Two More Days...

That's it... then I am gone for two weeks!! But there is someone who doesn't want me to go...

I just started packing and had to leave the room to get something... and this is the sight I saw when I came back into the room!!

Man, I'm gonna miss her!!

She's going to be in good hands while I am away... her "grandpa and grandma" are coming to stay with her!!

Thanks, Mom and Dad!!

Friday Moaning...

So I log on this morning to find that my friend Arkansas Bird at QuarterNotes has tagged me!! And although she thought I would be annoyed that I had been tagged... I'm really not... it's Friday... and knowing that I have the weekend ahead, nothing... not even a tag can damper my spirits! So here it goes...

The Moaning Meme

5 people who will be annoyed you tagged them.

MSU Gal at http://i-never-knew-it-could-be-like-this.blogspot.com/
GingerSnaps at http://gingersnaps.wordpress.com/
La vida Claudia at http://claudiasskippingstones.blogspot.com/
Marnie at http://ididntsayitwasyourfault.typepad.com/blog/
Debbie at http://debbiemomof2.wordpress.com/

4 things that should go into room 101 and be removed from the face of the earth.

- The dinner of Liver and Onions
- Bass Boosters... you know the cars that have them installed and you can hear the "boom, boom" a mile away!
- Spiders
- Mean People

3 things people do that make you want to shake them violently.

- Putting on their brakes for no reason while driving down the road.
- Talking non-stop and EXTREMELY loud while in public.
- Not saying hello when you have just said hello to them.

2 things you find yourself moaning about.

- Money (the lack there of)...
- Dear Lord... I'm 39 and still single!!

1 thing the above answers tell you about yourself.

- I'm getting old... and very set in my ways! YIKES!!


RULES
- Link to the original meme at freelancecynic.com so people know what it's all about!
- Be as honest as possible, This is about letting people get to know the real you!
- Try not to insult anyone - unless they really deserve it or are very, very ugly!
- Post these rules at the end of every meme!

***MSU Gal @ http://i-never-knew-it-could-be-like-this.blogspot.com/ tagged me with another meme... I'll be posting that next week!!

I Believe...

Here's a story out of Rhode Island...

Cat Predicts Nursing Home Deaths

Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.

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I actually believe this story because there was a cat at the Masonic Nursing Home where my grandparents were living that would do the same thing. In fact... when my grandfather passed away, this was the first thing my niece asked my brother when she found out her great-grandpa had died... "Was the cat in the room?"! And what was interesting... I think we all were wondering that same question.

Animals are amazing!!

Ten More Days...

That's it people... the countdown has begun!

10 more days until we hit the open road... heading west!

Two-weeks... free of the daily grind.

In our future is driving 15-hour days to get to where we want to go... a tent, rain or shine... the subtle scent of bug spray... slimey shower shoes... nibbling on beef jerky... beautiful hiking trails and a good walking stick (to beat off the mountain lions and bears)... the smell of the campfire permeating our clothes... campground toilets (joy!)... and the sweetness of s'mores!!!

We will have a lot of laughs... take lots of pictures... and enjoy every minute... I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Life is good!!

Fun Monday...

Our host this week is Willowtree. His assignment:"Tell us about your best friend. Particularly things like: where you first met, how long you've been friends and why you think you are best friends."

My best friend is Terri... she and I met 6 years ago when I went to her clinic for physical therapy. We became instant friends. Over the years, we have enjoyed so many things... most of all travel. We've taken trips to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Scotland, Ireland, Australia... and all over the US. We do most everything together... people say we are two peas in a pod.

Why are we best friends? I think that Terri is the only one who knows the "complete" me and is willing to put up with me and my faults... just as I put up with hers. We have similiar values and feelings about life and how it should be lived.

We have so much fun together... we laugh a lot!! We have an great understanding of one another... and are there for each other no matter what. So... here is a photo snippet of our friendship...

Here we are in the early days getting ready for a

night on the the town.

Here we are outside the coliseum in Rome.

