Live & Learn Thursday :: Things You Shouldn't Do When Buying A Car

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be sharing the lessons I learned when I tried to buy a new car.

This lesson begins about a year ago when we decided it was time to replace my car. There was nothing really wrong with my car, it was just old and our needs were changing. Joel and I needed something that would work well for our outdoor, adventure filled lifestyle, but could also be a good family car, should we make that decision in the future. So we did our research, saved our pennies, and last January we made the big purchase.

The bad news was that we would have to wait almost three months before the car was ready for us to drive it home. There wasn't a single vehicle in the entire country in the color I wanted, in the trim level I wanted, or with towing already installed. I was determined to get my car just the way I wanted it, so we didn't settle, we placed our order and waited for it to be built in a factory and shipped to our dealership.

Months went by and at times I had forgotten that we had even bought a new car. But then, one day, when Joel and I were out buying him a new pair of shoes, we got the call! The car had arrived and was ready for us to take it home! I told Joel to buy whatever shoes he wanted, get them all, who bleeping cares, we are out of here! We immediately got in the car and drove 90 minutes north of Seattle to the dealership where we bought the car. Hooray for neighboring counties with lower sales tax rates!

As we were driving north, Joel told me to get the paperwork we needed for the purchase of the car out of the glove box. I couldn't find it. I looked everywhere in the car, EVERYWHERE. Joel was trying to help me look, which caused him to drift lanes a bit, which made me yell at him. "Can you please try not to kill us! You are in enough trouble right now, don't make it worse!" After looking in every possible nook and cranny, I had to give into the reality that our paperwork was not in the car. I wasn't very happy.

It was about this time that Joel shared with me that we might not have enough money in our account to cover the check we were about to write. WHAT? We are 45 minutes from the dealership, and you are just now sharing this with me? Needless to say, I flipped out. Joel had a feeling the car might arrive soon, so that morning he had moved the money from one account and into another account. Sometimes it can take a day or two for the bank to move the funds and make them available to you, especially when funds are moved over a weekend. Are you kidding me? We have to walk into that dealership and tell them that not only are we missing paperwork but our check might bounce! I wasn't very happy at all.

Lucky for us, we have the most amazing brother-in-law ever. Chris drove from his house to our house, about a 40 minute drive for him, to look for our paperwork. Chris found it, took a picture of it, emailed it to us, we printed it out at the dealership and voilà - we had our paperwork. Phew! That was one bullet dodged.

Just when I thought things were looking up and I might actually drive this car home tonight, Joel did it again. We were filling out the mountains of additional paper work and I got to a question that I didn't know the answer to. And Joel didn't either. We panicked again.

So we tried everything to find the information we needed, discreetly of course. I didn't want to have to admit to the dealer that we had another problem. We tried everything to locate the information, websites and emails; nothing. Finally I remembered that Joel's paystubs were emailed to him, so he looked one up and we had the information! Bingo! Another bullet dodged!

Now all we had to do was explain to the dealer, he might not be able to cash our check for a few days. Super embarrassing. The dealer said not to worry, this happens all the time and he assured me that I was driving my new car home that night.

And I did.

I love my husband, dearly, but he will not be living this misadventure down for a long time.

::

So, please, take it from me and don't learn this lesson the hard and stressful way. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you arrive at the dealership when buying a car. You will look less like the mess known as Joel and Jess Odell!

 

Be sure to stop by Life As Always and see what other lessons are being shared today!

 

XOJO

 

P.S. Chris, we are still thinking of a way to repay you! You are the best!!

Live & Learn Thursday :: Who Am I?

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be sharing about the time I learned who I really am.

So the other afternoon as I was waiting for Joel to finish up something so we could go do something, I forget what exactly, I was entertaining myself by taking several of those silly quizzes online. You know the ones, which character are you from Saved By the Bell, which Ryan Gosling character should be your boyfriend, which TV workplace is right for you... oh the list goes on and on. Who makes these things up, anyway? And how does picking which picture of a tree do I like best determine which Disney character is my true love? But from time to time, something about my matched results kind of clicks and I think, hey that is me! Must be magic!

