JustJessie

All About Jeff

Genesis over at Expat Mom tagged me for the "All About My Man" meme.  You all know a lot about Jeff already, but it still looked like fun!

1. Who is your man? Jeff

2. How long have you been together? 12.5 years

3. How long dated? 2.5 years

4. How old is your man? Ooooold.  Just kidding.  He's 36.

5. Who eats more? Jeff!  At least that's what I tell myself. :)

6. Who said “I love you” first? Um, yeah.  That'd be me.  He responded with a very heartfelt, "I care about you, too."  Sheesh.

7. Who is taller? Jeff.  He's 6'2 and I'm 5'6

8. Who sings better? That depends on who you're asking.  I'd say me, but he would say him.

9. Who is smarter? Jeff, in all the useful ways.  He's very logical, business-minded, future-minded.

10.  Whose temper is worse? Probably about equal.

11. Who does the laundry? Yers trooly.

12. Who takes out the garbage? He does, cause he luvs me so, and I HATE dealing with the garbage.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me

14. Who pays the bills? Me

15. Who is better with the computer? I'd say Jeff.  He can sit down and figure things out, where I just get stuck.

16. Who mows the lawn? He does, and that's saying a lot.  We don't so much have a lawn as a football field.

17. Who cooks dinner? Usually me, but Jeff helps out.

18. Who drives when you are together? Always Jeff.  My driving makes him crazy!

19. Who pays when you go out? Hmm, let's see.  Since I haven't contributed to the family coffers since Grayson was a baby, Jeff usually foots the bill.

20. Who is most stubborn? Me

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me.  We figured out a LONG time ago, that if I apologize for my part of an argument, the whole thing blows over much more quickly!

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine.  I'm over there  a LOT when Jeff is at work or at a work function.  We see both sets fairly often, though.

23. Who kissed who first? Uh, last time I checked, it takes two.  BUT I GOTTA TELL YOU THIS STORY!  The first time Jeff and I kissed, I had my pager in my front pocket, set on vibrate.  As soon as he pulled me to him and kissed me, the pager started to go off!  He said that either I was a REALLY good kisser, or my pager was going off. :D

24. Who asked who out? Jeff asked me.  New Year's Eve, 1995 he asked me out.  I left my BOYFRIEND'S house, and met him at Applebee's.  After that night, I knew he really liked me, and switched boyfriends.

25. Who proposed? Jeff.  Down on one knee, and the whole nine yards.  We both cried... it was so sweet.

26. Who is more sensitive? Me

27. Who has more friends? Jeff.  I'm an introvert, so I meet lots of people, but very rarely allow them to become my friends.

28. Who has more siblings? Me.  I have 2 older brothers, and he has 1 older sister.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? Jeff.  We're very traditional that way.  I make most of the mundane decisions, but his word is final.   I know, I know, where was I when women's lib came knocking?  I was in a happy marriage, that's where.

Okay, now I tag Megan, Arizaphale, Chris, and DeeDee.  Chris, change yours to All About My Lady, of course. :)

Bloggy Lurve

I got tagged for this, and it made me a little uncomfortable at first.  I wasn't sure if it was some virus spreading thing or something.  Now I see that everyone else is doing it, and that has always seemed like a good enough excuse for me before, so here I go...

Start Copying Here*

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)
It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! The benefits of Viral Linking:
- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
- Increase your Google PageRank fast
- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
- Build your community
- Make new friends!
The Strategist Notebook ~ Link Addiction ~ Ardour of the Heart ~ When Life Becomes a Book ~ The Malaysian Life ~ Yogatta.com ~ What goes under the sun ~ Roshidan’s Cyber Station ~ Sasha says ~ Arts of Physics ~ And the legend lives ~ My View, My Life ~ A Simple Life ~ Juliana RW ~ Mom Knows Everything ~ Beth & Cory’s Mom ~ A Mind Forever Voyaging~ enjoying the ride ~ Jennifer’s thoughts ~ Mom of 3 Girls ~ Amanda ~ Don’t Make Me Get The Flying Monkeys ~ ExPat Mom ~ Just Jessie ~ Wilson Six ~ Sandier Pastures ~ Burnt Offerings ~ Over the Moon with Joy ~ Are We There Yet Mom ~ Facipiers and Stinky Toes ~ Fleeting Moments ~ Chris in Oxford ~ Foolery ~ Now where did I put that flaming sword ~ An Island Life