In front of a castle in Scotland.

Overlooking the "grand canyon" of Yellowstone.

On the coast of Australia.

Tailgating at a Michigan State University Football game.




Visiting Mount Rushmore.



Being silly at my birthday party!

She is truly a gift that I have been given...

and I cherish our friendship.

I've Fallen in Love...

with PANDORA.

Wait, before you get any thoughts... Pandora is an amazing music website. It's free and you can play your favorite types of music all day long!!

Here is what it's all about...

About Pandora

When was the last time you fell in love with a new artist or song?

At Pandora, we have a single mission: To play music you'll love - and nothing else.
To understand just how we do this, and why we think we do it really, really well, you need to know about the Music Genome Project.

Since we started back in 2000, we have been hard at work on the Music Genome Project. It's the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken. Together our team of fifty musician-analysts has been listening to music, one song at a time, studying and collecting literally hundreds of musical details on every song. It takes 20-30 minutes per song to capture all of the little details that give each recording its magical sound - melody, harmony, instrumentation, rhythm, vocals, lyrics ... and more - close to 400 attributes! We continue this work every day to keep up with the incredible flow of great new music coming from studios, stadiums and garages around the country.

With Pandora you can explore this vast trove of music to your heart's content. Just drop the name of one of your favorite songs or artists into Pandora and let the Genome Project go. It will quickly scan its entire world of analyzed music, almost a century of popular recordings - new and old, well known and completely obscure - to find songs with interesting musical similarities to your choice. Then sit back and enjoy as it creates a listening experience full of current and soon-to-be favorite songs for you.

You can create as many "stations" as you want. And you can even refine them. If it's not quite right you can tell it so and it will get better for you.

The Music Genome Project was founded by musicians and music-lovers. We believe in the value of music and have a profound respect for those who create it. We like all kinds of music, from the most obtuse bebop, to the most tripped-out drum n bass, to the simplest catchy pop tune. Our mission is to help you connect with the music YOU like.

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And the best thing.... it's FREE, baby!! Yes, there are more advanced aspects to Pandora that you have to subscribe to, but the basic site is free!

Give it a try... I think you'll enjoy it!

Have a great weekend, everyone...

If I were a Simpson...

I believe my name would be JoJo...

JoJo Simpson!

You too can become a Simpson's character... go to http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/ and join the fun.

Harry Who?...

Am I the ONLY one on this beautiful earth that has not read one of the Harry Potter books or seen any of the Harry Potter movies?!?!?

And yes... I DO live under a rock, thank you very much!

Fun Monday...

Tiggerlane is hosting this week's Fun Monday with the instructions: I wanna see your CAR! It can be your current car, the first car you ever had, maybe your first new car with that new-car smell, a car you wrecked once, or even the dream car you would drive - given all the money in the world! Oh - and if you have a truck, SUV, lawnmower, whatever the local authorities allow you to drive, let's see it!

For me... cars and trees don't mix!

Out of the three new cars that I have owned... two of them have had up close and personal encounters with trees.

My first new car was a 1988 Chevrolet Nova Hatchback. I had it for five years before it met it's demise when I was living in Nashville. We had an amazing ice storm and a huge tree gave way to the weight of the ice and fell on my car. That was the end of my cute little Nova.

And that brings us to my current car... a 2003 Pontiac Vibe... um... under a tree.

This time I had the pleasure of being IN the car at the time the tree fell. I had driven home from work in a horrible rain storm... you know the kind where the wind is blowing so hard that the rain is horizontal... yeah, that kind of storm. Well, I made it home and pulled up to the garage. I hesitated a moment before getting out... and I am glad I did. As I grabbed the handle to open the door, there was a crashing boom and everything went dark. It took me a moment to realize what had happened... and when it finally registered I just thought to myself... "you have got to be kidding me!!!... my car hit by a another tree."

