returning to blogging...

Okay, it only makes sense that I am posting during the week where I have constant Internet access - at mom's. Yeah, that's right, our computer died right before Christmas and I've been only able to get "very low" wireless access via my neighbors' insecure wifi lines. Not very productive for blogging. We are hoping to have one by the end of April. We also turned off cable in early Jan. since Internet was connected to it. We lived a few days without tv -- a very good thing-- and then finally I dug out the 'ole rabbit ears and attached them to the t.v. That yielded about eight channels -- most very staticy. It's all good. We reconnected a few days ago. It was almost shocking to see a clear screen.

Okay...my new crush...just finished watching the GATORS WIN THE FREAKING NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I'm a bit in love with #13 Joakim Noah -- he's way cute. Then I read an article about how he's really into mythology and world religions...dad's a french reggae singer and former tennis star -- he's just a boy, only 21, ahhh well...one can only fantasize. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/men/images/bioimg2004/Noah_Joakim.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/men/bios.php%3Fyear%3D2005%26m%3D%26bio%3Dnoah.html&h=259&w=175&sz=17&tbnid=WuIzt904iHQ_GM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=72&hl=en&start=3&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djoakim%2Bnoah%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Holy crap. That's a long link. I need to get more blogger savvy. I guess one can only do that when one logs in more than once every three months.

So, wedding 151 days away. Woohoo!!! Get engagement pictures from John this week. Dress should be coming in soon. Can't wait.

More later. Must go focus on news coverage of my new crush.
tata.

New home, wedding, and other related good stress

So, Easton and are doing a lease purchase on a townhouse in Alpharetta. Yep, that's right kids, we're moving to the 'burbs. The thought does scare me a tad. I've never really desired to live in the suburbs, but as my good friend Mary C. says, "people do it for a reason." Ain't that the truth?
I love it...two big bedrooms...master bath - dual vanity (no more seperate bathrooms for Easton and me -- back to togetherness!) garden tub, stand alone shower, fireplace, hardwood floors on the first floor, and the best part---the best freakin' kitchen in the world. Those who talk to me on a regular basis know of my constant rage/angst of the crappiest kitchen in the world --the one where I currently rent. It is gotta be the worst kitchen ever -- so damn small, dirty floors that I can never get clean -- prob. haven't been replaced in 25-30 yrs, small counter space, no pantry. I hate it! No more. We signed the papers this week and move Nov. 23 -- that would be the day before Thanksgiving. Why that day you ask? Because I have five days off, starting with that day, and we need to get in before December. Linda and James (Easton's mom and stepdad, and grandma) are coming up Wed. night -Sunday. I'm so stressed. I love them, but with the moving and unpacking, and attempting to cook my first Thanksgiving dinner by myself...I think I will implode. In fact, thinking about it now makes me want to curl up in the fetal position with a pillow over my head.

I'll survive I suppose. Easton went to get our pizza order from our favorite restaurant in the whole world -- Fellini's down the street. I love that place. No Fellini's in the suburbs. Darn. Lots of chain restaurants though. We're moving 22 miles away from where we are right now which is not too far but far enough not to go to the city that often. I'm also going to be running into school kids everywhere since the movie theater is right near our house, and we'll be living a 1/2 mile away from the school where I teach.

Check out our new wedding website: www.jenniferandeaston.weddings.com
I know the whole concept is slightly....okay, a lot cheesey, but it's practial and fun. Tim made fun of it with his bf, Justin, the other day, or so he told me.

Okay, must run for now.
More later...hopefully sooner than later.
Holla back at your girl.
hehe.
Jen

Sunday blahs...

A personal challenge to self: Can I be as unproductive as I was yesterday? Not so sure...I woke at 11:30 a.m., swept, didn't clean much else, made coffee, read magazines, watched taped shows ("Gilmore Girls", "Oprah", "Kiss and Tell"), played with cats, read some more, took a nap, watched another episode of Oprah when Easton came home from work that dealt with race and the film "Crash." Check out this quiz to see if you're a racist. Not sure if it will tell you that, but makes you think of some things. I disagree with the show's expert: Professor Ray Winbush, race relations expert and Director of the Institute for Urban Affairs at Morgan State University, on more than one occasion.

