Helloooo.

Pardon my extended absence. I hope you haven't all forgotten me. :)
I finally have something to write about, I think... But I must admit I have a little anxiety about having almost four months of other people's journals to catch up on. So forgive me for being out of the loop. But maybe one benefit is that my blog-stalkers will have given up on me. I'm sure Dan doesn't read anymore...

This may not be the full post I wanted to do (but maybe it will, who knows)- but I wanted to get something in before halloween. So that if I make it to the party (debatable since I think I'm on call...) I won't be a total stranger. And hell, maybe I can be the 25Kth post!

So... it seems that last time I wrote, I was in the throes of a breakup. Well, not much has changed since then. I think said breakup is actually official as of last night. (when I was told that 'friends is not working out, so please don't ever call/text/email/facebook (think about/dream of/look at/accidentally be in the vicinity of/etc) me, or anyone I know, ever again. Goodbye forever. Click.') This was after I told him that I'd done a lot of thinking and loved him and really wanted to make things work blah blah.

Ouch. I'm sad, but maybe in time I'll see the bright side. Right now I definitely don't.

Sadly, the last 4 months can be summed up in a few lines...
worked... got back together.... worked... broke up again.... worked.... was hopeful and elated.... worked... was heartbroken.

Wash, rinse, repeat. Not much else to report.

Until...

Last week I was on vacation. I went down to virginia to see my sister, who was due on 10/30. We had a spa day planned in Williamsburg, which is about an hour from her house. We were going to go get massages, get our nails did, etc, then go out to dinner, then spend the night watching movies and drinking hot chocolate at her in-laws' condo. Spend the night, go outlet shopping the next morning, and then head home just in time for her OB appointment in the afternoon.

So... we went to the spa. It was lovely and pampering. Then we went to dinner. Also lovely. Then back to the condo... Got into our PJs and settled in to a DVD, when she says 'um, Al... I'm having these... pains? They start in my back and wrap around to my stomach, kind of a squeezing feeling.... they're about ten minutes apart and getting stronger. Do you think it's just indigestion?" Since we were an hour away from the hospital (and her husband) we decided to drive back. So I'm driving 80, and she's huffing and puffing in the front seat... My mom is freaking out that I'm going to have to deliver a baby on the side of the road and is asking if I have a shoelace to tie the cord... Finally she's like "I think you can go faster.... this may be the only time in your life you can use the "lady having a baby" excuse if you get pulled over." I realized she had a good point, and started flying. I was almost hoping I'd get pulled over, because I started imagining the cops giving us some grand motorcade-style escort, with lights and sirens, all the way to the hospital. I then decided that even if that didn't happen, I would tell people it did. ;)

By the time we got to the hospital, she was no longer willing to park with me and walk in, and wanted to be dropped off at the ER. Her doting husband was waiting at the ER door with her bag, and they rushed in while I parked. I then marched up, fully expecting to go right in, and they said "ok have a seat in the waiting room and the nurse will give you an update in a bit."

WHAT? But... but... I'm her sister.... and a doctor... But I didn't play the doctor card. Figured it's their moment, I'll let them have it.

So, I sat in the waiting room. Her in-laws showed up. The three of us waited. Finally the nurse came out... we asked "are we having a baby are we having a baby???" she laughed and said "not tonight, she's only 2cm." (which I'm sure pissed my sister off.... I'm sure she thought she would be 9 by the time she got there. Bet she was pissed to learn she had a long way to go...) So, at 1am her husband sent us home to get some sleep.

So at 7:15 I got a text from her husband "things are getting hectic". omg omg omg!! Quick, get dressed, feed the dog, get in the car, oh right, shoes! oh right, keys! etc etc. Get to the hospital at 8... she's there, much happier now that she has an epidural... Husband tells me I can stay for labor, but will have to leave for delivery. I'm a little surprised (and mad and hurt- I mean, I'm a doctor! and her sister!) but again, let them have their moment. The nurse came in, did a little exam, and started explaining pushing. I thought she was just getting prepared... I asked about the exam, and the nurse said 'oh, you're complete.' So she got the doctor to come in for a check... and five pushes later, BABY GIRL!!! Seriously, 6cm to baby in like 40 minutes. Not bad for a first-timer.

