Rock Band

While we were in Media for Thanksgiving and reunion fesivities, we started off our visit by forming a band Wednesday night. The band officially formed in Swarthmore, I think our name is Class of '87, and we are from Paris.

Shown below are rare photos from our first jam session. Although we are now split on each coast, the energy of that first night will never be forgotten. Cnn and Eric have scored a tour bus, and are very close to obtaining a jet - then we can play together once again.

Class of '87

cnn - vocal /lead guitar

eric - drummer

ak - lead guitar

jn - vocal / photog

Ripkin - mascot










We had a fantastic Christmas, and wish you all did, too!
2008 is right around the corner, and akjn hopes that each of you makes it out west to see us within the next 12 months!

Is it really 12/20/07?

Sorry for the absence...we've been pretty much away since Thanksgiving, and since we've returned home from the cruise late last week, things have been a bit crazy, to say the least!

BAD:
1. YES, I will need a third back surgery.
2. Crazy eye infection over the weekend, thought I would never read again.
3. I want to quit my job.

GOOD:
1. Ak's mom arrived today!
2. I just got someting from CNN in the mail!
3. It's the holidays!
4. Andre comes on 12/31 for 2 weeks!
5. Eye all better, hoping for the best with my back!
6. I have great health insurance!

As aways (Thank God), the good outweighs the bad!

Hope everyone has a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.....pictures and fun posts to come in 2008.

Missing ALL of you....

Countdown to Thanksgiving

Once again, the holidays approach like a freight train. How does time pass so fast? AKJN arrives in the Media area on Tuesday night on 2 VERY overpriced plane tickets, so y'all better make it worth our while!!

As you are aware, 75% of our quaint blog community will be attending our 20th high school reunion the day after mass turkey consumption. This boggles my mind, because in my mind I am still only 17 years of age! AK has agreed to attend, God bless him. The gals are all a-twitter over what to wear, of course. I am definately vetoing the Sr. prom dress idea....padded shoulders, sequins, PURPLE, and the fact that I would look like I couldn't find my way back to the Dynasty set. I think my regular uniform of black pants and white shirt will be quite sufficient, thank you.

Bad news - I think I screwed up my back again. As I write, I am bound in a back brace with a bag of frozed peas shoved in....LOVELY. Unfortunately, I stumbled off an uneven curb while conducting a property walk on Tuesday, and tried to fool myself that I had just pulled muscles in my left leg. But Friday morning, I got out of bed and fell right down, and had to crawl on my hands and knees until the pain meds kicked in....JOY. Becuase it happened at work, I completed the necessary workman's comp. paperwork and spent 4 hours in a clinic. Xrays show severe inflammation, so it is not known yet if I re-herniated the L4-L5 disc for the THIRD TIME in less than 6 years. I go back for more xrays Monday. AKJN is in disbelief over the possibility of a THIRD BACK SURGERY. My script diet is delightful: steroids for the inflammation, Valium for my nerves, Vicodin for the pain, and something for the tummy so it doesn't fall out from the other stuff...YUMMY! All denominations of prayers accepted at this time.

Anyway, some good news is that I've been consistently in second place in the fantasy league, and my win last week secured me a playoff spot. Here's my profile picture that displays in our league:

Pretty silly, huh? But very distracting to the boys in the league...they comment on my avatar hotness weekly, so it's working in my favor :)


Good luck to Mini Pinf in her quest for Hannah Montana tickets - don't forget to vote for her!

Hope to see most of you next week...maybe we can do a blogger coffee meeting at 7 stones. Chuck's bench looks good for my back.

Later peeps!

... the earth was shaking ...

this just in....we just had a 5.6 earthquake, orgin in San Jose, at 8:05pm, approximately 13 minutes ago!

the only thing that fell over was a stack of cds, but we were definately swaying. I was downstairs and I thought ak fell over in his chair playing one of his games/fell alseep, and ran up the stairs to make sure he was okay, and it felt like a fun house hitting the steps and rounding the 2 corners.

akjn all ok....just another day in CA.


p.s. holding strong in 2nd place in fantasy land :)

caja fuerte del fuego*

translation: we are safe from the fire

AKJN had an unprecedented number of phone calls and emails this week questioning our proximity to the current wildfires blazing in Southern Cali.
From Denmark, New York, Palm Beach Gardens (gracias, Pinfers), Media, etc., friends and family touched base to make sure we were ok.

