Overwhelmed With Love

February 14, 2013 By 6 Comments

I’m overwhelmed.

Yes, I’m like everybody else and I’m overwhelmed with work and home and school and pets and all the things that need to be done around the house. I’m overwhelmed with laundry and groceries and would rather eat a bowl of cereal than cook dinner.

But I’m also overwhelmed with love.

My goodness, I’m in love with life right now!

I’d be lying if I said things weren’t going well. No, things aren’t perfect, but really, will they ever be? Yes, I get mad at the kid and wish we didn’t have a dog and cat (especially when one pees on the floor, the other throws up and then the first one eats my shoelaces). And I may yell and cuss (way) too much, but life is good. It’s really, really good.

What are you all ooey gooey mushy about now, Jana?

So many things. Too many to count, thought I can come up with some…

  • Jason sprung Valentine’s Day on me a day early, and it included a blue box from Tiffany & Co. and a beautiful note that made me weepy.
  • Over 100 of you have helped me raise over $4000 for the Ronald McDonald House in Macon. Your support has made me realize so much about myself and has made me remember that there is so much good in the world. Sometimes it’s hard to see through the negativity, but it’s there. It’s in all of you!
  • I have some of the most amazing teammates anybody could ask for. I’ve found something I love (er, hate) doing… Running. And I’ve had Karen and Amy by my side, along with dozens of others pushing me to keep on.
  • Henry, even in his crazy, wild, teenager-acting self, is an amazing little bundle of love. I mean, his middle name is even Love! He fills me with so much joy (and frustration) sometimes I feel like I will surely burst!
  • I’m in love with me. Whaaaaat? I’m so proud of myself for doing something outside my comfort zone, setting a giant goal, and being a week away from doing what now seems like a pretty easy little run. I love that when I say things like, “I signed up for a race, but it’s just a 10k,” I get full of pride. I love that Jason is proud and Henry is proud. I love that I have chosen to do something that will help me both physically and mentally for years to come. I love the rush of finishing a race and looking to the next one.
  • There are other changes going on that I can reveal later, but for now I can just say that there are amazing things in store. (Vague much?) (sorry)

    • In a nutshell, right now I’m just a big ole blob of love. I’m overwhelmed with love I’m being shown and love that I feel towards others.

    I’ve gotta ask… Will you all be my Valentines?

    Filed Under: Family, Friends, Running, Thoughts

    The One Where I Get A Finger Monkey

    December 9, 2012 By 11 Comments

    A few months back, I mentioned that I really wanted a finger monkey for my birthday.

    A what?

    A finger monkey. You know, one of these:

    ISN’T IT THE MOST ADORABLE AND RIDICULOUS THING EVER?

    Well, they can’t get me one because they’re probably illegal and hell, I don’t know if they even exist or not. They’re probably expensive, too. And likely would terrorize our dog and cat and kid.

    So I figured I would opt for something else. Maybe a gift certificate for a facial or a tank of gas. Maybe I could sleep in until 7. Something practical.

    I woke up this morning to being shuffled off to get a Starbucks Chai, a breakfast at Waffle House, and back home to this.

    Look at that beautiful cake! It was tiramisu and to die for! But it didn’t kill me.

    I didn’t die until I opened my gift and wondered why the HELL they bought me a monkey charm for my Pandora bracelet.

    Then Henry said, “It’s because of your love of the finger monkey. And bananas for the monkey to eat.”

    And THEN I DIED!

    According to them, this is what went down in the Pandora store:

    Pandora girl: Can I help you today?

    Henry: Do you have a monkey?

    Pandora girl: Sure. Why do you need a monkey?

    Henry: Because my mom saw this picture on the internet and it had a pointy finger with a monkey on it. 

    Pandora girl: OH! I WANT ONE OF THOSE FINGER MONKEYS!

    Henry and Jason: ((dying laughing))

    Henry: We’re going to need some bananas, too, because her name is Jana Banana and her finger monkey will get hungry.

    After I gathered myself and stopped snorting while laughing, I quickly corrected them and let them know it wasn’t a finger monkey, it would really be a wrist monkey.

    Filed Under: Family, Memories Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

    My Vanilla Is Better Than Your Vanilla. And Other Things I’m Thankful For.

    November 21, 2012 By 5 Comments

    I don’t remember how old I was when I realized the vanilla we used in recipes at home was “adult vanilla.”

    Maybe it was when we found out our housekeeper was stealing it and getting wasted off of it while she ironed our clothes. That was probably it.

    For all my life, there has always been a fancy bottle with a hand written label on it in one of our cabinets. My mom would add little bits of liquor to it every now and then – sometimes it was bourbon, other times it was brandy. When she got crazy, it was rum! When she found vanilla beans on sale, she would buy some and slip them down into the bottle and remove the old ones.

    She would pull out the fancy bottle when a recipe called for a teaspoon or tablespoon of vanilla. I never knew there was anything called Vanilla Extract.

    You can call me a vanilla snob if you need to.

    Anyway, a few years ago, for Christmas, I believe, my mom gave both me and my sister fancy bottles with hand written labels on them.

    She passed down bottles of her own vanilla.

    The label read:

    Yes, that says “Originally bottled in 1983.”

