Tomorrow is our first day off since we have been here.  WE have been working all day and haven’t had any chances to see any of our friends.  Can’t leave the kids all day to leave them again to meet up with everyone.  We did have Sat. Night.  Tomorrow we have some errands to run.  We have to go to the SS office.  Texas has a 2-3 hour wait while RO has a 5 minute wait.  We all have dentist appointments tomorrow at 2.  Then we are going to spend some time with my dad.  I’m hoping to get to see some people next week.  We should be done  training soon.  I think we almost have it all down.  I’m so excited to get back home and start getting things ready.  I can’t wait to see how far the construction has come along.

Gregg got away tonight.  He is at the Piston playoff game.  Good news is they are winning right now.  I think we are going to take the kids to the Tigers/Red Sox game.  oh there is a dilemna.  Which team to root for???  Go Sox!

Still hoping to get to Ann Arbor.  I always love to go back to U of M and see how the campus has changed.  REad that they had graduation in the Diag.  Want to see the carnage.    I also want to get to Royal Oak and see all the new bars and restaurants.  What a great place.  I do miss RO.  It was fun to take the kids for dinner and walk around.

So much to do so little time!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woohoo did it get chilly.  When we first got to Michigan it was kind of nice.  WE arrived withe the mid 70’s.  Now it has gone back to the typical lower 60’s upper 50’s.  Today was the big downturn.  I have been freezing since the sun went down.  I guess my blood has thinned out cuz I was kind of chilly before and now I am freezing.

Our training is coming along quite nicely.  WE only have a few more days.  It is nice to be comfortable with everything.  It is so worth buying into a franchise and having their experience and help to fall back on.  They have already made the mistakes and are there to help you and make sure you don’t fall.  I think we are pretty close to knowing everything but it sure will be nice to have them there for the week before we open and the week of the opening.

AHHH I forgot how beautiful the sunsets and sunrises are from our house.  I would love to try and take a picture but I know it won’t do it justice.  We are on top of a hill and really get the best of both.  Out our family room we have an eleven window wall.  It is 20 feet or so of glass top to bottom.  I was on the floor with the boys while the sun was setting and had to stop to view the orange, yellow and pink hues surrounding the trees.  These views used to take my breath away every night.

Oh and we bought a new Ghetto Sled.  Oh yeah we turned in the mini van for another minivan.  Nobody can match the Motor City’s selection and prices so we had to turn in our lease early(plus we were over mileage already) and get a new one.  With all the deals they were having I am only paying $1 more than last time.  I figure this is my last “tour of duty” with the minivan until I can get a real car.  I’m liking that Charger and Challenger more and more everyday.  Perhaps they will offer one in a convertible by the time I am ready(27 months).

OK time to go to bed.  I can’t believe it is only Monday.  My mom doesn’t have TIVO so I am not watching much tv nor am I caught up on my shows.  I’m losing track of what day it is.  I’ll have a lot to make up when I get home.  ahhhhhh my sweet soft bed!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who showed up.  It was great finally getting to put faces with names.  I hope everyone had fun.  I can’t believe how far some you drove!!

Jules, my hand is so sore from that Big Buck Hunting game.

We are planning another get together at Duggans on Saturday.  The time is still to be determined but my guess would be 7 again.  Oh and if you haven’t eaten there fast until you get there.  The burgers, mussels, reubens and all of their appetizers(spicy shrimp) are the best!

Going back to the Jungle Java.  I’ll write more when I get a chance or half a brain to type anything.  I haven’t watched any TV so I am behind in Lost and everything.

Ok we are back on at 7:00 PM.  Our people were nice enough to work our training schedule around our get together.  So let’s plan on getting together for some food, fun, and drinks starting at 7:00.  We will be in the bar area(look for me and Jules at the video game) for most of the night.  Victor, Wojo, and others will be there as well.

Today was day 2 of our training.  We learned how to make the various salads and wraps and numerous other things.  One woman actually asked Gregg if he was Gregg Henson.  That was too funny.  He gets recognized and by a female client.  LOL.

We are eating well at Chez Hellens.  My parents love to cook and our waist lines are suffering.  But Hey I am loving the Prosecco.  Nice change from the Andre Extra Dry(not that I am dissing it).

It is totally official our loan has closed!  We are opening the champagne right now as I type.  The construction has already begun and checks are being cut.  Woohoo.  We just finished our first day of training and I am even more excited to get started.  We are all set to go. 

We are set to open now July 1st.  Gregg thinks we will be open June 15th but I’m going to pad the time some.

Party Time:  We are going to have to put off the party time on Saturday.  We will be learning the closing of the store and they are saying we will be there til 9:30.  So We won’t bet to BW3 until 10 pm on Saturday, April 26th.  Also note that the May 3rd date has been moved to Duggan’s in Royal Oak(13 and Woodward).  We will set a time at a closer date.  Gregg will post more on the party on his site too.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and well wishes.  I gotta toast now!!!!

TTFN

First of all I want to apologize for not posting.  I hope to never have a dry spell like that again.  A lot has been going on this week.  We are starting construction on the JJ and closing our loan.  We have been faxing, emailing, conferencing, fedexing and calling all week long.  Everything will be all sorted out by the close of business on Monday.  Can you hear the Veuve-Clicquot popping now?

We did get business cards made the other day and Gregg has started passing them out.  LOL he is SUCH a salesman.

