As many of you know Gregg is now the cohost on the afternon drive show on 105.3 The Fan.  He is very excited as this was very unexpected.  Mr. Big B called Gregg and the next thing you know(within hours) he had a job.  I had been interviewing all spring to get back into teaching and while we were on vacation Gregg gets a call out of the blue(you got to be kidding me) and get’s a job while I just got a call saying I was not the #1 of the 2 they had narrowed it down to.  I am so sorry to that principal that called me to tell me I didn’t get the job cuz I just said ok and hung up since I had learned 15 minutes before that that Gregg had gotten the surprise gig in Dallas.  Hired by CBS, Really, so much for those burned bridges that a certain old GM started on fire. 

Then less than a week later I got the call for my gig.  I so badly wanted to get back into teaching that I jumped at it.  I LOVE my new school and am having a blast teaching again.  You get a totally new perspective once you have kids of your own. 

We have hired Chris, Gregg’s brother, to run the Jungle Java.  It is doing so well.  We are actually growing faster than our expectations which is nice.  I know I have said this before but I can’t believe how much money people spend on a birthday party.  I figured that once I threw a party at our home, with all the cleanup and food and stuff I probably spent about $200.  So I base that as the norm price for a party.  However I would say the average price of a party is about $250 and we can do 16 parties a day on a Saturday and 12 on Sunday.  We get wicked busy on the weekends.  (:  Next weekend we have our biggest party yet.  They are closing out the place for 3 hours and I believe their tab, with all the food, drinks and extras,  will be around $1,100.  We have had a lot of $500 parties but this is our first $1,000+ party.  What recession?

The boys are doing great at school.  Cooper can write his name and is getting better at it every day.  He loves his preschool in Cactus.  Noah is doing well too.  He is in the math pentathalon club and the Math Superstars Club.  He has always done so well with the spelling and reading(doing so at a 3rd grade level now) that I thought since I was a math teacher I should get him involved in math activities.  I don’t know how to extend the learning much more in reading, but could lend a hand in math.  I have been freakishly surprised at his skills.  The freaky thing is he knows how to do these tough problems without giving it much thought   Of course I thought he was just guessing the answers so I had him break it down and tried using some higher level thinking skills and he knocked it out.  I swear the group is going to think I gave him the answers.  One question was that he had to buy two things that equaled exactly .33 cents and with out much thought he circled the .18 and .15 cent items.  There were 6 things he could have chosen from.  How did he guess these two items?  He’s only in first grade.

G-ma was in town this week and we had a blast.  Yum Yum G-ma.  So sad to see her go tomorrow.  I hope Cooper doesn’t break down at the airport when we drop her off this time.  She is off to Paris and then she will come back to see us again.  Bon Voyage Mon petite.  Returnez-mois, toute-de-suit.

I could go on about my boys.  LOL

So much has happened since I last posted so I wil try to fill you in.

Mouse has gone over the rainbow.  It was soooo time.  It was said but needed to be done.

We moved off the Path and are on the Bend!  LOL  We moved to the West side of Round Rock and I LOVE our new house.  If you are on my facebook then you probably already know that.  We have a great new house and terrific backyard.  It is perfect for entertaining and as everyone knows that is one thing I love to do.  We have a beautiful pergola and I have a Bouganviella growing through the end trellis.  Perfect for sitting out on a nice warm night(two ceiling fans).  This neighborhood is more mature.  We have huge trees.  So large in fact that we weren’t able to get Direct TV.  We got Uverse instead.  No NFL Ticket so I am a little bummed.

Jungle Java is crazy busy.  It is amazing how much things have changed.  It has been one year now and we are a well oiled machine.  We have art camp at our place all summer.  Mrs. St. John from Cactus Ranch has set up camp at our place and we couldn’t be happier.  The 100 degree heat is also forcing people to come in.  As a result we have had a chance to get away more.

We went to New Braunfels for three days and visited Schlitterbahn Water Park and Natural Caverns Safari Park(watch out for those emus and zebras they are quite aggressive).  We are also going to Dallas to see the Tigers play the Rangers and spending a weekend at Houston to visit NASA and other sites.

We are having one of the best summers ever.  Man oh man I love it here in Texas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahh another great recipe from The Gluten Free Vegetarian Kitchen.  We had Mexican stuffed zuchinni.

It’s another beautiful day in Texas.  Man on man I love it here.  The weather rocks and the blue skies don’t suck! I love these 90 degree days and am despising the air conditioning.  Of course I am sure I will love it once the temperature goes above 110!  The only other place that comes close to Austin is Boulder(Denver).  Sure it snows in Boulder but there are 300+ days of sunshine and that includes right after a snow storm.

