Archive for category life
But wait, there’s more!
Posted by crusaderjennblog in debateable, Faith, Inspiration, life, marriage on January 12, 2015
Oh the madness. It’s too frightening, dysfunctional, maybe even a bit entertaining to hear about this from my husband, B… Oh my poor husband… God clearly has reason for B working there probably because It takes a lot to rattle him and as you may recall, B is currently working for the Wannabe’s unorganized LED light company. You might also recall that OSHA is now involved and that they will be at the Wannabe’s office Wednesday to review the Wannabe’s permits, certifications (of which they have none) and to also interview current employees to understand if OSHA’s operation requirements are being met. The gentleman that was hired at the same time as B, quit today before noon as he’d had enough of the workplace insanity. My husband emailed me all of this during his lunch and said that Rinda is running around like a chicken sans head and desperately trying to make it B’s responsibility to locate the nonexistent document(s) that the Wannabes failed to obtain when they started their business almost five years ago. Remember, B was hired for sales. Well it seems that they’ve NEVER had or been required to have any of the necessary insurances or licenses or permits that are required for operating a business. Hmm, can you spell i-l-l-e-g-a-l?
I am guessing that after D suddenly quit this morning, everything will now fall to B and the unofficial employee/intern R to fix. Unless the owners can go back in time, they are in deep doo-doo. Coming from this company that knows only chaos and mismanagement, God opened the door for B to accept a new position that will begin next week. We are hoping and praying this will be the last and long-awaited position he must take before we move.
Bless D’s heart for sticking around as long as he did and I wish him the best.
.
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Free-bleeding is a hoax. Or is it?
Posted by crusaderjennblog in debateable, growing-up, life, trends to consider on January 5, 2015
I rarely spend longer than a few minutes on the social network, and by a few minutes, I mean a few minutes because I learned years ago that the social network is a time-sink that draws me in to absorb irrelevant news when I don’t set limits. All that to say imagine my surprise when during those allotted minutes yesterday I saw a ‘friend’s status about free-bleeding. Questioning my eyesight I cleaned my glasses and reread, free-bleeding. I hoped this wasn’t what I thought it might be, but it was and I’m thankful that there wasn’t an excessive number of comments supporting this. For a second I asked out loud, “Are you kidding me? Have I somehow surfed a time-warp that took me back 100 years? How did I miss this?” See the above answer to first appear in bold font in paragraph number one – why I do not spend excessive hours on the social network, The internet is an invaluable resource of true, but sometimes false information, therefore, I did a lot of research. About a year ago, apparently ‘this’ is when ‘this’ became a ‘this’ and there were definitely those who support(ed) the free-bleeding phenomenon and up to the last few months, there were also a great many comments on blogs from those who questioned the idea that perhaps this was a joke. There were also those who concluded that this ‘free-bleeding’ thing might take females backward, which is a correct assessment. Because it would take us backward to where we would have a surplus of blood-borne pathogens related to menstruating females who put everyone at risk because wearing a pad or tampon is too much of a hardship for their underdeveloped sensibilities.
Now, I realize that radical groups believe they are progressive in their idea of free-bleeding, but for a moment, let us utilize those critical thinking skills. In 2015, when we have the ‘technology,’ if you will, to make our monthly a private event, which no one, but the bleeder must be aware, doesn’t that equal forward thinking? But rather than going forward, it appears that some feminists want us to regress and treat this as something, a ‘right,’ to handle publicly, all because there were some males behind the development of pads and tampons. In the midst of this research I read that some feminists believe tampons ‘rape’ us. Now that’s a bit extreme, don’t you think? I guess I’m modest and I love the fact that as a female, I don’t have to make it public knowledge or write a PSA with commonly excused and irrational PMS induced behavior when the monthly arrives. Life goes on, up to, during and after the event because we have the appropriate ‘equipment’ to manage the event. Free-bleeders take your radicalism, your mess and your stink back out to the barn or back to the jungle because in 2015, ‘this’ should not even be a thing. If it is. But then, perhaps the whole thing was a marketing ploy to sell feminine products, which might be considered genius… What do you think?
