PLEASE VOTE!

Ok, all my ADULT friends please take the phones away from your ridiculously tone deaf teenagers next Tuesday evening. Hide in your bathroom, car, closet whatever it takes and dial that phone for DAVID COOK!

That little twerp from Utah just cannot win...think of the crap you will have to listen to on the radio for the next 5 yrs. We need a really talented musician to win this year. Payback for Daughtry not winning.

Enuff said! GO VOTE

!

Getting Older

As I approach the final year of my 30's I have to hope that I will be inspired to get off my ass and make a difference in my life and others as well.
I feel sometimes I have wasted too much time just sitting and watching the world go by. I am not big on resolutions, they are just a set up for failure. I believe you can start "doing good" anytime, anywhere.
I have to say even though it was a hectic weekend I really do appreciate my family. Tony, Alex and Jeff made my birthday/mother's day weekend very special.
Alex made me two cards at school. One even in French!




They picked out gifts at the store when we shopped on Sunday morning before the park opened. I received a beautiful mirror, a jar, and some flowers.

Then on Sunday morning as we were on our way to breakfast my cell phone rang. It was my sister wishing me a happy birthday and mother's day. I am so lucky to have a sister. I just wish we lived a little closer.

Then while shopping (or actually taking the boy to the bathroom)
my dad called with well wishes.

Then a text from my friend Dee...who is a mother of 4, took some time out of her special day to send me good wishes.

Then my mommy called when we were on our way into the park...it is a special day for her as well. Since I was actually born ON Mother's Day it is a treat when my birthday falls on that day again.

I can't forget all the birthday wishes on MySpace and Facebook either...it is so great to be in touch with old friends (now that we can all be OLD together).

And you would think I would get only half the celebration (like Christmas babies) but since I have had kids my dear husband has tried to make it special for me. I know my mom still gets "combo" gifts LOL including the table and chairs she just got from us this year. I am fortunate to get not only a birthday gift and mother's day gift but I also get a "dating anniversary gift" next week (the 16th). It will be 10 yrs this week. I just can't believe we are together that long. It seems like only yesterday.

Well I need to get the boy off for a tball game before "coach Tony" gets home. Signing off...Janice & Co.

Our big news story of the day

Firefighters continued to battle a forest fire this morning on Buffalo Mountain in southern Washington County after winds made the going difficult Wednesday night.


http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=HOMEPAGE&ID=62854

The 100 Layout Dash

Ok, so I joined this little challenge on a scrapbooking message board.
First contestant to reach 100 layouts wins! Here is #1.

You know you have lived here too long (Johnson City TN)

