Jo’s Java Thoughts

Posted By Jo on April 21, 2009

So, the judges used their save last week, and no one went home. Honestly, I think they used it just to use it before they lost it…LOL! Not that I don’t think Matt is a good performer. But considering that they only had two more weeks that they could have used it and the chances of one of their favorites being sent home over the next two weeks is very slim!

Tonight was the first night I’ve been home to actually watch performance night in quite a while, but I forgot about Idol and missed Lil’s performance. I’m not sure what to make of tonight, other than the fact that Anoop bombed BIG TIME! And I feel so bad saying that because I rooted for him from the day I heard him try out! He’s got talent, just not the kind to win this show! And his performance tonight? Well, as much as I like Anoop, I’d rather have to listen to non stop mesothelioma commercials! While the commercials serve a purpose, Anoop’s performance tonight only showed that he is past his “peak” on the show. I hate to see him go, but better him than someone like Adam, Kris, Danny or Allison!

So my “guess” is that the two that will be sent packing tomorrow will be Anoop and either Matt or Lil. But definitely Anoop. Sorry bud, but it’s time for you to go Home Sweet Home!

Category: American Idol, My Opinion, Performance Night | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on April 16, 2009

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted any type of updates on my weight loss, and I do apologize. I’ve been really busy lately with a lot of stuff going on in my life. I also seemed to hit a “plateau” area, where I wasn’t losing any more weight, but I also wasn’t gaining any either. And while I know that isn’t a bad thing, it was also kind of disappointing as well.

But at a recent doctors visit, I was “officially” weighed for the first time in several months, and was VERY happy with the results. I’ve lost a grand total of 15 pounds since the first of the year, almost 35 pounds since last fall, and a total of over 50 pounds since I hit my highest weight, which was in the summer of 2007. And even though my weight is no where close to where I hope it will be, I’ve still made some great strides at not being an obese person!

I am happy knowing that I did this on my own, with just a few modifications to my diet and the foods that I eat. But I also know that there are many people that aren’t as fortunate as I am, and don’t have the type of success that I have had with just the few changes that I’ve made. Honestly, I knew in the back of my mind that if it was necessary, I would turn to weight loss supplements if I needed them. And products like Stimerex ES are out there for people who need that extra bit of help when trying to battle being overweight. But given my current health issues, and the upcoming heart tests that I have on the horizon, I think that my doctor would frown upon my using products like those right now. But hopefully, after all of the tests are run and if all of the tests come back OK, if I need a supplement to help me continue on my weight loss path, I’ll be able to use one with my doctors permission!

Category: Health, Jo | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on April 16, 2009

Unfortunately, I was at work last night until after 10 PM, so I didn’t get to catch last nights performances while they were happening. And I had to be back to work at 5 AM this morning, so watching the DVR recording after I got home wasn’t an option either. So I fully planned on watching it at some point today, after I got home from work. But I ended up working until 2 PM, rather than getting out at 11 AM, and when I got home, I was exhausted! So I decided to take a quick nap, then watch last nights show at some point before tonights results show came on.

Apparently I was a little more tired that I thought I was because my nap, which started shortly after the 4 PM news came on, lasted until just a few minutes before midnight. So not only did I never get to watch last nights performance show, I also completely missed the result show tonight. I probably should have waited until I had the time to at least watch tonight’s show before getting online, but I decided to go ahead and check out who ended up going home instead.

I was kind of shocked to find out that the judges chose tonight to pull out their save card and use it on Matt! Not that I think Matt isn’t a good performer, because he is. But I have no doubt he’s not going to win the competition this year, so that’s why I’m so surprised! I honestly thought they’d hang on to it and use it on one of the stronger performers as it got very close to the end, or even use it to have a finale with three, rather than two.

I guess only time will tell what’s going to happen now. We know that next week, because of them using their save this week, two contestants will go home. Will the voters be upset because of the judges saving Matt and send him packing again next week? And will Anoop, who has consistently been in the bottom three, finally go home? I guess we’ll have to make sure to tune in next week to find out. But in my personal opinion, they wasted their save vote tonight. Why postpone the inevitable?

Category: American Idol, My Opinion, Results | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on April 4, 2009

I had to laugh over a recent conversation with my sister about one of the social connection websites that she and I both belong to. Through this website she recently “hooked up” with her very first serious boyfriend from high school. And even though it’s been nearly 25 years since they split, she talks about him like their split was very recent. She goes on and on about the things they talk about in their messages, she slams his current spouse over silly things like a hat she has worn in a few of their pictures, and she talks about how a person only finds a love like that once in a lifetime and if our mom wouldn’t have “interfered” at the time, she’d probably be happily married to this man. Now mind you, my sister was only 15 at the time, and expected our mother to be perfectly fine when she was asked to sign approval for a marriage license. UGH!!