I have finished my stint at the middle school.  I will be back next year.  The principal is even sweet enough to work a schedule around my JJ.  I had a lot of fun there but it was nice to get back to being home.  Or should I say a little less on a schedule.  I like when I wake up to be able to watch TV in the middle of the night.  I can’t do taht when I have to get up in 3 hours.  However it was nice to be back on a schedule.  I ate breakfast everyday and took my vitamins every day.  And Gregg got to see what it was like to be a stay at home mom for a while.  I know he is excited that when we get back from Mi the kids will be in day care full time.

We have a new family moving in on the path.  Noah met the young boy, Aidan and was happy.  He said he wasn’t “chatty” but the dad said he will more than make up for his lack of words.  Noah said despite that he liked him and he seemed like “fun.”

Well Gregg left for Detroit today.  He left at 1 pm.  I think he is between Memphis and NAshville?  I don’t know.  He is going a different way from the way I go.  If goes straight through he should be in Milford by 7 am.  The boys and I are having fun and we will begin packing tomorrw.  WE fly out MOnday.

I’ll have more for you all later.

OOOOHHHHHHHH  we had so much fun.  This was definitely worth the $35.  The funny thing is we said that out loud at the festival and someone turned around and was astonished we had only paid $35.  They had paid $50.  Mary explained about the early bird price.

It was a beautiful day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will post the pictures later.

Miss Shanna babysat the boys while we were gone and had a great time.  Thank you again Miss Shanna.  Oh and thanks for the impromptu dinner party last night.

We are in store for a beautiful weekend.  Mid/upper 70’s with cool nights all weekend!  Tonight we are going to the Round Rock Express game.  Oh fun time on the grass!  It is opening day!  I can’t wait for the yummy food and margaritas!  Tentativley there are 18 of us going.

Noah and Cooper are excited for the Friday Family Fun night.  They are going to be so surprised when we tell them we are taking the show on the road to Dell Diamond!  Here’s to many more fun nights at the Dell.

Well it was a packed game.  I had never seen it so full.  It was opening day and a tribute to the armed services.  Here are some pictures from the big night out.

Sarah                                                  Rachel                                       Carol

Steve and Troy                      Nathan, Colin, Taggert Tae-Tae              Noah

The Gang!

Whoa we got our first phone call that almost stunned me.  Gregg and I were watching TV tonight.  Noah was laying next to Gregg on the other couch.  Well, while we were watching the play back(love Tivo) of Survivor we received a phone call.  I didn’t notice the number on the caller ID and answered any way. He said he was calling from the 911 center and that a call had been placed.  I was totally oblivious and told him no one was anywhere near a phone when Gregg heard and said Noah had been playing with the phone only seconds ago.  I thought I was going to die and totally apologized and told him I would hang up so he could take someone else’s call.  I guess they are used to these kind of calls.  I was embarrassed because I had no idea Noah had taken the phone.  I am going to find out if he learned 911 this week at school or what.  It’s nice to see the response as I had only twice used 911 before and found the operators quite useful.  It’s nice to find the same true here in Texas.

Thank you 911 operators everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Well we finally got to pick up our Permit today.  I’ve dealt with construction before so I am not a total novice but man do things take forever in the builder world.  First we thought it would be ready by Friday at close of business then last minute they needed us to change something.  Then it was suppose to be ready on Monday.  Again it was something else(signatures), so when they said before noon on Wednesday and it was 1 and we hadn’t heard anything I wondered what now.  To my surprise Gregg told me when I got home for work that the permit was ready to be picked up.  We got it today at 4, faxed it to the bank, made copies and posted in our building.  We are all set to start construction!!!!!!!!!!!!  I’m not sure how long t is going to take I have heard 45-90 days so that is kind of a big window.  I am still hoping for a beg/mid June opening.  I’m hoping we can have Noah’s party there.  When we come back to Detroit we will be having a party for both the boys at the Jungle Java there.

Another thing I can’t wait for is this weekend’s Texas Wine and Food Festival.  We are going to the wine fest on Sunday in GeorgeTown.  It is going to be lots of fun and we even got a great new babysitter.  The party is in San Gabriel Park from 12-5 and includes wine, food, music and cooking demonstrations.  We got our tickets in advance so they were only $35 now you have to pay $50.  Gregg was laughing about scalping them but he is determined to drink and eat his $35 worth.  We are going with our friends Mark and Mary and they got a sitter too.  Oh to have parents who live close by(LOL).

Noah can’t wait to get to Michigan and see the Jungle Java again.  He wants to visualize it.  They both can’t wait to see G-ma.  They see her everyday on the computer but she has been telling them all the things they will do when we get there.  Let’s just say there are going to be a lot of trips to Cold Stone Creamery and Dairy Queen.

I Can’t wait to see all my friends again.  It has been a while.  I’ve already called Julie and Debbie to line up our video/chow/bar nights.  Kim I’ll be calling you to.  I can’t wait to see Chris and Marty and their little Jo-Jo(Josephine).  She will be almost three months.  I’m bummed that I won’t get to see Al and Jess but I know they are happy to get out of Detroit and back in the DC area.  Oh can’t wait to go to Duggan’s and see Jason and get some of that terrific food.  Hey Jas get them to make the gazpacho before I come to town.  Oh and or all of you emailing me about the get together planned for everyone(listeners, etc.)  we really need to nail this down.  Vic is suppose to pick a place in the Novi area.  Others have mentioned meeting in the Rochester area as well.  I believe the Hamlin Pub was mentioned.  That could be good for the May 3rd meeting.  We’ll discuss this on Friday’s podcast and Gregg and I will post the place and times on our websites.  So keep open April 26 for the west side and May 3rd for the east side.  Lise I hope this answers your question!

I have more but I will save it for later.  Top Chef is on now so I have to go.