After Oprah, we watched part of the UF game - UF vs. LSU. Of course, you-know-who was rooting for LSU...and they won, of course. UF football has really sucked since Spurrier left, the pompous jackass that he was and probably still is. Then, I closed my eyes for a few minutes and there was a knock on my front door, actually front window, since the blinds were open. I couldn't see who it was, so made Easton get up and answer the door. It was my froleague
( borrowed terminology from Jordan's blog), that had decided to drop in and say "hello."

The problem was I had just awoken from my brief nap, was in sweat pants, a tshirt, and no bra (and believe me when I say this folks, I need a bra when viewed by anyone other than Easton) and had just finished telling E how unproductive my day was and then we moved on to the topic of what to eat for dinner (this time it was 8:30 p.m.), and heard the knock on the window. It was nice to see her, although I kept thinking to whole time that I have to desperately take a shower and wash my hair. Both Easton and I love her. The unfortunate thing was she hung out with me in my dining room and Hurdy (her husband) hung out with Easton in the living room where he attempted to talk about his pyramid marketing thing he does full time. This has gone on between Easton and him every time he runs into Easton and me at any event be it prom, dinner at their house, casual meetings, etc. It drives Easton nuts. They left at 10:30 pm and I told Easton that there was no way I was cooking anything. So we went to the restaurant next door to our house, Cheyenne Grill, and he got some wings and I got a salad. Then, we watched some of Killer Clowns from Outerspace, a really BAD campy movie that he had rented from Netflix for our third annual October Halloween Moviefest. We couldn't/wouldn't finish watching it, so going to bed was the best option.

Good news for today: I woke up at 8:30 a.m., have already been somewhat productive for the morning, and soon I am planning a small walk to Starbucks for coffee and fresh air. I must get fully caffeinated as I have about eight full hours of grading ahead of me.

just a quickie...

No, not that kind, you sicko. Drinking decaf. coffee...getting ready to go to bed. Did my last minute Sunday planning as usual a couple hours before bed. Had good weekend. Won't go into anti-haircut/color cancelling appt. due to traffic accidents and then getting lost. Went to Easton and my favorite whole in the wall Mexican place - The Taco Bar...had my fav. tilapia tacos. Mmmmm...Went to see "The History of Violence" last night. Stupidest damn thing I've ever seen...I felt so impassioned about its stupidity that I registered on rottentomatoes.com just to post a review about how stinky it was. Here's my review: I added my laughter to the rest of the audience during this film. The sad part is that it wasn't supposed to be funny during the parts that that audience was tittering. I think we were all laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole premise - sex scenes and nudity that didn't make sense. Sheer melodrama. Lack of attachment to characters. Bad timing. Bad writing. Well, bad everything. I have never left a movie before with people laughing and exchanging comments with each other on the worst sequence in the film.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY!!

Busy week ahead...have meeting at the Ritz-Carlton downtown Wed. to be our dept. rep for a writing contest the rotary club is sponsoring. Check it out..pretty swanky. Have to fly to Jax. Thur. night. Mom and I need to attend this wedding thing and meet with the events coordinator at the Hilton. Will be nice to get away for a few days.

Bought a few new books...Wicked, A million pieces, Goodbye Nobody - Jennifer Weiner's new book, and The Shopoholic Gets Married. Yay!! I love new books.

On that note, must get some zzzzz.
tata.
jen

red eyeball delirium part II

Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Eye hurts. Took nap earlier this afternoon. Restless. Just looked up Tim's girlfriend's latest article in Might Magazine. Well-done. A very enjoyable commentary on the self-help phenomenon. http://www.believermag.com/issues/200509/?read=article_lamb-shapiro

Read it..