~Jenn
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Close, but moving day is not upon us…
Posted by crusaderjennblog in Faith, Inspiration, life, marriage on January 3, 2015
I mentioned previously that we’ll likely place our house on the market in February. I tend to take a few great many things for granted and it finally dawned on me that February is less than 30 days away. I know, I know – how obtuse am I, right? And have I got a lot to do. A year ago I had it my mind that we were moving long before the end of 2014, but we’re still here and so are the boxes of items we wouldn’t need for the remaining amount of time here. That’s really put things into perspective because I packed-up things we wouldn’t immediately need for a few months, but it turns out that a few months turned into a year, which means we probably didn’t need those items at all. It’s embarrassing because with each move, we’ve mentioned how much we need to scale-down and yet, we’ve failed to do this as we’ve collected more with each new home and each move.
Times four…
Good grief. It’s only a tad over-whelming, but eliminating stuff so we can move with only the necessary can and must be done. Seven is my favorite number and the move back to Washington will move number seven. Hmm, but then I’m not superstitious, so that doesn’t matter. Yes, that picture encompasses roughly a quarter of just the boxes, which doesn’t include the odds and ends items that cannot properly fit into a nice (not so little) box. Nearly two decades of marriage and we’ve accumulated some stuff an excessive amount of crap. In addition to scaling-down and repacking our possessions, I also have to work-on cleaning grout, light-fixtures and curtains, touching-up the paint on walls, touching-up the areas requiring replacement caulk in the bathrooms and finally renting a carpet cleaner. Whew!
My husband is overwhelmed with everything, but for me, this is nothing. We’d agreed on it beforehand, but his move here in 2011 left me with the remainder of a 2400 square foot home to pack. When he moved here first, he rented a small truck to bring his wardrobe, our guest-bedroom set and his office set to hold him over until I’d packed the remaining items and finalized selling our Washington home, at which point I was to move to Nevada. I’d been successfully packing and had probably 92% of the remaining stuff ready for the move. Impressive isn’t it? However, I called my husband in a panic and said there was no way I’d be ready by the coming Saturday. He said, “Oh no – I’ve missed you too much and I’ve been looking forward to you getting here this weekend.” And I did move the weekend we had planned because from Nevada, my husband organized a group of family and friends to help me pack the remaining items and several even returned to help me pack the moving truck a couple of days later.
’11 move day
And here I am in Nevada preparing to move back and even with lots to do, I am calm. I think the difference this time around is that my husband is here. Although he has a job and is working full-time, I still have him here physically to support me and offer help when he has the opportunity, instead of offering verbal support every few days from a few states away. His presence makes a big difference and I’m relieved this move will be together. Dear Lord, Thank you for my husband and thank you that he’s here to help prepare us for moving and please help me to cherish him and never take him for granted. Amen
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~Jenn
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Happy New Year, but don’t waste time with resolutions
Posted by crusaderjennblog in family, Football, Inspiration, Jesus, life, lifestyle, marriage on January 1, 2015
As we kick-off 2015, many will make their annual list of resolutions that they will only achieve success in breaking. So, congratulations. For some, creating a resolution list is personal, familial, or it might be a communal, societal expectation that gives the resolver warm-fuzzies for consideration of the resolution. For some that’s where it ends, but for others, they will hit the ground running and maintain their resolutions(s). Why? Because the resolute are committed to and intentional about being successful whether it’s for themselves or their family. Why does the calendar have anything to do with making positive changes in one’s life? Because for now it allows people to keep doing whatever they’re doing. The term now is too much of a commitment for those who really don’t desire change. What if people just make up their minds to begin making changes NOW instead of making the excuse to start making changes tomorrow, next week, next month or next year? Why not start now? A calendar has nothing to do with anything and if it’s important, I’ll borrow the old Nike slogan and suggest, JUST DO IT.
