Jeanniekay’s Blog

Danny was home over the weekend. It was good to have him around again. He spent most of his time with us (?) and requested meatloaf and mashed potatoes for Sunday dinner, which I was happy to provide. He’s decided (at least for today) to work towards law school, with an ag focus. He’s so capable – I’m convinced that short of majoring in math, he could do anything that he wanted. As long as it’s not TOO much work. He’s had a pretty easy ride of it – he’s always had really really good reading comprehension – so if he meets with something that makes him feel like he can’t do it, or might fail, he’d rather NOT do it. To be fair, this doesn’t happen often or I’d be all over him about it, but mostly he just likes to be confident in his success before he starts. That’s so his dad!

David was ill over the weekend, but thought he was well enough to go to school today (no temperatures). I got a call and he was on his way home. Hope it’s not the NASTY flu, but the odds aren’t good that it isn’t.

Now – a cheat. A meme. I kind of like these. They make me think about myself and my life.

1. What kind of SOAP is in your bathtub right now? Dial. Is there another soap? I like girlie soaps, but living with men, I don’t bother putting it in the shower.
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No. But I have fresh raspberries. Mmmmmm.
3. What would you change about your living room? The light. I want my ceiling fan back. And the curtains. I have white sheers up (since the remodel). I’m waiting to buy real drapes after I get a new couch.
4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Clean
5. What is in your fridge? Fruits, veggies, soy milk, milk, lots and lots of condiments
6. White or wheat bread? Wheat, but I’m on a Flatout kick right now. They ROCK.
7. What is on top of your refrigerator? A couple of fly swatters
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? Shower door. With some scum I need to get off.
9. How many plants are in your home? The Alcatraz jade plant will be back in soon from it’s summer vacation. Same with the fig tree and the rubber plant.
10. Is your bed made right now? Maybe. If Mark did it.
11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Neither. Mr. Clean Erasers
12. Is your closet organized? Mostly yes. I clean it out about once a year.
13. Can you describe your flashlight? Monster black MagLight, baby!
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass. Clear only.
15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? Nope. The sun tea jar gets put away by Labor Day.
16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? It’s in a constant state of upset – it’s a workshop more than a garage.
17. Curtains or blinds? Some of both
18. How many pillows do you sleep with? One. But I like to prop up to read with the one in the sham.
19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? No, but they don’t’ bother me.
20. How often do you vacuum? Ummmm. Every week. Or so. Or sooner. Depends on the tracking in. I have a new vacuum that I thought would inspire me. No such luck.
21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard
22. What color is your toothbrush? Green and white
23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? A mat, but not a welcome mat. Wipe your feet!
24. What is in your oven right now? Pizza stone
25. Is there anything under your bed? Good laws, yes. The silver. Shoe boxes full of pictures. Dust bunnies.
26. Chore you hate doing the most? Windows.
27. What retro items are in your home? Dishes.
28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yes, a teeny one
29. How many mirrors are in your home? 4
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? Oh, yes. Cash is king.
31. What color are your walls? Taupe, mostly. The bathroom is olive
32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Yes, but I’d have to club an intruder to death with it.
33. What does your home smell like right now? Meatloaf
34. Favorite candle scent? Patchouli!
35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Dill, sweet and two kinds of relish.
36. What color is your favorite Bible? Green – the Living Bible.
37. Ever been on your roof? Sure! I’m not afraid of heights. And our house has a door that takes you up on the roof!
38. Do you own a stereo? You betcha! Love me some tunes.
39. How many TVs do you have? Embarassing – 5.
40. How many house phones? 4
41. Do you have a housekeeper? Tried to. She fired me for bitching about the job she did (hey, the cobweb was there for a month!!!)
42. What style do you decorate in? Classic, kind of old school overstuffed. Comfy.
43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Solid for large pieces, prints for small
44. Is there a smoke detector in your home? Several. And Carbon Monoxide detectors, too.
45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? Silver, jewelry box, dvds of the kids!