So, today I am sharing with you what I have learned about myself from these quizzes.

Up first, is Which Disney Sidekick Am I?

Well, I do agree with the first statement, I don't always have the best of luck, but I do try to stay positive about things. I don't really like hugs, so that second statement can be crossed out. I have been told numerous times how special I am, but it is usually said with strong sarcastic undertones. I do wish I had been paired with a sidekick that had more teeth. How can I be taken seriously as the part two of a dynamic duo if I just have one giant tooth in my mouth? It does seem fitting that my sidekick character has stick arms - family members will get that joke.

Up next, is What County Do I Belong In?

What! Chocolate skis?? Is that even a thing?? If it is, then I say the Swiss have things figured out and I am on my way! I do agree with most of these statements, I am highly organized, I try to be on time, I don't enjoy conflict, and like to ski. I guess this one makes sense, since I should be a snowman. I guess I can just use my snowman-stick-arms as poles when I am out skiing on my chocolate skis. I am going to look like a cup of hot chocolate, with my round marshmallow like snowman body and chocolate skis.

And finally, Which Disney Prince is my True Love?

This one is actually pretty close. Joel does have dark hair and brown eyes, but not that much hair. He also does not wear tiny purple hats, thank goodness. I will agree that Joel loves adventures and he must have a magic genie because when I want something, I usually get it. So far, he has only taken me on planes, but I can't wait for him to take me on a magic carpet ride, that will be fun! I am not really sure where he is keeping his pet monkey, but I sure hope he is cleaning up after it.

So there you have it, I should be a snowman living in Switzerland with my Arabian prince charming and his pet monkey. Without these quizzes I would have never learned that I am living life all wrong.

Be sure to stop by Life As Always and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO

Live & Learn Thursday :: Brain Rest

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be sharing about the time I learned about brain rest.

I know that things have pretty much been a ghost town around here, but I have a good reason for it. I have been on brain rest for the last few weeks and have slowly been returning to normal life. You see, it all started 15 days ago when Joel and I decided to go night skiing. At the end of the night, seriously on our very last run, I fell. Not a gentle fall. No, it was a head-over-heels several times kind of fall. I totally wiped out and hit my head at least twice. I was wearing my helmet when it happened, thank goodness.

I fell about an hour after taking this picture.

I went home that night with a terrible headache and not much else. Pretty lucky considering my fall. Four days later I ended up in the Emergency Room with extreme neck pain, numbness in my limbs and a horrible headache. After a CT-scan and X-rays I learned that the spill gave me a concussion and a neck sprain. The treatment plan for my injuries was brain rest. I was not to go to work and I was not to use my brain. Um, what? Don't I need to use my brain to breathe? What the heck am I supposed to do all day? Let me tell you, brain rest is horrible.

The first day, I figured I would catch up on trash TV. Watching TV is mind-numbing activity right? So it would be perfect for me. So I watched all my guilty programs, all day from the couch while resting my brain and my neck. Then Joel came home from work and ruined everything. He walked into the living room where I was and he panicked.

Joel: "What are you doing watching TV?"
Me: "What do you mean, what am I doing, I'm on brain rest."
Joel: "The doctor specifically said no TV. You can't watch TV."
Me: "WHAT. No he didn't. I don't remember him saying anything about no TV."
Joel: "Oh my god. You are worse than we thought!"

So that was the end of my TV watching. For days I took turns napping in all the beds in our house, napping on the couch, texting with friends, and staring at the ceiling. Brain rest is the most boring thing I have ever done. It was awful. After a few days, Joel thought it would be okay if I read a book. So I download the next book club book to my kindle and enjoyed having something to do. But it was still really hard not to spend all day working from home, or cleaning my house, or working on blog posts, or doing anything other than napping!