Here is my list of things that I would like to see some become intentional about in 2015:
Learn the proper spelling of homonyms and learn to use proper punctuation before posting statuses and comments on social networks or blogs.
Stop posting relationship grievances on social networks and instead of depending on social network ‘friends‘ to provide advice, get professional help.
Stop saying,amazeballs, YOLO, I know right? and like before every like word in your like repertoire and get a word of the day calendar because a limited vocabulary is a clear sign of ignorance.
Protests – Nothing changes because of protests and riots are the stupid, drunk uncle of protests. Both of these behaviors are a pathetic excuse to make bad decisions.
Everyone is a winner is a problem because it is a false assessment. Why? Take a step back and observe cause and effect. Because groups and schools awarded the population (MILLENIALS) with silly awards, many now perceive they’re entitled to things like cars and jobs, despite being unqualified. Stop awarding silly ribbons and trophies. Imagine if all Olympic participants were entitled to receive awards – there would be no incentive to improve their skill.
Selfie-sticks are real. I see these on the Las Vegas Strip. Selfies are already narcissistic and now there is a device to encourage more of them. I’m fairly certain this product is Satan’s handy work…
Being offended – Anymore, it seems that people are very easily offended by everything. Just stop! If you don’t like it then don’t support it and move-on because not everything is personal or about you.
I like New Year’s because for us that means we celebrated another anniversary yesterday and a new year is always refreshing. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I don’t need a particular day to motivate better choices.
What words or trends are annoying for you?
Back to watching football and Happy New Year!
~Jenn
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Football is not a mathematical equation
Posted by crusaderjennblog in Football, life, marriage on December 31, 2014
Since August and having had my very own fantasy football team this year, I’ve been committed to learning football (finally) for the 2014-2015 season, although I’m confident that it will take more than a single season to get me to where I’m not consistently interrupting a game to ask questions about why this or that is or is not a penalty. My husband will attest to the fact that for nearly two decades, I’ve been unimpressed by the sport and thought little of bothering to learn. I knew a few basics, but because of my left-brainness those basics never computed to my sense of logic, so understandably, I disregarded the whole idea of adding any football knowledge to the mix. For starters, in football, there is a quarterback, a halfback and a fullback. But there is no three-quarters back position. I would like to understand why there is this position deficit. Then, there is the tight end position. The logical counterpart position would suggest that there is also a player who is the loose end, but there is no such position. What I have learned for certain is that this learning process is irrelevant because the only thing that ultimately matters is whether a team wins. I must make sense of get-over the senseless mathematics of football positions.
As a Washingtonian, my logical allegiance is to support the Seattle Seahawks and this year from afar obviously, I have gotten to know Coach Pete Carroll and how the team conducts themselves. Russell Wilson is my favorite, but I’m also a big fan of other players like Marshawn Lynch Beast Mode and his 79 yard touchdown in the recent game against Arizona. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Doug Baldwin, Kam Chancellor and Luke Willson are additional players with whom I’m becoming more knowledgeable. Win or loss, I will support them. I refuse to be one of those fans who doles-out support conditionally. The above is my first method of showing support for the Seattle Seahawks, with a rear-window decal on my rig. This is my rig and not my husband’s. Besides, he supports Oakland. Thank you, Sweetheart for patiently guiding me through my first NFL season. GO HAWKS!
~Jenn
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Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted sisters
Posted by crusaderjennblog in Faith, family, growing-up, Jesus, life, lifestyle on December 30, 2014
Even with 5 years between us, my younger sister and I have a good relationship and I’ve missed her terribly for the past few years being 1000 miles away. Growing up we loved each other, although we fought as siblings do and made-up when my Mom always lectured, “She’s the only sister you’ll ever have.” When Jackie entered first grade many moons ago, at the same private school where I was, I didn’t hesitate to protect her from the line of boys pursuing her. Being older, I was my sister’s first line of defense against boys. She always remained picture-perfect in her dresses, unlike me. It took many years to finally see it, but when I did, I shook my head in disgust. Maybe at myself for obtaining less mud and grass stains on my clothes than the boys while we played red-rover-red-rover/softball/soccer-take your pick or perhaps it was with my Mom for having high expectations of me coming home spotless like Jackie. The most likely scenario for my Mom was recognizing that the countless hours she spent sewing together pieces of fabric to create beautiful dresses like the following were completely irrelevant to me.