The wedding was very, very nice. I am, however, amazed at the large percentage of the general populace that don’t really operate on time schedules. Start times, end times, opening times, closing times, picture times, flower times – all optional. Just so whatever the process/project/activity is happens in the GENERAL vicinity of the time stated. It.makes.me.crazy. Have I spent too long in corporate America – with a clock ruling my life from the time the alarm goes off until my last meeting of the day? Have I trailbossed too many organizations through projects? Prodding and calling and reminding and stressing? And, on the other end, been smugly satisfied at the praise/recognition that came from a well planned, well executed event? Of course I have. That’s part of who I am. I’m a timely girl, at my very core, and nothing makes me more stressed out than timing issues.

I guess my question would be – do the folks that don’t adhere to a schedule – any schedule, take your pick – have anywhere near the stress I do about being late? Or even the potential to be late? Do they feel panicky and speed their pace up a notch or two? Or is it just me?

So – I probably drove everyone crazy in the house. I learned many new things about our housemates. Some of whom I am impressed with that I thought I wasn’t impressed with, who is a genuine princess-and not in a good way, who is not-so-nice when they need a nap. I am glad to know and be related to most of them. Life is short, so I’m not going to dwell on the negative.

I am going to dwell on how gorgeous my niece looked. And how the love flowed between her and her now-husband as they stood together, taking their vows. And the glorious sunset over Puget Sound through the wall of windows at the wedding location. And how truly, deeply lovely my other nieces are. NYC Niece is particularly sweet to her core. I hope she finds the same of kind of joy and love I felt in that room. It was so much fun to immerse myself in girl stuff. It took two of three showers to wash off the testosterone soup that I swim in daily in my house. I love my boys, all of them, but I long for girl stuff. If I win the lottery, I’m going to pay NYC Niece to come home so I can have her to myself more than a few hours a year.

And Maria’s comment was right on target. There are many other ailments that Dad could have had. I shouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion that it was cancer. He called last night and got the diagnosis – hiatal hernia. Nothing medically to be done for him, he just needs to slow down when he eats and watch what causes the problems, then quit eating that. My guess is, from sitting across the table from him for 20 years, is that he’s NOT CHEWING HIS FOOD WELL ENOUGH. My oldest eats the same way. It’s fairly gross to watch, and he chokes once in a while, too. Gah. Boys!

My dad is 89.3 years old. He’s smaller than he was and a bit less fearsome, but he’s still a formidable force in my life. He and I are much alike. I used to think that was not a tremendously good thing. But then I Grew Up and realized that so many of the traits that he passed on to me are really valuable in the real world. You know, money management skills (his theory – basically, just don’t spend any), a fabulous work ethic (you can call in from your death bed, but that’s about it), pragmatism (it is what it is – figure out how to make it work with what you’ve got), and the forever knowledge that he loved my mother. I may have wondered a time or two (or three) if he really cared that he had children, but he truly loved her. He is an only child and is mostly a one person, person. You know, like a dog that really only needs one person in their world. After Mom died, he needed us kids to help him with everything. That’s the very first time he’s ever really needed us. Then he met Laura. And she became his ‘person’. My feelings about her/them is an entirely different post, but suffice to say that she fills that spot for him now and he doesn’t seem to need us anymore.

I talked with him last Friday and he told me that he’d been to a specialist for a test. Come to find out, he’s been having problems swallowing all summer. Food seems to go partway down and then gets stuck. Sometimes even water won’t go down. He’s lost some weight (and didn’t have much extra to lose) and decided to call his doctor before they go back to Arizona later this month. He had a barium upper GI done and is waiting for the results.

I’m not normally a doom and gloomer, but with a few clicks of the mouse, I became one. He has the classic symptoms of esophageal cancer. And it doesn’t sound like there’s much to be done if that’s the case. There’s a 30% (30%!!!) fatality rate with surgery and given his age, I’m sure that wouldn’t even be an option. Radiation is tricky and seems to be palliative only.

So – we wait. And wait. And Mark and I are leaving for Seattle on Thursday for the wedding. Part of me hopes to know what’s going on before we leave and part of me wants to have no answer so I don’t have it hanging over my head.