Anyway, this guy apparently did some sort of questionnaire thing on this website that was for fun. I did the same questionnaire and it asked things like “Do you think so and so ever picked their nose”, or “Do you think so and so has “junk in their trunk”". It’s all in fun, not meant to be taken seriously, well, not meant to be taken seriously except if you’re my sister. Now she’s all bothered about it because she can’t figure out what she needs to do to find out what his answer was, and she asked me if I could try to find out for her by asking him. She’s freaking out thinking she needs to go on some sort of crash diet to get back down to the size she was 25 years ago, and even asked me does Slimquick Cleanse work? I told her I honestly didn’t know, and if she needed to find out, it wouldn’t be difficult to find out on the web!

Honestly people, stop living in the past! Let go of the “could have, would have, should have” state of mind. You can’t go back in time, you can’t change what has happened, and none of it is worth driving yourself crazy insane over! Move on and get on with your life, you’ll be a much happier person for it!

Category: Family, My Opinion | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on April 4, 2009

It’s been almost five years since I started my first blog. It’s so strange to think that it’s been that long, and it’s even stranger to think that today, for the first time since then, I now have a family member that wants to know about my blogging and what I write about. For anyone that knows me, it’s no secret that I don’t have a really close relationship with my family members. For some reason, in their eyes, I just don’t equal up to their lifestyle. That is fine with me, I’ve never been one who felt like I had to make people like me or who I am. I’m more of a person who thinks that you either take me as I am, or you leave me be. I don’t feel like I’m a “It’s my way or the highway” type of people, I know that people aren’t going to agree with me and hwo I feel, and I’m fine with that.

But I can’t help but wonder why they have a sudden interest in me and my blogs? Do they all of a sudden care about what’s going on in my life? Something tells me no! In a recent phone conversation with my sister, we were talking about Easter dinner. I explained to her that as much as I’d like to have requested Easter Sunday off work so that I could go to church and have dinner with them, the lure of working for time and a half was too tempting to turn down a shift! But I explained that although I would be working, I’d be getting out of work no later than 2 PM, so if they wanted to do a late dinner, I would be more than glad to join them, as long as I wasn’t too tired.

My sister then goes into this long, drawn out “lecture” about how we all should have learned something from our nephew’s untimely and unexpected passing. That we need to learn to take the time for family, no matter how much we have going on in our lives and no matter how tired we are, that we never know how much longer one of us might have left, or when it will be “our turn” to leave this earth. And while I totally agree with what she said, I can’t help but wonder why it’s always me that gets told I need to make the sacrifices necessary to be able to spend time with all of them? I don’t see any of them going out of their way to try and do something with me! And even though she is OK with putting Easter dinner off for a little while to wait for me, she set the time for 3 PM, which means that if I do work until 2, if I want to be there when they start dinner, I won’t be able to come home and shower and clean up, I’ll have to come home and head straight up to Michigan. And I was also informed that if I “think” I’ll be too tired to attend, please let them know a few days ahead of time so that they can plan accordingly. OK, how am I going to know how tired I’m going to be a few days ahead of time?

Excuse me for having to get up for work at 3 AM five or six days a week! Excuse me for not being used to having to get up for work at this time after spending the bulk of the past 15 years raising my children! I’m so tired of being the one that has to go out of my way for them when they have never, not once, gone out of their way for me! I’m so tired of playing this game with them!

Category: Family, Frustration, Rants | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on April 1, 2009

Yes, I realize how goofy that sounds, but let me tell you this, at 3:00 AM, it’s the cleanest version of what actually came out of my mouth! The other morning I was sitting here trying to wake up for work when I heard this “strange” sound. It was a combination of a quiet “thud” and a strange “buzzing” noise. I looked around, but didn’t see anything, so I went about what I was doing.

A little while later, while I was getting my shoes on, I heard the strange noise again. This time around, I was determined to find out what exactly was causing the noise I was hearing, so I muted the TV and turned my little electric heater off. Sure enough, in the quiet, I was able to track down exactly where the sound was coming from, and when I seen what was causing it I screamed! I’m surprised my scream didn’t wake up the rest of the house, but it didn’t. Good thing it wasn’t a “real” emergency, wasn’t it?

The culprit that was causing the sound was probably one of the biggest moths I had ever seen in my life! And while I do know and realize that a silly little moth isn’t going to hurt me, it still freaked me out when it came flying towards me! And although I wanted to squish it’s brains out, I opened up the front door and shooed it outside, where it would be able to fly free without freaking me out!

I can’t help but wonder if we should check into one of those moth traps that have caught my eye! Granted, it’s not like we have an infestation of moths around here, but the ones I have seen are HUGE! And when it’s 3:00 AM, and you’re not anywhere close to actually being awake, they look like they’re the size of a bat….LOL!

Category: Life in General | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on April 1, 2009

I don’t know what it is about this season of American Idol, but the whole thing just seems really strange this year! Maybe it’s that we started with 13 contestants and not 12, or maybe it’s because during the results show we sit there at the end with baited breath, waiting to see if the judges are going to use their “trump card” and save the contestant that was voted off by the voters.