We are absoulutely fine :) We are approximately 341 miles away, but that number doesn't seem like alot, does it? We are hoping the Santa Ana winds die down, and that the weather cooperates next week for all of thoes involved down there.

Thank you so much for the concern....it means the world to akjn :)

Called Out

I got called out today for not blogging in a timely manner. I didn't realize how long it had been.

AKJN UPDATE

Work:
Work has been nutty! We are currently renovating 10 units a month with new appliances, cabinetry, flooring and carpeting, and I am the liason between the property and the construction crew. I have my own hardhat in white, as they really don't make them in pink. Maybe a new business venture for me? Anyway, I am learning a great deal and enjoy working with these dudes. They give me respect because they know my dad was a shop teacher....they think that is cool.
The new general manager is working out well. He is a sales genius, I am the operations genius, so we are a pretty formidable force. He claims that I am the best manager he's ever worked with...not bad for having a 4 year hiatus.

Personal Appearance:
Late in September, I went in for my fall hair make-over. I am back to the dark brownish/red hair (aka Cinammon Bisque) and got 4 inches cut off. It was quite dramatic the first few days, but ak and I are used to it know, and I feel pretty!

Sorority:
There is a huge Pi Beta Phi alumni group out here - I get an evite weekly for events. I have not attended any yet - CA Pi Phis kind of scare me with all the blonde & bubbles, but there is one woman who contacted me personally. She also graduated from Old Dominion, only in 1966. We had a great chat about the sorority house (still the same) and all of the changes that have taken place on campus since we both graduated. For the record, I graduated in 1992. I am looking forward to meeting her in a more private setting, as we had a great conversation, and she is also an east coaster.

Visitors:
Our buddy Jason (aka Bird) from ODU, his wife and adorable son Zach visited San Francisco in mid-September. They had a wedding up in the city, so we met them for a day of fun. We met them at Crissy Field, the park that has a panorama view of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, and a stunning view of the city. As it turns out, Bird bought a kite to fly with Zach, and we got to Crissy Field only to discover a whole kite contest going on - it was so cool! Kids making kites, kites in the sky as big as our townhouse, beautiful kites that looked like works of art...there was an announcer talking about each of the kites and interviewing the flyers. Needless to say, Zach had a ball, and we did, too! I can't tell you the last time I flew a kite, but I look forward to doing it again soon! We had a great time with them - you guys might remember them from the engagement BBQ. Bird fell in love with the city and CA in general...he's got the bug.







Also, last weekend, Jeffe and his wife Kristin came out for a balls-to-the-wall weekend visit. They arrived Thursday, hit the city, then came down and had dinner with akjn and Mark, then came back to our shack. Friday they went to Napa all day, then Saturday we all went up to Boulder Creek to pick up Rob, then headed to Big Basin Redwoods Park, walked among the trees, then drove a bit and hiked to Chicken Scratch Rock.....it was a glorious day, and we relaxed and sunned ourselves, looking out over the redwoods, Santa Cruz and the Pacific. We then travelled down to Santa Cruz to Steamers Lane to watch the surfers and catch the sunset. There had been a surf contest during the day, so there was a good deal of activity. Then we went to the pier to see the seals - it is still a wonder to me how big they are. And loud! The view of the lights at the boardwalk and rides was spectacular. Afer an amazing dinner, we heading back over the hill home. Then all of a sudden it was Sunday and they had to leave.....it was so much fun, but too short. They promised that the next trip out would be for a longer period.



Homefront:
We finally got our act together a bit, and got 80% of our stuff stashed away in the proper places, and the place looking pretty tight. We've been avoiding it like the plague, but with guests coming we knew we had to put on our big pants and dive in. All that 's left to do is to hang the art, and it will feel like akjn again.
We've had some rain the past couple of days. It never lasts for more than 30 minutes. The plants are thriving! I think we are finally settling into the house thing: the absent/weird landlord, the neighbors, and the neighborhood. Sundays are spent watching the games, which we are enjoying tremendously - what a great season so far! I am doing well in the fantasy league, and am currently in third place.

