OMG I almost forgot about this band.  We used to jam to this back in 83????  How funny.  I guess we were a little ahead of our time.  Now I know why my dad would freak out about my friends.  LOL

Love this band.  Paul, the lead singer, used to come to Ann Arbor and play at the Blind Pig unexpectedly.  He lived in Min.

For the first time in a whle I have been trolling the you tube section.

Here are some bands I love.

The first one is the band that Duran Duran was influenced by.  AHHHHH Love Japan.

I found this nice write up.  It was dated in Sept.  I;m surprised I didn’t see it sooner.

Yipee,  Time to give thanks and eat a lot of turkey, potatoes and stuffing.  I love thanksgiving more than just about any other holiday.  You get to eat and sloth about.  We are hosting the festivities at our house for the 4 other familes from out of town.  We have a great menu planned and some fun watching the Lions lose and the UT/A and M game.  Good day!

Noah had his school play today.  The kids got all dressed up and preformed their skit.  It was so cute to see all the children all excited.  It was a very hush hush production and Noah would reveal nothing.  Of course Jungle Java provided the turkey roll ups and coffee.  The kids had a great feast as all our parents brought lots of food.  I’m not sure what they are going to do with all the corn bread that was brought. 

The Jungle Java is all set and ready for all the kids that will come this week.  We have had SOOOOOOO many people call about our hours this week.  There is also a cold front coming in Thursday and it shouldn’t get above 62 for the weekend.  We have had so many first timers come into the store lately.  Gregg booked a lot of sports parties this past month and and we got a LOT of repeat customers from that.  I’m always surprised when someone comes in for the first time.  I thought we did a great job of advertising but nothing spreads better than word of mouth and parties.  Due to this new influx we are almost completely booked with parties every weekend.  Some parties are even having to book on weekdays.  We hired two new employees last week and are hiring two more this week.  We just had a staff meeting earlier tonight to discuss the new crowds and management.  I can’t believe we have only been open for less than 6 months and are already finding success.  Getting the award from the Chronicle also helped.  We have a group of moms from South Austin who travel all the way up to us to play.

This Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for.  I hope everyone can find something to be thankful for and enjoy the rest of their week!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

A swift wind has kicked up and now the chill begins.  OK so it isn’t as chilly as Michigan but relatively speaking it is freezing.  I’m wearing socks and a winter coat.  The high is only suppose to be in the 60’s for the next week.  I believe we are getting our first frost tonight.

Noah’s kindergarten are putting on a thanksgiving play on Tuesday.  I can’t wait to see it.  They are going to have a little lunch and everything.  It is still a secret as to the plot.  ooohhh

The shopping centers around us are having their grand openings this week.  A bunch of them have already opened and I am anticipating the rest.  Forbes named us one of the top 5 small cities for new business.  WE now have a Pei Wei, Spec’s liquor which besides booze has a whole fancy food and condiment section.  We also have Firehouse subs and numerous other food places and massage/facial places.    I went to Pei Wei on Friday for carry out and it was hopping.  I only wish they would put in a Bonefish Grill!!  It’s nice to have options for dining close by.

This weekend is going to be crazy with birthday parties but I think this Sunday(our day off) we are finally going to see Madagascar 2.  The first one was so funny.  Yes I am a late bloomer as I just saw the first one last month.  How cute.  Can’t wait to see the new one.

OK cold outside going in now,

Ok I am finally caught up on Heroes.  To tell you the truth I was one of the ones that was about to abandon the series.  Normally I would be waiting by the TV but as of late I have found other things to do.  Tonight I finally sat down and decided to watch them.  I must say that the last episode was a long time coming and may bring me back to watching “on time.”  It was interesting to see how everything came about.  Senior Petrelli scares me and it aint just his Chicago accent.

Speaking of accents.  It is so funny to hear my students tell me I have an accent.  I have restarted the tutoring at the middle school and in teaching a lesson one of the kids said, “omg, I hear your accent.”  It’s so funny because I don’t hear it.  Occasionally I hear someone here with a very strong accent but otherwise I think I am getting used to it.  Heck half the people here are from California.  Two weeks ago I did book a party with a mom and then had to say….are you Canadian?  She was surprised I recognized her accent until I told where I had grown up.  Paul, my step father, is British and people would ask me where he is from and I would say Franklin not realizing that they were talking about his accent.  It’s funny how you get used to things.

Noah is entering the science fair this year.  Today we did research on what topic he would like to cover.  We have our topic and will begin our research tomorrow.  This is such a fun activity for us to do together.  I told him that I have graded hundreds of science experiments through my years and have ideas but he is ready to take this on all by himself.  Go little man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a nice day today…

Noah has asked for a dinner party for his friends.  Preston and Heathcliff have had him over a few times for dinner and Noah wanted to return the favor.  Today we had the boys and Taelyn over and had nuggets, veggies, and baked and decorated cupcakes.  I have some fun pics I will post(I know mom I have a ton and will get to them!!).  Good Times!

