Ben this weekend. He has got some good stuff going for him in DC and called to tell me. It gave me a warm fuzzy. I hope it works out. Currently, I am wasting time because I am covering the front desk through lunch. We can never really seem to get it together with our student workers here. Sigh. I think that the people here might actually perform better under a more hands-on management, but that's just not Kevin's style. Since Kevin is easy-going I think a lot of the other management let things go undone because no-one is checking up on them or no upper management is complaining or something It's hard to describe, but everyone acts like things were better when the supervisors were more picky. Now that I've wasted time I had better try to be a little productive before I go to lunch. Hope everyone is getting some nice fall weather. Love, J-

Interest

1. books:
   Okay admit it..you loved Harry Potter too! Books are just awesome. I keep a list of books my friends mention in random conversation so I can pick them up later. Some day I will have a room with floor to ceiling windows, a fireplace, overstuffed furniture and hundreds hardback books.
2. buildings:
   I really like to look at buildings. I think architecture really says a lot about a town and a person. My favorite thing about my trip to Las Vegas this year was that no two casinos are built alike, inside or out and the attention to detail is amazing.
3. college:
   I am practically obsessed with college right now because I feel like a complete dummy half the time. A two-year degree just isn't cutting it so I am trying to get back into school. Hopefully though, as I am completing my Bachelors I won't be among the people casually talking about how they'll be making 70k upon graduation and that is a pretty good supplemental income. My husband and I make less than that together.
4. crafts:
   I'm a crafty mom. Scrapbooking and remaking antiques and sewing....all that good stuff. Hopefully Emily will be into that stuff too.
5. dance:
   I am a great dancer! Okay, not really. I do love to dance though. I wish I could take every type of dance lesson known to mankind. That's be cool.
6. desserts:
   Don't lie, you want to eat dessert first too. My sweet tooth is enormous! Cheesecake is definitely my favorite, but I find I've become picky.
7. movies:
   I'm too poor to actually go to the movies, but I do like them Cheesy romances, action comedies, dark comedies, super thought provoking. It's all good.

Sigh

I can't beleive I'm actually bored at work. Usually I have a lot to do, but doing payroll is the most life-sucking job ever. Seriously, on the weeks payroll is due I total numbers until my eyes hurt and my brain is numb. On weeks that payroll is not due, I am so tired of totaling numbers that I don't want to do anything. You seriously do not use your brain in this position. It is all adding and data entry. Tee only reason I keep making stupid mistakes is because I am in a hurry - just like all normal people who have to do second grade math I cannot wait until cross training is over and I can get back to my travel. Also, I secretly think Amy is sabotaging me. Well, now that al that is out, I feel a little better. Things seem to be going pretty well. Emily is a dream. She's so big now, with all her crawling and trying to feed herself and sometimes being cranky because she's getting new little teeth. She chatters all the time now that she's got the tubes in her ears. Being a mom is nice. This month promises to be pretty busy I feel like I have a real social life. I have been invited to two weddings and Jesse says we can go to both, so that's a treat. Yesterday I threw a little birthday party for my mom. Parties with my family are so boring - sit around for two hours with my parents and grandparents and eat cake and open presents. Whoopie. They seem to think that is nice, though This next weekend is Mother's Day so we'll do it all over again. That makes four events in one month. This year is my first official Mother's Day.I guess I should be excited, but seriously, Emily doesn't have a clue what's going on and it's not like she's going to to make me anything. It'll be cool when she is older and can make me some crazy macaroni art that's been spray painted gold or something. We have a paint your own ceramics place here in town and I think that kind of stuff is really cool. Someday Emi will be old enough to take so we can make a mug for her dad. That'll be awesome! I got my mom and Beth some really cool vases and I ordered my Grandma a beautiful flower arrangement. The arrangement is by this lady here in town and I recommend her to everyone in BCS. You can got to www.blissflowerstudio.com and see her stuff. It's really original. I even once had her do an arrangement and I flew it to MO for Jesse's grandmother when she was sick a few years back. I suppose I should be out of here by now. I'm really sort of milking the clock (which is bad) and my conscience is starting to get to me. Call your mothers, J-