Real time 8:18pm 10/18/07: ak is on the phone with Pinf, walking him through an ipod restore ... historic moment

Okay - that's all I've got. I feel I stepped up to the plate sufficiently :) Thinking about all of you!
Oh, before I forget, a quick true or false test:

1. Does cnn now own a dog?
2. Does MofC have a girlfriend?
3. Does PPro need a colonoscopy to remove the 20 ouncer?

OUT OF SORTS ... sort of?

Well, many things have happened since the last post, some good, some not so good.

Unfortunately, I am currently suffering with a sinus infection, and on my second Z-pac trying to knock it out of my system. I believe that one reason I got sick in the first place is that I have been working a great deal, more than any of you (including myself) ever thought I was capable of. My bookkeeper visited her native Nicaragua for the month of August, as she does every year. This wasn't too bad except my General Manager had announced in late July that he would be leaving the company for another opportunity. This was a huge disappointment for me, as I got along with this guy famously, and the rest of the staff was muy content with their management package. It was a pleasure working with him. It has been a long time that I have had this much respect for a co-worker. I still talk with him on a weekly basis - Fantasy Football, and all. Anyway, he departed around the 4th, and then there was one.

While this is happening in the foreground, in the background, my good buddy Tom, one of the Maintenance Supervisors, and a big reason I came back to this specific property, decides to take a position in Gig Harbor, WA, at another one of the company's properties, and take his wife, Terry, with him. Terry works part time in my office as my admin. assistant.....so, I am literaly losing people left and right. These are good people, people that we actually left the house to do things with, and their goodbye was painful.

Okay, time for a bright spot in the gloom....one of the activities we did with Tom and Terry and a select gang was go to the horse races up at Bay Meadows in San Mateo. It's an old racetrack, but clean, with good drinks and food. Of course it is slated to be torn down and turned into high rise condos for the SF airport view in the distance. I had NO idea what was going on with the betting, and the simultaneous broadcasts from Delmar and Saratoga, but by the 4th race I was on it. I was not to be stopped: in one race I individually picked each horse to win, and in another I let T&T's 4 year old grandaughter just scribble in my bet book and I went with her interpretations. I was consistant in picking any horse/jockey combo with pink in it to win, and I always bet a trifecta. Akjn was up $160 at one point, but came home with 2 vouchers-one for .20, and one for .50. Good fun, though, and akjn looks forward to doing that again.

Another fun thing.....I joined a Fantasy Football league with the GM guy and his buddies. They were surprised to discover I was a "chick" at the party, but due to some serious help from PokerPro and Paul, I proved to be a contender. I was the scribe, and I am the treasurer! It's been fun so far, and I realize how much more invovled you get with the games...I was glued to the pre-season games, and enjoyed some good ball over the weekend, and watching the 'niners game as I write this. Ak is right there with me, trying to get all these fantasy programs on my phone for me. He called Comcast last week to ensure his girl had all appropriate channels for the season.

So.....I was in bed from Thursday afternoon to last night. I had talked to CNN Wednesday, and thought I would blog over the weekend, but I just didn't feel like it, and then was worried that I might not feel like it ever again!

Well, now it's Monday, I had to go back to the grind, 2 people called out sick (including the bookkeeper), my email was over quota and my auto archive doesn't work so it took 2 hours to sort and manually archive my emails before I could even send one today, had to do the dog and pony show with our insurance carrier rep, and the fax broke. I knew that tonight I would blog.

Take it light...

Oh...I almost forgot! I have received 2 books so far from the chain letters! The first is John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, that was received from __?__ Creek, GA (sorry, threw out the envelope), and the second, Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, I received today from Scotts Valley, CA. I LOVED the Steinbeck....written in 1962 but so fresh, and I just started the Time Traveler. Got an invite in the mail to join the Friends of Los Gatos Public Library in the mail today, too! Karma :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CNN!

XOXOXO akjn :)

July in Pictures, Part I

The beginning of the month found us in town a bit, trying to get familiar with our surroundings and their offerings. Early in the month, we had a surprise visit from and old friend, which was awesome!