And then there is the Paula/Kara situation. Is it just me or could you actually picture these two totally duking it out in a back alley somewhere? And now that there are four judges, you can totally see the split! It’s Randy and Kara VS Simon and Paula! I honestly can’t help but wonder if they brought Kara on because this season is the last we’ll see of Paula? They’ve never had four judges before, why have four now? And why have it be another female from the music industry, why not have it be a guy?

This years contestants are pretty good, with a few exceptions. There is one female and one male that both need to go home NOW! Hopefully one of them will go home tonight! And I’m sorry I haven’t been live blogging the show this year like I was last year. I get up for work six days at week at 3:00 AM, and many nights that it’s on, I’m already sound asleep! And since the DVR is back in the family room and my computer is up here in the living room, watching the recording and blogging that isn’t possible either. And tonight, for the results show, I won’t even be awake, so I won’t know the results until I get up for work at 3 tomorrow morning. **SIGH** I need to find a job that doesn’t require me to get up at such an ungodly hour! Maybe someday!

Category: American Idol, Life in General, Work Related | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on March 26, 2009

Honestly, I think that’s what perfectly describes me right now! I’m so tired and so stressed and there is so much going on right now that my brain just feels like it’s total MUSH! The possible job that we thought hubby had earlier this week has fallen through. There’s a TON of crud going on with my youngest child and their bus driver. I had the HUGEST stock truck to put away this morning at work, so huge that it took me over 5 hours to put it away. I just feel so stressed and wiped out right now and wish that I could just run away!

Honestly, if I could afford it, I’d run away somewhere that it’s warm and sunny! I know that the calendar says it’s spring here in NW Ohio, but you wouldn’t know that judging by the weather. It’s been cold and dreary today, with gray clouds hanging around most of today after a day of rain yesterday. The house just feels so cold lately, so somewhere warm would definitely be NICE!

If I could afford it, I’d book myself into a San Diego California hotel, something nice, but not lavish. First thing I’d do is take an hour long bubble bath! Then I think I’d just sleep until I didn’t need to sleep any more. Although I was out in California almost a year ago, I was nowhere near Sand Diego, so I’d have to do some sight seeing! And I’d definitely have to find myself a beach to kick back on for a day, or maybe longer! It’s been so long since I’ve been to the beach here in NW Ohio, but a beach on the Pacific Ocean would be another dream come true!

I can’t afford to actually take a trip like this, but it is nice to be able to sit here and dream about it, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Those few minutes allowed me to “escape” from the whirlwind of life that’s going on around me!

Category: Thoughts, Travel/Vacations | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on March 22, 2009

Ever since I found out my friend Lisa is flying out to California next week to spend some time with her daughter, I’ve been thinking about the trip we made out there last May! First, it’s SOOOOOO strange to think that it’s been almost a year since we made the 3,000+ mile trip out there! Honestly, it just seems like it’s been a few months, definitely not ten months! I’m so very thankful to have had the opportunity to have made this trip with Lisa and Emily, they made this old lady’s dream come true and I will always be indebted to them for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing journey!

The trip out there went amazingly well. Other than one minor car problem, which ended up being a blown fuse, it went flawlessly! And I must admit that I was really impressed with how the Garmin GPS system she borrowed worked! There were a few little “glitches” with it, one of which got me a bit turned around in downtown St. Louis, but those were more due to driver error than any problem with the GPS. See, if it tells you to turn right “now”, you may want to wait just a few extra yards, just in case there is another street sooner than you actually think there will be…LOL!

Anyway, I’m happy that Lisa is getting the chance to go out and spend a long weekend with Emily! It sounds like it’s something that they both need, especially Lisa! She’s got a lot going on and just needs to get away from it all for right now and get some R&R! But I have to secretly admit that I’m a little jealous, and it’s her fault in a way…LOL! She and Emily created a monster when they took me away from everything with them. I want to go again, I want to get away from everyone and everything again, RIGHT NOW!

But, that’s not going to happen, so instead I’ll just wish Lisa a VERY happy belated birthday and hope that she has a wonderful and relaxing trip!

Category: Thoughts, Travel/Vacations | No Comments »
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Posted By Jo on March 15, 2009

I know the job situation across the US is at the worst it’s been in a very long time, and NW Ohio is no exception! Our unemployment rates are higher than they’ve been in my adult life, with no promise of it getting better any time in the near future. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t jobs to be had, because there are. But unless you have a degree or are highly skilled, your chances of landing a decent job are pretty slim!

Yes, there are still jobs to be find in different skilled trade areas like healthcare jobs, but if you don’t have the right qualifications or credentials, you’re doing to have a difficult time landing the job. And those jobs that are open are often applied to by hundreds of applicants. I read in the local news recently that there were more than 500 applications for a janitorial position in one of the local school districts. Can you believe that? But that’s how tough things have gotten around here job wise.

And even if you do have a degree or the certifications to be able to do something, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be able to find a job. They’re saying now that a good portion of the kids that will graduate from college this year are going to find it nearly impossible to find jobs that they have degrees for. It’s sad, it really is. I know that we just have to hang on and we’ll get through it, but it’s the hanging on part that gets more and more difficult!

Category: Economy, Thoughts | No Comments »
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