As hard as I tried as a kid, this broad-shouldered girl was not demure and I found myself rather confused by all the pig-tailed girls like my sister who were. My goal at recess was to play and play hard, which included returning from recess with a sweaty red face, which equaled intense fun. If grass and mud-stains could be graded at a private school surrounded by acres of grass, I was the valedictorian. Grass stains on my dresses and holes in my tights were consistent. I remember my Mom being horrified when she discovered (after many months) that I came up with what I thought was a grand idea to wear shorts under my dresses and over my tights. For what? To prevent boys from seeing my Underoos when I flipped upside-down from or climbed on top of the Monkey Bars. While wearing a dress. Duh. Meanwhile, my sister likely spent recess with her friends picking dandelions and frolicking. Another pastime at recess was locating who was in trouble and was pounding the chalk out of the erasers at the end of the building because I discovered those little piles of chalk-dust were tasty, or maybe I thought that a saliva coated finger dipped in chalk dust tasted just like Fun Dip. Don’t judge. It’s no different than eating glue paste. I was a good kid and harmless, but I could find trouble or create it with some hair-brained ideas – like the self-made Fun (Chalk) Dip. While I was at school finding shenanigans, my sister was being her teacher’s pet and very helpful passing out things to her classmates or playing the ideal daughter at home as she played with her collection of Barbies.
Through it all, my sister and I survived. I mentioned Jackie’s survival also because I was almost five when Jackie was born and shortly after meeting my new sister, I attempted to help feed her a whole dinner-roll. My Mom caught me ‘helping’ my sister and found it in her heart to NOT cease my breathing-habit despite my misguided efforts to feed my baby-sister solids way too soon. I also ran over her on my bike – not to be mean, but she got in my way and I couldn’t stop quickly enough. Speaking of bikes, I think we were one of the last generations to ride bikes sans helmets. And lived to tell about it. I think we were also one of the last generations who got away with chewing ABC (Already Been Chewed) gum that we innocently discovered on the ground or found stuck to the underside of desks in school. Not to mention how many times lollipops were dropped on the ground, wiped-off and shoved back into our mouths. We survived. A little gravel in the diet was probably good for a colon-cleansing. I would insert an amusing Saturday Night Live parody commercial here for Quarry Breakfast Cereal, but it seems that all links are blocked for copyrighted material on YouTube. Even in the midst of our ignorance, I suspect our foolishness contributed to strengthening our immune systems and we didn’t even have antibacterial hand sanitizer. Yet, somehow we prevailed…
My sister and I could not be more different. I was athletic and therefore, a tom-boy She was and still remains a girly-girl, although with my precious niece and nephew in-tow, ruffles aren’t nearly as practical these days. I read her blog and I don’t want to say that I’m proud because I have no right to be, but I am impressed. She’s a busy stay-at-home-Mom with a six year-old and a two year-old in-tow, creating meal-plans, running a successful blog about life as a Wife and Mommy, that is filled with pictures of her family, creative projects, and dishes she’s made, which includes the recipes. Then there’s me who is not nearly as refined. Me caveman.
Dress-up!I have a great deal of wonderful memories that include Jackie – camping, putting-on shows for our parents with duds from our chest of props and accessories (wigs gowns, etc.), going to the theater to see The Lion King and being the Maid/Matron of Honor in each other’s weddings, scrap-booking… The list goes on and on, but obviously as much as we differ, we’re still bonded and have a great deal in common. I love my sister dearly and am grateful for our relationship.
Jenn
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