July 1 - Girls Day at the Los Gatos farmer's market







Julie & Hannah perusing the veggies




at Campo di Bocce for lunch / Hannah in front of our bocce court













July 4th


downtown high-rise condos from the 60's

lexi on the main drag




Mark and ak













July 9 - Bobby's visit

Bobby is my mbna (now bank of america) buddy who came out to company headquarters in Concord, CA. We were able to get together twice while he was west side :)

AT&T park for the Home Run Derby, having some drinks and catching up

Bobby and Robert Wuhl, our famous sighting for July, outside the park checking out the Willie Mayes statue



Bobby and a rare shot of ak, w/east and west coast battle gear on

Bobby and Jojo

... July in Pictures, Part II, coming soon ...

Jojo's

I just got these amazing pictures from Pinf, as he and Sophie travelled to the Keys this past week. I am trying to incorporate into the blog, of course!! THANK YOU, PINFERS!

What's new here?

I just made sure that the new Harry Potter book is set to be delivered to our doorstep on July 21st....very important! AKJN is super-pysched for the movie at the end of the month, too!

Ak just purchased the iPhone this past Thursday, and I have to tell you, it is the most futuristic device I have ever seen! The purchase was made so that AK and I can be in constant comunication when he goes to Germany and Denmark later this month. It is way cool, and I am already asking if I can have it when he returns :) He did wait in line for it, but was able to secure his line number throught the Apple store via email. They guy behind him showed up with a briefcase with 10K, but was told he could only purchase 2 phones at a time. This guy then went through the line and gave people $500 a piece for getting him additional phones! This whole thing has been nuts, and we are down the street from the Apple complex....very interesting social experiment.



I realize that the weekend I am planning to travel back to Media is the same as the Saratoga, NY horserace weekend, so I may not see CNN and Poker Pro.....very bummed. I can see myself sitting in the Plummy with Chuck and Norman....maybe my mom will come out, too! I am still very excited to see my mom, and the Greek Meatball godson.



Well, we are heading out to the weekly farmer's market in town for some yummy crepes and fresh produce. I will post more pics soon.....I just realized that ak disconnected my card reader for feng shui purposes as he is arranging the ultimate office. I'll get some shots up soon.



Finally....Pinf - Thank God you are okay, and are on the path for continued wellness and health. None of us would be any good with out you, buddy! Call Flash for immediate yoga infusion!



Holla.....

WHY AREN'T YOU HERE? an ode to my blog buddies

Chrissy - it's been 75 and breezy since we got here, and perfect weather for bike riding. Why aren't you here?

MofC - it's been 75 and breezy since we got here, and perfect conditions for you to tan your hiney. Why aren't you here?

Tim - it's been 75 and breezy since we got here, and the Bay 101 building shimmers like a magic palace off of 101. Why aren't you here?

Teddy - it's been 75 and breezy since we got here, and we live in front of the Santa Cruz Mts. foothills which are perfect for 4 wheeling in your new truck. Why aren't you here?

Pinf - it's been 75 and breezy since we got here, and we live down the street from Highways 1 and 9, which motorcycles dream about when they sleep. Why aren't you here?

Well, you could say I miss you guys, it's true. I just wish y'all lived in our neighborhood, and were enjoying what we are here in the golden state.

I can't believe we are heading into July of 2007!

I am now settled into the work routine, and I must say I am enjoying it. I love telling others what to do, and having minions to do my bidding, including getting me smokes and picking up my dry cleaning. I missed the power. I admit it. I love it.

I am approaching the job-thing differently this time. I am no longer "bringing my work home", also known as previously drowning axel in every detail of my day. It's all about akjn when I get home now. I am laughing alot more during the day, and pretty much causing the laughter to begin in the first place. I am taking it light...when employees are spewing TMI, I start the brain ipod and practice my Madonna moves in my head. I drop the F-bomb around the office about every third sentence - you can take the girl out of Philly, but not the Philly out of the girl. It's an excellent contrast to the pearls, pumps, bun and suit. No hose - this is CA for goodness sake! I pretty much don't care. Don't get me wrong, though. I bust it out in the office and take immense pride in my work, but now manage to do it with out all of the personal BS that used to drag me down. Amazingly, the staff is happy that I am back.