But I am glad that I stuck with it because yesterday I had an appointment with a neurologist who told me that brain is wonderful and I shouldn't trade it in. There is some soreness and numbness but that just means the nerves in my neck are still healing up, but soon I will be back to normal.

So cheers to helmets and husbands - they saved my brain!

Be sure to wear your helmet and be careful out there - you don't want to find yourself on brain rest!

 

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

 

XOJO

Live & Learn Thursday :: Keep Your Bling Blingn'

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be sharing I keep my bling nice and sparkly.

I love my wedding rings. Clearly. But they get dirty. I am always putting on lotion, I work out with them on, I pull weeds in the yard with them on, I do everything with my rings on. I even went through a little scare with my rings. A while ago I started to develop a terrible rash on my ring finger that go so painful and swollen I couldn't wear my rings. Joel was really upset about it. He made sure my rings were platinum, because I have a slight skin allergy to nickel in jewelry. He wanted to be sure my rings would never cause me grief. Turns out, my rings just needed to be cleaned. Don't get the wrong idea. They were clean by sight, but deep in those tiny nooks and crannies, stuff was getting trapped and it needed to be cleaned out.

I have heard a lot of conflicting information about the best way to clean your jewelry. I have heard that the cleaning solution used by jewelry stores, you know the liquid they soak your rings in for about ten minutes or so, well, I heard that can actually damage your rings over time. Something about it stripping off a tiny layer of your ring each time... I have also heard it is just fine and doesn't do anything. But the idea of having to take my ring into a store to be cleaned by strangers a couple times a week, sounded awful. So I did some research, tried out a few things, and eventually found the perfect solution for me.

So today, I share with you...

How to Clean Your Rings

The Quick and Easy Way to Keep Your Bling Blingn'

 

Step 1 :: Place your rings in a small dish. Be sure to be gentle putting your rings into the dish, don't want to cause any damage. I like to use my little pinch bowls, like these.

Step 2 :: Add two pumps of good old dish soap.

 

Step 3 :: Fill the bowl with hot water. I like to use my K-Cup brewer because it is fast and the water is nice and hot.

 

Step 4 :: Swirl the bowl a bit to mix the soap and water. Be gentle!

 

Step 5 :: Leave the rings to soak until the water cools to room temperature.

Step 6 :: Rinse the rings very carefully and set them to dry on a paper towel. If you are in a hurry you can dry the rings with the paper towel or another no-lint towel.

Step 7 :: Once the rings are dry, put that bling back on your finger and watch it sparkle!  

 

I usually clean my rings about twice week. Mostly because I love that freshly cleaned sparkle! I start the process when I cooking dinner or while doing the dishes after dinner. I leave my rings out to dry in a safe place over night.

 

I haven't tried this on any other piece of jewelry but I wonder if it would work just as well? Hmmm...

 

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO



Live & Learn Thursday :: How to Become a Minister

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be sharing how I became a minister.

I bet you didn't know that I am an ordained minister. But it is true. It isn't something I had ever planned to become, in fact I am not that religious or spiritual. But when my friends, Mark and Amy, asked if I would officiate their wedding, I was delighted. I took my role very seriously and wrote a beautiful ceremony that had Amy in tears before her wedding day. Writing the ceremony and preparing to speak at such an important event was the hard part, the easy part was becoming a minister.

Thanks to the Internet, becoming an ordained minister is easy. Let me break it down for you.

Step One :: Check out the laws in your state. Each state has different requirements for a wedding ceremony to be legal. Be sure to check these laws first.

Step Two :: Find a church that will ordain you online.  I went with Universal Life Church. I went with this organization, because it was low cost (free to be ordained, $15 to ship you the certificate) and Conan O'Brien is ordained through this church. A bunch of other famous people are also ordained in this church, like Rob Dyrdek, Fran Drescher, Bobby Flay, Goldie Hawn, Hugh Hefner, Ringo Starr, and Hunter Thompson, so why not add my name to the list.