Deaths come in threes.

Are there some things that just drive you crazy? Sometimes silly, little thing that just hit that exposed nerve and make you cry out in the wilderness ‘NOOOOOOOO’.

I have some of those things in my life. Things that grate on my nerves. Why, you might ask, do I let any of these things bother me for even a moment? I don’t know, I tell you. I don’t know.

So – in no particular order – things that BUG me:
• Misspelling on signage. Just this morning, I saw a big sign by the side of the road, obviously (semi) professionally done, advertising for a beauty shop. It read: Hair Cuts, Manicures, Pedicures, Massage Therpist on duty. What the hell is up with that? There was a sign that went up on a large building (home of a former home center) across the entire front, the lettering taking up every square inch of the space, and the word Professional was misspelled. Two Fs. PROFFESSIONAL. These were big (probably 3+ ft tall) lighted acrylic letters. ARGH! Is there no such thing as SPELL CHECK, people????
• Cars that drive and drive and drive AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS on toy tires.
• People that text while driving. For the love of gawd, QUIT.
• Passive aggressive behavior. That’s a whole ‘nother post.
• People that ask you to lunch, then text their boyfriends or someone obviously more interesting than you the entire time. It’s beyond rude. The next time – and I mean it, you know who you are – that happens, I’m getting up and walking out. Hell, I don’t even know where my cell phone is most of the time.
• People who pull into gas stations and stop at the first pump. Pull all the way through, will you?
• People (um, I’m seeing a trend here) that get to the cashier and acted amazed that they now need to get their damn money out and pay. After you put your crap on the belt or the counter, get your damn wallet out.

Sigh.

My darling nieces lovely grandfather passed away and was buried yesterday. It was such a loving service, but I was so saddened to see his widow, who has Alzheimers, grieve over and over fresh. She obviously wasn’t processing the fact that he was dead, so each time she heard it, she mourned anew. What an awful, horrible disease. NYCNiece and PortlandNiece both made it back for the funeral. SeattleNiece is somewhere in South America, I think, and didn’t make it back.

Only a few days before we take off for Seattle! I really really really hope that the wind generator is up and functioning before we leave! It’s raining today, so work is on hold, dang it. It’s built and is waiting to be craned up into place!

The first school board meeting was uneventful. Who said it was hard???

. I’m a member of the school board. The local paper declared that I won ‘by a comfortable margin’. Would you consider 31 votes comfortable?

I was surprisingly calm the night of the election. I didn’t know if I was afraid I might lose….or afraid I might win.

You can call me Madame School Board Member now, if you please…

Yesterday afternoon, we scattered Aunt Margie’s ashes in the grove by our house. After she came home from the nursing home, she and I had a discussion about such things. She had very definite ideas about what she wanted. I realized then, but even more now, how much thought she was giving to her own mortality. We should all be so lucky to have that kind of clarity so we can get the information in the right hands to make it happen.

Most of us said a few words, we laughed a little, and we cried a little. We missed her.

Now Grandma wants to be scattered down there, too. If she decides to be cremated. Hey, at least we’re talking about it! While we were in the kitchen before she left, she stood at the sink and looked across the farmstead and said ‘I’d like to move back here’. Ummm. We love you, but that’s not happening.

The polls open at noon today. Since I ‘declared’ myself a willing write in, the current member from my district (who didn’t want to run again and didn’t file the paperwork) has ‘been approached by a group of constituents’ that apparently feel the current board make up is just peachy and want to keep the status quo – so he is now actively seeking reelection via his own write in campaign. I think I scare people. Heck, I KNOW I scare people.

In fact, I got a call last Thursday from some state Election Board, asking me if I’d registered the Committee to Elect My Name with them. I made the name up to put on the bottom of the flyers that were distributed. The lady from the state said they had received an anonymous tip that I indeed had not registered the committee. Luckily, she emailed me the form and I faxed it back to her. If I hadn’t registered the committee and been elected, I could have been recalled. How funny is this???? So someone thought they were shooting down my candidacy and in fact, they saved it. Maybe it was just a really shy friend…..ya think?