*Stop Copying*

Meme-mania

Okay, I have been a real spoiled sport of late.  I haven't been playing along with the memes I've been tagged for.  It's not because I don't like them, I actually sort of enjoy them.  It's just that... I'M LAZY!! All that copying and pasting and thinking seems like a lot of work.  Well, if I can remember what they were and find what the questions were again, I'm going to do them. 

First of all, Genesis tagged me for the Weekend in Your City meme.  I've been putting this one off because there's just not that much to do here.  Because of that fact, I'm including the city next to mine!  Instead of tagging a bunch of folks for every meme, I'll do one per.  For this one, I tag CHRIS! 

Best Place to Eat: Our favorite place to eat right now is Surin in Madison.  We love their sushi, and they aren't so busy that you have to wait forever to get in.  There are a lot of trendier and more expensive places to go, but this one is our fave.

Best Shopping Mall:  Hmm... I'm not big on malls, so this one is hard.  There's a new shopping center that I love to walk around in called Bridge Street Towne Center ("towne" with an "e" in Madison, AL.  No, I'm not joking).  It's very pretty, and it's got a lot of great shops.  It's just that their prices don't exactly mesh with a young couple, two kids, and a budget!  Know what I mean, jellybean?

Famous Landmark:  Um, well, we used to have the Chicken Tree.  It was right next to the interstate, and the way the utility company trimmed back the limbs, it looked just like a giant green chicken on the side of the road.  It's gone now, so I guess we don't have a landmark.

Best Tourist Attraction:  That would be the Space and Rocket Center.  It's got a bunch of rockets that have actually been in space and a big shuttle (replica I think), IMAX theatre, rides, and all that jazz. It's fun... once.

Entertaining the Kids:  Weather permitting, our favorite place to entertain the kids is at Rhodes Ferry Park.  It's just a plain ol' playground, but there's a train track that runs right beside it, and the engineers will usually stop their train and toot the horn for all the awestruck little boys watching.  It's also right across from the harbor, so there are always boats going by.  Occasionally a big riverboat will dock there as well.  If you've seen a pic of my kids at the park, chances are good it was taken at this one!

Breathtaking Views:  Yikes.  I'm not sure you can find a breathtaking view anywhere around here.  The original city plans for Decatur surely had the words "ugly", "industrial", and "mud" written in them somewhere.

Popular Outdoor Activity:  I would say fishing.  Yup, we're country folks I guess.  My town is surrounded by the river and anytime of year you can find somebody fishing.  As a matter of fact, I haven't been in ages, and this is making me want to call up my big brother and head under the bridge!

Whew!  One down.  I was tagged for the next one by Chris, and I tag Genesis.  I don't think this one has a name, so I'll just jump right in.

Five things 25-year-old Jessica didn’t see coming

• Jonathan Grant
• thirty pounds (and I don't mean the British kind)
• blogging (and all the great people I've met here!)
• digital photography (I swore I would never convert)
• One piece swimsuits

Five things I was doing 10 years ago

• planning my wedding (did I mention I was 19 at the time?!)
• living on my own for the first time
• counting thousands of dollars a day (I was a bank teller)
• going to church A LOT.  We practically lived there.
• Smoking like a freight train and hiding it from my fiance. (lots of perfume and mouthwash)

Five things on my to do list for today

• Wash sheets
• Clean bathroom
• vacuum
• mop
• bathe kids and dog.  how interesting can one list be?!

Five things I will do when I am a millionaire

• Buy a new house
• Help our parents out
• Help our missionary friends finish their school and orphanage
• Visit a plastic surgeon and get a few things lifted and tucked :)
• Make a trip to the bank to put the rest out of reach before I end up bankrupt!