Step Three :: Fill out the form. This part is pretty easy unless you don't know your own name, where you live, or if you want to join the monthly newsletter list. Seriously. It is that easy.

Step Four :: Celebrate. You are an official minister. At least enough to officiate weddings and help your friends get hitched. You will get a fancy certificate in the mail, which you can proudly show off to anyone who will look. You can start requiring people to call you, The Mighty Reverend Jess.

I guess I did such a good job at Mark and Amy's wedding, that Mark and Andi have asked me to officiate their wedding this Sunday. I am really excited to play such an important role in one of the biggest decisions Mark and Andi will make.

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO

Live & Learn Thursday :: How to Download Photos From Your Instagram Account

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be sharing a recent ah-ha moment with you.

 

 

So I had these really good intentions of doing a #100happydays update at day 25, but that didn't happen. Nope, it wasn't until day 37 that I got my act together and managed to get that posted. It wasn't like the post itself was difficult, it was just a bunch of photos that I had already formatted and posted to my Instagram page. I just had to collect them from thier various folders on my phone and transfer them to my computer.

So what took me so long? Well, you see I'm stubborn. I was convinced there was a way to download the images from my Instagram account on to my computer, saving me time and the frustration of tracking down each photo seperately. It took me a while but I finally figured it out, and that my friends, was my major ah-ha moment from last week. I may or may not have done most definitely did a few Tiger Woods fist pumps of victory!

 

So today I bring to you, the complete instructions for how to download photos from your Instagram account.

 

::

 

1. Download Google Chrome. Yep, you just gotta do it, if you haven't already. I think Mozilla might work but Explorer does not work. Trust me on this. You can download Google Chrome here.

 

2. Log into your Instagram account. Be sure to use your freshly downloaded Google Chrome web browser to do this. Then click on over to your profile page.

3. Select the image you want to download. Click on the image, so it appears in the center of your screen. Then right-click on the image to get the following menu to appear. From this menu, click on "Inspect element".

4. Next, find the html link to your image. At the bottom of your screen a box with a bunch of html code will appear. Look through the text for the link to your image. It should start with something like src="http:// ...  ....jpg". When you click on it, a small thumbnail of your image should appear.

Here is a closer look at where to find the html code for the image.

 

 

5. Open the image link in a New Tab. Once you have found the html link for the photo, right click on the photo to open a new menu. From this menu select the option for "Open link in new tab".

 

 

 

6. Download the Image to your computer. Once the image has opened in a new tab, you can right-click the image again to open another menu. From this menu select the option for "Save image as...". After a quick prompt for where and under what name you want the image saved, you will have successfully downloaded your image.

 

 

There you have it. How to download images from Instagram in six easy steps!

 

::

 



I know there are programs out there that will do all this for you automatically, but here is my warning: I downloaded one of them and it installed a bunch of random other stuff on my computer and that is not cool. Joel wasn't very happy with me and he did some magic trick on my computer to fix things. So very annoying. Downloading pictures from Instagram this way, might take a bit longer, but it is safe.

I know it probably isn't something you will use frequently, because who really needs to download their own images from Instagram, but if you ever find yourself trying to put together an update post for your recent photo-a-day challenge or some other strange activity, you will be equipped with the tools you need to make it easy.

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

 XOJO



Live & Learn Thursday :: How To Ski with Your Plus One

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be breaking down my rules for skiing with my plus one.

 

So you probably remember my post where I shared with you how I was learning to ski and not only have I been improving my skills on the slopes since then, but I have been learning what it really takes to ski with your significant other.

 

Don't get me wrong. I love my husband. More than ever. He is reason why I even started to ski. He is so wonderful about doing things with me that are fun/important to me (like going to plays with me, and to the ballet...) so I decided to try something that is fun/important to him. Skiing. I think I got the better bargain...

 

Joel and I have been able to hit the slopes several times now and each time we have gone up, I have learned a new lesson about skiing with your hubby. Let me break it down for you.