Tonight is muffins with moms at Noah’s school.  I subbed today for another kindergarten teacher.  They are so cute but I am so cut out for middle school.  I had one little girl cry 3 times.  I can understand that at the beginning of the year but holy cow.  When I mentioned someone had cried in class to Noah he knew exactly who it was.  LOL

I am going to write a whole write up on Lost.  I have a lot of Theories I would like to bounce off you all.  Got the Wings game and Grey’s finale then I can write more.

TTFN

Well I will start with Celebrity Apprentice.  First I must start saying that I vowed to never watch the show a few seasons ago whe Donald  fired someone who did not deserve it.  I started watching again this season only because I love Tom Green and thought Dennis would bring some comic relief.  I was hoping that would balance the fact that I think Dice has absolutely no talent and I hate those River’s women.  Oh and didn’t they just show why I hate them.  Me, Me, Me, Me OOOOOO Alas everyone is out to get me.  I still can’t believe that Joan won.  I think it is a total scam.  It was apparent from the very beginning that Trump was going to keep who he wanted.  A drunk and non existent Rodman made it past the first few rounds of elimintation, enough said.  Trump is a very hands on owner.  He knows exactly what goes on behind the scenes of his business and expects his people know the same.  Sooooooooo, to suggest that Trump did not know that Joan had pissed off the event planner and that was why they quit, quite simply insults my intelligence and doesn’t validate what Annie had said about the lack of support.  Joan had to do the planning on her own because she was not happy with the planner.  Annie had only hours to re-plan the event once she found that the plans she had made went down the drain because Joan is a bitch.  Don’t think that there wasn’t a  whole lot of INSULTING on joan’s part to the event planner.    Love the edit process.  NO professional that Trump hires to do a HUGE show is going to run away from a great gig due to a disagreement on design.  You know there was more.

So in the end for Joan to win is just laughable, but I could the outcome was being set  The whole, “money isn’t everything.” and I’m going to pretend I don’t know the planners quit because of Joan.  Give the viewer who has the intelligence greater than a 1st grader the benefit of the doubt.  ENOUGH!

Cooper had a great 4th birthday.  For those of you who sent a nice greetings we have a thank you card ready to send.  he is such a sweetie poteetie!!!!!  I can’t believe he is growing so quickly.  He still has his chubby cheeks and I love to eat them.

Noah is doing well too.  His birthday is next month and we have lots planned.  G-ma is coming to town in June!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He has planned his party oh so well.  We went to his teacher conferences and got some surprising news.  Noah is reading at a 2nd grade level.  Hey, I’m a math teacher.  I don’t know what to do with a reading child.

Well I have  more to say but have to stop now.

TTFN

We had some fun the last week or so.  Ben E Keith our food provider set us up in San Antonio for a food fest.  It was great that it happened on St. Pats. night.  We had lots of fun strolling the river walk and attending the show. 

We also went camping up at Lake Whitney.  Cooper LOVES Smores!  The boys got to try their hand at fishing though we caught nothing.  I even baited a hook and I swear the worm was looking at me as if to say what are you doing!

We had a bad storm last night.  Nothing happened here but I guess there was lots of hail elsewhere.  OUr neighbor is busy repairing the roof out in Cedar Park.

Not much to say other than I have seen Space Buddies a million times now.  Thanks Great grandma.  LOL

I have come to hate the internet and checking emails.  I can’t stand the word Twitter.  It is all abuzz with the South By Southwest Festival here.  Yeah we got techies living here so I get it.  But enough.

While I bitching let me once again tell you how much I hate TRU TV.  Tonight’s prgramming consist of all Speeders.  OMG really that is what you are going to air.  WHat lowest common denominator are you trying to broadcast to?  I used to love Saturday Night Solutions.  THank god for central time as I get Forensic Files at 10.  I could go on and on but I won’t.

On a nicer side.  We have lots of fun in store.  WE are going to San Antonio for a food conference a la Ben E Keith.  It just so happens that our hotel night is the same at St. Pattys day.  We will stroll the green river and divulge in some green libations then get ready to taste the foods the next day.  We also have planned a very fun campoing weekend at Lake Whitney.  Now that it has rained the burn bans are off and we should have a great time.  Can’t wait!

OK enough and sorry so brief but I am tired and want to watch some more Space Buddies and Beverly Hills Chiuahua.  THanks Great Grandma!!  YOur video mail is coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Didn’t know what to name this blog and that was the first thing that came to my head.