Five things I will never wear again

• Tie-dyed Grateful Dead shirts and plaid flannel... together.
• Jeans so tight I had to almost do a backbend to zip them (my dad's advice, "Don't fart, or you'll blow your socks off!"
• Hot pink tie-dyed converse high tops
• Four inch bangs
• Sadly, a bikini

Five of my favorite toys

• Wii
• Digital camera
• computer
• sewing machine
• canvas

Five banes of my existence

• Use of cell phones in cars with other people, or at meal times
• high heels
• pushy home sales moms who think everyone should be a home sales mom (ie Mary Kay or Avon.  no offense to anyone who sells it, but NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO SELL STUFF!)
• laundry
• Chewing noises.  That's why we ALWAYS have dinner music at our house.

Okay.  Last meme, I swear!  I was tagged for the book meme by Genesis, and I tag Megan.  Here are the rules.

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open it at page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence/phrase.
4. Blog the next four sentences/phrases together with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig your shelves for that very special or intellectual book.
6. Pass it forward to six friends.

"In that dazed moment I had taken in not only my glimpse of the librarian's wounded neck but also the name of the library patron who had beaten me to Dracula.  Her name was Helen Rossi. 

The wind was cold and increasingly strong.  My father paused here and drew from his camera bag two waterproof jackets, one for each of us."

Okay, I think that was all of the memes I missed.  If I forgot one let me know!  Although, after all that typing and thinking, I may not do this again for a while!!

Grant's Blogging Debut

My mom says I've been tagged by Dante to tell you 8 random things about myself.  There's not much about me you don't know from my mom, so I think I will tell you 8 names I answer to around here. 

1.  Johnny G  - (my first name is Jonathan) This is what my mom calls me when she can't get my attention by saying "Grant."  I like to make mom say my name by doing things like standing on the back of the couch or balancing on the seat of the potty or my personal favorite, climbing into the refrigerator and trying to close the door.  The point is, she says "Grant" so much that sometimes I just stop hearing it.  If she switches to "Johnny G" sometimes I hear her again.

2.  Mr. Stinky-stinker-pants - I bet you can guess when she calls me that.  It has to do with stinky pants.

3.  Grant-potato, or potato-baby - I'm not sure why she calls me that.  She says it when she's smiling, so I know it doesn't mean I'm in trouble.  It's kind of embarrassing when we're around other people, though.  If she calls me that in front of other people, I smile and run away from her.

4.  Lil' Bubba - Grayson is the one who calls me that.  He's so great, I would let him call me anything.  He plays with me a lot even though I'm smaller, and even though I sometimes make him mad on purpose.  It's just so fun to watch people get mad sometimes.  It makes me giggle.

5.  Daddy's Boy - Only Daddy calls me that.  I love it when he does, because mommy pretends to cry.  Then I run to her and kiss her and say "Mommy's Boy!"  And then Daddy cries and I run to him... Get the picture?  It's a fun game, cause everyone is looking at me.

6.  Bull - My Dado calls me bull.  Usually he is laughing when he says it.  He mostly calls me that when I stand up for what I want (by crying, bossing, stamping my foot) until I get it.  Then he tells my mom I am "one bull headed young 'un."  Whatever that means.  It must be a good thing, because he laughs when he says it.

7.  Copper-dog - This one was my idea.  If I am crawling around the house and making puppy sounds, I won't listen unless they call me Copper-dog.  I really like it when momma gives me food and water in a bowl so I can eat like Copper-dog, too.

8.  JONATHAN GRANT KEITH - If I hear that one, I usually run and hide. Or work up a good cry.  It usually means I did something really sneaky,  and I better find my extra cute face and put it on quick!

So, now you know 8 random things about me.  Blogging is fun, I think I'll have one when I get as big as Grayson.  Now I have to tag some people... hmm.. How about Sparky and Zach and Adelaide.  I'm supposed to tag more, but the other blog babies I know have done it already!

Tagged again!

Okay, I've just been tagged by Laurie for the longest meme ever invented.  It's self explanatory, so I'll just dive right in.  Oh, and if you don't make it all the way to the end, I tag Julia, Genesis, and DeeDee.  'K here goes.

1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now?  Dove for Sensitive Skin, cause I'm itchy.

2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator?  Uh, no.