 

 

 

When skiing with your plus one, 

you SHOULD NOT...

 

...count on them to teach you everything you need to know. Joel was great at teaching me the basic stuff, but we both knew if I was going to make it off the bunny hill and stay married, I was going to need lessons. Made a big difference!

 

...trust the maps provided by the ski resort. Those things are ridiculously simple and are not all that clear. Make you sure you take the time to read the signs and ask for directions if you need it. This way you don't end up on a run that is beyond your skill set.

 

...take out your fears, frustrations, exhaustion, and disappointments on him. It isn't his fault that you expect to be amazing at everything the first time you try it. Even though it is kind of his fault you are stuck on a run that is beyond your skill set, you should be turning to him for help, encouragement and direction.

 

...yell really mean things at him, non-stop while you try to make your way down a run that is beyond your current skill set. It won't make you feel better and it will make him feel even worse.

 

...poke at him with your ski poles while telling him "don't you dare touch me". There are better ways of communicating that you don't need help up after falling down.

 

...cry. It will only fog up your goggles and make him feel even worse about leading you down a run that is beyond your current skill set.

 

...storm off to the ski lodge, yelling over your shoulder, "Don't you dare follow me, just go disappear for while" after finally getting down a run that is beyond your skill set. Yes, taking a break, or in my case drinking a beer by myself in the lodge bar, was needed, there are nicer ways of communicating this information.

 

 

When skiing with your plus one,

you SHOULD...

 

...ski straight toward him at breakneck speeds. He is the one who has been skiing since before you were born, so he should be the one to worry about getting out of the way.

 

...lean on him and push off of him while learning how to get off the lift. He may or may not have fallen a few times because I was using him as a brace.

 

...communicate with him about what you need to have a good time. If you need to go down the easy run one more time, if you need to take another lesson, or if you need help mastering a ski stop, you need to tell him. He just wants you to have a good time.

 

...leave your skis on the slope and storm off walk down a very difficult section of the run you are stuck on that is beyond your skill set. He is the one who got you stuck up here, he is the one who can carry your skis down.

 

...make him go down each run first, to make sure it is a run that you can do. This way you don't get stuck on a run that is beyond your current skill set.

 

...be sure to capture that Kodak moment at the start of the day, when your enthusiasm and spirits are high. If you end up going down a run that is beyond your skill set, you won't feel like taking that skiing selfie.

 

...learn from your mistakes. While I was sitting in the bar by myself drinking away my frustrations I used my phone to write down what went wrong and my ideas of how to avoid this from happening again.

 

When Joel came to find me in the bar lodge, I showed him my list.
It meant a lot to him. See communication is key.

 

As you may or may not have gathered, last weekend Joel and I found ourselves stuck on a particularly difficult ski run. We thought we were headed down an easy run, but instead we ended up on a triple black diamond or whatever the hardest run ever is called. So I acted like a child and nearly ruined a wonderful day on the mountain. Take my advice and learn from my mistakes by following my rules for skiing with your plus one.

 

 

It is hard to see the whole thing, but this is me in front of the mountain that together we conquered.
Take that Snoqualmie Summit East - I did it!

 

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO



Live & Learn Thursday :: Seahawks Jello Shots

You all know what time it is! Time for another Live & Learn Thursday link up! This week I will be sharing with you how I made the most amazing Seahawks Jello Shots for our Super Bowl party. I am pretty sure these Jello shots are what that helped us win the Super Bowl!

 

 

 

When Joel and I decided to host a Super Bowl party, I decided I wanted to make Seahawk Jello shots. I wasn't sure how, but I was going to make them! So after a bit of research online, I found this recipe from Seattle Soap Girl. I doubled her recipe to make sure I had plenty of them for the party and they turned out great!