First….a big hug to Baxter, Mouse’s boyfriend.  I hope you are feeling bette.  You didn’t need those stinky toes any way!!!!!  Less toes in your paw but the same amount of love in your heart.  You can still hug minus a toe or two.  An even bigger hug to Julie who I know is just beside herself.  I wish I were there to hug on you and tell you everything is going to be alright.  I miss you and Baxter.  I can’t believe he is ten already.  HOLY COW!  It seems like just yesterday you brought him home and he was jumping our fence to play with Mouse.  Oh the noise she would make when they would play.  I would love to see Mouse like that again.  AHH those were good times.  BBQ’s and Mike’s Hard Lemonade and of course Profiler before court tv went to shit!

This is going to be a random post, hence the title

Noah is stating his independence now.  The boy doesn’t want to cut his hair and he is starting to look like a hippy.  Today he even wanted to dress himself and I felt like I was taking a peasant to school.  I think back to my parents and what they allowed me to do.  They always said as long as I got good grades I could dress and look however I wanted.  My dad tried to give suggestions but I was dancing to a different beat.  I survived so I guess Noah will too.  It’s hard to let go.  He is too cute and too precocious.  We went to math night last night per Noah’s request.  I was quite happy being a math teacher and all.  He has always excelled verbally so it was nice to see his interest in math.  They played fun math games and we continued the math lessons at home.  He really loves to learn.  It is so nice and refreshing to have someone so interested in learning.  I work with kids who have failed the Math TAKS test and some of them could care less.  It is nice to come home and talk to someone who cares.  The other night he even brought up the civil war.  At one point in the conversation I had to remember I was talking to a kindergartner.  The funny loop was he asked me if “our” state was a slave state.  I told him Michigan was in the north and was not and then he replied NO I mean our state.  LOL, as much as I am getting acclimated to Texas, Noah is a Texan.  We had to make a few calls for the answer(it was and that is why its stateshood was delayed 10  years).

Cooper is doing well too.  He has a new teacher at school and really seems to like her.  Miss Rachel was nice too but Coop seems to be sweet on miss Sonya.  He knows his ABC’s even though l-m-n-o-p sounds like some obscure dialect.  He can count to 20 thanks to the hide and seek games we play.  The one thing he doesn’t like is to go to the potty.  He is obssessed with his WII games and computer games.  He would rather pee in his pants and wait for me to catch him than go to the potty.  That is a work in prgress but we are getting serious now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jungle Java is GREAT!!!!!!!!!  Oh my we are birthday central.  It is fun and rewarding.  I love our little regulars that I get to see everyday as well as those kids who are so excited to have a birthday.  Nothing is greater than to see their little faces light up when they get to the door and can’t wait to get in.  It’s like seeing a birthday for the first time over and over again.  It doesn’t get old.  I love kids and it is so sweet to see their happy faces.  If I had started earlier I would imagine I would have had a whole gaggle of children.  Alas I don’t want to pay for college in my 80’s.  So I get to live vicariously through the other babies.

Tomorrow is Gregg’s birthday.  He will catch up to me in age so he can’t say I am his old broad(or lost in the tsunami).  Sunday we are planning on going to the Kite Festival with Mark and Mary and maybe Rachel and Brandon too.  The past two years we have had so much fun there.  This Sun. might be a bit cooler but hey today is 87.  It’s humid a bit too so it feels almost like a Michigan day.  I think it is suppose to be in the upper 60’s Sun.

Uncle Chris is moving here on Monday.  WE can’t wait to see him and get him used to the Texas way of life.  This will be his thrid trip to TExas in less than a month.  I’m sure he will be happy to set some roots now.  As I have said there are plenty of jobs here and if you are looking to get out fo where you are you couldn’t pick a better community than the greater Austin area.  They are hiring for all sorts of jobs.

I can’t believe Hosea won Top Chef.  I was rooting for Carla but she was lead astray.  I was happy when she was teamed with what’s her name for sous chef but I wish Carla would have told her that she had her own way of doing food.  She would have won had it not been for the sous chef.  I’m glad Stefan didn’t win.

Lost is still good.  I’m enjoying the twists. I knew when the guy said sorry about your friend that we would see him again.  It will be interesting to see how that crash plays out.  I’m guessing a few of them have been there before.

Survivor is not as good as they said it would be. Surprise!  I swore off th Trump shit but I might catch a glimpse or so because of the  disaster it may be.  I haven’t watched any yet but I hate the man so it might be hard.

Hope all is well with you and I will try to write again soon!

OK so obviously from my lack of posts I have been a little busy.  The JJ is booming and things couldn’t be better.  Only my blogging is greatly suffering.  Before I go to bed I wanted to make some quick comments on shows.

