iSad

RIP 1955-2011

Thanks for making AKJN's lives more wonderful than we ever could have imagined!

OLIVER KITTY

This is our pretend pet, Oliver Kitty, in the garage on top of the car.  (When you say Oliver's name, you have to sing it to the Beatles "Eleanor Rigby").

Oliver lives next door in a very busy household, so he visits us every few days to chill out.  When he was a little bitty thing 4 years ago, he actually got stuck in our garage, and we think that has stayed with him.  We always leave our garage door cracked open, and he just strolls right in.  He is so friendly, likes to be held, and I got a kiss on the chin from him last night!  He has his own water dish out back, and we are trying so hard not to give him any treats, although Axel totally does not follow that rule!!

Axel adores Oliver!  Oliver finds Axel's computer stuff in the garage and upstairs office very fascinating.  He likes our office and dining room chairs.  He is totally comfy in our house, and loves to prance on the stairs. We are completely pet deprived, so Oliver is filling a big hole for us.  We are actually at the point of possibly considering owning a cat, but we've got a good gig going with the our sweetie Oliver, so we're still a two human household....for now!

Have a great week, peeps!!

Relax in Your Slacks, Honey!

This excellent advice was written in a note to me from Chrissy's mom, and I think it is my new motto!!  I've used it out a few times, now, and have gotten great reactions from it!  Always smiles, and ususally a chuckle, too.  Thanks, Bootie, for being a great pen pal!

My fantasy draft took place last Sunday, and the NFL gloriously started on Thursday night!  I just have to make a few tweaks here and there, and hopefully I'll have a great season.  I am so excited to watch the Eagles this year, and am hoping against hope that they can go all they way. 

Finally, I did something that I should have done a long time ago - I joined my local sorority alumni club.  I went to a Meet and Greet on Wed. night at the home of a woman who actually went to Old Dominion, too!  It is a great group of ladies, all ages, and they get together at least once a month,  if not more.  I felt very at home - I was so nervous driving there, like a teenager on a first date!  I am looking forward to next Thursday, which is the first official meeting.  After the ladies heard about some of the things I make and do, I was put in charge of making the nametags - 80 of them!  I am totally excited, and can't wait to get my laminator fired up!  Like I said, I should have done this a long time ago!  Here is a pic of us - don't you just love my devil eyes???!!!

Ok - that's all for now. I need to shake the sinus + upper chest infection I got going on.  I love Cali, but everything is in bloom ALL the time, so your allergies are always doing something to you.  
Later, peeps!

AKJN, circa 1990 / IRENE

OMG - this was 21 years ago!!!!   The hippie look was definately not the best for me!!  That necklace is hideous!  Also notice that I am drinking a wine cooler.....that was probably the last Bartles & James I ever drank.  Axel looks totally normal, and I think we actually have the shirt and the jeans, and they still fit him!  What a cutie :)  So this is about 5 years before we got together.

This was taken at a birthday party for our college friend Lucy, and it was at her boyfriend Buck's house in Virginia Beach.  His house was so cool - the backyard was all tiki huts, dense palm foliage, lights in the trees - we always thought it was an old Magnum P.I. set.  Those were the days - no cares, no worries! 

Our friend Dean forwarded this picture to us over the weekend.  In college, we used to see the band Rare Daze pretty much every weekend. We were all friends, and had a huge group that would all hang together.  One of the gals, Robin, was smart enough to take pictures of everything back then, and has been posting them on Facebook.  As we don't FB here, Dean keeps us posted on the college gang, and forwards pictures like this one to us.  Neither Axel or I had ever seen this picture before, so it was so fun to look at it together, and (surprisingly) actually remember details of that night!  We both remember eating chocolate chip cookies with pot in them that night, and how awful they were!  It was like biting into grass clippings.  Still ate them :)

Current events:

I had to continuously take Xanax over the weekend - I was so worried about Irene, and all of our peeps up and down the East Coast.  Of course I was mostly concerned about my mom, and sort of raised her anxiety level, too, as I rattled off all the things she should be doing with each phone call.  By Sunday morning, I was a real wreck.  I was sneaking watching the Weather Channel and CNN - anythime Axel came in a room I was watching the storm coverage, he turned the channel and take the remote from me!  On Sunday, I called mom at 9am (6am Cali time) immediately upon waking, prior to having coffee, and I still don't remember what I was saying to her.....Axel was telling me to put down the phone, while my mom was telling me to get my coffee.  Within 5 minutes, Axel had me tucked in bed with my coffee, tissues and Opus doll, and held my hand while I blubbered for  a little bit.  He assured me everything would be okay, and that mom would be fine.  Why is he so smart?  Mom was completely fine - a tiny bit of water in the basement, but superstar Raymond went over and took care of it for her Monday.  Thanks, Ray!

Latest movies:

Thor - we watched it last night.  I loved it!  The actor playing Thor is young, blonde and buff, and Natalie Portmen is really cute in the movie - total non-serious role.  We gave it 2 thumbs up.

The Tillman Story -  I read 2-3 books on Patrick Tillman last year, mainly because he was from this area.  I was completely familiar with the story while watching, but Axel was blown away by the story.  I totally recommend this movie, but it's not a "feel good" story.

Peace Out, peeps!  So glad everyone got through Irene okay - you guys have been getting bitch slapped on the East Side lately!

Happy Birthday Chrissy / A Picture Tribute

Today is a great day to start posting again, as it is Chrissy's birthday!

Happy birthday, doll!

As a special treat, I have unearthed pictures from our 1995 summer in Stone Harbor, and our Hummer Hut rental. This is for you, Chris :)

Enjoy and have a FABULOUS DAY!!!!!!