Gregg had fun doing his “sports” radio show on the internet the other day.  If you like sports this might be an opportunity to hear him daily.  He got a call last week and we shall see what happens.  Either way I am fine with what happens.  We have never hidden our disdain with terestial radio so I hope this venture will prove to be a good one.  If it happens it will be rough at first but one that may be worthwhile.  Enough speculation we shall see what happens.  On other radio news.  Gregg told me JJ and Lynne were out of a job.  That is so sad.  It is hard to see people lose their job especially in the Detroit economy.  I know JJ holds a special place in Gregg’s heart.  I hope they both find opportunities soon.  I would think that the D and D rumors must also be buzzing because when I heard of the release I thought that right away.  It is bittersweet that they get that gig.  I’m sure that they both feel the same way.  D and D are nice guys and although they want a gig in Detroit I know that they are not elated to know how they got it.  They too know how it is to be working one day and out the next.  That is one TOUGH transition.  As I am sure you know we went through it as well.  My mom has often said I am a VERY pragmatic person.  True but it was hard to leave a house that I had built from the ground up!  That aside the prospect of moving someplace cool like Austin also appealed to me. 

Now…..It appealed to me because we were also making money and a cheaper lifestyle.  I had started my “adventure” living when I had moved to Boulder during my senior year in college(much to the dismay of my parents).    It was my “pyschosocial moratorium“.  It was at that point that i realized I wanted to return to college and see the world with new(employed…LOL) eyes.  I was always ready to move…I almost did my student teaching in Boulder but had no way to support myself and teach.  Once I was employed I found it hard to leave so it was ALMOST a godsend that Gregg and I were whisked away to Austin.  I loved it here…moved to Philly, which was fun as well but Austin was GREAT(Boulder is still a close second save the weather).  Not everyone is “built” to roll with the punches but hey, why fight it.  It is what it is and make the most of it.  Trust me we still have about two people who still post and write nasty shit about Gregg and radio and JJ stuff.  I find it amusing because two weeks after we left I moved on and they still haven’t.  Not everyone finds it easy to move on and I am not making light of those who can’t or don’t.  I can only imagine the pain that you are going through but once you get past it there are so many blue skies out there that you will be blinded by the sun.  I hope you are all fortunate to  gaze into the sun and put on those shade because life truly is a sunny place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ENJOY!!!!!

This is why I don’t want to move back to Michigan.  It has been nice and 80 all week and back in MI…………  It is getting down to the 60’s this weekend and we have been getting a mad rush on last minute birthday parties.  Mi. would love a 60 degree outside party.  Love the Milford house and these shots but not worht the cold.  Loving the swift 70 degree breeze blowing in anticipation of the colder weather here!!!!!!!!!

I went back to Michigan for the msu game.  UGH. not what I had hoped for as of score nor play.  Damn I wouldn’t have cared who would have won if it had been the least bit exciting(sorry Gregg).  The tailgate was wilder than usual.  They had octobongs and an ice luge.  I did participate in the ice luge.  Patrick rented a sound system and the place was hopping.  Sooo many more people than used to be there when I hung.  It’s a nice location only being two parking rows from the stadium-Thanks to Aaron and his contributions to the U of M hockey team-and by the way GO Boston Bruins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found Jamie Morrison working the crowd and giving out field passes to past and soon to be present players.  He commented on two young men shadowing him and mentioned whoe they were.  When I turned to look at them the both said, “Oh My God, Ms, Champe/Mrs. Henson.”  I recognized the boys as Matt and Ryan Leach(sons of ex QB/baseball player R. Leach).  I almost died.  THese cute little boys were grown men.  The first a senior and the latter a freshmen.  These were great guys.  I remember Matt as an outstanding math student.  He is going into Athletic mangement(hence shadowing Jamie) and Ryan as such a ham.  He was such an outgoing guy that I had him do the play by play for the Piston’s MLK game with George Blaha.  The kid was a natural and is still as outgoing.  They were both interningfor Jamie and my friend Joe who is  Sr. Assoc. Athletic Director.  Funny thing is back in college Joe and my friend Pia and Topher and I were all suppose to get married and grow old together.  Oh how things have changed.  Joe has a family and stayed at Michigan(was on swimming team),  It was actually Joe and Pia’s time in Austin that taught me how cool it was here and allowed me to make the jump to move here.  Pia is a Dr. in Santa Monica and saving animals across the country with  adoptapet.com That is Pia with the pigtail braids.  I love that girl!  Topher is?????????????????????  Aspen, San Diego, Some third world coutnry, or somewhere parts unknown.  Please contact me or Kendo if you get this we would love to hear your latest adventure!

I have a ton of pictues to post when I get time.  I am back to tutoring at the middle school.  Great two day a week gig but I had to quit the PTA Homeroom parent chair.  That was hard but between the JJ, MS and kids it was too hard.  It is still nice though because Gregg and I get to regularly have lunch with Noah at school and go on his field trips.  Noah got his first report card and got great grades in music, art, PE, and math.  He got god grades in everything else but I am especially happy he got such great grades in math(being a math teacher and all).  It’s funny, I always thought his strength was in verbal communication of just about anything.  I was actually surprised to learn that he is great in geometry and statistics. 

Cooper is very much a computer guy.  It is funny to see him move the mouse around and get done what he wants.  He can do just about anything on the computer and we have never taught him it.  He knows how to turn the volume up and down and how to print many documents.  I always ask Gregg, “Did you teach him that?”

Anyway, Good things are happening and I will be writing more and sending pictures in the next week or so.  Sorry for my absence!