More thoughts...the co-dependency of cats. My cats follow me into every room I go into, including the bathroom. Calliope and Ramsey also decided that since "mommy" is up, then they, too, must be up. Ramsey's staring at Calliope licking her paw while upside down. The glorious life of cats, I tell you.

Was going to look at wedding stuff, but eye hurts too much to look at small print.

Will fool around on the Internet until I find something that sedates me enough to put me to sleep.

Here is my fav. guilty pleasure blog: http://www.trent.blogspot.com/

Later.

red eyeballs...

Well, only one red eyeball, really. Last night, I slept in my contacts...yes, they are supposedly extended wear. Woke up with bloodshot red eyeballs. My right eyeball's cornea feels as if someone took sandpaper to it. Guess I should have gone to optometrist today...will go tomorrow as I don't have freakin' school Monday and Tuesday since Govenor "Chicken" Perdue called it off...Check this out: http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/0905/26perdue.html
The man may be in a bit of trouble or controversy at the very least. I say get rid of the first republican govenor since Reconstruction...by any means necessary.

What have I done with my day off, you ask, besides constantly putting eyedrops in my poor eyeball? Put laundry away, swept the floors, took a nap, read some of The Knot Guide to Weddings, played with my cats, watched bad t.v. In other words, not a whole helluva lot.

This weekend was pretty good. Made Easton drive an hour and half north to go see my school's homecoming celebrations. I just wanted him to experience the school spirit in action. I swear I'm teaching at the quintessential all-American high school. We have turf grass and a jumbotron for pete's sake. The parents raised $320,000 for the jumbotron. Our school is like a mini-university...Easton, of course, only cared that our football team won, which they didn't, of course. Actually, I'm presuming that, since we left at half-time and the score was 28-0. Sat. I tutored my reg. in SAT prep. Good money. He's a smart kid -- just needs to up his verbal score. Then, Mary had her condo. party-- all 12 units of new homeowners and a keg of pabst. What more could one ask for? Here's a link to some pictures.....http://evite.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ynirdwx.3uyhbmi5&x=1&y=-7ex2t7
You have to join for free, but it's worth it. Good pics...except for me which I am using to reinforce the idea that I need to lose a jillion lbs. (not an exagaration, I promise). I actually got buzzed after a sangria and a vodka tonic. That's where practically no drinking on a regular basis will get you. Easton told me that I'm too sensitive when I have my buzz on...in other words, too sappy and driving him crazy, he just labels it that way so I don't get annoyed.

Here's a little satirical Anti-Bush piece courtesy of my friend, Erin: http://filmstripinternational.com/
If you like Bush, don't watch it, but there are not many of you reading this blog who like the man, so help yourself.
And here's a Bush joke sent by my friend, Brandy:
Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing.

He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."

"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"

His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching
as the President sits, head in hands.

Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

Hehehe....have a great Monday night. "Medium" is on. Yahoo.

cheerio.

Sad Katrina news..

Too exhausted and have too many papers to grade to write much. Easton's mom, stepdad, and 91 yr. old grandmother escaped New Orleans at midnight Sat. night to go to their friends' house in Birmingham. Linda (Easton's mom) told me that she was pretty sure that their house was destroyed and her mother's house in another part of N.O. So sad. Haven't heard from Easton's dad, stepmom, and brothers. I hope to soon and really hope they're okay. The Bedfords - old, family friends - Mr. and Mrs. B, their two dogs, Shelley, and Shelley's baby, Lauren (10 mths) arrived at Mom's Sat. and Sunday. They are hunkering down for at least 6-8 weeks. There, very unfortunately, may be nothing to return to. Devestation everyone. Brian Williams did an excellent piece of journalism on NBC tonight. Looting everywhere. The poor man from AL whose house split in half and lost his wife. The news said tonight it is the worst natural disaster in the nation's history. Hard to stomach and fathom the extent of damage Katrina did. I feel so sorry for the people of Miss., N.O., and AL. Katrina didn't discriminate based on wealth, but it surely will affect the poor the hardest. Pray, mediate, do what you do, but keep Easton and Shelley's families, and all the other people affected in your thoughts.