Maybe I should rent a hotel room to gather my committee to watch the returns. Actually, I don’t have any idea how I’ll even be notified if I win or lose. People keep asking me if I’m nervous. At this point, I’m afraid that I’ll win. Heh. Margie would be loving this.

Probably. Ok, probably for sure. But I really think it’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it.

I’m running for school board, with a write in campaign. I’ve wanted to run for a while, but didn’t have the support of the Man of the House. And I wouldn’t (and couldn’t) do it without his backing. I was approached about a week ago by a group of people asking me to run. I thought and thought about and he and I talked and came to the decision that I should run. And really, the school district will get two for the price of one. He helps me all the time to gain clarity in different situations. He gives me perspective and a different point of view when I’m faced with decisions. I’m lucky to have him in my corner!

I’m really excited about it, even though I know logically that I really have no idea what I’m getting myself into. It’s probably like having a baby – you can imagine all sorts of scenarios, but until you do it, you really are clueless.

Our district has struggled for several years with many different issues. We had a superintendent that was more about divide and conquer than building consensus. He made a point of building alliances with people that are more susceptible to attention and flattery than the average person. I have to admit, it worked for him for a while. He was allowed to go unchallenged in many questionable decisions and actions. Board members at the time wouldn’t ask many of those questions and when they did, he wasn’t held accountable for the answers. Or even GIVING answers.

In any case – I feel more than slightly honored that there are good people that know me and how I operate that think I’m what the district needs right now. That know that I don’t shy away from healthy conflict. That understand how passionate I am about making this district the very best it can be.

One of my good friends had the best endorsement for me. She told me that anyone that knows me knows that I don’t try to avoid the hard stuff. I’m blunt, up front and pragmatic in all parts of my life. She thinks I can do a good job because I’ll just.be.me.

Isn’t that nice?

Ok. So get up early Sunday morning to make two of my mom’s favorite dishes to the State Fair for judging. Lots of the judging of casserole stuff and things that don’t hold well in unrefrigerated cases for the 10 day run of the fair is done in the 4 days before the fair.

• I made rice balls. Mmmmm. They looked so good right out of the pan – perfectly shaped, pieces of garlic visible, just the right amount of rice so they got all pokey, sauerkraut caramelized just the tiniest bit. Here I make my first mistake – I should have covered them immediately to keep them moist. I know better. I know they dry out right away. I guess I didn’t really think about it because I like them cold almost better than warm.

• I made apple crisp. It looked great. Dished up some of that.

• Got all the antiques together for the Heritage classes.

• Filled out all forms and tags. Packed up.

• Drive to the fair. Find a great place to park (the grounds were still open to the public on Sunday)

• Take my food and stuff to the check in tables. Unload my basket.

• Am promptly informed by one of the nasty, self important old women that run the show that I don’t have my bowls labeled correctly and to step aside to a designated table to finish my prep

• Ask if that’s necessary – all I needed to do was stick a label (completed! With perfect handwriting!) on the bottom of each bowl.

• Yes, it’s necessary, she said rudely. The check in table gets backed up when people like me don’t follow the rules and DON’T HAVE THEIR ENTRIES READY WHEN THEY GET TO THE CHECK IN.

• I gather my things, step to the table, stick the damn labels on the bowls and step back over to her (maybe 10 seconds?). Yes, I said stepped right back over. BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY PERSON CHECKING IN AND THERE WERE 5 LADIES CHECKING IN FOOD. AND NOT ANOTHER SOUL IN SIGHT. But still, I still needed to be punished for missing the labels on the bottom of the bowl and had to pack up my crap and step aside. Amazing.

• While waiting for the judging to start, I took the antiques up to Heritage Hall and drove through the fairgrounds and campground.

• Went back in building. Make list. See below.

