Aerosmith was awesome!

At least, that's what I hear. I wouldn't know, since I wasn't there.

Some of you know that I was going to see Aerosmith on Saturday night with my mom. Well, my stepdad ended up not having to work, so I gave him my ticket. I thought it would be nice for the two of them to go out and do something together--plus, as you know from Nikki's blog, he's a big music guy and I knew he'd like it.

Unfortunately, my sister and Nick also got tickets to this same concert. They waited, of course, until the last minute to try to find a babysitter. Once Big Mouth Mom let it slip that I was no longer going, I got the full-court press to watch her kids. Now mind you, I don't just mean, "Hey, can you watch my kids?" (Cuz I said no. Like 4 times. I was either going to stay home and relax, since I had opened that day and was tired as hell, or go to the originally planned Girls' Night.) Katey, who feels that the world owes her a babysitter, kept asking and asking. Nosy Ass Mom got involved, too ("PLEASE watch them"). I finally gave up when Katey got the kids into it, as well (Paige: "Why won't you watch us, Aunt Jenny?").

The kids were still up when they got picked up at 1 am. The two younger ones were still running around like crazy people (mind you, they're 3 and 2. They WOULDN'T SLEEP. It was probably due to the TWO birthday parties we had gone to earlier in the day. They were hopped up on cake and ice cream).

I would have had a quieter, more relaxing night at the rock concert.

Have I become boring?...

...or have all of YOU?

Seriously, why is no one posting anymore? I thought about it during my lunch break today (I really did. I know, I need to get out more) and I think I've realized: this is the period of my life that my psychic told me was coming--the calm, drama-free period in which I could just recharge and reflect. Good for me but sucky for all of you, as no drama equals a pretty dull blog (as many people have noted, I am often quite humorous and entertaining when I'm hearbroken and/or miserable).

I've been busy working and Christmas shopping, with a couple of dates thrown in (when there's something to report, I'll be sure to let you know. So far, not so much). I did, however, recently stumble across the new diet fad that will soon be sweeping the country: Nyquil and cake (no, not together). Late last week I caught the most horrible cold/flu thing, so for three straight days I took Nyquil around the clock, waking up only long enough to eat some cake* and take some more Nyquil. Three days later, I had lost 5 lbs, putting me at a weight not seen since high school.

Forget Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers....I'm going to write a book and make millions. Good thing, too, because that's about as much as I owe Penny's at this point.

* Late birthday cake from my mom

Thank a Soldier Week.

http://www.thankasoldierweek.com/

New Angels' newsletter!

For all you Angels (and Angel enthusiasts) out there, there's a new Soldiers' Angels newsletter up, as of roughly 1 am (that's why I haven't posted a whole lot of new stuff--I've been pretty busy between work and trying to get this latest edition ready to go).

It's at http://sanewsletter.blogspot.com/ . (Check out the article called "Four-legged friendship" under Angels at Work; I thought it was pretty cute.)

Enjoy!

Jen

Thomas is home!!!

As of very early this morning, my adopted soldier, Thomas, is back in the States.

I have no idea what, if anything, will happen with "us" now that he's home, but for right now, all I care about is that he's BACK IN THE USA!!!!!! (I'll start obsessing later, I'm sure.)

I am SO proud of him.

Happy Holiday Season!!!

I am totally into the holiday season this year!

I decorated my house and office. We have some lovely lights up. I'm doing the cards. I'm buying extra presents. I'm listening to Christmas music 24-7. I'm even hosting a holiday cookie swap this weekend.

I love this time of year! How's it going for you?

Skeleton Key--help, please!

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THIS MOVIE BUT PLAN TO, DO **NOT** READ THE COMMENTS OF THIS POST.

To those of you who HAVE seen it--what the hell is up with that ending??? I watched the last few minutes like 5 times and I still don't get it. Please, PLEASE, explain this movie to me.

AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE, DO NOT READ THESE COMMENTS OR THE ENDING WILL BE GIVEN AWAY.

Important landmark study.

Some of you may have seen this study already.

A study conducted by UCLA's Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle.

For example: If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features.

However, if she is menstruating or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with scissors lodged in his temple and tape over his mouth while he is on fire.

No further studies are expected.

Because of You.

I was never a HUGE Kelly Clarkson fan but she's been growing on me....and damn if I don't love this song.

I will not make
The same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself
Cause my heart so much misery
I will not break
The way you did, you fell so hard
I’ve learned the hard way
To never let it get that far

[Chorus]
Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don’t get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you I am afraid

I lose my way
And it’s not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that’s weakness in your eyes
I’m forced to fake
A smile, a laugh, every day of my life
My heart can’t possibly break
When it wasn’t even whole to start with

[Chorus]
Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don’t get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you I am afraid

I watched you die
I heard you cry every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry in the middle of the night
For the same damn thing

[Chorus}
Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side so I don’t get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you I am afraid

Because of you
Because of you
Because of you I am afraid

Because of you I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you I learned to play on the safe side so I don’t get hurt

Because of you I try my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don’t know how to let anyone else in
Because of you
I’m ashamed of my life because it’s empty
Because of you I am afraid

Because of you

My friend, the author.

I'm proud to announce that Lori, my best Angel friend, is now a published author. If you have any preteen or young teen book lovers on your Christmas list, I highly suggest checking out Gettysburg Adventure: Ghost on the Battlefield by Lori Bakewell (see below for the plot summary). You can get it online at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com (and both sites usually have free shipping on orders over $25--so buy two!).

This brilliant and engaging story is a great way to get kids interested in and learning about history. As one reviewer noted, "Ghost on the Battlefield blends adventure with history in such a way that children will not even know they're learning about their country's past."

Here is the official plot summary from www.loribakewell.com:

"Kat Rogers is not enthusiastic about leaving her friends and missing ninth grade to be homeschooled on a year-long road trip with her family. She is also not happy about spending time in a confined RV with her younger brother, Brian. History is dull and battlefields are boring, until she sees a figure at the Gettysburg battlefield who captures her attention. He could be a young man dressed up to entertain visitors, except that she can see through him. Once Kat realizes that this Confederate soldier needs her help, she discovers that history isn’t dull and battlefields can be interesting places. With the assistance of Brian and an eccentric lady from town, Kat works to resolve unanswered questions and free the ghostly Will from his very earthly concerns. Along the way she realizes that touring the country with her family might just be an exciting adventure."

Please keep Lori and her book in mind this holiday season! And CONGRATULATIONS, LORI!! I'm very proud of you.

A very JC Penny's Christmas.

Well, I got the Penny's job. They actually hired me immediately and I even worked for 4 hours right after my interview. (I sold TWO PAIRS of shoes. It was quite fun, actually.) I'll be rotating between women's, men's and shoes, depending on where I'm needed that day. Although the money is only slightly above "sweatshop," my 20% employee discount takes effect immediately. (Holla!) So, if I work the sales right and then add my discount, I should be able to get some good Christmas shopping done.

I'm scheduled for about 40 hours next week (my first full week), which is great--and I was even able to squeeze 26 out of her for the rest of this week. Best of all: I was able to schedule an earlier shift on Saturday so that I can still attend Cookiepalooza.

So, all in all, things are not going too badly. I've been in town 4 days and I have a new (albeit temporary) job and a wonderful young man who (he was quick to point out) did NOT stare at my boobs to hang out with. ;) Not to mention, of course, the upcoming reunion with my high school byatches, Kacey and Kishelle. (Lord, the three of us back together again...I'm not sure West Michigan is ready.)

I had a date.

I met Bill, a 29-year-old engineer, for a late dinner at Applebee's last night. It went well, I guess. Sounds like he wants to see me again.

I'll keep you informed. ;)