I was trapped inside... but finally pried the door open only about 8 -10 inches and slithered out into the mud. As I walked away from the car I did something I always do out of habit... clicked the button on the remote and locked the doors! Yeah, just in case someone wanted to saw the car out from under the tree and steal it... very smart, Jodi!! After I realized what I had done... I just stood there and laughed.

Fortunately... the tree fell in just a way that once it was removed... there wasn't too much damage done to the car itself. I was amazed... and very thankful.

So... you know how you hear about those people who get struck by lightening more than once, or the ones who win the lottery several times... well, I'm kinda like that... but with trees and cars!! Lucky me!

Get Smart...

I saw the teaser for the new Steve Carell movie coming out in the summer of 2008. It looks absolutely hysterical!! I watched the tv show with Don Adams when I was a kid. I loved it then... and I am going to love Steve Carell's portrayal of Maxwell Smart!

Here is the trailer...

I Heart the 80's....

I was going through some photos and came upon

this frightening sight...

There is a fashion statement, as well as hairstyle

I can never take back!!

The 80's rocked my world!!! ;-)

It's that time again.... FUN MONDAY!!

Here is what's happening this week... Deb at 1CrazyStitcher is todays host - and just wants to see "your favorite place to relax."

Well, since space is limited in my home... there are only a couple of places I like to curl up to watch tv or read a book.

My living room is where I usually hang out.

I like to lounge on the couch...

or curl up on the funky chair!

If I am really feeling lazy...

I like to crawl into bed to watch a DVD or read.

Happy Monday, everyone!!

Buzzz.....

Here is one of the most amazing creatures...

The Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth.

I took this picture while I was out in Massachussetts a couple of years ago. When I first saw it buzzing around the flowers I thought it was an actual hummingbird... it was about the same size and moved exactly like one.

I couldn't believe it was a moth... don't those flutter around the porch lights in the evening?!??! This thing was out in the heat of the day... feeding off the flowers and had the imitation of the hummingbird down to an art!

It took a few shots to get a decent picture.... they are fast little buggers!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sorry Folks....

Park's Closed!

The moose out front should have told ya.

I never thought that one of the funniest lines in the movie, "Vacation" would turn out to be so true!

My best friend, T and I are gearing up for our two-week camping trip out west. We are heading to Glacier National Park, Mt Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, then we will drive down the coast of Oregon and California into the Redwood Forest. We will make our way back east via Moab, Utah and Arches National Park, then hit the Rocky Mountain National Park before heading back to the Great Lakes State.

The problem is... we are running into a bit of a snag at Mt Rainier... most of the roads and trails have been damaged by severe flooding that occurred last November. The NPS has been repairing a lot of the damage, but there are still major roads that are closed and will be until further notice.

There also are some problems with the roads in Olympic National Park due to flooding. They have many of these problems fixed, so there will only be a few areas that we will be unable to venture into.

We are still determined to see as much as we are able to... but these closures put a lot of question marks into our trip. I guess we will just take our trip day by day... and make the most of what we do get to see.

I am just preparing myself for when I get to the park gate... and unfortunely hear the words that John Candy so eloquently spoke... "Sorry Folks, Park's Closed!"

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OPPS!! I got all caught up in my travel woes that I forgot about Fun Monday!!

Today's is being hosted by Jenni at Prairie Air. Your mission, should you choose to accept it:Share one or more of your favorite summertime memories with us. It can be a childhood memory or more recent. The memory can be a vague conglomeration of how you spent summers past (catching fireflies, playing outside till dark, watermelon seed wars) or it can be a detailed memory of a specific event. You may write a poem or short story or just tell it like it was. The main idea is to communicate the essence of summer and what symbolizes the season in words and/or pictures.

Well... I'll keep this short and simple. Some of my fondest summertime memories are fishing with my grandpa. My grandparents lived on a small lake in northern Michigan for many of my childhood years. There isn't any amazing story to tell... it was just having that undivided attention... sitting on the dock with him. Watching his hands bait the hook... I loved his hands. Then we would walk back up to the house through the woods... nibbling on any wintergreen berries we could find. Great memories...