 

What you Need:

6 oz Berry Blue Jello
6 oz Lime Jello
4 Packets Knox Gelatine
5 cups Whipped Cream Vodka (total)
5 cups Boiling Water (total)
2 cups Pina Colada Mixer (such as Mr. and Mrs. T’s)
5-10 drops of Blue Food Coloring (optional, but makes the colors darker like Hawks Colors)
5-10 drops of Green Food Coloring (optional, but makes the colors darker like Hawks Colors)
50ish Jello Shot Cups and Lids - like these

Makes:
50ish Jello Shots
Time to Make:
The recipe says it takes about 3-1/2 hours (includes time for Jello to set up), but I decided to spread it out over three nights. I was really determined to make them turn out great, so I made a layer each night to allow them plenty of time to set up and avoid any layers blending together.

Directions:
- Chill the Whipped Cream Vodka and Pina Colada mix. Set Jello shot cups on a cookie sheet for easy transport and stacking.
- Following the Blue and Green Layer directions below, make the green layer first and chill for approximately 1 hour (or until set). Or you can be like me and leave the green layer in the fridge over night.
- After set, follow the White Layer directions below and pour on top of the green. Chill for approximately one hour (or until set), or overnight like me. If the white layer starts to blend with the blue layer, don’t worry. You won’t really see it in the end product.
- After set, follow the Blue and Green Layer directions below to make the blue layer and pour on top of the white. Chill for approximately 1 hour (or until set) or overnight like me.
- Put lids on top of cups and enjoy within 24-48 hours. As if they will last that long...

Green and Blue Layers:
In a microwave safe container, heat 2 cups of water for three minutes (or until almost boiling) in the microwave. Pour 6 ounces of green or blue Jello in hot water, stirring until fully dissolved (about 1 minute). Add 5 – 10 drops food coloring (green food coloring in Lime Jello and blue food coloring in Berry Blue Jello) to water until you get the desired color. Stir in 2 cups chilled Whipped Cream Vodka. Pour an even amount into each jello cup.

My Notes: Joel had the genius idea of using a marinade injector without the needle on it, to measure and pour the Jello. It made the whole process so quick and easy.

 

Easy to measure the exact amount of Jello for each cup and it was mess free!

Making quick work of the green layer!

White Layer:
In a microwave safe container, heat 1 cup of water and 1 cup of Whipped Cream Vodka for three minutes (or until almost boiling) in microwave. Carefully and slowly (it will boil over if you don’t pour slow!) pour 4 packets Knox Gelatine into the hot water and Vodka mix, stirring until fully dissolved (about 1 minute). Add 2 cups chilled pina colada mixer. Pour an even amount into each Jello cup.

 

The marinade injector saves the day again!

 

The final layer - Blue!

Finished product! Oh so good!

 

My Seahawks Jello shots turned out so good! I was really impressed with myself happy with how they turned out. And even better, they were a big hit at our Super Bowl party.

 

Really, you can adapt the recipe to be any color or alcohol combination you need. I think I see St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Christmas, Halloween and so many other themed Jello shots in my future.

 

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO

Live & Learn Thursday :: How To Get Your Lunch Confiscated by the Border Patrol

Maybe you don't know this about me, but I grew up less than five miles from the Canadian border in a small little Dutch town called Lynden. We frequently crossed the Canadian border for day trips or even school field trips. I know all the rules for crossing the border, I know the best crossings to take at different times of the day and I know exactly what to expect during a crossing. But it took a few lessons to learn these tricks and this is one of those lessons.

First day of school pictures.
Our dog Taffy, Julie, Me and Jackie

I grew up eating hot lunch at school every day, so when my fourth grade class was taking a trip to the Vancouver, British Columbia Zoo I was very excited. Mostly because it meant I was going to get a brown bag lunch. Thrilling stuff, right? Well, mornings were not really mom's thing and when I reminded her about two minutes before the bus arrived that I needed a packed lunch that day, she was panicked. I ended up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carrot sticks, applesauce and a banana. Not a bad lunch right?