So, it happened so fast they didn't get to kick me out. (ha HA!) And I took about a million pictures. Amazing how different she looked over a matter of hours. Actually a little ugly at first (don't tell anyone I said that!) to absolutely precious a few days later.

so we made all sorts of phone calls.... everyone cried... (I was glad to not be alone in that). In laws arrived... Mom booked her flight...

So we spent the next two days in and out of the hospital... She was scheduled to come home at 11am on saturday, perfect since my flight was at five... But the pediatrician on call was totally MIA, and I had to leave for the airport before they got home. But... then my flight got delayed 6 hours, and I couldn't have made my connections, so... I spend another night. I had been looking forward to driving straight to Dan's from the airport and surprising him and jumping into his arms and telling him how much I missed him and having this big romantic homecoming... But... another night with the baby was pretty great too. :) Made it home sunday... went straight to dan's work, which was not the same. he was busy and crabby. Then later that night had the discussion referenced above. Lovely.

And... that just about brings you up to speed in the glamorous and exciting life of Miss Jenks. :)

Random tidbit- they were going to name the baby Jenks if it was a boy. But, she wasn't.

But here are "a few" pix. (ha!) Most of which are from my phone, so forgive the less than stellar quality.


Looking just about 9 months pregnant...


The adorable nursery.


Complete with adorable sheets.


And lots of toys.


Including this crazy thing handmade by her friend.






Right when I got to the hospital, about 0810.


And... here she is! Still all bloody and waxy. 0848.


About five minutes old here. Not looking her best. But still, of course, the most gorgeous baby I've ever seen.



Stealing Dad's heart at first glance...


The perk of being behind the camera, is that you can't tell that I'm crying more than Dad. But I still think this is about the sweetest picture I've ever seen.



Meeting Mom for the first time, who is also crying.


First kiss. (nice manicure, huh?)


Getting cuter...


Meeting grandma...


Giving us all the stink-eye...


Meeting her MOSTEST FAVORITEST aunt.


And a little family portrait.


First bath... Much cuter with the blood and goo out of her hair. (and can we talk about that hair?!)


Love this pic. A much-too-big, hospital-issue, volunteer-knit, hat.




And by this point (day 2), officially the cutest baby on Earth. :)

I miss her already.

Not to make you all jealous (or sick), but-

I decided to take today off. There might be a special, romantic dinner in your future.

!! Lucky me...

That's funny. I was just thinking of how lucky I am.

And on a totally unrelated note-
This is fantastic. My kind of therapy. $5 for 5 min.

Long time no post...

I will post some thanksgiving/disco/random pix once I get them out of my camera. But in the meantime-

1: To all the roswell peeps- I am officially back at roswell. Until the end of january. And I officially already hate it. Despite JUST getting off a week of vacation (and an especially lovely day yesterday)- I am already cranky, miserable and exhausted. :( So please let's have lunch. Today I had diet mountain dew and a stale cookie for lunch. At 4:30. Ugh. And I found out that I have dec 24/25 off. YAY!!! But, they are making me work the weekend- 22/23. BOO!!!

2: Whose lame idea was it to make a work christmas party from 6-8 on a wednesday??? BOO!!!

3: Since I have no pix to post yet, I will post some lovely holiday/other sentiments from someecards. Thanks again to (e:hodown) for my favorite new website. There are so many awesome ones it was hard even to narrow it down to six. I mean seven.









4: I think I might be seeing someone. How/when did this happen?!?!? He took off work to take me to the airport. And picked me up. And then felt so badly for falling asleep and not meeting us out after the disco, that he came over sunday and made me breakfast, yada yada, and dinner. And sends me texts that say things like "you are absolutely amazing." Holds my hand at the dinner table and all of the sudden out of the blue says "you are SO beautiful". Holy crap. It's the kind of thing that makes me want to vomit- when it's other people. Somehow when it happens to me- I kinda like it. Who knew!!
Now to just decide how/if to tell him about all YOU people. ;)

Thanks, writer!