    This was one of those gifts that brought tears to my eyes because it was a childhood memory that was ever present. Every time I reached for (crappy) vanilla extract, I longed to have “real vanilla.” Vanilla out of the pretty bottle in the pantry.

    I’m thankful that my mom saw fit to pass this on to us now instead of later. Life tastes better because of it. Silly? Yes.

    But whatever.

    The only downfall to this magnificentness? You can’t make ice cream with it. BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FREEZE! (Lesson learned the very hard way.)

    Time and persistence taste delicious.

    I’m thankful for time. Time that helps heal wounds, physical and emotional.

    I’m thankful for persistence. Persistence to train, to love, to pick up my feet day after day.

    I’m thankful for the obvious. My husband, my son, my Guardian Angel with a name. I’m thankful for my parents and sister and her beautiful family. I’m thankful for my house and my health and the ability to do most things I want without much effort.

    I’m thankful for my job and my coworkers. They are a great group to work with and I never could have imagined being excited about going back to work. See also: Benefits.

    I’m thankful for my Disney Half Marathon training team and the Ronald McDonald House.

    I’m thankful for my friends, the ones I’ve had all my life, the ones who only live in my computer, and those in between.

    I’m thankful for the freedoms that our country allows us. I’m also thankful for the freedom to keep some of my opinions to myself.

    I’m thankful for pretty fall colors, bright spring flowers, light dustings of snow and refreshing summer showers.

    But most of all, I’m thankful for fancy bottles with hand written labels that are full of memories.

    What are you thankful for?

    Filed Under: Family, Memories, Thoughts Tagged With: , , , ,

    And Loretta Makes Four

    September 23, 2012 By 4 Comments

    Let’s give a big Jana’s Thinking Place welcome to Miss Loretta.

    To answer all the questions:

    She’s a Brittany. She’s 12 weeks old. She’s absolutely adorable.

    Also, I shouldn’t be allowed to go to PetSmart. Loretta is fully accessorized with Martha Stewart and Bret Michaels for PetSmart goods.

     

    Filed Under: Family

    DragonCon 2012: Dean Cain, DeLoreans, and Disappointment

    September 3, 2012 By 7 Comments

    Ever since I met my friend Laura at DragonCon two years ago, Henry has been begging to go. Secretly I’ve been wanting to go back!

    Last year, we were out of town and it didn’t work out to go down to the parade. There was much disappointment.

    You see, 50,000 sci-fi, cartoon, comic, fantasy, EVERYTHING ELSE YOU CAN IMAGINE fans descend on downtown Atlanta to showcase their movie-grade costumes, fandom, and general amazingness. On Saturday morning, there is a parade. From what we have heard, the parade is epic. The biggest draw is supposedly the group of Storm Troopers who take part at the end of the parade. They were the real reason we went.

    Saturday started off like every other Saturday.

    A drive downtown.

    A trip to Starbucks.

    What? You don’t have steam punk military aviator men in YOUR Starbucks? {lame}

    We enjoyed milling around the Marriott for a while. I thought Jason’s head might spin off when he saw all the costumes and elaborate contraptions people had.

    Henry just wanted a picture with Star Wars people.

    After Lynn wouldn’t wake her butt up to come downstairs to see me, we decided to mosey on over to the street.

    Some people moseyed more awesome than we did.

    We found a little spot with a wall we could stand on. It was right in front of the Capital City Club (that will be important later) and off the street a little.

    We waited. And waited. And waited. Luckily we were there early enough to get a spot where we could see because 90 minutes before the parade even started, this is what the crowd looked like.

    And people KEPT piling in. It was at least 8 deep and then a little aisle and then 4 more deep where we were. In.Sane. People.

    The parade started. It was exciting to see Stan Lee (had to look up who he was – don’t judge)

    and Dean Cain (holy hotness)

    and Lou Ferrigno (THE HULK).

    I didn’t have to look up the DeLorean.

    Or Speed Racer.

    There were so many things to see, so much to overwhelm the senses and assault the imagination, it almost gave me a headache.

    In the distance, we could see the Storm Troopers coming.

    Up on the wall where we stood, Henry turned to me and said, “Mom, I’m really hot.”

    And then he fainted.

    Off the wall.

    Luckily I grabbed his shirt, listening to it rip on his way to the ground. Jason put his arms under him, and in the most slow motion I’ve ever seen, guided him to the ground without hitting his head. That second, in my head, took at least three minutes.

    He was out.

    Jason swept him up while I grabbed the camera and Darth Maul mask and we ran. We ran through the 12-deep crowds, yelling at everyone to move out of the effing way. We yelled at the valet at the Capital City Club to let us in and busted right on up into their club.

    We laid Henry down on the little bench right inside the door while the manager ran to get some water. He looked at us and said, “What happened? Did I miss the Storm Troopers?”

    Yes, baby, we missed the Storm Troopers.

    We missed the whole reason we came downtown on one of the craziest days of the year.

    Henry cooled off quickly and we headed to the car. Walking slowly, listening to the crowds cheer at what was probably the big group of Star Wars stars… it was disappointing. To him. To me. To Jason.

    Once in the parking deck, we saw people looking over the edge. Henry and I ran over and as we did, we could see the end of the parade…

    It wasn’t as we planned, but Henry’s okay.

    That’s what matters.

    Plus, there’s always next year.

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