bloopers? byebye coworker, football and of course...Karen

01/15/2013

HI all. How are you? I promise this entry won’t be all about Karen…just half of it.

1. “where did all the bloopers go” hmm or was that cowboys? I have been here on bloop for what will be an amazing 10! YEARS! In May, specifically May 19th. I remember when I use to get like 10 to 15 notes per an entry. When I would get random stop-by-ers. Now I get between 2-5 notes an entry. I understand most of the reason has to do with FB, tweeting and other social on line networks and I know that for some of you, you do have family and jobs and a real full life so bloop isn’t high on your priority list anymore but I wish there was more bloopers. I do feel blessed, honored, etc that some of you I have known for 9 years and we have become more than just a bloop buddy but a real “lean on me” “sending cards in the mail” friends. To you.. thank you with hugs

2. This weekend was brought to me by the letter F.
FAMILY, FUN, FOOTBALL and FOOD
.
Sunday my aunt Sarah, my cousin Heidi and her son, Jalen came over. My twin brother Justin, his wife Lindsay and my nephew Devin came and my older brother Rob came too. My younger sister Amanda couldn’t make it. She had football practice. (ironic?)
My mom cooked a bunch of appetizers including making her amazing refrigerator secret chicken wings (you know… putting whatever is in the fridge at the time in the sauce) along with a 7 layered dip and she also made potato salad and coleslaw to go with our tailgate …my dad put hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill along with some veggies. So the food was good and we ate during the half time of the Patriots –Texan’s game.

I got some Jonathan-Devin time (btw our pic on fb with our Patriots Jerseys on) Justin and Lindsay had business to take care of so Devin got dropped off early and since my mom was cooking, I got to feed him and sing to him and one thing he loves is when I tip him backwards. (I guess all babies do…) he has the most adorable laugh. I’m still trying to teach him to say “go Sox!” but at 5.5 months, he’s still learning. I also sing “take me out to the ballgame” to him. It’s my special song to him.

On Saturday I posted the following on FB
Denver over Baltimore and SF over Green bay
Atlanta over Seattle and New England over Houston
no upsets this weekend

A friend of my twin commented the following
Nice try. Manning gets sacked in first play from scrimmage by Ray and never gets into a rhythm. Baltimore by 3. Green Bay rolls over a San Francisco offense that isn't clicking and wins big. According to Nate Silver Seattle wins. So got to go with the stat master. The only one you have correct is New England. Perhaps you should listen to more sports so you don't make these embarrassing posts.

That last line, I felt was a total insult to my sports knowledge. There is very few things in this world I know about but sports is something I not only know but am passionate about. (ya know, just in case you didn’t know that about me lol)

When the last game was over and the dust has settled, I was correct on 3 of the games and the 4th game went into double overtime. I took to FB with the following:

Yesterday I posted my predictions on this weekend's football games. I had sf, Denver, Atlanta and New England. 3 out of 4 isn’t bad. Dr. Writt commented, ending with the following "Perhaps you should listen to more sports so you don't make these embarrassing posts." Granted, it's not baseball but I do know a little bit about other sports

Anywho, I am very excited that my home team, the New England Patriots won and that the team which I grew up rooting for and remain a loyal fanatic of, the SF 49ers, won along with the Atlanta falcons who’s qb, Matt Ryan, went to Boston College and I got to be at his last college game. I was hoping for Denver only cause I wanted to see Payton vs Tom again but the story book of Ray Lewis continues. He’s a hall of fame player who whenever the season is over for his team, he’s hanging up the cleats. So, I’m excited and looking forward to next weekend, I will be pulling for the Pats and 49ers and if they both win… I don’t know what I will do for the super bowl. Who will I root for?

3. bye bye
Last week I got an email from my boss with the subject being “surprise” wow was I surprised that one of my coworkers who I work closely with and have been for a year, is leaving. She is moving back “home” to be closer to her family in Missouri. My boss tried to have a surprise going away party with cake and pizza and people she has worked with in the company and all that worked out fabulously but the “surprise” part didn’t go so well. As she said after we all said “surprise!” “It would be more of a surprise if all your cars weren’t in the parking lot” oops haha

Unfortunately for me, when the clients came home and came into the dining room, where I work from, and saw the cake on the table, they asked me “who’s birthday is it?” so no one had told them that a counselor was leaving? Not cool. I had to explain to them and all but one took it ok.

When it came time to do my group, after we did the normal stuff, I…well, every time we get a new client or staff member, I do a group where I have the person introduce themselves and we introduce ourselves and tell them about the house. I figured we should have a “good bye” group, where we get to tell the lady a formal “goodbye” and thank her for all the help she did. One of the clients started, they went around the room and it was beautiful. My other coworker who is not leaving took her turns and then she told me it was my turn so I said my words and the lady got to say her thank yous to all of us. She is a very nice lady and I do wish her all the luck wherever her journey takes her.

4. Karen Karen Karen
If you are tired of hearing about her…I’m sorry but hopefully you’ll be hearing about her for a long long long time to come.

Last Tuesday, Karen had surgery to have her tonsils and adenoid removed. So the Sunday before, I bought her a “get well” card and Brailled it up and I figured since she’ll have a lot of time resting, I would send her a thumb drive with some music for her to listen to. Initially, I put 60 songs on the drive. I checked to see how much room that took up, as I was carefully pick- choosing songs. I saw it only took up 0.360 GB of a possible 4 GB, I then went through and just copied all songs from specific groups. I also learned how much music I had of Bon Jovi… I have 8.44 GB of JUST Bon Jovi music. In comparison, all the rest of my music I have in my computer tallies up to 9.8 GB. So I sent the card and drive on Monday, thinking it will get there on Friday. My father had put a tracking thing on the package and the tracking said it would be there on Thursday so of course I was entertained checking-following the package.