3. What would you change about your living room? Probably the cheapo berber carpet. Or at least the twenty pulls I've hot glued down on it.

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty?  Clean (and have been all day.  They just refuse to put themselves away!)

5. What is in your fridge?  What isn't?

6. White or wheat bread?

  Wheat, all the way.  Did you know the white stuff turns to glue in your tummy?  That's what my mom used to tell me.

7. What is on top of your refrigerator? An Arthur Court tray with bunnies on it (what? easter's over? dern.) and a big purty bowl still half full of Halloween candy.  Think the kids would notice if I stuck it in their Christmas stockings?

8. What color or design is on your shower curtain?

  We've got those wavy glass sliding doors.

9. How many plants are in your home?  Five plants and a tree.  Not one of them real.  I am the grim reaper of vegetation.

10. Is your bed made right now? I hope not, Jeff's sleeping in it!

11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet I guess?

12. Is your closet organized?  Sure.  The clothes on the hangers are my hang-up clothes; the pile in the top is stuff we don't need much; the pile on the left of the floor is stuff I've been meaning to take to Goodwill; the pile on the right is for shoes that belong on the rack of the door, which is currently still full of sandals, purses, and belts.  The things that keep it from closing are mostly toys, books, and puzzles that belong in the playroom.  I have my own organizational system.

13. Can you describe your flashlight?  It looks like a scarecrow and when the mouth opens up, the light comes on and it cackles.

14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic more at home?  Glass.

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now?  Nope.  I try to keep it to water and coffee.

16. If you have garage, is it cluttered?  Somewhat, but I've been working on it, so it's better than it was!

17. Curtains or blinds?  Blinds.  The two inch white wood ones (me likey).

18. How many pillows do you sleep with?  One.  That's all there's room for after Jeff and his many pillow friends come to bed.

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night?  The light in the bathroom hallway for Grayson.  He's TERRIFIED of the dark. :(

20. How often do you vacuum?  Define "vacuum."  I run my sweeper everyday.

21. Standard toothbrush or electric?  Standard. 

22. What color is your toothbrush?  Pink.  Not a big fan of pink actually, but it was on sale and I thought Jeff would rather have the blue.

23. Do you have welcome mat on your front porch?  Yep!  Not worth describing.

24. What is in your oven right now?  An entire community of happy black crumbs live on the bottom.  Other than that?  Nothing.

25. Is there anything under your bed? Um, yeah.  Socks, toys, dust bunnies... I could go on, but I'm feeling a little embarrassed!

26. Chore you hate the most?  Mopping.  It's pointless in this house!

27. What retro items are in your home?  A couple of pictures and a velvet couch (thanks Meg!)

28. Do you have a separate room you use an an office? Nah.

29. How many mirrors are in your home?  Four.  One of them makes you egg shaped from a distance.  It's my favorite.

30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home?  Does Grayson's piggy bank count?

31. What color are your walls?  Warm nutmeg, pumpkin spice, cinnabar, a very beigy beige, Georgia Bulldog Red (just one wall in the playroom), Blue with dinosaurs painted on it in the kids' bathroom, and jillion year old white in my room.

32. What does your home smell like right now?  Eau de Dog.

33. Favorite candle scent?  Pumpkin Pie Spice from Yankee Candle Co.  Mmmmm.

34. What kind of pickles are in your refrigerator right now?  Dill chips, dill relish, baby dills, pickled okre, and sweet gherkins.  I kinda like pickles.

35. Ever been on your roof?  Don't plan to.

36. Do you own a stereo? My dvd player does double duty (we have surround sound speakers, so it's cool), and then there's Grayson's karaoke machine.

37. How many TVs do you have?

  Two.  One in the den, and one in my room.

38. How many phones?  Uh...Three.  Plus our cells.

39. Do you have a housekeeper?  Ha!  Yeah, her name's Jessie.  Lately I've been thinking of letting her go...

40. What style do you decorate in?  I have decorator ADD.  I just buy what I like, and can't seem to stick to one theme.

41. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints?  Solid all the way.