Decisions and Baby talk

Hi Folk, I'm unusually slow at work so I have a little time to update. I know you've all missed me so. Emily is fabulous! This is my favorite age so far. she can be a pill at home where there's not much for her to look at and listen to, but she is an absolute angel in public. She loves people and basketball games and being outdoors. She smiles and kicks and coos and is trying to wave and clap. All is bliss in babydom. Until you have kids you have no idea you can love someone this much. You just want to break your heart in two so the pieces will mend back bigger. Sometimes I can't breathe I love her so much! It's great. She's beautiful - I never knew I could make something so beautiful. Other stuff is not as blissful as babydom. Jesse is getting more and more frustrated with his job and he sometimes brings his bad mood home, which is not usual for him. I really really think he should go back to school. I think he'd be happier in the long run with a degree. It seems like no one really cares what your degree is in as long as you have one. I am trying hard to stifle my bossy bone. He just keeps looking for jobs with no success and I feel the lack of institutional learning is the reason. Not everyone can tell Jesse is a genius by looking at a resume. He practically has a photographic memory and can absorb info like nobody's business. He's daunted by the amount of debt school would put us in and his current job will hear nothing of him going back. They are such assholes sometimes. Le sigh. My job is going pretty well though. Now that I've been here over a year I see more holes in the system. Working in the business office can be hard because you see all the benefits the coaches reap. Generally I'm okay with it, but I do get a little green every so often. I would love a new car. Getting a baby in and out of a 2-door car is rough. I would love to have more hobbies, but hobbies are expensive. I guess everyone gets a little material every now and then. Jesse has looked for jobs in other towns, which is daunting because I like my job enough to make a career out of A&M Athletics. I don't have a desire to leave. I feel like I am finally finding balance between mom, employee, wife, friend and just Janice and the idea of moving and disrupting all of that is daunting. On the other hand the prospect of living in San Marcus or Round Rock or Conroe is nice to ponder. I just don't know what will happen. This entry is becoming very long. We are planning a trip to Vegas in August. We found really cheap flights and a good price on the New York-New York hotel and casino. That's five stars baby! My parents are going to get us tickets to a Cirque show as our birthday gifts. I am very excited. Yay for tax refunds. Maybe I'll win some money. Maybe I'll win enough to buy a car. A girl can dream.

Pulling it back together

So here I am finding time to update. Now that Christmas break is over, I find that I am starting to pull my life back together around Emily. I think I've been doing better at work and getting more stuff done around the house. You guys have no idea how slug-like lazy and tossed about I had been feeling. I think I may have had some minor postpartum. Looking back at 2004 I am glad a new year is starting. I can just move forward with the positive benefits of what I found to be a very hard year and a half. I think I may have grown a little as a person. I so badly what to say that I think I may have grown up, but I know as soon as I say that I'll reveal what a child I still am. I was so happy to hear of Hava's engagement over the holidays. I love weddings. I saw my Ben and sweet Sarah. I even saw Kim. She's accomplished a lot. A whole lot. I think Dennia and I are back on the right track...I am getting used to what all her attitudes mean. I am hoping to see more of Clare outside of work. I want to play more with Jessie and Justin. Oh! I am so excited to be taking some wine classes this spring at our local winery. It'll be me Jesse, Justin and Jessica. So much fun. It's nice to do something new. I am also thinking if becoming a certified professional office assistant. Something new for the resume since I have never gotten past an associates degree. 2005 is going to be great. I have resolved to get my pre-baby body back and to be on time for everything. Also this year, I am going to learn about investing and baseball. Hopefully by telling everybody this I will be encouraged to get it all done so as to avoid the embarrassment of a negatory answer when you ask me how it's all going. Maybe this year we'll also get more of our house fixed up. Tricia, good luck with your worm garden. It's icky, but cool. Hava, good luck with med school. Keep up the good work. Frank, good luck with finishing strong in school and filling the void. Remember, don't get involved with free agents called Tex and that it isn't pink - it's light red. I hope your mom feels better. My mom ended up in the hospital a few years ago with chrons disease and has been having to control it with meds ever since. I am always a willing ear. Plus, I am a better listener on the comp because I don't interrupt nearly as much as in person. HAPPY NEW YEAR! J-

Elated and Depressed

Home life could not be better. Jesse and I are doing so wonderfully as we come up on our 3 year anniversary. I think I'm going to get him a leather jacket. He's really been wanting one AND leather happens to be the 3 year anniversary gift of choice. Emily is such a doll. I had no idea babies changed so fast. I was away last weekend and I swear she changed in just 3 days. It's insane She's so gorgeous.She's three and a half months old now. Can you beleive it! They've just flown by. She's already trying to hold her bottle by herself. This resulted in a few tears of pride and joy earlier this week. Soon we'll need to baby proof our house because she'll be crawling. Sigh and smile. Work should be going great as well, but it's not. I thought I'd made a really good friend in Dennia but I pissed her off earlier this week and she has made it as obvious as possible that I am scum. It's awful working when your friend is giving you the cold shoulder. I finally called her to find out what the deal is. She just said that I had said something that was disrespectful of her in front of one of our student workers and she was still too mad to talk to me. I just want to cry. I spent all of high school jumping through hoops for my friends and I thought I was finally out of all that. Now here I am again with no idea what I could have possibly said that was so wrong. Honestly, I am really upset that she was mean to me for a week with no explanation instead of looking at me when I said whatever it was and saying, "Hey J, that's not cool." I can't imagine saying anything so bad that it could take her a week to cool down enough to talk to me. She says she may be calm enough to talk on Monday but I need to realize that I have respect her as a co-worker. I am so in the dark. It has also been brought to my attention that people think my boss favors me because of how I look and dress. I just don't get that either. Now I am going to have to be super careful about how I dress for work. Who knew 40 and 50 year old women could be so catty. I hate working where I am not liked. I really like my job and most of the people....it just takes a few bad apples and that really stinks. On the upside, I think Clare and I are starting to rekindle our friendship. She's dunking her ring tomorrow night and I might go. That'll be an experience. I am also having lots of fun with Jessica. Old friends are the best. Hers and Justin's wedding was really a blast. It was a complete disaster, but a blast nonetheless. I really liked playing bridesmaid. Hopefully we can set up a fun couples night soon. We are also planning a trip to either New Orleans or Vegas (woohoo). Old friends and strong drinks until next time, J-