"Do you know that near where I grew up called Jenks Rd? They used to take us out there in drivers ed. Its this country road that seems normal. When you drive west on it, theres a little dip that blocks your view of the road and then boom its like a roller coaster.
I think it dives like 80 feet.

The first time it scares the shit out of you but then its a fun ride. The story goes that the guy who lives in front of the hump will come out and chase you if you keep going over the hump enough times.

Anyways what I mean to say is that in some ways Jenks Rd is like you. Sometimes theres ups and sometimes theres downs, but damn if it isn't a good road."

"SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant.
I'm a very good looking girl who LOVES to play. I love long
walks in woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips,
cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me
eating out of your hand. Rub me the right way and watch me respond. I'll
be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what
nature gave me. Kiss me and I'm yours. Call (404) xxx-xxxx and ask for
"Daisy."





Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society
about an 8-week old black Labrador retriever.

Well, I helped at least. :)

A pregnant momma dog was thrown out of a moving car in OH a while ago (aren't people just AWESOME?) and then went into labor and had 6 puppies. Animal control picked them up, but there was no room at the inn, and they probably would have been put to sleep, but a shelter in Mass agreed to take them. The only problem was how to get them from OH to MA.

So a bunch of people agreed to do different legs. I picked them up in Erie this AM, and brought them back to Buffalo, where someone was going to take them on to rochester...

And i have to say.... there is not much cuter than 10 day old puppies that don't even have their eyes open.

It was totally therapeutic. Impossible to be in a shitty mood after that. :) I of course HAD to play with them and they made little squeaky noises and nuzzled me and even sucked on my finger. OMG i wanted to steal them all. Not to mention mom was a super sweetheart....

What a win-win situation. I help them, they help me....
sigh... yay....

and (don't shoot me for saying this)- hockey season is over! yay!!!!!
yeah yeah yeah, it would have been "the best thing to ever happen to buffalo" [as a friend of mine said] if they won the cup, and yeah i'm sure it would have been cool. But for now, I'm just happy that everyone can shave off those ugly playoff beards!

What a loverly day...

I worked last night, didn't get much sleep, ran home, changed, and went straight to the dentist to get my tooth drilled. Not my favorite way to start the day.
But then I came back downtown with (e:ladycroft) and (e:nejifer) for some Spot yumminess. And it was just so nice out... I hope this weather is just a hint of what's to come... Everyone was out and about, and so many dogs! And we lucked into a meeting with the ever elusive (e:Jason), and wandered up elmwood. After everyone left for class, I went and played with Vance, a VERY adorable 8 week old lab/pit bull puppy. Then wandered through New World... I've never really gone in there before. Cool place. Made me realize I haven't bought a physical CD in a LONG time. Looks like Matisyahu has a new one. But I didn't want to spend $18 on it. And I was so excited to come brag to (e:Joshua) about my amazing find in the $2 bin: The Doves- Affinity!!!
Except... it's not the REAL Doves. It's some crappy band. Oh well. I guess that's why it was in the $2 bin. But I bought a bunch of random shit, including a little purse/bag/thing made entirely of orange zippers. And presents for friends for no reason. I love doing that. "i saw this and I thought of you and I had to get it."

Then I drove home with the windows down and the sunroof open... At home found my bulbs peeking out of the dirt, and my neighbor grilling out.

MAN I can't wait for summer!!!

But so after my CD was disappointing I went shopping at itunes, and was sucked into the new Death Cab video CD. It's just Plans, but with videos. And for some masochistic reason I just have to see the video for "Someday you will be loved". The song itself makes me cry my eyes out (e:jenks,3) - wonder what the video will do.
I also have a new band to put in heavy rotation- The Editors. Just bought the album, haven't listened to it all yet, but I'm likin' what I'm hearin' so far. Better than those silly Arctic Monkeys. (just kidding. I guess I should give them another shot, but my first impression was 'I don't see what the big deal is.')

