It's out to get me,

I would love to catch a break in this house right about now. I'm not talking about chores or house work or anything... I'm talking about the house itself! The night we moved we discovered that the fridge was broken. Lovely. Luckily maintenance considers that an emergency and sent someone out. After initially telling me it was all my fault, the tech took the motor back to the shop and returned with a huge apology and a brand new fridge. Does it stop there? Oh no... Im just getting warmed up.

The spiders are ridiculous. Not just huge, but by the plenty! All the black widows and brown recluses' you could want. I even had one spring out from under the folded pillow cases on my night stand. We sprayed for them after we bought some stuff that came highly recommended. Wouldn't ya know, it didn't work. Just light night, a quarter size brown recluse charged me as I folded laundry on the floor. My trusty flip flop took care of that funny business.

There are vents in each bathroom, as in most bathrooms anymore. The difference with ours is that when you turn it on, it sounds like you just started up a '67 Nova in the bathroom. If that were actually the case, I might not complain. So if I am in the downstairs bathroom, and the kids are in the living room, I cannot hear a DARN thing. Then when Boats has his man time in the bathroom, the vent has to run forever and you have to jack up the volume on the TV to hear over it!

On the same note, the air conditioner is crazy loud too. At our old house, you could hear the unit kick on and the air blowing out a bit, but nothing disruptive. The unit is so loud, I actually do everything I can to avoid turning it on at all! At least it cools the house down fast and I can shut it off.

Then there is the hall closet door. It is a bi-fold door, and a few days after moving in Bug opened it to get her shoes out. The whole dang thing fell OFF the hinges and on top of HER!! That call to maintenance was not so nice, but at least the girl on the other end was very understanding as to why I was so ticked. The guy came out and fixed it and said he was going to order a new door because our was busted (duh) but we never heard anything else about it. Today it fell off again. Luckily I was the one opening it and I caught it before it actually fell. But really??!? Come on! Give a girl a break. I don't want to call and give them this crazy long list, but lets be real here... they are getting a crap ton of money in rent, the least they can do is a few upgrades and make sure there are not life threatening bugs in the house!!

So while I am loving getting my Cali color back in the 80+ degree weather, I would also enjoy having a house that will not make me go gray before I turn 26 next month! Once I get a little more time, Ill put up some photos of the house :) Even if it hates me, I still made it all purdy on the inside.

Mrs. J.

Something missing?

I have been toying with the idea of deleting this blog and starting fresh. Fact is... I'm too lazy to start over entirely. Maybe not 'lazy', more like too busy. Between school, a cross country move, getting settled into a new house, and the daily in and out of taking care of kids and my marriage... I'm exhausted by the end of the day! So instead, I decided to remove some of the more negative postings on here and to work harder to not put things out there that not everyone needs to know about. Simple as that. It's something I have said a hundred times, but I have a hard time enforcing it on myself when I get flustered or feel like venting. I seem to always bring it here, and that is something I never wanted for my blog. So if it looks like some posts are missing... they are.

With that said, on to a quick update. We moved into our house one week ago today! We are still getting settled, but it is just about done. Boats checked into his command today (boo!) but I know he needs to be back in his element. He loves what he does and has greatly missed it the last few years in Great Lakes. I'm ready for him to come home smelling like the ship again. Weird, I know... but it's the little things we forget about that I have grown to have an appreciation for. I am anxious to put the finishing touches on our home over the next few days and have some sort of order back in all of our lives. Not being on a structured schedule has really messed with the kids. We got lucky though and we have neighbors that have two kids the same age and gender as Bubba and Bug, so they have been playing their little hearts out! I love the days they have played so hard, they come in for dinner and they are ASKING to go to bed right after, haha. Don't need to ask me twice!

Now that I have reminded myself of how much I have to do, I am gonna end it here. I am hoping to find time to add some photos soon and doing a mini revamp of the blog. I need to open up my windows and blinds to enjoy the 70's today while I get my neat freak on! :) Have a great week, friends!

We lost. He has been taken home...

Though I would like to be blogging about something light hearted right now or about the road trip to CA thus far, I can't. It is with a sad heart that I have to say goodbye to a amazing and talented man who is no longer with us.

Nic Hagg was an extremely talented guitarist who I first knew in the band Chasin Mason out of Wisconsin. More recently he started up with a band called Bar Keep who was about to relocate to Nashville, TN. I received the news yesterday from Mindy. I hadn't spoken with Nic recently, which is of course now a regret. Nic was a kind and funny guy who was always looking for the biggest things out of life. He lived big, and it showed in all the lives the touched with his music. He was always great for a heart to heart conversation, a motivational pep talk, great music, and on occasion (well... more than just occasionally, haha!) a raunchy pick up line! No doubt, he could make anyone smile. His life was just kicking off with a great career on the horizon and engaged to the woman he loved, who I hear was the best thing to ever happen to him. Nic will be missed by his friends, family and fans.

After hearing about how he passed away, something strange but equally amazing happened. I was about 4 hours into my drive to Louisville, KY to visit with my sister for a night en route to CA. All day I had been listening to my iPod. I just when to my total music list and hit shuffle. Almost 300 songs worth. On my iPod I have 5 Chasin Mason songs. All day I not heard one of their songs come up yet. Right after the the text came through explaining the cause of death, the very next song was one by Chasin Mason. So was the next one. And the next. Three in a row from the band I knew him with. I know it was coincidence, but still. It was almost like he was reminding me of what is was he loved to do and that a part of him will always be around when we need a smile in his memory. The good times I had at all the shows I went to where he performed are innumerable and invaluable. That is how I will remember him. Though we will never be able to see him in another live performance, his recorded music will always be a light to his memory.

Nic,
I know I will never fully understand the extent of the pain you have experienced in your life, but you should know that so many people are mourning your passing. You touched so many more lives than I think you realized and your bad boy image on stage will be missed. Probably more by the ladies than the fellas, but I'm sure thats how you prefer it! Your memory will always be illuminated with the musical art you left behind and permanently imprinted on the hearts of those closest to you. So cheers to you, the life that was cut short, and to those left behind trying to figure out how to carry on. My heart is with them, and my prayers are with you. I can just see you know up in heaven trying to school Jesus on the proper look for a country bad boy and sharing with Him the talents that he blessed you with. His arms are around you and your pain is no more. I look forward to seeing your smiling face when it is my time to be called home. Save a dance for me! Rest in peace, 'Ol Nic.