If Any of This Makes Sense To You

• Your goal in life is to get out of here.
• Your Friday/Saturday nights consist of eating out and driving up and down Roan Street (and you look around at the license plates and realize that there are more people from surround counties i.e. Carter, Unicoi, Hampton, Sullivan. etc. (wow)
• You know everything about a lot of people before you've even met them.
• The highlight of going to the mall is AF AE or Hollister.
• Whenever you go out you see someone you know….most of the time you're related to them.
• You remember it being so awesome when we got a Starbucks (that gets us up to 1 and ½ now counting the café in B&N).
• You actually have gone to Oklona Rd. (or rather "the haunted exit") and turned off your car.
• You have dedicated much of your life to supporting Pal's.
• A twenty minute drive in traffic is a LONG time.
• You are willing to drive 30 min. to eat the best BBQ in the world—Ridgewood.
• You remember before you could drive when it was so awesome to go to the mall and walk to Carmike afterwards.
• Third grade field trip included Roan Mountain, Rocky Mount, or maybe even Dollywood.
• You remember when they had that awesome animated dinosaur in the mall (and a putt putt course with the remote controlled boats).
• You remember life without Chili’s.
• Your parents most likely work at the JCMC, ETSU, Eastman Chem., or NFS.
• You regularly attended the "Musket Bowl" (Boone vs. Crockett) just to see the country boys raise some hell.
• You saw Louis Vuitton bags about 2 years after they became super popular—and most of them were fake.
• You think paying more than 2 dollars for gas is ridiculous.
• You played on those rocks at the VA when you were a kid.
• You have always wanted to (or actually have) driven your car on those tracks off the road behind the movies.
• When out-of-towners ask if we have a Publix and you say "Huh?"
• When you resorted to screwing around in Wal-Mart because driving and watching movies/going to the mall got old.
• Evian water was for the "rich" people.
• You know exactly who Steve Grindstaff is and saw his strange wedding on tv.
• You know why this is funny: "The fish are always biting at the Harbor House…T"
• You were freakin' jealous when you heard of Unicoi County getting out for snow everyday and for the Apple Festival (come on, now).
• You can remember when we had a Putt-Putt and a Laser Storm….and they closed it down.
• It takes you less than 1 min. to drive through "downtown."
• The projects are really decent apartments.
• Your parents have probably lived here most of their life (like you).
• The driving course at the DMV consisted of driving about a mile down the road and back (with no parallel parking).
• You've always secretly wanted to go to Aunt B's.
• You know to not drive on race weekend.
• You take pride in the fact that Kenny Chesney went to ETSU (even though he didn't stay there).
  You think the Carnegie is "like the best hotel ever."
• The best parties were in the field.
• You roll your eyes when you remember it's Storytelling Weekend in Jonesborough.
• You are deprived of only one major chain restaurant….TGI Fridays.
• You remember when they found the decapitated head in Boone Lake…and you still went wakeboarding anyway.
• Senior trip was assumed to take place in Myrtle Beach.
• You get offended when people say they don't like Sweet Tea or corn bread and soup beans (even though I don't like those beans myself).
• You remember all of those annoying "We Need Wellmont" signs.
• It kinda made you mad when they cut down those 1000 year old trees across from JCMC.
• You have drive to Asheville or Knoxville to do some decent shopping.
• You went to the Magical Night of Giving actually thinking you might win the car.
• Getting drunk and sitting in traffic for 3 hours to see the fireworks on July 4 (and seeing everyone you know).
• You are so sick of seeing those people dressed like lady liberty that stand on the side of the road waiving at you.
• You are for real ready for some good radio stations.
• You spend thousands of dollars pimping out your '97 civic so you can roll down N. Roan Street.
• Hands On! Museum was the shit back in the day.
• You are friends with Danny from the mall
• You enjoy the ridiculousness of the Elite Ladies show on the local channel
• You party it up at PR's on Thursday!
• You attend the movies at the lake every June....and once again see everyone you know.
• You were so stoked when they opened the new Wal-Mart in J-boro (even though the one in JC still stays busy)
• You've had some deep conversations on the Barnes and Noble Patio
• You've ridden the saddle at Texas Roadhouse on your birthday
• You heard all about the man cave and hopefully don't know someone involved in it.
• You went to the Peerless before prom (yeah, that's original)
• Shamrock tobacco shop is pretty flippin sweet.
• You get a little tingle of excitement when you hear that we might be getting a super target.
• Sonny's Marina in the summer is just a given.
• You thought the "Save Our Summer" signs were pretty gay
• You have always wondered why the hell is the BMW/Mercedes dealership is in Kingsport.
• You were totally "the first" to think that the old Ride Revolution building would be the best club.
• If you know who Mary the elephant is and why it's important and you shake your head and roll your eyes
• Yeah blah blah blah Speedway in Lights. whatever.

Kindergarten Schoolwork 1

Kindergarten Schoolwork 1
Originally uploaded by Noell

This was so cool...I need to make one of these for Alex.

Funny blog

this was so funny I had to share...too bad these ladies gave up writing their blog. But thankfully they left the archives for us.

http://www.threadbared.com/

Behold the Golliwog in all his glory:

I believe this pattern is from some time in the 40s. I was shocked by how freakishly scary it is. What the hell kinda kid would want to play with this thing? Check out those eyes. They make Jennifer Wilbanks look well-adjusted. I also find this thing crazy offensive. The Golliwog character was originally developed by Frances Upton to resemble a Black Minstrel. Wow. Have some stereotypes with your milk and cookies, kids. Thank goodness, by the time I was growing up in the 80s, our culture had moved past such horrible displays of racial intolerance and misunderstanding.

Or not. What the hell is this? Either this family is on their way to the weekly meeting of the Racist Memorabilia Collectors Club (Cracker Division) or they're just cruising to get their asses kicked down at the Family Dollar. Either way they are totally psyched about it. Check out the tot. "We hate Black people! Up with Whitey! Wheeeeee!"

Ten bucks says they have a Mammy cookie jar on their kitchen counter and a lawn jockey out by the car port.

Ending April

As this month ends and the next begins I have to admit I really stink about making blog posts regularly. I suppose it is because I waste so much time reading other blogs. I am addicted to reading scrapbook forums and blogs now.

This past weekend Jeff and I went on a quick trip to K-Ville to visit Memaw and Aunt Lesley. It was cousin Ashley's 11th birthday party. We had some fun playing with cousin Collin and the other kids.

Jeffrey has been saying "memaw's house" repeatedly for about a month now and I just couldn't take it anymore. Now unfortunately he thinks we can go there anytime...he doesn't understand it is 5 hrs away.

I have been planting crap in the yard. The boys are having fun helping.

Tball season is in full swing. Alex is having a blast hitting home runs (he is a natural). Jeff is loving watching but really wants to play too. Dad is coaching and the parents think he is great. I think he was born to coach.

We are getting ready for the school fund raising auction this Saturday. It should be fun. Only 4 more weeks of school and then we hit the pool and Dollywood!
Actually we are headed to DW for my birthday/mother's day weekend as we have done for the past 2 yrs. I just hope it is a good weather day. The kids have missed the rides and would love to jump on those stupid ducks and pigs as soon as they can.

Oh well, gotta go get back to the laundry. Have a happy May!