• Watch judging. Sit in front row and hear 2 of the 3 writers bitch continuously while the entrees are placed about all the changes that the fair board forced on them this year. There’s not enough help!! They keep making changes to how we do things! This can’t possibly work! They want to use VOLUNTEERS for some of these jobs! VOLUNTEERS!! How could they possibly know what they’re doing??? The Fair Board changed compensation to hourly so now we have to work the entire time you’re scheduled! I’m not kidding -the year I worked and dashed my dream of how wonderful it would be, they were at least 50% over staffed, still using carbon paper for gawd’s sake and lots of ass sitting was done – see reference to OVER STAFFED!

• Rice balls judged – nothing

• Apple crisp – goes behind the curtain with 5 other desserts for possible placement.

• Apple crisp – nothing.

Despite all of this, I got tingly when I drove by this morning. Only 3 more days!!!!

Oh, and my list:

If I Were Running the Best State Fair in the Land:
- I’d mix up the campground situation. The decent spots are like time shares. They’re passed down through families and sometimes sold at a premium. WTH? Figure it out so other people get a chance to enjoy the fair from the campground too.
- Place a limit on like food stands. How many damn corn dog places do we need? Encourage new stuff! Maybe give a first year discount to young entrepreneurs. How about a contest for the best new food? And stop with the “..on a stick…” thing. It makes us all sound like idiots.
- The Superintendent for the Food division needs a real, named successor that has authority to make a decision or two. And require that the PAID EMPLOYEES quit acting like they’re constipated and angry. Hire some younger people (maybe in tehir 50s)  and don’t let the old hens drive them away. Seriously, a good bout of the flu could shut that place down. Permanently.
- Spend more money on existing historical buildings before you build more crap for horses. Enough with the horses, already.  This isn’t France.  We’ll never need a bun and ketchup for them.  They’re pets, not LIVESTOCK.
- For the love of GOD, GROUNDS PEOPLE!!!! Mow and weed eat the grounds! Kill a few weeds growing up in cracks while you’re at it.  The grounds look like hell. I know the grass gets trampled but please! Show a little pride!

This officially ends my rant. I feel better.

Every day, on my journey from farm fields to work downtown at BIGINSURANCECOMPANY, I pass one of my favorite spots on earth – the State Fair Grounds, home of Greatest State Fair in the Land. The fair grounds host all sorts of different events all year round. In the spring and fall during the various Beef Expos and other livestock events, it’s packed with cowboys and horse trailers and cattle haulers. Once a month, a big flea market is held in the 4-H building. The Varied Industries has boat and camper shows, gardening shows and car shows. One of the biggest car shows in the country invades every 4th of July for 4 days. I love that! The carefully restored (and not so carefully!) antiques and muscle cars (my fave!) cruise all around the east side of town. It’s a feast for the eyes!

Over the last two weeks, every morning and evening as I drive by, something new is up on the grounds. Wednesday night, it was the giant ferris wheel in the midway. A few days before, it was a long row of concession trailers lined up in the north parking, waiting no doubt for the electricians to finish the check of the power sources to make sure the city doesn’t have a brown out when the lights turn on! Last night, it was a constant stream of campers moving into the campgrounds. The campground is over 100 acres, on mostly on steep wooded hillsides. It’s a real act of engineering genius to get some of the campers onto their sites, sidebyside, THIS [ ] close to each other! For 10 days, the campground at the fair is the 5th largest ‘city’ in our state.

I love the fair. With every fiber of my being. Mark and I have spent the first Friday of the fair at the fair together since we met.  This is our 26th year.. We come early (like 7:30 am) and stay late (some years, it’s after 1am on Saturday!). We get great parking because of our earlybirdness and bring coolers with sandwiches and fruit – always Muscatine melon – and all sorts of beverages, adult and otherwise. We save a ton of money and have a chance to sit and relax, catch a second wind, and head back. I’ve been to the fair pregnant and lactating, neither of which I recommend.

I’m taking some antiques for the heritage competition on Sunday and if I feel particularly ambitions, one food entry. More on that if it comes to be. The food has to be there by 11 am on Sunday, so I’ll have to be up cooking early. I should do it, though. I’ve talked about it long enough!

My mom loved the fair. My husband loves the fair. My kids love the fair. My dad couldn’t care less.

Wonder what will be new tonight????