Well, off to BBQ in the backyard with the honeyman.
Feeling good about getting a post up...Beeb's buns snapped me out of my dryspell.

CA images

Hannah and Scarlett

Ak's birthday bubbles

...on the way to Boulder Creek

akjn laying on the horn while al uses the port-a-potty on the side of the road

Check out the new link, one up from the top, called GABREALISM. It's Hannah and Scarlett's poppa who is the artist.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AK!

A big birthday shout-out for my Honeyman on his day!

The day will be spent with our West Coast posse; and will include barbequeing, sipping tasty Spaten, a bubbly VC toast for the man of the day, and some THC testing.

Ak's main bday present was the purchase of our new BBQ - The Big Green Egg. Ak did tons of research prior to purchase, and determined that this was the grill for us. It is very unique...check out the link!

http://www.biggreenegg.com/home.shtml

Here are some akjn home views:

back patio

front gate / courtyard

courtyard / kitchen & front door

Lexy's new house

The Big Green Egg

Hot Stuff!

The "Leaving the East Coast Last Supper"

CNN & Timmy's dessert


On Sunday, April 29th, Chrissy and Jen hosted a wonderful party for akjn and Felicia, complete with traditional Easter fixings. Our flight to CA was Monday am, so this was IT. It was a wonderful time, the food yummy, and the beverages were flowing.

I wanted to thank Tim, Ted, and Dave for being there. Big H U G E thanks to Jenny from the Block, and of course to my girl Chrissy-you are the best good buddy :) You started the day a bit weak (jojo walking down 202 at 9:00am), but ended super strong, just like Wonder Woman.

It was so nice to have everyone together, as akjn was not looking forward to a long drawn out day/evening alone with my mama saying goodbye - too too sad. So this was perfect for us, and for her, too. She didn't want to be alone either.



You are Wonder Woman, sister!

I can still crack up at my mom listening to Nelly's "hot in herre"...classic moment! and the Abba!


Well, the end of the evening came, and the tears just busted out...I can say that saying goodbye to you guys was so hard, and saying Adieu to my mom broke my heart. Very tough...ak had as hard a time as I did. He was pretty settled in WC, too, and the cross-coast move was R O U G H. We won't be doing that again any time soon. We are slowly getting adjusted. It didn't help that I started my job on my bday, May 7th. The mover's arrived Saturday the 5th....it was chaotic and manic. It's gotten much better, and we are looking forward to our first guest, Armand, arriving June 1st :)




CNN & Dave (aka Yanni-lover)
Jen - thanks for hanging with Felicia and answering her medical questions :)

Thanks for all of the birthday emails and blog shout outs - they meant alot!

Pinf-thanks for the call...that was really nice, and we hope that you are serious about your cycle trip.

Well, the weather is F A B, between 75 and 80 daily, and 65 every night. No humidity...jojo's hair has been looking super-fly out here!



Mom and JFTB...mom looks a little "deer in the headlights"

Peace out, peeps! I am a little rusty....bear with me.


Oh...I almost forgot...

Ak wants to write a book about the move. Here is the first sentence:
"It all started when the movers pulled up to the treehouse. I watched the driver take out the lampost, which at first distracted me from the graffitti all over the truck."

Miss you Chrissy....get out here ASAP!!!

The State of Things in the Treehouse

Chrissy's Bedroom >


















Living Room >














Blocked fireplace >


















So, you know how excited the Glow is to return to CA; however, in order to get there everything has to go with us. Packing to move is at the bottom of my list of things to do, but packing for vacation is at the top. I think Alaska pulled a back muscle yesterday...I've got him on the Vicodin, and he is like La Liz Taylor. I am feeling pretty abused myself...tired, sore, and girl needs a manicure BAD. My hands are just shredded, with some permanent Sharpie marks to add to the look. We have both vowed to schedule massages once the mover's pick up the mother load at the end of the week, and I'll follow that with a sweet mani/pedi....I can't wait!

I don't know if I shared with y'all that I am employed. I start on May 7th (my 38th bday-mark your calendars), and it is the exact job I left October 31st, 2003. I will once again be the Assistant General Manager at Mansion Grove Apartments, 876 units (with another 500 to be added by 2009), and a staff of 26, and benefits! http://www.prometheusreg.com/residential/mgv/mgvDesc.html
I am very excited!!