1) It has been over a year since my beloved Court TV has been turned to SHIT!  I am on central time so I can’t really see any good trials(8-2) and after that they are just a remake of the God Awful FOX channel.  Everything is most daring or bloody beach battles or drunk people gone wild.  FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE, CHRIST ON A BIKE, get this thing back on track.  It is a joke that you put something educational like Forensic Files or Dayle on this site.  It makes me sick.  I find myslef now watching more the Investigative Discovery Channel.  Thank God for that channel.  There is now another channel on Direct that you have to pay for that is something like that but so far there are only 24 episodes and things I don’t care for.  If it was forensic files 24/7I would buy it.  I’ld even take Dateline for Discovery 24/7.  Give me some real life mysteries not drunk people doing stupid stuff.  If I wanted that I would have stayed at home and gone to Windsor!

2)  Lost,  Some have said it has jumped the shark but I would suggest you give this season a second chance.  It has been very interesting even though every time I have tried to watch the season finale or opening show we have lost power.  LOL.  I am caught up now and am very intrigued by Charles Widmore having been on the island.  More great things to come and not much time to talk aobut it now.

3)  Top Chef.  I’m kind of bummed Jeff was voted off.  I liked him.  DOn’t know why, maybe the blonde hair and blue eyes.  Either way I love Fabio and his slaughter of the English language but consistently his food has been lacking flavor(whether salt or seasoning).  I can’t believe Leah is still kicking.  I have been waiting for her to fly for a while.  Good God she is so unimaginitive.  I have been getting great ideas for a catering business.  Any way I see Jaime and Stefan as the two front runners.

4)  Heroes.  I loved this show until last season when I stopped watching.  There was no secret that I was in LOVE with Mohinder.  Then they made him a character I didn’t even notice and then things went downhill from there.  I stopped watching midseason last year.  I have a few episodes taped and may watch them and the pick up with the next arc to see if things have changed.  If you have any input let me know! 

So that is just a little of what I was thinking.  Let me know your thoughts and anything else.  I ill watch Grey’s for a good cry but not too hip on the dead Denny thing other than he is a hot piece.

OK gotta go to bed.  I’ve got TIVO to watch tomorrow!

Warning!  Warning!

Whoa nothing like a winter storm in Texas. I sat in bed and watched the night news and had a good giggle.   The sand trucks were going to have to work in 3 hour shifts and there might be 1/10^th of an inch of ice.  I’m sure everyone back in MI. is laughing, especially the salt truck drivers.  They would love a 3 hour shift.  Round Rock Public Schools even cancelled after school activities yesterday(Tues.) and it hadn’t even rained yet.  Now in fairness they aren’t accustomed to this but a little common sense is all that is needed.  There are some HUGE ramps here (bigger and Higher than the 96 ramp at Southfield Fwy in Michigan).  My mom always gets white knuckles when going over and I have to say that I am not enjoying the scenery when I travel on these ramps either.  I would avoid them all together in this weather.  It isn’t too far out of the way to travel around.

The Jeep was covered in ice this am but nothing different from when you wash your car in Michigan in the winter time and don’t drive around enough until it dries.  You know what I mean….you decide to wash your car on the way home from work at the neighborhood car wash and then 2 minutes later your at home and parked, of course the car doors are going to freeze shut.  Ugh I hated that.  I started driving around with a towel so I could dry the inside of the door before I shut it for the night.  Oh and the frozen key locks.  What a pain in the ass.  How do you get that warm if you can’t even get into the car.  I remember once climbing in through the back door of my car in order to get in the car and start it.  I love my auto start now.  Of course I use it more often for the hot days than the cold days!

They put sand on the streets here which is part of the reason the roads are in such good shape.  I’m pretty sure they use different stuff on the roads here since it is WAY too hot for the Michigan tar and stuff.  I’m not sure if the sand works as much as it makes a nice muddy mess around my classroom and a coating on my car.  At least we don’t have to worry about this kind of thing very often. 

Gregg’s brother came for a visit just in time for our “ice storm.”  We are always saying how nice it is here and he comes on the one freezing and gray day.  It’s back to beautiful blue skies and a high today of 55(now it is wet and sandy).  This weekend it is suppose to be in the 70’s which will be nice since we are taking him to the lake Sunday.  I love it when people come to visit because that means I HAVE to take them out to enjoy the local cuisine.  I see some Rudy’s, Salt Lick, and Chuy’s in my future.  YUMMY

Cooper is crazy good at these video games and computer stuff.  The boy is an addict.  I can barely stay on the road (Mario Kart) and Coop is finishing in first all the time(I’m in 12^th, ahhh last place).  The other day I noticed it was quiet in the game room.  I walked in to see him on my computer.  I didn’t leave a browser open but he managed to get online somehow and get to Playhouse Disney.  He is 3 years old for Pete’s sake.  I’m constantly amazed by him.