Surgery day came. I could not help think about how she was doing. I wrote the beautiful poem the same time she was in surgery. Her mom sent me a text-email from Karen’s phone telling me that she was out of surgery and she is resting and doing well. I was happy to hear that. My phone rang about 12:30. I heard what sounded like (and I don’t mean this to make fun of anyone but it is all I can relate it to) a deaf person trying to talk. I realized –shocked-emotionally touched that she called me. Yes, two hours after having her tonsils and adenoid removed, Karen called me. She wanted to tell me that she was ok. Although she “talked” a lot in a min or so the phone call lasted, I understood about 5 words of what she said. I literally had a tear run down my face the last few seconds of the phone call. She could have text-emailed me but nope, she wanted to tell me herself that she was ok. I just looked it up, and they don’t recommend you to “talk” anywhere from 2 to 5 days and even at that, it will be painful. She’s crazy! …crazy for me. Hehe

My package got to her on Wednesday, an entire day before the site said and 2 days before I figured she would have got it.
She text-mailed me: *smile* *hug* youre awesome
So I guess she liked the card. She still, as of Monday, had not looked to see what’s on the drive, she told me today that she didn’t have much alone time to look at it or the message I sent her on fb, which was my poem but I know she’s smile at both of them.

On Friday, I had called Karen so she could hear my voice and when she started to talk, most of the time I hushed her but she tell me that she got flowers from her grandparents that day. I got her to laugh which made me smile.

Today, Monday, (well, Tuesday now, it is taking me forever to write this entry lol) I woke up at 11:03 I got a phone call at 11:06. It was Karen. She sure has a way with timing. 5 mins before, she would have woke me up and 5 mins later, I would have been in the bathroom and completely missed her call. This happens a lot with her…having a way with timing that is.

I told her about my weekend and being with my nephew. She said that she saw the picture and even commented: “this picture would be more adorable if those jerseys were the correct colors, u know, royal blue and white with a horse shoe on there lol.” I saw the comment after but she told me that too which I had a pretty interesting response and she had an even more interesting response.
I said “Karen, if we have a kid he’ll be wearing a Patriots jersey”
She said something like “you can dress him in whatever other sport jersey you want (meaning RedSox) but he’ll be wearing the royal blue and white football jersey.
I said that I could live with that. She giggled.
So she’s not holding back on any of my future thoughts but rather, encouraging them. Good sign?
Wondering about this…how many females tell their guy friend over a phone
K “guess what nature brought this morning?”
J Snow? (totally confused cause if it was snow, she would be excited and it definitely wasn’t an excited tone)
K: no, my monthly visitor.
J: oh. I’m sorry. Is it making you more tired or something?
K: no, just annoying cramps that can be painful at times.
J: oh, I don’t know what to say. (little chuckle) I’m just a guy.
K: ah, it’s ok.
J: I’ll rub your belly
K: that would be nice

She also had her dog, Moagie, in toe wherever she went. She was trying to decide what she was going to have for lunch. She was reading off the things she could eat from a list and then went to see what she had. She said “maybe I’ll make matzoh balls” I laughed “you and your matzoh balls” She: what? ME: as you would say, just you. She: they’re soft? Mme: mmm they can be. (I was quiet for a moment) she: what? Me: just remembering that night you made me the matzoh ball soup. . She: in October. Me: (laughed) you don’t even remember when I was there. She, yes I do, it was the first week of November. Me: ok, glad you know that and you made it for me on that Saturday. Her: you even remember the day. Me: I remember the entire weekend. There isn’t much that I don’t remember about that weekend. I can’t wait to do it again. She: maybe I’ll drive up this weekend. Me: in my dreams. That sure would be something if you did. I’m not sure what I would do. (she giggled)

I had asked her if she got my text messages. She said she did. I said ok, cause I never know if I’m sending too many or what. She says “no, I’m just not always awake or by my phone to respond” me: I didn’t mean it like you had to responds ASAP. I just send you them, you know, to let you know that I’m thinking of you and to put a smile on your face. I just wonder if you are thinking “oh boy, another text from Jonathan” (in a pretend-annoyed tone) she laughed and said no, it’s more like eeek! Another text from Jonathan. (she really did try to squeal lol) she: ouch, I won’t try to do that again. I chuckled. No, you shouldn’t do that. But I’m glad to know that. She: Jonathan, you can send me messages anytime. They always make me smile.

She said that she was going to go eat lunch and then take meds and go to sleep. I thanked her for calling and told her to stop talking. She made that sound that a kid would make that would basically mean “whatever” lol

*some side notes
My mom handed me a bubble envelope on Friday while I was watching TV and said “here, just in case you want to send your girlfriend something else.” I first smiled, the thought of Karen being my girlfriend but then I frowned, knowing that she wasn’t my girlfriend but was someone else’s.

*side note 2.
I was on the phone with Karen last Monday, the day before her surgery and my sister had came over the house. My father was going to help her pick up a new jeep.
My sister said loud enough so Karen could hear “HI KAREN” Karen said hi. And I relayed the message. Karen then asked me if everyone knows about her. I said pretty much. Why? Is there many people who don’t know about me over there? She softly laughed and said no, pretty much everyone knows about you.