Everything was going great so far. I got to sit next to my friend on the bus for the field trip and we were having a great time. Until we got to the Canadian border and the border patrol agents decided to pull the bus over and check us for contraband. Seriously? What kind of contraband do a bunch of fourth graders have? Well, lucky me, my mom had forgotten in her panicked state that you can't take any fruit or vegetables across the border. Something about transporting bugs or something. As if they can't fly up there on their own... So basically, my entire lunch was in violation of this international law and was therefore seized. I was devastated. My beautiful, rare brown bag lunch was gone.

My teacher had to buy me lunch at the Zoo. I was convinced all the kids were laughing at me. My glorious day of a field trip and brown bag lunch were ruined. To this day, I am very strict that there are zero fruits or veggies in the car with me when I cross the border. Canada will not make a fool out of me again!

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO

Live & Learn Thursday :: Lessons in Lyrics

It's that time again. It is Thursday and we all know what that means. Another Live & Learn Thursday link-up. This week I'm sharing how I am no longer making a fool out of myself.

 

So, let me start with, I really like music. I love finding new music and revisiting classics that take me back. One thing that make or break a song are the lyrics. I mean, come on! Have you really listened to the lyrics to Katy Perry's Dark Horse. The song is catchy, I will give it that, but seriously. I think they spent about ten minutes writing that song.

 

She eat your heart out
Like Jeffrey Dahmer

 

Shawty's heart was on steroids
'Cause her love was so strong

She can be my Sleeping Beauty
I'm gon' put her in a coma

She got me like a roller coaster
Turn the bedroom into a fair

But lil' mama so dope
I messed around and got addicted
 

Um, she'll do what to my heart? Does he like that she is similar being on drugs? Is she interested in being in a coma? I didn't have the impression that was something which is appealing to most. See, I can't just enjoy the song for the beat alone, I have to understand and enjoy the lyrics. So every time I hear this song, I just laugh and laugh at the ridiculousness of the lyrics. I mean, really - the Jeffrey Dahmer one gets me every time!

But this isn't what has been making me act like a fool lately. No, it was Hayley Williams' Stay the Night that has been causing me trouble. I like the song, but couldn't understand what the heck she was talking about. I have spent a lot of time pondering the lyrics and one day, while riding in the car with our friends Mark and Andi, I decided to voice my frustration over this particular song. It went a little something like this...

Me: "Oh man, not this song! I can't figure out what the heck she is singing about. I just don't get it and frankly it is starting to ruin it for me."

Andi: "Um, what are you talking about?"

Me: "What do you mean, what am I talking about? The lyrics go, are you gonna stay the night, doesn't mean without the lights... what on earth does that mean? Is she offering to keep a nightlight on for the guy - trying to act like she's cool with his fear of the dark? Is she trying to say that she won't move forward in their relationship without Jesus Christ playing a bigger role? Does staying the night need to have a lumination qualifier on it? Doesn't mean without the lights, what is that all about?"

Andi: "Um, Jess, the lyrics are doesn't mean we are bound for life."

Silence for a minute or two.

Me: "Oh, well thank goodness. That makes much more sense. I feel like an idiot."

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I have misheard the lyrics to songs and I am sure it won't be the last time! So don't be surprised if you are ridding in the car with me and you hear me belt out grew up on Mexican Rugby or doesn't mean with out the lights; I just like my lyrics better!

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO



Live & Learn Thursday :: A Sentimental Old Fool

It's that time again. It is Thursday and we all know what that means. Another Live & Learn Thursday link-up. This week I'm sharing something that husband pointed out about me, that just might be true.

 

Last night my husband and I were watching TV and an engagement ad came on. It was all mushy and sweet and featured a giant ring in the latest style. After the ad ended, he asked me if I ever wished I had a different ring. I thought about it for a minute and this is what I said.