42. Is there a smoke detector in your home?  One in every room!  We're safe like that.

Aloha Friday

It's time for Aloha Friday again!  This meme was started by Kailani, and all you do is ask a question on your blog, and put your link on hers so that others will know you are playing along! 

What was your favorite toy as a child, and did you save it?

Mine was my first Cabbage Patch Kid doll.  I can't remember now whether I got her for my birthday or Christmas, but I do remember how happy I was.  It was the year they became all the rage around here, and my mom almost didn't find one for me in time.  She had brown hair, and a yellow dress, and the name she came with was Alexine Dody!  Is that the craziest doll name ever?  I called her Alex.  My mom still has her in storage for me, in the hopes that I'll be able to pass her along to my little girl someday.

Aloha Friday

I keep forgetting about this meme over at An Island Life, but when I saw it this morning I decided to do it again!

So, here's my Aloha Friday question:

What was your first car when you were a teenager?

Mine was a light blue, ten-year-old, Grand Am.  I named her Winnie (I had a Pooh Bear dangly thing on the mirror).  The windows were immediately covered in all manner of Janis, Jimi, and Dead stickers, and there was a yellow smiley tag on the front.  I hardly ever cleaned it, and I and all my friends smoked in it like freight trains.  It didn't take long for me to completely trash it, but I loved that little car and the freedom it gave me.  Winnie will always have a place in my heart!

Aloha!

Kailani has started a new meme called Aloha Friday, and all you have to do to participate is post a question on your blog on Friday and sign her Mr. Linky.  It can be any question you like, about anything you like.  So, here's my question:

What's your very favorite childhood memory of fall? 

Mine is one year, my mom let my brother and I each have one friend spend the night close to Halloween.  That night we got to each make our own pizzas, decorate our own jack-o-lantern, and decorate cupcakes.  I still remember how I felt at the end of the night.  It was very special indeed.

So, please answer my question, and hop on over to Kailani's to play along!

10 Things I Hate

I'm tagged again!  This time I got tagged by Gloria for 10 things I hate.  I'm not too good at that, because I'd rather think about things I love, but here goes anyway!

•   Food I hate : Thai food that has that peanut sauce stuff.  Ick.

•   Fruit I hate : Cantaloupe.  Smells like a poot & tastes even worse!

•   Veggies I hate : Brussels Sprouts.  I think that's the ONLY vegetable I don't like.

•  Celebrities/People that I hate : Will Farrel.  He is not funny to me in the least, only very annoying.

•   Event/Situation/Incident that I hate : I hate it when I am with two people who I know, but who don't know each other.  It's awkward trying to get them both in conversation, and not exclude anyone.

•

   TV shows/movies that I hate : SNL humor comedies.  I've never seen an SNL sketch that I thought was funny, so I can't stand it when one of their actors makes a movie.

•   Music I hate : There's really not one.  Oh wait, yeah there is.  "Gangsta" rap.  ugh.

•   Household chores that I hate : vacuuming.  blah.

•

   Things that you hate around the world : ignorance.  People are too content to only see things at face value.

•   Things that you hate about yourself : My indecisiveness.  I waffle back and forth on practically every major decision I've ever had to make.  I'm just as bad with the little decisions, too.  It drives my friends and family crazy!

I tag:

Genesis, Kathy, Laurie, and Kathy

If anyone else wants to play, I'd love to hear from you!

Tagged!

I've been tagged for my first meme.  I always want to participate in memes, but I've never been tagged, so I always just look on from the sidelines.  Not today!  Genesis over at Expat Mom tagged me for one that is supposed to bring back old blog posts.  So, here goes!

Link One:  Family  Filthy Boys, or an afternoon at Mom's  A look at one of the reasons I'm fortunate to live close to my mom who is also one of my closest friends!

Link Two:  Friends  River Rats  A fun day with our buddies.

Link Three:  Yourself 7 things  Is it legal to use a meme within a meme?  I hope so, cuz I just did!

Link Four:  Something I Love  "Best Brother in the World" Trophy  My sweet boys. 

Link Five:  Anything at all Captain Boxhead to the Rescue!!  One of my all-time favorites!

I almost forgot, I tag Megan, Laurie, & Gloria!