Hmm.... now to see if I'm energized enought to deal with my work crap.
Enjoy the rest of the lovely day, peeparoos!

-J

Ok, so I checked it out. It's been a few months, but that song STILL makes me cry. And the video, which features a heart being smashed with a hammer, and eaten by rats (among other things), is not much better. But I know they're right... someday I WILL be loved. :)

Ok, and I put up a new song. Banquet, by Bloc Party. Another of my current fave bands. Especially good for car dancing if you ask me. :)
And I made a new smart playlist in itunes - "type MPEG, type NOT protected, size <5mb". Now I have 3578 songs to choose from as user sounds. You lucky peeps! Just you wait! ;)

Not too much to say lately, which is unusual for me. (haha, it's been what, two days since I posted? Feels like ages)

My pre-exam caffeine/insomnia buzz seems to be clearing (though not due to catching up on sleep- I still dozed off in conference this morning despite my best efforts (coffee, gum-chewing [i typed cum-chewing at first. Hmm. where is my mind], arm-pinching), and I don't feel very sharp or insightful. Usually my mind is full of dumb little "oh my god I can't wait to tell so-and-so about this!" moments. And you, estrip, have been so-and-so lately. Much to the relief of my friends, I'm sure- they get a break from being subjected to all my ridiculous "stories"-ha.

But I must say I am pretty stoked right now. Got a random call at like 9:30 this morning, but I was at work and couldn't answer. Checked my messages later- it was none other than my favorite local rock star [come to think of it, i'm shocked he was up at that hour!]- inviting me out to dinner. Granted he's just a friend, and I think he's seeing someone, and he's inviting me along with a group, so this is not like a romantic date, but he's fucking hot (and ok, maybe i have a teeny tiny (ahemhuge) crush), and so it still made my heart skip a beat to even get the call. I hadn't heard from him in months. So woohoo, I'm pretty psyched about that. Maybe the 'ignore him and don't call for a month' strategy actually works...

Hmm. Maybe I should stop wearing my heart on my sleeve and actually telling people how I feel. Maybe I SHOULD play 'hard-to-get' like "they" always say to... What do you all think? God knows my old ways don't work so well.

Just kidding. Despite my track record, I just don't have it in me to turn all digger and start playing bullshit games. Call me naive... but I know there's someone out there, (i mean there has to be! look at me! i'm adorable! I'm a catch! (my mom says so!)) and I'll only find him when I'm not trying. Unfortunately, that doesn't keep me from trying. If only I could listen to my own advice...

So I'm not sure if it's great or pathetic that something as simple as a call can make my day (hell, my week!), but I'm not going to analyze. At least, I won't over analyze... well, I'll try not to... ha.

(but take note guys; it's THAT easy to make us (at least me) happy.)

la di da... I will go float along on my cloud now. Try to do some laundry and clean up this disaster area that I call a house.

Catch you later peeps!

A

You know, this place is great.

I love being around mature adults who can argue and disagree but still be friends and respect each other...

I was kind of nervous after posting some of what I wrote about religion etc, thinking 'oh boy what if I offended people'. And then came back to see the debate that ensued...

Maybe I did offend people. But that doesn't mean they hate me.

And I felt a little comforted to think that even if Jason and Ajay are going at it, it's still a civil debate. (For the most part...) ;)

And I like that I don't have to be afraid to say 'no, I don't believe in god." I know most people do believe, and I'm in the minority, and I usually don't bother telling people because I don't want a lecture.

I dunno, this is rambly and I'm not sure I'm getting my point across.
But what I'm trying to say is thanks everyone. :)
It's nice to be around people who can debate like adults and not have it turn into a hissy fit- even when they disgree 100%, it doesn't become a personal thing.

aww shucks.
Warm fuzzies.
I think I'm gonna cry....