"No, I don't want any ring but the ring I have. Yes, I will admit sometimes I see other rings and think to myself,  'Oh, that is pretty! I wouldn't mind wearing that.' But I wouldn't wear it as a replacement to my wedding rings, but on another finger as just another pretty ring.  Nothing can replace the ring that you picked out. This is my wedding ring. This is the ring that I said I do to you with."

 

He thought about this for a minute and then said, "Well, you could put the diamond in a different setting or something, if you wanted." 

And I immediately replied with, "Nope, never. To me that would be the same as saying 'well, I really like this being married thing but just not you, so I am going to switch out the boy but keep the married bit.' I feel like, if I changed anything about my rings, then they wouldn't the rings I got married with. I love my rings and I don't want to change a thing about them."

Again he was silent for a minute or two before saying, "You know, you are really sentimental." 

So there you have it. I guess I am a sentimental old fool. I haven't thought of myself as being one, but this is how I feel. I might change my mind ten or twenty or thirty years down the road, but right now I couldn't imagine changing a single thing about my wedding rings.

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO



Live & Learn Thursday :: Bronies

It's that time again. It is Thursday and we all know what that means. Another Live & Learn Thursday link-up. This week I'm sharing something I didn't even know was a thing.

I watch a lot of strange stuff on television. When everyone is standing around the water cooler, talking about the latest television show that aired the night before, I usually don't have much to contribute. Does anyone actually have a water cooler at work? Is that just one of those "only in the movies" things? You see, Joel and I don't have cable. Gasp! We decided it was taking up too much of our time and we were spending too much money on it. Hold up a second, let me explain. We did buy a $40 HD Antenna, stuck it up inside our attic, and connected it to the network of cables in the walls of the house. Now every room in the house has HD basic TV. FOR FREE. We can watch every thing we want to see live like Seahawks games, Downton Abby, Jeopardy, etc. Yes, I am a closet Jeopardy fan. But there really isnt' much else on these basic channels that peak my interest. I actually find myself watching a lot of Netflix. And my favorite thing to watch on Netflix is documentaries. The stranger, the better. I like to learn about things that are different from my own experiences. Honestly, watching a documentary makes me feel less guilty about sitting on the couch and doing nothing. So the other night I was flipping through the options and look at what I found.




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So of course I watched it! I was curious to know more about these Bronies. Which is a combination of Bro and Ponies - Bronies. Turns out, there is a whole community of people outside of the shows targeted demographic that enjoy watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magical, a colorful cartoon about little ponies going on adventures and learning about friendship.



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Seriously. They love this show. I don't know how many times someone said, "the characters are really deep and well developed" or "the show is just amazingly written" and even "the animation is just stunning!" I will admit, I was pretty surprised at first and kinda weirded out. Why are grown-ass men watching a little girl's cartoon? What's their agenda?



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But the more I watched the documentary, I started to understand they are just normal people doing what they like. There is nothing wrong with watching whatever TV shows you enjoy. I will admit to a few of my embarrassingly favorite TV shows: Toddlers and Tiaras, Keeping up the Kardashians, and Wheel of Fortune. Who cares. In fact, the Brony community is a very open and accepting community where individuals of all walks of life are finding they have something in common with others.



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A few of the individuals they interviewed in the documentary found friendship and support in the Brony community. A guy from the deep south, who is constantly targeted by haters for his love of ponies, found he wasn't the only kid facing this kid of torment. A young man with Aspergers found the courage to venture into a crowded public space to attend a Brony Convention and even found himself interacting with complete strangers and having a good time. If you don't know, these things are very difficult for someone with Aspergers. And who am I to judge that.


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I also found myself reflecting on my own reaction. At first I was totally weirded out but in 88 minutes my entire opinion changed. This is why I love watching documentaries so much. Just being exposed to another idea, differing view points, or alternative lifestyles, and more importantly the people who live them, makes a difference my life. I'm not saying run out and get yourself a pony and start chanting "Brony for Life" but I've learned to be a bit more accepting of others.

Be sure to stop by the link up and see what other lessons are being shared today!

XOJO