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    jill's weekly favorites...

    • sleeping with the windows open...
    • ocean breezes coming through the open windows...
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    • thai peanut sacue...

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    • June 30 ~ Lunch Cruise-Balboa Bay...
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    40 years...

    • Momjill64
      This is the life of just jill... 40 years in the making!
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    « March 2008 | Main | May 2008 »

    April 22, 2008

    we hang together...


    That is the name of the company my mom and her friend, Sandy had back in the early 80's. They worked together side by side hanging wallpaper for all the up and comers of Orange County. I remember how much fun they had, going out and trying to build their business, then getting excited when they "landed" the cute little cottage down in Laguna Beach or the office building over in Newport. I think what they really liked most was that it was a creative outlet, and the fact that they got to make their own hours and wear shorts to work every day. I mean who wouldn't love that? Back in the day when wallpaper was popular, I think it was definitely a skill to have to be able to measure, cut and paste. In other words they were busy and sucessful. "We Hang Together..."

    Those days are lone gone; wallpaper has come and gone, (and quite possibly back again...) my mom has passed on, and Sandy now lives in Hawaii. They were such good friends for a long time and I've tried hard to maintain contact with Sandy all these years since my mom passed. I know my mom would be pleased and it does make me smile. It just seems like when I get a nice card from her or an update on how she and her family are doing, it makes me feel closer to my mom. Sandy and her husband, Harry, like I said live in Hawaii now, but they also live near here in Dana Point. How lucky are they that they get to travel back and forth? They are retired and living the life for sure.

    This past weekend, we spent a nice evening all together. TL and I went to their lovely home and got a "tour." We're talking GRAND. It's all nestled up on a hill surrounded by eucalyptus trees, with a 180 degree view of the Pacific ocean, gorgeous sleek asian decor and a Japanese garden that sits right in the middle of their U shaped house. I was in awe. And even though it occured to me that Sandy and Harry are pretty much everything we're not; clean, organized, well off, oh and not to mention cute tiny people, we really just had a fun night with plenty of laughs and giggles. We also enjoyed a wonderful evening out at the Salt Creek Grill where I enjoyed the King Salmon Steak stuffed with Crab and Scallops... (um, slurrrp....)

    It meant the world to me to get to see them both, and spend time talking about the "old days," and getting caught up on the new. It was just a great night all around. Sandy and Harry are on their way back to Hawaii for a few months, but I look forward to seeing them again in the fall when they return.

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    "Thanks for a lovely evening guys...
    I hope we can 'Hang Together' again real soon..!"

    April 17, 2008

    just another damn day at the beach...


    100_4490
    "Wait, I actually live here...?"


    This is pretty much what our weekends will be like from now until October...

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    "Don't be hate'n..."

    April 15, 2008

    a little foggy...


    In the midst of my shock and awe last week... I failed to mention a couple things about AIdol... One: How I'm STILL annoyed that Kristy Cook is STILL on the show. Okay okay, so she can sing a little good, but my god people, not anywhere near as well as any one who is left. And she's definitely not better than Michael, who (for unknown reasons to myself and practically everyone else I've spoken to which is just about every person I've come in contact with in the past week, because I'm obsessed with the damn thing) was voted off by all of you lame ass people who DIDN'T vote for him. Whatever... And Two: I also forgot to mention my top performance of the week was by this boy...


    "Jason, you're too cute and your voice is like mother's milk to my ears,
    I could just suck on it all night long...
    (ew, I guess that's kind of groce, but whatever, you get my drift)"


    If Jason, Brooke or Carly get kicked off before any of the rest of them that are left, I'm done.

    "I love you Jason... Call me!"

    April 13, 2008

    "just call me pap..."



    My boyfriends back and I'm gonna love my summer...
    Hey ya, my boyfriends BACK..!


    Gotta love that he tries to convince us that his dog ATE the World Series ball... "Riiight..."

    "I love you Jonathan... Call me!!"

    April 12, 2008

    timing is everything...


    The Bad News: Because of my "little accident" I lost my job. Apparently, even though the position remained empty for 2 years prior to hiring me, they couldn't be without someone for 8 weeks. "Whavever.."

    The Good News: I got a better job. This "little accident" got me a 5K raise, a shorter commute equaling 2.5 hours shaved off each work day AND my own office. I'm now working for a wonderful and respectable little charity and that just makes me smile!

    Go figure...

    April 11, 2008

    overheard at my house last night...


    Jill:

    "WHAT...?
    "NOOOO..."
    "You've got to be kidding me...!"
    "NO f'n WAY...!"
    "WTF..?"
    "You's people are crazy..."
    "Unbeeeelievable..."
    "I'm in total shock right now..."
    "How on earth did America think that F'n Kristy Cook is a better singer than my boyfriend?"
    "Uhhh... hello, people, he's supposed to win the whole thing!"
    "Insane..."

    TL:

    "That's what he gets for wearing that gay ascott thingy"...


    This is what complete and udder shock looks like.


    I love you Michael... call me!

    April 07, 2008

    my name is jill, and i watch tv...



    Well, I'm back. Let's see... We managed to keep our TV off. And honestly it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I really didn't miss finding out who was the "Next NOT Big Giver," or who was the "Next Celebrity to get Booted for having 3 Left Feet," I really didn't mind not watching all the excess crap that I usually watch. We made time to cook together, we started a Gin Rummy tournament that will hopefully take us till we're 80 to finish, we went to the beach a few times, we even cleaned out a few closets. Things just got done. It feels so great. The main thing I think we accomplished is that we came together like a team and just communicated better. We were able to both speak and the other listen. And we managed to agree that planning a whole evening around what time this show or that show is on is not the way we both want to live. We didn't decide to throw our TV away, but we have decided to cut back, way back.

    Now, I have to admit I did have one issue during the week and it was when I knew that American Idol was actually ON, like on Tuesday night at 8:00 pm. During that hour I seemed to be squirming in my seat a little more. I found myself being restless, very distracted and maybe even a little sweaty. Do you think there are meetings out there for people like me? This mostly stemmed from the knowledge that Dolly Parton was on as a guest. How did I not find this out before I made the commitment NOT to watch? What was I thinking? All I could think about during that hour was, is one of them singing my all time favorite Dolly song, and who might be butchering up her classics? This is knowledge I needed to know. But, I stuck true to the commitment with the exception that TL allowed me to TiVo it so I could watch at a later date. Sorry to those of you who are rooting for me to "just turn it off." But sometimes a girls just gotta watch.

    The results are in and we already know who was let go, but just to stay true to my long-standing distaste of this girl... Kristy's still gotta go.

    Kristy_4_2
    Don't you know she's still doing that weird knee thing under that dress...


    I guess it doesn't matter much anymore as enough of them have to go to get to the top, so she'll eventually be gone as I know in my heart she won't be the last one standing. (I mean, the knee thing alone should be a reason to vote her out people!) I was pleasantly surprised when one of my favorites, Brooke did sing my all time favorite Dolly song, Jolene. I loved it. (Didn't understand why she was in the bottom 3 at all, but I think that was a curse of performing first.)

    My top performance of the night was my favorite male... Yum.


    Michael Johns... My pick for this year's winner!