HAPPY EARTH DAY, peeps!

You Decide

Which picture does (mean) Chuck resemble most?











Van Gogh's self portrait,


















The Scream by Edvard Munch,














or Mean Chuck as himself?



Submit your votes now....

Roots Ramble, Rain & the Southern Visitor

The Roots Ramble was awesome! The Man in Black at the Plummy and Bill Kirchen at Sligo's were both amazing....my feet still hurt from all the toe tapping I did in my heels.

Meesh gets an A+ for scoring our VIP passes-thanks doll!

We were graced with Pinf's presence.....T&C definately added to the festivities of the evening.

Fortunately, the weather did not unleash itself until the early hours of Sunday am. I spent a deliciously cozy night on CNN's couch with the maple leaf quilt. It was a seriouly slow-starting day....the sound of the wind and rain lulled me into a coma-like state that only my hunger pulled me out of.




CNN and Pinf

THE WEDDING and THE 7-DIRTY-7

Well, it was another whirlwind extended weekend with the college buddies as we gathered from all East Coast points in Melbourne Beach, FL, for Jeffe and Kristin's wedding. We arrived last Wednesday, and by Thursday at noon our first guests had arrived, and our hosting duties began. Ak's mom was away, so we were the master's of her domain, and I must say we were quite the host and hostess. We had all three bedrooms full until Sunday night. Jojo spent Monday washing sheets and towels like I was Alice, the Brady's maid.

Anyway, the wedding was at 4:20pm on Saturday, which was a gorgeous day. The ceremony took place beachside with just friends and family, then we enjoyed a great dinner together, followed by silliness at the local beach bar. We were pretty much pickled all weekend...I distributed ibuprofen and Gatorade every morning.

When we weren't involved in wedding affairs, we were hanging out at Steve and Stacey's house down the street, drinking, eating and laughing it up. We most enjoyed watching double S's son Chase jump and swim in the pool 50 times in a row :)

The time we spent with our friends was awesome, and the wedding was perfect timing for us to see the college crowd before we head west.

A funny thing happened to us on the plane ride home....
We were sitting in the front of the bus, so the drinks started prior to take-off. We kept commenting on the crappy appearance of the plane-the paint was flaking off of huge areas on the outside, and the US Air logo to the right of the door as you got on looked like it had been touched up with a Sharpie and red nail polish. The seats were tired, but for 2 hours and free drinks you can do just about anything. The sky rats were actually under 30, blonde, attractive AND NICE. Alaska told them so, too! Anyway, Alaska started messing with the phone in the armrest, and when he pulled it out it was totally grimy. I immediately gave him one of my spearmint antibacterial wipes to clean up. All of a sudden we noticed that the door to the cockpit was OPEN, and both sky rats had their heads in there. Next thing we know, they make an announcement asking if anyone sprayed anything, and to come forward immediately. I discreetly flagged down one of the gals, and showed her the used wipe and the packaging. Apparantly, the smell penetrated the cockpit, and the pilots were worried that something was "happening". Once the problem had been detected, both ladies laughed and said what a change it was that the plane smelled good, and futher told us that the crew christened the plane "the 7-dirty-7". As usual, we're always stirring up something when we travel.



The gang pre-ceremony














Kristin, Jeffe and Brandon














Newlyweds in front of Ak' s mom's














Chase and Steve in the pool


















Oh, I almost forgot a great idea we came up with during one of our drunken evenings. Basically, we discussed the feminine or weird names that soaps have: Dove, Palmolive, Dial, Lever 2000, Oil of Olay, Soft Soap, etc., so we came up with a new name for a men's soap that's not on a rope: Sack Up. The slogan would be "Wash up with Sack Up". Would the blogger boys use it?

California, here we come!

Gold Dust and the new digits.











The abode.














The back patio.













View down our street.


We have made a huge leap forward in our quest for the west! After an intense week of searching and often being disapppointed, we found our pot of gold in beautiful Los Gatos, CA.

I am eager to host the 2007 Blogger's Convention!