Speaking of being amazed, have I mentioned what a great reader Noah is.  I love that he always likes to spell.  Learning has always been a game to him.  He loves to walk around and spell things.  However, I did catch him spelling “s.t.o.o.p.i.d”  Not very nice.  He loves to answer all questions with spelling the answer.  Cute, but not when I am in a hurry. 

I am anxiously awaiting news of an important birth.  I can’t wait to see the puppies!!

AAHHH Friday!  What a great week.   It has been nice here.  Today it is 82 and I am out back watching the golfers blogging.  Nice day!!!  Just said nice shot to a guy.  I never do that.

WHat a great week and sad one.  Great week for America!  Not so great for some people in Detroit.  Gregg’s old station is now out of business.  They pulled the plug on Tuesday during the inauguration.  They were hoping no one would notice.  Some great people are out of work now and that is always sad.  Even more so with the way the economy is in Detroit.  Radio is just not a good gig.  Sure it is good when you got it but things change, owners change and tastes change.  My advice to anyone in radio now is…”don’t get used to it, have a back up plan.”  Look at the veteran radio personalities who are now still in their prime(non-retiring age) and have to find work.  Gregg knew back in the wxyt/krk days that things weren’t going to last forever.  He had told me that radio was going to die and syndication, internet and “Bob/Alice” type stations were going to take over.  He was always interested in doing something else be it another job, college or opening a restaurant.  Even though the thought of openning a breakfast place had ALWAYS thrilled me it was just easier to collect the big salaries offered and not think about the future.  I still regret not buying the breakfast place we were talking about.  Once in Philly and seeing how miserable Gregg was I knew we had to make the move.  He dreaded talking about sports again.  So we set forth to open the Jungle Java.  Now in the beginning we were going to open one in Clinton Twp. and I was going to go back to Farmington Public Schools and resume teaching 6th grade math.  Then Gregg got the job here in Austin.  He didn’t want to go back to sports talk but it was an opportunity for us to get out of Detroit once and for all and get started on our dream.  Yeah that hit some bumps when he lost his job and we had to finish the financing without the job.  I’m sure if we would have waited another year we never would have gotten the loan.  But it was well worth the wait.  I love it here and I Love being our own boss and having our destiny in our hands.  Business ownership may not be for everyone but if you are in radio I would recommend that you at least have one back up plan if not a side venture going.  Things won’t last and I know everyone in radio has been unemployed before and knows some of what I say is true.  And with the way the market is going and the direction radio is taking there may not be another job opening once you lose this one.  THINK AHEAD or plan to move a lot(or be a great ass kisser and have no self esteem OR always keep a job while you cut the legs off from those under you ie./ be an executive).

OK enough of that on to sunnier things………TEXAS  LOL

Noah has his first science fair this week.  Kindergarten kids can’t go to regionals but I thought it would be good for Noah to do a project.  and………………..NOAH did his project.  He came up with the idea after searching the web and wrote the whole thing by hand.  Having been a science teacher I know too well how many parents do the project for their kids.  Often I would have to call a student to my desk to have them explain the project(mind you 6th grade) and they couldn’t.  Not only that but often they couldn’t pronounce some of the words on their board nor tell me what the word meant.  So this meant a lot to me to have Noah do his on his own.  Last night was the night when all the boards were on display and it wasn’t surprising to see what I saw.  Clearly parents had helped more than they were suppose to.  However I did learn something.  It is OK for parents to help if they put that in their reference and acknowlegement section.  Next time I will definitely type what Noah dictates to me but it will still look like an age appropriate task.  I had the poor child write everything out on his own and that took more time than coming up with his project and actually doing it.  I am happy to say that although Noah’s board did not look as professional as others he did receive a second place ribbon.  He was happy and I told him he won it all on his own.  This is not to say that other’s did not do their project on their own.  I saw and talked with some of the other kids in all grades and saw the work and effort they did in building their own items.  It was a great night and nice to see all the displays.  Congrats to Colin and Addison and good luck at Regionals(sorry if I missed anyone I didn’t see everyones).

Well another week is done and time to relax.  Couldn’t think of a better way than with a gluten free beer and lime salt so I am off to sit on my back porch, enjoy the weather and sun, and do a crossword…oh then beat the boys in Mario.  Gotta get ready for another busy day at JJ tomorrow!  Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TTFN